Blog
Tools & Resources
Laying the Groundwork: 5 Tips to Prepare for a Difficult Conversation
Imagine that you start a conversation with a new person at an outreach event. They ask about the work that you do, and you share that you’re a scientist studying the impacts of climate change on coastal wetlands.
*Eyeroll* “Oh great, you’re one of THOSE people.”
Caught off-guard, you ask what they mean.
“I’m so tired of hearing about the ...
Announcements
New Beginnings
I recently had the honor of being part of an inspiring plenary panel focused on building resilience and restoring connections within ourselves in service of creating a more just and equitable future for the planet. We spoke of the importance of remaining present to the full range of emotions we experience doing the work of conservation – and the ways in which tur...
Events
Building resilience starts with us
At a conference featuring talks about biodiversity conservation in the face of climate change, you might not expect to have a panel talk focused around how to be personally resilient in the face of such challenges.
Yet that’s exactly what COMPASS’ plenary, titled “Building Resilience Starts with Us,” at this year’s North American Congress for Conservat...
Tools & Resources
How to reduce friction in virtual events
Many challenges with virtual engagement come back to one thing—friction. Friction is that draggy, slow feeling when people talk over each other, or no one speaks at all, or everyone feels lost, and our brains take a vacation. Most folks are exhausted by endless Zoom meetings and (very reasonably) check out.
The good news is that friction isn’t a foregone con...
Leadership in Action
Coastal Conversations with Dr. Jenni Pollack (Video)
Science can have the greatest impact when scientists engage beyond the lab and field and build meaningful connections with the people who can most benefit from their work. But the path to connection isn't always clear or straightforward. What if there are existing challenges and tensions between different groups? How do we keep conversations from becoming polarized...