Dates: August 5 to August 7, 2003 (Tuesday to Thursday)

Gander was originally proposed for the Central Newfoundland event. However after some research and discussion it was put forward that Terra Nova National Park might be a more suitable location. The reasons for this included:

• Terra Nova and surrounding towns have a strong sense of environmental awareness/interest
• The Park is a highly visible environmental and tourist centre in Central Newfoundland and has a lot of visitor traffic
• The Park conducts a number of programs during the summer that would be a suitable fit for radio programming
• A number of scientists conduct research in the Park and would make good interview candidates
• The nearby Eastport Peninsula has a strong music and cultural presence which could be drawn on for content
• The campground at Newman Sound is a popular summer holiday destination providing a "captive audience" of potential listeners and participants
• The Conservation Corps Green Team program had four teams working in Terra Nova and surrounding area who could participate in the planning and implementation of the event

Representatives from the Conservations Corps met with officials from Terra Nova National Park to discuss a partnership. The Park was very receptive to the idea. After some technical issues were discussed and resolved it was decided to move forward with the plan and hold the summer event at the Marine Interpretation Centre (MIC - the main visitor centre) at Terra Nova National Park.

Terra Nova National Park is located in Central Newfoundland along the coast of Bonavista Bay. Many Park staff live in nearby Glovertown (about 15 km from the Marine Interpretation Centre.) Other surrounding communities along the Eastport Peninsula include: Traytown, Sandringham, Eastport, Happy Adventure, and Salvage. Community Radio was a new undertaking for the Park, though some community television projects have been done in Glovertown.

The Marine Interpretation Centre proved to be a very successful venue. A number of

qualities made it an almost ideal location:

• It is a highly visible and well known centre of activity for the Park

• It attracts a large number of visitors (roughly 300-400 a day in the summer) which made it a lively and energetic place to hold the event
• The front desk staff were extremely helpful directing guests and curious visitors to our set up area
• We were given full access to a large bright room (known as the wet lab) where we could set up equipment, hold information sessions, play live music etc.
• From the wet lab we had access to an outdoor picnic area that was ideal for conducting all kinds of programming (panel discussions, workshops, interviews, live music, contests etc.) This provided a fun, relaxed, festive atmosphere which was exactly in keeping with the spirit of community radio
• We were given access to a kitchen/office area where staff and volunteers could have a snack, make phone calls etc.
• There was also a restaurant on site

Early August proved to be an excellent time to hold the summer event at the National Park. Several advantages included:

• A busy, active, holiday atmosphere
• A relaxed audience base of holiday makers receptive to checking out the new radio station
• An available population of younger children to take part in age-appropriate activities
• A full contingent of extremely helpful park staff and programming to draw on
• An easily accessible group of summer students to recruit as part of their summer employment activities (the Green Teams and Young Canada Works)

Summertime did present some challenges however, these included:

• Many people take their holidays in the summer so some resource people were not available and some planning took longer than it might at other times.
• The general population of young people, who we would normally invite to take part in workshops and forums, were otherwise occupied with summer jobs.
• There was no central organization (such as a school) through which to contact large groups of young (teenage) people.

There were approximately two months between the Corner Brook and Terra Nova events. Much of this time was spent arranging the location, venue and dates for the Central Newfoundland event. As stated earlier, summer is a time when many people take their holidays — this often leads to delays when trying to organize an event. Keeping this in mind, two months was an appropriate lead time for the Central event. Once the partnership with Terra Nova was confirmed and event dates were agreed on, it took some time to choose the best venue for the event. (Several technical considerations had to be explored and resolved.) Once the venue was agreed upon (approximately 3 weeks prior to the event) publicity and programming could proceed in earnest.

Publicity for the Terra Nova event was similar in some ways to that of previous events and in some ways it was quite different. Similarities included:

• The same poster logo and design were used from the Corner Brook event
• The press release and PSA followed similar formats
• A similar range of local media were contacted by fax and follow-up calls
• An e-mail was circulated encouraging people to tune in or log on

Differences included:

• A more localized listening audience (i.e. the campers at Newman Sound campground) required a more direct marketing technique
• Green Teamers and Young Canada Works participants (dressed in sandwich-board style posters) ranged around the campground distributing flyers and talking to campers about the event.
• Flyers were distributed at the front desk of the MIC and the campground check-in.
• Posters had to be available in both English and French — these were distributed around the park.
• Two bi-lingual sandwich-board style posters were placed on the highway at either end of the listening range encouraging people to tune in.

