News & Media

Connectivity is a complex social and ecological challenge. We know that engaging new allies and audiences in reconnecting our landscapes for wildlife, people and ecosystems is essential to short- term wins and long-term success. From planning to design to governance, we need new materials, new methods and new thinking to bridge gaps, crossroads and reconnect habitats. This begins with a compelling story that takes us from science to design to implementation and action.

So how do we tell effective, engaging, and compelling stories of connectivity — from the site to the landscape of Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y), from crossing structures to political will, from scientists to the public? During the Visualizing Connectivity CoLab, participants were asked to brainstorm, blue sky, dive in, and do it!

21 participants were divided into 3 working teams, balanced in the range of expertise represented on each team, including, but not limited to: communications, engineering, ecology, planning policy, landscape architecture, road ecology and community engagement.

The objectives of this work were to highlight wildlife infrastructure as a critical strategy for connecting protected areas and to develop communications materials that support federal investment in the implementation of green infrastructure projects.

The results of the Visualizing Connectivity CoLab have been compiled into a downloadable document, which summarizes the key considerations into overarching themes for visualization and communication strategies, developed by each group. Participants were encouraged to put pen to paper through sketching, drawing and visualizing ideas that emerged through discussion. Both the final summary and final presentation slide deck are available for download below.