Essay: Why conservation needs both science and poetry

In an Essay, Phillip Levin and David Hassler argue that poetry and other art forms can play a vital role in conservation by giving emotional and cultural meaning to scientific evidence. While science explains environmental change and identifies effective interventions, poetry can evoke empathy, wonder, grief, and a sense of responsibility that motivates people to care and take action. Research suggests that combining artistic experiences with conservation science can deepen understanding of biodiversity and correct misconceptions about threatened species, strengthening our connection to the natural world. According to Levin and Hassler, art also broadens the scope of knowledge by bringing lived experience, cultural memory, and underrepresented perspectives, particularly those of Indigenous peoples and local communities, into conservation discussions. “Science reveals how the natural world works and how it is changing. Poetry reminds us why that world matters. Conservation needs both,” write the authors. “Understanding how they work together may become one of the field’s most important questions.”