People respond to organizations that
they know and trust and that have done good things
for them in the past. A sustained history in the community
will go a long way toward building that level of trust
and response.
The Asset
Map is a step in the right direction and will
help to establish the watershed identity in the
communities. A simple picture of the watershed,
the towns, the river, and their relation to each
other is the first step toward letting people know
where they are and how they are connected.
Activities like the Earth
Day clean-up and RI Rivers Day in June will also
establish the Council's presence as a vehicle for
action. Not everyone is willing, ready, or able
to participate in a Council meeting but if they
connect the name with an activity, they might be
more inclined to respond in the future.
Likewise, "in-the-ground" projects
will go a long way to build faith and show the community
that the Council is doing worthwhile projects and
should be supported. (e.g. the project through the
Riparian Buffer Restoration grant)
There are many marketing schemes
that could be utilized to help build awareness (maps,
billboards, placemats, bookmarks, etc.) although
a full-blown campaign seems premature. Perhaps a
thorough needs analysis of the population would
go further toward assessing what people know, want,
and need, and how better to target efforts.
