Laptop showing the Non-Lead Hunting Education website on screen

Non-Lead Hunting Education

Challenge:

Lead is a significant hazard to humans and wildlife. Though lead has been removed from paint and gasoline it is still a popular choice for hunting ammunition. Animals shot with lead ammunition can create a contaminated food source for scavenging wildlife, resulting in accidental lead poisoning. The Oregon Zoo created a program to increase the use of non-lead ammunition and sought a partner to develop online education courses.

Solution:

Create an online curriculum to educate the hunters about the benefits of non-lead ammunition and offer incentives for completing the voluntary course and choosing to use non-lead ammunition.

Non Lead Hunting Infographic of ballistic fragmentation comparison

Process:

Working closely with the Zoo’s biologist, Trifoia instructional designers and media producers crafted two online courses, one for new hunters and a shorter version for existing hunters. Both courses feature self-guided eLearning modules that combine text, graphics, animation, and live-action videos to engage and educate the hunting public.

Rather than focus on the hazards of lead, the courses highlight the many advantages of non-lead ammunition by teaching hunters about bullet construction, ballistics, and terminal performance. The eLearning courses also underscore the importance of keeping lead out of the food chain to conserve wildlife populations and continue good stewardship by hunters.

To identify current licensed Oregon hunters, hunter education students, and hunting instructors—and confirm their eligibility for incentives—Trifoia web developers devised a mechanism to securely query the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s hunter database. Trifoia created both courses on a WordPress backend, utilizing the H5P open-source framework to create engaging, accessible, and mobile-friendly interactives.

Trifoia designed captivating infographics that can be printed or shared on social media to further increase public awareness of this important issue. Trifoia and the Zoo are currently exploring ways to adapt the courses for use in other states throughout the country.