We attended the Connecting the Dots conference in Bodø, Norway, hosted by the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic program. The conference allowed us to present the results of the project so far, and to connect with other institutions working with international collaboration in Northern regions.
Together with our project partners University of Lapland (Finland) and Youth for Arctic Nature (Iceland), we represented the CAP-SHARE project at the conference. The CAP-SHARE project (2024-2027) aims to build bridges between northern communities, scientists, policymakers to realize the full potential of the area’s existing capacity. The project centers youth and their relationships to biodiversity, through creating opportunities to engage with both academic and traditional knowledge.
Science communication and northern communities
Since the project started last year, the CAP-SHARE partnership has hosted multiple digital international workshops about capacity sharing, and are planning to facilitate further activities involving youth. For Arctic Frontiers, this means sharing the experience we’ve had with organizing the Science for Schools program together with Nordnorsk Vitensenter over the years. Science for schools aims to inspire the next generation of Arctic researchers, and promote understanding of Arctic research in the general population through youth engagement.
A takeaway from the project so far is that scientists need proper training and support to effectively share knowledge about biodiversity with youth. Young people from different backgrounds and age groups need information that matches their level of understanding and life experiences. Too often, individual scientists are left to figure out how to adapt their message for different audiences. Providing training in communication, along with dedicated time and resources for outreach, can help close the gap between researchers and northern communities.
Connecting the global and the local
Another aspect we highlighted from the project is the importance of storytelling. Storytelling creates empathy and enables the involved to put themselves in each other shoes. Northern communities have rich storytelling traditions, which are continuously built upon and developed. Elements of storytelling can be utilized by everyone to build bridges – be it researchers, activists, community members or policymakers. Stories have the potential to create stronger relationships with biodiversity across time and space and bridge different perspectives and viewpoints in society.
The audience asked questions creating a discussion about how to involve youth in biodiversity work and decisions in a way that is empowering and encouraging despite the current grave threats to Arctic biodiversity and climate change. This is a difficult balance between being realistic about the current situation, while pointing to actionable resources and tools to create a change. The discussion also touched on the differences between youth in different areas, and the potential of citizen science to create long-term community involvement.
At the conference, CAP-SHARE was recognized with the Emerging Trends Award. The award acknowledges projects that spot new patterns, ideas, or practices shaping the future.
CAP-SHARE is led by the Icelandic Museum of Natural History, and the main project partners are University of Lapland and Arctic Frontiers.
