Crowdsourcing for Conservation

What do a public petition and a crowdfunding campaign have in common? Both are means of crowdsourcing, which involves seeking help from people. While crowdsourcing can be carried out offline, such as traditionally at in-person events where members of the public come together to complete a joint artwork, crowdsourcing has been popularised in the last decade with the advent of the Internet.

Otherwise commonly referred to as “crowd power” or “people power”, crowdsourcing has given rise to successful business models of the likes of Uber and Airbnb. You may also be familiar with more organic crowdsourcing platforms, such as Quora, where users pose questions to receive answers from the crowd.

What is Crowdsourcing for Conservation?

Conservation is everybody’s business. There are many ways in which you and your community can lend a helping hand, from providing innovative solutions to environmental problems, to signing petitions to lobby for legislation to protect the environment. 

My team and I have had the privilege of engaging the community for a variety of creative campaign ideas. An example of this was when we engaged a company called UserFarm that runs crowdsourcing competitions with over 120,000 professional video producers around the world. 

We invited video submissions from the public on two topics: why climate change matters, and people’s connections with nature. The submissions ended up pleasantly surprising us! They gave us a fresh outlook on how people viewed conservation issues from an outsider’s perspective. Otherwise, we might have stuck to the same approach of emphasising on the science behind climate change.

Challenges of Crowdsourcing

Pulling off a successful crowdsourcing campaign definitely has its fair share of challenges. You can’t expect the crowd to follow your every instruction. Neither can you expect them to understand the complexities of the issues that your company or non-profit is dealing with. This is especially so for conservation, where a holistic conservation programme involves working with a variety of stakeholders. 

In most instances, people will end up giving you one type of idea that may not solve everything. Hence, calibrate your expectations right from the beginning. Provide a clear and concise brief. Narrow your brief’s scope and be as targeted as possible. You can always expand on that single idea later on.

One of the biggest defining moments of my career was when I experienced the power of the crowd with Earth Hour, the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment. You probably have heard of it for the landmarks switching off during that hour. But it is much more than the symbolic lights-out action.

Did you know that while WWF is active in 100 countries, Earth Hour takes place in over 180 countries annually? I’ve never seen so many personal stories from people from all walks of life, keen on taking this open-source brand to create a positive impact in their own communities. Never underestimate the power of the crowd. When given the right tools, the crowd can help us to amplify the relevant messages.

Small Things Add Up to Make a Big Difference

I really like this quote that I’ve been seeing a lot recently: “We do not inherit Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Therefore, every small bit that we do can, and will, help. Even if it may be something as simple as learning about the environment! Small ripples aggregate to make a splash.

Hence, getting the crowd to be on your side in conservation is a must-have. We need as many allies as possible so as to mainstream the conversation about conservation. Hopefully, when we mention the word “business” in the future, it already means conducting sustainable business at a minimum standard. When that day arrives, we would no longer have to separate conservation from everything that we do.

Don’t Wait, Begin Today!

If there’s a cause that you’re passionate about, don’t wait for a non-governmental organization to launch a campaign. Start today. If your idea is great, the crowd will follow. From petition sites such as 350.org to crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter.org, there are many online platforms for you to canvass support.

Also think about what your end-goal is and how this support can help you reach your destination. Are you asking the crowd to provide you with creative ideas? Or funding? Sometimes the easiest way to begin is with your own social media channels. Gather the initial interest from your own community, such as your friends and family. If the interest is overwhelming, see how you can take it a step further.

1 Set The Right Expectations

Know what you are seeking the crowd’s assistance for. Find the project that has the right creative space. 

2 Be Succinct and Clear

Chances are, the crowd is not going to understand the multifaceted nature of the issue you are trying to solve. Less is more when it comes to providing your audience with a targeted brief. 

3 Be Open-Minded

Don’t give a prescriptive task. Relish the crowd’s creativity and build on their input.