Legislators Aloft
What is Legislators Aloft?
The Legislators Aloft project was initiated to facilitate the
transfer of research and conservation messages directly from
scientists to decision makers. In 2002, twelve Washington
State legislators and their aides were invited to join
forest canopy researchers and conservationists for a
day in the forest, climbing trees. Platforms were
installed in trees at a height of 60 feet. Participants
were instructed in canopy access techniques.
Researchers and legislators discussed topics of mutual interest: sustainability, biodiversity,
and global climate change. In subsequent months, individuals
contacted each other for information on these topics.
What issues does this project address?
Many scientists are interested in conveying their thoughts
and research directly to decision makers, so that management
decisions will more accurately reflect the current state
of knowledge. This project provided a direct conduit for
that communication. The
relationships among participants
continued beyond this
event, demonstrating that
this activity can have longterm
positive effects.
What were the outcomes?
A post-session evaluation,
a written questionaire distributed at the session with an email
follow-up, documented that 80% of the legislative audience
felt “positive” or “highly-positive” about the experience,
and
75% stated they would be willing to contact a forest ecologist
for advice or information about environmental issues in
the future.
