As natural resource professionals, it is important to reach new landowners. However, low response rates to direct mailings or other outreach efforts can be frustrating. Social marketing is one tool that can help elicit a greater response.
The last time you interacted with a landowner in person, over the phone, or by email, did you use the word “forest”? Research suggests that using “woods” or “woodlands” might be a better choice. While the thesaurus may say that “woods” and “forest” are synonyms, to landowners the two terms have different connotations.
Some people prefer to get their news from the paper while others watch TV, listen to the radio, or browse the web. Outreach materials designed for non-industrial private forest owners (NIPF) should take these preferences into account.
Best Management Practices (BMPs) are critical for reducing forestry related water pollution. While land managers must use these guidelines on public forestland, the practices are not mandatory on many private lands in Wisconsin, leaving it up to natural resource professionals to encourage landowners to adopt them voluntarily.
Some people prefer to get their news from the paper while others watch TV, listen to the radio, or browse the web. Outreach materials designed for non-industrial private forest owners (NIPF) should take these preferences into account.
How often have you been at a woodland owner workshop or visited a property and heard a woman who co-owns land with her husband or brother say “I’m with him”? In large part due to forestry being a male-dominated field, women do not feel empowered to ask questions or take an active role in managing their land.