WOLFE, ANDREA D. Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organsimal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210. - In the Trenches: Scientific Outreach from the Perspective of a Working Scientist.
Scientific outreach is an effort made by scientists to share
information about their research with nonscientists. Examples of
outreach from a botanical perspective may include (but are not limited
to): workshops or seminars for K-12 teachers, local horticultural
societies, garden clubs, nature clubs, schools or businesses; special
events for the general public (e.g., nature hikes, wild flower
workshops); newspaper columns or op-ed articles; freelance articles in
newspapers, on the internet, and in horticultural or popular science
magazines; taxon-oriented websites or books that are aimed at a
general audience; TV spots; legislative testimony; or legal defense of
rare or endangered plant species. Working scientists have a unique
opportunity to share the excitement of discovery with the public. The
process of scientific outreach enriches the scientist and facilitates
a dynamic teaching environment that is a natural extension of the
academic paradigm.
Key words: science news, scientific outreach