 Gather With Partners. Make it fun and exciting by including many people and organizations as possible. Reach out to partners such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local and state wildlife agencies, universities, community groups, outdoor recreation clubs, local businesses and others to help plan and sponsor your event. The more partners you involve, the easier it will be to organize your event and the more people you will reach.
Create a Plan. Get together with your partners to create a plan for your event. What do you want your event to look like? What message do you want to get across? Who do you want to invite? Develop a concept for the event and set clear goals. Some goals might be -turn out, media, group building, political action, etc. Prioritize your goals. Create a budget for the event if necessary.
Create a detailed master-task list and a timeline that includes all logistics. Decide the location, timing of the event, directions, parking/carpooling, materials, sound system, etc. Brainstorm materials you will need and then create them - fact sheets, posters, sign-up sheets, etc Delegate responsibilities in order to invest more people in the event and get more help. Work backwards when creating your timeline - if your event is on May 21, think about what has to happen on that day, then think about what has to happen the day before in order to make those things happen and so forth.
Choose a Great Location. Remember, location tells a story. The idea is to pick a place that tells a story about endangered species. Think of places in your city that have wildlife habitat like a park or refuge or can information about endangered species like a museum or zoo. If you have an iconic place nearby, like the Central Park or the Golden Gate Bridge, have it there! The location should be safe, easy to reach, conveniently located, and have good access to parking. Be aware of the weather forecast if you decide to hold your event outside. Have a rain location planned and inform the participants well in advance if the location is changed. In order to secure a location, most cities require a permit. Check out your city or county website to find the right paper work. It is never to early to start working to get a permit; often the process can take some time.
Spread the Word. Invite friends, family, neighbors and community members. If you are creating an event for kids, invite the local school classes, Boy and Girl Scouts and outdoor clubs. Send out emails, call through lists of members, submit event information to community calendars, ask organizations to include the event information in newsletters and bulletins, and put up posters.
Invite Elected Officials. We want Endangered Species Day to have as powerful an impact as possible, so it's essential that we reach out to our elected officials. The United States Senate has unanimously supported Endangered Species Day. Invite your Congressional representatives, state officials, mayors, or members of the city council.
Media. What do you want to highlight about this event and how do you want to get the word out? As the day approaches, it is important to contact local media to make sure they cover Endangered Species Day activities. Local environmental reporters will be especially interested in your event! Just call up your local paper, T.V. and radio stations and ask who covers community events and the environment. Be sure to let them know where, when and why your event is taking place. Then call back and remind them to come on the day of your event.
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