Challenge 3: Seeding out NIU, mission, stories and growing the community
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The NIU plans to grow in an open networked way, at this moment it needs some short term comms/engagement tactics and assets to help it grow. What could we do to kickstart momentum around the NIU mission?
Stimulus
The NIU's most resourceful officers have been gathering intelligence for this brief. Check out their intel below...
Inspiration: Mindfulness Everywhere. A set of beautifully-designed cards which bring awareness, calm and kindness to wherever you are.
“Any of the ones that have incentives, the more that you see, the more that you do you get rewards for. Any projects where you’re rewarded for not only spotting but doing something, putting a feeder out in the garden, building a nestbox, volunteering would be great.”
Inspiration: Wildlife drawing classes happening regularly at this very venue. Another way to engage with nature - the aim is to inspire a sense of appreciation and understanding for the animals and their conservation.
“I’m worried about the sanctity of green spaces...the current government’s policies around new housing. There’s a lack of non economically viable spaces in the city. I think it’s important that there are spaces that don’t make money in the city.”
“48% of the people we surveyed said they try to identify the birds they see and hear
45% do the same with plants, trees and flowers”
“I grew up in a very remote place, we had an acute awareness of weather systems and tides. It was a pre technology behaviour. What are these pre-technology behaviours that we’ve forgotten about ? I think there might be something useful in that for NIU.”
Inspiration: Guerilla Science creates events and installations for festivals, museums, galleries, and other clients, connecting people with science in new ways, and producing live experiences that entertain, inspire, challenge and amaze.
“Framing it as asking for help and asking them for contributions especially with kids could be genius. Children find it hard to express their needs and wants so taking back their agency and sense of their own power is really useful”
Inspiration: The Derby Museum's co-produced Nature Gallery aims to excite and inspire people to take notice of their ‘own natural world’.
“To get a bigger picture, that would be nice. You don’t always see that. It’s an extra motivator to see the fruits of the research. That’s important.”
“Over a third of Britons grow their own fruit and veg”
Ideas
In February 2016, nature intelligence officers Swarmed around this challenge for 48 hours. Here are the initial ideas...
Idea: #NoticeNature. Nature intelligence facts illustrated onto people's Instagram photos.
Idea: Blue plaques linking the nature of the past with places of the present.
Idea: The Earthonauts. A photo series on Instagram following two lego people from outer space as they explore nature on Earth.
Idea: Lost posters asking the public to join a search to find Gary the Beetle who has gone missing.
Idea: Love letters from nature are left for unsuspecting members of public to find. Your secret admirer might be closer than you think.
What's next?
The NIU is working on a plan to hatch the ideas with the most potential to get us humans noticing nature. We'd love to hear from you if you have more ideas to add to the mix. Please leave your thoughts in the comments box below.
