Using cards to give to local merchants has been used for at least 2 decades and is still one of the tools advocated in nature-based ecotourism sites (such http://www.aswm.org/propub/21_ecotourism_6_26_06.pdf , p 8). I remember about 15 years Arkansas Valley Audubon providing such cards for field trips for a short time. They are not used extensively because people found out it works best when there is the chance that each merchant will receive several cards which is best accomplished in a small town or rural area with few merchants or with a very large festival (only a limited % of attendees will hand out cards) or preferably both a small area and lots of participants. I think it also works best in owner-operated businesses as I recall handing a card to a clerk at a convenience store in a smaller town who asked what she was supposed to do with it, and even I said to save it for the owner I saw her toss it in the trash.
Since the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival gets hundreds of attendees and the tours go a lot of rural locations,this may have an impact there. This might also be an effective technique for those CBC's that draw lots of birders especially if you gather at a local restaurant where a many folks buy a meal. It might also work if you have a field trip to a rural location with a number of birders who are willing to eat in a local restaurant (10 birders buying coffee doesn't get look like much economic impact even to the smallest merchant). Personally I wear t-shirts and sweatshirts with birds on them. I like them and it is good advertisement for birds also. SeEtta Moss Canon City http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com > > To add to Carol's story ... this year the Rio Grande Valley Birding > Festival included in their goodie bags for all participants several > cards with the request that the birders leave them at the retail > establishments they were patronizing. The cards said: "your customer is > a birdwatcher from the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival" on one side > of the fold and on the other side "BIRDS, WILDLIFE, NATURE, CONSERVATION > and the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival have a *voice and value!" > rgvbirdfest.com > * > This is a superb idea and should be adopted by all festivals and other > birding events.* > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
