Category: Science Communication

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Blog IGC Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Science Communication

How is Amazon Deforestation Related to One Health?

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May 25, 2022
A writing assignment from the IGC Seminar, by Caetano Franco

 

The Amazon Rainforest, the world’s largest rainforest, provides ecosystem services, stores carbon stocks, and supports biodiversity. In addition, a fifth of the world’s freshwater is located in this region. This forest is home to 34 million people, many depending entirely on the forest for their livelihoods, and also a storehouse of diseases and pathogens that could lead to another pandemic.

More than half of the Amazon Rainforest is in Brazil. Alarmingly, Brazilian rainforests are subject to rapid and considerable transformations due to agribusiness, implementation of large infrastructures such as roads and dams, mining, and above all, deforestation. These human activities have contributed to the loss of resilience of this forest.

But how is the Amazon related to One Health? For the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, One Health is “an approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment. One Health is not new, but it has become more important in recent years. This is because many factors have changed interactions between people, animals, plants, and our environment”. In this context, in which the Amazon is home to thousands of people, and represents a region of global importance, the exhaustive deforestation found in the biome can have consequences for different sectors of society around the world.

Recent overview of the situation in the Amazon

In Brazil, 2021 was the worst level of Amazon Rainforest deforestation in 15 years, largely driven by the growth of biofuels, initially sugar cane and more recently palm oil and corn, as well as road construction. The growth of palm oil is worrying as it is extremely harmful to tropical forests, as already observed in other regions, extensive areas of forests have been converted into areas for palm oil plantations. The reopening of the BR-319 highway is one example of increased forest loss due to roads. This highway connects the “arc of deforestation” in the state of Rondônia to Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, cutting through one of the most preserved blocks of tropical forest in the world, home to almost 18,000 indigenous people and 63 official Indigenous Lands. Soy and cattle ranching are expanding around this highway, mostly through the illegal acquisition of land from deforestation. Therefore, this highway has represented the new frontier of cheap land for the expansion of economic activities. If reopened, this road and its side roads could considerably increase the deforested area, and in some places, the landscape has already changed dramatically.

Deforestation and One Health

For researcher and ecologist Lucas Ferrante, deforestation is linked to the emergence of new diseases. According to him, “we have already observed an exponential increase in malaria in the BR-319 region due to deforestation”. However, there are other diseases of global concern. For Ferrante, “the Amazon has the largest stock of betacoronavirus in the world. It is important to mention that before SARS-CoV-2, we already had four [types of] betacoronavirus running in Brazil”. In addition, many types of betacoranavirus are still unknown, as well as large amounts of bacteria, viruses, and prions. Deforestation is altering areas with a high number of pathogens that can lead to zoonotic leaps, from animals to humans. Agribusiness is planning to implement large corn plantations in Indigenous Lands, as new commercial food production chains. These lands and people lack basic social and health assistance and low environmental control. These companies intend to create an animal feed from corn tailings and promote the confined creation of poultry and pigs within these Indigenous Lands, which are places with a high diversity of pathogens. This combination of factors and situations can generate new pandemics, as stated by the researcher. To make this situation worse, deforestation tends to accelerate global climate change and make it increasingly difficult to reach existing international agreements for this purpose.

COVID-19 pandemic, decision making and humanitarian threats

Decision makers are not paying attention in the pandemic situation, in part because of limited capacity of epidemiological alerts that exist in the Amazon region. Four months before the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Amazonas, a scientific alert led by Lucas Ferrante was carried out indicating the catastrophic proportions that the second wave could have. In this alert, although not heeded by decision makers, predicted what happened months later. In addition, the gamma variant (or P.1) was generated in Manaus, mainly associated with the absence of restrictive measures represented by the return of school prior to vaccination and the increase in community transmission of the virus. However, this variant was only identified when it arrived in Japan, illustrating the limited local capacity to assess the emergence of new diseases before they cross Brazilian borders. The Brazilian government, instead of prioritizing the lives of indigenous populations, has prioritized, since the beginning of the current administration in January 2019, economic growth at any cost, violating humanitarian rights. The Brazilian government’s denialism has placed the country into a global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agents of transformation of Amazon region

