At some point I'd like to have a discussion, possibly on this listserv,
about the "b" word (busy), communications, etc. I think it would be
relevant to this community both as professionals in general and in the
context of evolving human ecology. There are some seriously frightening
things going on amid social interaction and in a passive enough way that
I fear very few people are noticing, or noticing the broader negative
effects they are having.
From this email it's pretty clear you're not my target audience - on a
lot of levels. Most importantly the hope was to find an organization,
institution, department, group, clutch, club, gaggle or other collection
of humans interested in this field to partner with. There's no way this
kind of thing can be organized piecemeal one person at a time specially
given the astronomical timescales and minuscule success rates involved.
We need about 5-10 volunteers not only at the event, but to help
coordinate/organize in advance and maybe fund raise a little (for the
portions I can't pay for like travel for others besides myself).
* When you mention "free labor", did you not at all notice that I am not
only working for free on this but footing the bill (several thousand
dollars) for several aspects of it? Seems a bit "presumptuous and
insulting" (as you put it) to ignore that. Or... was, since I am no
longer doing it.
On 12/4/2017 2:12 PM, Joseph Desisto wrote:
I think I am in your target audience -- recent graduate with
experience in entomology and outreach, still with a fair amount of
time on my hands. I did not open your original request because it
seems like the majority of postings on this listserv are people asking
me to do unpaid work, and I stopped opening those the second I
graduated and had to look for an actual job.
Young ecologists are generally too busy looking for paid work to be
very interested in volunteer opportunities, especially in the current
job market. I know many skilled, experienced young environmental
scientists and biologists who have left the field because they
couldn't find someone who would actually pay them for their time. I
may be joining them soon. How can I justify traveling to do unpaid
work for someone I don't know, who won't offer me a paid position
anytime soon? I understand you don't have funding, but I don't have
funding either.
When I do volunteer work, which is infrequent, I help with projects
such as bioblitzes in my local area run by people I know personally,
like former professors and classmates, or others who specifically ask
me because they know and value my skill set. I read their emails,
regardless of length, because their emails say "Dear Joe" right at the
top. I also volunteer for causes that are outside my profession, like
political advocacy. So my advice would be, find individual people in
your region whose skills you value. Reach out to them personally, and
explain how the project is a) for a good cause, and b) beneficial to
them, the people whose time you are requesting.
Don't expect people to come to you, and don't treat volunteering as a
privilege where the benefits are obvious -- that's presumptuous and
insulting. Maybe offer to introduce them to other scientists who are
influential and/or hiring? Letting them participate in the event for
free is a good idea, but networking is about more than just being in a
room full of other professionals. I'm sure there are also amateur
entomologists in your area who would be happy to help, maybe at the
local Entomological Society. Frame it as an invitation to an exciting
event, rather than a request for unpaid labor, but understand that
unpaid labor is exactly what you're asking for so when people are
unenthusiastic, don't take it personally. I realize this sounds like a
lot of work to do without funds, but frankly, you're asking other
people to do a lot of work without funds, so that's the way it goes.
If all else fails, you'd be surprised what people will do for a good
pizza.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Joe DeSisto
On Mon, Dec 4, 2017 at 11:52 AM, Aaron T. Dossey <bugoc...@gmail.com
<mailto:bugoc...@gmail.com>> wrote:
It seems simply stating the size of the event would make the
remaining opportunities you describe obvious. I can't really
write a thesis on an event I'm doing for free and spending a few
$k of my own money to make happen - it's not my regular job.
Also, I am told people have an aversion to reading/seeing long
emails. In my experience people have an aversion to
reading/seeing ANY email (or voicemail, phone call, smoke signal,
carrier pigeon letter, mailer.... any form of communication) so
maybe my point is moot.
It's probably best that I just give up on ISI (the organization I
came up with but is apparently stunningly unpopular) and
organizing large sections and plan on doing a single table by
myself (like I do everything else) in hears I want to go to USA
Sci Fest. A lot cheaper that way and, even better, I don't have to
rely on humans.
* I wise old proverb: "If it is to be, it will be done by me."
On 12/4/2017 9:25 AM, Nicole Holstein wrote:
There is also an oversaturation of volunteer requests, it seems.
There is so much work going on these days, which is great, but
not enough funding, so there are just a ton of efforts that rely
on volunteer work to happen. I know of 2 or 3 requests for
volunteers in my department as it is right now.
I think more targeted messaging with clear and substantial
benefits for volunteering will result in a higher response rate.
For example, targeting local invertebrate and entomology graduate
students and offering free admission to the festival (and not
just on the days they volunteer) and food while they work would
be good. Communicating what an opportunity for learning and
networking the job is, too, will help, as will stressing that
helping with events like this festival is vital for getting the
next generation of entomologists and invertebrate biologists
interested in the field.
I happen to know a person who just graduated with an MS in
entomology in the DC area, and he hasn't even heard of the
opportunity to volunteer, or even that there is an invertebrate
section to the Science and Engineering Festival. So even though
your outreach is large, it may not be reaching the right people.
