Where Language, Communication, and Aquatic Invasive Species Management Meet
Invasive species in our lakes and rivers are often a result of human behavior. 
People accidentally and intentionally move species around and introduce them into new habitats, where they may cause both environmental and economic harm. Luckily, with thoughtful education, human behavior can be changed and the impacts of invasive species reduced. What if, though, the language invasive species managers use isn’t having the intended effect? What if the language backfires and perhaps hinders efforts to reduce environmental damage?
Join Tim Campbell, aquatic invasive species specialist for Wisconsin Sea Grant, to learn more about how we talk about invasive species and how the different message frames we use can impact effectiveness of efforts to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species. This work features interdisciplinary approaches and blends social and natural sciences to improve natural resource management.
Featured Scientist
Tim Campbell, Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager, Wisconsin Sea Grant. Learn more about Tim and his work. Here is a link to his research products.
When April 2, 2025, 11:00 to 12:00 Central Time
Target audience Middle school students and up and their educators
Please pre-register for Zoom-based event.
Suggested Pre Webinar Activities
Think about a single situation that you have heard described multiple different ways. For example, maybe you heard a news story that interviewed one person involved in a situation, while another news story described the situation with a photo mosaic. Or maybe you read a story about a historical event and read another story written about the same event, but by a different author. Or perhaps one of your friends told you one thing about a situation, but another friend emphasized another aspect of the situation when they told you what they thought was going on. Did you think about that situation differently based on how it was described? Did certain descriptions emphasize certain things? What was your reaction to these different descriptions?
Listen to the “Story of starry” episode 22 of the Introduced Podcast released by Wisconsin Sea Grant on February 7th, 2025.
Suggested Post Webinar Activity
Complete one or more activities described within the Aquatic Invaders Attack Pack a grab-and-go teaching tool. In Wisconsin, the kit is available for free loan from the Wisconsin Water Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For other Great Lakes, contact your Center for Great Lakes Literacy representative to inquire about access to the Aquatic Invaders Attack Pack.
Reference Material
Alien Language: Reflections on the Rhetoric of Invasion Biology (El Lower and Tim Campbell)
Assessment of online search terms associated with aquatic invasive species and plant management: Implications for education and outreach (Luke Huffman, Tim Campbell, Bret Shaw, Gavin Dehnert)
Testing Emphasis Message Frames and Metaphors on Social Media to Engage Boaters to Learn about Preventing the Spread of Zebra Mussels (Bret Shaw, Tim Campbell, Barry Radler)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Invasive Species: Working with Residents and Partners to Slow the Spread
Don’t forget to pre-register for this Zoom-based event.
