We are heavily using social media to share the findings of our project. Overall the response has been very good. Due to work and family commitments, we have had to take on a social media co-ordinator to further our cause. Currently, I am funding this project by myself but we are hoping that our online presence might later lead to some outside funding.
Due to the following we have, we need to be very sure of what we are putting into the public eye. I want our project to be as transparent as possible to our followers so we have to be mindful that we have a vast array of followers from career conservationists to everyday people who are passionate about saving nature.
-Finding a balance to suit the audience was very important and it was a learning curve to adjust to that.
-Dealing with negativity (which has only happened on one occasion). It is difficult when somebody is negative about something you are passionate about but a cool head and a professional approach lead to a de-escalation of the comments.
-As a result of our passion and transparency, we have a global following and a far reach.
Crowdfunding is a relatively new way of funding projects, the goal being to inspire individuals to want to help you achieve the project goals by donating to the project budget. There are several online crowdfunding platforms that work in different ways, some of which require a fee whilst others are free. We used a site that requires us to meet a set amount of our budget before funds were extracted from donors, if we didn’t reach that amount then the project would not go ahead. The crowdfunding site was easy to set up but requires you to write project details into sections. This should be easy because of already writing the project proposals and pitch packs. We were also able to embed the campaign video into this site. Once the site was set-up we shared it on all our social media sites and through our personal networks.
It is extremely straightforward to achieve this step, once the necessary research and preparations are in place. It is a matter of 'just do it'. Once the crowdfunding begins, and gains momentum, it creeaetes a sense of excitement and energy among project team members and contributors alike, as we watch targets being met and the portfolio of supporters grow. Access to the totals and ability to track contributions is an important enabling factor.
The important lesson we learnt during the crowdfunding stage is that it is better to set up the crowdfunding page for a smaller portion of your project budget and therefore better to wait to see if your receive any cooperate sponsors before initiating this phase. It was also useful that SIF had committed £20,000 pounds to the project. This encouraged public and corporate sponsorship as it was used to match the first £20,000 that was raised. People are also more likely to sponsor a project target that looks achievable especially bearing in mind these will be smaller donations. The crowdfunding page must also portray the project clearly and appeal to a wide variety of people. It is therefore important to set up the reward system for donations, ranging from small rewards to substantial rewards for large donations. For example, we rewarded small donations with a high quality digital photograph by a wildlife photographer who spent time on Aldabra and large donations with an invitation to the post-expedition events, hosted in Queen’s College.
Seychelles launch 5th June. Selection of Aldabra Clean Up Project volunteers
State House Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles.
Seychelles launch 5th June. SIF board member presents Aldabra map to the President of Seychelles.
State House Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles.
Seychelles launch 5th June. SIF CEO Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley gifting Aldabra map to the President of Seychelles
State House Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles.
Seychelles launch 5th June. Project Officer and Co-team Leader, Jeremy Raguain records the event.
State House Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles.
Seychelles launch 5th June. Distinguished guest look on.
State House Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles.
Seychelles launch 5th June.The President poses with a guest and volunteers mingle with guests.
State House Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles.
UK Launch 22nd May. Volunteers stand with ACUP banner.
Adam Mitchell.
UK Launch 22nd May. ACUP Co-team leader April Burt discussing with fellow Oxford researcher.
Adam Mitchell.
UK Launch 22nd May. The Seychelles High Commissioner to the UK laughs with the UK High Commissioner to Seychelles.
Adam Mitchell.
UK Launch 22nd May. Volunteers discussing with guests.
Adam Mitchell.
UK Launch 22nd May. Co-team Leader April Burt present ACUP to guests.
Adam Mitchell.
UK Launch 22nd May. Guests watch a presentation on ACUP.
Adam Mitchell.
It is necessary to develop a strong, concise and attractive pitch pack, which is professional and clearly shows the project’s importance and budget. It is extremely important to make a clear pitch on how, by funding the project, the organisation or company will benefit. For example, for X amount of money the funder logo will be used on project t-shirts and the funder will be mentioned in all media coverage. The pitch pack should include the project logo, and use visual aids to bring the point across. In this case we used images of Aldabra, it’s wildlife and the impact of the plastic pollution. Since we were distributing these packs in the UK and Seychelles it was vital to create each pack with the local context in mind, whether it was currency conversions or the use of particular quotes from recognisable figures. Alongside the pitch pack we created a campaign video which introduces the problem and the solution using strong imagery and a voiceover. With these steps completed, we could then plan the project launch. The aim of the launch was to garner a maximum amount of media coverage and engage as many individuals and companies as possible via a face-to-face event. We therefore organised events both in UK and in Seychelles, in which potential donors and supporters were invited.
Team members skilled in visual design were key to ensure the pitch-pack was professional. The campaign video required basic video-editing skills, footage of the site and impact of plastic pollution. Advice on the pack’s design and how to approach companies from fundraising professionals was useful. ACUP’s launches took place in prominent locations, the Royal Society of London’s headquarters and the Seychelles State House. SIF’s Patron, Mr Danny Faure, President of Seychelles gave a video speech making ACUP as a project of national significance.
