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Make MN Buff Campaign

Flyer for University of Minnesota Students

The campaign’s concept is based on Gov. Mark Dayton’s buffer bill to enforce 50ft buffers for lakes and rivers in agricultural parts of Minnesota. The buffer is made of

native prairie plants and shrubs, an emblem of the beautiful Minnesota landscape. The buffer is to provide habitat for wildlife, reduce pesticide runoff, erosion, and

ensure clean water. My focus on buffers would be a way to gain wildlife habitat, particularly for pollinators which are in steep population decline.

I created a campaign with a tabling event on University of Minnesota campus that actively engaged targets to participate with flyers, petition, and photography. The

Campaign partnered with Pollinator Friendly Alliance to advance information on bee habitat and current news on how to help.

Flyers There are two examples of my flyer below. The Left side is the front portion and

the right would be the back of the flyer .The front is about why the buffer is important

for water, bees and the individual; the back is how to personally act bee-friendly.

Buffer Sticker Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee. The stickers were used for handing to students at the table,

distributed at governmental board meetings on the Buffer Bill for visual support,

and a way to market a campaign. Stickers get the word out when users attach the

stickers onto visible locations (laptop, coat, etc.).

Social Media #Hashtag, Facebook Page, Instagram Social media platforms are valuable to interact with each other, post content, and receive

updates and information relevant to environmental interests. However, social media is just

one sector of the start of a revolution, not the foundation of one.

Instagram Is very popular with our target so we created a profile called Spread Their Word,

a combined campaign for various animal advocates (bees, monarchs, and pheasants, wolves)

in order to gain a broader audience when tabling outside campus. I wore a costume (bee suit)

for visual affect when taking pictures with participants. We cut out animal photos and put them on sticks for participants to take

pictures with. We would tag participants in the picture with their petition information

and then tell them to “spread their word”.

TACTIC: We used hashtags like #MakeMNBuff under the picture to promote buffers along with a small comment, “Gov. Mark Dayton wants buffers

of beautiful prairie to clean our drinking waters and give endangered wildlife a home! Help us spread the word!”

Kept up with current news relevant buffers. Information Spanned from studies of

what’s in Minneapolis tap water, to festivals promoting bee friendly habitats that

people can attend and understand the significance of bees. This was a channel to

work with other pollinator advocates and cast light on their projects as well as mine.

Facebook is named “face” for the sense that your name can be publically threatened

or promoted by a comment or a post from followers. Therefore, when we comment

on our decision-maker’s profile, we are making a statement about them that is

publically on display and therefore powerful.

TACTIC: “Sign Up” button was linked to my petition.

POSTS

EMAIL Promote tabling on April 29th Email blasts have more in depth information than social media can give.

Also, emails are for those that are interested in pollinators, thus, they are

more likely to read and support the event.

#Make MN Buff! The Bees need our help

Please come to the tabling April 29th

To show your support

Gov. Mark Dayton proposes a bill to support

Pollinator habitat AND clean water

called a Buffer

April 29th

Behind Coffman Building

2 pm

Gov. Dayton issued to place permanent vegetation along our

prideful bodies of water we drink from! We want the bill to ensure

that this vegetation is native prairie to provide essential habitat for

our native pollinators and species. Also, the buffer works as a filter to reduce

toxic run-off from getting into our water. Today, less than two percent of

Minnesota’s native prairie remains. It is up to us to preserve MN’s culture

that thrives between our wildflowers and the wings of our bees.

Minnesota beekeepers are noticing a 30-50% decline of honeybee’s, reducing

our economy and agriculture industry! Without pollinators, we would be without

our vital intake of fruits, nuts, and vegetables as bee directly pollinator

one in three bites on our plates! With the buffer, we can solve two problems endangering

Minnesota the great: support our bees and our native prairie!

ALSO PLEASE SEND A TWEET TO OUR LEGISLATURES: “I support Mark Dayton’s Buffer Bill to help support pollinator habitat, clean waters, and request that

the buffer is MN native prairie certified!” #MakeMNBuff

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENC

Music and Environment

Lyrics of This Land is Your Land

This land is your land,

Along the shoreline of the Mississippi,

I see a beach babe in a itsy bitsy bikini,

What’s even better, she was there for planting,

A buffer of MN native prairie

This land is your land, This land is my land

We need to remember that all our bounties

rely on pollinators, that nourishes our bodies

and gives us the colors of our beautiful raspberries

This land cannot thrive without our allies

without our honey the economy will get hungry

our lives will be less sweeter as the fruit trees become bleaker

But do not worry, we can still save our lil’ homies

Photography Art and Environment

Bee Well,

TESS ERGEN