PLJV Communications & Education Overview

• Landscape

• Structure

• Strategic Plans

• Tools

• Evaluation

Landscape: People

• Rural, sparsely populated• Agriculture-based• 95 percent privately owned• Absentee ownership• Economically depressed

communities• Aging – average age of

farmer 55-60• Out-migration of youth• Shifting demographics • DIY mentality• Strong community bonds• Distrust of outsiders/gov

Landscape: Land cover• Short and mixed-grass prairie

• 60,000 playas• Rivers and streams – intermittent

• Some Pine ridge/woodlands• Unpredictable weather – high and dry

• ~12 million acres of CRP• Agricultural fields – wheat, corn, cotton, soy

• Cattle ranches

Landscape: Conservation Issues• Ogallala Aquifer depletion• 70+ percent of playas altered• 50+ percent of playas filled with sediment• Invasive species • Declining bird populations – LEPC, NOPI, LETE, MOPL• Prairie fragmentation • Energy development• Agricultural impacts

Structure

• 1 full time staff: Communications Team Leader• Education and Outreach Team

– Currently 11 members from 8 orgs

• Local Conservation Partnerships (LCPs)– Grassroots alliances– Landowners, resource managers, conservation orgs,

community leaders– “Mini-JVs”

• PLJV staff communicates regionally• EOT and LCPs communicate state/locally/nationally

Strategic Plans

PLJV Master Plan:– Created in 2002– Communications

and Education are core elements

– Updated annually– Establishes

Measures for Success

PLJV ELEMENTS

Strategic Plan: Communications

• Identify target audiences– Landowners, resource managers, media

• Identify key messages– Recharge, economics, cooperative

conservation, what are playas?

• Create appropriate comm. products

• Review audiences and messages annually

• Track and evaluate success

Strategic Plan: Education

• Identify target audiences– Landowners, resource managers, teachers,

students, education orgs

• Identify and publicize existing resources

• Support development of new resources

• Largely partner-driven

• Most accomplished through PLJV grants

Tools: Comm & EduWhat Goes OUT

• Web site• Monthly Playa Post• Fact sheets• Weekly radio show• Playa film• News releases• Media kit• Display unit• Photos• Educator Resource

Guide

What Comes IN• Editorial calendar• Contacts database• Grants program• Survey results• Web site tracking• Media coverage tracking• EOT input• Partner/LCP input• PLJV staff input• Media relations

Evaluation

• Usage tracking:– # web site hits– # media coverage– # of products

distributed– # PPost subscribers– # of target audiences

reached– # films distributed

• Ultimate Measure of Success:– change in knowledge,

attitudes and behavior

• Ultimate Measure Techniques:– High Plains

Landowner Survey– Post-film Survey

Evaluation

• High Plains Landowner Survey:– 74 percent of playa landowners willing to conserve

playas/wetlands.– 50 percent don’t know playas recharge the aquifer.– 68 percent say wildlife is #1 benefit of playas

• Post-film survey:– Doubled playa awareness (50 percent aware vs. 98

percent)– Tripled concern for playas (24 percent say playas are

threatened vs. 72 percent)

Evaluation

Correlating to Biological planning:If 74 percent of all playa landowners in BCR 18 Texas conserved their playas

Area would support:- 26% of goal for shorebirds in total non-

breeding seasons– 64% of goal for waterfowl in total non-

breeding seasons