*Nicole Holstein*
304-437-5876 <tel:%28304%29%20437-5876>
Follow teststamp on Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/nicoleeoli12>
<http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleholstein/>
On Sun, Dec 3, 2017 at 2:07 PM, Brian Turner <bctur...@pdx.edu
<mailto:bctur...@pdx.edu>> wrote:
Aaron,
I think Adam has a good point, in particular in regards to
just missing emails due to the daily deluge. I had
instinctively deleted your initial email asking for insight
and just happened to take notice of his response.
I do outreach related to invertebrates (mostly invasive
species or marine organisms) when I can. On my end it boils
down to 1) do I have the time to do outreach and meet my
personal/work obligations and 2) do I have money to cover any
associated costs. With mass emails, much of your audience may
not be local. Unless you have funding to cover travel (maybe
you do, I haven't seen the original request) then a big chunk
of your audience will immediately reject the idea. And even
if you have the funding, potential volunteers would have to
consider the impact of time spent in transit as well as
volunteering. I know these are hardly new observations, but
still worth keeping in mind.
Brian
On Sun, Dec 3, 2017 at 8:36 AM, Adam Eichenwald
<sma...@mac.com <mailto:sma...@mac.com>> wrote:
I would bet that the problem is an extension of the
“bystander effect” (When it comes to people in trouble,
wikipedia states : "onlookers see that others are not
helping either, that onlookers believe others will know
better how to help, and that onlookers feel uncertain
about helping while others are watching").
I’d think that by asking for volunteers on large social
media platforms, you’re A) opening yourself up to an
electronic version of the bystander effect, where people
think “I would, but I’m super busy. I’m sure someone else
will do this instead.” B) Falling into a hole due to the
hundreds of emails that we all get every day from
these listservs and potentially being ignored.
Generally to get around the bystander effect when someone
is in trouble, you’re supposed to point to someone in
particular and say “you call 911.” Maybe you’d get better
responses if you send these emails out to the listserv
and have a few colleagues already prepped to “reply all”
and announce their intention of volunteering? That way
you’d also ensure people are getting pinged repeatedly
and would be more likely to volunteer as well.
I’m not a social psychologist so I’m kind of shooting in
the dark here.
On Dec 3, 2017, at 10:04 AM, Aaron T. Dossey
<bugoc...@gmail.com <mailto:bugoc...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Once again I have floated around invitations to help
with the invertebrate section of the USA science and
engineering festival to literally thousands of people on
social media and 2 "major" ento and ecolog email
listservs , for months, and once again not a single
response. (Also to many private zoos and museums etc).
This is the largest science outreach event in North
America.
In fact I've been trying this for 3 years if you count
my efforts trying to recruit volunteers for the 2016 one
which also has as of yet gotten no response.
Why is this so impossible? Do universities not do
outreach in these fields anymore or do faculty, students
and staff no longer volunteer for anything or respond to
emails?
If these things are to continue to exist whatsoever yes
people will have to start communicating, volunteering
and working with others at other organizations beyond a
1 mile radius of their employer. With last week's
feudalist austerity bill establishing a firm and steep
caste system in this country, there isn't going to be
money for this stuff so people will have to volunteer
for stuff like this or it won't happen.
Thoughts?
* note that I did this event in 2012 and 2014 without
funding and it worked out great so it CAN be done.
Sent from my iPhone
--
Brian Turner, PhD
Department of Environmental Science & Management
Portland State University (ESM), PO BOX 751,
Portland, OR 97207
Email: bctur...@pdx.edu
<mailto:bctur...@pdx.edu>
ATD of ATB and ISI
--
Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
http://cricketpowder.com/curriculum-vitae/
<http://cricketpowder.com/curriculum-vitae/>
NEW BOOK OUT!: Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients
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Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation
ABOUT:http://cricketpowder.com/about-us/
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FACEBOOK:http://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs
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SEO: Entomophagy, Protein, Sustainable, Sustainability, Nutrition,
Wellness, Agriculture, Cricket Powder, Griopro, Cricket Flour, Innovation,
Science, Entomology, Mealworm, Waxworm, Climate Change, funding, grants, text
book, reference book, curricula, curriculum, education, science, innovation,
technology, Environment, nature, invertebrates, research, entrepreneur .
ATD of ATB and ISI
--
Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
http://cricketpowder.com/curriculum-vitae/
NEW BOOK OUT!: Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients
https://cricketpowder.com/insects-as-sustainable-food-ingredients/
Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs LLC
Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation
ABOUT: http://cricketpowder.com/about-us/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/all-things-bugs-dr-aaron-t-dossey/53/775/104
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs
ISI: https://www.facebook.com/InvertebrateStudiesInstitute
PHONE: 1-352-281-3643
SEO: Entomophagy, Protein, Sustainable, Sustainability, Nutrition, Wellness,
Agriculture, Cricket Powder, Griopro, Cricket Flour, Innovation, Science,
Entomology, Mealworm, Waxworm, Climate Change, funding, grants, text book,
reference book, curricula, curriculum, education, science, innovation,
technology, Environment, nature, invertebrates, research, entrepreneur .