Brazil has suffered a recurrent dismantling of environmental laws, which consequently has compromised ecosystem services of global importance. According to Ferrante, in Brazil there have already been “two new cycles of deforestation generated by the current government”. The current president of Brazil, whose policies tend to support landowners of large holdings and their representatives, has been implementing measures since the beginning of 2019 that directly threaten the environment and the traditional peoples of the Amazon region, as well as the global climate. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brazilian government weakened environmental protection in the country. Therefore, we have, in recent years, as the national and international capital’s greatest ally, the Brazilian government, who has acted for the transformation of the Amazon region and the threat to traditional peoples and global issues, such as health and climate.

 

Perspectives

Solutions are possible to slow deforestation. Ferrante and collaborators are recommending a boycott of Brazilian livestock, soybeans, and beef, mainly by European countries and China. They are also recommending that world banks stop financing projects that could influence the paving of BR-319 or that could influence the expansion of this new production chain based on the creation of animals confined in the Amazon. Another possible situation is to reverse the tax revenue destined for Brazilian science, which since the political coup that removed the last president from power, in 2016, has drastically decreased. Brazilian science is on the verge of collapse, with low manpower and investments, increasing the difficulties for monitoring of deforestation and public health.

A healthy Amazon Forest is possible, but it depends on actions at different levels and coming from different actors. It is necessary for the developed countries that have historically explored the region to change their perspectives. It is necessary for the Brazilian government to reestablish governance and stop being tied to rural interests and big capital. It is necessary that civil society continue to act as possible and denounce the crime that takes place within the Amazonian Forest. Planetary health depends on it.

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator style=”dotted”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1653571700985{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #2d68b5 !important;border-radius: 3px !important;}”]The researcher and expert on the subject, Lucas Ferrante, was interviewed for this blog feature. He holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL) and a Master’s in Biology (Ecology) from the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA). He is currently a PhD Candidate in Biology (Ecology) also at INPA.

Email Dr. Ferrante[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”59694″ img_size=”300×300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]About the author:

Caetano Franco is PhD Student at Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation and a member of Global Change Center. His research interests include co-management and community-based management of natural resources in tropical forests, especially with themes associated with the use of common resources, local ecological knowledge, traditional populations, and protected areas.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Blog IGC Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Science Communication

How do you achieve effective science communication?

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May 13, 2022
A reflection from the IGC Seminar course, by Gabriel Borba

 

Achieving effective science communication is a challenge for most scientists. Yet, communication science is part of a scientist’s everyday life; thus, to be successful, scientists need to learn how to communicate effectively, from a peer-reviewed article to an elevator pitch. I invited Dr. Susan Hassol, a well-known climate change communicator, to share her experience and recommendations for effective climate change communication. As she said, she “translated Science into English”.

Many resources teach skills and ways to communicate scientific results but less often focus on how to communicate science more broadly, especially to a non-academic audience. The challenge becomes complex when the considered research topic is climate change, where disinformation campaigns and scientific jargon are common. However, there are key tools and strategies to follow to help understand your audience and how to communicate your main message. Those main aspects of effective communication are discussed in the following paragraphs. I searched for the most commonly asked questions on the Google search engine about climate change communication, and Dr. Hassol’s answers (noted in quotes) follow:

Why is effective communication important in Science?

“People are making decisions and investments now that should be informed by the best science. If those who know that science is not communicating it effectively to those who are making these decisions, or the decision-makers are not hearing it (due to their own ideological or other filters that prevent their accepting the information), the decisions will be hampered by ignorance.”

How do we communicate Science?

“In plain language, in ways that connect with people on issues, they care about. Simple, clear messages, often repeated, by various trusted sources, such as Edward Maibach (Director of Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication, says.”

What are some examples of effective communication?

“An example of effective communication is when you talk in clear and simple terms. An example of effective communication is when the person whom you are talking to listens actively, absorbs your point and understands it.

