Fostering partnerships between regional government and ecology

e boarded a Lear jet, and the co-pilot offered us champagne from a full bar as we settled into plush leather seats with expansive leg room. For a tropical biolo- gist who expects to find no flush toilets at her field sites, I was overwhelmed. I was the token scientist for a special meeting with Florida's Governor, Jeb Bush, flying to Tallahassee with a state senator, a college president, a county commissioner, and two lobbyists. After we landed, a waiting limousine whisked us to the capitol building, where we found ourselves in a boardroom exchanging jokes with the Governor. He claimed to remember me from a prior meeting to discuss ways to enhance Florida middle school science education with distance learning. Whereas biolo- gists are great at bandying about Latin names of ants or plants, politicians become expert at matching human faces with names and party loyalties. I listened in awe as our state senator skillfully navigated the conversation. Like a captain steering a ship through a maze of reefs, he incorporated sto- ries and "hooks" into the conversation, elegantly leading up to our funding request. I knew that I was learning from a pro about how to effectively communicate with regional gov- ernment. At the end of the meeting, our message was deliv- ered and the response was enthusiastic. We emerged after an hour with a pledge from the conservative Republican Governor to support our vision for a center of excellence to research best practices in land use and ecological manage- ment in subtropical Florida and beyond. In just one short meeting with a state policymaker, we made great strides forward, turning the dream of an integra- tive research center focusing on land use ecology, the Florida Land Institute (FLI), into a reality. During the meeting, we communicated one important message to the Governor: that our project would enhance the quality of life for his con- stituents. This was strengthened by linking effective land use to Florida's economy. If Florida saves 1% of GSP (gross state product) from our FLI initiatives, over $5 billion would be accrued annually (S Mulkey pers comm). The stakes are high - an estimated 900 people move to the Sunshine State every day. Ironically, they move to Florida because of its natural environment; so implementing effective ecological manage- ment translates into revenue from real estate, health care, and tourism. FLI will engage professionals in transportation ecology, sustainable construction, hurricane-resistant build- ing, renewable energy, and ecosystem management. In mid-career, I find my role as an ecologist shifting away from the comfort zone of conventional research, writing technical reports, and communicating almost exclusively to colleagues at annual meetings. Ecologists are increasingly being drawn into "a new social contract of active engage- ment" (Bradshaw and Bekoff 2001), where issues of sustain- ability, land use, ecosystem services, and restoration ecology demand an interface between scientists and other commu-