**TALKING CONSERVATION:**

**WHAT WE SAY/WHAT THE PUBLIC HEARS**

**COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH**

**FOCUS GROUP REPORT**

Prepared for:

National Association of Conservation Districts

Social Sciences Team, Natural Resources Conservation Service

National Association of State Conservation Agencies

by

Marketing Horizons, Inc.

St. Louis, Missouri

September 1997

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

> **Page**

+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY                              | **2**      |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| SUMMARY FINDINGS                                        | **3**      |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| RECOMMENDATIONS                                         | **4**      |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| AWARENESS OF CONSERVATION ISSUES                        | **5**      |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| FAMILIARITY WITH CONSERVATION TERMINOLOGY               | **7**      |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| REACTION TO CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION MISSION           | **12**     |
| STATEMENTS                                              |            |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| PREFERENCES REGARDING CONSERVATION MOVEMENT LEADERS,    | **16**     |
| SERVICES, AND INDIVIDUAL INVOLVEMENT                    |            |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| CONSERVATION DISTRICT SERVICES PERCEIVED TO BE          | **18**     |
|                                                         |            |
| MOST BENEFICIAL                                         |            |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE LOCAL SUPPORT                    | **20**     |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| EVALUATION OF TEST ADS                                  | **22**     |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| NACD BROCHURE EVALUATION                                | **24**     |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+

**BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY**

Purpose:

-   To gain insight from consumers regarding conservation issues of
    importance, and to ascertain the best ways by which to communicate
    and induce involvement in conserving the environment.

-   Specific topical issues addressed by the research included:

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-   Discussion of issues and terminology associated with conservation.

-   Assessment of five conservation organization mission statements.

-   Measurement of preferences regarding conservation movement leaders,
    services, and individual involvement.

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-   Evaluation of test ads and NACD brochure.

Methodology:

-   In order to meet the objectives of this study, four focus groups
    were held with suburban and urban residents during July 1997 at the
    following locations:

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-   Boston, Massachusetts---July 14, 1997

-   Atlanta, Georgia---July 15, 1997

-   St. Louis, Missouri---July 16, 1997

-   Burbank, California---July 28, 1997.

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-   Earl Wims, Chairman of Marketing Horizons, served as moderator for
    the meetings.

-   Participants were screened to ensure a cross-section of the
    population, including:

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-   A mix of males and females distributed by age.

-   Representation of ethnic/racial backgrounds (Caucasian, African
    American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American).

**SUMMARY FINDINGS**

The following findings are based on the results of the four focus, and
while they should not be taken as conclusive, they do represent the
general feelings of a diverse group of individuals from various parts of
the U.S.

-   It cannot be assumed that the general public has an adequate
    understanding of terminology related to conservation to understand
    and be influenced by messages directed to them.

-   The public understanding of conservation issues is largely based on
    popular/headline opinion of the day.

-   Consumers generally do not think in terms of private land
    conservation and do not connect with associated benefits.

-   There was a consistent feeling throughout the research that the
    major focus should be on education and information, especially with
    the youth.

-   People are interested in learning what they can do for the
    environment in their own backyards.

-   The primary focus was recommended to be on local government
    involvement, with state and federal support.

-   There is a general mistrust of politicians and business.

-   There is a broad-based willingness to volunteer on their own terms.

-   Messages must be few and briefly stated in to improve public
    awareness.

-   Nature-oriented messages and graphics have strong public appeal.

-   There is a public concern about the negative impact conservation
    efforts may have on jobs and business success.

**RECOMMENDATIONS**

-   Messages must be expressed in terms the public understands, as it
    was apparent that most of the terminology tested would not convey
    the intended message. Terminology must be used that is not technical
    in nature, understood only by those professionals in the field.

-   Most words need supplemental explanation, with specific examples, in
    order to be understood.

-   Fewer words and messages must be used in public communication tools
    if the messages are to gain the attention and interest of the
    audience.

-   In order to ensure that messages will be effective, they should be
    tested with the targeted public audience (local and national level).

-   Design and test graphics and messages with personal (relevant)
    appeal.

-   Identify partnership entities who have an interest/ability to
    communicate.

-   Emphasize "water quality," a well understood and important issue.

-   Use the phrase "natural resources" freely.

-   Use "conservation," but give some explanation to ensure the
    interpretation is consistent with the goals of the Conservation
    Partnership. This explanation must include the emphasis on private
    lands because consumers today generally limit their interpretation
    to that of preservation related to public lands.

-   Focus on the locally-led conservation concept, but take care to
    explain what it means to the public.

-   Work the volunteer element into public outreach efforts.

-   Don't make the public choose between conservation and business
    success.

-   Reinforce benefits of private land conservation to the public
    (provide specific examples).

-   GOAL=UNIFIED APPROACH to public communications.

**AWARENESS OF CONSERVATION ISSUES**

-   When respondents were asked what topics came to mind when they heard
    the term conservation, mentions included:

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-   Forest preservation

-   Endangered species

-   Waste management

-   Alternative energy sources

-   Preservation of natural resources

-   Recycling

-   Fuel and electric efficiency

-   National/state/community parks

-   Clean air

-   Water conservation.

