Visiting Crater Lake’s Wizard Island

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Crater Lake National Park in Oregon is spectacular to behold, but the park’s centerpiece, Wizard Island, truly enchants visitors.

Wizard Island is striking because it appears unreal, as though it was pulled from the pages of a fantasy novel, here’s how I might [poorly] describe such a mystical setting-

Seeing the island for the first time I could only describe this place as the dominion of a sorcerer, a fortress where he/she can perform incantations in solitude. The isle looks as though it was inspired by a familiar clothing item, something mundane and convenient – the magi’s hat; the island gently rises from all sides to a center point, the top appears mischievous as though the fabric has deliberately toppled to the far side. Surrounding the castle is a beguiling blue-colored lake, a gigantic moat that is miles across and terrifyingly deep! The island is fortified too; soldiers of green trees stand guard, expecting an attack from the water they are numerous near the shore, only to have their numbers fray at the ramparts. In the distance, immense cliffs stab into the sky creating an impenetrable wall of stone. The scene is inspiring, beautiful…serene. A cool wind gently blows past and whispers about the power of a hellish phantasm that was once unleashed and devoured a mountain, possibly of a battle between Gods. The island captivates the soul; its beauty too alluring, this grandeur too inspiring, the enchantment…too intoxicating. The wind’s gentle whisper beckons to visit, to explore this place – to walk in its magic.

The best part about Wizard Island is that it is not a fictional destination, this spellbinding place really can be explored, though your time on the island is limited to just a couple of hours.

Like most adventures, be flexible on your journey; while camping at the park I tried, for several days, to obtain tickets for the boat ride to Wizard Island. Unfortunately, weather concerns and mechanical problems caused delays. On the third day, the stars aligned and tickets were quickly in hand. After a quick scramble for gear, my family and some friends drove to the opposite side of the massive crater to the Cleetwood Cove parking lot.

The hike to Cleetwood Cove is a 1-mile long, 700-foot descent down the side of the crater.

At the water’s edge was our boat to Wizard Island, about 25 or so people boarded, then we were off.

What is most fascinating about the boat ride is the perspective – a view not fully appreciated from seeing Crater Lake from the rim. Being at the lake’s surface you feel like a small toy boat in a gigantic bathtub, it is an awe-inspiring method to better appreciate just how immense Crater Lake is-

  • The lake stretched beyond our boat in all directions, the crater’s oval shape is a massive 5-miles by 6-miles wide.
  • Below our boat, at the deepest point, was 1,943 feet of water – that’s equal to a 180-story building below us!
  • Around us the rim towered overhead, it ranged in height from 700 feet to 1,800 feet.

Most fascinating, this entire place literally went to hell about 7,700 years ago when the 12,000-foot Mount Mazama erupted – the eruption was 42 times greater than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980*. Riding over the waves it is hard to imagine that the original mountain once stood 1 mile above us and a quarter mile below our tiny boat, and within the course of 2 violent days…completely disappeared in one eruption.

The eruption was recorded in Klamath Native American oral traditions; it tells of two Gods, Skell, and Llao who fought. It was their battle that caused the eruption of Mount Mazama and left many of the geographic features seen today.

Over time the volcano eventually settled down, though, in the process left behind several gigantic cones, which rise from the crater, several are underwater, the one above the water’s surface is Wizard Island.

The water of Crater Lake is from snowmelt – it is clear, pure, and cold! Its clarity allows light to penetrate to great depths, which absorbs longer rays of light (like red) while scattering and reflecting shorter rays (like blue). When we peer into the water we see these scattered/reflected blue shorter rays.

blog_2013_07_13_img02Approaching Wizard Island, even several miles away, is very impressive.

blog_2013_07_13_img03As the boat approaches Wizard Island the size and grandeur of this volcanic cone become apparent.

blog_2013_07_13_img04Hiking to the top of Wizard Island the trail climbs 760 feet, but this is nothing compared to the eastern rim of the crater which towers above me. In the photo, the Watchman scrapes the sky at 1840 feet above the lake’s surface. Seen between the trees, on the water (crossing Skell Channel) is a small white line, this is one of the boats that transport passengers to the island.

blog_2013_07_13_img05The views hiking to the top of Wizard Island are jaw-dropping.

blog_2013_07_13_img06Think of Wizard Island as a small volcano, and it has a crater; this picture shows several people hiking out. The rim of Crater Lake looms on the horizon.

blog_2013_07_13_img07This Ground Squirrel is a resident of Wizard Island. He was demanding a food tithe from me for visiting his island retreat.

blog_2013_07_13_img08A view from atop Wizard Island looking across Crater Lake to the opposite rim which is about 5 miles away. The blue color is just magnificent.

