Discourses of pro-environmental behavior: Experiences of graduate students in conservation-related disciplines

It can be argued that the environmental behaviors of conservation and natural resources professionals' may well serve as exemplars for the general public to emulate. Understanding the experiences and influences that shape the behaviors of individuals with contextual and empirical knowledge about desirable and beneficial conservation practices can help education managers when designing programs that target pro-environmental behaviors. This grounded theory study examined the discourses that shape pro-environmental behaviors among six graduate students pursuing degrees in conservation-related fields. Together, biophysical context, higher education, and personal costs were the main influences shaping the discourses that participants used to describe their pro-environmental behaviors.