Energy for the Environment

Recently, I attended the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) Conference in Gainesville. It was an excellent conference with many interesting programs, speakers, and field trips. Through my experiences attending talks and learning from plant experts at the conference, I’ve compiled a list of lessons I learned that I’d like to share with anyone who wasn’t able to attend. Feel free to scroll through below!

• We need to classify, and then prioritize, conservation of species.
  • In Reed Noss’ opening talk to conference attendees, he emphasized the importance of a classification system in order to prioritize the conservation of species. There are so many species that need to be protected, but agencies and organizations are running on limited budgets and resources. Therefore, more research must be done on an effective classification system that allows scientists to understand which species to prioritize, based on their rarity or their importance to the ecosystem. For example, species in Florida that are endemic to Florida, meaning they are only found in Florida. These species should be prioritized in conservation funding and efforts, and they need to be protected from dangerous habitat loss. 
• We need to get to a point of control over invasive species, not eradication.
  • Eradication of invasive species would be ideal, but the reality is that eradication is not possible. This is shown in the invasion curve.
  • There is a very small window for eradication, and so control/containment is what conservation efforts and government agencies are focusing on attaining.
• Creating social change and involving new audiences in plant conservation requires communication strategies based in values and research, with a clear call to action.
  • Angela Bradbery’s enlightening talk on effective science communication brought up several things I had never considered, and her information provided a science and research backed method to get people to listen to what you say. For example, all public information/awareness campaigns should be rooted in people’s values. These values could be saving money, giving back to the community, or fitting in with societal norms/standards. In order to get people to pay attention and enact real changes, the messages and taglines need to be values-based. Finally, raising awareness on environmental issues is not effective without a call to action (something that you tell people to do). Citizens reading the public ad campaigns may be intrigued by the prospect of helping the community, but they need a clear and simple directive on how they can help. Using Bradbery’s tactics, based in research and values, can help us make our community a better place. 
• Getting involved & having a voice in legislation is easier than you think.
  • When speaking to other conference attendees at evening socials or throughout the day, a common thread of conversation is how civilians can respond to state legislation involving the environment and native plants. The Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) sends out action alerts to encourage members to take action against state legislation that threatens native plants and their habitats. I discussed with members about what they were doing in response to these action alerts, and I heard several helpful tips. First of all, you can directly call up your senator’s office. This was surprising to me; many state legislators seem so inaccessible. However, speaking to a representative’s office or leaving a message is an easy way to make a difference. Another cool tip– there are apps that give you an exact script of what to say in response to legislation that would threaten native plants. If you get nervous or flustered on phone calls, this is a perfect solution for you. Overall, many civilians and community members are very involved in state legislation and play a key role in protecting native plants this way. In the future, I encourage you to do the same– getting involved is easier than you think!

Thank you for reading!

I also posted this on my other website (https://studentsagainstinvasivespecies.org). Feel free to check out my Instagram (@studentsagainstinvasivespecies) for more information.