Speaker: Nuno Pimentel (Instituto Dom Luiz / Departamento de Geologia, FCU / Scientific Coordinator, "aspiring Geoparque Oeste").

Abstract: Geosciences are a key element for many challenges our society is facing, including natural resources and natural hazards, besides the unavoidable theme of Climate Changes. However, public awareness of this fact is rather low and enrolment for geoscience courses is clearly falling in universities across the world. This means that our science has a huge image problem, and current outreach strategies haven’t worked. Tackling these issues should therefore be a crucial part of any scientific institution, including Universities and Research Centers. Geoscience outreach is not simply delivering more science to more people… it is about Geocommunication. It implies specific strategies, based mainly on the public’s interests and behavior, as much as on good and clear science. Geoparks are an important part of this strategy. Geoparks use relevant geological features to attract public’s interest about Geology, Nature and Environment, thus improving awareness and valorization of geosciences and geoscientists. This talk will present the example of the “aspiring Geoparque Oeste” to address some of the above-mentioned themes.

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