COMMUNICATING OUR SCIENCE AS A GEOLOGIC NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST

All sciences should actively reach out to the general public. Sadly, this has never been done well enough, despite a clear need. Few, if any sciences, are as well positioned to do so as is geology. Our field commands an enormous fascination among the public, especially if it is presented in an appealing fashion. Furthermore, our science, unlike most others, is local in nature. Each region, each neighborhood has its own specific geological heritage. All of us are familiar with our community’s geological landscape; we routinely pass by numerous geological sites: outcrops, landscape features, and geological terranes. In short, we know our home geology. This is the grist of popularizing geology.

We are thus well positioned to communicate directly to the general public through local publications: newspapers and regional magazines. The author, over the past 20 years, has been publishing regular geology columns. He is currently featured in five regional newspapers and one magazine, publishing under the rubric of “the Catskill geologist.” It is herein argued that this provides a model for the whole country. There is no reason that scores or even hundreds could not follow this path. The communication of our science to our culture would be enormous.

The geology columnist brings to his local community an awareness of its geological history through descriptions of area outcrops and geological features in periodic columns. Well written, this can generate and sustain a great deal of interest and understanding. All of us, in the field, know how interesting our local geological heritage is. The public shares this fascination and responds very well to its local publication.

Over a period of time the geology columnist can integrate himself or herself into the local community. Such a person frequently becomes the guest speaker at meetings of various civic groups. They are invited to lead field trips and sometimes even appear on local radio and television stations. The author routinely works with a host of area groups: conservation societies, preservation societies, historical societies, hiking clubs, mineral collecting groups, and so on. All are enormously receptive to learning their local geological histories.

The fostering of similar efforts is a viable, achievable goal for our profession.