Utilizing the Web for Extension Programs in Forestry ...

Utilizing the Web for Extension Programs in Forestry and Oak Woodland Richard Standiford, Susie Kocher, Greg Giusti, Bill Stewart, Doug McCreary, Karl Krist, Dave Krause, University of California Agric. and Natural Resources • Abstract: Budgets for Cooperative Extension outreach programs have decreased dramatically over the past 4 years in California. At the same time, agency, industry, landowner and NGO clients have reduced travel and continuing education budgets to participate in face-to-face meetings, conferences and field days. This has necessitated an even great reliance on websites, blogs, social media, webinars, and e-learning to reach natural resource professionals, forest and oak woodland landowners, and natural resources NGOs. The University of California Forestry Extension, and Oak Woodland Conservation programs have systematically been involved in converting their mailing lists, contact information, and outreach tools to an electronic format. This presentation tracks usage of each of these electronic media for one year (April, 2011 to March 2012), characterizes the demographics of the clients using these media, and discusses how the information has been used to influence management decisions. A three county pilot project, utilizing land ownership records from the county assessors office, and capturing these into an electronic format, is also described. The relative cost of traditional direct mail contacts and new blog and social media outreach are compared, as well as the cost for presentation of webinars and e-learning formats versus face to face meetings.

Utilizing the Web for Extension Programs In Forestry and Oak Woodland Conservation

http://ucanr.org/oaks http://ucanr.org/sites/forestry

Rick Standiford, Susie Kocher, Sophie Kolding Karl Krist, Dave Krause, Jaime Adler, Doug McCreary, Bill Stewart

Topics covered • • • • • • •

Rationale for switch to electronic outreach Websites for forestry and oak woodland conservation Blogs Social media General usage Key ingredients for IT support Future work

Need for Outreach Tool • Success of Oaks and Folks Newsletter • Reached 3800 landowners, professionals, policy makers 2 to 4 times annually • Stories cataloged and stored on IHRMP website • Stories retrievable in Google searches • Popular downloads • Key visibility with clientele, policy makers • Linkage with research program • Statewide oak conservation program eliminated

• Statewide forestry newsletter • Had been highly successful but eliminated • Local newsletters, and statewide coordination with Calfire & NRCS on Forest Stewardship newsletter • Lacking a CE forestry brand

• No budget for mailing ($10,000 to $16,000 annually) • No staff support for web design, maintenance

Two Websites • Oak Conservation Website – Has existed since mid-1990’s – With end of IHRMP, switched to new format, emphasizing overall UC research and outreach – Need to continue important outreach

• Forest Research and Outreach – – – –

Launched June 2011 No unique statewide forestry extension site prior Navigation based on “Forest Steward” CE leaflet series Built teamwork between 9 full-time forestry and wood products CE academics

http://ucanr.edu/sites/forestry

http://ucanr.edu/oaks

Website Usage • Oak Conservation Website – December 2005 through December 2009, here were 2,094,664 visitors – People visiting the site averaged over 8 minutes per visit – Each visitor viewed three pages and downloaded 1.24 items for (49,926 downloads of files over four years) – Over 690,000 people bookmarked the website – Currently has 3000+ unique visitors monthly

• Forest Research and Outreach – Built from nothing to 1000 unique site visits monthly – 7000 to 9000 page views monthly

Website Use – Unique Site Visits 4000 Forest Res. and Outreach Site 3500

Oak Conservation Site

Direct mailing 3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0 April-11

May

June

July

August

September

October

November December January-12 February

March

Developing Blogs • Goal to replace newsletters • Dynamic feed to website • Standardized banner to be consistent with companion website • Analytic tools to allow evaluation of use • Available for subscriptions

Blogs in Series • • • • •

Oak Conservation Blog Forest Research and Outreach Blog Forestry News Woody Biomass Blog Forest Steward

ANR Blog Tool • • • • • •

Available on ANR Portal Can be inserted into Site Builder 3 Allows tags Standardized banner to be consistent with websites Analytic tools to allow evaluation of use Available for subscriptions

Managing the Blog • • • • • • • •

Goal to develop new blog at least every two weeks Developed master calendar Coordinated by Rick Standiford and Sophie Kolding Authors supply text and a few photos Open to workgroup members Consider using for short newsletter type stories Need to build subscription list Direct link to website

Blog Usage • • • •

Not many direct subscriptions People rely on RSS feeds, link to website, Google searches 250 to 300 hits on each blog per month 30 to 70 direct hits – from searches

Using Facebook • Set up a “Forest Research and Outreach” account – commercial account • Includes both Forestry Extension and Oak Conservation content • Rick Standiford and Sophie Kolding as Administrators • Allow people to subscribe (“like”) the site • Listed with other organizations (Rangeland Trust, Nature Conservancy, East Bay Regional Parks, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, etc.)

Facebook Uses • • • • • •

Publicize links from the website Availability of new blogs Publicize upcoming events Show photo albums of events 112 “Likes” 1000 – 3500 Posts viewed monthly https://www.facebook.com/ForestResearchandOutreach

Building The Awareness • Direct mail and point to websites, blogs, subscription pages • Use of Constant Contacts for mailing list – 10,000 direct mails yielded 3000 email addresses

• Cross-link all tools

ANR IT Tools • • • • • • •

Available on each ANR academic’s Portal Site Builder 3 – web authoring Blog tool Allows tags, RSS feeds Standardized banner to be consistent with websites Analytic tools to allow evaluation of use Available for subscriptions

Questions ?