blog_2013_07_13_img09Hiking down the cinder cone we enjoy a rich tapestry of colors – a masterpiece painted by nature!

blog_2013_07_13_img10This is one of the few boats allowed on Crater Lake. It is seen here delivering visitors; this boat will take us on our return trip around the lake’s perimeter in a counterclockwise direction. Our next stop was the southern shore to see a slide area and the Phantom Ship.

blog_2013_07_13_img11The spires of the Phantom Ship, an island in the lake, which under low-light conditions resembles a ghost ship.

blog_2013_07_13_img12Looking into the water from the edge of the boat we saw this dramatic difference in color. The interpreter on the boat said the contrast was because we were passing over an underwater ledge, to the left the water depth was about 900 feet, to the right the depths plunged to 1,600 feet!

blog_2013_07_13_img13Crater Lake’s legendary “blue” water.

*Wikipedia reference “Mount Mazama.”

» Find out more about boat rides to Wizard Island
» Find out more about Crater Lake National Park

A Scamper through the Burn Zone at Oregon’s Waldo Lake

In 1996 a forest fire decimated an area in central Oregon that was roughly 5 miles wide by 3 miles long. Much of the fire’s southern advance was stopped by the immense shoreline of Waldo Lake – a glacially carved body of water that is 10-square miles in size!

The titanic forces of fire and ice have affected this magnificent landscape in dramatic and beautiful ways; all of which are best experienced from the trail.

Here are some photos from a two-day, 8-mile backpacking trip along Waldo Lake’s north shore and deep into the burn zone of the Ringdon Lakes area.

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Hiking along Waldo Lake’s north shore. Waldo Lake is considered to have some of the purest water in the world. The lake was named after Judge John Breckenridge Waldo, who is considered to be the “John Muir of Oregon” for his work helping to conserve large tracks of forests in the Cascades.

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Scampering over and under the “blowdown;” these are trees that have been blown down by the wind. In this case, the blowdown are the trees that burned in the 1996 fire.

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Passing one of the many ponds that dot the northern shore of Waldo Lake.

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We exited the burn zone and made camp. Shown are several youthful members of the group seen enjoying the shallow and cool waters nearby.

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If you think you’re too old for backpacking? Just look at Jack, at 70 years old he celebrates life by getting outside.

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A view of the evening sky as seen from our campsite. That night we heard only nature’s sounds…which included the buzz of mosquitoes.

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The night sky was dark on this moonless night. Note the prominent stars of the Big Dipper, in the right of the image, is Polaris (the North Star) and the Little Dipper. To locate Polaris, all you have to do is to find the Big Dipper pointer stars, which are located at the outer part of the Big Dipper’s bowl (seen at the bottom of the image). Draw a line from these and go about 5 times the distance to Polaris.

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In the morning, the trail led us north, deep into the burn zone of the Waldo Lake Wilderness. The devastation from the fire continued for miles, but new growth was all around us as we hiked. Also observed were several types of bees, a wasp, woodpeckers, and a small toad.

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Lake Kiwa is shown in the background. The trail junction (not shown) was partially hidden by a fallen tree that also served as the post for the trail sign. The path returning us to Waldo Lake was heavy with blowdown; this two-mile trail required twice the time because of the number of downed trees we had to climb over – more scampering!

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Lower Rigdon Lake offered us the visual treat of a deep blue and some much-needed shade for a short break. Near the top of the hill is Upper Ringdon Lake.

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Coming down from the Ringdon Lakes; in the distance is Waldo Lake. Note shown, but interesting; there were areas on this section of trail that frequently crossed flat rocky areas where glacial scouring makes could be seen.

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Returning to the shoreline trail we enjoy the sights of Waldo Lake’s varied and picturesque scenery.

What’s in Your Water Bottle – Trip Report March, 2015

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Trip Report
Volunteer Leader: Mark Hougardy | Group: Eugene-based Hiking Club | Date: March 13, 2015 | Participants: 15 | Hiking: 2 Miles | Type: Day Hike

We have all turned on the kitchen tap and filled up a bottle in preparation for a hike, but have you ever wondered what was in your bottle? Think about it – we all live downstream from somebody.

How does river water become the tap water we drink and how is wastewater made safe for wildlife and others downstream? To learn more, I organized a trip with a local hiking club to visit the local water intake and the wastewater facilities.

Our first visit was to the Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant, located adjacent to the McKenzie River, in Springfield. The facility is no small operation; it serves the needs of 200,000 people on a daily basis by removing water directly from the river, treating it, and finally delivering it to our taps.

Here are some observations from the visit:

  • The facility is very high-tech and water quality is measured at all stages of the process both by computer and by a human with hourly lab checks.
  • Security is paramount; the plant is gated with a security fence/gate, cameras are everywhere.
  • Our local water system has about two days of water reserves if there is a calamity.
  • On the day we visited the facility had processed and was sending out 16 million gallons (24 Olympic sized swimming pools) of water to the surrounding community.

