debriefing
BioBlitz is a learning experience for all our partners. As the event unfolds, please be thinking about these questions. Lets dialogue here about your opinions, so we can make this the very best possible event for our community next year!
1) What worked?
2) What did not work?
3) What are your suggestions for next time?
-I liked the setup placement of the various booths.
I liked three at the equestrian entrance and three at the main entrance.
-I think the parking situation needs to be better organized next time. People kept trying to drive in to the the main parking lot even though it was closed off. If the cones kept getting moved maybe a different way of blocking the parking lot needs to be proposed.
“Thoroughly enjoyable. I’ll try to post my comments on what to improve on the blog, but in case I can’t get it to work, my major suggestions would be a meeting where volunteers can meet each other and the student staff. Makes it much easier to communicate and locate volunteers on the event day!”
…from email
Now our debriefing is posted as comments on the logistics page. I am thinking we need to move it to this blog link. Its just that not everyone is visiting these links that are meant for the “inside” team organizing the event and surveys.
Jane
1. parking issues
2. generator for Fri night
3. organization on Fri night, no one there to lead the owl walk, people sitting around
T-shirts need to be done earlier (pick a color that works for both guys and girls)
Parking signs and no dog/horse signs need to be up a month ahead so the people who regularly use the park are not angry when they get turned away.
No EMT’s; has to be scheduled the semester before
Survey teams were more organized this year…good job!
Publicity was lacking with radio, TV, and newspaper. Next year we need a pre-event article for the Eagle, and to invite an Eagle journalist to come to the event. We need to have a write-up with details for the journalist, with gee whiz facts= (e.g. alligator gar and bat release).
Rock Prairie Rd. was blocked due to road construction, need to direct people onto W.D. Fitch Pkwy.
Need more communication with volunteers. About two dozen volunteers who signed up did not show, so we had left over t-shirts.
Tents together in the one location worked really well this year. Good to have one activity, BRASS stargazing at the Equestrian parking lot.
Lets practice positive problem solving. Here is a scenario that unfolded in a manner different than expected by BioBlitz organizers. Lets discuss it and brainstorm about what might have been some other options for solving the problem, to prepare for smoother operations next year.
GOOD ASPECTS: Many heartwarming acts of kindness occurred during BioBlitz. For example, one volunteer gave another a jacket when it was cold Friday evening, eliciting the response “That was pure and simple kindness, and I am truly appreciative.” By clearly defining and dialoging about different perspectives on other interactions that were perceived as problematic, we can better prepare for next year. Many volunteer organizations have difficulties with communicating across generations and across the subcultures that develop within our different academic disciplines. So the communication skills learned during BioBlitz will be useful for all of us as we work together in interdisciplinary teams to help protect biodiversity for future generations. The names in this problem scenario have been changed to “focus on the problem, not the person” (a key aspect to cross cultural conflict resolution).
PROBLEM: A team leader, [Alice], had an issue with [Barbara] concerning t-shirts for Alice’s team and decided to leave BioBlitz Saturday morning because she was so upset. Briefly, Alice received an email 4 days before BioBlitz from [Carl] that Barbara needed the team’s t-shirt order (Barbara had not notified Alice directly). Alice immediately replied to Barbara with her personal size, and forwarded the email to her team members. Alice then received an email from Barbara that the order was late, but that she had 10 extra shirts that she would save for the Sat. volunteers–which sounded very reasonable to Alice, since Barbara had been delinquent in requesting sizes from the volunteers. On the Saturday of BioBlitz, when Alice picked up her t-shirt she was told she must change out of last year’s BioBlitz shirt and put on the new t-shirt “for security reasons.” Alice noted that one of her team members did not have a BioBlitz shirt at all, so she requested one of the extra shirts. Barbara responded that she was saving them for volunteers later in the day (why volunteers later in the day were more important than one present and needy was hard for Alice to understand). Alice told Barbara she had been advised that volunteers, for security reasons, were to wear BioBlitz t-shirts, but Barbara replied that Alice had been incorrectly advised. Alice then decided to give her team member the t-shirt and left the event.
