Hosting Awareness Events
If you want to inspire a community to be sustainable and motivated to take action , you must bring the community together . The first thing to consider is how to make your activity fun , engaging and exciting . Then , fit your environmental message into the fun . Including your presentation in a hike , movie night , cookout or competition will always attract more participants than just advertising a meeting .
Enjoy nature ! Host events outside in the environment you are protecting . The goal is not just to educate your audience about conservation , but to encourage people to enjoy nature , feel connected to their environment , and to make conservation part of their everyday culture .
Consider your Audience :
Think about your audience and what they would consider interesting and fun . Children may respond best to hands-on activities and moving quickly through educational stations . Fisherfolk may prefer to hold meetings outdoors . High-level business , governmental or scientific participants might prefer informational PowerPoint presentations .
Promotion :
For many activities , social media and radio are great ways to spread the word . Other events , such as galas or activities with schools and government officials will require formal invitations and permissions .
ASSEMBLE YOUR EVENT PLANNING TEAM
• Create a planning committee far in advance .
• Meet regularly and frequently , even if the event is still a month or two away .
• Set up a recurring meeting ( eg . every Wednesday at 10am ). It may seem unnecessary at first , but it is good to get status updates , and to ensure that people leave space open in their calendar .
• Assign responsibilities so that every item on your to-do list has a name next to it . Do not add items to the list , without discussing and notifying who is responsible .
• Send out meeting minutes after each meeting with updates on what was decided , outstanding items and who is responsible .
Youth in St . Kitts and Nevis participate in a beach clean up . © Department of Marine Resources
EVENT TIPS
• Take care of your staff or volunteers . Will they need water , lunch or bathroom breaks ?
• Make sure your event is ZERO WASTE . Plan for trash removal , use reusable or compostable utensils and limit paper .
• Consider permissions and safety . Do you need permits to play music ? Do you need first aid , security guards ?
Conservation Outreach Manual - Page 6