Next, we traveled to the Eugene/Springfield Water Pollution Control Facility in Eugene. This is where all of the waste materials that go down the drain/flushed from our households and businesses in the greater Eugene metropolitan area (a quarter of a million people) are processed. The plant is located adjacent to the Willamette River. Our hour and a half visit was very informative:

  • More than 99% of what arrives at the facility is water; less than 1% are solid materials that need to be either removed or turned into bio-solids.
  • Most of the odoriferous gases are collected and used to power a generator that supplies 50-60% of the energy needs of the facility.
  • Waste materials can take up to 10 hours, once they leave your home until it reaches the wastewater facility; then wastewater can take another 10 hours to be processed. In short, waste materials take less than 24 hours until that water is returned to the river.
  • The amount of water being cleaned and being returned to the Willamette River that day was about 15 million gallons (roughly 23 Olympic swimming pools).
  • During the summer, the plant can process up to 70 million gallons per day (106 Olympic swimming pools) of wastewater!

I was fascinated to learn that on the Willamette River in Oregon there are about 25 wastewater treatment stations, and that does not include communities on the tributaries that flow into the Willamette! Just think about that…for every wastewater plant, there is likely a water intake facility that supplies drinking water for the next community downstream. If you live downstream you really want to know that the people upstream are taking care of your water – the water you drink, use for bathing, and for recreation.

If you’re curious about the water that goes into your water bottle start asking questions. Most water intake and wastewater plants are happy to host tours for small groups. Let them know you are interested in visiting.

Behind us is a 2-million gallons of water; the tank is actually a settling basin for any particulate matter.
Water Filtration Plant: Behind us is a 2-million gallon settling basin. This is used to settle any particulate matter in the water. This water was recently pulled from the McKenzie River.
A view an empty 2-million gallon setting tank.
Water Filtration Plant: A view an empty 2-million gallon setting basin.
Wastewater Treatment Facility: It looks like a really bad root-beer float, it is actually air being passed through the wastewater, this allows bacteria to better digest the waste.
Water Pollution Control Facility: It looks like a really bad root-beer float, it is actually air being passed through the wastewater, this allows bacteria to better digest the waste.
Treated water that is almost ready to be returned to the Willamette River.
Water Pollution Control Facility: Treated water that is almost ready to be returned to the Willamette River.

What about when the water is returned to the Willamette River? Find out more, read my post, Rafting the Upper Willamette River with the McKenzie River Trust; the majority of the photos were taken only a few miles downstream from Eugene’s wastewater treatment facility.

Hiking the Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail

Walking in a forest with 500-year-old trees is always a delight. Finding such places – a rare treasure. Fortunately, the Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail is such a gem, and for the price of a moderate drive from Eugene, Oregon, hikers can enjoy this richness.

The trail is located within the Willamette National Forest, more specifically the research area is known as the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. The experimental forest exists so scientists can conduct long-term studies of the Pacific Northwest’s complex forest and stream ecosystems.

A trail brochure states the Lookout Creek Old-Growth Trail is 2.6 miles long, though a sign at the upper trailhead states the trail is approximately 3.5 miles in length – both of these are incorrect. I believe Bill Sullivan’s book, “100 Hikes in Central Oregon Cascades” that states the trail was 6.3 miles with a 1400 elevation gain. Expect the hike (one-way uphill) to take 3 hours with breaks; the return hike down the service road to the lower trailhead adds 1 more hour, so plan for a minimum 4 hours to complete the round trip.

The route is rugged with steep inclines, downed trees, log scampers and a couple of creek jumps that are not shown on the map. The beginning and end of the trail provide footbridges for crossing Lookout Creek, the remaining trail is in the deep forest with lots of big and really old trees.

Help the forest; always bring a trash bag. My family did not find any trash on the trail, but on the service road, we found spent shotgun shells, beer cans, soda cans, and other trash.

The nearest populated area is the town of Blue River. Driving to the trail takes about an hour-and-a-half from Eugene. The last seven miles of driving will be on packed dirt roads.

These pictures were taken in late January. This entire area should be covered in snow, but an unusually warm winter with temperatures in the mid-forties offered the chance to see the majesty of old-growth forest at an usual time of year.

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This photo gives an idea of how large these trees can become.
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The bridge crossing at Lookout Creek, near the lower trailhead.
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A lush landscape.
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The trail meanders beneath a fallen giant.
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One of several fallen trees across the trail.
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What stories could this tree tell?
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Scrambling across a creek.
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One of many “nurse logs” seen on the trail.
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A view of Lookout Creek, near the upper trailhead.
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An area where one ancient tree fell and caused a cascade of destruction. While terrible, this ending allows new life to thrive.
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By my rough calculations, the trail is actually about 4.5 – 5 miles in length (one-way).

