Contacts:
Eric Eckl, Water Words That Work, (703) 635-4380

Water Words That Work, LLC invites environmental and professionals to browse the web’s largest single collection of environmental polls, surveys, focus group reports, and related research materials — for free.

Log in to the collection at the URL below:

http://waterwordsthatwork.com/2010/04/06/environmental-poll-collection

“Conducting an environmental poll is often worthwhile, but it can be very expensive,” said Eric Eckl, the company’s founder and owner. “Our online environmental poll collection is the next best thing to doing your own original research.”

Water Words That Work, LLC, has been collecting and analyzing environmental polls, surveys, focus group reports, and related materials for many years. The company has used this collection as the foundation for developing its techniques and services, such as the environmental message method and the Due Diligence Test Panel.

The collection is now among the largest of its type in the world, and features more than 700 research reports dating back to 1994. The database is powered by the Delicious social bookmarking system. Users can search it by title, date, topic, location, research firm, and many other criteria.

Nature protection and pollution control organizations can use the materials in this database in any number of ways:
• Conducting literature reviews prior to launching your own environmental poll
• Conducting literature reviews as supplement to or in lieu of conducting your own environmental poll
• Comparing environmental attitudes and opinions in different locations, or at different times
• Comparing attitudes and opinions about various conservation topics
• Comparing attitudes and opinions among people from different walks of life
“The research in this database cost many millions of dollars, but the sponsors elected to make their findings available to all, for free,” Eckl said. “It’s only fair that this database of their work be available to all, for free, too.”

Contacts:
Eric Eckl, Water Words That Work, (703) 635-4380

About Water Words That Work, LLC
Water Words That Work, LLC is marketing firm that helps nature protection and pollution control organizations modernize and professionalize their communications. The company works with its clients to plan and execute fundraising, issue advocacy, and pollution prevention campaigns. Our clients include the National Park Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and many others.
Learn more at http://waterwordsthatwork.com

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Calling all natural resource managers, water utility executives, watershed organizations, waterkeepers, and land trusts! The National Wildlife Federation will host a hands-on environmental communication workshop designed just for you in Austin on May 5th, 2010.

The “Water Words That Work” workshop re-orients conservation professionals to the language that the public uses when they talk about nature protection and pollution control. Participants will learn to prepare written and spoken communications that connect with everyday citizens and motivate action on behalf of our rivers, forests, lakes, wetlands, and oceans.

Click the link below for details and to register:
Environmental Communication Workshop

http://www.austin-water-words.eventbrite.com/

“The Water Words That Work workshop has earned rave reviews from attendees all across the country,” said Lacey McCormick, Communications Manager with the National Wildlife Federation. “We’re pleased to be able to offer this workshop to our peers here in Texas.”

“Environmental scientists, engineers, attorneys, and other professionals often struggle to explain their work to the public in layman’s terms,” said Eric Eckl, owner of Water Words That Work, LLC, who will lead the workshop. “This workshop will help them overcome this challenge and make the case to the public for political and financial support for their work.”

Most environmental communications produce lip service to conservation, but only a few produce action. This workshop will explore what distinguishes the two — synthesizing the results of hundreds of opinion polls, focus groups, and social research studies that explore the question. Participants will learn a 4-step writing method for translating scientific background information into effective issue advocacy, fundraising, and pollution prevention materials.

By applying the Water Words That Work method, attendees will develop the communications skills to succeed:

• Environmental writing for citizens
• Planning social marketing campaigns
• Working with reporters
• Preparing websites and blogs
• Fundraising
• Speaking at public meetings and hearings
• Lobbying public officials

Contacts:
Eric Eckl, Water Words That Work, (703) 635-4380
Lacey McCormick, National Wildlife Federation, (512) 610-7765

About the National Wildlife Federation
Since 1936, The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has worked to protect wildlife for our children’s future. NWF’s South Central Regional Center, based in Austin, focuses on protecting and restoring healthy rivers and estuaries, conserving wetlands, springs and aquifers, protecting wildlife populations from global warming, promoting sustainable land and water use, and connecting both children and adults with the natural world.

