IUFRO-SPDC Pre-congress Training Workshops

IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress

IUFRO’s Special Programme for Development of Capacities (SPDC) in collaboration with the US-Forest Service organized two training workshops in conjunction with the IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress
Freiburg, Germany, 16-18 September 2017

Communicating Forest Science: Making Science Work for Policy and Management - Science-Society Interactions in Support of Forest Landscape Restoration Implementation


Training Workshop I

Communicating Forest Science: Making Science Work for Policy and Management

Training Workshop Report

TRAINERS
•    Cynthia Miner, US Forest Service & IUFRO WP 9.01.02 - Communication and public relations
•    Yasmeen Sands, US Forest Service & IUFRO WP 9.01.02 - Communication and public relations
•    Jennifer Hayes, US Forest Service

RATIONALE
Many of the most pressing issues facing our natural world today can be best informed and addressed using science. For science to be useful, it must be understood; and to be understood, it must be communicated—and communicated well. The ability to clearly articulate the results of research to decision makers and other stakeholders is a skillset every scientist should hone to improve their effectiveness. We live in a world where the flow of information is constant and where audiences’ expectations and information needs are shifting. As a result, it is more important than ever for scientists and practitioners to communicate with purpose—to have a solid communication strategy, awareness of target audiences, and compelling key messages for sharing their work.


OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP
This workshop provided participants concepts and practices for improving communication of their forest science beyond the scientific community. Participants learned communication tools and approaches targeted at forest scientists to promote and disseminate their research results to society, including policy makers and practitioners.
The workshop reviewed communication theories and approaches. Participants learned to frame their communications through strategic thinking and explored how to develop narratives for high-impact communication. Practical skills were developed through hands-on exercises, including developing key messages, writing a news release, responding to press inquiries, conducting interviews, and using social media to share research projects and results. Each participant was asked to bring at least one personal research project example to the workshop to use for the practical exercises.

The workshop was conducted by Ms. Jennifer Hayes and Ms. Yasmeen Sands, U.S. Forest Service-Research and Development. Both Ms. Hayes and Ms. Sands are communication professionals who routinely work with the media, policy and decision makers, scientists, and others to share the importance of science, tell the stories behind the science, and promote the application of research.


WHO WAS TO PARTICIPATE?
Early and mid-career scientists, working in forest and tree-related research from developing countries in African, Asia, or Latin America and the Caribbean region and with an approved sponsorship for the IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany through SPDC’s Scientist Assistance Program were encouraged to participate in this training.

Training Workshop Programme



Training Workshop II

Science-Society Interactions in Support of Forest Landscape Restoration Implementation


Training Workshop Report


TRAINERS

•    John Stanturf, US Forest Service & IUFRO RG 1.06 – Restoration of degraded sites
•    Promode Kant, Institute of Green Economy, India
•    Michael Kleine, IUFRO


RATIONALE

The concept of combating environmental degradation at the landscape scale has gained significant recognition in ongoing global and regional policy debates. This is exemplified by policy initiatives promoting forest and landscape restoration of large tracts of land extending over millions of hectares. Such initiatives at the global level include the Bonn Challenge and New York Declaration established in 2011 and 2014, respectively as well as the regional processes such as the Africa 100 and Latin America 20x20 landscape restoration initiatives. In this context, the global policy debate on forest and landscape restoration is largely dominated by commitments of governments to work towards restoration with emphasis on extent of area to be restored. Although this political momentum is important, there is still a lack of clarity of what is needed - in a local context - to implement forest and landscape restoration for achieving a desired impact. It also seems that more substantive input is required for informed decision-making, particularly with regard to the necessary changes to ongoing land management practices affecting local stakeholders, institutions, governance approaches, technology choices, and investments.


OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP

Science-society interactions in general and science-policy interactions in particular for providing available scientific knowledge generated by the research community can contribute to increase awareness of and understanding for appropriate policy and governance approaches, and technical and managerial solutions needed for effective forest and landscape restoration. This workshop, therefore, discussed ways and means of transforming scientific knowledge into useful information for policy and management decisions on the ground. More specifically, the workshop aimed at the following specific objectives:

•    Provide concepts and methods to researchers and practitioners on how research results can be transformed into usable information for problem-solving and policy-making;
•    Discuss forest and landscape restoration as an approach for reversing land degradation and achieving defined social, environmental and economic objectives; and
•    Present case studies from around the world that demonstrate how past and ongoing landscape restoration activities can contribute to enhancing benefits to society including e.g. in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation, water governance and poverty alleviation.

Overall, the workshop served as an opportunity for participants to share experiences on disseminating forest landscape restoration related scientific knowledge and learn more about effective methods and tools to deliver substantive information for policy making and on the ground landscape restoration.


WHO WAS TO PARTICIPATE?

Early and mid-career scientists, working in forest and tree-related research from developing countries in African, Asia, or Latin America and the Caribbean region and with an approved sponsorship for the IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany through SPDC’s Scientist Assistance Program were encouraged to participate in this training.