The role of interpretation in achieving a sustainable future

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 increasingly informs ecology it is essential for it not only to communicate the facts and current theories, but to promote understanding of resource management as a dynamic process with a continuing need for monitoring, assessment and research.