There is a disconnect between environmental research and public understanding. Environmental visual communication fills that gap. We, a group of 14 environmental communication students, are speaking at the Latornell Conservation Symposium in Alliston, ON to teach professionals in the environmental field the importance of visual storytelling. We have the skills and drive. We need your help to get to the conference to convince professionals to fund this work. Give us jobs; we’ll give you change
Let Us Introduce Ourselves
We come from varied backgrounds: philosophy, fine arts, film, business, tourism, environmental governance, zoology. But now we are all Environmental Visual Communication (EVC) students and we have one goal: to change the public conversation about the environment.
For 7 months we meet at the Royal Ontario Museum to hone our technical savvy and creative visions. We learn how to build a bridge between you and your audience by merging arts with science. We use photography, videography, design, and social media to tell compelling stories about our natural world. We are working towards a graduate certificate from Fleming College’s School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, but what we really want is change. We want to change how the public values science, and how science values storytelling.
We are nearing the end of our program and are about to enter the professional world. While we are confident that we have unique skills to offer, we also know that jobs in visual communication are few and far between. We believe in the power of storytelling and we want to convince professionals in the environmental field that hiring visual communicators will greatly help them to engage the public with their message.
This is why we are speaking at the Latornell Conservation Symposium – to help professionals understand what environmental visual communication is and why they need it and us. We won’t beat around the bush. We want jobs. That is what it comes down to. And we are campaigning to help get us there.
What We Need & What You Get
Our goal is to raise $3500. This will help to cover our conference registration fees, accommodations, equipment rentals, and any miscellaneous costs such as travel and printing.
By donating, you are funding change-makers and storytellers. Besides the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from doing something good for the world, we are also offering some great and unique perks! These include one of a kind artwork by EVC students such as drawings and hand-made polymer clay charms.
We are also happy to offer some amazing perks from the Royal Ontario Museum including a One Year Family Membership and a Behind-the-Scenes Experience for two people.
And finally, we are excited to be able to offer our skills! For an amazing price, you can get an EVC student to photograph your event. We guarantee you’ll end up with some awesome, professional quality photographs.
The Impact
Humans have always connected through stories. It’s how we understand ourselves and the world around us, and how we build relationships with each other. Stories explain, communicate, teach, and at their most powerful, inspire.
The realms of art and science are often thought of as separate disciplines, but they’re really both about conveying knowledge and meaning. Science appeals to our minds, while stories appeal to our hearts. A beautiful photo will capture attention, but what is it saying? Will it create change and generate discussion? Will it leave a lasting impression? Marketing science leverages the compelling power of storytelling by using communication methods that connect the heart and mind. The tales we read as children instilled in us values like sharing, fairness, and perseverance, and the stories we tell today can inspire us all to value nature and science for the sake of our planet.
Our generation has many environmental issues to tackle; from protecting watersheds, to sustainable resource management, to conserving biodiversity; and the more people that can be encouraged to support these efforts, the more effective they will be. We want professionals in the environmental sector to value storytelling, because storytelling will add value to the important things that they do, and make them matter to a greater audience. The gap that exists between science and the public needs to be addressed. The world needs science, and science needs us.
We hope that everyone will contribute to our campaign, but if you aren’t in the position to donate, please help out by sharing our page on your social media sites. We appreciate every dollar raised and every share posted!
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @eviscomm #change4eviscomm