FROM ALICE’S PERSPECTIVE: Alice understands that the event organizers are students and are learning. She believes one thing students need to learn is to be flexible and take a big view, because the purpose of BioBlitz is to showcase the incredible biodiversity of Lick Creek Park and to engage the public in environmental education. From Alice’s perspective, to meet this shared goal, students must depend on the kindness of folks like Alice, who are willing to give up a Friday evening and a Saturday for the effort. A t-shirt is such a little thing, and Alice was astonished that Barbara wouldn’t give [Danielle] a t-shirt for her efforts. Alice felt that Barbara won the battle, so to speak, but she has lost the war. Alice was convinced that she does not have a high enough tolerance for disorganization to volunteer for BioBlitz in the future.
FROM BARBARA’s PERSPECTIVE: How might you explain this turn of events from Barbara’s perspective?
Barbara did not get a written list of instructions about the duties of the Registration Team until 1 week before the event. This was all new for her, since she had not attended BioBlitz previously.
The list of tasks for this position has now been posted as a link to the Logistics page. My suggestion is that the event coordinator go over this with the Registration team in the fall, ask for the Registration team to update the list of tasks and responsibilities by January.
from email:
I only received two e-mails from the survey coordinator; both were sent the Monday night before BioBlitz. They were my only communication other than when I was asked to volunteer last fall. I’ve copied them plus my response to one below. He didn’t go over any action plan.
Last year the Survey Team leaders received information on risk management (emergency contacts and phone numbers, possible hazards with our events, that sort of thing) and signed a form, I believe when we came to BioBlitz on Friday. This year that didn’t happen. I’m a big advocate for safety (from Girl Scouts), and I think volunteers could easily sign they had received the emergency protocol (we did last year) when they pick up t-shirts.
One other safety suggestion for Friday night. The posting on the College Station website concerning BioBlitz Friday did not tell participants to bring flashlights. Because of the parking situation, many were forced to park in the Williams Creek subdivision and return after dark for about a quarter mile walk with no flashlight on a shoulderless country road. I drove slowly knowing kids were out there on the road, but the random pick-up truck?? I think the city needs to help you with this.
The College Station police were also concerned about the parking problem and stopped by Friday night to talk about it. We had discussed the option of using a shuttle, but decided against it. Lets revisit this option for 2010, at least for Friday night activities. There were over 200 people there for the evening.
from an email:
At first, I was surprised that we weren’t recycling cans and bottles. Later, I found there was a bag for recycling but it was hard to find. I would suggest that we have several clearly marked containers for recycling placed by trash cans.
IMO, the owl prowl wasn’t a big draw at all and not practical given the noise and commotion. The bat walk and star-gazing were much more popular.
Summary of comments from the suggestion box:
* have paint buckets for weights and ropes
* tshirts more organized
* pledge on the back of the passports for the kids to sign
* need baggies to put peanut butter feeders in (ok face)
* Port a potties ( I like the trailer)
* the program on the blog was from 2008about 1 week ago confusing (smiley face)
* contact Jari Whiteacre for publicing commutiny and with the home school community
* put Jari on the list of volunteers for 2009 jwhi…@gmail.com
* field experience was the favorite experience and would like transects for mammal traps were too close to the main trails in my opinion to get full survey. (smiley face)
* insects was the favorite experience and I would looked for information about your schedule on your website could have used more specifics. Put info on homeschool loop( BCS network - it is a yahoo group) great exhibits thanks for your hard work. It would be great to have a handout with websites about each of these topics (ie plants, rainwater harvesting, and insects.) (smiley face)
* We did not have enough publicity -radio KAMU and morning show on public tv. There was not an email to the entire faculty and student in WFSC or other departments. (sad face)
* the birds was the favorite experience. Is it was very neat adn would be cool to see charts witht he specimens on them. (smiley face)
* Crawfish, fish, and the hiking was the favorite part. Thanks for the water! (smiley face)
* My favorite part was the tents falling off. Next year get put weight on the equipement list for college station R & P.
* My favorite part was the bat flight. there was no least favorite part. I want to have more! (smiley face)
* Need shepherd hooks next year for regristration.
* Distribute the tshirts earlier so we can wear them to BioBlitz.
Here is a link to how they reported the results of their bioblitz at Big Thicket. It would be nice if we had a report as attractive as this:
http://wfsc.tamu.edu/jpackard/bioblitz/BITH_tally2009.pdf