Policy – Ecologist Goes to Washington

Talking Story: Using narrative to bring ecology home

terence — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:28:59 +0000

Colin Phifer, a grad student in the Conservation Biology & Environmental Science program at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, was one of this year’s three ESA Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) winners. Here he talks about his first trip to Washington, DC and explains how he combined years of experience in environmental education with his background in creative writing to tell the “stories of science” to congressional staff.

For more discussion on communicating science through storytelling, see the accompanying post on ESA’s blog, Ecotone.

This is the second in a series of three episodes featuring graduate students recognized by ESA for their work at the interface of science and society. For more information on the GSPA, click here.

Asian Carp Two Ways: The Politics and Science of Ecological Risks

terence — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:03:43 +0000

ESA Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) winner Patrick Shirey started his PhD in biology at the University of Notre Dame after earning his law degree and MS in wildlife science. Here, he discusses Asian carp research at Notre Dame, the politics of invasive species control, and how a background in law has informed his research in endangered species.

For more discussion, see the accompanying post on ESA’s blog, Ecotone.

This is the first in a series of three episodes featuring graduate students recognized by ESA for their work at the interface of science and society. For more information on the GSPA, click here.

Picture Your Grant on the Hannity Show: David Inouye on why basic research isn’t a bridge to nowhere

terence — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:55:12 +0000

Photo:University of Maryland

Senators Coburn and McCain recently released a report on wasteful stimulus package spending, pointing to several NSF-funded studies, including ecologist David Inouye’s research on the response of alpine wildflowers to climate change. Here, Inouye discusses the experience of having his work singled out in the report—and subsequently on the Sean Hannity show—and explains how basic research is indeed a public investment. For more information, see the accompanying post on ESA’s blog Ecotone.

Tradeoffs in Urban Ecology: A Local Take on Global Change

terence — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:01:55 +0000

Cities are working to limit and respond to the impacts of climate change, but each urban ecosystem is unique. Greening projects and other climate-related initiatives almost always require stakeholders to prioritize one ecosystem service over another; the success of these initiatives depends both on how well they correspond to local priorities and how well they reflect local ecology. Dr. Diane Pataki, who has worked with policymakers in both Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, discusses the role of urban ecology in local decision-making and the challenges unique to working in human-dominated landscapes.

ESA Graduate Students & Policy

terence — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:31:07 +0000

In this month’s installment of The Ecologist Goes to Washington, graduate students Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer (UC-Berkeley) and Matthew Trager (U. of Florida) talk about their two-day Capitol Hill experience as winners of the Ecological Society of America’s 2008 Graduate Student Policy… Read more ›