"When researchers played recordings of dog 'laughter' (a breathy exhalation made by pooches), barking and pacing canines at an animal shelter calmed down instantly. 'The dogs seemed to be happy, not stressed,' says animal behaviorist Patricia Simonet. To hear the sound, go to www.laughing-dog.org."
Hausmann, Anna (author), Slotow, Rob (author), Di Minin, Enrico (author), Toivonen,Tuuli (author), Heikinheimo, Vuokko (author), and Tenkanen, Henrikki (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017-04-10
Published:
UK: Nature Portfolio
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 207 Document Number: D13088
9 pages, Charismatic megafauna are arguably considered the primary attractor of ecotourists to sub-Saharan African protected areas. However, the lack of visitation data across the whole continent has thus far prevented the investigation of whether charismatic species are indeed a key attractor of ecotourists to protected areas. Social media data can now be used for this purpose. We mined data from Instagram, and used generalized linear models with site- and country-level deviations to explore which socio-economic, geographical and biological factors explain social media use in sub-Saharan African protected areas. We found that charismatic species richness did not explain social media usage. On the other hand, protected areas that were more accessible, had sparser vegetation, where human population density was higher, and that were located in wealthier countries, had higher social media use. Interestingly, protected areas with lower richness in non-charismatic species had more users. Overall, our results suggest that more factors than simply charismatic species might explain attractiveness of protected areas, and call for more in-depth content analysis of the posts. With African countries projected to develop further in the near-future, more social media data will become available, and could be used to inform protected area management and marketing.
"The English language is the largest in the world. We have more words at our disposal than anybody and yet every day at the sale barn there are occasions when the English language seems woefully inadequate." Author suggests 26 words that oughta be.
"More than a year after an undercover video campaign revealed animal welfare issues at Fair Oaks Farms, experts say there are important lessons to be learned." Article describes the event and includes sections about principles of crisis communication, tracking animal activists, and tips for hiring employees.
Pires, Alda F. A. (author), Kukielka, Esther A. (author), Haghani, Viktoria (author), Stover, James K. (author), de Melo Ramos, Thais (author), Van Soelen Kim, Julia (author), and Jay-Russell, Michelle T. (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2020-10
Published:
United States: Extension Journal, Inc.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12287
14 pages, We conducted a survey to characterize certified California farmers markets (FMs) regarding location, seasonality, size, product, product labeling, advertising methods, postharvest practices, regulations governing vendors, training offered, and training interests. Data obtained from the survey highlight the need for improvement regarding food safety and can serve as a basis for development of collaborative education by Extension educators, regulatory agencies, and FMs. Extension professionals can play a proactive role in such training opportunities, focusing outreach efforts for training according to applicable findings and including online training venues to maximize reach to stakeholders.
