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
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> 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*
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On Sun, Dec 3, 2017 at 2:07 PM, Brian Turner
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> 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
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> 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
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> 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: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
ATD of ATB and ISI
--
Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
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