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New Insights Highlight Effective Messaging About Nature
How we talk about what we do matters. The work of connecting kids to nature and helping them find joy in the outdoors is inherently valuable, but being able to do that work often relies on convincing funders, community partners, and families that you have something worth their time, money, or other resources. When it comes to garnering support from key stakeholders, there are often so many issues and opportunities competing for their attention that it can be difficult to make your message stand out. The Rethink Outside Narrative Hub is one resource for thinking more deeply about how to tell the story of your work. Rethink Outside is an initiative from Blue Sky Funders Forum, which is dedicated to expanding investments in outdoor experiences for everyone. The Narrative Hub combines data with storytelling to provide insights to those working in the outdoor nonprofit space. The ultimate goal of this project is to position nature as shared ground for cross-sector collaboration and action.
So far, Rethink Outside has tested messages related to the intersection of nature and human health and nature as a potential entry point for climate messaging. The health-related message testing examined multiple narratives about the ways nature can affect our wellbeing and were specifically tested with public and private funders in the health sector. Out of five messages, the three that resonated most with test audiences were that nature is a form of preventative healthcare, that health equity is dependent on access to nature, and that we all deserve the freedom to enjoy nature and its benefits. These messages all rely on shared values - care, fairness, and freedom – indicating that values-based narratives may be more effective. They outperformed messages about individual mental and physical health, which sparked lower levels of engagement.
Of four climate-related messages that were included in testing, the two that stood out as the strongest were related to cultural connection and outdoor sports. The cultural connection narrative focused on edible local plants that share their environment with humans while the outdoor sports narrative examined the impacts of weather conditions on the performance of outdoor athletes. These messages were specifically tested with apolitical or politically mixed audiences. Therefore, neither narrative led with climate change, but instead examined the impacts of climate change on issues tied to personal interests. The outdoor sports and cultural connection narratives outperformed messages about green schoolyards and parks as resilience. This indicates that narratives that emphasize relatability may be more effective than those that rely on urgency or social benefit to trigger engagement.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to messaging. The context matters and different stories will be effective in different contexts. Leaning into shared values and audience relatability, however, will likely help you connect in a more meaningful way. Ultimately, telling a story that connects with more people will hopefully help us find common ground with funders and community partners who are also seeking to make our communities safer and healthier. The Narrative Hub will continue to release additional resources this spring, so check back for more information over the next few months.