PARTICIPATORY MODELING SOFTWARE SUPPORT TO INCREASE COLLABORATION AND PARTICIPATION IN NATURAL RESOURCE DECISION-MAKING

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1009807
• Project Start Date: Aug 1, 2016
• Project End Date: Jul 31, 2021
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
(N/A)
EAST LANSING,MI 48824

Performing Department
Community Sustainability

Non Technical Summary
New questions have recently emerged about the degree to which existing analytical methods common to natural resource management, such as quantitative modeling and predictive scenario analysis, are effective in communicating the impacts of environmental or social change events to stakeholders (Walters 1997, Gunderson 1999, Bennett et al. 2005). Additionally, methods that model the environment that include descriptions of ecosystem and social change in tandem have remained limited, with many tools in natural resource management now recognized as too rigid and deterministic to incorporate dissimilar social and ecological elements and processes (Holling and Meffe 1996, Carpenter and Brock 2008) common to many "wicked" natural resource issues. Since many environmental decision-making contexts are also characterized by low controllability, loose causal linkages, high social and ecological stakes, data poverty, and heterogeneity of social agents, it is becoming increasingly clear that new modeling methods must decrease uncertainties associated with environmental change and communicate these changes in terms directly relevant to stakeholders so that communities can understand and adapt to or mitigate unwanted outcomes and increase the sustainability of natural resource management.Top-down and 'black-box' quantitative modeling that dominate environmental management also run counter to recent calls to broaden participation in the governance of social-ecological systems (UNECE 1998, Kearney et al. 2007) and to incorporate diverse forms of knowledge at scales appropriate to natural resource management decision contexts (Bruckmeier and Höj Larsen 2008). These new acknowledgements have led to the practice of qualitative (or semi-quantitative) participatory modeling which are gaining significant traction in the literature (Bennett et al. 2005, Cumming et al. 2005, Fletcher et al. 2006, Kok 2009, Fuentes 2012). However, general domain and flexible modeling tools in support of these new imperatives, that combine environmental and social assessments in a low-barrier manner, are neither readily available presently nor manageable enough to be used to support participatory decision-making (Gray et al. 2015).The overarching goal of this proposal is to continue to develop, promote and support a USDA-funded decision-support framework, tailored software (www.mentalmodeler.org) and web-based portal that addresses unique sector-specific decision-making needs of a range of natural resource user and management groups in the US (e.g. agriculture, fishing industry, forestry industry and conservation groups) allowing them to understand, communicate and share information about natural resource management issues. This approach uses a novel collaborative participatory modeling method called fuzzy cognitive mapping to both define the complex dynamics between economic, environmental and social dimensions common to all natural resource management contexts and use this empirical and community driven knowledge to run scenarios that project how stakeholder well-being will be impacted by changing economic (e.g. fuel price increases, market-based changes, changes in regulations) and environmental (e.g. climate change, drought, changes in harvestable populations of fish) stressors. This study hypothesizes that the development of flexible community-based modeling tools will provide cross-sectoral collaboration between natural resource stakeholders and develop a new web-enabled platform for collaborative decision-making.Specifically, in an effort to improve the current state of stakeholder-centered participatory decision-support platforms, this study will: (1) support the development, refinement and maintenance of a web-based tool participatory modeling software for collaborative natural resource management called Mental Modeler; (2) evaluate the effectiveness and use of the tool with stakeholders and software users through formal evaluations and (3) support the development, refinement of maintenance of a web-based portal that will include educational materials and instructions for software deployment and information about the deployment demonstrated through case study applications (e.g. wildfire and forest management in the Pacific Northwest, community decision-making in Flint, MI as a result of the recent water crisis) to increase software application and use in new domains.This project addresses the key USDA Knowledge Areas (KAs) including: 1) Sociological and technological change affecting individuals, families and communities (KA 803); 2) Communication, education and information delivery (KA 903)

Animal Health Component

33%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

34%

Applied

33%

Developmental

33%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
803	0120	1070	100%

Knowledge Area
803 - Sociological and Technological Change Affecting Individuals, Families, and Communities;

Subject Of Investigation
0120 - Land;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;

Keywords

decision-support software

natural resource management

knowledge-sharing

fuzzy cognitive maps

Goals / Objectives
The overarching goal of this proposal is to continue to develop and promote a decision-support framework, tailored software (www.mentalmodeler.org) and web-based portal that addresses unique sector-specific decision-making needs of a range of natural resource user and management groups in the US (e.g. agriculture, fishing industry, forestry industry and conservation groups). Specifically, this project will:support the refinement and maintenance of a web-based tool participatory modeling software for collaborative natural resource management (mentalmodeler.org);evaluate the effectiveness and use of the tool with stakeholders, researchers, natural resource managers and other software users through formal evaluations;support the development and maintenance of a web-based portal (mentalmodeling.org) that will include educational materials and instructions for software deployment, use and case study examples in environmental planning (e.g. wildfire and forest management in the Pacific Northwest, community decision-making in Flint as a result of the recent water crisis).

