Science Writers and Communicators of Canada upcoming events

Beyond pretty pictures: Utilising graphics to communicate science (14 May 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

May Virtual Event

In today’s crowded scientific landscape, visuals (graphical abstracts, posters, banners, or even a well-designed slide) can make the difference between being noticed or overlooked. The right illustration clarifies complex ideas, draws attention, and helps your research reach audiences beyond your immediate field. Visual communication is no longer optional. From conference posters to social media, from CVs to online articles, the ability to convey science through images can shape how your work is perceived, and even influence the opportunities that follow. This talk will cover how researchers and science communicators can transform the way they present their work using principles from art, design, and illustration. You’ll learn practical strategies to craft visuals that tell your scientific story clearly and memorably, helping your work (and your career) go further.

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET via Zoom

Cost: Free for SWCC Members / $30 CAD for Non-Members

Are you a non-member of SWCC registering for this event? If you decide to become a member of SWCC within 2 weeks of the event date, your membership fee (in the applicable category) will be discounted by the amount you paid for event registration. To activate your discounted membership within the 2-week period, email office@sciencewriters.ca.

Speaker: Dr. Lucia Perez-Diaz

Dr. Lucia Perez-Diaz is a computational geoscientist and author-illustrator based in Oxford (UK). In her scientific work, she creates computer models of large-scale geological processes like the break-up of continents and formation and evolution of oceans (which are, in turn, used to learn about the direct impact of these events on the evolution of life and climate on Earth). Lucia's journey into illustration and design started during her PhD studies as a way to open up scientific discovery to broader audiences and convey complex topics in engaging ways. Having spent the best part of the last decade somewhere in the intersection of science and art, she now spends some of her time teaching scientists about the power of visuals for scientific communication.

Moderating for Impact (14 Jun 2026)

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:30:00 GMT

In-Person Workshop

With Lesley Evans Ogden and Niki Wilson

Science writers and communicators are often asked to drive discussions by moderating or sitting on panels in a variety of professional and public venues. How they perform these roles has a big impact on how audiences contextualize important issues and these are roles of increasing importance given the current geopolitical climate. Additionally, acting in these roles can be an important source of income and professional experience. Despite this, there is little training for journalists and science communicators on how to maximize the impacts of these experiences for audiences and moderators. Consequently, panel events often fall into predictable patterns: a mic passed up and down a role of panelists, a lack of on-stage chemistry, awkward and sometimes uncomfortable inequity of air time, and a missed opportunity for everyone.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! Dynamic, inclusive, entertaining experiences can help tell meaningful, memorable stories. Effective hosting is a performance that requires artful preparation, creativity and engagement, augmenting and managing a well-chosen format and structure. In addition to teaching basic moderation and facilitation skills, this workshop will help science communications and media professionals hone their hosting skills by tackling pre-event preparation, dynamic event formats, stage-presence, on-stage and virtual interviewing, participant management and audience engagement. Participants will by guided through improvisational techniques to create and experiment with a variety of panel and other moderated formats in a safe, innovation-friendly environment. We’ll develop a vocabulary for managing on stage conversations and use role playing scenarios to try out different styles and techniques in a low-stakes collaborative and supportive environment.

Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location + Cost: To be determined

Hosted by: Niki Wilson and Lesley Evans Ogden

Registration will open soon! Check back in the future.

Lesley Evans Ogden and Niki Wilson were thrilled to develop and co-lead this moderating workshop launched at the World Conference of Science Journalists in Pretoria, South Africa, in December 2025, where it earned rave reviews.

Niki Wilson

Niki Wilson is a multimedia science journalist with a past life as a biologist. She grew up dodging bears in Jasper National Park, Canada, and has studied everything from mammoths to mountain pine beetle. She now writes about health, nature and the environment for publications like BBC Earth, PBSNature, Nature, and Canadian Geographic. Niki was associate producer for the Audible top five podcast Wild Sounds of Canada, and co-host of the Apple top ten science podcast Anthropomania with Jay Ingram. She is thrilled this year to celebrate 12 orbits around the sun as a science advisor and host for the Jasper Dark Sky Festival, where she appears on stage with astronauts, science celebrities and talented researchers. Niki has taught science communications since 2010 with the Banff Science Communications School, now Global Partners in Science Communications. Niki also teaches independently, hosting workshops on journalism, science communication and nature writing to a cross-section of organizations, universities and public.

Find Niki at: LinkedIn, BlueSky

Lesley Evans Ogden

Lesley Evans Ogden crossed a career bridge from nerdy bird scientist to multimedia freelance journalist after a PhD (Simon Fraser University) and postdoctoral research (UBC) in wildlife ecology. She now writes internationally for outlets including New York Times, BBC, Knowable, Nature, National Geographic, and Natural History, also contributing to science documentaries for broadcasters like CBC’s The Nature of Things and ARTE. Lesley loves teaching and mentoring as a guest expert leading workshops on pitching, publishing and science writing across Canada and the US. When not writing, producing, teaching or speaking, she can often be found in her happy place – running, biking, swimming or hiking in nature -- or during gloomy Vancouver winters, studying improv comedy. Combining her award-winning writing with her love of teaching and the outdoors, Lesley is launching Nature Writing in the Great Bear Rainforest, an immersive small group workshop at Great Bear Lodge in British Columbia in May 2027 (registration now open).

Follow on LinkedIn, BlueSky, X, and Instagram

SWCC Annual Conference 2026 (14 Jun 2026)

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Version française de la page web de la conférence / Formulaire d'inscription en français / Code de conduite en français

SWCC Annual Conference 2026

Theme: Discovery. Dialogue. Decision.

Location: Plaza Centre-Ville in Montréal, Québec

June 14, 2026: Opening Reception, Optional Tours & Workshop

June 15, 2026: Full-day Conference Sessions

June 16, 2026: Full-day Conference Sessions featuring the final competition of the SSHRC Storytellers Challenge

June 17, 2026: Optional Tours

Conference Programme

(Not a member? Save money by becoming a member before registering!)

Early Bird Registration (Ending May 1, 2026):

Member*: $425

Non-member: $620

Discounted rate**: $250

Full Registration (Starting May 2, 2026):

Member*: $525

Non-member: $720

Discounted Rate**: $300

*For 2026 we are extending our SWCC member rate to members of the Association des communicateurs scientifiques du Québec.

**The discounted rate is available via an honour system to students, freelancers, and representatives of Indigenous organizations. We provide this option to improve the financial accessibility of our conference. However, if the standard rate is within your budget, we kindly invite you to register at the full registration cost to support the success of SWCC 2026.

All rates include the opening reception on June 14 and two full conference days on June 15 and 16. Breakfasts, lunches, and snacks are provided as part of the conference fee.

Pre and post conference events are not included in the conference ticket price. If you would like to attend these events, you can add them as they become available on our website.

Where to Stay

Conference accommodations will be the Marriott Chateau Champlain. We have negotiated a room block at a discounted rate but availability is limited so please book as soon as possible using the link below. This rate is available until April 13, 2026.

Book a Room at the SWCC Rate

Theme: Discovery. Dialogue. Decision.

Navigating complexity to make sense of science.

Discovery – Frontiers of Science and Innovation. Exploring how scientific and technological advances are reshaping our world.

Dialogue – Communicating Complexity and Building Understanding. Examining how we translate, interpret, and communicate complex or polarizing science for public audiences.

Decision – Science, Policy, and Public Engagement. How communication influences the decisions that shape our collective future.

Read more on the 2026 theme and other conference details here.

SWCC Gratefully Acknowledges the Support of Our Sponsors

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