ABSTRACT

It has been suggested that there is limited value in science (which provides the

data upon which conservation is based) and management (which provides

the tools) without communication to share their respective insights and

directions (McCurdy, 1985). Past experience has shown us that many of the

answers to today’s environmental problems are far from clear, based as they

are on scientific prediction only after the accumulation of evidence and

therefore after significant impacts have already occurred. This is compounded

by scientists being notoriously poor at imparting information that is readily

understandable to the lay person and as such the message is often lost to the

community at large. As science informs ecology it is essential for it not only to

communicate the facts and current theories, but also to promote under-

standing of resource management as a dynamic process with a continuing

need for monitoring, assessment and research.