Bridging the Gap: The Place of Storytelling in Conservation

by Heather Kerrison

​Conservation was the flint that sparked my passion. I have always loved animals and nature, which drove me to start a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology. I love science and its ability to seek out answers and solutions. However, something that began to strike me as I continued on my journey as a young scientist and a young conservationist was the sense that science could provide us so many answers, yet here the world was, still asking the same questions.

Then a phrase started to pop up: “the gap”. This referred to the gap between scientific knowledge and findings and the translation of that material to accessible information that then informs the public, informs policy and becomes a more “common” knowledge. Something else I have also always been overtly passionate about is written word, sharing and shared experiences. This is where conservation becomes action. I think that all conservationists should strive to become educators, to translate, to spread word and cultivate care.

​After becoming a species and environmental educator for the first time I realized how important it is to connect what science knows to what other people do not. To use the power of research to create a feeling, a driving force in our human nature. Social media can be an amazing tool to spread educational messages, invoke emotional response and gain traction. All educators are not conservationists, but I truly believe that all conservationists should strive to become educators, so that more people can be in the know. When we know better, we can be better. 

About the Author

Heather is passionate about environmental education and mitigating human-wildlife conflict. This is underpinned by a background in Zoology and a Masters of Environmental Studies, with experience working for non-profit organizations, wildlife rehabilitation centres and environmental education organizations. Through this work she has been able to be an environmental educator and to contribute widely to social media educational campaigns. In her spare time, she enjoys photographing birds and running in nature.