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

SYMP 3

The View from the Trenches: Perspectives and Advice from Scientists Engaged in Science, Policy and Advocacy

Ecologists share a growing awareness that biological resources and the ecosystems that support them (and us) are increasingly threatened by human activities, including habitat destruction, anthropogenic mortality, exposure to toxic chemicals and climate change. To address the disconnect between risks revealed by our scientific findings and current environmental policies and management, there is growing desire among scientists to engage more directly in policy development and advocacy to reverse this trend, an activity that is endorsed and supported by ESA’s Earth Stewardship initiative. This symposium brings scientists and policy experts with diverse experiences “in the trenches” to share their perspectives and practical understanding of the challenges, effective practices and rewards for scientist engagement in policy and advocacy. Using both syntheses of their own experiences and illustrative case studies, the speakers will collectively address the types of questions that are foremost in the minds of most scientists as they consider stepping into the policy arena: How do you maintain your scientific integrity and credibility? What do policy makers want to know? What kinds of contributions can scientists make to policy development and implementation? The speakers include scientists and environmental policy experts from academia, government agencies, environmental advocacy organizations and professional scientific societies, all with years of experience working at the intersection of science and policy. They will discuss the role of science and scientists in policy and advocacy, the importance of effective communication in the science-policy arena, what scientists can do to maintain their scientific integrity and credibility and still be effective, what policy experts need from scientists and how they and non-governmental organizations can help scientists interested in engaging in the policy arena, and how to navigate the interactions and collaborations among scientists, policy makers and stakeholders in the development and implementation of science-based environmental policy.