About Water Words That Work, LLC
Water Words That Work, LLC is marketing firm that helps nature protection and pollution control organizations modernize and professionalize their communications. The company works with its clients to plan and execute fundraising, issue advocacy, and pollution prevention efforts. Our clients include the National Park Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and many others. Learn more at http://waterwordsthatwork.com

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Basecamp International Centers believe international volunteering promotes cross-cultural learning that helps create global awareness, understanding between cultures and provides the platform for positive change. Our volunteers have taught in schools, provided disaster relief support for the International Red Cross, conducted essential research to improve the management strategies of threatened environments, built homes for impoverished people, provided vocational training and programs for street kids and have worked in co-operation with hundreds of local organizations to distribute aid and improve the quality of life for people throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Basecamp has volunteer placement on Social, Health and Medicinal, Environmental, Children and Building Projects in Nepal, Peru, Ghana, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Costa Rica and Ecuador.We believe everyone can contribute by volunteering. Recent graduates from high school, college or university, professionals taking a career break, recent retirees, individuals or groups who are interested in a change and the chance to enrich their own life and the lives of others. If you are 18 years or older you can apply for any of the placements available. If you are from 16-18 years old you may apply for placements near our Volunteer Abroad Office and Residence, so that we are able to give you more support. Both students and professionals are needed for placements in all our countries.

Upon arrival in country our staff will pick you up at the airport and return you to our Orientation Center for a safety briefing and general country orientation. For this program you are required to complete one week of language training and orientation which is included in the cost of the program. At the end of that week you will transfer to your placement to begin volunteering. Our staff are available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week should you require help of any kind.

Basecamp International Centers welcomes all the interested volunteers from around the world to volunteer and make a difference. If you are interested in this placement then please contact us for the details:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.basecampcenters.com

Mailing Address

298 Bagot Street,

Kingston, Ontario,

Canada, K7K 3B4

Phone: 613.541.7862

Toll Free : 866.646.4693

Fax: 613.541.1604

For Further Information contact: Dindy Robinson

Swimming Kangaroo Books

817-717-5375

[email protected]

Olive introduces Children to Sport of Fly Fishing

Lifelong Washington resident Kirk Werner is an avid fly fisherman. As he’s also a free-lance illustrator and graphic designer, it is only natural that he should merge his love of fly fishing with his love of art and create a picture book to introduce children to the sport. Kirk’s first two books, Olive the Little Woolly Bugger and Olive and the Big Stream have just been released by Swimming Kangaroo Books and are already receiving much acclaim from the fly fishing world.

Matt Wilhelm, the National Education Coordinator of the Federation of Fly fishers says “This is a wonderful fly-fishing tale for both young anglers and the angler that is young at heart. Kirk Werner does a great job of including fundamental fly-fishing topics in a great story that catches both your attention and your eye.” With the help of Olive and a colorful cast of characters, children will get hooked on fly-fishing.

In Olive the Little Woolly Bugger, Olive wants to be a dry fly like her colorful companions at Camp Tightloops, Randal the Royal Coachman, Sally the Yellow Sally, and
Stan the Stimulator. Try as she might, Olive just can’t float like the snobby dry flies, but the drab little streamer fly soon learns what she can do! From earning a coveted spot in The Fly Box to catching a wild trout in The Big Stream, Olive discovers that everyone has a special purpose in life.

In his foreword to Olive the Little Woolly Bugger, International Game Fish Association Junior World Recordholder, Tyler Befus says, “When I first started, there were very few books that kids could learn about fly fishing. It is great to see that Kirk Werner realized there was a need for more kids’ fly fishing books and that he shares my passion for this great sport.”

An avid environmentalist, Werner made sure to put a strong conservation message in Olive and the Big Stream, stressing the importance of catching and releasing wild trout. Werner says, “It’s important to attract kids to the sport of fly-fishing, and fishing in general. Only by having future generations of anglers that appreciate the delicate nature of our wild fisheries can we have continued stewardship of the resource. Perhaps a young child will read Olive and in part because of the fun nature of my story they’ll want to go fishing. Then just maybe that child will grow up to support conservation issues and catch and release fishing where wild fish populations are dependent on it for survival.”

At a more basic level, the books offer an enticing alternative to kids who otherwise might spend their free time doing nothing but playing video games. Says Werner, “Getting a kid hooked on fishing means getting that kid outdoors, enjoying all that nature has to offer, instead of sitting inside playing a video game.”

Werner has created a winner. Captain Mark Taylor, President of the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited, says the book is “A fun read for both children and adults! The excellent art work and fun characters, along with the importance of taking care of the resources, make this a must for the fishing family’s library!”

Werner has more Olive books planned, with Olive Goes for a Wild Ride scheduled for release later this year. Olive already has her own website at http://www.olivethewoollybugger.com/. With eye catching illustrations and a touch of whimsy, the Olive books are sure to charm their way into the hearts of adults and children alike.