Let’s consider a scenario. You’re designing a new research project, and you realize that for the first time that you (or your students) are going to need access to private property in an urban area to answer your question properly. Do you need a permit? A permission form? Who do you ask? Should you just sneak onto your sites and hope you don’t get caught (Author tip: don’t do this one!)? And what do you do once you get there? How do field ethics and safety differ in a backyard compared to the backcountry? You (a responsible scientist!) want to do things right, but just aren’t sure where to start.
Whether you have years of experience, or it’s your first time in the field, navigating a new context is hard! And the knowledge you need isn’t always easily accessible. So, as early career urban ecologists nearing the ends of our respective degrees, we wrote the paper that we wish we had been able to read at the beginning of our studies; a “how to” guide to urban fieldwork on private land.
But we didn’t do it alone. We interviewed 24 urban ecologists from 7 countries, along with public health researchers and police officers, so we could pass on their hard-learned lessons to you! In other words, dozens of scientists have shared their trials and triumphs finding and accessing sites, forging relationships–and being yelled at by the occasional disgruntled neighbor–so that you (hopefully) won’t have to be.
Here, we’ll focus less on the nuts and bolts of study design (note: see the paper for more on that), and more on the social aspects so often missing from ecological training. Today’s post deals with how to start by contacting landowners, and how to maintain good relationships along the way. Next week (in part two), we’ll share some tips and lessons learned about staying safe on urban private property.
How can I get started?
Setting up new field sites is daunting. Deciding which variables to measure, tracking down the necessary data, wrangling GIS layers, selecting study sites, navigating the permit process from different agencies… the list seems endless. Here, we’ll focus on that last one—permission—as it differs the most on private land.
As other researchers have found, there is generally no straightforward permit process for accessing private land. You’ll need permission from the relevant home or business owner for each site, and a contingency plan for replacing sites that don’t work out. This can entail hundreds of “asks”, so, definitely add “perfecting your elevator pitch” to that pre-fieldwork to-do list! The most common methods for getting in touch?
Mail:
Use professional letterhead and include both a clear project description and explicit information about the proposed methods (with photos/diagrams when possible).
Pros? Written documentation may be better for long-term or more complicated projects.
Cons? Be prepared to send out many more letters than needed to account for the often-low acceptance rates.
Author tip: Run your one-pager by a neighbour or local business for feedback before sending!
In-person requests:
This includes knocking on residential doors, approaching homeowners in yards, or approaching commercial front desk staff. Have a short, easily communicated research statement and well-defined access request ready to go. If you’re nervous about pitching to strangers, practice, practice, practice before you get to the door! (Also see “How can I navigate public encounters”, below).
Pros? Typically has a higher success rate than mailing.
Cons? May need to approach at unconventional hours to catch people at home; higher potential for stressful or unpleasant encounters.
Author tip: You will almost definitely be mistaken for a door-to-door salesperson – for best success, identify yourself as a researcher quickly…before uh, you get a door shut in your face.
Note that loss of field sites mid-study – due to property sale or management turnover, change of mind of the owner, or construction – is very common, particularly for multi-visit projects. Consider selecting more sites than you think you need, and always have a contingency plan!
How can I be a good neighbour?
So you’ve sent out your letters, knocked on doors, and have a network of field sites ready to sample. Well done, you! At this point, the hard work of dealing with people is over, and you can go back to being a “regular” field ecologist, right? Well… not quite!
Because you’re sampling in neighborhoods where diverse people live and work, consistent, respectful communication is important throughout the whole research process – from planning through results. We like to think of this as “being a good neighbour”. So how do you maintain good relationships along the way?
While there are many approaches to being a good neighbour and public scientist, here are a few key aspects to consider as you get started:
Coordinating with property owners:
Do not underestimate the time and work required to coordinate with your property owners — particularly if your research is weather dependent or you are visiting multiple sites per day. Property owners may or may not want to be present, watch you sample, or be notified when you arrive and leave. Certain property types (e.g. commercial areas, golf courses) may require advance notice of visits, additional paperwork, or even an escort.
Author tip: Clear communication up front, and building lots of extra time — definitely more than you think you need — into your field season will go a long way in preventing misunderstandings and disappointment.
Preparing for routine questions
All interviewees reported frequent questions about their work, and ecology in general while in the field (a “level 0 interaction”, more about this next week in part 2). It is tempting to view these interruptions of your work as frustrating… but we prefer to think about them as an investment in the site and your research. Consider yourself an ambassador for science! These conversations are a personal “broader impact” that you can’t get via public lectures or other traditional outlets.
Author tip: Be patient, be kind, and practice common responses ahead of time. Consider carrying a short one-pager for curious onlookers explaining your work, with links to further information.
Communicating end results
We are strong proponents of planning (and budgeting!) from the start to share the knowledge gained from sampling on private property. This can take many forms, from providing summaries of findings directly to landowners, to public options such as newspaper columns, blog posts, or public talks. At the very least, be sure to always thank participants in your studies; after all, your research would not be possible without access to their property, and showing your appreciation can increase the chances of a property owner staying involved in future projects.
Author tip: When presenting results, consider the property owner perspective. People like to see themselves and their neighborhoods reflected in the research (consider presenting ‘how X is your neighborhood?’). If you did not find anything of interest on a property, emphasize how important all properties were for the research, and deemphasize that they did not have what you were looking for.
Stay tuned for next week
Partnering with local landowners can be incredibly rewarding, and help you to understand the city (and your research topic!) in a whole new light. If you’re considering venturing onto private property for your next project, we hope these tips can help you get over the initial hurdles and start things off on the right foot. And… stay tuned for next week, where we’ll talk about another important aspect of urban fieldwork: how to navigate different kinds of public encounters, and stay safe out there.
Read more about this topic:
This is part one of a two-part series, from Carly Ziter and Karen Dyson. In part two (“Fieldwork on urban private property: staying safe“): we discuss navigating public encounters, and staying out of trouble while collecting field data. In the meantime, check out:
Dyson, K., Ziter, C., Patterson M.S., and Fuentes, T.L. Conducting urban ecology research on private property: advice for new urban ecologists. 2019. Journal of Urban Ecology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juz001
- Fieldwork on Urban Private Property: Getting Started - March 4, 2019