The Turkeys of Nonprofit Development and How Not to Be One

Thanksgiving is a perfect opportunity to introduce the turkeys of nonprofit development. These are ideas frequently held by small organizations about raising money that could be considered “bird-brained.”

When I started helping nonprofits with their development work, I was surprised at how many on the Board and the staff became uncomfortable when “the ask” was mentioned.

I understood the frustration but needed to know more about the source of their angst. When I inquired about why the subject of fundraising was viewed as a negative, these same three reasons appeared:

  • Profit was seen as contrary to being a nonprofit
  • Making money was viewed as a shameful act
  • Money reflected everything that is wrong with society

I understood the angst, but these reasons were turkeys: ideas incongruous with the mission of the organization. Here are 3 non-turkey interpretations of these 3 concerns:

  • Money is not contrary to an organization’s mission, rather it is the lifeblood that supports programs, and public engagement activities and helps to communicate the nonprofit’s important mission. Money is needed for the success of an organization.
  • Making money is neither good nor bad, how it is used should be the focus. What is shameful is not allowing an organization’s mission to thrive and create good in the world.
  • Money is not reflective of everything that is wrong with society. Yes, greed and financial inequality exist in society, but these issues are distractions in the larger conversation. Rather, focus on how the organization views money. See money as potential energy. Then ask, how can this energy be harnessed?

One final thought: we have all heard that donations do not grow on trees. True. Donations are not easy to come by, donors must understand (with an emotional connection) and realize that your organization’s work has meaning – to think otherwise would be a turkey. Happy Thanksgiving

The Bogeymen of Nonprofit Development and How to Stop Them

Image from the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ Oogie Boogie.

Halloween is a great time to write about the bogeymen of nonprofit development. At first, these gremlins might appear harmless annoyances, but if allowed to become bogeymen, they can scare away donors and kill your nonprofit. What are these three bogeymen, and how can they be exorcized?

Bogeyman #1: Stopping New Leads

The first bogeyman thrives when you stop developing new leads.
New leads must flow into your nonprofit to grow support, expand your donor base, and replace former members who did not renew. This flow of leads must be continual for your organization to remain vibrant.  When an organization diminishes lead generation activities, it allows this bogeyman to reside at your nonprofit; without new leads, programs will atrophy, community involvement will atrophy, and the mission will starve. Exorcize this fury before it makes a home! Always have a development and marketing plan that is forward-facing, engaging, and will bring in high-quality leads.

Bogeyman #2: Trivializing Your Donors

The second bogeyman reveals itself when donors (and potential donors) are trivialized by development staff.

Recently, the Development Director of an environmental nonprofit mentioned her organization was not attending a celebrated annual community event because “it always had the same people, and they would just be preaching to the choir.” I was momentarily stunned because she was missing a superb low-hanging fruit moment for engaging with donors and nurturing future members. This nonprofit had a bogeyman!

The occasion was a community favorite that had an attendance of over 3,500 people each year. It had a well-attended history dating back over three decades. The audience was passionate about environmental issues and in line with the nonprofit’s mission. The event cost nothing for the nonprofit and offered direct contact with individuals from ages 1 to 100, with attendance weighted toward retired folks. The only investment for this organization was setting up a tabletop display, 8 hours from a staff member or volunteers, and any communications they chose to send. This was a low-investment, high-engagement opportunity to interact with a receptive audience and nurture future donors/members.

At the end of the day, the nonprofit had passed up an opportunity to shake hands with 350 individuals, with half being new leads who signed up for an e-newsletter Plus, there were two dozen new volunteer signups. (As reported by the nonprofit who was able to use their space). 

When your donors are “cheapened” they open the door to a bogeyman that will create havoc and confusion within your organization. Exorcize this nightmare by not just working for your mission; but working toward your mission, being involved in what your supporters are interested in, and being a part of their life experiences.

Bogeyman #3: Being Unresponsive

A third bogeyman appears when nonprofits are unresponsive.

If a prospective donor inquires about participating in your nonprofit, you should answer, right? Sadly, many organizations do not respond. Just from my own experiences, I have been frequently disappointed by unresponsive nonprofits. I “get it” that people are overworked, which is why I encourage fundraisers to create an FAQ page that answers the most common questions that prospective donors have

When an organization is unresponsive, it communicates to the donor (or prospective donor) that they are not crucial to the organization’s mission. What is frightening is that the bogeyman does not just move into your office – it moves into the individual’s mind and affects the perception of your nonprofit. When that person wants to write a check to help a good cause, they think of your non-responsive nonprofit, then they’ll write a check to your competitor.

