99th ESA Annual Meeting (August 10 -- 15, 2014)

WK 15

Beyond the Written Word: Advancing Ecology Communication Through Multimedia

Throughout ESA’s 2013 Annual Meeting, ecologists heard a rallying call to better connect our science to society. As we look toward ESA’s Centennial, it’s time to move the conversation forward, from Why we should communicate our science to How do we improve our communication? Our workshop targets ecologists, educators, and communicators – those looking to expand their toolbox, and those curious to test the waters of science communication for the first time. Participants will learn how to effectively communicate science through multimedia, led by experts and ESA members.

Framework: Experts will orient participants to the challenges and opportunities of communicating science through audio, film, photography, illustration, and writing. Then we'll form ‘SWAT teams' to plan and execute multimedia projects at the Sacramento meeting. Throughout the week, organizers will edit and publish these projects to EcoTone and other online platforms. Workshop content, including professional development material, will be published online under an open-access license, making it available to the wider ESA membership. Our mixer Wednesday evening, the SciComm Innovation Lab, will provide additional feedback and networking opportunities.

Impact: This workshop provides hands-on professional development and networking for ecologist communicators on-site and online. Novel multimedia coverage of ESA 2014 supports ESA’s mission to improve communication and public awareness of ecological science. This workshop also serves as a prototype for creative content generation and delivery of ecological science to public audiences for the 2015 Centennial Meeting.

More details here.