Project Methods
Software refinement, technical support and maintenance To ensure that the software remains functional and in use, I will continue to maintain software infrastructure and provide technical support through email and other modes of communication to the community of researchers and natural resource managers who contact me to report bugs and compatibility issues, and seek advice about deployment and use. Examples of software support include questions/clarifications/inquiries I receive on a weekly basis about the software and correspondence related to more detailed planning conversations I have had recently with federal managers (NOAA, USFW, BLM) and community groups (Community Foundation of Greater Flint) for use as a decision-support tool. In addition to deployment support, technical issues that arise often require iterative fixes to the software code to ensure tool functionality to a range of users.Evaluation of software use in natural resource decision-making and research contexts To ensure that the software remains functional and in use and assess its contribution to research, natural resource management, and decision-making contexts, I will develop biannual evaluations. To date, over 1000 individuals have downloaded the software, an amount expected to double in the next year along given current download rates. Therefore I will develop a web-based survey to administer every two year and ask questions about the research contexts in which the tool has been used, evaluate satisfaction with the tool, and inquire about educational/training needs and recommendations for additional design features. This formal evaluation will ensure that new software developments/revisions meet the needs of current users and will help quantify and qualify the contribution of the software in environmental and sustainability decision-making.Based on the three main objectives, the methods are as follows:Development a web-based portal, educational/outreach materials, and case study examples To provide better support and promote broader adoption and use, I will develop an additional web-based portal that provides an overview of the 'mental modeling' approach and software. In addition to the portal, working with project partners, I will also develop new educational and outreach materials about the software and its use in a variety of environmental planning contexts. Educational materials include a user manuals that will address more technical issues and information about analytical capabilities. Outreach materials include a series of youtube videos about the software in general and detailed information about several case study applications in a 'how to' format. The portal and the materials developed are expected to further decrease barriers to adoption