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-   In addition, when asked to name the key problems or issues
    associated with conservation today, responses included:

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-   Air pollution

-   Global warming

-   Endangered species

-   Water conservation

-   Reduction of the rain forest

-   Lack of international cooperation

-   Educating people on how to conserve

-   Balancing the needs of business/corporations versus land
    preservation

-   Government laws/regulations regarding conservation.

"Something that bothers me is the air pollution."

"Global warming is an issue now, too, with conservationists because of
the emissions from the steam-fired coal plants . . . "

"I always think of the spotted owl versus the lumbering business in the
far northwest."

"Endangered species versus humans."

"I keep coming back to the water usage in Atlanta. I mean, for example,
you've got a fairly small river providing water for a rather large
city."

"The reduction of the rain forest. That seems to be an issue, too."

"The lack of international cooperation."

"Getting back to conserving and not throwing stuff away is the whole
issue of landfills. The amount of space it takes, where we throw
everything away, the stuff we are throwing away that doesn't need to be
thrown away. Stuff that will be there for thousands of years."

"On a more personal level, the lack of education of the people on how to
conserve."

"What about getting people to change habits? On a personal level, it's
easier to just keep doing things the way that we are doing. But, \[we
need to\] educate them to the point where they feel motivated to change
their habits, and do it on their own."

"I think the conflict of trying to preserve what we have within free
enterprise. Companies that want to use the resources kind of trying to
find the balance between that."

"Government laws mandate how we can and can't conserve. Tied in with
businesses trying to make money out of conserving, and at the same time
making it difficult for persons to actually do the recycling. For
instance, the trash company that we use charges us to pick up our
recyclables. So, why would anybody want to have an extra bill?"

"I'm not really sure how to phrase it, but say, between a corporation
who wants to come in and do a development and people that want to
preserve that particular kind of land . . . where do you find the proper
mix there?"

"I think another part of the conflict issue is the waste, and let me
explain that. In certain parts of the country \[like\] western states
\[such as\] Montana, Idaho, Utah, miles and miles of that land is public
free range. The ranchers in that part of the country would like to use
that range to fatten beef cattle and so on and so forth. But, the
government has a stipulation on its usage. So, it can't be used. So, you
have a rancher that needs to use it so he can take a product to market,
fatten up cattle, whatever. But, the government says he can't use it.
So, he watches his cattle basically wither away and starve. He's not
able to do that so he can't understand the regulation that the
government has pertaining to public land. There is a huge conflict."

"Also, related to the recreation, is the use of the state parks where
people like to camp and go out to the parks where people might want to
hunt. So, there is a conflict of the recreation related to non-lethal
activities and then hunting."

**FAMILIARITY WITH CONSERVATION TERMINOLOGY**

Focus group attendees were asked to provide their level of understanding
of a list of terms used in communications associated with conservation
based on the following categories:

Never heard of the term---don't understand

Heard of the term---don't understand

Some idea of the meaning of the term

Understand term---could explain to others

The terms below are coded as follows to show the general understanding
that respondents feel they have of the term:

\* Virtually all think they understand

\*\* About one-third say they don't understand

\*\*\* One-half or more say they don't understand

A sample of quotes from participants who thought they understood the
term are also presented.

\* [Conservation]{.underline}---Respondents were confident they
understood this term. However, their understanding was basically in the
context of the preservation of resources.

"Preservation of all resources."

"Preservation of natural resources for future generations."

"Not to be wasteful."

"I would say to just protect and preserve."

"The maintaining of our natural environment and resources."

\* [Natural Resources]{.underline}---Participants also thought they were
knowledgeable regarding this expression, and for the most part, they
were correct.

"Things produced by nature, such as minerals or water that have limited
quantities."

"Non-man made."

"Water, air, land, trees, food."

"Things that come from the earth."

"Things occurring in nature that can be used for man's benefit."

\* [Water Quality]{.underline}---Easily understood, and felt to be very
important, by respondents.

"Swimmable \[water would be good quality water\]."

"Drinkable \[water would be good quality water\]."

"What I thought about that was how pure or unpure the water was."

"The ratio of pollutants and chemicals to just clean water. "

"Turbidity, and if you're not familiar with the word, that's just a
number of particulates in the water. And, even if that's natural,
organic, that turbidity has a lot to do with water quality."

"Poor water quality would be where . . . animal and plant life couldn't
even live anymore."

"You have natural spring water or you have water somebody dumps their
toxics into. That is kind of like the two ends of the extreme. Water
quality---is it clean, are the fish dying left and right? Are they going
in and coming out with their skin falling off?"

\*\* [Technical Assistance]{.underline}---Respondents had an idea of the
general concept but were generally unable to accurately connect this
term in its application to conservation.

"Calling somebody who has some expertise in the area you're concerned
about."

"Help of a technical nature by experts in the field."

"An expert who helps a novice with a question or problem. I guess tying
that in agriculture, it may be the guy down at the seed farm, or it may
be the local farm bureau, or it may be the soil conservationist in
Jefferson City."

"Aiding people in technical areas, or providing solutions or help. Like
\[if\] they don't know how to conserve, maybe providing ways to help
them to conserve."

"In relation to best management practices or something like that, it's
like if you expect technical assistance you're looking to people who
have studied and might have some clue as to what's going on to help
conservation in one way or another."

"What technology and biochemistry can offer in conservation efforts."

