From ecological sensemaking to sensegiving: a way to develop a scientific project that reaches out to society

Globally, natural heritage is increasingly threatened by human activity. Despite the recent development of the geodiversity and geoheritage concepts and the success of associated programs such as UNESCO Global Geoparks, natural heritage is still widely considered to refer only to biotic elements such as plants and animals, demonstrating the persistent gap between geosciences and society. Collective actions are required to address these issues that are crucial in the context of a rapidly changing planet. How can we develop research that considers nature as a whole and open a dialogue with society? To answer this question, we use concepts and tools from organization science to analyse an interdisciplinary exchange project between the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico and the Université Clermont Auvergne in France. Through collaborative work on natural geosites located in both countries, diverse research topics emerged. Using a realistic narrative method, we describe, for each topic, the subjective trajectories and objective outcomes achieved by the participants through their activities, which defined their sense of action, allowed the success of these collective works and ensured their concrete impact for the conservation and protection of the natural sites. We then examine the project’s organization using an apparatus that highlights five key organizational processes: 1) the foundation of a common ground through a theoretical framework experienced in the natural sites, 2) the emergence of research topics, 3) the fulfillment of these projects, 4) the diffusion of scientific results, and 5) the dissemination of knowledge to society. We finally discuss the results of our project in terms of sense of place, ecological sensemaking and sensegiving to demonstrate their role in the development of a holistic view of natural heritage that overcomes epistemic differences and culminates in activities of knowledge-sharing that breaks barriers and opens dialogue between science and society.