April 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 56

in

Vol u n t e e r S po t li g h t

Beth Miller

A marketing expert takes the " conservation conversation " to the national level

B

messaging and empowerment for the
protection of the land. We have to provide a solid vision of success, identify
our partners in the community, talk
to target audiences who will be early adopters of conservation-oriented viewpoints, and communicate that
message in relevant and compelling
ways. We must have clear, measurable
objectives based upon solid goals-
and we must execute strong, feasible
strategies.

eth Miller is director of Marketing and Public Information
for Five Rivers MetroParks in
Dayton, Ohio. When NRPA's Conservation Task Force (CTF) went to work in
2010 researching outstanding examples of conservation leadership from
park departments across the nation,
Miller stepped forward to serve on the
stewardship committee. Though she
does not have a background in conservation sciences or parks and recreation,
her main goal was, she says, " to learn
more about how marketing and conservation can work together more effectively and have a larger impact on
mission-based communications. " Miller approached the CTF work energetically-and describes her
volunteer work as an illuminating experience of working with a
wide variety of experts " toward
a common vision of elevated
conservation awareness. "

In documenting the
conservation efforts of Five
Rivers MetroParks, what did
you find most motivating?
The most motivating component for me was the opportunity to advocate for and lead discussions
about the critical nature (no pun intended)
of a strong communication strategy as a
part of any conservation plan. At Five Rivers MetroParks, we had witnessed the success of those efforts (see metroparks.org/
forests) and wanted to take the conversation to the Conservation Task Force to see
if it would translate from the local level to
the national level.
While I knew that many parks had not
had the opportunity to invest in proactive,

54	 Parks & Recreation   A P R I L

What advice would you offer to
your fellow NRPA members who
might want to take some
leadership in conservation
efforts in their agencies but don't
know where to begin?

collaborative, strategic
marketing plans, I found
that the critical ingredient of " established
need " was universally present for all park districts across the
country. Very few, however, planned to
prioritize communications with the public
about their efforts. There is a humility in
the parks and recreation industry which is
admirable but, ultimately, damaging. We
can protect habitat, but the conservation
of the land is not enough if advocacy marketing is not part of the plan.
It may be our job as an agency to protect the land-but it is also our responsibility as a community to advocate through

2 0 1 2    w w w . N R P A . O R G

Just as everyone in your community can contribute to your agency's
conservation efforts, everyone in the
NRPA community can contribute to the
conservation efforts of our industry. I
would encourage all NRPA members
to...well, advocate for advocacy! Invest
in a solid marketing strategy. Gather best
practices from each other. Use NRPA's
collaborative tools to learn what you can
from stellar industry leaders. Then, find
your own compelling story that is aligned
with your mission. Be true to the vision,
the mission, and the message.
A commitment to that vision will help
the public become better stewards of
our land. That grassroots style of stewardship will probably evolve in ways that
we haven't stopped to think about in the
past-but in ways I suspect will also be the
key to a better future for conservation.
Become more involved. Become part of
that future.
-Interview by Maureen Hannan



April 2012 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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