Progress 08/01/16 to 07/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:Although the Mental Modeler software was originally developed specifically for use for environmental decision-making/ research it has become popularized as a general modeling for research and for teaching across other disciplines. For example, 200 peer reviewed journal articles or book chapters across many research areas (planning, agricultural science, economics, computer science, psychology, etc.) were published since this Hatch project was started in 2016 (see https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22mental+modeler%22&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C23&as_ylo=2016&as_yhi=2021). Additionally, given the COVID-19 driven large-scale transition to online learning, in April of 2019 the site had ~ 2500 users monthly (mostly students) and in September of 2020 had 7,000 users monthly. Finally, two workshops on using the software have been given to researchers at the Innovations in Collaborative Modeling Field Schools in 2019 and 2021 (see https://modeling.engage.msu.edu/) Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Formal training workshops have been given in 2019 and 2021 in collaboration with Michigan State University's Office of Engagement and Outreach through the Innovations in Collaborative Modeling Field School (see https://modeling.engage.msu.edu/) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?More generally the following online videos were developed for more general audiences Video 1 Introduction to Systems Thinking and Modeling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EZMtAapqCw&t=2s This video provides an introduction to Systems Thinking, including the dimensions and characteristics of Systems Thinkers and the way Systems Thinkers approach both tame and wicked problems. Video 2 Modeling for Systems Thinking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_0_3WYP_g This video provides an overview of how systems modeling can support Systems Thinking. It provides an overview of some of the common qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative systems modeling tools. Video 3 What is Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNEfGppZptU&t=99s This video provides an overview of the history and basics associated with Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping. It provides information on how Fuzzy Cognitive Maps are developed, what they mean, and how structural and functional dimensions of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps can be represented and understood. Video 4 Introduction to Mental Modeler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbKzyDctkrY This video provides an overview of how to develop Fuzzy Cognitive Maps using the Mental Modeler software. It provides an overview of the different parts of the software and demonstrates how to make a simple model. Additional resources on how to save and send Mental Modeler files can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1A_ZGO6fWk Video 5 Evaluating and Improving your Model 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ct3WiZpDgY This video provides an overview of how to reflect on the structure (nodes and edges) and function (dynamics) of your model. It also introduces the idea of 'parsimony' or the idea that the best model is the one that communicates the most information in the simplest manner. Video 6 Evaluating and Improving your Model 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3R-XYjaPGA This video identifies how to reflect about your model, including how to think about major "drivers" of systems change, how to evaluate models in terms of identifying 'leverage points' and how to evaluate model dynamics in terms of evaluating 'trade-offs'. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? All three overarching goals of the project were met during this project period as evidenced by increased usage of the Mental Modeler software for teaching and in research and software maintenence.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Baqir, L., P. Aminpour, S. Gray, M. Williams, L. B�chi, J. Haggar, P. Grabowski, J. Dambiro. Mapping farmer perceptions, conservation agriculture practices and on-farm measurements: the role of systems thinking in the process of adoption. Agricultural Systems. 191, 103171.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Furman, K. S., Aminpour, P., Gray, and S. Scyphers. (2021). Mental models for assessing social- ecological systems following disasters: a case study contextualizing natural and built shorelines after Hurricane Irma. Marine Policy 125, 104334.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Aminpor, P., S. Gray, A. Jetter, J. Introne, and R. Arlinghaus. (2020) The wisdom of stakeholder crowds in complex social-ecological systems. Nature Sustainability. 3(13), 191-199.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Aminpor, P, S. Gray, A. Singer, S. Scyphers, A. Jetter, R. C. Jordan, R. Murphy, and J. H. Grabowski. (2021) The diversity bonus in pooling local knowledge about complex problems. Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. 118 (5).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Schwerner, H., P., Aminpour, S. Funk S. Gray, C. Reza*, and C. Mollimon (2021). Modeling Social-ecological knowledge diversity. (2021) Conservation Science and Practice 3 (5), e396.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Hedelin, B, S., Gray, S. Woehlke, T. BenDor, A. Singer, R.C. Jordan, P. Giabbanelli , P. Glynn, K. Jenni, A Jetter, N. Kolagani, B. Laursen, K. Leong, L. Schmitt Olabisi, E. Sterling, and M. Zellner (2021). Whats left before participatory modeling can fully support real-world environmental planning processes: A case study review. Environmental Modeling and Software. 143. 105073.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Although the Mental Modeler software was originally developed specifically for use for environmental decision-making/research it has become popularized as a general modeling for research and for teaching across other disciplines. For example, 60 peer reviewed journal articles or book chapters across many research areas (planning, agricultural science, economics, computer science, psychology, etc.) were published in 2019-2020. Additionally, given the COVID-19 driven large-scale transition to online learning, in April of 2019 the site had ~ 2500 users monthly (mostly students) and in September of 2020 had 7,000 users monthly. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training sessions and outreach presentations were given at the Ohio State University and Oberlin College prior to COVID-19. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Publications (see 2020 journal reporting) and research presentations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Major goals of this proposal/project remain unchanged.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Barnhagen, C., P. Howard, and S. Gray. A birds eye view: Fruit grower interest in adoption of raptor nest boxes. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Barnhagen, C., P. Howard and S. Gray. Farmer mental models of biological pest control: Associations with adoption of conservation practices in blueberry and cherry orchards. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The overarching goal of this project is to continue to develop, promote and support a USDA-funded decision-supportframework, tailored software (www.mentalmodeler.org) and web-based portal that addresses unique sector-specificdecision-making needs of a range of natural resource user and management groups in the US (e.g. agriculture, fishingindustry, forestry industry and conservation groups) allowing them to understand, communicate and share information aboutnatural resource management issues. In this reporting period several federal agences including NOAA, the Bureau of landmanagement (BLM) and US Fish and Wildlife have adopted the software for use in their conservation planning. Additionallyan increasing number of scientific researchers are using the software in their research and the software is now also beingused to teach introductory systems-based modeling in undergradaute STEM classrooms Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I have given 6 academic presentations built around the software and two formal Mental Modeler workshops How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? With regard to Goal 1 a majority of this year was spent transitioning the software from Adobe Flash (which is no longer supported) to the more sustainable HTML5 (Java-based code) to ensure the software will remain functional into perpetuity. With regard to Goal 2 I have given two Mental Modeler workshops and co-developed/co-lead a participatory modeling workshop (see https://modeling.engage.msu.edu/) With regard to Goal 3 I have authored/co-authored new manuscripts that use the software in the undergraduate STEM classroom and also extended the use of the software into the medical/health fields (see publication products).

