Exploring Wildlife Management and Social Media
In my opinion, state and federal agencies that have social media accounts show me that they care about the people’s interest. For example, the Pennsylvania Game Commission posted on Twitter today, 4/11, talking about how they burned 15 acres as part of a controlled burn. This is the taxpayer’s money. A lot of the citizens of PA are on social media, and by addressing issues and showing the citizens what they are doing with their money, it is a win for the Game Commission. I have heard and talked to other hunters that complain that the game commission does nothing. These are often the same people that antagonize wardens, and call them evil for trying to invade other people’s hunts. In this day of age, government agencies need all the good publicity that they can get.
Also on Twitter today, the USFWS Refuge System asked, “Which state has the most refuges, wildlife production areas, and wildlife management areas?” By engaging the public directly, government agencies can communicate, get feedback, and get their point across. This point is similar to the PA Game Commission post mentioned earlier, but by directly talking to the public instead of just informing, it is a whole different ball game. Companies have a huge say in how their social media accounts are run. The people of the internet have varying views on entire businesses and companies solely based on their social media accounts. This means that government agencies, which some people already dislike for various reasons, have to tread lightly but strongly enough to be noticed. There is an important balance.
Technology is rapidly changing, even in the fields of wildlife science. The USFWS Refuge System Twitter page shared a link to a project that someone is conducting. They are using drones, a relatively new technological advancement, to monitor terns, including nesting Aleutian Terns in Alaska. In the past, surveyors and point counters of remote nesting colonies simply walk onto them and often disturb the colony. Now, drones can be used to keep disturbances to a minimum. Although the wildlife field is a little slow with using new advances in technology, bringing this new tech into the field is crucial. The wildlife management game is changing, and new tools can only mean better management, for the animals, the environment, and for the citizens of the U.S.
The Wildlife Society constantly shares scientific articles on their Facebook and Twitter pages. They share these articles and although most people that follow TWS are scientists, some are just part of the public. Scientific articles are not as shared as other things like news articles or Buzzfeed quizzes, and it’s a shame. I think what TWS is doing is great, and there needs to be more of it, especially since a lot of the population is moving towards social media.
Although Facebook is becoming irrelevant, I still have one. I follow quite a few science pages, including Forbes Biological Station, one of my favorites. They are a bird banding station in Illinois, along the Illinois River. They are a great resource for waterfowl biology. I am aiming to become a waterfowl-focused biologist, so I pay attention to anything they post. Recently, they posted a picture of two diver ducks they recently banded (marked); one was a Ring-necked Duck, and the other a “mystery duck”. Many commenters came together and labeled it a hybrid. Personally, I got the quiz question wrong. They took the time to explain to everyone where they went wrong. I love that kind of interaction from science pages. Science pages that will talk to you back and explain answers are the kind of pages that want to see everyone learn and grow. For whatever your interests are, it is quite possible that there is a niche social media page that will support your growing passion. If you run a science page, don’t be afraid to answer a question in the comments; it may spur the passion of that young scientist or dreamer.
