NACCB 2016: Social Science Working Group (SSWG) Events and Highlights
Rebecca Garvoille
For a full list and descriptions of all conference workshops, symposia, and sessions, please see the conference program page: http://www.xcdsystem.com/scbna/program/ To download a PDF of SSWG events, please visit: bit.ly/29LDKnk
SSWG Events at NACCB 2016:
- SSWG Business Meeting (open to all) on Monday, July 18 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. in Hall of Ideas H. Come to hear about our current activities, ways to get involved, and provide input on the group’s future directions. Everyone is welcome to attend this event!
- SSWG-Sponsored Elevator Speech Training on Tuesday, July 19 (lunch session) at Monona Terrace AND Speed Networking with Conservation Experts on Tuesday, July 19 (evening). For more event details and to register for this professional development opportunity: http://tinyurl.com/h4w9j5d Open to All Students, registration required:
- SSWG Booth Day on Wednesday, July 20 at the Working Group Booth located near the SCB main booth and conference registration desk. Stop by to meet SSWG Board members and learn more about our recent activities.
SSWG-Sponsored Training Workshops at NACCB 2016:
(Note: advance or on-site sign-up required)
WS15. Best Practices for Collaborative Conservation: Practical Implementation
Sunday, July 17, 2016 from 1-5 p.m.
Organizer(s): Thomas, Becky, Slippery Rock University; Hauptfeld, Rina, Colorado State University; Retta Bruegger, Colorado State University Western Region Extension Office; Center for Collaborative Conservation
Summary: Creative conservation solutions that consider multiple ways of knowing are needed to close the gap between science and action. Collaborative conservation brings together diverse stakeholders to define a conservation issue and create a path forward for solving it. This workshop builds a collaborative conservation foundation by focusing on bottom-up, community-based approaches, through an applied, in-depth focus on the cross-disciplinary competencies and tools necessary to successfully implement collaborative conservation on the ground. This interactive workshop will provide conservation practitioners with an understanding of principles, best practices, and practical tools that can lead to increased capacity for engaging with diverse stakeholders. Case studies highlighting lessons learned from projects in Mongolia, Philippines, Hawaii, Belize, Colorado, and Puerto Rico will be considered. As such, this workshop will provide participants with clear, actionable information that is relevant to the interests and challenges of the participants. Cost: $30
WS21. Considering the 'Citizens' in Citizen Science
Saturday, July 16 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Organizer(s): Newman, Gregory, CitSci.org - Colorado State University; Rina Hauptfeld, Colorado State University
Summary: Scientists are increasingly asked, both by funders and academic institutions, to broaden the impacts of their research to audiences beyond the ivory tower. Information collected through citizen science can expand the scope and scale of conservation science, but it can also impact participant learning, develop social-capital, and foster conservation decision-making.The intention of this 1-day workshop is to introduce participants to the unique possibilities and challenges associated with defining ecological research questions with and appropriate for a lay public, taking into consideration cross-cultural contexts. Through interactive activities, discussions, and exploration of an online platform, participants will consider how the design and implementation of citizen science projects may impact not only p-values, but also those participating. Specifically, this workshop will guide practitioners and researchers in: (1) recognizing the potential opportunities and challenges associated with engaging citizen scientists, (2) understanding the broad spectrum of participant “engagement,” (3) identifying potential learning, social-capital, and conservation action impacts of citizen science, and (4) conceptualizing methods to assess those learning, social-capital, and conservation action impacts on the citizen scientists themselves.
We will discuss your examples as well as domestic and international cases drawn from the CitSci.org citizen science platform to illustrate concepts and considerations important to engaging and studying citizen science participants while still generating rigorous conservation science data. The interactive nature of this workshop is intended for both natural scientists seeking to grow the educational and social impacts of their research, as well as conservation practitioners hoping to double the impact of their current projects. Cost: $35
Applying Social Science Methods to Improve Conservation Outcomes
Thursday, July 21, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Organizers: Alia Dietsch, Ohio State University, Becky Thomas, Slippery Rock University and Diogo Verissimo, Rare |Georgia State University
Summary: Conservation practitioners are increasingly relying on social science to help inform biodiversity management, policy, and decision-making. For example, information collected with social science methods can increase practitioner understanding of differences in social values and attitudes, which can then be used to anticipate responses to management decisions, enhance participation in conservation-related behaviors, or develop more effective outreach and education campaigns that garner support for conservation outcomes. The purpose of this 1-day short course is to provide participants with training in the appropriateness of different methods to collect social science data. Benefits and limitations of different methodological approaches (quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods) will be discussed. By the end of this course, participants will have a foundation for understanding different social science methods in various situations, and will be able to (1) inventory a conservation challenge, (2) select a tailored methodological approach, and (3) identify ways in which social science results can inform conservation actions, as well as communications with diverse audiences to generate behavior change. Understanding this diversity of audiences is important, as there is no homogenous “general public”. Therefore, we will conclude with examples from conservation marketing on how to influence target audiences to adopt more sustainable behaviors. Registration Required.
SSWG-Sponsored Symposia:
SYM16: New Frontiers in North American Bison Conservation: Exploring the Human Dimensions
Organizer(s): Rebecca Garvoille, Ph.D., Department of Conservation and Research, Denver Zoo; Keith Aune, Wildlife Conservation Society
SYM22: Societal Impacts of Surveillance Technologies in Conservation
Organizer(s): Douglas Clark, University of Saskatchewan; Chris Sandbrook, University of Cambridge
SYM24: Building and Critiquing Conservation: The Roles of Social Scientists
Organizer(s): Lisa Naughton, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Adena Rissman, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Connecting with the SSWG
With representation from nearly 50 countries around the world, the SSWG is a global community of
conservation professionals interested in the social aspects of biodiversity
conservation. Established in 2003, our mission is to strengthen conservation
social science and its application to conservation practice. To learn more,
visit our website at: http://www.conbio.org/groups/working-groups/social-science.
To Join:
Becoming a member of the SSWG is free if you’re already a member of the Society for Conservation Biology. You simply need to click on the SSWG option under “affiliations” in your SCB membership profile to sign up. *Please note that you are not automatically added as a member by joining the SSWG discussion list.
Connect with us on social media for real-time updates during the conference and beyond:
To Sign on to SSWG’s Discussion List:
http://conbio.org/groups/working-groups/social-science/get-involved/discussion-list
SSWG
Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SCBs-Social-Science-Working-Group/107162223336
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/SCB_SSWG
(Twitter @SCB_SSWG, #consocsci)
For questions or more information, please contact our SSWG President, Meredith Gore, at go...@msu.edu or SSWG Secretary, Rebecca Garvoille, at rgarv...@denverzoo.org.
We look forward to seeing you in Madison!