The Nature Conservancy: Communicating in New Ways About Marine Planning

“At the heart of every map showing human use are moments of first-hand experience. Revealing something personal through a story about why we do what we do can connect audiences with our messages and disarm adversaries.”
- Shawn Weis, Conservation Planning Scientist, The Nature Conservancy.

Since its founding in 1951, the vision of the Nature Conservancy has been a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake as well as its ability to fulfill their needs and enrich their lives. Through the dedicated efforts of its diverse staff, the Nature Conservancy uses a non-confrontational, collaborative approach to advance conservation efforts around the world. 

In June 2013, The Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Team partnered with StoryCenter to bring Marine Spatial Planning scientists together and provide training in digital storytelling and a forum for cross-project collaboration and team building. In the process, participants were challenged to communicate differently about the science and practice of marine planning, as a way to resonate more deeply with audiences.

The Nature Conservancy has screened these powerful stories in community planning meetings and presented them at science conferences and symposiums. Read more about the project and view the stories on the Nature Conservancy’s science blog: Cool Green Science. 

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