The partners included:

• Terra Nova National Park (main contacts: Andrea Cote - Communications Specialist, Kristy Hewitt — Marine Interpretation Centre Manager, and Dave Saunders - Interpretation Specialist)
• Heritage Foundation for Terra Nova National Park (main contact: Kim Murphy, Waste Management Educator)
• Green Team Program, Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador (main contacts: Darren Feltham — Program Manager, Jennifer Cheeks — Regional Supervisor Central East, Jamie Skanes — Training and Education Coordinator)
• Climate Change Education Centre (main contact: Terry McNeil — PEO Hub Coordinator)

The recruitment of partners was very straightforward in this case. The Green Team Program and The Climate Change Education Centre are projects of the Conservation Corps so communication among these departments was very easy. Terra Nova National Park and its Heritage Foundation embraced the project with exceptional enthusiasm and energy making them wonderful partners.

The Terra Nova Green Team was sponsored by the Heritage Foundation for Terra Nova National Park and stationed in nearby Glovertown. Their project was to promote recycling in the community. The team was seconded for four days to help set up and take part in the event. The team provided an invaluable contribution to the event. The individuals were energetic, enthusiastic, hard-working and a pleasure to work with. Their involvement showed the value of having a core group of dedicated youth who can take part in the entire event as this provides continuity and puts ownership in the hands of local youth. Also, the Green Team Regional Supervisor for Central East, Jennifer Cheeks, was stationed in nearby Glovertown for the summer. Jennifer took part in the program planning committee and was a great asset to the project. It was extremely helpful having someone "on the ground" in the area to supervise putting up posters, coordinate the Green Teams and gather material (taped interviews) for the event.

Climate Change Education Centre collaborates with partners and stakeholders to develop an information and support centre for all climate change education and outreach activities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its goals are:

1. To increase awareness and understanding of climate change
2. To develop broad-based support for policy changes and actions that will be required under the National Climate Change Implementation Strategy
3. To promote action by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their communities and to adapt to climate change.

The Climate Change Education Centre is supported by the Government of Canada (Climate Change Action Fund), the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and the Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador. 4

Overall the event was very well attended and participation was good. People took part in a variety of capacities including:

• Host
• Soundboard operator
• Director
• Log keeper
• Greeter
• Roving reporter
• Video camera operator
• Workshop leader
• Workshop participant
• Panelist
• Entertainer
• Interview guest
• Listener/observer

Participants included:

• Four Green Teams (each with four members.) They took part in a variety of ways including most of those listed above.
• The Terra Nova Team took part in four full days (one for set up/training and three for the event itself)
• The Eastport Team (stationed a 20 minute drive from Terra Nova) came in for one day
• The Gander Team (stationed a one hour from Terra Nova) came in for one day
• The Carmanville Team (stationed an hour and a half from Terra Nova) came in for one day

• Young Canada Works (stationed at Terra Nova) took part in hosting and publicity and as participants of the panel discussion and workshops
• Marine Interpretation Centre Staff took part in hosting, greeting, set up, publicity
• Terra Nova National Park Staff took part in hosting, greeting, leading activities and generally making the radio people feel welcome and looked after
• The Girl Guides of Canada — three girls took part as audience members for the youth panel
• Kittiwake Economic Development Corporation — Reg Wright took part as a resource person and guest panel participant
• The general public and visitors to the park took part as listeners, trivia contestants and workshop participants
• Local community members and musicians took part as listeners, interview subjects and performers

Unlike the previous two events all on-air hosts were youth and other local hosts (rather than Conservation Corps staff.) This was considered a great improvement as it fostered a greater sense of ownership and teamwork among local participants.

Overall there was a much greater sense of teamwork during this event than in Cornerbrook:

• The partners took on a much greater role in all aspects of the event — not just in terms of venue and technical requirements but in content as well. This lead to a greater sense of ownership and responsibility among the team.
• Overall participation was much greater — there were simply more people around to take on individual roles
• The daily presence and enthusiasm of the Terra Nova Green Team made for a consistent and knowledgeable core of young people to train and mentor other youth participants
• The exceptional contribution and help from of Park staff made for a happy and content team
• A daily debrief for key management from the Conservation Corps and Ryakuga lead to a much better level of communication

When considering which venue to use for the Park broadcast, the management team decided to put the "event issues" before technical issues. In other words rather than choosing the venue based on technical merits (e.g. high elevation, high phone quality, internet access etc.) we decided to pick the venue with the highest profile and visitor traffic that would make for a fun and festive event.

