The Cost of Casting Animals as Heroes and Villains in Conservation Science

Are wild pigs destroying ecological communities? Are all birds “good”? In an article from The Conversation, U-M ecologists Adam Meyer and Kristy Ferraro examine the common “hero-villain” storytelling trope in ecology and conservation writing and explain why these labels rarely capture the complexity of real ecosystems. They also highlight alternative ways scientists can engage readers without oversimplifying ecological relationships.