NISAW: The Invasive Species Language Workshop

Communicating about invasive species can get complicated! On February 27-28, in partnership with NAISMA for National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW), Sea Grant is proud to present The Invasive Species Language Workshop, bringing together invasive species researchers and science communication professionals to share best practices for communicating about biological invasions to scientists, stakeholders, and the public.

Day 1 (February 27) will feature a 2-hour NISAW webinar on communications issues in invasion biology, including inclusive language, effective use of metaphor, changes to species names, and more. These hybrid presentations will be available to watch online for free, and virtual attendees will be able to send in questions for discussion. Click here to register for virtual attendance.

Day 2 (February 28), held in-person in Washington, DC, will feature in-depth discussion to develop research topics and interventions to improve communication strategies in invasion biology, including the process for changing species names, harmonizing communications strategies across agencies and research groups, tailoring messaging to different stakeholder groups, and more. Attendance for this portion is limited: reach out to Tim Campbell (tim.campbell@wisc.edu) if interested in participating in person.

Draft Agenda (times in CST):

Tuesday February 27

12 pm: Welcome and introductions
12:30-2:30 pm: NISAW Webinar
3 pm: Discussion
4 pm: Adjourn
5 pm: Dinner with participants
Wednesday February 28

8 am: Welcome and review of previous day’s discussion
8:30 am: Small group discussion
10 am: Large group debrief
11 am: Break for lunch
12 pm: Developing shared understanding for a research & intervention roadmap
1 pm: Continue building research and intervention roadmap
2 pm: Coffee break
2:30 pm: Identify prioritized research areas and/or interventions and self-organize into groups to begin in-depth planning
3:30 pm: Report-outs from groups to share about their ideas and planning
3:45 pm: Workshop review and next steps
4 pm: Adjourn

NISAW Webinar: The Invasive Species Language Workshop

For more information, please contact Tim Campbell at tim.campbell@wisc.edu.