Two other sites were considered:

• the administration building
• the warden’s lunch room

Both of these sites were higher in elevation and may have been easier in terms of phone quality and Internet access. However they are not high profile visitor areas.

The Marine Interpretation Centre did present some technical challenges:

• Elevation — it is situated significantly lower than the other sites
• Phone lines — the phone sound quality is somewhat tinny and crackly
• Internet access — the internet connection is notoriously slow

In the end however all these challenges were overcome:

• Elevation — the MIC is located next to the water as is the Newman Sound campground — this allowed the signal to bounce along the water and reach the campground quite easily
• Phone lines — most of the programming was done live or taped. The phone was not needed as much as anticipated and the quality was acceptable when needed. Also, the Park was extremely generous with the amount of phone access they provided — this more than made up for a slightly tinny sound.
• Internet Access — the Internet at the MIC was connected to a network which made it impossible to do the webcast from there. This was resolved by sending the webcast from a dial-up connection at a remote site (a park house) about 5 km away. This worked well.
• Cell phones — most cell phones did not work in the park. This presented some inconvenience, but again, we worked around it.

The signal from the fourty watt transmitter reached the campground (about 5km away) with no problem and reception was very clear. It was also possible to pick up the signal while driving along the highway through most of the park. Reception was possible in some parts of nearby Glovertown but was faint in the communities of Sandringham, Eastport, and Happy Adventure.

The content planning committee consisted of:

• Janet McDonald — Project Coordinator, Tuning In To Climate Change
• Andrea Cote — Communications Specialist, Terra Nova National Park
• Kristy Hewitt — Centre Manager, Marine Interpretation Centre
• Kim Murphy — Waste Management Educator, Terra Nova National Park Heritage Foundation
• Jennifer Cheeks — Regional Supervisor Central East, The Green Team Program

This committee communicated via e-mail and telephone and met in person three weeks prior to the event. (With the exception of the project coordinator, all were based near Terra Nova.) The schedule was built in the following manner:

• The scheduled dates and times were agreed upon: 11 am to 7 pm, August 5, 6 and 7

• The committee brainstormed a "chase list" of interview topics/contacts/musical guests/additional features (i.e. park programming, workshops, panels)/contest and prize ideas/publicity etc.
• Items were assigned to each person
• Blank schedules were distributed to each member of the committee (The schedule was divided into ten-minute blocks. If an item was expected to take up more than ten minutes several blocks would be slotted off for that item)
• It was agreed that a ten-minute block would be left blank between each live item to leave room for taped features (this allowed for practical "breathing space" between live items for set up, introductions etc.)
• Three Climate Watch documentary episodes (about 45 minutes each) were slotted into the schedule at what was agreed to be an appropriate time (4:30 pm — when traffic at the MIC typically dies down.)
• As live items were scheduled the information would be e-mailed to the rest of the committee to avoid double booking.

As with other events the content consisted of a variety of programming dealing with:

• Climate change
• Other related environmental issues
• Community interest items
• Local entertainment

These were presented through:

• Live and phone interviews (28)
• Taped interviews (24)
• Live interactive activities and workshops (8)
• Live panel discussions (1)
• Live local entertainment (14)
• Taped stories and entertainment (8)
• Contests/prize give-aways (9)
• Climate change PSA’s (19)
• Documentaries (3)

For the most part live interviews focused on local community happenings, environmental issues (e.g. local recycling and composting projects), park related research and activities, some climate change content.

Taped interviews focused on climate change, other PEO Hubs, local opinions (streeters), related environmental issues, and some local community content.

Workshops and activities were climate change and environmentally based, most were directed at younger children and youth.

One panel discussion took place entitled Youth the Environment and the Economy. About 50 youth took part as a participatory audience and a wide range of topics were covered including:

• Youth out-migration
• Employment
• General environmental concerns
• Industry’s responsibility to the environment
• Consumer responsibility to the environment

Moderator:

• Bruce Gilbert (Executive Director of the Conservation Corps.)

