Two of the most radical changes that have occurred in the last 20 years ? and even moreso in only the last five to ten years ? are exponential advances in audio/visual capture and dissemination technology and the rapid increase in public interest in our environment. With this paper I will explore the intersection between these two trends and discuss what it means to people of science. Whether audio/visual recording and distribution means the simplest documentation of an experiment, a news story, the production of a television show, the making of a documentary, the posting of a webcast, or the production of a fictional feature film on environmental issues, it is those closest to the research itself, those most intimate with the facts, that should be keenly aware of the importance of public awareness, the technological capabilities and venues of distribution available, the cultural and societal impact of subject and aesthetic choices, the reception of audiences, as well as the moral issues and value judgments involved. We have become a media dependent as well as a media savvy society. Those in environmental studies should have the opportunity to understand and utilize audio-visual communication in all its forms.

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