"The research and development that supports the process or product.
Especially in corn-growing states, you have a lot of hybrid seeds that
you use and a lot of things go into that. It's technical support for
that."

\*\* [Wetlands]{.underline}---Consumers usually associated this term
with areas such as, swamps, marshes, the Everglades, areas that collect
water when it rains, and man-made bodies of water resulting from dams.

"Tidal marshes."

"Swamp lands."

"Everglades."

"Swamps and marshes that support a variety of life."

"Any area designated to have plant or animal life which survive in
certain wet types of soil. That's a wetland."

"Water fall close to river drainage systems that are usually frequented
by ducks and geese."

"A navigable waterway in this country, as designated by the Corps of
Engineers, can be a dry ditch. It fills up with water when it rains.
That's considered a wetland."

"Swampy locales that have delicate interdependent plant and animal
relationships."

\*\* [Stewardship]{.underline}---Respondents generally understood the
meaning of stewardship in terms such as, protection, management,
leadership, or giving or sharing.

"Knowing your responsibility for protecting something."

"I think it is sort of protection of a project, or leadership involved
in a specific area. Like maybe a congressman may have stewardship over
national parks."

"Benevolent and conscientious management."

"I say it \[stewardship\] is taking care of the resources that you
have."

"Stewardship is managing the land, or the process of the future. We are
stewards of this earth, so to speak, and if we do good, then there will
be something out there for our children."

"For me, because we have had this in our church, it means sharing your
time and talents with others for the better of other people."

"I've never heard of it in terms of conservation. But, you know,
stewardship---it's yours, don't screw it up."

"I would think if you're really trying to communicate what you want
people to understand about stewardship, then you don't have to define
stewardship. You just use the other words."

\*\*\* [Biodiversity]{.underline}---Some attendees interpreted the term
based on the makeup of the word, "biology" and "diverse." More than
one-half said they were not familiar with the word.

"The plant make-up of an overall landscape. So, it's the different
plants that make up a natural landscape."

"Maintaining a variety of life in an ecosystem."

"The amount of plants and animals. The diversity of plants and animals."

"I thought of the rain forest. How everything is dependent on everything
else there and when one thing is disrupted, like when one animal dies
out, a lot of things are affected by it."

\*\*\* [Locally Led Conservation]{.underline}---Most did not think they
knew what this meant and those who thought they did expressed it a
variety of ways, including city and state, grassroots, and local rather
than federal.

"Conservation problems dealt with by the city and state."

"I guess more of a grass roots kind of movement to make things better
where you live."

"More thought of on a local level rather than coming down from the
federal government or something."

\*\*\* [Best Management Practices]{.underline}---Understanding was
relatively low as applied to conservation.

"Most cost-effective."

"Most efficient means."

"It's the process that is most suited to the product or process. For
example, you would manage wetlands differently than you would prairie
lands, and so on and so forth."

"Best management practice might be to harvest the timber in such a way
that you maintain the way the area looks over a long period of time and
you replace the timber, either for natural reasons or so that you've got
some more to harvest later on."

"Researching the way the other people do it \[in order to\] find out
what those practices are and see how they work and try to make them work
for your particular situation."

\*\*\* [Sustainable Agriculture]{.underline}---Although many
participants felt they understood the meaning of this term, actual
comprehension was very low.

"Not a clue."

"Is that where you grow what you need to sustain yourself, and then you
trade with other people?"

"I guessed. Just that it was crops that can easily be grown year after
year, they sustain themselves."

"Sustainable implies that you're thinking long-term."

"I'm pretty sure I know what it means. I would think it is a way that
agriculture is easily sustained, like in a greenhouse, they used to have
this chemical way of growing plants and foods. Hydroponics. You can
sustain that, it doesn't really depend on the weather or whatever else
because it is controlled within a certain environment. I don't know if
that is accurate, but it is my thinking."

"Crops that you grow that regenerate or contribute to the soil. For
example, crop rotation, you rotate the crop because you don't want to
completely deplete that area, so it's those crops that contribute back
to the soil. They need nutrients."

"Sustainable agriculture, I would think, is when you take the waste from
your agriculture and make compost heaps and then supply it. Just trying
to sustain your growth so that you don't have to . . . go to other
sources to grow your things."

"I thought of profitable farming."

\*\*\* [Watershed]{.underline}---While some Consumers thought they
understood the

word, there was very limited actual understanding.

"Watershed is a drainage system, a draining system for a river, a lake,
or a stream. Everything that drains into that river, lake, or stream is
part of the watershed."

"The area which gathers rainfall and then deposits the run-off to a
common area."

"My perception of it has always been an area to protect. The watershed
would be where things might be stored or kept."

"I think of it as an area of land and how water gets there, how it is
used."

"To me it means conservation. When we have fires, we lose our watershed.
I guess the greenery isn't there."

"It could be anything. It could be all sorts of things. It doesn't have
to be natural \[water\]. It's like an accumulation of water, of water
for an ecosystem. So, anything that can be accessible to living things
around it. Watersheds can be underground, they can be above ground.
Every location has to have a watershed."

"I thought of a watershed more as a defined area, like every area has
its watershed. They talk about . . . Boston being under such and such
watershed and then there are different . . . you can look at a map and
it will show you different points of Massachusetts and what-not, that
this is where the watershed is that controls this region. That's pretty
much all I know about it."

