Assessing the impact of a science communication program in La Malinche National Park, Tlaxcala, Mexico

Abstract

Abstract This article analyzes the knowledge and attitudes of high school students regarding the temperate mountain forest of La Malinche National Park, Tlaxcala, Mexico, before and after the implementation of the science communication program called “Los Tesoros de La Malinche” (The Treasures of La Malinche). The assessment included drawings, open questions, closed questions and Likert scale, and it was applied to 56 high school students (36 girls and 20 boys) from an urban school (29) in Mexico City and a rural school (27) located at the village of Ixtenco, Tlaxcala. The results showed that the development of the “Los Tesoros de La Malinche” program increased students’ knowledge and awareness of biodiversity within the National Park. The program also reinforced positive attitudes toward biodiversity conservation at both local and global scales.