reaching beyond the choir: to underserved private forest landowners
Post on 02-Jan-2016
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Reaching Beyond the Choir:To Underserved Private
Forest Landowners
Adam K. Downing
Forestry & Natural Resources Agent, Northern District
Situation
• A relatively rapid rate of ownership turnover.• Need to continually attract new and unreached
landowners to educational opportunities.
Fig 2. Forestland ownership in Extension’s Northern District.
Public 7%
Forest Industry 6%
Private Forest Landowner
87%
Fig 1. Virginia’s land use distribution.
Wetland 4%Water 2% Residential 3%
Transitional 1%
Agriculture24%
Forest68% 120,000 landowners,
2.4 million acres
Goals• Reach Forest landowners
– “bring them into the fold”
• Educational objectives:– As a result of attending an all day conference, participants will….
• Identify one or more specific stewardship actions to take on their land.
• Network with other landowners.• “Get connected” with public and private natural
resource professionals.
Methods & “keys”
• 2 day-long conferences– mix of session types: general & concurrent– Accessible location– Time of year and Saturday– Mix of material: large & small acreage owners
• silviculture, invasive control, fish ponds, wildlife habitat, alternative income opportunities, tree id, backyard birding, forest history, forest future, myths, planning, cost share programs, selling timber, etc., etc.
Methods & “keys” - continued
• Planning Committee– Broad representation: natural resource
related agencies, landowners, associations, etc.
– Keep it “nimble”– Meet once to brain storm topics, identify a
good balance (acreage)
Methods & “keys” – continued
• Marketing– Take advantage of
“WILDLIFE”– “Couple” friendly
registration– Exciting word choice
Methods & “keys”
- continued
• Promotion– Quad-fold
brochure– Posters– E-mail notices– Newsletter
announcements– Press releases
Methods & “keys”
• $ support– First year = grant– Subsequent years = sponsors– 2 forest industry sponsors at $200.00 each
• Increases “buy-in” • Helps the budget• Looks good on faculty reports
Impacts• 684 individual participants.
~ 66% each year are new to Nat. Res. Education
• ~ 80% each year identify at least one action to take
• 1-year follow-up:– 89% indicated they had put into practice something on their land– 78% identified more than one action they had taken
Keep up the good work; best use of my tax dollars I can think of!
Thank you for providing an opportunity to enhance my property’s usefulness and future.
Super opportunity to network with all the various agencies.
Impacts
Attendee distribution from 2005
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