Exorcize these phantasms by keeping the flow of leads open, being engaged with your audience, and always being responsive to people who are interested in your mission.

Increasing Volunteerism with the Nature Conservancy of Oregon

In the spring and summer of 2014, I enjoyed volunteering with the Nature Conservancy of Oregon (Southwest office). My role was to help grow participation in the local volunteering community. My services included upgrading their email management tool (to Constant Contact) and designing several newsletters.

Here are some examples:
> Saturday Spring Work Parties (pdf)
> June Newsletter “Thank You Table Rock Leaders” (pdf)
> July Newsletter “Freedom to Volunteer” (welcome article by Mark – pdf)

Cleaning Up the Nonprofit’s Development Outreach and Communication Files

Your organization’s outreach and communications should be treated like gold.

Everything that your organization produces: brochures, fliers, fact sheets, signage, trade show booth layouts, newsletters, volunteer materials, signage, web content, graphics, emails, and even social media messaging has the ability to:

  • Reveal the story about your cause,
  • Encourage others to learn more, and
  • Inspire people into action.

All of your outreach and communications are valuable assets that need to be protected and organized. Sadly, many good organizations do not manage their assets proactively.

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Have you ever seen files kept like this?

Let me say, “I get it.” I completely understand; when the office is busy, the phone is ringing, and there are multiple interruptions the various revisions, edits, changes, and updates to the project you are working on can get the better of you. It is easy for well-intentioned work to become a chaotic mess.
There is an easier way…

Below is the structure I use for keeping design projects organized.

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First, structure all of the brochures, factsheets, fliers etc. into Collateral folders. This makes organizing all of the various projects easier to manage. Collateral is a catchall term for items the public will see.

Then list by Project, in this case, let’s look at the “Flier 2014 Big Event.”

The highest within the “Flier 2014 Big Event” directory is the _Inputs folder; this includes all of the requirements for the project. Note the “_” underscore, to have this folder automatically appear at the top of your alphabetized folder tree add an underscore before the name. This helps a great deal in keeping folders organized into a logical flow.

Next is the Assets folder. This holds all of the images and any related design elements.

The Business folder is all of the proposals, pricing info, quotes, and schedules that you might need to reference quickly.

The Design folder is where I house the graphics files and their revisions. In the example are 3 Adobe Illustrator (AI) files, after the name is the date 140528 (2014, May 28) and there were 3 versions, with #3 being the most recent. I display the date with the year first, a numeric month, then a numeric day because after several months/years of collecting files, this is an easy way to view what is most current. The notes.txt file is one of the most powerful files in your design arsenal because you can document important changes, and include notes about why something was done, or who might have requested a big change.

The Production folder contains the final, print-ready files of your work. Label the final version with the completion date and the word “final”. If the project is going to a professional printer I also include a readme.txt file that includes information the printer will find helpful.

NOTE: You do not need to display the date as I have, include hyphens, or keep the file names in the lower text; this is my personal style – do what works best for you. What is important is that you are consistent with how you name and organize your work so that it can be an asset for your organization. I hope this helps.

What the “Spirit of the West” Can Teach About Nonprofit Development

The “Spirit of the West” from the movie, “Rango.”

Imagine that you are in the desert. You are visiting this hot and dry place to spend some time in nature, let your mind center, and hopefully obtain some clarity about improving your effectiveness as a development officer in your mission-based organization.

On the horizon, an apparition forms in the mid-day heat. As the shimmering merges and flows into itself, it begins to step out, then walks. The form now confidently strides in your direction. You see that this is a rough-looking guy. He stops about ten feet away, lowers his head, and slowly lights the end of a stubby cigar. He regards you from under the hat’s brim, his steely eyes flash. You know him from the movies, he is the Spirit of the West!

He spits on the ground.

It must be the heat or lack of water, for you know this is not a real person but a caricature of an actor. A shiver runs down your spine. A gnawing sensation in your gut wants you to run like a deer, while another part of you wants his autograph.

You put on your development officer’s hat and stand your ground before this phantom. You quickly size up the Spirit of the West, making a mental list of his tangible and intangible qualities:

Tangibles Intangibles
  • his no-name name
  • cold gaze
  • cigar stub
  • ragged poncho
  • a dead shot
  • dusty
  • independence
  • purpose-driven
  • underdog
  • hero
  • loner
  • on a mission and won’t stop

The Spirit of the West speaks in a dusty voice: “How I connect with donors isn’t about finding tangibles; it’s about the intangibles! That’s my true face. Everyone tries to look tangible-badass out here in the Wild West, but badass is a commodity; the intangibles of what I do, that’s how I connect with donors.”

