As I’m growing as a naturalist, it’s surprising to me how much of the subject matter deals directly with my work as a communicator for the National Wildlife Federation. In my Wetlands Ecosystems class we went over restoration techniques that truly could offer help for those trying to tackle their social media or communications strategy (in ways you wouldn’t expect).
So– next time you’re planning a project of any kind– I highly recommend checking out the below process and substituting the land management terminology with whatever marketing vocabulary you see working here. I think it’s a helpful reminder of how we lay out projects and goals to achieve a greater mission.
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1. Planning
A. Evaluation of the trends and needs of the whole system
- Status of the resources
- Historic conditions, so you can determine the rates of loss
- Define the ecological needs and critical functions
- Define the human uses/needs, both social and economic
B. Establish restoration priorities for the whole watershed/estuary and develop goals (Include multiple stakeholders)
C. Develop a framework for implementation that all conducting restoration work agree to follow
2. Project Development
A. Set clear goals for the project that link to regional planning
B. Determine the technology or approach that is most appropriate for the goal and the site
C. Design monitoring that allows you to:
- Determine progress of goal
- Practice adaptive management (allows midproject corrections)
- Export lessons learned- both positive and negative
- Contribute to the system-wide monitoring
D. Leverage resources to maximize benefits, including coordinating your project with others that are in the area.
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It’s amazing how much this document can apply to planning outside of the restoration sphere. I love the emphasis it places on monitoring and adjusting as you go. So much of the success you have when planning social media (or any project for that matter) comes from coordination as well as considering the whole ecosystem.
The Net Naturalist 
Hi Danielle,
I am trying to set up a gift for my wife’s 30th birthday, and I have some questions about a donation to the NWF. I tried to email you at your NWF email and it came back to me. Would you mind sharing a better way to email you? My contact info should be attached to this comment. Thank you for your time!
Hey Ray! I’m sorry I don’t update this blog hardly enough– you are incredibly thoughtful. Mind emailing me at brigidad@nwf.org? It’s probably too late but maybe I could send you and your wife a thank you card for the thought of it!