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Introduction to Engaging Techniques / Process The steering committee is trying to facilitate a community-wide exchange of ideas and opinions. We are attempting to use innovative methods that will reach out to a broad cross section of the community, and that will focus on areas of consensus rather than areas of conflict. Rather than relying on large public meetings, we have developed an engagement process that involves a variety of innovative techniques.
PLACE Program Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: December April It is our understanding that the PLACE Program has developed methods for community members (elementary school students, town elders, etc.) to actively participate in discovering and sharing information about Benson’s landscape. In place-based education, the boundary between teacher and student can become quite blurry everyone learns and everyone has something to share, and information is flowing in all directions. The PLACE Program will consist of Lectures & Presentations covering, but not limited to:
The Steering Committee should utilize the interest fostered by the PLACE Program in the future visioning process that follows. It would be ideal if Claire could create a segue from the “Past” part of this project to the “Present & Future” part. The information learned in the PLACE Program aspect of this project can provide the information for the first three points in Product 1 Educational Materials for the Benson Village School, and in Product 2 Map of Benson. It must be noted that, as of this date, the School has not been engaged in a dialogue about this process, and therefore it must be determined if the Steering Committee should expend time and effort on Product 1, or if Product 1 should be changed to reflect that the educational materials are for the community at large (adults and children rather than specifically targeting school children). To accomplish this, the following steps will be pursued: Step 1 Dawn and other Steering Committee Members will approach Linda Peltier to assess her interest, or to see if she will delegate involvement to another person at the school. Step 2 If there is interest, an “In Service” day may be used to teach the teachers about the PLACE Program and what kinds of information could be produced including the possibility of curriculum development provided by Shelburne Farms. Claire will be part of this presentation. Step 3 If there is a favorable response from the teachers, have Claire make a presentation to the student body. Otherwise consider preparing literature to send home with children for them and their parents to read.
Interviews PLACE Program Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: December April Ask knowledgeable residents to provide information about Benson’s Cultural and Natural History. Ask Geologists, Botanists, Naturalists, etc., to provide information about Benson’s Natural History. This information will be used in Products 1, 2, 3, & 4 first 3 points under Educational Materials for the School, all aspects of the Map of Benson, the interview sections of the Film, and in the Steering Committee Final Report.
Field Trips Priority: MUST DO (as part of the PLACE Program) Timeframe: December April Field trip to a dairy farm — For grown ups and children who know little about this historic use of the land. Hike up Shaw Mountain Hike up Phylo Hill (aka Wilcox Mountain) Visit Renninger Farm — To see Dairy, Conserved Land, Wetlands & Clayplain forest in one location Hike — To view Amphibians, Wetlands & Clayplain Forest Fly-Over Benson in a plane (and the Carillon trip mentioned below)
Boat trip on Carillon (Lake Champlain) Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: Late May June Cost: $500 for 45 people for 3 hours This would allow many residents who are not familiar with Benson’s waterfront on Lake Champlain to see it, learn about it, and to hear about the history of the lake which is very closely tied to Benson’s history. This is an opportunity to see Benson in the present from another viewpoint, and to learn about Benson’s history both cultural and natural. It is also an opportunity for discussion about the future of the lake and lakefront land. An additional topic could be about parking issues for boat usage of the lake (at Benson Landing or elsewhere). If funds are not available in the budget for this event, a nominal fee could be charged for participation or grant money sought to cover costs. This process would help fulfill the goal of educating residents about Benson’s Changing Landscape over time, and Products 3 the Film & 4 the Report.
Slide Shows Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: January March PREPARE April May EVENT This process will really engage the public. People WILL come to see historic photos of the Town. There are three parts to this process: Step 1 Steering Committee will collect historic photos, postcards, slides, sketches, drawings, engravings, etc., and perhaps collect photos of recent Benson Family Day parades. Step 2 Steve Arthur or John Fedor will attempt to take contemporary photos of exactly the same location from exactly the same vantage point of historic photos, postcards, etc. Step 3 Arrange showings of photos with an emphasis on seniors who grew up in Benson and may remember what the town was like when the historic photos were taken. The steering committee should note comments made by the public and provide questionnaires to elicit opinions. The Steering Committee could create a library of the photos collected, to be stored in the Benson Museum or Library, and which could be exhibited at events or in public places. This process will hopefully provide images that can be used in Product 3 the Film, and help educate the public about Benson’s Cultural & Natural History, and elicit opinions about Benson’s future for Product 4 the Report.
