Communicating about invasive species can get complicated! On February 27-28, in partnership with NAISMA for National Invasive Species Awareness Week, 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 webinar series 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.
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.
Want to learn more about the importance of language use in invasion biology? Here are some papers, articles, and websites to get you started. This list is a work in progress – please get in touch if you have additional resources to add!