Title : From shorebirds to headlines: The power of storytelling to bring national attention to conservation science
Abstract:
What does it take to make the world care about a bird most people have never heard of?
Consider the American Oystercatcher, a striking coastal bird whose population has benefited from decades of coordinated conservation efforts. Or the Whimbrel, an extraordinary long-distance migrant whose journeys span continents and expose it to an array of environmental threats. And what about the shorebirds whose survival depends on an unlikely partnership between conservation scientists and rice farmers willing to flood their fields to create temporary habitat?
These are not simply stories about birds. They are stories about survival, scientific discovery, human ingenuity, and the extraordinary efforts underway to protect biodiversity.
Over two years, I worked with Manomet Conservation Sciences in Plymouth, Massachusetts to bring national media attention to these birds and the scientists working to protect them. Drawing on my experience as an Emmy Award-winning producer for NBC's Today and CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, I applied a journalist's perspective to identifying the human stories, surprising discoveries, and compelling narratives embedded in complex conservation research.
This presentation will use these real-world examples to demonstrate how environmental organizations can translate scientific findings into stories that attract national media coverage and engage audiences far beyond the scientific community. Case in point: Our strategic media outreach secured two Associated Press stories—one highlighting the remarkable conservation success of the American Oystercatcher, and the other showcasing Manomet’s innovative efforts to transform the invasive green crab from an ecological threat into a valuable resource.
Participants will learn how to identify the most newsworthy elements of research, develop narratives around individual species and conservation challenges, pitch
journalists effectively, and communicate scientific discoveries without compromising accuracy.
Ultimately, the presentation will explore how powerful storytelling can amplify the voices of scientists, elevate the visibility of threatened species, and help build public understanding and support for conservation.
The central message: Extraordinary science deserves extraordinary attention—and sometimes the most powerful conservation stories begin with a single bird.
