Social Media and Digital Vistor-Centric Engagement at Joshua Tree National Park

Description

A. Project Goals â¿¿ This project promotes collaborative resource and safety conversations to protect, inform, and engage visitors to Joshua Tree National Park (JOTR). The project will help create, promote, facilitate, and/or improve the publicâ¿¿s understanding of natural, cultural, historic, recreational, safety, rescue, and other aspects of JOTR. The project will provide an opportunity for youth to learn about the environment by spending time working on projects in JOTR. As visitation to JOTR has more than doubled in three years, the park needs the means to actively and consistently engage our visitor base before they come to the park. This project will assist JOTR in communicating safety and resource messages to the public, especially surrounding topics of the impact of increased visitation on park resources and the visitor experience, as well as providing a platform for the public to engage with the park directly. One Social Media Lead and at least two Social Media Technicians will work together to engage the public in the surrounding communities and beyond through digital platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These assistants will: a. Analyze social media data/user feedback to understand use trends and content effectiveness as well as make recommendations; b. Create original content in the form of engaging digital images, videos, audio files (podcasts), and graphics; c. Support Interpretation, Education, and Science and Resource Stewardship projects by researching and drafting messages and digital audience-centered engagement conversations; d. Provide assistance to Visitor and Resource Protection with information dissemination during times of search and rescue operations; B. Project Objectives â¿¿ Personnel from GBI and NPS will collaborate to plan and implement social media and digital conversations and messaging about visitor safety and resource protection. Personnel from GBI and NPS will work to achieve the following outcomes: a. Increased messaging and awareness of safety concerns and peak visitation limitations on visitor experiences. b. Streamlined communication and reporting for negative visitor behavior as posted on social media, such as graffiti, dogs off-leash or on trails, smoke bombs, hammocks, harming wildlife, and other resource damaging behavior. c. Increased public communication and understanding of resource protection issues. d. Consistent and engaging two-way communication with the park and the public via digital platforms. e. Engaging digital media products, such as videos, photos, and audio files, that are Section 508 compliant and can be used on the park website and in education programming. f. Catalogued and archived photo and video files for public and media use.

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