For example, TV weathercasters are trusted sources to local communities; people trust them about how the weather will be. Science communicators are engaged to help them integrate climate change into their weather reporting because they are trusted sources (more information).”

How can we best deal with and avoid disinformation campaigns and fake news?

“Nowadays, the war against disinformation campaigns and fake news has changed. And, as part of the problem, there are denial, disinformation, deflection, division and doomism. For example, the fossil fuel industry focuses on saying that climate change needs to be solved by individual actions. Denial – solution actually can solve the problem. Deflecting – the fossil fuel industry blames ourselves. Division – fossil fuel industry tries to divide the climate movements by having them flights among themselves. Doomism – people are convinced that there is not we can do about it.”

“We can deal with and avoid disinformation campaigns and fake news by talking about it, listening, connecting on values, build trust. Focus on solutions that all of us can agree with it. Explain the choice we face, explaining both urgency and agency of action.”

Overview of Science Communication Tips and Strategies

Good conversation is a conversation, not a lecture. One of the most important things to do is listen. What do people care about? Based on that, you may find common ground, establish trust, and make personal connections with them. For example, during an interview, you get an opportunity to develop a history. You give the reporters more information and help them to see the topic you are discussing in a more scientifically accurate way.

For effective messaging, it is necessary to be clear, concise, and compelling. Also, brevity, a short sound bite. Focusing on what you know about the topic is the most effective way to lead with what is happening. The more you say, the fewer people will hear, be objective and use simple speech. Be creative, use imagery and storytelling, and explore anecdotes. Make sure that you deliver your key message many ways and many times. Simple and repeated messages by trusted sources can be very effective. Be prepared to speak about research findings, considering what is novel and important to know about your findings.

Based on all of the information discussed above, effectively communicating about climate change or any other research topic remains a challenging skill to develop. However, recognizing the importance of communicating results from our research to a broad audience is critical to building a greater public understanding of science. We need to connect with our audience on the basis of their values and things that are most important to them in life. Following these approaches, I believe that we, as academics, will have a real chance to reach a wider audience with science. Effective scientific communication ensures that people understand science and can contribute and be connected to it.

[hr]Additional resources:

  • Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425710/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK425710.pdf

  • Climate Communication is non-profit Science and operates as a project of the Aspen Global Change Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the scientific understanding of Earth systems and global environmental change.

https://climatecommunication.org/

  • TEDx Climate Talk: Science and Solutions by Susan Hassol

  • Susan Hassol website page

https://climatecommunication.org/resources/#articles

  • Susan Hassol “guick facts” page

https://www.sciline.org/resource-list/climate-communication/

  • The New Climate War book by Michael Mann

https://michaelmann.net/books/climate-war

  • Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die book by Chip & Dan Heath

https://heathbrothers.com/books/made-to-stick/

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”55271″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Written by Gabriel Borba, Interfaces of Global Change fellow and PhD student from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Department at Virginia Tech. A Brazilian native who is studying climate change impacts on river-floodplain fisheries.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Announcements Conservation Educational Outreach IGC Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Science Communication Water

IGC Fellows, VT Stream Team, and New River Land Trust create educational outreach Stream Box

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March 22, 2021

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Members of the VT Stream Team outreach committee, including Interfaces of Global Change IGEP fellows, Abby Lewis & Heather Wander, have created a “stream box” as part of an educational outreach initiative.  The stream box, a beautifully hand-painted mailbox located near the Nature Play Space at Blacksburg’s Heritage Park, is filled with activities and ID guides for people of all ages to learn about Tom’s Creek.  The project is a collaboration with the New River Land Trust, a local non-profit formed to protect farmland, forests, open spaces and historical places in Virginia’s New River region, and their Youth Education program, which also stewards the Nature Play Space at Heritage Park.

