Science Storytelling
Our climate is changing at a rate faster than we could ever imagine. This change is and will continue to dramatically impact our natural and social systems. More than ever, it is important for scientists to get out and advocate their science to inform management and policy decisions and to call for action. In order for people to act, they first need to care. As scientists, we need to inspire change in people by getting them to care what we care about - the science. How do we do this effectively if scientists and the public speak different languages? Scientists tend to communicate their science using numbers, statistics and many graphs. The general public communicates through feelings and emotions. How do we get these two groups to share a common language? Through the art of science storytelling - a combination of personal narrative and science that weaves a story that people can relate to. My students and I have worked to bring together science and stories in many different formats to engage the public and inspire action.
"Through the brush, burned trees and mosquitoes searching for answers to a changing arctic"
This story was written and recorded by Jennie DeMarco during a storytelling exercise sponsored by the "Polar-rizing your Science Impacts" workshop run by the University of Delaware and the National Science Foundation.
This story was written and recorded by Jennie DeMarco during a storytelling exercise sponsored by the "Polar-rizing your Science Impacts" workshop run by the University of Delaware and the National Science Foundation.
| demarco_siberia_story.m4a |
"Smoldering Ice - A Siberian Research Arctic Expedition"
A documentary film directed and produced by Aaron Lewis as part of his MEM graduate project. Smoldering Ice; Semi-Finalist for Best Documentary at the Los Angeles 2020 Student Film Festival; Silver Award for Best Independent Films of 2020 by Spotlight Documentary Films; In running for Best Short Film at the 2021 Colorado Environmental Film Festival
A documentary film directed and produced by Aaron Lewis as part of his MEM graduate project. Smoldering Ice; Semi-Finalist for Best Documentary at the Los Angeles 2020 Student Film Festival; Silver Award for Best Independent Films of 2020 by Spotlight Documentary Films; In running for Best Short Film at the 2021 Colorado Environmental Film Festival
"Western Researchers Study Wildfires in Siberia "
Horvat, H. (2019, July 4). Western researchers study wildfires in Siberia. Gunnison Country Times pp. A18-19. This news article was written by MEM student, Haley Horvat, and tells the story of arctic research being conducted in Siberia by Western Colorado University faculty and students. siberia_story_gunnison_times.pdf
Horvat, H. (2019, July 4). Western researchers study wildfires in Siberia. Gunnison Country Times pp. A18-19. This news article was written by MEM student, Haley Horvat, and tells the story of arctic research being conducted in Siberia by Western Colorado University faculty and students. siberia_story_gunnison_times.pdf
"Haunted Waters "
Horvat, H. (2020, March). Haunted Waters. SevenSeas Media. Retrieved from https://sevenseasmedia.org/haunted-waters/. This news article was written by MEM student, Haley Horvat, and dives into the complexities associated with ocean conservation and ghost net removal.
Horvat, H. (2020, March). Haunted Waters. SevenSeas Media. Retrieved from https://sevenseasmedia.org/haunted-waters/. This news article was written by MEM student, Haley Horvat, and dives into the complexities associated with ocean conservation and ghost net removal.
"Ensuring the Benefits of Fends Don't Dry Up"
Nickel, T, N. Catmur, H. Reineking, C. Kittle, and J. Sanchez, H. (2019, Oct. 3). Ensuring the benefits of fends don't dry up. Gunnison Country Times. A1 & A6. This news article was written by MEM students as part of a class project for ENVS 605: The Science of Environmental Management. The students worked with a stakeholder from the Bureau of Land Management to assess the impact of fen restoration on vegetation and soil properties.
Nickel, T, N. Catmur, H. Reineking, C. Kittle, and J. Sanchez, H. (2019, Oct. 3). Ensuring the benefits of fends don't dry up. Gunnison Country Times. A1 & A6. This news article was written by MEM students as part of a class project for ENVS 605: The Science of Environmental Management. The students worked with a stakeholder from the Bureau of Land Management to assess the impact of fen restoration on vegetation and soil properties.
"A Tale of Two Fields"
This video was created by MEM student, Samantha Hunter, as part of a class project for ENVS 612: The Science of Environmental Management. Samantha and her peers worked directly with a stakeholder from Trout Unlimited to quantify soil moisture and organic matter in fields that had reduced irrigation.
This video was created by MEM student, Samantha Hunter, as part of a class project for ENVS 612: The Science of Environmental Management. Samantha and her peers worked directly with a stakeholder from Trout Unlimited to quantify soil moisture and organic matter in fields that had reduced irrigation.