EcoSource-
Linking Environmental Activists With Information
By Craig Minowa |
.......... |
The EcoSource website
is now the most used online area environmental resource
in northern Minnesota |
Environmental
Association for Great Lakes Education (EAGLE)
394 Lake Avenue S., Suite #308
Duluth, MN 55802
contact@eagle-ecosource.org
http://EAGLE-EcoSource.org
In
northeastern Minnesota there was no comprehensive resource
that the general public, learning institutions, government
agencies, and environmental professionals could refer
to in regards to Lake Superior organizations, issues,
informtion, and events. General citizens, educators, policy
makers, journalists, and environmental professionals seeking
environmental information were forced to play a virtual
guessing game when it came to finding the appropriate
individuals/organizations to contact in regards to their
questions.
In fact, of the 66 organizations
now listed in the Eco-Source Directory, 90% cannot be
found in the Yellow Pages. What’s even more shocking
is the fact that 80% of the coastal nonprofit environmental
organizations can’t be found anywhere in the phone book.
For those 20% that are listed in the phone book, it’s
next to impossible for the general citizen to have any
idea of who is working on what.
Abandoning the telephone
search for information and moving on to the internet,
one is faced with the fact that nearly half the coastal
region’s nonprofit environmental organizations are not
online, and mainstream search engines fail to list a majority
of those coastal organizations that are online.
In January of 1994, the Minnesota Sea
Grant sponsored a forum entitled Lake Superior’s Future.
Participants each completed a survey on the goals and
strategies of the Minnesota Lake Superior region. The
#1 goal, at 94%, was to put more time, energy, and funding
into Lake Superior education and outreach to increase
appreciation of the area. The Minnesota Coastal Eco-Source
Project, a project of the Environmental Association for
Great Lakes Education (EAGLE), directly addressed that
goal by creating a website directory of environmental
organizations and information.
What do you consider
the key to your success?
GLAHNF
funding, combined with the fact that this was desperately
needed in this area, paved the way for this program’s
success. It was also important to work closely with area
environmental organizations via a variety of methods (e.g.,
Phone, email, snail mail, fax, etc.). Repeated follow-up
with these busy environmental organizations guaranteed
that the directory would be as thorough and inclusive
as possible to ensure its success. Also allowing a wide
variety of groups to be involved (nonprofits, businesses,
government agencies, learning institutions) gave the program
greater appeal to the general public and professionals.
The program is also made accessible to the public through
the internet, a 24-hr. hotline, and a hard copy directory,
thereby allowing people of all incomes to access information
on Minnesota’s environmental resources.
How would you outline
the steps in organizing your project to advise another
group on a similar project?
1) Contact all area groups.
Ask for their information and ask for any other contacts
they may have (we started with a list of about 10 organizations
and are currently close to 80, so it’s important to tap
everyone’s resources).
2) Compile the information
you receive (acquiring all of the information took us
a difficult 2 months of repeated calls, e-mail, and snail
mail).
3) Make sure all participating
organizations have an opportunity to offer ideas on how
the directory should be put together to offer the most
local success.
4) Put together a hotline,
website, and hard copy directory.
5) Follow up with press
releases, advertising and public outreach of the program.
6) Make sure the information
in the directory is regularly updated.
What have been the
effects of this effort on your organization’s work?
Our
organization is now regularly used as a clearinghouse
for environmental information in this area. Many national
environmental groups contact us to help bring together
area organizations to affect policy. We are very active
in helping area groups spread the word about issues and
events they have going on, and we spend a lot of time
answering general questions from citizens.
How has the project
affected your community?
Thanks
to EcoSource, many organizations, citizens, teachers,
journalists, etc. have told us they finally have contact
information for the issues and information they are seeking.
The directory has tightened the network of environmental
groups by allowing us all to work more closely together
via email, phone, and mail. The public is also able to
be more active in issues and organizations that interest
them, because they finally know what is available and
how to contact those organizations. Our EcoSource database
allows us to send out action alerts to citizens and area
groups, thereby creating a strong and united political
force.
What particular stumbling
blocks, challenges, or defeats did you encounter?
-Most environmental
professionals are extrememly busy, so it's hard to get
all of the necessary information in a tiemly manner. Repeated
follow-up was key to solving this problem.
-It was also difficult
to convey the message of what this project was about in
a manner that didn't make organizations feel like they
were signing onto a coalition. Some groups thought there
would be some sort of hidden cost to them. Persistence
and clear communication was integral to resolving this.
-Our only other problem
is that the project is so successful, staff doesn't have
enough time to answer all of the incoming questions. It's
hoped that future grants and donations will resolve this.
How many people were
involved?
When
we started the program, we had contact information for
about 10 area environmental groups. EcoSource now features
information on nearly 100 groups.
How was public involvement
motivated and facilitated?
The
public has been involved and motivated by advertisements
of the program (Yellow Pages), press releases, public
radio spots, an email action network, website, access
to the hard copy directory in a number of establishments
around town, a regular Local Environmental News
column in a local paper, informational tables at local
events, a 24-hour hotline, and in-office staff.
How was public education
a component of your program?
The
program is almost completely about public education: teaching
the public about the wide spectrum of local environmental
issues, organizations, and events, and helping them use
that information to bring about change.
What was the primary
means of communication?
1) email
2) phone
3) mail
4) face-to-face
What resources were
available/acquired/tapped into?
Total
cost to date is about $15,000 but the project is in dire
need of funding to allow it to function at the level area
citizens and organizations require.
Environmental
Association for Great Lakes Education (EAGLE)
394 Lake Avenue
S., Suite #308
Duluth, MN 55802
contact@eagle-ecosource.org
http://EAGLE-EcoSource.org
|
