Environmental And Biodiversity Workshops | Understanding Public Engagement with Science

Led by Yael Miara

Environmental Science Communication Workshop, July 2026, Yael Miara

Scientists in environmental fields often struggle to engage the public with their research because it is complex and highly-technical. However, science may hold answers to some of the biggest climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss challenges, making science communication a necessary skill for today's environmental scientist. The first-ever Environmental Science Communication Workshop was held this summer at the Hebrew University's Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Over 20 participants attended the hands-on three-day workshop, gaining theoretical knowledge, skills and practical techniques for communicating environmental science to the public.
All participants presented their own 3-minute "TED-talks" on their research, honing their skills and implementing the tips and tricks they learned during the workshop.

Biodiversity Through Shared Dialogue: Linking Scientists, Stakeholders, and Policymakers (Workshop, World Biodiversity Forum, June 2026) Yael Lehnardt, Yael Miara

Why is it so difficult to talk to policymakers and stakeholders about biodiversity?

Despite biodiversity loss being one of the three largest environmental challenges humanity faces today, there is relatively little guidance on how to talk about biodiversity-related science with non-scientific audiences. As a result, scientists struggle to explain why biodiversity is relevant to everyday lives and why biodiversity should be taken into account when enacting policy.

Following their own experience and studies, Yael Lehnardt and Yael Miara decided to put together a one-of-a-kind workshop to share their recommendations for communicating about biodiversity and to enable participants to share their perspectives.

During the 90-minute hands-on workshop, participants discussed their own challenges, attempted to define biodiversity for a non-scientific audience, and then learned practical strategies for communicating about biodiversity.

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Biodiversity and Conservation Policy Communication Workshop, June 2026, Victoria Yael Miara and and Yael Lehnardt

Biodiversity and Conservation Policy Communication Workshop: Challenges and Solutions in Communicating Biodiversity in Policy Settings hosted by Victoria Yael Miara and Yael Lehnardt at the18th Biennial Conference on Communication and Environment (June, online).

Link to recording.