That gets you thinking. Too often, development officers and fundraisers only focus on the tangibles (the physical aspects) of their mission: the logo, design, layout, images, signage, content, website, the location of where an office will be located, etc.

Once again, the Spirit of the West speaks, “Donors connect with what’s authentic.”

A rattlesnake slides up to his boot. He spits, it lands inches from the snake’s head, and the snake retreats. He inhales, then exhales in a plume of smoke as he says, “So, got anything to say?”

You think about what he said, then reply, “Development often overlooks the intangibles, which is a donor’s need – authentic and meaningful experiences.”

The Spirit of the West chews on the stub of his cigar. He says one dusty word, “…Yeah,” then turns away. The wind swirls around his worn-looking poncho as it waves erratically in the wind. He walks towards the horizon and soon becomes an unrecognizable form, a shimmer, and then he is gone.

Sometimes development staff focuses only on their tangible assets: a logo, colors, typefaces, business cards, website, or flyers; but development is not just physical (the tangible) things. Development must include a passion for the mission, a positive attitude, enthusiasm, products that are authentic, engaging programs, and a belief in the mission. All of these things reinforce development.

It is time to leave the desert. As you return to your good cause, you think about how to weave together the tangible and intangible elements so your messaging will be meaningful. That is how a development officer survives –and thrives– within a harsh world.

 

Hiking in the Diamond Peak Wilderness

Oregon’s Diamond Peak Wilderness is frequently overlooked for more picturesque settings like the Three Sisters, but this wild place is no less a treasured gem; the Wilderness includes the 8,629-foot Diamond Peak, 14-miles of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), one of the high points on the PCT in Oregon, and over 50,000 acres to explore!

blog-2014-08-20-img-01A glorious view from Diamond View Lake. The clouds at the left of the image produced some amazing lightning and thunder that afternoon.

blog-2014-08-20-img-02The trail got a little hard to follow at one point and we had to bushwhack.

blog-2014-08-20-img-03A little lake where we stopped for a rest, only to stay for the night. Water was scarce in the area and the lake provided a great location for watching wildlife and hearing even more wildlife during the nighttime.

blog-2014-08-20-img-04A very dusty path. This trail was well worn because of the number of PCT hikers that we met, many had been side-tracked to a lower elevation because of the lack of water on the main PCT.

blog-2014-08-20-img-06Wow! You find lots of cool things on the trail.

blog-2014-08-20-img-07Standing at the outflow of Yoran Lake looking south to Diamond Peak. After a break, we bushwhacked about half a mile to the PCT to loopback.

blog-2014-08-20-img-08A small island on Yoran Lake.

blog-2014-08-20-img-09Enjoying some lunch while scouting out a great campsite.

Rafting the Upper Willamette River with the McKenzie River Trust

Living near the Willamette River in Eugene, Oregon, offers some fun opportunities to be outside, yet after living in the area for two years I am surprised that I don’t know my local section of the river better. When the opportunity arose to experience 12+ miles of the upper Willamette (from Eugene downstream to Marshall Island) by raft and learn about important conservation work taking place, I could not refuse.

The morning of our departure, my family and I, along with about fifteen others were greeted by staff members of the McKenzie River Trust who had organized the event, and the Eugene Recreation Center who supplied the rafts, equipment and river guides. An interpretive river ranger from Oregon State Parks also joined our trio of rafts.

We were treated to hearing stories about river-lore, discovering the natural history, and learning about the McKenzie River Trust’s restoration work of 1,100-acres on Green Island. A highlight of the afternoon was a visit to the island where everyone enjoyed a fabulous lunch provided by the guides.

On the river that day we saw beaver signs of gnawed tree limbs, cranes stealthily stalking along the shore, and ospreys calling from overhead, though we ourselves were often under the watchful eyes of eagles.

There were many “take-aways” from the trip, lessons that stay with you after the trip is over. The big takeaway for me was that once we left Eugene how quickly the river became more of what I needed it to be: open and wild. I want to experience more.

Here are some pictures of the river-

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Learn more about Green Island and the work of the McKenzie River Trust visit:

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Trademark Basics for Wildlife Conservation Nonprofits

As a wildlife conservation nonprofit, you need to know about copyrights, trademarks, and patents. You do not need to be an expert, but you need to understand their correct use and when they should be applied. …Not knowing can cost you and your organization.

For example, your boss approaches you and says that within the budget are funds for a field sign featuring interpretative language and your organization’s logo. You have a non-registered trademark, but you are not sure what this means. Which of these symbols might you use?

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If you are not sure, it’s okay, a lot of people are confused by this-

One California-based nonprofit I worked with was also confused about how to present its trademark. During a well-attended public event, I congratulated the Executive Director on the Circle-R symbol next to their name as it showed their trademark was not officially registered.  He pointed back to the logo and said, “Oh, yeah the patent, we recently added the Circle-R.” I politely asked him to clarify. Sadly, he did not know that his organization was publicly using the wrong trademark symbol and legal name associated with the trademark.

