The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme is hosting a team from the University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Studies (UMCES) and, as part of their stay, the team conducted a two day workshop on effective science communication.

Image: © T. Saxby / IAN-UMCES

The workshop focused on four areas of communication; conceptual diagrams, PowerPoint presentations, environmental assessments, and publications. These areas of communication can be utilised by scientists to effectively share research and findings to a non-scientific audience.

"The training was a great capacity building opportunity," said Kathleen Leewai, the Publications and Communications Intern at SPREP.

"Over the two days we learned how simple design principles and some creativity can transform a very technical report into something more illustrative and eye-catching."

The workshop also served to underline the importance of effective communication for an organisation such as SPREP, especially in the Pacific region.

Image: © A. Jones / IAN-UMCES

"SPREP's environmental work around the Pacific is much more effective with the help of the communities. This is where science communication plays a big role, as it takes the scientific nature of SPREP's work and presents it in a way so that everyone can understand it."

The workshop was conducted by the Integration and Application Network (IAN) based at the University of Maryland Centre of Environmental Studies (UMCES).