Well-being and resilience, Podcasts & webinars (recordings)

Conversations and Connections: Tips for Navigating Conservation Post Election

We recently had an election in the US, and now have just started this new administration. For so many of us in the conservation & environmental space, this one was and is going to be TOUGH. I normally don’t talk about politics, but wildlife research, science, & conservation are HEAVILY intertwined.

Feb 15, 2025

Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler)

Wildlife Biologist and Science Communicator, Fancy Scientist LLC

Conversations and Connections: Tips for Navigating Conservation Post Election

Liked by Mary Jo and 1 other

Listen to the full episode here: https://stephanieschuttler.com/123-conversations-and-connections/

We recently had an election here in the United States, and now have just started this new administration. For so many of us out there, especially in the conservation and environmental space, this one was and is going to be TOUGH.

I normally don’t talk about politics on the Fancy Scientist podcast because I want to be as inclusive as possible and that STILL stands for today’s episode – you are welcome no matter how you voted. In fact, a big part of this week’s episode is about how to keep connections and conversations going with others in spite of huge political differences. The reality is that wildlife research, science, and conservation are HEAVILY dependent on politics; they are innately intertwined.

There are several goals I want to accomplish with this week’s podcast. First, I want to help others, like myself, who were deeply affected by the results of this election. I discuss why this election is so different from others, even from the 2016 election, and why it has affected people in such a heavy way. Sharing my personal experience, I offer tips on how I’m dealing that you can apply to your own life.

My next goal is to encourage, inspire, and hopefully motivate you to keep connections and the importance of doing so, as well as potentially having uncomfortable conversations. The core premise of this podcast and the mission of my brand is conservation and we can’t do that with just the people who think like us. If we stay isolated and in our own bubble, we will keep repeating the results we got with this election.

It is possible to maintain positive connections with people who vote differently than you and this is incredibly important for our conservation efforts to persist. I’ve created and maintained friendships with people who have very different opinions on topics that I care deeply about a lot. In fact, some of my biggest social media fans are Trump voters! In this episode, I share with you strategies and ways of thinking that you can use for talking to people that are not draining, antagonistic, or make you feel like you have to convince the other person.

Finally, I’ve gotten the sense and actual feedback from people that they are afraid to speak out for the things that they believe in and before felt comfortable talking about. I was amazed to hear that some of my friends in science communication who are normally vocal about the issues that they care about, like climate change, were starting to feel uncomfortable discussing the same issues they regularly talked about before the election. Using the results of the election and a new perspective in looking at them, I hope to give you some inspiration that we can’t give up, won’t give up, and that there’s more people than you may think right now supporting our goals for the environment.

Before you listen to this episode, I want to acknowledge that not everyone may feel safe, be in the right mental space, or be in a safe environment to speak up or associate with certain people. If that is you, please take all precautions to put barriers in place, keep yourself safe, and healthy. I am in NO way saying that everyone needs to do the things I go over in this podcast.

I also want to acknowledge that this election has huge consequences for many people and issues across the board, many of which are deeply important to me. This podcast episode will only focus on those related to conservation and the environment though, as this is the theme of the Fancy Scientist podcast, and I am in no way saying that other issues are not as important.

So, if you feel like you are in a safe environment, like I do, want to connect, and are willing to have some potentially uncomfortable conversations to make a difference, then you’re going to benefit from this episode.

Specifically I go over:

Why this election feels different than any other
How the results of this election will impact the environment in a way the country has never faced before
How I felt post election and using emotions to help propel me into action
Putting the results of this election into perspective; why people voted the way they did and what this means for conservation
Why I’m not giving up and you shouldn’t either
Why keeping channels of communication open are so important for conservation
Why I don’t de-friend people who vote differently
Why I am staying on Twitter despite tens of thousands of scientists leaving the platform
Concrete things I am doing that you can do too and resources to help you move forward in this administration
And MORE!

Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler) (She/Her)

Wildlife Biologist and Science Communicator, Fancy Scientist LLC

I am a wildlife biologist and science communicator. My research lays at the intersection of mammal ecology, citizen science, and education. I founded and run FancyScientist.com, a site dedicated to connecting people to science and nature, breaking stereotypes of scientists, and empowering scientists. If you’re a scientist or scientist-to-be, you’ll find lots of resources to guide you through this career.