“The first step is admitting you have a problem…”: the process of advancing science communication in Landscape Conservation Cooperatives in Alaska

Abstract:

Climate change is impacting ecological systems, coastal processes, and environmental disturbance regimes in Alaska, leading to a pressing need to communicate reliable scientific information about climate change, its impacts, and future projections for land and resource management and decision-making. However, little research has been done to dissect and analyze the process of making the results of scientific inquiry directly relevant and usable in resource management. Based within the Science Application division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) are regional conservation science partnerships that provide scientific and technical expertise needed to support conservation planning at landscape scales and promote collaboration in defining shared conservation goals. The five LCCs with jurisdiction in Alaska recently held a training workshop with the goals of advancing staff understanding and skills related to science communication and translation. We report here preliminary results from analysis of workshop discussions and pre- and post- workshop interviews and surveys revealing expectations, assumptions, and mental models regarding science communication and the process of conducting use-inspired science. Generalizable conclusions can assist scientists and boundary organizations bridge knowledge gaps between science and resource management.