\*\*\* [Nutrient Management]{.underline}---Most participants claimed to
not understand the concept of nutrient management. Even those who though
they understood the term actually did not.

"Making sure a ground stays fertile through the rotating crops or
whatever."

"Probably making sure what's good for one thing will \[not\] harm
another part of conservation. Whether it be the bugs, the worms, or
whatever it might be, make sure everything is considered and not just
one aspect of it."

"The management of the fertilizer applications."

"I would think it means something in the water to feed the plants."

\*\*\* [Nonpoint Source Pollution]{.underline}---This was the least well
known term of all those tested.

"A point source would be like a company, I mean a factory, that dumps
all its waste products into the Chattahoochee River. So, a nonpoint
source would be something that really couldn't be traced back to a
single source of origin, I guess."

"To me, a point source pollution would be a factory. So, nonpoint
pollution would be cars."

"Just from the nonpoint source, it sounds like a reference to like not
coming from one large, particular source."

"You know what's causing it. Various hydrocarbon pollutants. But, you
don't know whether it's coming from automobiles or power generation . .
. "

"I just figured it was a point source or something like you could see
sledge coming out of a pipe. So, a nonpoint source would be coming from
a wide range of areas, not just one source you can pinpoint."

**REACTION TO CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION**

**MISSION STATEMENTS**

-   Respondents were asked to rank several statements based on what they
    felt the priority should be for America's Conservation Districts.
    The relative appeal is summarized as follows with statements
    presented in descending order of priority :

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-   "Helping citizens become better stewards of natural resources in
    their own backyards."---This slogan was very well received by
    participants. Specifically, stewardship of land was perceived as
    very important, as was the emphasis on "beginning things at home."

"I liked the idea about stewards. I think we should all be stewards. I
think when you say, \`Your own backyards,' people tend to be effected
more by what affects them." \[Ranked high\]

"I think as a country we are a little bit dependent on the federal
government, or other people fixing things. I think we are more effective
if it is something that directly involves us. If that is just our
backyard, or our community, then we are probably going to be more
effective at changing things. You can talk about somebody in Wyoming
should be doing this, or somebody in Florida should be doing this, but
really the only thing that you can do is in your own community. If that
is what they are trying to do, trying to get people involved, then I
think they have to start right in your own yard." \[Ranked high\]

"I think that one's very important. Because when you show a person how
to take care of their own backyard, and actually show a lot of people,
then people are aware of it, not only when they're in their backyard but
when they're outside their backyard. People are less likely to pollute
if everyone else around them is not doing it. \[Ranked high\]

"It's my number one. I've always been a great believer in beginning
things at home." \[Ranked high\]

"Well, you have a larger group of individuals when you've got the
citizens. I mean, much larger than any group of politicians or
volunteers or educators. I mean, I'm sure the education is real high,
but if you've got the citizens participating, that's who you want to get
to. That's really who you want to get." \[Ranked high\]

"That's where it starts. It starts with the individual. Conservation
starts with the individual. Recycling starts with the individual. It all
starts with the individual." \[Ranked high\]

-   "Conserving natural resources for our children and future
    generations."---Several respondents picked this statement as the
    best, largely because it was perceived as summing up the purpose and
    goals of all the other statements combined. One consumer did
    mention, however, that while agreeing with the concept itself, in
    reality little progress has been made towards actually achieving
    that goal.

"\[I picked this one as best\] because of the way things are happening,
like the volcanoes, and taking away everything, different things
happening to the earth, that if we don't start conserving it and taking
care of it, it's not going to be here." \[Ranked high\]

"\[I like this one\] mostly because everything else basically just seems
to fall under that category. You have to conserve everything for our
future generations and everything else just kind of falls under that. It
is more of a general topic, out of everything else that was written."
\[Ranked high\]

"Well, not just for my own daughter, but I think the trend has always
been, and it seems to be getting worse, don't worry about the future,
there will be some magic thing that occurs that will solve everything.
It has become more and more obvious, that's not going to happen. We have
to start cutting back a little bit if we expect some people to continue
on." \[Ranked high\]

"It had such a Mom's-apple-pie ring to it. How can you not want to
conserve things for future generations? To me, I don't care how I
achieve it, as long as we achieve it." \[Ranked high\]

"I picked that one, looking at all five of them. That one is probably
closest to what's most important to me. And, as most parents do, they
want their kids' futures to be as good, or better, than theirs. If the
people who are in charge of things use everything up, and there is
nothing left for our children, it doesn't matter how pretty everything
looks." \[Ranked high\]

"I see it more as a threat. You know, it's like you will do this."
\[Ranked low\]

"You can definitely see it as putting off the solutions. In the future
generations they'll come up with new solutions. We don't have to worry
about these problems now. They'll take care of it in the future. So, I
mean I definitely see it in a threatening way. I don't think of it as
extinction versus recycling. But, I definitely would say that it's more
important that we conserve natural resources for this generation."
\[Ranked low\]

"I agree with the concept, but I've been seeing it on TV and hearing it
on the radio since I could walk. But, they've still got problems, and
the problems have gotten worse. It's a statement, but that's it."
\[Ranked low\]

"Helping land users conserve natural resources that give us food and a
beautiful environment."---Consumers had a very positive reaction to this
statement. Food production and environmental beautification were two
important issues among focus group attendees. However, a few
participants did note that you could not help land users/companies
conserve resources if they didn't have the inclination to do so
themselves. It was also indicated that land owners might have a conflict
of interest and a lack of willingness to sacrifice, if needed.

