It’s back to work for ten Metcalf Institute Fellows after a busy, productive week at the 17th Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists. The journalists spent six days learning the fundamentals of scientific research from top scientists at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography in the field, lab, classroom, and lecture hall.
The immersion experience took Fellows to Narragansett Bay to observe a local community’s response to shoreline change, aboard a research vessel to see, first-hand, how researchers monitor fisheries, into a salt marsh to witness restoration efforts, onto a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research pier to sample water for marine pollutants, and into laboratories to gain a better understanding of the scientific process.
The Metcalf Fellows left Rhode Island with new friends and sources, eager to put their new science knowledge to work.
“I will go back to the office with lots of story ideas,” said Emily Yehle, reporter with Environment & Energy Publishing. “Now I know who I should be calling when I’m reporting on certain stories, and what questions I should be asking so that I’ll have a better informed story in the end.”
“This week has really been eye-opening for me, from the field trips to the salt marsh to the fish trawl, where I got to see scientists conduct their work,” said Jacqueline Ronson, freelance science and environment reporter formerly with Yukon News.
“The workshop taught me how to read scientific journals and gave me a better understanding of how scientists think,” said Annalyn Ardona, segment producer with GMA Network for the Philippines’ only environmentally themed television show. “I’d like to thank all of the donors [who support] Metcalf Institute. You’re helping journalists, not just from the U.S., but from developing countries who really need this type of training to better report on environmental issues happening in the world.”
During each day of the Workshop, Fellows also joined packed audiences at Metcalf Institute’s Annual Public Lecture Series. This year’s lecture series explored a range of environmental issues including societal impacts of climate change, water quality, and ocean health and resiliency.
One of the most memorable lectures was delivered by Metcalf Institute alumna and executive producer of iSeeChange, Julia Kumari Drapkin, who shared her cutting-edge journalism model for engaging audiences in science and environmental change. She began her talk with a heartfelt reflection on her Metcalf roots.
“It’s such an honor to be back here at Metcalf, where my work as a climate reporter started,” said Drapkin. “I’ve often joked that all roads lead to Metcalf, but this was a very specific moment that changed my life, and I’m just overcome with emotion just thinking about it.”
As the 2015 Fellows, Metcalf’s newest alumni, resume their beats armed with a deeper understanding of science, look for their stories in the coming months on Metcalf’s Alumni Reporting page.
Photo credits: Gretchen Ertl