The Stream Team Outreach committee initially headed out to Tom’s Creek for a trash clean-up endeavor last fall, but didn’t find any trash to remove!  They instead chatted with a family by the creek to inquire what they might like to see related to environmental outreach in the area.  The family recommended ID guides – they loved to come out to the creek to explore but didn’t have the knowledge or resources needed to identify what they find.  This encounter sparked the idea for the Stream Box project.  The Stream Team group then reached out to the New River Land Trust outreach coordinator, Melissa “Mel” Henry, to pitch the idea and collaborate.  Mel helped with obtaining permission from the Town of Blacksburg Parks & Recreation department, designing educational materials, and also connected the group with Will Lattea, the Environmental Management Specialist for the Town of Blacksburg, who provided photos and resource ideas for the box.

What’s in the Stream Box?  One activity is designed to help kids observe how different sections of the stream move faster than others by “experimenting” with sticks in the water.  Another activity, called “Hear, See, Smell, Touch” asks kids to slowly and carefully make observations about the world around them.  Also included are scavenger hunts, a tutorial for how to use the iNaturalist app, basic ID guides for plants, reptiles and amphibians, and macro-invertebrates that are likely to be observed near the stream.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Substantial contributions to this project were made by Grace O’Malley, Jared Conner, Katherine Pérez Rivera, and Abby Lewis, all from the VT Stream Team.  Heather Wander, Tadhg Moore, and Adrienne Breef-Pilz also helped brainstorm projects ideas last fall.  Funding for the project is provided by the VT Stream Team. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”54887″ img_size=”large”][vc_single_image image=”54905″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”54890″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”54888″ img_size=”large”][vc_single_image image=”54912″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Accolades Blog Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Outreach Science Communication Student Spotlight Video

IGC fellows win big in the 2020 Virtual Nutshell Games

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November 9, 2020

The 5th annual Nutshell Games took place over a new virtual format this past Saturday, November 7th. Bravo! to all graduate student presenters! Five prizes were awarded this year, four of which recognized IGC fellows: Amber Wendler, Abby Lewis, Bennett Grooms, and Sara Teemer Richards. Congratulations and way to impress, IGC!!

Read more and see the full list of presenters and awardees at: https://communicatingscience.isce.vt.edu/Announcements.html

Check out the IGC fellows’ videos! 

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Biodiversity Blog Conservation Faculty Spotlight Global Change Science Communication Uncategorized Water

One fish, two fish: merging marine animal tracking with fishing fleet movements

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VT News | August 19, 2020

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated in 2018 that 34.2 percent of the world’s fish stocks were overfished, a worrying trend that has significant impacts on ocean environments and the fishing industries that utilize them.

Satellite technology has increased the capacities of researchers and scientists to collect data about marine animals while tracking the movements of commercial fishing vessels, two crucial drivers in the effort to maintain a healthy ocean ecosystem.

Virginia Tech collaborated with Stanford University and Global Fishing Watch to host “Fish and Ships,” an online workshop connecting researchers from around the world to discuss ways in which the merging of these two data sets might answer critical questions about human impacts on ocean biodiversity and sustainability. Participants brainstormed research approaches on overlapping species habitat maps with the data for national fishing fleet positions and discussed how emerging technologies can better model ocean dynamics.

“We’re in a new age in fisheries management,” said Assistant Professor Francesco Ferretti, of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment, who coordinated the workshop. “Just a few years ago we had to rely mostly on what the fishers were telling us. Now we have a huge amount of data from satellites that track marine fishing vessels. From that data we can use models to track, predict, and characterize fishing operations around the world.”

Much of the fishing vessel data discussed was provided by Global Fishing Watch, which used the automatic identification system to track the movements of approximately 70,000 industrial fishing vessels from 2012 to 2016, resulting in the first “footprint map” of fishing fleet movement around the world. This map provides a crucial perspective on both the reach of commercial fishing and what drivers are potentially influencing the industry.

At the same time that fishing vessels are “pinging” data about where they are fishing, electronic tags on broad-ranging fish, such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks, are giving scientists new information about the movements of marine animals across the world’s oceans.