We found that the most likely success in pitching our project was to companies with some connection, either to a team member of the project or to the project itself via an interest in either Seychelles or Aldabra specifically. It is important to take time in ensuring that if you are emailing companies that you email the appropriate person to deal with your request. It is also a very good idea to make as many face-to-face connections as possible during the launch event and answer queries about the project to ensure there are no misunderstandings regarding project objectives and outputs. It is also a lot easier to gain the attention of funders if you already have some sponsorship and even better if you have a media partner for the project e.g. a local or international news agency.
Farmer groups develop business and advanced marketing plans to guide their continued activities and farm and business growth. When we initially select farmers, we ensure they are a part of a farmers group, which enhances their power as sellers, as they can sell in bulk and work as a group to market crops.. In Kaffrine, Senegal and Singida, Tanzania, some of our farmers grow higher-value crops like Hibiscus, Cashew, and Sunflower:We build capacity of farmers to approach buyers in regional capitals export quality crops . In Kenya, we work with a dairy cooperative to offset their cattle feed costs, and give them the opportunity to sell extra tree fodder they product to other cooperative members. Ownership of the project is fully transferred to the farmer groups. After graduation, farmer groups continue to support each other as a team in the on-going development and management of Forest Gardens and marketing of products.
After the 4-year project, farmers are expected to continue their Forest Gardens, given the significant successes they have seen and training they have received. In the future, TREES is hoping to follow-up with farmers after the program, however we do not yet have the capacity to continue monitoring farmers outside of the 4-year program.
Farmers have successfully made it through the 4-year program
Farmers are willing to continue their FG after they graduate
Farmers who graduated from the program were able to continue their FGA without the regular visits from TREES that they received during the program (follow-up visits and sample surveys show this).
Farmers will learn to adopt advanced Forest Garden planting and care, integrated pest management, and conservation techniques that optimize and ensure the long-term health, productivity, and profitability of their land.
Farmers are prepared for site visits
Technicians perform site visits monthly, and contents of the visit vary by which phase of the project the farmers are in
For example, Technicians:
check on tree planting and tree health
review training modules with farmers
check on crop progress
make sure farmers adhere to the approach (i.e. not using chemical fertilizers or pesticides, etc.)
make sure farmers have the tools to manage any problems that should arise (pest infestations, farm management)
Need to regularly check in on farmers to ensure that they have implemented their Forest Gardens and are practicing the skills they have learned
Farmers diversify the products they grow in their Forest Gardens. During this phase, farmers plant higher-value vegetables, fruit, nut, and timber trees. They also learn increasingly advanced skills and techniques that will help them manage their Forest Gardens more effectively and sustainably, such as fruit tree grafting, advanced composting, and marketing of crops.
Farmers need to follow training modules very strictly to ensure success of their FG
Training materials can be downloaded on our Forest Garden Training Center (training.trees.org), which allows users to become a certified FG Practitioner. In 2019, this information will be developed into an mobile app, allowing trainers to access materials offline.
In the field, farmers are in constant contact with their technician/other farmers. They are given farmer workbooks to guide them and to take notes and draw pictures in.
Crop diversification gives farmers more nutritious foods for them and their families, and;
Farmers now have products they can sell at markets to boost income to either save or invest in their FG
This block consists of providing farmers with the skills and resources needed to protect their Forest Garden sites. Farmers achieve this by planting green walls – an enhanced version of a living fence that TREES has developed – around the perimeters of their sites. They then plant fast-growing fertilizer trees throughout their sites, often in alleys among their crops, to further stabilize their soils and enhance land fertility. We decide which species to grow based on which species adapt best to the agro-ecological zones where we work. We consult with the farmers themselves on what they want to grow, eat, and sell and our technicians advise farmers on the best way to plant and plant, iterating year-on-year changes that may enhance their garden, sales, and production. For example in drier climates like Senegal and Singida, Tanzania, we train farmers on growing various acacia species, which do not require much rain. We also promote nitrogen-fixing trees and crops, such as gliricidia species, acacia species, pigeon peas, and fruit trees that have a shorter maturing period (3-5) years. We also grow species based on what is culturally popular, nutritious, and marketable, like bananas, a staple food in Uganda.
Fully trained technicians
Farmer’s land needs to be prepared and designed for FG implementation
Integrated pest management is crucial in early stages of FGA as newly planted crops/trees can easily be hurt by diseases and pests
We hire project staff and meet with relevant stakeholders (government representatives, community leaders, and potential local and international partners/donors) to solicit their support and formalize each new FG project. With the help of stakeholders we identify interested farmer groups, lead farmers, and participants, and host orientation workshops prior to pursuing training and extension activities. We contact farmers by working with local government and community leaders and using rural radio to promote TREES and the FGA. This process takes 1-2 months as we vet farmers to ensure that they are truly willing to participate in the program. We prepare our Monitoring and Evaluation process which consistently collects data over the 4-year period. The M&E process consists of collecting information on our farmers through a baseline survey before they start the program, on metrics such as household dietary diversity and food insecurity and resilience (based off of USAID indices), along with measurements of the species diversity, and the number of trees per hectare on FG land. Lastly, we look into the number of food crops and marketable products our farmers grow. This information is followed up with an annual sample survey of farmers to see how these metrics change over the 4-year FGA.
Finding farmers who are able to commit to the four-year program
Finding appropriate stakeholders/funders
Ability to find appropriate staff members to serve as technicians to train farmers
We need to ensure that selection criteria includes a consultation with local leaders to be certain that farmers can dedicate secured, tenured (customary or statutory) land to the project
