Conservation District Resources

Logos

"Window" logo and accompanying slogan ("your window to healthy lands") are available in horizontal and vertical orientation, in color and in black and white.

• Color, horizontal (JPEG) (PNG)
• Color, vertical (JPEG) (PNG)
• BW, horizontal (JPEG) (PNG)
• BW, vertical (JPEG) (PNG)
• BW Reversed - for dark backgrounds, vertical (JPEG) (PNG)
• BW Reversed - for dark backgrounds, horizontal (JPEG) (PNG)

Positioning Statement

In August 2019, a diverse group of CD staff and supervisors came together to develop a positioning statement for Conservation Districts of Washington State. A position statement clearly defines an organization, product, or brand, as well as its unique and competitive advantage, to its target audience. It's used internally as the core reference point for all branding and messaging. Here's the statement our CDs came up with:

Conservation Districts of Washington State are the community hub that bring people and resources together through voluntary, locally led conservation to ensure a healthy and sustainable future.

Media & Events

Seeking media coverage and/or planning an event? Your fellow conservation districts helped create these templates and resources to get you started!

Media Relations

• Event media release template (Word). View an example of an event media release.
• Story media release template (Word). View an example of a story media release.
• Media release checklist (PDF): Suggested "best practices" for getting your release published

Event Planning

• Event planning timeline (PDF): Suggested timeline and activities to plan a successful event
• Appearance Release Form (Word): Use this template if you are capturing video, photos, audio, or other recordings of people. This template was developed by the SCC for district use. Disclaimer: Information about appearance release forms is not legal advice. If you have specific legal questions about release forms, we recommend you consult an attorney familiar with this area of law.
• Would you like SCC to sponsor one of your events? Please fill out the request here.

Tours

Tour Packet Template

Provides a folder for tour materials, including a Tour Insert (see template below).  Use this template to give an overview of your conservation district and key service areas that you want to highlight for tour attendees. Prints as 11x17 document, two-sided, folded.

• Indesign - Tour Packet (download from Box). Instructions noted in red in pasteboard (outside printable area).
• Publisher - Tour Packet (download from Box). Read file instructions (PDF).

Tour Insert Template

Template includes space for a tour map and take-home messages about each CD tour stop. It prints as an 8.5x11 two-sided document that can be inserted into the Tour Packet template (see above).

• Indesign - Tour Insert (download from Box). Instructions are noted in red in pasteboard (outside printable area).
• Publisher - Tour Insert (download from Box). Read file instructions (PDF).

Messaging & Testimonials

Think of all the staff, supervisors, and cooperators who have been involved with CDs across our state — that’s a lot of people who can help share the story of our work. Here are resources to help us speak in a strong, unified voice about the value of CDs and voluntary conservation.

Messaging

• Conservation District Key Messages (PDF): Statements describing the unique value and purpose of conservation districts. They address three questions: 1) What are conservation districts? 2) What do conservation districts do? and 3) Why are conservation districts important?

• Elevator Pitch and Word Bank for Describing Conservation Districts of Washington State (PDF): Ever wish you had an under 30-second description of conservation districts in your back pocket? Use this “starter” elevator pitch and word bank to deliver a concise, impactful answer the next time someone asks, “So, what’s a conservation district?”  
• Talking Points - Voluntary Conservation Programs (PDF): Messaging about the benefits and efficacy of voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs.

Testimonials

• Capturing Effective Testimonials from Landowners and Partners - Worksheet (Word): Use this worksheet to develop your idea and strategy for capturing and sharing testimonials that effectively tell your story.
• Appearance Release Form template (Word): If your district captures videos, photos, or audio/written recordings of people, consider using an appearance release form that gives you permission to use an image or recording. This template was developed by the SCC for district use. Disclaimer: Information about appearance release forms is not legal advice. If you have specific legal questions about release forms, we recommend you consult an attorney familiar with this area of law.

