Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Conservation Biology
CAROL BREWER
Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, U.S.A., email carol.brewer@umontana.edu
Paper submitted December 1, 2005; revised manuscript accepted February 20, 2006.
689
Conservation Biology Volume 20, No. 3, 689–691
C 2006 Society for Conservation Biology
DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00467.x
690 Translating Data into Meaning Brewer
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Volume 20, No. 3, June 2006
Brewer Translating Data into Meaning 691
case studies, modules, and courses that integrate the nat- Conclusion
ural, physical, and social sciences. Then these courses can
be assessed and experiences shared in manuscripts and Despite 20 years of intensive research, the biodiversity
at meetings. crisis is deepening. Environmental illiteracy is leading to
an ever-greater disparity between what conservation bi-
Build a Constituency of People Who Care about ologists and the public know about issues affecting life
Biodiversity on Earth. Now more than ever education must cut across
all facets of conservation biology and the SCB. The data
People fight for what they care about, and one aspect we continue to collect and report on in Conservation Bi-
of developing a caring attitude is knowledge. Today peo- ology may make no difference in the conservation of the
ple have fewer experiences in wild nature, and children species and places we care about if this information is not
spend far less time exploring outdoors than those of translated into meaningful stories that engage the public
previous generations (Louv 2005). Many conservation and inspire them to take action. The SCB, the journal, and
biologists reminisce about having their interest kindled every conservation biologist and practitioner has a role
through early experiences in nature in the company of to play in education and outreach. This is as important as
friends and mentors. From these experiences, many of us writing the next manuscript that documents yet another
found careers that matched our passions for nature and decline in biodiversity. Actually, it is probably the most
adventure and now provide the opportunity every day to important thing we can do.
learn about and deepen our appreciation of nature. And
because we care and know something about the diversity Literature Cited
of life on Earth, we are ready to work for its conservation.
Thus, part of our task is remedial—we need to provide Berkowitz, A., M. Ford, and C. A. Brewer. 2005. A framework for inte-
grating ecological literacy, civics literacy and environmental citizen-
opportunities for direct contact with nature for people of ship in environmental education. Pages 227–266 in E. A. Johnson
all ages (Orr 1989). and M. J. Mappin, editors. Environmental education or advocacy:
One particularly promising strategy to engage new par- perspectives of ecology and education in environmental education.
ticipants in education and conservation of biodiversity Cambridge University Press, New York.
is through citizen-science programs. Citizen science con- Louv, R. 2005. Last child in the woods. Saving our children from nature-
deficit disorder. Algonquin Books, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
nects conservation biologists with members of the public Orr, D. 1989. Ecological literacy. Conservation Biology 3:334–335.
who assist with data collection and monitoring follow- SCB (Society for Conservation Biology). 1987. Goals and objectives of
ing defined research protocols (e.g., House Finch Disease the society for conservation biology. Conservation Biology 1:91.
Survey, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology). Direct con- Soulé, M. E. 1987. History of the Society for Conservation Biology: how
tact with scientists may demystify science and promote and why we got here. Conservation Biology 1:6–7.
Trombulak, S. C., K. S. Omland, J. A. Robinson, J. J. Lusk, T. L. Fleischner,
a greater appreciation for science as one way of under- G. Brown, and M. Domroese. 2004. Principles of conservation biol-
standing the world around us. Through citizen-science ogy: recommended guidelines for conservation literacy from the
collaborations, participants increase their knowledge of education committee of the Society for Conservation Biology. Con-
the natural world and the role humans play in shaping servation Biology 18:1180–1190.
the environment. These types of programs may provide White, R., T. L. Fleischner, and S. C. Trombulak. 2000. The status of un-
dergraduate education in conservation biology. Society for Conser-
new hope for moving toward an environmentally literate vation Biology, Arlington, Virgina. Available from http://conbio.net/
public who will fight to protect what they have come to scb/services/education/ (accessed November 2005).
know and care about. Wilson, E. O. 1992. The diversity of life. W.W. Norton, New York.
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