Merging Science and Storytelling: Work Package 7 outreach events in Greenland

by Sandra Rybicki (HAFRO / Iceland Marine and Freshwater Research Institute) and Talea Weissang

Local particpants get creative at the Marine SABRES workshops. All photos courtesy of Sandra Rybicki, HAFRO.

This summer, project partners from the Arctic Northeast Atlantic DA carried out a series of outreach events in Greenland, in partnership with HAFRO and WWF Denmark. We created a workshop with the aim of bringing science to life through storytelling and creativity and to engage local communities through a range of interactive presentations. These included marine food web activities, visuals, hands-on materials including fish otoliths, and informal chats and discussions. After a great start in Tasiilaq, we moved onto Kulusuk, before our final session in the capital, Nuuk.

Events were hosted in community centres, libraries, and other public spaces, reaching a wide age range, from young school-aged children to elders. We also took part in Greenland’s National Day celebrations and were warmly supported by local organizations, with the events even being advertised on local radio.

Key lessons

A number of key lessons emerged from our time with participants. We found that:

• Being present locally matters - especially when working with Indigenous communities in remote areas.

• There is no perfect timing! Flexibility, adaptability and backup plans, as well as good previous relations with relevant community members are essential to succeed. Good weather might mean more children around, while adults may be out hunting or fishing - but this is not always predictable. Arriving a few days early, attending local events, and using familiar, trusted locations like libraries and community centres helped build trust and visibility, particularly in remote parts of East Greenland.

• Translation support, printed visuals, and locally relevant demonstration material - such as otoliths or capelin - made the biggest impact. Many participants expressed interest in seeing similar events take place in other parts of Greenland - including places where they or their families had grown up before moving to the East coast or to Nuuk - reminding us of the value in returning and continuing the dialogue across regions.