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Sterling, E., M. Zellner, K. Leong, K. Jenni, S., R. Jordan, T. BenDor, A. Jetter, L. Schmitt-Olabisi, M. Paolisso, K. Hubacek, P. Bommel, G. Bammer and S. Gray. Try, try again: Lessons learned from success and failure in participatory modeling. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Gray, S., E., Sterling, C. Wei, S. Akabas, A. Singer, P. Giabbanelli, R. Jordan, J. Hodbod. P. Aminpour and P. Norris. Assessing (social-ecological) systems thinking using concept mapping techniques . Sustainability
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Cholewicki, J., JM Popovich Jr, P Aminpour, SA Gray, AS Lee, PW Hodges. Development of a collaborative model of low back pain: report from the 2017 NASS consensus meeting. The Spine Journal 19 (6), 1029-1040.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hodges, P., J. Cholewicki, J. Popovic, A. Lee, P.Aminpour, and S. Gray. Building a collaborative model of Sacro-iliac joint dysfunction to understand the diverse perspective of experts PM&R Journal: The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation. (in press)

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The overarching goal of this project is to continue to develop, promote and support a USDA-funded decision-support framework, tailored software (www.mentalmodeler.org) and web-based portal that addresses unique sector-specific decision-making needs of a range of natural resource user and management groups in the US (e.g. agriculture, fishing industry, forestry industry and conservation groups) allowing them to understand, communicate and share information about natural resource management issues. In this reporting period several federal agences ncluding the National Academies of Science and the FFAR funded work based on the software developed through these funds. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Invited talks at 3 universities for "tutorials" on using the Mental Modeler sofrware for teaching and research How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?With additional funding from NSF, the software will be moved to HTML5 a more sustainable platform than the software's current language.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? All three goals are ongoing. The sofrware is now been downloaded by 2000+ unique researchers and is accessed > 50 times daily. I receive several emails weekly inquiring about the application of the software to new domains of research far outside my area of context expertise which often leads to new collaborations and a chance for me to learn about the complex problems that other researchers are seeking to address. What is most exciting for me in terms of impact, however, is that I am now seeing journal articles and projects- that I am in no way connected to- emerge from researchers who use my software and modeling methods. Such projects provide evidence of sustainable adoption. For example, two federal agencies including NOAA and USFWS now use Mental Modeler as part of their standard ecosystem and conservation assessment practices which is extremely rewarding professionally. In addition, according to Google Scholar, in the first seven months of 2017, 19 papers were published (to which I had no direct connection) that used the software in many applications in environmental assessment but also applications in areas such as modeling social protest in Brazil, tracking E-learning in students, studying the feasibility of electronic motors, understanding STEM workforce retention for urban youth, soft-systems approaches to modeling smart-energy grids and analysis of entrepreneurship in the high tech industry.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Voinov, A., K. Jenni, S. Gray, N. Kolagani, P. Glynn, P. Bommel, C. Prell, M. Zellner, M. Paolisso, R.C. Jordan, E. Sterling, L.Schmitt Olabisi, P. Giabbanelli, Z. Sun, C. Le Page, S. Elsawah, T. K. BenDor, K. Hubacek, B. K. Laursen, A. Jetter, L. Basco Carrera, A. Singer, L. Young, J. Brunacini, and A. Smajgl. (2018) Tools and methods in participatory modeling: selecting the right tool for the job. Environmental Modeling and Software. 109: 232-255.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Huang, J., C. Hmelo-Silver, R.C. Jordan, S. Gray, T. Frensley, and G. Newman, Scientific discourse of citizen scientists: Models as a boundary object for collaborative problem-solving. (2018) Computers in Human Behavior. 87: 480-492.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Metzger, A., S. Gray, E. Douglas, N. Haigh, and P. Kirshen. Categorizing and clustering knowledge in Fuzzy Cognitive Maps. International Journal of System of Systems Engineering (in press)
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Jordan, R.C., A. Crall, C. Hmelo-Silver, Indiana University, S. Gray, G. Newman Developing model-building as a scientific practice in collaborative citizen science. Natural Sciences Education (in press)