Such mistakes occur at large for-profit companies too. After a tech firm had moved to a new two-story office in Silicon Valley, a new street sign was manufactured at a price upwards of $10,000. In a rush to finish the job, an admin ordered the sign and the incorrect trademark symbol, a “TM” was used on the sign when a Circle-R was needed. The oversight demonstrated that internal processes had not been followed and because of expense the error remained on the sign for several years.

Don’t make these same mistakes; here are some basics about copyrights, trademarks, and patents to avoid such confusion.

The Registered Trademark

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A trademark is a sign or design used in association with a product or service. The Circle-R demonstrates the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recognized your trademark being used in the pursuit of commerce.

Organizations and groups obtain the Circle-R to differentiate and better protect their identity from other products or brands. After you have been recognized by the USPTO, and you need to go to court to protect your brand, your case will be significantly strengthened.

You should never use the Circle-R if the USPTO has NOT registered your trademark. To do so could invite possible legal headaches.

If the government has not recognized your organization as being the owner of the trademark you should not use the Circle-R.

The Trademark:

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Using the “TM” is the easiest way to proceed until your organization can go through the registration process.

It is a good idea to keep a record of when you first associated the TM with your product or service as this designated when you used your product in the pursuit of business. You will need this information if you apply eventually for the Circle-R registration. Also, you will need this if you ever have to go to court to defend your use of the trademark.

Note: There is a type of trademark called a service mark “SM”, this is reserved for services and is not being discussed here.

The Copyright:

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Using a “Circle-C” with your logo is incorrect, just don’t use it!

A Circle-C represents copyright.

A copyright is used for original works, like books, videos, music, or other creative pieces. The copyright allows the author to receive compensation or recognition for their idea. Use the “Circle-C” at the end of your organization’s printed newsletter, emails, etc.

The Patent:blog-2014-05-21_img5

Patents are used for inventions (an invention provides a solution to a product or process). If you or your organization invents a better mousetrap you would obtain a patent. You should never associate the word “patent” with your logo or creative work.

I hope this helps.

Within the Development Office, is it Advertising, Marketing, Merchandising, Promotion, or Sales?

Within the Development Office, terms such as advertising, development, marketing, merchandising, promotion, and sales are often freely interchanged. This can be dangerous as these words have unique meanings, and a poor understanding can harm the organization’s mission.

Wrestling with these definitions is not new. Over one hundred years ago, people sought to understand similar concepts. A humorous yet relevant answer came from PT Barnum in describing the circus coming to town-

“If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying, ‘Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday,’ that’s advertising.

If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion.

If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.

If the town’s citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths: answer their questions, and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales.”  – PT Barnum

Here are commonly used terms within organizations:

Advertising:
The communication of a product or service’s value through a paid medium –such as the internet, radio, magazine TV, or signage– where the messaging is controlled and polished by the sponsor for public consumption. Advertising is not marketing.

Brand:
A brand is a logo, name, or design associated with a product or service. A brand is a symbolic link to all the information connected to a product, service, or idea. A brand often includes a specific logo, fonts, and colors.

Development:
Development is about developing and enhancing relationships with donors for the long-term success of your organization’s mission. The timeframe for development is to ensure current and future funding.

Direct Marketing:
Direct marketing includes catalogs, postcards, direct mail, and email. The strength of direct marketing is that items can be tracked and results measured by the sender. A weakness if this is rarely successful for the time and energy involved unless you can specifically target your audience. If you have ever received a donation request in the mail from a local nonprofit, this is a form of direct marketing.

Cause Selling:
Cause selling is the process of seeking out potential donors who have a need, interest, and passion for your cause, assisting them to recognize and define that need, showing or demonstrating to them how your cause fulfills that need, and inspiring them to donate to your cause. Those who champion “selling” for their cause often have a poor grasp of what marketing is, or the value of their organization’s mission needs to be more targeted.

Graphic Design:
Graphic design is about visually communicating information. It includes both the design and production sides of a product.

Fundraising:
Fundraising is not the same as development; fundraising is a component of development. Fundraising is about income generation and involves an exchange in the now: an ask for money and a return on that ask. The timeframe is short-term and addresses or solves an immediate need. There is little to no potential for the donor to grow with your organization’s mission into the future. If all your organization does is fundraising, your organization will be short-lived.

Logo:
A logo is a symbol representing the identity of a company or institution.

