Species invasions are ranked among the topic global drivers of change to biodiversity and ecosystem services, with big economic costs. Communicating about introduced species and their impacts in ways that engage and empower audiences can be challenging but is necessary to enable informed decision making.

Public trust can be weakened if scientists, educators, or natural resource practitioners focus on value-laden, subjective language at the expense of objective facts when describing the impacts of invasive plants. Similarly, communication about introduced species can unintentionally lead to xenophobic attitudes toward nature and culture alike. These aspects of invasive species messaging have been largely overlooked, especially in museums, nature centers, and other institutions where public-facing messages have potential to influence local culture and opinions.

This webinar will present an overview of a recent, ongoing project at Carnegie Museum of Natural History on invasive plants and seek participant feedback and discussion on best practices for effectively and inclusively communicating about invasive plants to diverse audiences. This webinar will collaboratively explore the direction of this project, which will later culminate with outreach materials and an exhibit on plant invasion.

Click here for more information and to register.