Panelists:

• Jennifer Cheeks (Green Team Regional Supervisor, Central East)
• Jackie Cheeseman (Green Team Leader, Gander)
• Jaymie Cutler (Green Team Leader, Terra Nova)

Guest Resource Participant:

• Reg Wright (Communications Officer, Kittiwake Economic Development Corporation)

Phone in participants:

• Navarana Igloliote (Green Team Regional Supervisor, Labrador)
• Anna Russell (Green Team Alumna and Youth Worker, Stephenville)

The phone-in’s were seeded or planned in an attempt to:

• Break the ice and encourage more callers
• Make the panel more far-reaching provincially

Although the phone number was announced several times, people did not call in. This was not entirely surprising since:

• most listeners were campers with limited phone access and
• it is challenging to break the ice and shyness boundaries with a new, one-off radio station

Musicians and storytellers played a huge role in the event. This added to the festive atmosphere and served to highlight the area’s rich cultural community.

Contests and giveaways played a much larger role than in previous events. Prizes were donated by:

• Terra Nova National Park (children’s books)
• Terra Nova Adventures (sea kayaking pass)
• Sandy Pond Concessions (free canoe rental)
• Terra Nova Golf Resort (golf passes)
• Starfish Eatery (dinner for two)
• Heritage Foundation of Terra Nova National Park (fleece sweatshirt and composting magnets)
• Ocean Watch Adventures (boat tour pass)
• Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador (canvas bags)

Live phone-in contests have not worked very well at past events so this time we tried a different approach. "Roving reporters" went around the campground and taped kids and campers taking part in trivia contests.

This turned out to be a winning approach as:

• People seemed less nervous knowing that the item was taped vs. live
• It got the program "out" into the campground
• It served as another way to advertise the event to campers and encourage them to tune in

Originally the plan was to hold a PSA competition, however after some consideration it became clear that the logistics of doing so would be extremely challenging. Instead a list of pre-written climate change PSA’s were prepared and participants were asked to pre-tape them for the program. People were given a token prize (a magnet) for doing this. This approach worked well as it served to:

• Educated people about climate change
• Insure accurate information was included in the PSA’s
• Included the public in a low-commitment yet meaningful way that contributed to programming
• Help the community "buy-in" as it led to more voices on the radio and subsequently more listeners

Three episodes of the documentary series Climate Watch were played, one per day. They are each about 45 minutes in length. The general feedback during the evaluation was that these items are rather long and dense in content. People felt they broke up the flow of live programming and may be a turn off to many listeners. People seemed to think shorter segments would work better.

As with the previous two events video documentation took place throughout the event. Various participants were asked their opinions about the process and the event itself. These interviews will be used in the final video evaluation tool.

Also, as with previous events, core members of the management team (Bruce Gilbert, Janet McDonald, Fred Campbell and Terry McNeil) gathered on the Friday directly following the event to debrief and evaluate the event. In this case partners and other Conservation Corps staff were also invited to offer their thoughts. This was considered a valuable and useful exercise as many valid learnings were identified (many of which have been discussed in this report.)

Overall the management team considered this to have been the most successful event to date. Feedback from participants and partners suggests that they were also very pleased with the way things went. Several things stand out in terms of what worked. These are learnings that can be brought to the next event:

• The involvement of good partners is key. It is important to have partners who are willing to take an active role in the planning (content) and implementation of the project. It results in a much greater sense of ownership and spreads the workload among more people.
• A venue that is perceived as a visible public space is very important. It provides a fun friendly atmosphere and along with providing a certain amount of natural traffic, it encourages more people to drop in.
• When choosing a venue, "human"/participatory considerations should take precedence over technical considerations — in other words: go where the people are.
• A big open space with access to an outdoors area is very effective. It creates a relaxed friendly situation where people feel comfortable. It makes for a distinctly different setting than that of a mainstream media studio.
• Involving local youth in hosting as well as behind the scenes roles is vital. Youth bring an energy and excitement to the events that is hard to capture with adults. It is particularly helpful to have a core group of youth available for the whole event as they can act as mentors for other youth participants - this puts ownership into their hands.
• It’s critical to have hosts lined up beforehand and that they have a chance to get some training/practice ahead of time and/or listen to the show for a while before they go on air
• The more live programming, the better — even if it makes for a more hectic schedule
• Live interactive games work well

