By Kati Moore, MEM ‘16

DURHAM, N.C. -- On November 20 and 21, the student group Duke SNAP (Stories for Nature and People) will host its second annual Fall Symposium. The two-day event will engage participants in photography and videography for environmental conservation and will feature talks, a film screening, and a hands-on workshop.

The event begins with two talks on Friday afternoon in Love Auditorium. Jory Weintraub and Abby Olena will speak at 5 p.m. about how to tackle sensitive topics in science communication. Weintraub is the science communication program director and a senior lecturing fellow with the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, where Olena is a postdoctoral fellow.

At 6 p.m., photojournalist and documentary photographer Jason Houston will speak about making a career in conservation photography. Houston focuses his work on the intersection of conservation, community, and culture and is a fellow in the International League of Conservation Photographers.

After a reception at 7 p.m. in Science Hall, there will be an exclusive screening at 8 p.m. of “Red Wolf Revival,” a documentary about the re-introduction of the endangered red wolf in eastern North Carolina by Nestbox Collective. Watch a trailer for the film here. A panel of four wildlife management professionals and Roshan Patel, producer and director of “Red Wolf Revival,” will lead a discussion following the film.

The Friday talks and screening are free and open to the public.

On Saturday, Houston will lead a photography workshop in Duke Forest starting at 9 a.m. Participants will document various facets of the forest, including volunteers who help maintain it and researchers who have study sites around the property.

The photos and videos collected during the workshop will become part of a new exhibition in Environment Hall celebrating Duke Forest’s 85th anniversary in 2016. No experience is necessary, and cameras will be provided. Participants are also welcome to bring their own equipment. Registration is required by Nov. 18 and can be completed here.

“One goal of this symposium is to get people excited about science communication,” said Ryan Huang, who leads SNAP with fellow Nicholas School PhD students Wout Salenbien and Binbin Li. “We want to show how multiple forms of media – film, photos, talks – can contribute to a better understanding of science.”

Funding for the symposium comes from the Nicholas School Student Council with support from the Duke Graduate and Professional Student Council and Nestbox Collective.

SNAP aims to promote science communication through a variety of mediums by hosting workshops, training sessions, and presentations for Nicholas School students wishing to improve their storytelling skills. Learn more about the group here.
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