what i’ve learned about communicating wais initiative objectives to the public sarah andrews

What I’ve Learnedabout communicating

WAIS Initiative objectives to the

public

Sarah Andrews

What I’m Going to Say

• Outreach: Welcome to my world

• W-218:

The proposal

Output so far (grant creep?)

Data returns

What I’ve learned so far from this exercise

Antarctic Artists and Writers Program (a word from my sponsor)

Why did they send me to that cold place?

Sarah

Andrews In Cold

Pursuit

Stay tuned!So…what is the story of Antarctica?

I build bridges

(everybody’s got a story)

Education and Outreach in a Mysterious White Wrapper:

Proposed Output• Research and write a science-based mystery

novel

• Incorporate my research and experiences in Antarctica into public speaking engagements, workshops, interviews, and promotional materials

• Incorporate research and experiences in Antarctica into school programs

• Feature research and experiences in Antarctica on www.sarahandrews.net

Data Gathering

• WAIS Workshop 2005

• University visits

• Deploy to Antarctica Nov, Dec 2006– Dry Valleys ice coring camps

– Traverse to Black Island Station

– Huts, divers, penguin ranchers

– Deploy to Cape Royds penguin colony

– Arena Valley geomorphology camp

• WAIS Workshop 2006

• Still listening, reading, emailing…

Output so far:

• 1st draft of forensic geology novel In Cold Pursuit complete, in edit for spring, 2007 delivery to bookstores – The manuscript is 25% longer because the setting is

incomprehensible

Now I’ve got to rewrite and edit 497 pages by

Christmas!

I get a little weird when

I write…

Output so far:

• 1st draft of forensic geology novel In Cold Pursuit complete, in edit for spring, 2007 delivery to bookstores

• Antarctic travelog on www.sarahandrews.net • “Pie on Ice”, in The World is a Kitchen: Cooking Your

Way through Culture published August, 2006

Output so far:

• 1st draft of forensic geology novel In Cold Pursuit complete, in edit for spring, 2007 delivery to bookstores

• Antarctic travelog on www.sarahandrews.net • “Pie on Ice”, in The World is a Kitchen: Cooking Your

Way through Culture published August, 2006 • Lobbied U.S. senators and congresspeople for continued

support of U.S. Antarctic Program• Currently writing memoir of my research and experience

in Antarctica • Collaborating on proposed non-fiction book Remote

Antarctica• Collaborating with artist and musician on climate change

“cautionary tale.”

Helen Chellin Barnes Glacier

Helen Chellin

Output so far (continued):

• 23 public and scientific speaking engagements, of which 16 were entirely about Antarctica, more scheduled

• 6 school programs

• 3 radio interviews

• 3 newspaper interviews

• 3 newspaper side bars

• Have yet to begin actual publicity push!

What I have learned:1. Basic story is getting to the public

Hockey stick concept…Al Gore

Ocean circulation

Penguins

2. Public confuses opinions, ideas, facts, hypotheses, theories

Juried research vs. “guy on radio”

3. Public largely ignorant of data sourcesOne core and you’re done!

4. Public wholly ignorant of research needs, funding

5. Antarctica is hot = outreach opportunity

(Research)

What I have learned:1. Basic story is getting to the public

Hockey stick concept…Al Gore

Ocean circulation

Penguins

2. Public confuses opinions, ideas, facts, hypotheses, theories

Juried research vs. “guy on radio”

3. Public largely ignorant of data sourcesOne core and you’re done!

4. Public wholly ignorant of research needs, funding issues

5. Antarctica is hot = outreach opportunity

Be a bridge builder

visit me at:www.sarahandrews.net