Communicating phenology through education, outreach, and training - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Communicating phenology through education, outreach, and training 11 September 2012 Arnold van Vliet, Wichertje Bron, Sara Mulder Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University

Content § Objectives Nature’s Calendar § Societal publications § Importance of societal publications for citizen science projects and scientists in general § Strategy to increase outreach via media § Future international cooperation Photo: Arnold van Vliet

Objectives Nature’s Calendar 1. Monitoring impact of changes in weather and climate on nature; 2. Determine ecological and socio- economic impacts of the phenological changes; 3. Develop and implement tools and methodologies that allow society to adapt to the changes and; 4. Increase public awareness on climate change and biodiversity.

Societal publications Photo: Joost Huijsing Photo: Wichertje Bron

Number of times someone reached

Recruitment of new observers 300 40,000,000 Mar 07 Number of people reached via newspapers Mar 10 35,000,000 250 Number of new observers 30,000,000 May 2007 Dec 06 200 25,000,000 Feb 11 150 20,000,000 Jan 12 15,000,000 100 10,000,000 50 5,000,000 0 0 Feb-05 un-05 Oct-05 Feb-06 un-06 Oct-06 Feb-07 un-07 Oct-07 Feb-08 un-08 Oct-08 Feb-09 un-09 Oct-09 Feb-10 un-10 Oct-10 Feb-11 un-11 Oct-11 Feb-12 un-12 J J J J J J J J Number of new observers Number of people reached

Identify, recruit and stimulate new partners Research Media Health Commercial sector Monitoring networks Research NGO programs

Identify new data sources Month April May June July 10-day period 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 0.5 0.5 0.5 1978 1 3 3 2 1979 3 3 2 2 1980 2 3 3 2 1 1981 3 3 3 2 1 1982 1 3 3 2 1 1983 3 3 2 1 1984 1 3 3 3 2 1985 1 3 3 2 1 1 1986 2 3 3 2 1987 1 3 3 1988 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 1989 0.5 0.5 0.5 1990 1 3 3 3 1 1991 1 3 3 3 2 1 1992 3 3 2 1993 3 3 2 1 1994 3 3 2 2 1995 3 3 2 1 1996 1 3 2 1 1997 1 3 3 1 1998 1 3 3 1 1 1999 1 3 3 1 1 2000 1 3 2 1 2001 2 3 2 2002 1 3 3 1 1 2003 3 3 2 1 2004 3 3 2 2005 2 3 3 2 1 1 2006 3 3 2 1 2007 3 3 2 2 1

Communication indispensable to reach objectives 1. Number of volunteers increase. 2. Identify new data sources/ historic data. 3. New partners, broader network. 4. Keep partners interested and motivated. 5. Instruct people on when, what, how to observe. 6. Keep observers motivated to participate. 7. Get new ideas from journalists. 8. More media attention. 9. People and journalists build up a reference..

Active communication: Funding available § More well known so easier to get the opportunity to explain the story you have to tell/ sell. § Support from management of the home institution. § Donations from volunteers and supporters. § New partners with good ideas. § But… . still not easy. A lot of publicity is no guarantee for lots of funding. Continuous effort and creativity is needed.

Improve adaptive capacity of society § Variability in timing is relevant for many sectors in society. § Action is required when plants and animals become active. § People need to be informed on when, what events will take place at a certain place and what actions are needed. § Mass communication required to educate and train people.

Timing of pollen release: hay fever

Allergieradar.nl Who, when, where, which hay fever symptoms (eyes, nose, lungs)? When start and end of pollen season? Information on allergy, hay fever and hay fever plants.

Symptom scores Nose complaints Nose complaints throughout the throughout the whole year. whole year. Positively tested Positively tested for grass, tree and for grass, trees herb pollen. and herbs.

Pollenplanner Birch

Development of Lyme disease Photo: Arnold van Vliet Photo: RIVM Photo: Fedor Gassner

10-day prediction tick activity

Reporting tick bites and Lyme disease

Nature forecasts

Professionalize outreach: Natuurbericht.nl

Biologists in The Netherlands and Belgium

Twitter.com/ natuurbericht

Bridge gap between scientists and media

What is news worthy? Birch trees begin to flower.... (event) ....in the south of the country.... (location) .... a week earlier than last year/ normal.... (compare with reference) .... due to the high temperatures in March.... (cause) .... one million hay fever patients will experience significant nose problems .... (quantify impact) .... health care cost will be 5 million Euro.... .... patients are advised to keep windows closed.... (advise) .... pollen season lasts till 20 th April.... (forecast) ...

Media strategy § Identify the interested journalists. § Actively inform them regularly at the right time about the right topic. § Be prepared for the standard opportunities (end of the month, season, year, weather extremes). § Have a reachable location where topic can be seen. § Be able to explain the relevance of event for public. § Make sure that the story you tell is easy to understand. § Have partner organisations, specialists and volunteers stand by. § Offer a wide variety of topics (nature, health, recreation, climate change). § Be available to answer questions and give interviews.

Communication strategy Website media Press releases Publications Sociale media Apps Email Natuurbericht.nl Nature Nature forecasts stories Know ledge Nature Observations Etc. Mosquito Hay fever Ticks/ Lyme Oak proces- Wasps es sionary Sponsoring Subsidies Donations Research Apps Other subsidies

Internationalization § In the coming years we aim to internationalize the Natuurbericht concept. § Broader than phenology but phenology has large potential to enter the news domain. § Nature Today

Nature Today: possible structure National/ Regional sites: Own editorial board 2 per day Own frequency of publication 2 per week Own language Own media database 3 per week? Etc. Naturetoday.org I ndividual International editorial board contributions Keystone species Control species names

Nature Today: Quarterly phenological updates Region Species group Com pared to Com pared Com pared Link to last year to previous to all tim e Nature ten years average report NL Plants -6 days -10 days -20 days NL Birds + 2 days 0 days -3 days DE UK USA AU ...

Conclusions § Societal publications are important to reach objectives of phenological networks. § Support functioning of phenological networks. § Communication increases funding available. § Strong need to bridge the gap between science and society. Co-production of knowledge. § There are many opportunities to increase media attention but it requires careful planning and the investment of time and resources. § Are you willing to join the process of internationalization of Natuurbericht.nl? Contact me afterwards. § If you want to update/ start phenological website contact me too.

Thank you for your attention Contact: Arnold.vanvliet@wur.nl www.natuurkalender.nl www.natuurbericht.nl www.tekenradar.nl www.allergieradar.nl www.splashteller.nl www.schoolbiologen.nl