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11.22.2005
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Volume Three
Issue Eleven
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Welcome
to our November Monthly Update. This month's Client Feature focuses on
NYC Audubon - a grassroots community that works for the protection
of wild birds and habitat in New York City's five boroughs. Read on
to find out how e-mail is helping them spread the
word...
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Client Feature: NYC Audubon
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NYC Audubon's Erin Shaw
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In 1979, twenty-seven members from the National Audubon Society (a national network of community-based nature centers and chapters advocating the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems), believed that a voice was needed for New York City's natural environment. They founded New York City Audubon (NYC Audubon).
Pioneering the protection of grasslands, woodlands, wetlands and wildlife throughout the city's five boroughs, the new chapter addresses the critical task of preserving New York City's natural habitats. Their small beginning grew to a membership of over 10,000 environmentally-committed city residents.
In the Q & A that follows, Erin Shaw, Office Manager and Membership and Education Associate for NYC Audubon, describes how e-mail is helping the organization to build awareness and membership.
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Q & A with Erin Shaw, Membership and Education Associate
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Ecocruise guide, Gabriel Willow, on a tour with a group of children (the environmental stewards of tomorrow). Photo: Emily FitzGerald.
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Tell us about some of the activities, events and initiatives that NYC Audubon organizes?
New York City is located at the nexus of hundreds of bird species' migratory routes, and the tall buildings and reflective glass pose a serious threat to over 100 species of migratory birds, some of which are experiencing long-term population declines. In 1997 we launched Project Safe Flight to protect these birds through various initiatives that provide tools for understanding the geography and dynamics of urban bird collisions.
The Harbor Herons Project is dedicated to protecting the Harbor Herons - the egrets, herons and ibis - that nest and feed in the New York / New Jersey Estuary. Most people associate the Estuary with the buildings and bridges of New York City and this Project protects these wild birds and their nesting and foraging habitat through the Harbor Herons Monitoring Program, the Harbor Herons Ecocruises, the Harbor Herons Nesting Survey.
In 2001, we launched the Natural Areas Initiative, in collaboration with New Yorkers for Parks, to document natural habitats in the city - more than 12,000 acres of wetlands, forests, and grasslands that support a rich array of plants, birds and other wildlife - and to raise awareness about their value and promote their protection.
We lead numerous field trips in and around the city and as far away as Florida, Iceland and Belize. We also offer classes in bird identification, wildlife sketching and nature photography.
Our members receive a bi-monthly print newsletter, The Urban Audubon and tens of thousands of local school children receive our nature publication Look Around New York City. Monthly membership programs (open and free to the public) are held on such topics as the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, why birds sing, butterflies and more.
How do you raise awareness about NYC Audubon?
We raise awareness by being active in the community! We want to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers and hope to do so by making them more aware of the environment around them. We offer Ecocruises in the New York Harbor to raise awareness about the birds that nest on the harbor islands.
By making trips like this available to the public, we can inform them about birds and areas of NYC they may not have known existed. We advertise our programs in publications across the five boroughs and we are active in habitat conservation issues and bird protection through programs such as Project Safe Flight and Harbor Herons.
Last winter we played an integral role in the fight to save the nest of a pair of red-tailed hawks, Pale Male and Lola, who have nested on a Fifth Avenue apartment building for almost 14 years. In December 2004, the building removed the nest citing the bird droppings were damaging the canopy below and that if the nest fell, it might injure pedestrians. The hawks had developed quite a following over the years, and many people were not happy about the nest's removal. After two weeks of vigils outside the building and numerous negotiations, NYC Audubon was victorious in restoring the nest.
Our involvement in this high-profile battle definitely made the public aware of our presence in the city.
Is building membership a large part of your mission and if so, how do you attract new members?
One of NYC Audubon's main goals is to increase, energize, and diversify our membership base in all five boroughs. We are always trying to attract new members and get people interested in birds.
We do this by getting involved in a range of programs, collaborating with different organizations and offering a variety of activities through our education program. Advertising all of these opportunities is the most important factor in attracting new members - if they don't know what we're doing or how to get involved, how will they join?
It's also very important for members to know how their contributions are helping the organization. Our participation in the fight to save Pale Male and Lola's nest would not have been possible without contributions from our members. By informing the public about what we do, we are showing them that we make a difference and hope they want to become part of a successful organization.
How does e-mail factor into your overall communications and member-building strategy?
E-mail plays a very important roll in our member communications. We use it to send out information updates, coordinate volunteers for Project Safe Flight, Harbor Herons and other programs, and to communicate details about our upcoming events. Today, everyone wants information quickly and in a straightforward format - by dropping this information in their inbox, we make it easy for people to get involved.
The Urban Audubon is our bi-monthly print newsletter which we send to our membership of 10,000. We use e-mail newsletters to supplement this - sending information with lots of pictures to entice people to read about the programs we have listed. Because our campaigns are often so full of information, the indexed newsletter format is great since people can click on the subject they are interested in and jump right down to it.
On top of our regular e-newsletters we send an average of one other campaign per month - to members and non-members - with details about field trips, classes, lectures and events coming up during that month.
You had a really great response to one of your recent campaigns. Can you tell us about it?
During the summer we offered a birding class which we had advertised in our printed newsletter, The Urban Audubon, and on our website. However one week before the class was set to start, we still had very low registration.
We sent out our extra monthly e-mail campaign to about 850 people (roughly 600 of whom were either NYC Audubon or National Audubon members). The campaign included details about the three birding classes we were offering. There were only about two or three people per class signed up before we sent out the e-mail and we had room for 13 in each class. Within the two days that followed all the classes had filled up! We had all 39 spots reserved and a couple people on the waiting list!
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Click here to visit NYC Audubon's website
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ANNOUNCING Full-Day E-Marketing Seminars with Eugene Carr, President, Patron Technology
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Jan 09 -- Boston
Jan 10 -- Philadelphia
Jan 17 -- Ft. Lauderdale
Jan 18 -- Houston
Jan 20 -- Seattle
Jan 23 -- San Francisco
The seminar is packed with facts, figures, tools and techniques:
- Understand how arts patrons use the Web
- 10 smart tips for effective e-mail marketing
- Proven techniques to develop your E-mail list
- How to improve your Web site
The seminar is for anyone who is in charge of building relationships with a group of patrons or customers online. You'll learn what works and why, based on research and case histories from arts clients.
Register before Dec 15 for early-bird fee
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Click here for more information and to register online
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Please watch for our next Monthly Update, coming December 27, 2005.
Our mailing address is: 850 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019
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