A Little Help?

We need some help. The very idea to start this organization happened in December of 2011. A lot has happened since then but we are still a baby. We need help in all areas, but here are some specific current needs. Some are big and some are little. Some are weekend projects and some are ongoing. But there are all the things that we need to get done, but just can’t seem to get them done.

Quickbooks

Importance and Time Frame / Urgency: Needs to be done, but we are getting by

Work Load and Process: This is an ongoing project. Step one is going back to catch us up, but we really don’t have that many transactions. Going forward we can send a monthly spreadsheet to be entered or our executive director can be taught to use it once it is set up and rolling.

Privy at Pumpkinvine Creek

Location: Pumpkinvine is the 110 acre property in Paulding County near Dallas

Importance: We are committed to public access and public benefit with our properties but to date we are still building out the needed infrastructure.

Time Frame / Urgency: We put in a parking area and access trail into the heart of the property. We engaged Kennesaw State to be involved with the property. We told the land donor family that we would have an event and open the property this year. We committed to the State that we would have public access. We need publicity. But to be fair we don’t need the privy to be open the property. But to have the privy really shows that we are serious and ambitious about creating a valuable public asset. We will make it ADA compliant because we are that committed.

Work Load: This is a 2-3 day project. We have three volunteers that have offered to help. They are all old and retired but they have game. One is a master carpenter and frequent builder of nice tree houses for friends and families. One is an architect. And one has built and installed these privies on the Appalachian Trail. He and our executive director went and did maintenance on the one in the Blood Mountain WMA this past winter.

Process: Go to the site to evaluate placement and size of the privy with our executive director and these three guys. Then go eat BBQ and decide how to proceed. Get the blueprints off the internet and figure out the materials needed. The guys will help determine material need or may just do it. Probably build the walls, floor and roof somewhere off site. The roof is optional. There is no plumbing. It works through organic composting. Have a privy-raising on the site. Bonus Points: get someone to donate the material cost ($2-3k I think) in exchange for the right to name the privy. Double Secret Bonus Points- we need privies on other properties too.

Signage

Location: All properties

Importance: We are committed to public access and benefit with our properties but to date we have yet to create public use on any.

Time Frame / Urgency:  The one for Pumpkinvine needs to be done when the privy is ready. The others can wait.

Work Load: This is a quick project

Process: Figure out what the sign should say. The obvious things are the name of the property, our logo, and in the event of an emergence call 911. We’ll also need rules and a statement. The statement should reference something about it being conservation land or a nature preserve. The rules should be common sense stuff. Look at other park signs. Figure out the best materials in consideration of cost, durability, legibility, vandal “proof” and consistent with what a sign on conservation land should look like.

Speaking

Importance: time will tell

Time Frame / Urgency:   whenever

Work Load: Not all that much really

Process: Help find our executive director opportunities to speak in front of groups: any group, any size, and any time. We can tailor a talk to fit the audience. We won’t beg for land, money or volunteers.

Small Donor Fundraising

Process: Make a plan and help launch it

Importance: Money matters

Time Frame / Urgency:   Needs doing

Work Load: Not all that much really

Process: Figure out a process to go after small donors ($50 to $250). This can be done with an email that we can forward to our networks with a link to our soon to be launched new web site’s fundraising page. The key is creating an email that is compelling, concise and motivates the click through to the site.

Large Donor Fundraising

Process: Make a plan and help launch it

Importance: Big money really matters

Time Frame / Urgency:   Needs doing

Work Load: Not all that much really

Process: Figure out a process to go after large donors ($1000+). Develop a strategy and stories. One example is the privy. The privy message is great. We need it to further science education. This is the first property that this ambitious new group has opened. It is quirky and fun. Naming it after a friend in honor of a big birthday or such would be hilarious among the right crowd. Look for other stories. Go to the Kennesaw State Foundation and see if they or their members will help since their science department and one their clubs will be using the property. Set our executive director up with meetings with generous people that might appreciate our mission.

Bush Hog

Location: Our Oconee County property on Boyd Road

Importance: the weeds are growing

Time Frame / Urgency:   Needs doing by year end

Work Load: Not all that much really

Process: It is a 50 acre former pasture. It needs bi-annual cutting just to stay in control. There are very nearby and even contiguous neighbors that have or could get the equipment. We have been meaning to meet these folks and tell them that we are fine with their kids riding bikes and playing on the property. So one option is to go scout around one Saturday with one of our board members and attempt to speak to folks and hope someone offers to do it for free or cheap. Or look at Craigslist in that area and other sources to try to find someone that does it. We have no idea how much it should cost so step one may be to get an idea of that.

Annual Aerial or Satellite Photos of each Property

Importance: would be great to have

Time Frame / Urgency:   Needs doing by year end

Work Load: Not all that much really

Process: We are required by the State and Fed to create and store an annual monitoring report of our properties. We would like to include an aerial or satellite for each year with the boundary shown. Sometimes we’ll get lucky and Google Earth will have the current year image. Part of the trick is overlaying the boundary and having a way to easily drop it on each subsequent annual image. We have done it but it was trial and error. What we need is to get it done for now and create instructions so it can be done again.

Schools and Scout Groups

Location:  all of our properties

Importance: want not need

Time Frame / Urgency:   none

Work Load: really depends

Process: We’d like to connect either a school or Scout group with each of our properties. The relationship will vary based on the age of the kids involved and the property. If you know someone involved in a school or Scout group tell them about us and see if they can think of how we could connect.