communication – Field Talk /fieldtalk audio interviews take you into the field with ecologists Wed, 18 Dec 2013 00:40:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 Taking a shot at photographing science and nature /fieldtalk/taking-a-shot-at-photographing-science-and-nature/ /fieldtalk/taking-a-shot-at-photographing-science-and-nature/#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:49:01 +0000 /fieldtalk/?p=209 … Read more ›]]> Ecologist and photographer Molly Mehling Some projects implement photography as a means for exploring societal and environmental issues. One such project is gigapan.org, which allows users to share and discuss panoramic photographs (one of the most famous gigapans is of the 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Obama). Ecologist and photographer Molly Mehling uses gigapan to capture research and encourage conversation and collaboration about science, nature and sustainability.

In a recent interview for EcoTone, Mehling discussed opportunities for incorporating photography into research and the ways in which images can convey messages about science and nature. Photography can put viewers at the foot of a receding glacier or face-to-face with a humpback whale.

]]> /fieldtalk/taking-a-shot-at-photographing-science-and-nature/feed/ 1 Injecting humor into climate change /fieldtalk/injecting-humor-into-climate-change/ /fieldtalk/injecting-humor-into-climate-change/#respond Thu, 23 Sep 2010 21:44:12 +0000 /fieldtalk/?p=207 … Read more ›]]> Many science communicators suggest that the key to effectively translating climate change research is to keep the message concise, accurate and interesting, all in one tight package. Perhaps the most streamlined of platforms to communicate this science is a comic strip in which the cartoonist has just a few panels to neatly and accurately convey the findings, the alternative viewpoint and the gravity of the issue at hand. Oh, and it should be funny too.

That is a tall order for even the best of communicators, but if it is pulled off, it is arguably the most dynamic and effective platform for engaging people in environmental issues. Neil Wagner, illustrator and writer of the blog and comic strip “What On Earth?” on NPR’s Science Friday program, uses humor to tackle the issue of global climate change and other environmental challenges, such as the effect of invasive species on the coffee industry. He discusses the challenges and pleasures of communicating climate change through his comic strip in a recent interview for EcoTone.

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