There are many different forms of education and just as many different ways to categorize different forms of education. We have chosen a fairly simplistic three category scheme; formal education, self-guided education and public education. What we mean by formal education is the education provided through schools and universities. This form of education has historically been with students and teachers in classrooms.

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There are three things that the community needs to be able to say collectively in order to successfully confront an environmental challenge. The community needs to be able to say "We care" about a specific environmental issue, which comes from the heart. The community also needs to be able to "We know" what the right thing to do would be, which comes from the head. Finally, the community needs to be able to say "We can", referring to their ability to institute the appropriate actions.

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Two of Peter Oliver’s favorite words were ‘ praxis ’ and ‘ phronesis ’. These Greek terms were part of the vocabulary of the ancient Greek philosophers and used by Aristotle to describe practical wisdom (phronesis) and thoughtful, practical doing (praxis). They were used within a broader vocabulary to describe various elements of learning and knowledge.

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We all have a stake in sustaining functional ecosystems … When ecologists and economists began talking about ecosystem services in the 1990s it was to make a stronger argument for restoring and preserving natural systems. The idea that nature provides the life-support system of the planet, cleaning and recycling the air and water and providing us with food and raw materials, motivated the environmental activists of the 1960s and 70s.

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'Having fun' refers to enjoying the journey of an environmental campaign. Environmental issues are typically serious business and people burn out by being serious all the time. Having fun conjures up images of smiles and chuckles. Having fun warms the heart, and makes the experience more memorable. Having fun can inspire people and make them want to do more. We need to employ an 'eco-psychology' to be more effective, with a self evaluation: Did I enjoy myself? Would I want to do more?

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This blog is the first part to a two-part series of ten recommendations for effectively communicating science. Listed are five recommendations to effectively communicate science to your audience. Recommendation 1. Communicate science unto others as you would have them communicate unto you … Probably everyone who has attended school has been subjected to some really BAD science teaching.

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The original “seven wonders of the world” were manmade structures, often in iconic settings. The impact of seeing these manmade creations was what made them the wonders. Similarly, the seven natural wonders of the world are focused on the iconic settings that impact those viewing them. These natural wonders are both physical and biological, united in their ability to create lasting memories in those who view them.

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The Ecological Society of America (ESA) organized two simultaneous workshops for a) senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students in ecology and b) early career academic ecologists for a one-week training workshop during the week of 2-7 June 2013. The workshops were based at the Maritime Institute in Baltimore, Maryland and the National Science Foundation provided financial support.

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On 4 June 2013, I joined a panel on the National Public Radio's Diane Rehm Show at the WAMU studio in Washington, D.C. to talk about jellyfish. Diane had Lisa-Ann Gershwin, a jellyfish taxonomist who wrote the book "Stung: On jellyfish blooms and the future of the oceans" on the show. Jack Cover, general curator at the National Aquarium in Baltimore who collects jellyfish from Chesapeake Bay to display in the Aquarium, was also on the panel.

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The Sea Around Us, Rachel Carson … In seventh grade in Ohio, in the heartland of America and without ever actually seeing the ocean, I read Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us. I had become very enamored in everything to do with water, but my experience was confined to freshwater in the streams, rivers and lakes of Ohio, Michigan and Canada.

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