Science Communication for Ecological Restoration

Course description

The purpose of this course is to introduce a variety of perspectives, methods, and skills that will help when dealing with the human aspect of ecological restoration. It is not enough for us to just be restoration scientists, but to engage with various community members about why we should restore them. The term "stakeholder" is used to identify a person or group with interest in an issue, but it implies little direct power. Rather, developing partnerships—relationships with people or groups that have shared responsibility—is key. Skills for interacting with stakeholders and partners are needed for every aspect of our future careers from dealing with coworkers, attracting volunteers, and advising decision-makers. 

The course will include discussions regarding the role of nature in our dominant culture and possible barriers to communicating environmental messages and facilitating action. We will then move to explore different levels of communication, our internal communication, small groups, and working with different publics and the media. We will also include some dispute resolution as a case where communication is difficult or emotionally charged. The focus of this course will be built upon existing skills and experiences to develop personal approaches to communication.