Twitter as a tool for conservation education and outreach: What scientific conferences can do to promote live-tweeting

Abstract

If more conservation-minded citizens were aware of certain environmental threats and how to resolve them, these issues could be resolved more effectively. Scientific conferences focusing on conservation bring together countless experts on environmental problems and solutions, but are not an effective means of reaching the interested public on a large scale. This paper discusses the use of twitter to share important conservation information from scientific conferences with the interested public. The basic usage of twitter is explained, and strategies to promote live-tweeting of scientific conferences are introduced. A case study (the 2011 International Congress for Conservation Biology) is discussed. If used properly, twitter and other social media technology can be a powerful tool for conservation education and outreach from scientific conferences. © 2012 AESS.