Outreach & Engagement

From tabling at events, to posting on social media, to meeting with decision-makers — conservation districts use many methods to reach a variety of audiences. These tips and resources were developed with and for CDs to make public engagement easier.

Would you like SCC to sponsor one of your events? Please fill out the request here.

Campaigns and Outreach to Decision-Makers

• Public Support for Conservation (PDF): Summary of tips from a talk by Dave Murphy - Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Conservation and chair of the campaign for a voter-approved sales tax to fund conservation - given at the WACD 2017 Annual Meeting. Tips focus on how to foster community support for conservation.
• Tips to Engage Elected Officials and Decision Makers (PDF): Simple tips to help start and maintain effective relationships with key influencers of conservation district work.

Handouts/Program Fact Sheets

• 10 Ways Conservation Districts Can Help You: (half-page) List of common services offered by Washington's conservation districts.
• About Conservation Districts: (11x17 folded) Includes key messages about CDs and three sections to customize with your own district-specific information. Please review these step-by-step template instructions. View an example of the completed template (Spokane Conservation District).
• Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) handout for landowners: (8.5x11, two-sided) Overview of program incentives, eligibility, and enrollment. Follow these instructions to customize the handout with your district logo and contact information.
• Funding for technical assistance: What is it for, and why is it important? (8.5x11) Brief description and graphic illustrating the various steps of technical assistance that form the foundation of all conservation projects.
• Visit the SCC Fact Sheets page to download more SCC-produced materials about conservation programs and initiatives. Email Paige DeChambeau to request InDesign files of the templates.

Social Media

• Social Media Best Practices and Examples (PDF): Best practices for social media account management and examples of a social media policy, Facebook Impessum, and social media account copyright statement.
• Government Social Media Calendar
• SCC flickr photo gallery

Examples and Resources From Fellow CDs

Looking for inspiration? CDs have shared some great examples of their outreach over the years. Here are links to their resources and presentations.

• Forestry Marketing Toolkit (on Google Drive): Consists of shareable content to empower each Puget Sound Region CD outreach/forester team to either chose one of two paths - to either use the foundational documents created or tailor the foundational documents to suit their CD’s unique needs and audiences in ways they see fit that may be slightly altered from the original content but still following branding and stylistic guidelines.
• Conservation District and Veteran Partnerships: (recorded presentation) Learn about existing and potential opportunities for conservation districts to partner with the Veterans Conservation Corps and design programs in partnership with veterans. Presenters include Jason Alves (Veterans Conservation Corps), Kate Riley (Snohomish Conservation District), and Vicki Carter (Spokane Conservation District). Presentation recorded during the May 2019 meeting of the Communications, Partnership, and Outreach group.
• Inspiring Farm Conservation Stewardship, Adaptations to Incentive-based Campaigns: (recorded presentation) Presentation by Aneka Sweeney, M.Ed., to the Communications, Partnership, and Outreach Committee in November 2018 about how Whatcom Conservation District has employed a community-based social marketing approach to increase landowner engagement, increase implementation of best management practices, and deliver measurable natural resource improvements.
• Building and Maintaining Relationships: (recorded presentation) Allan Warren (Pierce Conservation District) provides an overview of how his conservation district fosters, maintains, and manages community relationships. Presentation recorded during the July 6, 2017 meeting of the Communications, Partnership Building, and Outreach (CPO) Committee.
• Conservation Districts and Environmental Education: (recorded presentation) Presentation from Hannah Liss (Palouse Conservation District) on building partners and integrating environmental learning into conservation district work. The presentation covers tips and challenges related to the district's work with the Palouse Discovery Science Center, Wheat Week, Water on Wheels, Internships at WSU, and volunteer recruitment. (Recorded during the February 2016 meeting of the Communications, Partnership Building, and Outreach group).
• Kids in the Creek Educational Program: (recorded presentation) Amanda Levesque, Education and Outreach Specialist at Cascadia Conservation District, gives a short presentation about their Kids in the Creek education program and resources available to help other districts launch similar programs.