“We’re starting to do overlaps of these two data sets to see how much they cross paths,” explained Ferretti, a faculty member in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. “One goal is to develop a landscape of interactions so we can understand the ways that fishing impacts fish populations. From that information, we can go further, perhaps developing guidelines to help manage the fishing industry and provide data that will improve its efficiency while allowing ocean marine animal populations a chance to recover.”

Ferretti notes that workshop participants particularly enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively: “This first workshop has been a great success. We created a consortium of more than 70 scientists from academic institutions, national and international management bodies, and nongovernment organizations, all willing to play ball in making the ocean a more transparent place to use resources and benefit from its services.”

The July workshop served as the kickoff meeting; Virginia Tech is planning to host a second workshop to address the inventorying and integration of large data sets and ongoing analyses.

“We are currently taking steps to invite all these scientists to Virginia Tech,” Ferretti said. “While COVID will likely impact our plans, we are considering numerous hosting options, from our Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C., to our marine facilities on the Chesapeake Bay, to our beautiful campus in Blacksburg. The goal will be a full immersion into the technical aspects of the projects brainstormed during the kickoff meeting.”

Ferretti noted that Virginia Tech has a role to play in protecting and preserving our oceans and hopes that the Fish and Ships venture will prove to be a flagship project towards that effort. The Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation is currently bolstering its research and educational opportunities in marine fisheries, ecology, and conservation.

“We are a technical university, and right now the ocean requires technical solutions,” said Ferretti, who is affiliated with the Global Change Center housed in Virginia Tech’s Fralin Life Sciences Institute. “There is a great deal of marine technology being developed to understand our oceans better, and Virginia Tech can play a big role in that domain.”

 

Written by David Fleming

CONTACT:

Krista Timney
540-231-6157

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Blog IGC Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Science Communication

What is scientific consensus, and how do we achieve it?

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By Melissa Burt  |  May 15, 2020

The first-year IGC seminar students discussed the challenges of reaching “scientific consensus” with Dr. Julia Gohlke(Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences), who shared her experiences working on panels to determine scientific consensus on health impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Scientific consensus” is the view held by most scientists specialized in that field. But how is it generated? To see how scientific consensus is reached, we focused on the processes used by the IPCC and the NAS. Both groups start their process by determining the scope of the problem that requires scientific consensus. For IPCC, this is determined by the governments leading the United Nations, while for the NAS this is determined by boards within the NAS and those sponsoring specific studies. The next step for both groups is to establish a group of scientists that specialize within that scope that will collect and assess the body of scientific evidence on the topic. During this process, those scientists meet and determine where the scientific evidence leads to agreement. For example, the IPCC panels examine the current science of climate change and determine to what extent the scientific evidence points towards human activity as a cause. Once the lead scientists determine their consensus on a given topic and write a report summarizing the evidence, the report then is peer-reviewed by other scientists before being finalized and communicated to the sponsors of the study.

We finished up our discussion on scientific consensus by focusing on the potential pros and cons of this process. Some pros of consensus building include that the process incorporates the expertise of scientists, is typically transparent process (i.e. the process of the IPCC and NAS are publicly available), and synthesizes a potentially broad array of pieces of evidence. Because the scientists are tasked with determining areas of agreement, the output of the process can be a clear picture of where the experts agree potentially providing a clear path for how to incorporate scientific evidence into the decision process of policy makers. On the other hand, this can go in the opposite direction when scientists cannot find consensus potentially leading to scientific evidence being left out of decision making or the erosion of public confidence in scientists. Another potential con of consensus building is that it requires a majority of scientists on a topic to agree which means some viewpoints may be left out. Finally, although scientists might aspire to objectivity in this process of consensus building, biases can still enter into the process either with unconscious or unacknowledged biases on the part of the scientists or when it comes to applying the synthesis of scientific evidence to policy decisions. Overall, while we could point out these potential pitfalls of consensus building, we found it difficult to come up with alternative processes to incorporating science into policy decisions.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Melissa Burt is a PhD student in Dr. Susan Whitehead’s Lab in Biological Sciences. She is studying how seed dispersal mutualisms respond to habitat fragmentation and climate change.

