OOS 31-5 - Boosting the public engagement trajectories of ecologists: parallel threads to our research trajectories

The need for ecologists to engage the public with ecological concepts, knowledge content, and values that are linked to other societal values is growing, with increasing urgency. However, academic systems have traditionally provided little training nor rewards for actions that lead to forging and sustaining public engagement activities by ecologists. Mechanisms within the academic system are needed that will contribute to “public engagement trajectories” that can facilitate planning, action, and evaluation of public engagement activities. These are analogous to the ways that academia supports ecologists’ research trajectories. Such “boosters” include providing support for pilot projects, mentoring, attending professional meetings, communications trainings, developing appropriate evaluation tools, and guidance about collaborators and places to publish such work.

I provide examples that demonstrate how strategic boosters to forge and sustain excellent public engagement can occur without foregoing excellent ecological research within an academic career. I draw upon case studies that have engaged non-traditional public groups in community venues such as state prisons, places of worship, dance theatres, art galleries, and corporate board rooms. Synergistic public engagement calls for sources and forces within and outside of academia that create avenues to make community connections, develop communication skills, foster intellectual humility, and draw attention to the ways that ecologists can build skills, contacts, and trust with the public and with ecologists as they move through their careers.