Background/Question/Methods Over the past few decades, there has been a growing call for evidence-informed approaches to making effective decisions for environmental management and conservation. Despite this, a gap remains between science and policy, with one barrier being the limited accessibility and readability of scientific information – particularly in the face of a deluge of “big data.” Improving science communication is a critical step in the path to evidence-informed decisions. However, HOW evidence is communicated has consequences for its reception and ultimate use. Results/Conclusions Increasingly, scientists are turning to visual tools to facilitate science communication – such as data portals, dashboards, and visualizations. Data visualization platforms and online databases are commonly used in knowledge management systems to simplify complex patterns and facilitate user engagement and learning. For communicating evidence, visualizing complex patterns in an intuitive, engaging, and user-friendly ways is important for broadening accessibility and interpretability of knowledge. Additionally, interactive approaches can facilitate data exploration by a wider audience, and potentially help build trust in evidence. However, visualization as a tool for evidence-based conservation is not without barriers and cautions. In this presentation, we discuss principles behind visualization approaches as a step towards a more inclusive evidence culture in conservation and environmental management using the Evidence for Nature and People Data Portal experience as a case study (www.natureandpeopleevidence.org).