Marketing:
A basic definition is that marketing is the art of communicating your products, services, or ideas to a market; a market is a group of people who have a want or need for your product. Another definition of marketing is about influencing people and their decision-making abilities. The most practical definition of marketing is to answer this question, “How do I help my customers to succeed, and how do I nurture others so that when they are ready, they think of my service/product?”

Merchandising:
Merchandising is about finding the right products, price, promotion, and location on the store shelf. Merchandising can also refer to a brand or image from one product used to sell another. 

Packaging and Labeling:
Packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Labeling is any written, electronic, or graphic communication on packaging or a separate but associated label.

Product:
A product is anything offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need.

Promotion:
Promotion involves disseminating information about a product, product line, brand, or company. Promotion can include direct promotion, where an advertiser pays an advertising agency to place an advert, or indirect promotion, where the consumer is unaware that promotion is taking place, as are sponsorships or endorsements.

Promotional Items:
Promotional items are general merchandise given away free of charge to increase interest in or sales of a product or service. Promotional items can be referred to as “novelty items,” “swag,” or “tchotchkes.”

Public Relations/Publicity:
P.R. is the deliberate attempt to manage the public’s perception of a subject. Publicity is when information about a company, product, or service is communicated to the public via the mass media.

Sales:
Sales are the act of providing buyers with a product or service in exchange for money or other compensation. Sales are not marketing, it is the practical implementation of marketing. Still confused? Think of it this way, marketing gets them through the door, sales get them to sign on the dotted line.

Sales Promotion:
These efforts are designed to have an immediate impact on sales. These can include coupons, discounts, contests, rebates, and free samples.

POP (Point of Purchase):
POP displays help to display a product. Such displays are generally located on an aisle at the point where the decision to buy is made by a consumer.

POS (Point of Sale):
The POS is where you pay at the cash register. Many are already familiar with the POS areas at the grocery store where candy and magazines are made available to captive shoppers while standing in line.

How Interpretive Are Your Park Store Products?

During a visit to a National Park last summer, I overheard a family refer to the products in the park store as “weak.” Looking at the shelves filled with plastic mementos and affixed logo items I knew what they meant, but still, I politely inquired.

The family had attempted to find products that were emotionally meaningful instead they found trinkets. Such products did not represent the visit they had just experienced. Over the past several days the family had shared a rare extended weekend together in one of America’s most beautiful locations. During their last hour in the park, they wanted to buy something that helped “connect” them to their enjoyable family experience, but they found nothing that expressed a strong emotional connection. Their final moments in the park would end on a lackluster note. Unfortunately, many parks or nature-related stores do not understand why customers buy.

A park store should not sell products; it should sell benefits.
Customers buy benefits

Park store customers seek benefits. Another way of saying this: customers do not buy products; they buy the benefits they receive from the products. Examples:

Kids do not buy plush animal toys; they buy companionship.

People do not buy books; they buy entertainment/knowledge.

People do not buy a whistle; they buy safety.

People do not buy annual park passes; they buy convenience.

People do not buy jackets; they buy warmth.

All products in the nature store, or at least every product group, need to be benefit-assessed.

The next step is to determine how these benefits add up to strengthen the store, extend interpretive programs, and benefit customers. Classify your product’s interpretive value as ‘weak’, ‘medium,’ or ‘strong.’

Example: Have you ever been to a park concessionaire, or park association store, and seen an entire shelf of coffee mugs? While a mug might be used for drinking, its basic use is for a single purpose. Other examples of weak products are postcards, magnets, stickers, posters, t-shirts, and clothing items.

Weak benefit products are generally impulse-buy items that do not engage the user beyond the act of purchasing them. Too many weak items in your store (greater than 50% of inventory) do not serve the mission of your organization.

Are weak benefit products bad? No, they serve a purpose, but do you want your store to offer only products that offer only a single benefit? You can do better. A targeted question to ask: How could this product help a person to better understand my resource (park, natural area, etc.)? How can it help them to be creative?

Your job as a non-profit marketer is to find how you can differentiate your product (natural area, park, watershed, historical site, etc.) within the mind of the customer. You need to provide more products that are medium and strong.


The hallmark of a medium-strength product is the ability to engage the user and better appreciate the local resources, parks, natural areas, etc.

Examples: Water bottles, walking sticks, local guidebooks, and plush animal puppets. The more sustainably sourced these are, the stronger they will be.


Examples of strong products: Regional/park guidebooks, maps, field guides, and items that support interpretive goals. Another example is a backpack utilized in children’s programs, used as a ” checkout pack” which allows families to borrow a daypack from the nature store to use while exploring the park. When returned the family is offered a significant discount at the nature store to help with a sale.

The sign of a strong product is its ability to alter perceptions and continually help the user to be creative.

Strive for a weak product inventory of 40% and a combined medium/strong inventory of 60%. Remember, products do not sell themselves, the benefits of the product do.