"\[I liked it because\] it included agriculture and horticulture. I
thought, none of the others mentioned agriculture specifically, so that
is why." \[Ranked high\]

"Well, I feel it's very important. Everybody has to eat, obviously. You
wouldn't want to drive down the street and see plastic flowers lining
the streets. Like I said, you hear so much about the contaminates in the
food, and all this stuff, already. It gets to be where we are almost
afraid to eat anything." \[Ranked high\]

"I like the beautiful environment. It made me think of the urban areas
and the food made me think of more rural areas. I thought this one can
incorporate more people." \[Ranked high\]

"I think it's natural to want to preserve it and make it a beautiful
environment and give us good food. So, to me it's more on a localized
level dealing with the user. So I like that. It has more to it. \[Ranked
high\]

"If you're talking about companies or farms, certain federal regulations
are things that these people have to go by. But, just as a volunteer
group, or just as you or me going in and trying to help these people
manage or do what might be best with their land, I don't see it as a
possibility." \[Ranked low\]

"It was just the way the wording was to me. It was a little soft. But, I
mean when you sit down and break it down word for word and say that
you're targeting the population to have a certain outcome as a result of
their efforts, then maybe thinking of it that way, maybe it seems a
higher priority." \[Ranked low\]

"My thoughts were that you'll have as many people that are not
interested in it as you will that are interested, if not more. And, you
can't make folks want to \[conserve natural resources\], in fact, some
of them will destroy what's already there." \[Ranked low\]

-   "Local leaders helping the community work together for a healthy
    environment." \-- While some thought local leaders were preferable,
    there was a concern with many that local leaders are not to be
    trusted and that they have not done a good job in the past. It was
    not entirely clear, however, who constituted local leadership.

"I agree that instead of having all of these mandates from the federal
government that maybe aren't appropriate for where you live, it would be
better to have local leaders and local people setting those mandates and
deciding what needs to be done." \[Ranked high\]

"That's my lowest one . . . because I think that's the way our system
works. I mean, it's the leaders who are responsible for doing this
stuff. So, you're saying the people that are already doing stuff are
going to be the ones who keep doing it. We just need to change their
focus a little bit." \[Ranked low\]

"It was my lowest one, too . . . there's not enough being done. I think
it's the worst way, of the five, to go about it because you can already
say it's kind of proven itself." \[Ranked low\]

"It sounds too much like a political promise." \[Ranked low\]

"Local leaders have vested interests and you never know what they are."
\[Ranked low\]

"I don't think much of local leaders. I'm leery of them." \[Ranked low\]

"Whether they're political leaders or just neighborhood leaders, they
have truly special interests in a lot of cases." \[Ranked low\]

"All I could think of, was Riverport and the wetlands they destroyed
there, and the new casino right next to it. There was a law where it had
to be on water, so they tore down trees and it's just \[an\]
environmental nightmare, and that is thanks to our local leaders."
\[Ranked low\]

"Local volunteers providing natural resources conservation assistance,
and education."---Many did not know what was involved in this approach.
Even though it was felt that the volunteers have a genuine interest in
the subject, they may not have the perseverance to get the job done.
Also, it was thought that they must have an organization with strong
leadership to be effective.

"I think that is positive because, first of all, when you get people
that volunteer, volunteers have an interest in whatever the subject or
topic is. So, when they volunteer, they have a genuine interest in it.
Then, they are providing the assistance and education. I think the
education is a big part of that, to make people understand and get
people involved." \[Ranked high\]

"We have a wonderful community around here, people who are concerned
about these issues. If you have ever been to an Earth Day locally, there
are all of these groups. I have worked with them on some different
things. That is a very positive thing, getting the volunteer agencies
involved." \[Ranked high\]

"That has a way of people getting all enthused and then, a week or two
later they forgot about it." \[Ranked low\]

"I favor the spirit of local volunteers and everything. I just think
that there's not continuity in the programs or something. My thinking is
they tend to be visionaries and not volunteers. They're going to have to
do something else for a living." \[Ranked low\]

"I felt it was quite important, but I felt like the volunteers are
already heavily laden with duties and what have you. So I just didn't
feel realistically that they could do this. \[Ranked low\]

"But who's going to do it? I mean we've already said we're cynical about
our local leadership doing it, and now we're saying we don't think local
volunteers either have the political strength or the stick-to-itiveness,
or the resources, or whatever. So, who's going to do it? I mean, you
know, that's the question that comes up to me." \[Ranked low\]

**PREFERENCES REGARDING CONSERVATION**

**MISSION LEADERSHIP**

Focus group attendees reported varied preferences regarding who should
lead the conservation effort. These preferences included:

**Local Government**

Local government---Viewed as more sensitive to the needs of individual
communities and people need to solve the problems in their own
communities. There was some question, however, if they would have
sufficient funds.

"I think they would address the problems locally. I am not as familiar
with the problems in Michigan. But, I am more familiar with the problems
in California."

"If you go all the way to the top, to the federal government, it is just
too big and they don't care."

