Rob Robins loves public speaking. Especially if it’s one of his favorite topics. In this case, the freshwater fishes of Florida. He was slightly anxious about this new speaking event though.
We have been partnering with the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute to host ‘Science on Tap’ events at local breweries like First Magnitude and Cypress & Grove. But COVID-19 brought a big shift toward socially distant webinars, and ‘Science on Tap’ at a brewery became ‘Science OFF Tap’ streaming live online.
Rob, the collections manager in our ichthyology collection, was our first speaker for this new digital venue on Earth Day 2020. He and a team recently published a book on the freshwater fishes of Florida, complete with new photos of nearly every species mentioned. He also likes to address the topic of non-native and invasive species in our state.
He’s an active person with an engaging speaking style. He’s also not on social media. So sitting alone at his laptop and streaming to Facebook and Zoom is not his natural habitat. But Rob loves a challenge. The bigger, the better.
Science OFF Tap: Freshwater Fishes of Florida – What’s the Catch?
How did it go?
“The online format undoubtedly allowed attendance from a larger, geographically more varied, and hopefully more diverse audience. Huge plus,” Rob said. “All had the opportunity to ask questions — and some who did might not have done so in a large public setting.”
We did find that people who would not normally have made it to a brewery were able to attend online. Family commitments and mobility are a known barrier to attending our usual ‘Science on Tap’ evenings. Being able to type a question into a chat box would certainly have made it easier for a shy audience member to contribute.
So why was Rob feeling conflicted about webinars?
“I desperately missed seeing faces, reading their expressions, and experiencing the full level of communication between persons that comes from being present,” Rob explained. “Also, I find it very difficult to stand still, and so 35 minutes staying in the frame of a 1-inch camera was a special challenge.”
While we don’t know how long the COVID-19 closures will affect how we host events, it’s been exciting to explore new ways to talk with people about the work happening here at the Florida Museum.