Thursday, August 7, 2008: 11:30 AM-1:15 PM
102 A, Midwest Airlines Center
WK 32 - Promoting Ecological Literacy in Public Audiences: Building upon Successful Strategies Using a Citizen Science Approach
The goals of the Ecological Society of America’s Educational Program and the 2008 Annual Meeting theme reflect ESA’s desire to contend with the educational challenges facing all ecologists to engage the public in dialogue on ecological issues. This workshop will draw on past research and current challenges to using citizen science as a means for fostering ecological literacy in public audiences. Ecological literacy must be part of every citizen’s lifetime learning experience, beginning as early as elementary school and continuing through adult informal education. Engagement in science projects can help youth and adults alike develop familiarity with the general ecological concepts necessary for understanding the world and for making informed environmental decisions. To that end, participants in this workshop will walk away with ideas and tools for involving citizen scientists in their ecological work. We will invite participants to learn about research-based strategies to promote ecological learning in audiences who choose to participate in science as volunteers (often called citizen-science projects). The workshop will begin by outlining the means by which the public can engage in ecological science, along a continuum of scientist-driven to community-driven projects. Possible break-out groups based on participants’ interests include working in K-12 contexts, learning with technology, and working with adult volunteer groups. Specialists will share efficient strategies in helping the leaders of these projects meet their goals while promoting and assessing ecological learning, including an exploration of the resources and services in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Citizen Science Toolkit.
Organizer:	Heidi L. Ballard, University of California - Davis
Co-organizers:	Rebecca C. Jordan, Rutgers University Jennifer L. Shirk, Cornell University Julie A. Reynolds, Duke University

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See more of The 93rd ESA Annual Meeting (August 3 -- August 8, 2008)