Creating Bird Friendly Communities

About the project

Setting audacious goals is how we move the needle.

How do you tackle a goal to distribute 10,000 bird boxes in a single year? With Bird-Friendly Communities, BC/DC Ideas was given the opportunity to build a new communications program with Audubon North Carolina that did just that and so much more.
A mix of media savvy, vibrant collateral and a wallop of creativity gave the BC/DC Ideas and the Audubon North Carolina staff the ability to excite new audiences in bird conservation by bringing small, simple actions directly to North Carolina residents in their own backyards.

 
Goals and Our Approach

With the Bird-Friendly Communities campaign, we saw potential to engage an entirely new audience with the Audubon brand. You don’t have to be a birder, just a little bird-friendly. From traditional media relations to digital communications and local community engagement, we changed the conversation about conservation.

Conservation goals included:

  • Increase awareness of Audubon NC and its conservation impact in the state
  • Distribute and put up 10,000 Nest Boxes for Nuthatches
  • Decrease decline of the Brown-headed Nuthatch
  • Increase the number of native plants grown in NC by distributing native plant brochures and educating public on their importance

Methods

The program was wide reaching to say the least! In order to appeal to every type of audience, we created a communications strategy that broke down the idea of a bird-friendly community into categories that appealed to diverse groups. We tailored communications strategies to each type of audience with personalized messages to drive home the message that participating in one or many of these small activities will benefit our birds in a big way.

Anyone can put up a nest box or plant a native bush. Moms can take their kids on a bird walk. Residents can ask their city leaders to turn out the lights during peak migration season. Each small action taken makes one huge impact for birds and wildlife in North Carolina, and Audubon NC is spearheading the movement.

Messages

Nest Boxes for Nuthatches to provide a home for the Brown-headed Nuthatch

Nuthatch - Creating Bird Friendly Communities

Native Plants to show how gardeners can support birds with food and habitat

native plants - Creating Bird Friendly Communities

Bird-Friendly Families to show how parents can engage kids in a love of birds and conservation

Bird friendly families - Creating Bird Friendly Communities

Lights Out North Carolina to protect birds during peak migration season

Lights Out - Creating Bird Friendly Communities

Tactics

The BC/DC Ideas team created a mix of multi-media and traditional tactics to reach citizens from the mountains to the coast while targeting traditionally urban areas where activities would have the greatest impact. Tactics included:  

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Kate Runy

CONTENT & MEDIA SPECIALIST

A passionate technical wizard, Kate thrives on managing online content, social media for communications, and development projects.  Kate is the workhorse of the team, pulling out amazing feats of content creation and management week in and week out. 

Prior to joining BC/DC Ideas, Kate coordinated website and social media content, communications, and advertising for Go Global NC and Alzheimer’s NC.

Things that make her happy: I love animals about as much as I love working for nonprofits.

Mishel Gomez Cespedes

CONTENT COORDINATOR

Mishel brings a passion for video storytelling and quippy social media content to the team.  At BC/DC Ideas, she is most likely editing video or scheduling the next moving social media post for our clients.

Her ear for storytelling is her greatest asset. Mishel has a unique ability to assemble content into a concise story that moves audiences to action.

A graduate of Wake Forest University she spent a semester in Spain and years serving her community through the campus organizations. Now, she is putting her passion for good to work.

Brian Crawford

creative director

Mix equal parts nerd and creativity and that’s Brian. A natural problem-solver, Brian’s ability to cut to the core of any problem helps guide our creative team to the correct solution without wasted time or money. It’s the core, this little nugget of truth, that helps our clients take the next step with their audiences.

Brian gets the greatest joy out of helping our clients realize and connect with their story. He is a true believer that everyone and every organization has a compelling story to tell, you just have to listen with an open heart.

Things that make him happy: Hanging out at the park with family, toddler-speak, hitting the focus pull, and good coffee.

Dawn Crawford

principal

The engine behind BC/DC Ideas, Dawn has dedicated her career to good. Dawn brings her considerable experience and expertise to helping elevate the nonprofit sector. Our team’s lead strategist, Dawn is often seen leading our IdeaStorms, penning communications plans, or checking in with clients.

Before launching BC/DC Ideas in 2010, she earned her chops in 10+ years of communications leadership roles for public health, healthcare and youth-focused nonprofits. Working for nonprofits is Dawn’s dream job, and she loves that her 40+ hours a week make the world a better place.

Things that make her happy: A glass of champagne to celebrate big wins, Basecamp, living in the South, seeing the world, and a well-formatted spreadsheet.