Bringing Research to Life Through Storytelling — A Conversation with Douglas Bair

From ecology and circus to science communication, Douglas has taken an unconventional path to his role as Engagement Officer for Plants for Space and LISAF. Working closely with the PC Hub, he helps share research with students, growers, industry and the wider community. In this interview, he reflects on how performance shaped his approach to storytelling and connecting with audiences, and how he makes research engaging and accessible.

Could you briefly describe your career journey and how it led you to your current roles at La Trobe University?

My career journey has been varied and, at times, unexpected. I have sometimes described myself as a “stray cat”—if you put out a saucer of milk, I might stay for a while, but I am always curious about what might be around the next corner. Looking back, however, two interests have consistently guided me: the natural world and performance. Although they initially seemed unrelated, they have ultimately come together through my work in science communication and public engagement.

Academically, I have always been fascinated by ecology and the wonders of the

 natural world. I completed my first degree in environmental biology, with a focus on behavioural and physiological ecology. At the time, employment opportunities in that field were limited, so I began exploring another long-standing interest (circus arts) while thinking about how to utilise my degree.

As a teenager, I performed with a youth circus in New England in the United States. After graduating from university, I spent a year working professionally with a circus in Chicago. That experience inspired me to undertake a second degree, and in 2002 I enrolled at the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne, graduating in 2004 with a degree in circus arts.

For several years, I worked across circuses, theatre, cruise ships and live events, performing a balancing act. I also worked as a coach and trainer of trainers. During this period, I began working as a presenter at a waste-education facility. This was the first time my science degree and performance skills came together to great effect. After a virus left me deaf in one ear and affected my balance, I moved more deliberately towards science communication and public engagement.

Since then, I have worked in waste education and at Melbourne Aquarium, as well as as a presenter, MC and freelance experience creator. These roles led to my position as Associate Producer of Public Programs at Scienceworks, where I developed further experience in making science accessible, engaging and memorable for broad audiences. That path eventually brought me to La Trobe University.

You started working in a circus at a very young age. How did that experience shape the way you communicate, tell stories and connect with audiences? Do you think it still influences your work and life today?

The formative experiences and opportunities I have had throughout my life have undoubtedly shaped my professional life, particularly the way I create connections with different audiences.

Working in the circus gave me the opportunity to tour and meet people from a wide range of cultures and countries. This taught me to appreciate both the differences between audiences and the universal commonalities that connect us. It also showed me the importance of reading an audience, adapting my approach and using clear, engaging stories to create a shared experience. These lessons continue to influence the way I design and deliver science-communication content today.

My family background also played an important role. My mother was a schoolteacher and my father was a biology professor, so education, learning and the natural world were part of my upbringing.

As a trainer and coach, I have also experienced the diversity of people’s learning styles. I had the honour of travelling to Hong Kong on two occasions to work as a “train-the-trainer” facilitator for a social-circus project. The program used circus to engage at-risk young people and offer them positive opportunities to take risks, build confidence and develop new skills. That experience reinforced the idea that there are many different tools and pathways for making a difference.

Circus also taught me how to be present, responsive and attentive to the people in front of me. Whether I am performing, delivering a professional-development workshop or communicating science, I am always thinking about how to make the experience meaningful and accessible for the intended audience.

The desire to make a difference is an underlying motivation in much of what I create and deliver. Whether the purpose is entertainment, education or professional development, my circus background continues to influence the way I communicate, tell stories and connect with people.

What does your work as a science communicator at LISAF and Plants for Space involve?

My work as a science communicator at the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF), including Plants for Space, involves translating complex research into engaging and accessible experiences for different audiences.

A large part of my role with Plants for Space involves developing classroom resources for primary and secondary schools, as well as facilitating workshops. These activities connect the research being conducted by Plants for Space researchers and other LISAF research initiatives with classrooms and schools across Victoria.

Another important part of my role is supporting researchers to communicate their work effectively. This includes helping them develop engaging presentations, posters and other communication and engagement materials. I am particularly passionate about upskilling researchers in presentation style, audience engagement and the clear communication of complex ideas.

Ultimately, my role is about building connections: connecting researchers with students, teachers and the broader community and helping important research become more understandable, relevant and inspiring to the people it has the potential to benefit.

How do you translate complex scientific ideas into stories that are clear, engaging and relevant to different audiences?

Well, there are many ways to tell a story. I come from a school of thought that says that, when developing content, I am not just an educator, entertainer or marketer. My role is more like that of an interpreter. I take the content that others have developed and craft it into a language and a story that different audiences can connect with.

The first step in this process is identifying the universal theme or idea that can connect the audience with the work being communicated. From there, it becomes a matter of walking a tightrope between being factual and informative while also making the content accessible and engaging.

For me, good science communication is not about removing the complexity from the science. It is about finding a way into that complexity so that people can understand why the research matters and how it connects to their lives.

Why is it important to connect research with growers, industry and the broader community?

In today’s social climate, there seems to be a growing town–country divide, as well as a growing gap between general scientific literacy and the pace of contemporary science. This can lead to distrust or scepticism towards science as a whole.

More specifically, I believe that effective engagement activities can lead to more informed dialogue between researchers, growers, industry and the broader community. This dialogue can help build understanding and trust.

Ultimately, I believe this process adds value to the research by helping make it more relevant, practical and connected to the people and communities it is intended to benefit. This is a particular strength that our researchers have here at LISAF, and I hope to amplify this moving forward.

What role can podcasts and other communication formats play in sharing scientific knowledge?

Nowadays, there is a podcast for almost any topic, and there is a good reason for this. We all enjoy listening to good stories, and podcasts are an easily accessible way of hearing a wide range of them.

For us at LISAF, podcasts provide a great way to share and chronicle our research and successes. They also allow us to reach audiences at a time and in a format that suits them, including when they want to move away from a screen.

Podcasts can make scientific knowledge feel more personal and conversational. They give researchers the opportunity to explain their work in their own words and allow listeners to hear the stories behind the research.

We look forward to sharing more of our stories in the future.

“For me, good science communication is not about removing the complexity from the science. It is about finding a way into that complexity so that people can understand why the research matters and how it connects to their lives.” — Douglas Bair

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