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The overarching goal of this project is to continue to develop, promote and support a USDA-funded decision-support framework, tailored software (www.mentalmodeler.org) and web-based portal that addresses unique sector-specific decision-making needs of a range of natural resource user and management groups in the US (e.g. agriculture, fishing industry, forestry industry and conservation groups) allowing them to understand, communicate and share information about natural resource management issues. In this reporting period several federal agences including NOAA, the Bureau of land management (BLM) and US Fish and Wildlife have adopted the software for use in their conservation planning. Additionally an increasing number of scientific researchers are using the software in their research and the software is now also being used to teach introductory systems-based modeling in undergradaute STEM classrooms. Changes/Problems:NA What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I have given 4 workshops on the Mental Modeler software in the last year at the University of Hawaii, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Columbia University, Michigan State Univeristy. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through publications, websites, and workshops mentioned previously. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Focus on continued maintanance of the software and lead the NSF project that will inform Goal 2 (evaluate the effectiveness and use of the tool with stakeholders, researchers, natural resource managers and other software users through formal evaluations) identified in the original proposal.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The www.mentalmoder.org website has been maintained and updated as new information becomes available (Goal 1) and the new outreach site www.mentalmodeling.org is now live (Goal 3). Formal evaluations of effectiveness of the tool in fostering system thinking and systems-modeling is now underway with a new grant leveraged (from this initial USDA funding) through NSF which runs from 2017-2019.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Gray, S., R. C. Jordan, A. Crall, G. Newman, C. Hmelo-Silver , J. Huang, W. Novak, D. Mellor, T. Frensley, M. Prysby, A. Singer. (2017). Combining participatory modelling and citizen science to support volunteer conservation action Biological Conservation. 208, 76-86.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Singer, A., S. Gray, 1A. Sadler, L. Schmitt Olabisi, K. Metta, 1R. Wallace, M. Claudia Lopez, J. Introne, M. Gorman*, and J. Henderson* (2017).Translating community narratives into semi-quantitative models to understand the dynamics of socio-environmental crises Environmental Modeling and Software. 97, 46-55.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Gray, S., A. Singer, L. Schmitt-Olabisi, J. Introne, and J. Handerson*, Identifying the causes, consequences, and solutions to the Flint Water Crisis through collaborative modeling. Environmental Justice (in press).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Gray, S., A., Voinov, M. Paolisso, R.C Jordan, Todd BenDor, P. Glynn, B. Hedelin, K. Hubacek J. Introne, 1N. Kolagani, B. Laursen, C. Prell, L. Schmitt-Olabisi, A. Singer, E. Sterling, M. Zellner. Purpose, Processes, Partnerships, and Products: 4Ps to advance participatory socio-environmental modeling. Ecological Applications. (in press).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Frensley, T., A. Crall, M. Stern, R.C. Jordan, S.A. Gray, M. Prysby, G. Newman, C. Hmelo- Silver. Bridging the benefits of online and community supported citizen science: A case study on motivation and retention with volunteers. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Giabbanelli, P., S.A. Gray, and P. Aminpour. 2017. Combining fuzzy cognitive maps with agent- based modeling: frameworks and pitfalls of a powerful hybrid modeling approach to understand human-environment interactions Environmental Modeling and Software. 95:320-325.
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: http://www.mentalmodeling.org/
• Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Gray, S.A. and S. Scyphers. 2017. Innovations in Collaborative Science: Advancing citizen science, crowdsourcing and participatory modeling to understand and manage marine social-ecological systems. In Levin, PS and M. Poe Editors. Conservation in the Anthropocene Ocean: Interdisciplinary Science in Support of Nature and People. Elsevier, San Diego

Progress 08/01/16 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The audience for this project are (1) academic researchers engaged in the natural resource science and agricultural sciences and (2) federal natural resource management agency personnel Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Educational materials will be published online through the website in the next year of the project.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project has been active for 2 months and while initial work has begun, the goals of this project have not yet been accomplished. However, the website is on the web (www.mentalmodeler.org) and drafting of educational materials has begun.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Gray, S., R. C. Jordan, A. Crall, G. Newman, C. Hmelo-Silver , J. Huang, W. Novak, D. Mellor, T. Frensley, M. Prysby, A. Singer. 2016. Combining participatory modelling and citizen science to support volunteer conservation action (in press) Biological Conservation