National Audubon Society

New York, New York

We supported a National Science Foundation-awarded project to expand engagement with young adult audiences via STEM-focused guided nature experiences. This three-year research study included:

  • A nationwide young adult survey

  • Young adult focus groups

  • Market research interviews

  • Staff interviews

  • Retrospective pre-post survey of guided nature experience participants

  • Observations of guided nature experiences

  • Implementation tracking logs

  • Facilitator survey

  • Facilitator focus groups

Initial findings directly informed the development of the new STEM-focused guided nature experience curriculum. Summative findings indicated that there was high interest in STEM-focused guided nature experiences, and they did indeed bolster STEM understanding and engagement. However, to sustain longer-term engagement with Audubon experiences, more targeted recruitment of young adults would need to occur.

Young Adults and Guided Nature Experiences (NSF)

Four Audubon Centers engaged in a two-year project to amplify and expand activities with young adults, with a particular focus on engaging underrepresented individuals. These efforts supported building a pipeline for young adults to join the conservation sector. The activities provided direct links to Audubon resources to help students develop as outdoor advocates, scientists, and conservation leaders. Data collection included:

  • Young adult surveys

  • Young adult interviews

  • Faculty interviews

  • Audubon staff interviews

Results showed that young adults were receptive to the new opportunities to engage with conservation and conservation professionals and indeed it helped expand their understanding of conservation issues. One of the biggest takeaways for Audubon staff was the need to cultivate long term relationships with academic institutions and their faculty to continue to provide opportunities for young adults to explore conservation.

RK Mellon Program Expansion

Over the course of two years, we facilitated a collaborative process for Audubon Center staff to design an audience engagement framework identifying key strategies and intended outcomes for engagement with Audubon Centers. Throughout the process we carried out the following activities:

  • Facilitated virtual workshops with staff

  • Consulted with Audubon Center leadership

  • Created drafts of strategic documents

  • Worked with Audubon design staff to produce a final framework

The final engagement framework articulated clear audience outcomes across four facets of engagement: awareness, connection, action, and leadership.

Audience Engagement Framework

“The Inform Team brings personal experience and a vast array of professional engagements to bear on important questions that we all want to know about our programs. They hone in on key questions to illuminate the outcomes and impact of our work on the individuals and communities that we serve. They bring rigor, compassion, and curiosity to all that they do.

Audubon has been fortunate to have worked with them on an array of projects, and they worked to understand the organization as a whole in addition to the details of specific engagements.”

- Loren Smith, Director of Center and Sanctuary Operations

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