Carter Weinhofer

Science communication, in my opinion, will be one of the most important crafts as we go into the coming decades. From my perspective, science communication is more of a process than it is a definitive solution. When thinking about questions like “what is science communication” or “how do we effectively communicate science,” it can be overwhelming for many because people think there needs to be some sort of perfect, all-solving answer. In reality, effective science communication is a practice that is becoming increasingly important. Right now, we are living in an era in which themes of distrust, conflicting opinions (mostly political), and misinformation are abundant. 

Therefore, I think the goal and importance of science communication is to bridge the gap between “science” and the public. This also includes making scientific data and findings more accessible to everyone. While there are some accessibility issues with news and media agencies, I see journalism as a powerful tool in “bridging the gap” between science and the public. A lot of people read the news, or at least skim it as they are scrolling past things on social media. News prides itself on being concise, to the point and factual. This is, in my opinion, one of the most important factors in effective science communication. Making scientific findings digestible and easy to understand while also not losing people’s attention is very important.

My focus of science communication is much more environmental communication and journalism based. I want to go into the field of environmental journalism because I believe that communicators of environmental issues are one of the keys to bringing people together on the climate crisis. As I am graduating in just a couple months, I have been writing an overwhelming amount of cover letters. In one of them (applying to a Climate Editor position), I ended the letter with something that I think sums up why I want to be a science communicator: “Educating the public on the climate crisis and working together on the solutions is critical as we move into the future, and communication will be at the center of it all. I am ambitious to put myself in that epicenter and create meaningful change.” One of the major problems I see in society today, especially in the United States, is an extreme political polarization that tends to bleed into environmental issues, such as climate change. The truth is that climate change is happening – all the science is there to back it up. The process of science communication is important in this regard to do two things: know your audience and meet them where they are. It’s not enough to just put out a study that proves climate change. It’s the role of science communicators to now take that information and publish it in a variety of different ways so that audiences across a broad range can take that and digest it however best fits them. 

When I was growing up in the small town of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, there was never a weekend where I wasn’t doing something outside. Whether it was camping trips through Boy Scouts, some adventure with my dad, or simply fishing around the lake at my grandparents’ farm, I always wanted to be doing something outside. That being said, I did live in a small town in Pennsylvania. Another big reason for wanting to go to Eckerd College was that it was so far away from this town and the closed-minded perspectives I had gotten used to. With the exception of conversations with some family members, I really never heard about environmental conservation or environmental issues too frequently. Recycling wasn’t utilized or even talked about as important. We were far enough away from major fracking operations that we didn’t see that as a problem. Through appreciating nature by exploring and taking every chance I could to learn, I had to pave my own path of learning about the environment. 

This early connection with the environment really shaped my perspectives that I still hold today. The sense of appreciation for the environment and desire to advocate for conservation was instilled in me at a young age. These same feelings are one of the main drivers behind my passion for environmental communication. I truly believe that environmental communication is a necessity when talking about environmental conservation. It’s not enough to talk about the problems. In fact, it’s detrimental to only be talking about all the negative things. Effective environmental communication also gives hope when it's necessary – the public needs something to believe in. Seeing how there are so many different perspectives about science and the environment has really made me realize why science communication is such a necessity. My small Pennsylvania town isn’t necessarily red or blue, but they are definitely more closed off to the idea of environmental conservation and acceptance of science as a whole. Recently I also had the opportunity to study abroad in Chile, where I found very stratified viewpoints towards environmental conservation. The cities have little regard for sustainability meanwhile in the extreme south is one of the most untouched wilderness areas in the world. Science communication is important to me because we need to really start bringing people together through effective communication. 

Environmental communication wasn’t something I really ever considered when I started at Eckerd. Coming to Eckerd, it was definitely a shock (in a good way) to be around so many people who talked about environmentalism and who actually took it seriously. Like many first years at Eckerd, I had my heart set on marine science for a couple years prior. The marine science major was one of the main reasons I had come to Eckerd. But after a year of struggling to gain interest in lab work but enjoying being in the field and talking about my experiences, I realized that I was in the wrong major. Interestingly, the first time I had considered switching majors was at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While being isolated in the Outer Banks, NC with my dad, I realized that my interest in the two marine science courses (that were then virtual) had almost fully disappeared. I wanted to focus on the environment still and, at the same time, I had been connecting more with journalism. At this stage, I had actually thought about creating my own major at Eckerd and focusing on environmental journalism. But, through my mentor’s sound suggestion, I ended up switching to environmental studies – a much broader, interdisciplinary major. I also didn’t pick up my Spanish major until halfway through my sophomore year. After taking more classes within the discipline, I began to fall in love with the language and realize how useful being bilingual would be when considering a career in environmental communication. 

