No abstract

This study examines the changes occurring in the built environment and in the social character of the Northeast neighborhood of Bozeman. This project was initiated at the request of the Northeast Neighborhood Association (NENA) whose members are concerned that growth is negatively impacting the unique character, affordability, and informal social interactions of their neighborhood. Working with the city of Bozeman and NENA, this project aims to document the existing character of the neighborhood and social, economic, and architectural changes as perceived by residents who participated in this research. Between Spring 2020 and Summer 2022, faculty and students from three MSU departments conducted and analyzed a physical inventory of the built environment, a survey, the PhotoVoicesNE report, and interviews of residents. The data collected here may be used by the city of Bozeman and NENA to develop neighborhood planning tools.

In the United States, a public debate remains about the existence and effects of anthropogenic climate change. This skepticism is present in the agricultural sector, rendering climate science communication challenging. Due to the polarization of climate change issues and the concurrent need for agricultural adaptation, we sought to examine how scientists communicate in this sector. A survey, administered to climate scientists and pertinent U.S. federal agency staff (response rate = 43%), was conducted to examine perspectives on communicating with five agricultural stakeholder groups: agribusinesses, crop advisors, general public, producers, and policymakers. We focused on three aspects of the communication process with these stakeholders to evaluate if scientists, as messengers, were following best practices–communicator training, knowledge of stakeholder, and terminology use. We found scientists valued communication training; however, the majority had not attended formal training. Scientists had different views on climate change than producers and crop advisors but understood their perspective and were deliberate with their communication with different audiences. This suggests stakeholder knowledge and terminology use do not hinder communication between scientist and stakeholder. We also highlight three communication challenges present across stakeholder groups–stakeholder knowledge, timescale, and scientific uncertainty–and others that were specific to each stakeholder group. Future research should support scientists by identifying and resolving barriers to training and effective communication strategies for each stakeholder group that addresses these challenges.