Header photo credit: IPCC[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Blog IGC Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Science Communication

Joint fact-finding and collaborative adaptive management: Is there room at the table for science?

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By Caleb O’Brien  |  May 14, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted, the role of science in policymaking can be complex and fraught. Recently, Global Change Center affiliate Todd Schenk, Assistant Professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech, joined a group of graduate students in the Interfaces of Global Change Seminar to discuss the complicated interplay between science and public deliberations in another realm: Joint fact-finding and collaborative adaptive management.

From the vantage of the ivory tower, scientists can fall prey to an unrealistic view of the relationship between science and policy, mistakenly believing that there is a straight line from good research to good policy, and that more good science should lead to more good policy. Alas, the world’s a messy place, and that messiness can have real consequences for human and environmental health and wellbeing. Consider, for example, the resurgence of preventable diseases caused by fear about vaccines, or the gridlock around anthropogenic climate change.

The messy interface between science and policy is due, in part, to the nature of science: It is incremental, uncertain, contested, distant, hard to translate, and often ensnared in the quagmire of wicked problems. What’s worse, parties on every side of a dispute can often marshal scientific findings that seem to support their position, making it difficult to establish a common baseline of facts, let alone achieve a solution. Shenk, an expert in environmental policy and planning with globe-spanning experience, proffered joint fact-finding as one path through the thicket of adversarial science and conflicting priorities.

Joint fact-finding is a process by which stakeholders, experts, and decision-makers collaboratively strive to address factual disputes around science-linked policy issues such as environmental protection, energy, and public health.

Schenk guided the IGC students and some visiting faculty members through a hypothetical joint fact-finding exercise based on conflicts around the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Following a standard protocol for joint-fact finding, the participants explored relevant stakeholder groups, untangled their positions and interests, and delved into the process of collectively mustering a common pool of knowledge upon which the participants could draw when (hopefully) fashioning a solution to their conflict.

The exercise highlighted the challenges and complexities of incorporating science into fraught, multi-stakeholder processes. Although the simulation Schenk conducted was a simplified serious game, it offered the IGC cohort fodder for reflection on the roles they might in their future careers as scientists. Joint fact-finding is one tool that could help researchers blaze a path through the thicket of adversarial science.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Caleb O’Brien is a PhD student working with Professor Marc Stern on a research project studying place-based climate change adaptation in the United States.

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Biodiversity Conservation Educational Outreach Ideas Science Communication

Science on Tap NRV moves online during the coronavirus pandemic

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]From VT News | May 1, 2020

As the novel coronavirus continues to proliferate across the world, we are all being asked to do our part in preventing the spread — whether that be wearing a mask in public, maintaining a 6-foot distance from others, or staying at home.

Many businesses have resorted to postponing or cancelling their regularly scheduled events. But one organization, called Science on Tap-New River Valley (NRV), refuses to let the current situation stop them from celebrating scientific thought in the Blacksburg community.

“Science on Tap NRV encourages fun and engaging science-related conversations, and right now our goal is to go full steam ahead as we’ve been doing, with local needs and interests serving a timely forefront,” said Cassandra Hockman, one of the organizers for Science on Tap and a Ph.D. student in rhetoric and writing in the Virginia Tech Department of English. “I think having and engaging in some form of community is really important right now.”

Science on Tap NRV is a monthly event that invites science-inspired speakers, performers, and educators from across the New River Valley to talk about scientific research in a relaxed setting. The goal is to create mutual support between the local and scientific communities through open conversation and a glass of beer.

Around this time of year, the gathering occurs at the lively Rising Silo Brewery, a semi-outdoor farm brewery. But as the events of the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold, the organizers had to decide whether to cancel the event or push forward by virtual means. They chose the latter.

Hockman figured that now is a better time than any to hold a Science on Tap about viruses and viral transmission. In preparation for the event, Hockman collected questions about the coronavirus from the entire Science on Tap community. She then posed those questions to virus spread and airborne disease transmission experts Linsey Marr, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering, and Kaisen Lin, a newly minted Ph.D. and former graduate student in Marr’s lab.

