SageWest/Storyteller's Circle Collaborative Workshop
In 2024, the Intermountain West Joint Venture, the Center for Collaborative Conservation, and Audubon Rockies offered conservation communicators an opportunity for place-based professional development and networking. A three-day workshop at Wyoming’s Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge focused on effective storytelling around habitat conservation efforts (in this case, sagebrush rangelands) by providing continued learning through topic-based sessions and guest speaker presentations. The agenda also left space for participants to network and build relationships, share resources and ideas, and foster communications coordination among agencies and conservation groups. Of note, given the focus of this workshop and its location, a portion of the funding dedicated to advancing the SageWest network was used to support this event.
Over the three-day workshop, guest speakers led sessions designed to help conservation communications professionals improve their craft. Sessions included:
A Framework for Behavior Change
Kate Mannle/Director of Training Programs at Rare, Center for Behavior & the Environment (BE Center)
To solve many of our most pressing environmental challenges, people must start behaving differently. Behavioral science can be used in communications to help create more effective and impactful messages/approaches. Kate shared Rare’s framework, which uses scientific insights to inspire behavior changes.
Covering Sagebrush Country in the Mass Media
Katie Klingsporn/Journalist, writer, editor at WyoFile
Katie shared her experiences covering sagebrush country in the mass media/connecting outdoor recreators with conservation issues impacting sagebrush country (primarily from the written perspective). She also talked about how communications professionals can work with journalists to cover habitat conservation issues and projects.
Centering Humans in Environmental Stories & Audio Storytelling
Luke Runyon/Journalist focused on water and climate change in the West, co-director of the Water Desk
Luke gave two talks to our group. The first focused on how to make humans compelling characters in stories about natural resources, as well as interviewing tips. The second, shorter talk dove into the nitty gritty of producing audio stories/podcasts (how to use a microphone, editing software, etc.)
Visual Storytelling through Multimedia
Evan Barrientos/Senior Communications Manager for Audubon Rockies
Evan led a nature/photography walk for workshop participants on the refuge one morning, before giving a talk about using multimedia storytelling to connect people to landscapes they might not have access to but need to care about.
Connecting People with Public Lands through Music
Betsy Mortenson, Harrison Goodale, and Nicole Reese/ Collaborators through Sustain Music and Nature
Together through their very diverse careers, these presenters shared the lessons learned on partnership building and connecting people with public lands through music.
Sustaining Dialogue & Relationships
Jordan Dresser shared his experiences as an award-winning documentary filmmaker (Who She Is, What Was Ours), in building and maintaining relationships in a way that turns communications into sustained and durable action, not simply individual communication products.
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