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Post by NeverSummer on Oct 31, 2013 13:36:28 GMT -9
Hey, everyone reading here about advocacy! Today's news conference with Secretary of the Interior Jewell gave a nod to getting people engaged in our public lands. One of the ways we are capable of doing so here at GeocacheAlaska! is to keep up the conversations with folks about partnering with outreach and education programs at BLM, NPS, and USFWS lands in Alaska. This might be a good time to add this information to our back pockets as we discuss possible partnerships with agencies for geocaching activities. Perhaps the Blue Goose Tour will see a revival for 2013-2014 with Anchorage? Maybe an opportunity to keep up talks with other federal offices and stations about CITO? Secretary Jewell said there will be efforts to "...[D]evelop or enhance partnerships in 50 cities to create opportunities for outdoor recreation for more than ten million young people; provide educational opportunities to at least ten million of the nation’s K through 12 students annually; engage one million volunteers in support of public lands, effectively tripling the numbers we have now...In order to make these happen, we are going to prioritize our budgets, build off successful programs and work in partnership with schools, non-profit organizations and communities to leverage existing resources." See the whole press release here.
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Post by ladybugkids on Oct 31, 2013 14:11:45 GMT -9
Perhaps the Blue Goose Tour will see a revival for 2013-2014 with Anchorage? Thanks for sharing the story, Joel. The Blue Goose Tour will most like be revived in Spring 2014 according to local sources. The containers are prepped and the concept developed, but the 2013 Gov'ment shutdown killed implementation in 2013.
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Post by NeverSummer on Oct 31, 2013 15:23:54 GMT -9
Bummer! Well, I can't wait for the 2014 series. I didn't get up to Anchorage enough for the 2012 one, but will hopefully be afforded some more weekends to visit...and possibly weekdays for visits/trainings/temporary detail at the Regional office!
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 6, 2013 15:16:22 GMT -9
I just heard from Tessa about a related project, and the revived BGGT is still on their radar. She did mention that she would need some help... GeocacheAlaska! to the rescue! ...Right?
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Post by ladybugkids on Dec 7, 2013 5:49:58 GMT -9
I just heard from Tessa about a related project, and the revived BGGT is still on their radar. She did mention that she would need some help... GeocacheAlaska! to the rescue! ...Right? Yes, though not so much a "rescue" as an ongoing "volunteer collaboration." Tessa, Wes and I met just prior to the 2013 Government Shutdown about ongoing GeocacheAlaska! support for USFWS's geo-projects. The Blue Goose project was subsequently postponed until 2014 by Tessa and we await further direction from here about USFWS's needs.
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 7, 2013 14:14:22 GMT -9
I just heard from Tessa about a related project, and the revived BGGT is still on their radar. She did mention that she would need some help... GeocacheAlaska! to the rescue! ...Right? Yes, though not so much a "rescue" as an ongoing "volunteer collaboration." Tessa, Wes and I met just prior to the 2013 Government Shutdown about ongoing GeocacheAlaska! support for USFWS's geo-projects. The Blue Goose project was subsequently postponed until 2014 by Tessa and we await further direction from her about USFWS's needs. GeocacheAlaska! is aware of that and provided several volunteers to help with the BGGT when the time was right. It was my understanding that Tessa would contact us when she was ready to proceed with the next initiaives, most likely after the first of the New Year. Perhaps there's been a misunderstanding about when help is needed. We may have a misunderstanding here...when you bring something up that we're already engaged in, I let you know the details as far as I know them. I've also been trying to be a bridge builder between you, Tessa, and other branches of USFWS as it was my understanding that you and Tessa hadn't previously interacted, nor had you and Werner. The "line" you might be sensing is that GeocacheAlaska! is reticent to get in the middle of USFWS internal interactions, hence my suggestions to both you and Tessa that you contact each other and perhaps can find some synergy. Once the USFWS vision is developed and what is needed from GeocacheAlaska! identified, then GeocacheAlaska! can engage. Yes, and it will be challenging at times to keep your two hats separate...one as a volunteer Director for a non-profit and the other as a USFWS employee, while achieving synergy by appropriately blending the two roles. While your situation is different, there are similarities between the wall I must keep between my Groundspeak Volunteer Reviewer role and my GeocacheAlaska! Director role, which you helped explain at the last Eduvent. I understood that, but the use of the word "rescue" had a connotation I wasn't comfortable with. Tessa and other folks in Anchorage are plenty capable of doing the heavy lifting and calling in the volunteers when needed. Where I was coming from and perhaps should have explained further is that GeocacheAlaska! is not here to "rescue" anyone, but, we are here to work collaboratively. I'm honestly not tracking the "adversarial" accusation. I and other GeocacheAlaska! Directors actively partner with Federal, State, and Municipal entities all over the State. To be adversarial would be geocidal. We may need to take this offline to clear up any misuderstandings on that front.
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