“Our events are meant to provide a community space for welcoming, genuine curiosity, as well as encourage conversation between researchers and community members,” said Hockman. “I had seen some coverage about air transmission, but not much, and I also saw Linsey Marr entering these public conversations online. Since I had met with her and covered her work a few years ago, I knew her expertise and public contributions were highly relevant and timely.”

On March 23, Hockman hosted the first virtual Science on Tap via Zoom.

During the interview, Marr tackled questions related to virus survival in humid conditions, viral transmission in small and open spaces, and what it truly means when a virus is “airborne.” And although uncertainties still remain about the novel coronavirus, Marr was very grateful for the opportunity to help clear the air. “We just want to spread good science and help people understand what’s going on,” said Marr.

 

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=e7_xxdtGdvw&feature=emb_logo”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Science on Tap NRV was the brainchild of Katie Burke, a digital features editor for the American Scientist. When she first moved to the Blacksburg area in 2015, Burke was on a mission to find local science communicators. Soon enough, she met Patricia Raun and Carrie Kroehler of the Virginia Tech Center for Communicating Science in the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment.

“I noted to Patty and Carrie that there was no science outreach event in Blacksburg at the time, and that events like that are where locals, STEM researchers, and science communicators often can meet and discuss ideas,” said Burke. “Patty and Carrie encouraged me to start one and gave me a lot of the advice, connections, and moral support I needed as impetus to make it happen.”

The first Science on Tap event launched in the spring of 2017 with great success — and an even greater turnout.

“We have had incredible attendance from the get-go, with our first event bringing in well over 100 people and filling up Rising Silo, which indicates to me that Blacksburg really needed an event like this,” said Burke.

Every night kicks off with a trivia game, a comedic routine, or a demonstration. Then, an invited guest scientist speaks about their research, which is followed by a Q&A session.

Over the course of its three years, Science on Tap has featured research about lighthearted topics, such as animal flatulence and scientific humor, as well as more pressing issues like water quality and climate change.

“We’ve had so much fun, and you know, while we were at it, we brainstormed some ways to save the world and make it a better place,” said Burke.

Along with donations from attendees, Science on Tap receives support from the Virginia Tech Center for Communicating Science and the Virginia Tech chapter of Sigma Xi, a nonprofit honor society for scientists and engineers. Both organizations are large proponents of science outreach, and they provide a generous amount of support by promoting events, bringing in speakers, and supplying volunteers.

“Our guest speakers are generally volunteers, and the show wouldn’t exist without researchers and artists willing to come in front of a bunch of people in a bar,” said Burke. “We are, by nature, a pretty low-budget operation, and much of what we do is volunteer-driven. That allows us to offer the event for free and open to everyone.”

For now, Science on Tap will continue to follow a virtual layout to not only ensure the safety of the public, but to keep that insatiable love of learning and science enthusiasm rolling until it can be safely moved back into locations in the community.

“Our next virtual events will incorporate more opportunities for personal interaction and audience participation,” said Raun, who both directs the Center for Communicating Science and serves as a professor of performance and voice in the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts. “We’re looking forward to helping people connect during this time of social isolation.”

Science on Tap’s next virtual event will take place on May 7. For more details, visit the organization’s Facebook page.

If you have an idea for a Science on Tap event, or if you want to join the mailing list, contact scienceontapnrv@gmail.com.

Written by Kendall Daniels

 

CONTACT:
Kristin Rose
(540) 231-6614

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Categories
Climate Change Outreach Science Communication Seminars, Workshops, Lectures Special Events

For Earth Week, GCC faculty take part in digital “teach in”

Weather forecast background, climate change concept, collage of sky image with variety weather conditions and planet Earth. Elements of this image furnished by NASA

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]April 24, 2020

Virginia Tech for Climate Justice, a student-led organization with faculty supporters, had plans for an engaging week of activities for Earth Week, but due to concerns over the novel coronavirus, they shifted their focus to many digital events!