"Somebody is going to have to get a consensus and make a decision, and
with a local government, they would have the ability to make a law,
based on the consensus, and they have the money to back it up."

"I had said the local government agencies . . . you have to get people
in there that you trust . . . I agree with the coalition with the
business getting the money and stuff. But, based on what's happening
right there, and what the laws are, they need to be patched to try to
get the people to solve problems in their own community. And if that
happened across the boards, it might straighten things out."

**State Government**

States were thought to have unique problems and needs and, therefore,
leadership should be centered at this level.

"It seems to me that this state is concerned about our state, and that
is where we are living. They are doing the best they can and they
probably would be concerned."

"I put the state because I figured every state would be run differently,
so they should have control."

**Concerned individuals**

Citizens might tend to be more proactive regarding conservation problems
or issues affecting their own communities, but they don't have the
necessary financing.

"I just said concerned individuals at that level."

"I see a coalition of concerned individuals. Because conservation
throughout the United States is going to be a regional area, so the
things that people in Florida would want to conserve like the Everglades
would be different than what the people in California might want to
conserve. The government has a tendency to establish policies that are
broad- based. And so, they may not have specific applications, so I
think the focal point should be the concerned citizens that are
specifically affected."

**Federal Government**

People were generally very positive or very negative on this source of
leadership. While they have the financial clout and would provide
uniformity of laws to overcome self-centered activities at the local
level, they were thought to be too big and non-caring.

"I said federal because I figured uniformity of laws and so forth. Also
clout, in terms of clout, that the federal government has."

"I had federal, but I envision that it is a trickle down. Federal to
state to the local . . . but, I think it needs federal to get it started
because of the clout."

"I agree that a local interest is very important, but I put the federal
government because a certain state government may think that the logging
industry would be more important then the conservation of species. And
so, you need federal laws and mandates to save certain things that a
local entity might overlook, because it will save jobs. Although it can
be broad-based, I still think you need the federal mandates."

**Businesses**

Due to their potential to pollute the environment, it was felt that
businesses should have an inherent leadership role in conserving natural
resources. However, even though they should be part of the solution,
they have a potential conflict of interest.

"I think businesses should be the \[leaders in conservation\] already.
Because if you look at it, they are the ones that are contributing more
to the pollution problem. They should be the ones that are most
concerned about it. With the federal government coming in second, you
stand on a really big stick. That would trickle down to the state, and
then your local governments."

Other groups mentioned in regards to possibly leading the conservation
effort included:

-   Schools

-   Church groups

-   Boy Scouts

-   The scientific community.

**CONSERVATION DISTRICT SERVICES**

**PERCEIVED TO BE MOST BENEFICIAL**

Respondents were asked to rate a list of services that could be provided
by the conservation districts that would be most beneficial. The
following represents their assessment of these services presented in
order of perceived benefit.

-   Educating children about the need for conservation \-- There was a
    general consensus among focus group attendees that educating
    children about the need for conservation would be a very beneficial
    service to be provided by conservation districts. Specifically,
    participants felt teaching children to properly care for the
    environment now would reap rewards for future generations. This will
    also provide an indirect benefit as they will influence their
    parents.

"I started with children. Because children are our future generation,
and when they grow up, if they care about the environment and animals
now, they are going to care about them when they are adults."

"I had that one too, educating the children. I really think that is
important. The teachers should be paid more money. These kids really
need education real bad today. Pay the teachers good money so the
teachers will want to teach them."

"If the children aren't there, then their parents aren't going to be
there. Children will talk to parents and tell them, \`Daddy you threw
that in the trash can, you're putting it in the wrong place.' They are
the ones that are going to be in charge twenty years from now. They are
old enough to save the earth."

"I put educate the children. I think if anything is going to be done we
have to start with them."

"I think they do a pretty good job educating the kids right now on
recycling and conserving energy."

-   Informing the public about natural resource conservation needs \--
    This was also felt to be important, particularly as related to
    educating children. A general awareness is first needed in order to
    generate interest and action.

"I put it number one, informing the public about natural resource
conservation needs. You have got to get the word out."

"I put down informing the public. I was sort of leaning between that and
the children. But I think one reason that kids can be such effective
motivators of adults is that when we try to inform kids, they go to
these concentrated programs and they are told exactly why it's
important. You sit them down, and show them all of these films, and
things like that. Whereas, most of the time, the public is just familiar
with the slogans. They don't get the concentrated education or
information that you give to a child. The child will go to the film or
have a class meeting."

-   Bringing local interests together to solve natural resource problems
    \-- There was a felt need to have local orientation but it was also
    felt to be necessary to provide coordination for the local effort.

"Bringing local interests together to solve natural resource problems.
To me, that's the first step."

-   Obtaining federal and state money to solve local resource problems
    \-- This would also be beneficial, as implementing solutions to
    current problems and enacting preventative conservation techniques
    requires funding not available to many of the other parties.

"I kind of changed it a little bit. I put the federal and state money
first, because you have to have money to educate the children. Then the
children, because you have to educate them. You need money to pay
teachers to educate the children, or whoever. How are they going to get
the education if there is no money there?"

"My number one was obtaining federal and state money, because everybody
agrees that there is a problem, but their biggest gripe is they don't
have any money to solve the problem."

