Translating data into meaning: education in conservation biology.

Most scientists recognize that species are disappearing at an alarming rate, and many disappear before we can even name them, let alone understand their evolutionary history or role in their ecosystems. The reason for biodiversity losses is largely anthropogenic. As a response to this crisis, professional biologists founded the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) in 1987 (Soulé 1987). One of six key objectives of SCB (1987) is “the education, at all levels, preparatory and continuing, of the public, of biologists, and of managers in the principles of conservation biology.” What role has education played in the SCB and the journal Conservation Biology since their inception, and what opportunities exist for strengthening this critical element within SCB and the field?