A Climate Justice Teach-In (originally scheduled for March 18th) transformed into a variety of educational videos created by experts to explain the science behind climate issues how they affect humans. GCC affiliate Carl Zipper presented a talk on the “Human Influence on Climate Change.” Luis Escobar‘s presentation was on “Climate Change and Health.”

Check out their videos (and more) by visiting VT’s Climate Justice Facebook videos page![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.facebook.com/VTforClimateJustice/videos/537578806898129/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Accolades Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Research Science Communication

IGC Fellows win awards at 2020 Graduate Student Association Research Symposium

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]April 24, 2020

The 36th annual VT Graduate Student Association Research Symposium was held virtually on March 25th, 2020. The GSARS is a unique opportunity for graduate and advanced undergraduate students to bring together ideas and research findings from different disciplines and showcase their scholarly pursuits and achievements.

The GSA Research Symposium and Exposition provides a platform for an animated exchange of ideas and invigorating interactions, and also provides for valuable networking between participants, faculties, departments, and research entities as well as corporate bodies, which could pave the way for interdisciplinary research discussion and future collaboration.

This year, three IGC fellows won awards for their presentations! Congratulations, Ernie, Chloe, and Sarah![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”49160″ img_size=”275×355″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”49161″ img_size=”275×355″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”49174″ img_size=”275×355″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Ernie Osburn

1st place

15 minute oral presentation “Myths and Mysteries Unravelled” category

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Chloe Moore

3rd place

Flash talk
“Myths and Mysteries Unravelled” category

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Sarah Kuchinsky

2nd place

15 minute oral presentation “Myths and Mysteries Unravelled” category

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“Forest disturbance has long-term effects on soil bacterial and fungal communities in Appalachian ecosystems”

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“Does commonness confer connectivity? A genomics
case study of a backyard frog”

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“Assessing susceptibility to Usutu virus in avian models”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]Ernie Osburn is a graduate student in Biological Sciences working with Dr. Jeb Barrett. He is studying the impacts of Rhododendron removals on soil microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in Appalachian forests. For this presentation, he used DNA sequencing to investigate soil microbial communities in forests that had experienced a range of different disturbances (e.g., logging, conversion to agriculture) several decades previously. He found some consistent differences in microbial taxa between disturbed and undisturbed forests, including higher bacterial diversity and higher abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in soils from disturbed sites. These findings indicate that human disturbance of forests has long-lasting effects on soil microbial communities with potential long-term implications for forest ecosystem functioning.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]Chloe Moore is a graduate student in Biological Sciences working with Dr. Meryl Mims. She is interested in studying the connections between species traits, population genetics, and landscapes, especially in areas with high levels of anthropogenic land-use. For this presentation, she studied the common “backyard” amphibian, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer). Despite the species’ commonness throughout the eastern United States, little is known about its ability to survive, or even maybe thrive, in heavily-modified environments. She presented her research on assessing drivers of the spring peeper’s persistence in modified landscapes by investigating the relationship between environmental differentiation, i.e. modified versus unmodified habitats, and genetic variation and connectivity.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]Sarah Kuchinsky is a graduate student who combines wildlife research with traditional veterinary medicine by pursuing a veterinary science, PhD/DVM dual degree program.  Her research at Virginia Tech seeks to understand the pathogenesis, transmissibility, and disease dynamics of Usutu Virus (USUV). For her presentation, she discussed her investigation on the susceptibility of domestic and wild avian species to USUV, in order to determine an appropriate model to study this virus. She found that cells derived from American robin, house sparrow, and song sparrow were susceptible to multiple USUV strains, while cells derived from American crow were not. She also did experimental inoculations of USUV in 2-day-old chickens and wild caught house sparrows. She found that both the 2-day-old chickens and house sparrows developed viremia, suggesting that these bird models can serve as appropriate animal models to further evaluate USUV pathogenesis and transmission.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator style=”shadow”][/vc_column][/vc_row]