"I think we need money to solve the local resource problems before we
try to educate somebody else. Because there are enough people working on
it right now, we need to solve the problems. We can't wait another
thirty years for the children to grow up and start working on them. We
need to start solving them right now."

-   Technical assistance to help farmers and ranchers save soil and keep
    clean water \-- This was thought to be too targeted and not broad
    enough to have a major impact.

-   Urban conservation planning \-- This concept was just not understood
    by the vast majority of people as it was unclear what was involved.
    One person supported the issue.

"I put urban conservation planning, as my number one, basically, because
you have to have mission statement to tell people what you're going to
do, and then really, the next five are, what, where, when, how and who,
you're going to get it done by."

**WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE LOCAL SUPPORT**

When presented with the following alternatives to get involved in the
conservation efforts, focus group attendees were mixed regarding their
preferences for assuming an active role. There was a great deal of
interest to get involved in some manner with the preferences indicated
by the following order of activities:

Volunteer some time as an earth team volunteer (office or field)

Purchase conservation-oriented products from the local conservation
district (such as trees and shrubs, fish, bat or bird houses, and
conservation books)

Attend a local meeting about conservation issues facing your community

Talk to a neighbor or a friend about a needed conservation action in
your community

Pay to become an individual member of the National Association Of
Conservation Districts or local districts

Subscribe to a natural resource conservation magazine

"I checked everything except paying. In subscribing to a conservation
magazine, chances are, I wouldn't read it. It is just a waste."

"I checked them all except for talk to your neighbor. I am not a good
talk to your neighbor kind of person. All of the others I checked."

"I checked all of them, and added one. I would like to do things that I
have already done. When I was in high school, my girlfriend and I, we
went to a stream and pulled all of the garbage out. We pulled out all
the broken glass. I mean, I am willing to do anything. I do subscribe to
a Natural Resource Conservation magazine. I am a member of little
groups. I would, and do, purchase conservation oriented products. I
haven't attended any meetings, because I haven't heard of any. I
definitely talk to my neighbors."

"I checked them all, except the subscribe to a magazine or purchase
conservation oriented products because I don't normally purchase trees,
shrubs, or fish. My cats wouldn't like it. I also put down recycle,
which is something I do. I volunteer to clean up the beaches, on the day
that they do that kind of thing."

"I checked the volunteering some time, if I had some time to spare. I
would definitely purchase conservation oriented products, and talk to my
neighbors."

"I said attend a local meeting on conservation issues, particularly
those affecting my local area."

"Clean streets, recycle garbage found on streets that you just cleaned,
and clean a stream. Those are the things that I have done, or would do,
if it was organized for me. I would definitely volunteer time, and I
think they ought to do that for people who get in trouble. Like those
people who clean the freeways. Make the community services whoever they
are, when they get in trouble, make them do it."

"I would volunteer. I have volunteered. I have volunteered without
anyone asking me to volunteer, I did it all by myself. That is why I
checked every single one of these, because I am an animal lover."

"I liked the one about attending the local meetings, about conservation
issues. Because I think a lot of times, we don't really know what kind
of issues are even out there. A lot of things are decided without us
really knowing, not through the fault of anybody."

"I put down volunteering some time. I am one of those hands-on type of
guys to see what actually goes on. You know, what I can do to do my
part."

"One thing that interested me was the purchase of conservation oriented
products, trees, shrubs, bird houses, and so on, and so forth. I don't
know if anybody has ever done it, but if you take a kid out, and you
plant a shrub, or some type of tree in the yard, you would be surprised
how much possessiveness that individual has with that tree. That is his
tree. He is not going to let you mess with it \[or\] touch it. When you
get kids involved, I think that's a plus. When you put bird houses and
things in your yard, it attracts wildlife, you can sit on your patio and
watch it."

**EVALUATION OF TEST ADS**

-   In regards to the magazine test ads, "It isn't easy being a working
    mother" was by far the most popular ad of the trio presented.
    Participants especially liked the use of humor in the ad.

"That's cute."

"That was better."

"That was excellent."

"That's the best one."

"It's clever."

"Humor works real well."

"I like that, except they've got one paragraph in there that I don't
like where it talks about it's easy to do. And see, it's not easy. I
mean if I were making a campaign for this I'd say, \`We're all in this
together.' And you get the idea from that, that not only are we in it as
people, but we're in it with animals and all that kind of stuff. That
picture really does a good job of pulling this thing together."

"I think if they had pretty colors it would draw you right in."

"The thing about the bills I found annoying, because birds don't pay
bills."

-   The ad "Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?" received
    lukewarm enthusiasm at best among focus group attendees. Drawbacks
    associated with the ad included:

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-   Picture of a child with cake on his face was not perceived as
    related to the conservation of natural resources.

-   One participant did not like the use of children in advertising.

-   Many felt unclear regarding the message the ad was trying to
    communicate.

"I'm turned off by it, because I think children are used too much to
pull at the heart-strings of people in advertising of all kinds."

"I don't get much out of it."

"When you read it to us---well, that's kind of a fun little picture. But
I think if I were trying to appeal to me to get that message across that
that group does both provide food and protect the land, that we know of,
a landscape would probably be more effective than that picture would
be."

"I just don't get the significance of the cake all over the face."

"The picture doesn't strike you as being related to nature."

