As academics, much of the emphasis in disseminating the results of our work is through peer-reviewed journals. As such, our work is often not accessible to the public. Given the importance of connecting our research with the public, we search for ways to effectively make our science more accessible. Below are a few initiatives that allow us to communicate our science to a wider audience and inspire future scientists.

Initially funded by the National Science Foundation's Communicating Research to Public Audiences program, we produced a documentary on our reserach and conservation work in the Solomon Islands. Islands of Creation is a 50-minute documentary that follows our work in a remote region of the Solomon Islands, where we are studying the origin of species by catching populations of the Monarcha flycatcher in the act of becoming new species. It also highlights our conservation initiatives in this highly-imperiled biodiversity hotspot. The documentary was created by Nate Dappen and Neil Losin of Day's Edge Productions, and co-produced by the Smithsonian Channel. It premiered on the Smithsonian Channel on June 24, 2015, and aired through 2020. The documentary is now available online via Paramount Plus' streaming service: Islands of Creation.

Floria and Al with Neil Losin and Nate Dappen, creators of the documentary, at the world premiere of Islands of Creation at the University of Miami.

The Paramount Plus' webpage for Islands of Creation

Trailer for Islands of Creation

One of our goals is to inspire the next generation of scientists, and inform citizens who may be our future leaders. As such, we regularly give presentation to schools, both in the US and the Solomon Islands, as well as presentations to the public in various venues, including the Miami Science Museum, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.