Telling Your Conservation StoryBasic Tips, Insights and Examples

1. Define Your Message

2. Plan & Strategize

3. Craft Your Message for the Media

1. Define Your MessageTell me a story!Why should I care? What’s so special about the land you’re trying to conserve?

What’s Your Story? Water quality protection Views Recreational opportunities Agricultural land (local foods) Wildlife habitat Location: close to other conserved properties, “room

to roam” Rare or uncommon natural community Cultural history – stone walls, cellar holes, old mines

and quarries, charcoal kilns, past industry that’s part of the town’s cultural identity

Sense of urgency: much development in area, a “for sale” sign has gone up

Hooksett 1 Hooksett 2 Gilmanton Mason Merrimack Tamworth Belknaps

2. Plan and Strategize When to Reach Out

Beginning: Announce the projectMiddle: Share successes & milestones “Success begets more success.”

Keep up momentum with stories Invite people to events Report on those eventsEnd: Celebrate success, thank supporters:

“We did it!”

Where to Reach OutBegin with the end in mind. What outcome do you want? Support at town meeting? Donations? Attendance at events? Inspire landowners?

Knowing your desired outcome will determine what channels you use:

Letters to editor Press release to media outlets

Events calendars Direct mail to neighbors

Newsletter Town’s or CC’s website,

Town’s or CC’s Facebook page Flyers to hang up at the local library, etc.

Calendar 1Calendar 2

3. Craft Your MessageUse language that resonates with people!

Not this!We want this….

Craft Your Message

Download a copy of “The Language of Conservation 2013: Updated Recommendations on How to Communicate Effectively to Build Support for Conservation” from https://www.conservationgateway.org/Files/Pages/language-conservation-mem.aspx

Yes: clean drinking water, nature as a source of health & wellnessNo: global warming, “green infrastructure”

link

Press Release Tips5 Ws and H: Who, What, Where, When, Why, HowRemember your messaging strategy: Put the Why up high -- in headline, subhead or first paragraph

What else to include?Contact name, phone number and emailHeadline suggestion Photo – attach to email, high resolutionPhoto caption at bottom of press releaseMap – attach to emailLink to CC’s webpage for more info.

Press Release TipsGo online or call -- find email addresses and

names of local editorsWeeklies are terrific!E-mail press releases - Paste press release into body of the e-mail instead of attaching - Put “press release” into subject line - Attach photo and map (if available)

CONTACT: Brenda Charpentier

(603) 224-9945, ext. 301 bcharpentier@forestsociety.org

Donations Spark Conservation of 245-Acre Forest in Washington

Popular snowmobile trail forms property’s boundary

CONCORD – July 2, 2014 – With start-up grants and donations totaling $85,000, the Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests (Forest Society) and the Washington Conservation Commission are teaming up to raise $248,000 to buy and conserve a 245-acre forest above Millen Lake in Washington. “The MacNeil family has generously offered to sell their land at a discount to the Forest Society so that the great wildlife habitat, timber resources and recreation opportunities there can be conserved,” said Brian Hotz, the Forest Society’s vice president of land conservation. The Davis Foundation has provided $10,000, the Washington Conservation Commission has pledged $20,000 and individual donors have contributed $55,000 to get the project started. The property, accessed from Farnsworth Hill Road, links several properties already conserved by the towns of Lempster and Washington and the Forest Society. It abuts the Forest Society’s Farnsworth Hill Forest, Washington’s Town Forest, the Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest and the Long Pond Town Forest. Jed Schwartz, chair of the Washington Conservation Commission, said conserving the MacNeil property fits in with the town’s vision of linking trail networks between Lempster and Washington, and is an opportunity to expand conserved land for moose, deer, bear, turkeys and other wildlife. “We see it as an important connection piece,” Schwartz said. “It’s just a long-term gain to get this high-value natural resource property under protection for the betterment of our town.” The parcel is located above Millen Lake on one side and above the Ashuelot River on the other. “Conserving it will help protect the water quality of these nearby resources,” Hotz said. “And with its mix of hardwoods and softwoods, much of the property is designated by N.H. Fish and Game’s Wildlife Action Plan as the highest quality habitat in the state” The unmaintained Old Marlow Road, a long-ago main travel route to Washington, is a popular snowmobile trail in winter and a peaceful walking trail past many cellar holes and stone walls in warmer seasons. By buying the property, the Forest Society can guarantee that it will stay open for public recreation into the future. The conservation groups must raise the $248,000 by Aug. 31 to buy the parcel and pay for transaction and stewardship costs. Donations for the project may be made at forestsociety.org or by calling Susanne Kibler Hacker at 224-9945, ext. 314 or by mail to SPNHF, 54 Portsmouth St., Concord, NH, 03301. Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and