Recreation Forum Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: February May Target both motorized and non motorized uses: Hiking, XC Skiing, Fishing, Ice Fishing, Boating, ATVing, Snowmobiling Ask, “Is access the main problem you face?” Get VAST and ATV Club Maps Go To ATV Club Meeting Map VAST and ATV Club Trails in Product 2 Map Identify State Lands for public recreational use Consider field trip on VAST or ATV Club trails (walk or ride)
They should do the talking Steering Committee should do the listening in the forum. Let participants discuss and identify concerns and problems hopefully finding common issues between several diverse motorized and non-motorized recreational activities. Advertise with, “Come and talk to us about what you are doing, why and what concerns or problems you’ve overcome and what problems you are still facing.” Interview opportunity: Create a Focus Group for example getting leader of ATV Club and leader of VAST group and interviewing them together. Steering Committee will ask questions and provide questionnaires to determine community value of this resource for Product 4 Report in articulating the community’s vision(s) of the future.
Interviews Benson’s Future Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: March June Interviews can serve a purpose in Community Visioning. By carefully crafting questions, interviews can elicit opinions about how Town Residents would like to see Benson in the future. For example, “What would you miss in Benson if it were gone?” is a question that may help to determine the conservation goals of the Town. The Steering Committee must work to create questions that will encourage answers that are not knee-jerk reactions to the word conservation (either for or against) but instead to learn which of the many resources identified in the PLACE Program are valued and might be wise to conserve for the future. The interviews could be at random or could target groups of people determined by the Steering Committee (farmers, lakeside residents, etc.) The information learned from this process will be used in products 3 & 4 the Film and the Steering Committee Final Report. Step 1 Develop a list of questions that can be used in interviews and in questionnaires. Step 2 Identify in more detail target groups and people, and how to engage people at random to be interviewed.
Questionnaires Priority: MUST DO Timeframe December June (see comments on question development above Interviews) By working very carefully in developing a questionnaire, the Steering Committee may be able to elicit feedback that helps identify a community vision for Benson’s future. As with interviewing (above), careful wording must be used. Identify “Special Places” and community feeling about “open space,” “woodlands,” and “wetlands.” Mention of wetlands must follow the PLACE Program’s education about the benefits and importance of wetlands in our community. Questionnaire will be provided at each event sponsored by Benson: Past, Present & Future. Ask the question, “What did you like about this event?” or “What did you learn about Benson?” Questionnaires could also be distributed at Town Meeting or mailed using the Town’s bulk mailing permit. The results will be analyzed by the Steering Committee while preparing the Final Report.
Passive Display Board Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: December June A simple display board that explains Benson: Past, Present & Future and includes “Then and Now” photo pairs (see Slide Shows above). Display at each event, and at Town Meeting. Determine a suitable location for the board to be displayed when events are not occurring where the board will get maximum exposure.
Public Meetings - Large Priority: NICE TO DO Timeframe: June This event should take place later in the process. Have one big meeting in June, where the attendees break up into small groups (at random), and then return to report the results of their discussion. The goal is to help the Steering Committee identify themes in the vision(s) of the future that the community desires after all the preceding events and education.
Public Meetings Small Priority: Timeframe: “Open Houses” and “Pot Luck” gatherings (with or without beer & wine) can also be used for small group conversations, using techniques to elicit opinions about what people value in Benson, while avoiding direct questions about what to conserve, where to conserve, and town planning goals and efforts. Using this method, meetings could focus on particular groups, such as residents of Sunset Lake, Lake Sunrise and Perch Pond; residents along Lake Champlain; the farming community; the Benson business community; etc. (this item was discussed previously but not officially eliminated from the Engaging Techniques / process list)
Town Conservation Fair Priority: MUST DO Timeframe: June as the culminating activity Holding an evening or Saturday “fair,” in which various displays/exhibits are set up (e.g. Conservation Committee, The Nature Conservancy, Vermont Land Trust, Clay Plain Forest Project, School Kids, Poultney Mettowee, NRCD, Watershed Planning, USDA) in addition to fun activities and Steering Committee Members are available to informally discuss conservation issues with attendees. Best if combined with a structured means through which participants can provide feedback. Include “Special Places” Mapping Workshops in which residents are asked to identify the places in town that they value. This will contribute to Product 2 Map of Benson.
Kids Art/Essay Contest Priority: LOW Timeframe: To Be Determined Assess school interest before pursuing this. Consider placing a notice in the school newsletter. Create a contest for school kids to submit art (visual, poetry, music) and/or essays about aspects of Benson’s Landscape that are most important to them. This can be a great way to engage parents and other adults too. “What I love about Benson” can be the topic.
Movie Nights Priority: LOW Timeframe: after June This process will help educate the public about Benson’s Cultural History, however the difficulty in finding historic film make this an option to consider for the future.
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