I was involved with journalism in high school, writing mostly for news and reviews at the time. When I first came to Eckerd, I didn’t think I would have the free time to join the student newspaper. After a gentle push from my mentor at the time, I decided to give it a shot. During the pandemic and weaving through the first couple weeks of being completely virtual, I became much more drawn to The Current not only because of the craft of journalism but also because of the team. Even after a pandemic had moved us all hundreds of miles away from each other, we were still able to come together as a team and produce some really great work. At that time, I was a Science Reporter ambitious to take on more responsibility. Within the year, I was hired as Managing Editor, which I worked for a year before being promoted to Editor-in-Chief. After my time as EIC came to an end, I transitioned into being Senior Editor. The role consists of managing the editorial board and helping the new EIC in any way necessary. Going from Managing Editor to EIC to Senior Editor has given me newsroom leadership skills that will be essential in an environmental communication career. 

After a little more than a year with The Current, I was recommended to a position with an organization called Planet Forward, a non-profit run out of George Washington University in D.C. I began as a Student Correspondent in August 2021. The connection to Planet Forward really began to shape me as an environmental journalist as it not only gave me access to their network but allowed me to push myself to write more compelling environmental journalism. The work that I was doing with The Current was great, but I definitely needed a push to write more complex environmental stories. In April 2022, I was chosen as a finalist for Planet Forward’s Storyfest Summit, for a piece I wrote called, “Fishing harbors community; development and climate change threaten it.” In this piece, I really pushed myself to combine a narrative lead and scientific research to create a compelling story that told of humans and their connection to a threatened environment. 

Though I didn’t end up winning in the end, I was just driven to push myself even further and to take on more impactful stories. As my time in the Editor-in-Chief role came to its natural end in December 2022, I was able to devote a lot more time into my stories for Planet Forward. This past year, I was promoted to Senior Correspondent and held to a higher standard of producing stories. My first story was focused on how small sustainable farming practices can make a difference in the larger issue of food insecurity, focused in St. Petersburg. Then, I tried a new form – a Q&A with a Community Scientist with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program talking about how the “Tarpon Tag” specialty license plate funds community environmental projects. For my third story, I was studying abroad in Chile and teaching myself photography, so I decided to embark on another new form – a photo essay focused on different “levels” of environmental conservation in Chile. Currently, I am working on my fourth and final story about how volunteer-driven construction of “oyster reef balls” are giving new life to the shorelines of Tampa Bay. Through these stories, I was able to effectively share inspiring stories about environmental change happening at small and large scales while also teaching myself new forms of communication. 

As I round out my senior year and last couple months as a college student, I don’t intend on moving onto graduate school just yet. My goal is to continue with environmental communication in whatever capacity that is. While I have been applying to some more “big swing” jobs as I like to call them, I’ve also been realistic in facing the fact that I may need to take an entry-level job for at least a year or two to gain some professional experience. No matter where I end up, I plan to continue to hone my skills, whether that’s freelance writing for organizations like Planet Forward to further develop my portfolio or even think about applying to the Digital Journalism Master’s program at the University of South Florida. My dream, though, is to grow into a role that would allow me to combine all three of my collegiate interests: environmental studies, journalism, and Spanish. I could see myself writing about environmental change in Spanish-speaking countries for magazines like National Geographic, but I could also see myself working for government organizations (or NGOs) to develop bilingual environmental communication strategies. 

Whatever direction I end up in, the education I received at Eckerd College has truly prepared me for a science communication role. The environmental studies discipline is one of the most interdisciplinary at the college. Taking classes like Environmental Economics and Fisheries Governance have given me the background necessary to understand some of the more complex ideas that may be behind important issues. Learning ArcGIS throughout an entire semester has equipped me with the ability to construct maps to convey information. Of course, the classes such as Environmental Communication, Science Communication & Public Engagement, Journalism, and Media Ethics have taught me how to write and communicate more effectively with an array of audiences. Going forward, I am ambitious to see where the next couple of years take me, and I am excited to be able to use these skills towards my desired career path.