July 2022 Director’s Corner

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss

The June CRC Roundtable webinar was live from the Chesapeake Community Research Symposium, a new and exciting challenge for us! Our panelists were speakers and session chairs attending the Symposium and we had both in-person and virtual audiences, creating quite the environment for discussion. Thank you to all who were part of our continued exploration of convening.

Participatory community science is a fitting topic for a time when unnecessary divisions between those with a voice and those without have never been starker. I have long admired the field of astronomy where the significance of scientific contributions, whether by volunteers or professionals, are viewed simply as valuable contributions – one no less than the other. It is obvious that we need all hands and minds to shape the future that we want for ourselves and this profound natural resource, from scientists in both the professional and community contexts. For scientists, participatory science represents a powerful dimension of inclusivity that we can play a role in. For policy-makers, it represents an opportunity for stewardship by all. For the Bay and its watershed, it is a way to resolve some of the critical uncertainties in restoration. Engaging diverse community members around the Bay and its watershed is not a theoretical way to make a big difference in the restoration efforts, it is the critical variable in the equation.

Our June speakers represented two programs that highlight the best dimensions of participatory science: its potential as a source of data that changes policy, as a critical educational experience for the next generation of Bay professionals, and as a powerful engagement tool.