Jessica B. Turner-Skoff, Ph.D. | Associate Director, Science Communications at Longwood Gardens | February 15, 6 p.m. E.T. | Location: Zoom Meeting (registration required)| Telling the story of plants… and telling that story well

Description of Presentation: As the backbone of the terrestrial ecosystem, plants are essential for life on earth. From the air we breathe to the food we eat, to the medicine we take, plants deserve recognition for how important they are. However, now more than ever, we need to be protecting and growing plants for a resilient future. Botanic gardens can address the plant extinction crisis. An important component of conserving plants is sharing the story of plants. Science communication, as a field, relies on storytelling, evaluation, and authenticity. Learn about this field, and how to harness the power of effective science communication to motivate people to action. If we want to save the world, we need to be telling the story of plants compellingly and engagingly.

Speaker Bio: During her doctoral research in the tundra of Alaska and the wilds of Appalachia, Jessica discovered that her life’s calling was to tell the story of science and plants. Jessica is an internationally recognized, award-winning science communicator who is professionally trained as a conservation biologist. At the end of 2023, Jessica joined the Longwood Gardens team as an Associate Director, Science Communications. She came to Longwood after making significant contributions in a science communication role at The Morton Arboretum (Outside Chicago, IL) for almost 8 years. Before that, she was a science communication fellow for three years at Phipps Conservatory (Pittsburgh, PA). She is as passionate about people as she is about plants, and one of her core beliefs is that botanical gardens are a solution to the plant extinction crisis.

Jessica has taught science communication at the collegiate level and to professionals alike. 

Jessica is an Editorial Advisor of the Journal Plants, People, Planet. She previously served as an Advisory Council Member of Seed Your Future and as a Trustee for The Chicago Council on Science and Technology. She was the 2020 Emerging Horticulture Professional from the American Horticultural Society, and a Chanticleer Scholar in 2022. 

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