One of Steward's main professional roles is to communicate information about ecology, both within the scientific community and to a larger public audience. Writing a column for his local newspaper allows Steward to reach a whole group of people who are not likely to read about his findings in a scientific journal. Communication is a really important part of science, and students should do whatever they can to develop these skills. Not everyone can do everything well, but you really need to find some ways to communicate with which you're comfortable and effective. When I was a university professor, students seemed to assume they had to gather knowledge on their own.
Ecology is something done by a community of people.
The freer you are in communicating with that community, the more fun you're going to have, and the more you're going to learn. When thinking about his own life as an ecologist, Steward is enthusiastic. One of the things that amazes me most about my ecological career is that I have been places on this planet that I never imagined I would see. It's one thing to read about rain forests and other ecosystems, but once you actually see them, all that stuff you've been reading really clicks in. I found that I may have a framework, but understanding really falls together once I see things myself.