Environmental identities of college students reveal potential conflicts and common ground for wildlife conservation

Abstract

“Conservationist” and “environmentalist” are two prominent environmental social identities often perceived as conflicting, particularly on wedge issues like hunting. While these groups may hold differing philosophies, their beliefs could overlap, revealing opportunities for collaboration in conservation. We examined environmental identities among U.S. college students across 22 states (n = 17,203) from 2018 to 2020, assessing identity, wildlife values, and positions on polarizing issues. Students were classified into four groups: conservationists (8 %), environmentalists (9 %), pluralists (59 %) who expressed both identities, and eco-agnostics (24 %) who expressed neither. Environmentalists, the most diverse group demographically, exhibited mutualistic wildlife value orientations, while conservationists, the least diverse, expressed domination-centered value orientations. Conservationists broadly supported hunting and gun rights, while environmentalists favored animal rights. Despite these differences, both groups scored equally high on conservation caring, and all groups—including eco-agnostics—broadly approved of hunting for altruistic reasons (e.g., ecological benefits, reducing crop damage). Our findings highlight distinct yet overlapping environmental identities shaped by demographic and value-based factors. These identities, while appearing polarized, share relational values (e.g., conservation caring, altruistic motivations) that present opportunities for collaboration. Although based in the U.S., these findings have global relevance and reflect the impact of broader trends (e.g., urbanization) on shifting wildlife values. Understanding environmental identities offers a framework to align conservation efforts across diverse cultural contexts, promoting a more inclusive and unified approach to global conservation challenges.