70 volunteers
57 teams
513 project ideas
2 days
More than 80 dedicated people from around Puget Sound gathered June 6 and 7 at the beautiful Seabeck Conference Center to review and evaluate more than 600 actions for consideration in the 2018 Action Agenda for Puget Sound (Action Agenda). This was a huge success for our Puget Sound recovery community in so many ways. – Heather Saunders Benson
Making sure our Puget Sound recovery plan highlights the best ideas
The Strategic Initiatives and our advisory teams are tasked with ensuring that the Puget Sound recovery effort consists of the most strategic and technically strong ideas that will have the greatest impact on Puget Sound recovery. All of the proposed ideas about how to recover Puget Sound- called Near-Term Actions (NTAs)- must be evaluated to determine how well they align with our Puget Sound recovery priorities, how feasible and achievable they are, and how much they can contribute to our recovery goals.
When the dust settled after the solicitation for ideas closed in late March, we counted 635 ideas submitted by people all across Puget Sound. How fantastic! On the other hand, how would our advisory teams (totaling around 35 members) be able to evaluate so many projects? Some of the projects already went through a review process by the salmon recovery watershed organizations (called Lead Entities), but more than 500 projects remained that needed to be evaluated.
Luckily, we and our colleagues at the Puget Sound Partnership planned ahead and did the math early to determine we would need extra help.
Over 500 NTAs x at least 3 reviewers each x 45 minutes per NTA (between prep and discussion) = more than 1100 hours of volunteer time needed
We put out a solicitation for volunteers to join our advisory teams as temporary members to help with the review. The results were astounding! We ended up with more than 80 willing volunteers- more than we needed! These folks were willing to donate 40+ hours of their time to review projects.
The idea of NTA camp became reality
With such amazing commitment from our volunteers, it was our job, in collaboration with the Puget Sound Partnership, to create the best possible environment for the review process. We wanted the volunteers to be supported and appreciated so that they could do the hard work and have meaningful conversations about each NTA. Additionally, we recognized a unique opportunity to cultivate relationships and networks that ultimately strengthen Puget Sound recovery efforts.
After plenty of consideration and debate, we decided that an all-hands-on-deck, in-person workshop hosted by all three Strategic Initiatives and the Partnership would allow for the most cross-cutting. productive discussions. We got busy planning out all the details, from securing a location to providing meals and lodging, to splitting the costs, to organizing thematic groupings of NTAs, to creating review teams of 3-5 volunteers matched in expertise to each set of projects, to planning volunteer appreciation events. It was a ton of work for all involved, but 100% worth the effort.
Heather Saunders Benson explains it best in her blog for the Partnership:
Hard work and heartfelt thanks
What began as a idea six months ago, with time, elbow grease, creativity, and — to be honest — some sheer determination, became a successful two-day workshop in a beautiful location, with wonderful people. First and foremost, this wouldn’t have been the fun and successful event that it was without our 70 reviewers, and we cannot thank them enough. If you are one of them, thank you, thank you! This would not have been possible without your time, support, dedication, and sense of adventure and humor. Thank you for all the work you do every day to protect and recover Puget Sound. You have our sincere gratitude.Behind all of this was also the hard work of dedicated staff from the Partnership (especially our one and only Jennifer Pouliotte), and more importantly, from our working partners at the state Departments of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife, Ecology, and Health, and at Cascadia Consulting Group. Together, our crew of support staff committed to making the idea of NTA Camp happen; recruited people to volunteer; built review teams; jumped in and got all the materials ready; fielded calls and questions; prepared, prepared, prepared; facilitated review groups, juggled last-minute changes to reviewers; organized social festivities (limericks, bonfires, and raffle prizes, oh my!); and did so much data entry and validation. Thank you. Truly. Thank you.
What were the results of NTA Camp?
Over the two-day long workshop at Seabeck, comprehensive, in-person, team reviews were completed for 513 Near Term Action proposals. Beyond the substantive task of the NTA review, the NTA Camp experience fostered new relationships and built networks that will enhance our collective recovery work. It was a beautiful venue, enhanced by perfect weather and a view of Hood Canal, filled with wonderful people having engaging discussions about proposed ideas for Puget Sound recovery. We can’t imagine a better outcome, and we look forward to finding all of the best project ideas in the Puget Sound Partnership’s Action Agenda this fall.
This video provides a peak into the NTA Camp experience, from the workload to the professional relationships that were strengthened.
A final word from Heather at the Partnership:
If you meet anyone who was there (be they staff or volunteer), please be sure to thank them. Their contribution to this effort is what the Action Agenda is all about — bringing our partners together to develop a shared vision and plan for Puget Sound recovery. It’s their contribution to this effort that makes the Action Agenda a truly collaborative effort, and ensures that charting the course for Puget Sound recovery reflects the values, dedication, and commitment of people all over Puget Sound who are working hard every day to protect and restore this body of water that we all love and depend on.