From the desk of the world's leading amphibian conservation organization, SAVE THE FROGS!, are proven and instant ways to improve your communication in marketing, sales, fundraising, and journalism to increase your environmental project's impact and funding. Designed for the scientist writing for the public and popular media.
8. Fun fact: sensory exploitation
โข Find preferences of audience, fine tune your song
Measure of success
9. #1 conservation priority, ranked
by the average American
โข SAFETY AND HEALTH:
natural disaster,
drinking,
fitness,
recreation
You've been drinking Atrazine - now help
get it banned
10. Don't
Terms not to use:
Landscape
Ecosystem services
Global warming
Green jobs
11. Do
โข Remain optimistic
โข Local politiciansโ positions
โข Seek federal support
โข Rural life
โข Recreational
โข Historic value
13. Connecting your audience
โข Testimonials
& social proof
โข Emotion
โข Photos
"I really appreciate everything
you do to raise awareness and
protect our amphibian
populations!"
โ Mr. Froggie, Sacramento, CA
IUCN Amphibian Specialist
20. Connect paragraphs
As we begin to reshape the dry wetland we
find a nonnative bullfrog hibernating.
Finding a bullfrog is a sure sign that when
the wetland is full of water, it will support
native frogs.
22. Headlines
โข Bait
โข The Effects of Kernel Feeding by Halyomorpha
halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on
Commercial Hazelnuts. ๏ Four Ways Stink
Bugs Will Shrivel Your Nuts.
https://entomologytoday.org/2014/11/25/5-ways-to-improve-your-science-writing/
26. Section headers
โข History of the deadly fungus
โข Infectious spread of chytrid
โข Tropics in threat
โข Species on the verge
of extinction
27. Photo Captions
โข John shows Ted a
bullfrog
BAD
GOOD
โข In Amphibian
Conservation 101 at
the Elementary of
Nepal, students John
Smith and Ted Rose
learn about a deadly
chytrid fungus killing
frogs, like this Indian
bullfrog
(Hoplobatrachus
tigerinus), found in
our area.
28. Don't be such a scientist
โข Academic/technical journals โ writing for
popular media
29. 2 ways to make someone think
you're smart
โข Confuse them with big words
โข Or, teach them, and add value to their lives
30. Facts
โข Donโt list
โข โThe bullfrog is native to the eastern U.S. The
bullfrog measures between six- to 12-inches long.
Bullfrogs mate in the spring. They lay 1,000 eggs
per clutch.โ
โข Every spring, a female bullfrog will hop from her
burrow and lay around 1,000 eggs at a time. Her
large size enables her to lay many eggs.
31. No jargon
โข Jargon: words used inside social or work
circles, not known outside
โข Clutch: mass of eggs laid at once
32. Too many words
โข Mechanism of reproductive behavior๏
reproduction
โข Rates of speed ๏ speed
โข โBrain injury incidence shows two peak
periods in almost all reports: rates are the
highest in young people and the elderly.โ
More punch๏ โBrain injury incidence peaks in
the young and the elderly.โ
33. Reputation
โข โThis is academic writing at its finest: boring,
unreadable, written to obscure rather than to
inform!โ โStanford Writing Course
โข Be inclusive, donโt isolate
34. What makes a good writer?
โข Having a new perspective
โข Logical and clear thinking
โข A few simple, learnable rules of style
Stanford Universityโs Science Writing
35. Advocacy
โข "In science, the credit
goes to the man who
convinces the world, not
to the man to whom the
idea first occurs."
--Sir William Osler
39. Species names
โข Common names: American bullfrog
โข Kingdom down to family: Ranidae
โข Latin names: Lithobates catesbeianus,
or L. catesbeianus
โข AmphibiaWeb
40. Organization names
โข SAVE THE FROGS!
not Save the Frogs
or Save The Frogs
But, Save The Frogs Day
not SAVE THE FROGS! Day
41. Quotes
โข Outside punctuation
BAD
โFrogs are cool. I hope they donโt go extinctโ,
said Margot.
โข GOOD
โFrogs are cool,โ Margot said, โI hope they donโt
go extinct.โ
42. Numbers
โข Spell out units
โข Zero through nine,
number 10 +
โข among vs. between
โข less vs. fewer
โข more than vs. over
โข 1980s not 1980โs
49. Use an editor
โข Friends, Family
โข I am always happy to give advice
emily@savethefrogs.com
50. Become a SAVE THE FROGS!
Contributor
โข Receive personal edits of your work
โข Reach a lot of environmentalists
โข Receive a writing guide
โข If youโre interested,
send me an email!
emily@savethefrogs
51. Additional Resources
โข The Best American Science and Nature Writing
โข A Field Guide for Science Writers
โข Join National Association of Science Writers or follow email forums
โข Tips for writing an Op/Ed by David Jarmul for Dukeโs Office of News
and Communications
โข Using Social Media to Promote Environmental Action
โข For a good example of science writing, read Ed Yongโs blog
โข Stanfordโs Science Writing course slides
โข Gail Perry e-newsletter for fundraising tips
โข Copyblogger e-newsletter for copywriting tips
โข National Geographic Style Guide
โข Pitch story to helpareporter.com
52. EDIT IN ACTION
โข https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/bir
aj/154fd1ce7cea8181?projector=1
53. Homework
โข Spend 15 minutes looking through Nature Conservancyโs Language
of Conservation memo. Results of survey of average U.S.
conservation priorities.
โข Spend 15 minutes reading Ghana Expedition summary as example
of environmental communication
โข Spend 30 minutes looking these SAVE THE FROGS! magazine issues
and find three articles that catch your eye. For 30 minutes, a brief
report (<1 page) about 3 things: 1) Why you picked that article, 2)
what effectively communicated the SAVE THE FROGS! mission to a
particular audience, and 3) what didnโt.
โข Keep in mind: audience, mission, reader motivation, headlines,
layout. Bonus points if you find typos! Every publication has them!
โข Watch this effective advocacy and tabling video and come to next
weekโs meeting with any comments or questions