Professional Development Workshop, for Graduate Students

Thursday, January 29th - Friday, January 30th, 2026
Thursday 9-4pm, lunch included and Friday, 9-11am
Memorial Union, NDSU

Navigating the political landscape and building coalitions for conservation success

Workshop Leader: Dr. Lauren Dennhardt, Senior Director of Conservation, Catalina Island Conservancy

Summary: Navigating the political landscape is now just as critical to conservation success as ecological science. In this two-day workshop, participants will learn how to strategically position complex conservation projects—especially controversial or publicly contested ones—for real-world advancement.

We will begin by building frameworks for political mapping, helping you identify key decision-makers, influencers, pressure points, and pathways that shape project outcomes. From there, we’ll dive into science communication training, exploring how to translate technical information into compelling narratives tailored for media, community audiences, and partner organizations.

The workshop will also address the unique challenges of communicating science to broader publics, including misinformation, emotional responses, and values-based resistance. Participants will gain tools to insulate conservation efforts from oppositional coalitions, proactively mitigate pushback, and maintain momentum even in polarized environments.

Finally, through applied exercises and case examples, we will examine how to build and mobilize coalitions that shift political landscapes, creating durable support for conservation goals. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies, templates, and confidence for advancing science-based projects in complex sociopolitical contexts.