-   The advertisement entitled, "We're proud to help feed her. But the
    diapers are up to you." was also not well received by consumers. The
    lack of a clear, concise, straight forward message was a major
    drawback associated with the ad.

"If I was trying to put an ad in the paper about a productive, managed
agricultural conservation theme, I would get straight to the point with
a beautiful pastoral scene."

"They're just trying to tug at your heart-strings."

"They give you something that really doesn't lead you to their message."

"I would rather be truthfully dealt with."

"I don't see the message there. What are they trying to say?"

"I don't like that."

"That could be a Gerber commercial."

**NACD BROCHURE EVALUATION**

Overall reaction to the NACD brochure was very positive, however, there
were some suggestions for improvement:

Brochure is too wordy for many people

Need one brochure for those who have a great deal of interest and one
for getting the attention of others

Pictures other than agriculture for broader appeal ( city park)

More ethnic mix in pictures

Need a brochure directed to children / students

Add an internet address for more information

Highlight the 800 number by positioning and/or font type

"I think it is wonderful. I like it. I like all of the information. I
hate a brochure that doesn't give you enough information, so I like it.
I am a volunteer and I am always looking for things to get me out of the
house. So, it is nice to have a lot of information. Maybe a picture that
would relate to people who are more urban and less rural would be really
good."

"This would be a great brochure to distribute to students."

"I like the brochure. I think it needs to be a little more
multi-cultural in the pictures."

"It hits me that they are trying to get everybody on the front page. You
open it up, and you see corn growing, and for a person who maybe is not
a farmer, they would just think it is related to farmers. That is what
hit me. When I opened it up, this is just for farmers. It wouldn't
interest me anymore."

"They need their Internet address on here. Because if they wanted to use
less information they could just put the Internet address: \`For more
information find us at www.com.'"

"Maybe they should have a picture of somebody drinking a sparkling glass
of water, or something. Maybe something everybody can relate to."

"I think something that would reach out to a lot more people, rather
than using a corn field, and there is a guy standing here with a kid."

"I like what it says, but I don't know if it's going to motivate me to
get involved. This is very nice, it's informative. Is this going to get
us to react?"

"You see the pictures of children, it shows a sign of hope and stuff.
With something like this, you don't need signs of hope, you need to show
them what is going on right now. Show pictures of all of the sludge
being poured in the oceans."

"It starts out intriguing on the front, but then you open it up and it's
like I'm going to take a nap now. Too many words."

"When you handed it to me, the first thing I thought of was it was too
wordy."

"They should probably take one half of it out. There is so much, you
look at this thing, and then you start reading, nothing pops out at you.
They don't need to list all of these things necessarily. Provide a
little more open space and then have the telephone number---what they
want you to do, much more distinctly."

"Break up the text a little. Visually, it just seems like a lot of
reading. If you just picked it up, and you thought, oh well, I will read
it later, and shove it in your mail pile, you probably would never pick
it up."

"The other comment I would make is that it would have to take somebody
that wanted to read it, to read it through."

"Two points I would like to make are that if you could possibly have a
picture of a park scene, like a city park, maybe somebody sitting on a
bench, or somebody maybe roller-skating. Because that is also part of
the overall scheme of things. And then another thing, I think the number
that you call, the 800-number, should be italicized, maybe bold type or
something on that line. Because I think it should stand out. And I
agree, that this contacting your district, should probably be on the
back, right here. Because I think this type of brochure, we should use
available space, and not waste any space. So in doing that, I think it
would also send a message that they are conserving."

"I think there's a need for two different pamphlets. Number one is kind
of a general catch-all to everybody, that would be like he and I were
saying. A lot less to read, just give some real high-points. And this
would be one for groups that expressed an interest in it."

-   While consumers had many suggestions on how to distribute the
    brochure, there was noticeable emphasis on using distribution
    channels (such as schools and libraries) that would get the
    brochures in the hands of children.

"Give them to kids at school, kids will take them home to their
parents."

"If they put a program on at the schools and then give each kid one to
take home and talk to their parents about it."

"You have to make it appeal to kids somehow, make it teen-oriented. I
don't know how to do that. This is adult-oriented."

"Every seventh grader in the country \[should be given a brochure\]."

"Every home \[should have a brochure\]."

"The library \[should distribute the brochure\]."

"Extension services \[should distribute the brochure\]."

"If this is the conservation department, I know like, down at the boat
shows that they have once a year, they always have the Missouri
Department of Conservation down there, and they have the Illinois
Department of Conservation there also. They are always giving stuff out
like that."

"This could also be a regular brochure that they pass out any time you
get either a hunting license or fishing license, or just put it on the
counter, like at Wal-Mart or Kmart, in the sporting goods department."

"They can have these at the Welcome Center. Like when you come across
270 when you are coming into the state, they have the maps and they have
the different things going on in the state. They might have them there."

"I think they should go to all of the interest groups, environmental
interest groups. They can distribute them, maybe when they are going out
on voter drives, or something to that affect. Registration drives, where
they are having petitions signed. If you're having one on the
environment, they might also say, here is this brochure also, if you're
concerned about the environment here is something else you can do. So I
think interest groups should have these, as well."

"Advertising. I don't know if that is feasible, but advertising on the
television. Talking about how if you would like our brochure . . ."

"I recommend they do not send it mass mail. It will get tossed away."