Croscus – Scientific mediation and alpine flora

How to think about “science-society” relationships around the ecological transition in the mountains? How to articulate scientific challenges and social issues based on the social sciences? The Croscus project proposes to answer these questions by linking research issues to professional know-how in scientific communication and mediation.

The project aims to analyze the contemporary issues of cultural mediation of science and nature in society. Through the case of mountain territories, the aim is to understand the growing complexity of these relationships, and to identify what we call “science”, “scientific culture” and “public”. Scientific and ecological issues have in fact gone beyond the framework of research institutions to become public problems, addressed by expertise, professionalized communication, associations and public action.

Each year, the Croscus project focuses on a different theme in an Alpine territory. After the wolf question and territorial reactions and public issues in 2019, this year turns to the conservation of flora, expertise and scientific communication. The workshop is organized in partnership with the National Alpine Botanical Conservatory in the Écrins and Queyras massif. The base camp is located in Vallouise-Pelvoux (05).

The project combines different educational formats (field survey workshop, research seminar and creative workshop) in order to imagine new forms of communication and scientific mediation, in connection with territorial actors or interdisciplinary research programs.