CONTACT: Brenda Charpentier, Communications Manager

(603) 224-9945 ext. 301 bcharpentier@forestsociety.org

8-Year-Old Uses Birthday to Raise Money for Dragon Habitat

Groton, N.H., Nov. 27, 2012 — The Forest Society’s effort to conserve 270 acres along the Cockermouth River in Hebron got a boost from an unexpected – and young – benefactor recently. Molly Lu McKellar, 8, of Groton, held a dragon birthday party at a skating rink as a fundraiser and donated $125 to the project. “I dream about dragons using this land,” she wrote in a letter sent with her donation (letter and photo attached). Friends and family members donated at her request, after she heard about the Forest Society’s fundraising campaign to conserve the Hazelton Farm and Forest. The picturesque farm is a well-known local landmark that features extensive frontage along the Cockermouth River and Wise Brook, as well as forest land on Tenney and Crosby mountains. “This was one of the most gratifying letters I’ve ever opened,” said Martha Twombly, capital campaign specialist for the Forest Society. “To see the imagination of a child inspired by the natural world surrounding her bring forth a tangible action to conserve a beautiful forest near her home – isn’t this the most profound connection we hope to instill in all our future generations?” Over 300 individuals have contributed to the Hazelton conservation project along with significant grants from N.H. Fish and Game and the John Gemmill Newfound Fund. The campaign is in the home stretch with several grants still pending. Purchase of a conservation easement on the property will protect it from development while keeping the land open for recreation and agricultural use. Located at the north end of pristine Newfound Lake, the farm’s 35 acres of hayfield overlay a stratified aquifer that drains to the lake, so conserving the property will protect water quality. The property’s forest lands, wetlands, fields and brooks offer some of the highest quality wildlife habitat in the region. The property, owned by the Hazelton family, will remain open to the public for hiking to Bald Knob, Crosby Mountain and Tenney Mountain. Ski and snowmobile trails pass through the land as well. A registered Tree Farm, the forest land is being sustainably managed for wood products and wildlife habitat under the guidance of a professional forester.

CONTACT: Brenda Charpentier, Communications Manager

(603) 224-9945 ext. 301 bcharpentier@forestsociety.org

Weare Farmland Conserved Through Conservation Easement Weare, Dec. 10, 2012 — The Society to Protect N.H. Forests has purchased a conservation easement on 80 acres of land in Weare to protect an important agricultural property near the center of town from development. The purchase was made possible by several grants and strong local support and collaboration. Under the easement, Dale and Barbara Purington will continue to own the land and operate a small beef farm. The easement includes scenic frontage on Quaker Street and along Breed Brook, a tributary of the Piscataquog River that offers exemplary wildlife habitat. Since the Purington land abuts the Forest Society’s 52-acre Breed Forest, conserving it enlarges the protected lands within the area. In addition, the easement will guarantee public pedestrian access for hiking, hunting and fishing. “This property incorporates a lot of conservation value into a relatively small parcel of conserved land,” said Brian Hotz, senior director of strategic projects for the Forest Society. “It’s difficult to raise funds nowadays, but for this project we were able to piece the funding together to achieve a wonderful outcome.” The Forest Society raised $15,000 in private donations, but the bulk of the easement purchase price came from the USDA Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program ($132,000), the Russell Foundation ($65,000), Mildred Hall Trust ($70,000), Weare Conservation Commission ($15,000) and the Emma Sawyer Trust ($32,000). Andrew Fulton, chairman of the Weare Conservation Commission, said the project meets the town’s master plan goal of preserving open space, agricultural lands and prime farmland soils. “We strive to maintain the rural underpinnings of our town in the face of modernity's onrush,” Fulton said. “Farm and range land is a precious commodity, and by helping the Purington Farm maintain its viability, this project is an example of our community coming together to preserve that which we so greatly value.” A former dairy farm, about two-thirds of the property offers important agricultural soils. This heritage was one of the reasons the project was awarded a Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program grant, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the USDA. Since the start of the program in 1996, the NRCS has funded more than 120 agricultural easements in New Hampshire, protecting an estimated 7,500 acres.

