Hi colleagues
I’m delighted to announce the winners of the DOING SOMETHING INTERESTING? competition. (Remember? Way back in April.) Copies of Changeology are winging their way to them.
My secret intention was to flush out innovative examples I could share. I’m very happy with the result.
In no particular order the winners are:
1) Impromptu kinder engineers, Wyndham City Council, Vic
For imagination and agility in speedily improvising a delightful community engagement project on the fly.
Here is Cliff Eberly’s description:
I’m thrilled to be able to share this story with you.
Wyndham City’s Road Resurfacing Team has been doing some wonderful engagement work around the repaving and reconstruction of local roads. It started out with them taking the Wyndham Cruiser, Council’s promotional vehicle, out to do meet and greets with local residents prior to road works.
In the photos attached they connected with a kindergarten that was affected by the road resurfacing. The kids donned construction hats, high visibility vests and got up close (in a kinder safe kind of way) with the diggers while learning a bit about what Council was doing on their street.
Overall, the engineers have reported that doing face-to-face, personal engagement with local people has dramatically decreased the number of angry phone calls they receive mid-project and increased residents’ satisfaction with the job being done.
Happy to end the week on this one.
Cliff
2) Fall In Love With Nature on the Central Coast, NSW
For breaking the stereotype of a conservation engagement project.
This ongoing project aims to get adults into nature by mashing nature experiences with stuff we love.
It was put together by a loose network of conservation professionals on the NSW Central Coast, organised by Rhiannon Anderson and managed by Sue Burton, and funded by AAEE/CEN. They mashed conservation with tea, stories, art and knitting, listening to the trees, and listening to each other, all wrapped up in the idea of “falling in love”, a theme they’ll just keep wrapping around more events. The core of the project is lean and simple, just an intriguing title, a card with a hashtag to give out at events, and chalkboards with the hash tag where people can write why they love nature on at community events. Look out for #fallinlovewithnaturecc
3) Bunny Boiler Challenge, Bass Coast Landcare Network and Phillip Island Landcare, Vic
For a irresistible event.
“Rabbits are a national disgrace – they also taste great!”
This popular community event mashed a rabbit control talk with a rabbit cooking contest, plus ‘pin the tail on the rabbit’ for kids, and more. And the guests got to eat the yummy bunny dishes! Brilliant. A perfect exampling of mixing a serious subject with an irresistible social event.
110 folks turned up in March “with a mad scramble at the end for tables”. According to Joel Geoghegan, one of the organisers, it’s “90% fun and eating and 10% reality” with music, poetry and a talk on….rabbit control techniques.
4) Whimsical Wayfinding by the sustainable transport team, City of Port Phillip (Vic)
For a perfect implementation of the Brains Trust approach.
The project, led by Jessica Cerejo, aimed to help people discover Emerald Hill by foot (as opposed to driving).
The process: two community ‘brains trust’ workshops. The first briefed, informed and inspired the brains trust, then facilitated them to create a theory of change to create the desired future. The second session developed a fast prototype of Whimsical Wayfinding: informal signs to point people find the hidden gems of Emerald Hill.
The signs were then fast prototyped at the Emerald Hill festival. People viewed the signs, added more and voted on them.
After installation, a survey showed more than 40% of people didn’t know about Pocket Park or the Community Garden/Foundry Park until they saw the signs.
PLUS an honourable mention to the City of Port Phillip’s sustainable transport team’s Ride2School Day 2016.
We don’t need to reward them. Their schools won 5 out of 6 school awards in the national program, with the city itself won the highest ranking Ride2School Day Council award with a $10,000 prize. http://www.enviroehub.com.au/ride2school
Well done all!
– Les