Some learnings and things that could be done differently included:

• A feedback/exit survey could be implemented for participants and listeners
• The highway sign could be bigger and professionally printed
• When dealing with a predetermined issue — in this case climate change — it’s important not to overwhelm the audience with content that deals solely with that topic. For example many people thought the 45 Climate Watch segments were too long. In the next event an attempt will be made to use shorter, snappier climate change content and also focus on more live climate change content.
• From a technical point of view personal radios with headsets would be helpful for the hosts to constantly know what’s going on when they are not on the air.

For the next event, scheduled for St. John’s in late October, we plan to implement as many of these learnings as possible. Based on the success of our recent partnership with the national park, a partnership is now being negotiated with the Signal Hill National Historic Site. Other partners will include schools, youth groups, Memorial University and local environmental groups.

1 The Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador www.conservationcorps.nf.ca

2 Karen Endicott-Deering, Executive Director, Heritage Foundation for Terra Nova National Park

3 Amazing Adventures http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/canada/newfound/terra.htm

4 Climate Change Education Centre information flyer

A press release and public service announcement were sent to the following media:

• Rogers Television Gander
• CBC Radio Gander
• CBC Radio Grand Falls Windsor
• The Beacon (weekly newspaper) Gander
• The Packet (weekly newspaper)

A press release was sent to

• NTV News Gander

PSA’s were sent to:

• OZ FM radio
• VOCM radio
• Glovertown Community Ad Channel

Two live radio interviews were conducted with project coordinator Janet McDonald:

• CBC Radio Weekend AM, Sunday August 31, 2003
• CBC Radio Central Newfoundland Morning Show Tuesday August 5, 2003

The Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador and Terra Nova National Park present Tuning In To Climate Change — a three-day community radio broadcast from the Marine Interpretation Centre at the Park. Tune in to 104.7 FM in the Terra Nova area or log on at www.conservationcorps.nf.ca Drop by for music, games, workshops and more — Tuesday to Thursday August 5^th to the 7^th from 11am to 7pm. For more information call Janet at 728-2166.

The following message was sent out by Janet McDonald to 80 friends and colleagues with a request to pass the information on to others:

Listeners in the Terra Nova area can tune in to 104.7FM - people outside our listening area can log on and listen at www.conservationcorps.nf.ca

Terra Nova National Park teams up with the Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador and Ryakuga Grassroots Communications to present Tuning In To Climate Change - an innovative new project that encourages listeners and participants to talk about climate change and find out more about what’s going on in the Park and surrounding area.

For three days next week (August 5, 6 and 7) the Marine Interpretation Centre at Terra Nova National Park will be home base for an interactive community radio broadcast and Internet web cast. Listeners can tune in locally at 104.7 FM or log on at www.conservationcorps.nf.ca

"The Conservation Corps, is a not for profit organization dedicated to providing youth with training and employment in environmental and cultural heritage conservation. We undertake and participate in numerous special activities and projects throughout the year. Tuning In To Climate Change is one such event," explains project coordinator Janet McDonald.

"During the three-day event, people will have the opportunity to learn more about climate change and how we can all help address the problem. The event will also feature news about the Park, workshops on climate change, local performers, community groups and others who want to share their talents, talk about their volunteer organizations and other community-based projects."

"This partnership with Terra Nova National Park is such a natural fit," says McDonald, "We’re all interested in environmental issues and there are so many interesting things going on in the Park. Community radio is a great way for the Conservation Corps, the Park, local people, and visitors to come together, have some fun, and learn about climate change along the way."

Tuning In To Climate Change will utilize Internet web casting to bring the three-day event into the homes of people living outside the immediate broadcast area.

The Terra Nova event is the third of a cross-province tour that saw Kippens and Corner Brook Tune In To Climate Change in April and May. The forth and final event is planned for St. John’s in October.

Tuning In To Climate Change is funded by the Government of Canada through the Climate Change Action Fund.

For more information please contact Janet McDonald at (709) 729-7280 / 728-2166 (cell) or jmcdonald@conservationcorps.nf.ca or Andrea Cote at (709) 533-3177 or andrea.cote@pc.gc.ca