Science Communication Training Workshop with Nancy Baron

Have you ever wondered how to communicate your science to the general public? How to engage the media and other audiences while conveying your message? 

The Centre for Applied Conservation Research and Faculty of Forestry hosts Nancy Baron, renowned science communication educator, to answer these questions and more in an evening public lecture meant to get environmental and conservation scientists ‘out of the Ivory Tower’ and to become more effective at communicating their research to media professionals and the general public.

About the Speaker:

Nancy Baron is the lead communications trainer for the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, which aims to teach academic scientists, graduate students and post-docs how to communicate with journalists, policymakers and the public. As a zoologist and science writer, Nancy knows research from academic, professional and public perspectives and has received international recognition for her accomplishments in science communication and education.

Vancouver-based for several years, Nancy completed an interdisciplinary MSc in global marine studies at UBC, has worked as Director of Education for the Vancouver Aquarium, as natural sciences columnist for The Vancouver Sun, has appeared on-screen as an environmental columnist for Global TV and as a host of natural history documentaries for the Discovery Channel.  Nancy has received the National and Western Magazine awards in science communication and repeated Canadian Science in Society awards. In addition to leading the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, Nancy currently acts as Ocean Science Outreach Director for SeaWeb and COMPASS (Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea).

More information about Nancy’s approach to science education:

A recent story in Nature, Outreach: Meet the press, discusses science communication and workshops led by Nancy. Also see Nancy’s recent Commentary in Nature on science communication and leadership (Nature 468, 1032-33).

Escape from the Ivory Tower

In August 2010, Nancy Baron released a book based on her experiences helping scientists communicate their research. Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter teaches scientists what journalists and policymakers want from them, how to form a clear message, and how to be interviewed.

Excerpts from Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter, as well as case studies and exercises on science communication are available on Nancy’s website.

Innovations in Applied Graduate Research: Forest Science Program Pilot Project

There is a perception among many managers that graduate students rarely gain meaningful experience with government, private sector or non-profit organizations. The Forest Science Program Pilot Project in Graduate Research was created in 2007 to address this gap. The initiative has been administered by the CACR and has awarded scholarships to students from three British Columbia Universities. The program was established to encourage meaningful collaboration between graduate students, academics and forestry practitioners by attracting 10 top students to questions of immediate importance to private and public sector foresters. The selection team, chaired by the CACR, included researchers from four BC universities, industry, and the FIA–FSP Forest Science Board. In all, 58 researchers from government, industry and NGOs submitted sponsorship requests for a total of 120 research projects. From these, 10 projects were undertaken and received grants totaling $15,000 in each of 3 years for PhD students, and $10,000 in each of 2 years for MSc students. March 2010 marked the end of the FSP Pilot Program. The excellent accomplishments of graduate students and responses of sponsors to date suggest the program was highly successful in meeting its goal of encouraging applied research.

Ambassadors to Haida Gwaii / Queen Charlotte Islands: Spot Light on CACR Post-Doctoral Fellow

CACR has a history of attracting exceptional postdoctoral fellows and Dr Hilary Thorpe (NSERC PDF) is no exception. In addition to her research, Dr Thorpe has coordinated two recent educational initiatives on Haida Gwaii. First, members of the Landscape Ecology Lab (Gergel) and the Tree-Ring Lab (Daniels, Geography) hosted a week-long Aerial Photo / Dendrochronology Workshop on Haida Gwaii in Summer 2009. This well-attended workshop for local managers provided training in cutting edge digital air photo techniques, the primary basis for many of the maps used in forest management. The workshop promoted collaborative opportunities among representatives from Haida Mapping, Ministry of Forests & Range, Parks Canada and many other islanders interested in historical ecology and management. The workshop was graciously funded by Environment Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.

Dr Thorpe also coordinated the first “Haida Gwaii Semester in Natural Resource Studies”, an interdisciplinary undergraduate program offered through UBC Forestry by the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society. The program ran from January to April 2010 and included courses taught by Dr Thorpe and four other CACR members. Pamela Perreault (PhD student) taught First Nations and Forests, Dr Gary Bull and Steven Northway (PhD student) instructed Socio-Economics of Forest-Dependent Communities, Andy MacKinnon (PhD student, MoFR) taught Rainforest Ecology and Management, and Dr Thorpe was the instructor of Case Studies in Haida Gwaii, an interdisciplinary seminar course. Thanks to the efforts of our Associate Dean Peter Marshall, Haida Gwaii Semester students received 15 upper-level credits from UBC. Several students from universities across Canada have applied to transfer to UBC Forestry for fall 2010 following their educational experiences in Haida Gwaii.

Future Events: Training of Global Stewards to Incorporate Local Knowledge

CACR will host an international workshop at the Resilience Centre in Stockholm focused on Incorporating Local Perspectives into Landscape Management. Support from UBC’s Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund will help us develop teaching tools for undergraduates in our Natural Resource Conservation Program. We will be developing a series of global case studies which incorporate and support local and indigenous perspectives on resilience and ecosystem services into our curricula.