WK 40 - Ecologists Engaging with Society: Skills and Stories from the Field

Friday, August 19, 2022

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT

Location: 514B

Organizer(s)

SC

Sharon K. Collinge, Collinge

President-Elect
Ecological Society of America
Boulder, Colorado, United States

Speaker(s)

EB

Elena Bennett

Professor
McGill University, Canada
RK

Rees Kassen

University of Ottawa, Canada
DP

Diane Pataki

Arizona State University, United States
LS

Lisa Schulte-Moore

Iowa State University, United States

Session Description: Ecologists are increasingly involved in solutions-oriented, actionable science, often known as engaged science. Engaged science requires collaborative, team-based approaches that are often focused on creating more positive futures for people and the planet. This work is grounded in a mindset of collective leadership that engages a wide range of societal partners working closely with a range of disciplinary experts. The tools, practices, identities, and experiences of researchers working beyond disciplinary boundaries and conducting ecological research with partners that bring perspectives from societal sectors beyond academia are varied, but they share common threads. This workshop will provide some hands-on exercises for embracing practices of engaged science and will feature a moderated panel to explore the personal journeys of leading voices from different geographies who are successfully pursuing engaged ecological research with diverse practitioners.