CONTACT: Brenda Charpentier, Communications Manager

(603) 224-9945 ext. 301 bcharpentier@forestsociety.org

Conservation Easement Protects Water Supply for Nashua Region

NASHUA – The drinking water supply for residents of Nashua and its surrounding

communities has been protected through a conservation easement on 218 acres of land owned by the Pennichuck Corporation on the north side of Pennichuck Brook, the boundary between the City of Nashua and the Town of Merrimack. The Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests (Forest Society) purchased the easement, which protects the property from future commercial and residential development, in partnership with the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and the city of Nashua. Pennichuck Corporation supplies drinking water to Nashua and 10 surrounding municipalities from an intake just downstream from the protected land.

The project garnered the largest Aquatic Resources Mitigation Fund grant in the history of the DES program because of its significant benefits for water quality and the local ecosystem. The property is rich in natural resources, including a 14-nest heron rookery and more than 63 acres of wetlands, ranging from forested to vernal pools to open water. It’s also home to a state-endangered wetlands plant called Bidens laevis. The N.H. Wildlife Action Plan of the N.H. Fish and Game Dept. classifies 95 percent of the property as Tier 1 (best in state) habitat. “Pennichuck Corporation staff were indispensable in assisting with numerous project details, supporting the completion of due diligence tasks, and working to meet DES requirements,” said Mike Speltz, Forest Society land agent. “The Nashua Conservation Commission supported the initiation of the project and the drafting of the grant request. The city staff, from Mayor Donnalee Lozeau to the financial and planning staffs, cooperated with DES to comply with numerous administrative requirements. John Patenaude, CEO of Pennichuck, provided personal leadership throughout the project to make things happen, both big and small. Wetland scientist Mark West documented the breadth and scope of natural resources on the property, and he will manage the restoration efforts that are an integral part of the project.” The project garnered the largest Aquatic Resources Mitigation Fund grant in the history of the DES program. Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and businesses, the Forest Society’s mission is to perpetuate the state’s forests by promoting land conservation and sustainable forestry. The organization owns 50,000 conserved acres of land in New Hampshire and holds conservation easements on another 115,000 acres. Photo Caption: The Pennichuck conservation easement conserves 218 acres on the north side of Pennichuck Brook. The property features diverse wetlands habitats and hosts a great blue heron rookery. Photo by Mike Speltz.

CONTACT: Brenda Charpentier, Communications Manager

(603) 224-9945 ext. 301 bcharpentier@forestsociety.org

Forest Society teams with community to conserve Hebron farm’s 272 acres

Conservation easement will protect key habitat, water quality in Newfound Region

Concord, Feb. 28, 2013 — Thanks to broad support from the community and state natural resources agencies, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has acquired a conservation easement on 272 acres of land on the Hazelton Farm in Hebron. Under the conservation easement, the Hazelton family will continue to own the property, which will be protected from future development while remaining open to the public for recreational uses. “The Forest Society took on the fundraising effort because the property’s natural resource values are off the charts,” said Brian Hotz, senior director of strategic projects for the Forest Society. Both the Cockermouth River and Wise Brook course through it, and its conservation will protect not only those streams but also nearby Newfound Lake. Its upper reaches include forested hillsides of Crosby and Tenney mountains, and its lowlands offer fields and farmland The property has such high conservation values that the project was awarded all six grants the Forest Society applied for in their entirety – something that rarely happens in land conservation.

“All the funders were very excited about this project,” said Martha Twombly, the Forest Society’s capital campaign specialist. She noted that some of that excitement stemmed from the property’s inclusion in several regional conservation plans, including the Newfound Lake Region Association’s watershed master plan.

Grants came from the John Gemmill Newfound Fund, the N.H. Fish and Game Dept., the Aquatic Resources Mitigation program of the N.H. Dept. of Environmental Services, the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the State Conservation Committee Moose Plate grant and the N.H. Charitable Foundation-Lakes Region.

The project attracted strong support from local communities as well, with contributions from more than 300 individuals and organizations, including the Pemi-Baker Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Hebron Conservation Commission. “We’ve been thrilled with the outpouring of support,” Twombly said.

Leave no stone unturned… look for more ways to communicate your message. Communication is key!