Working with Wisconsin State Parks and the University of Wisconsin Extension Services , Biodiversity Project developed five educational "point of experience" signs to be placed in Wisconsin coastal state parks. The signs were designed to test the theory that placing educational messages where a resource is experienced (such as a coastal park, community marina, etc.) can provide immediate context for the message and prompt a learning experience for the visitor. We sought to provide visitors to Lake recreational areas (again, our target audience of outdoor recreational users of the Lakes) with the opportunity to connect the enjoyment of the Great Lakes with their protection.

Message content was designed to educate and motivate action toward solutions (water conservation, invasive species management, etc.) Four permanent signs and one semi-permanent sign were designed with Biodiversity Project messages and illustrations by Green Bay political cartoonist Joe Heller. Chief Naturalist for the Wisconsin State Park system, Sherry Klosiewski, worked with Biodiversity Project on the sign content and placement. The Great Lakes educational signs were posted in three state parks on Lake Superior, and in nine parks near Lake Michigan 's shoreline. All the signs carry the Great Lakes Forever Web site URL.

The Park Signs in Brief

• Goals: Design and produce educational signage to increase awareness of threats to the Great Lakes atWisconsin 's Great Lakes state parks. Successful point-of-experience communications should be designed to take advantage of the "experience" one has while visiting a resource, in our case, the Great Lakes .
• Audiences: As with many Great Lakes Forever products, the target audiences were Great Lakes Lifestylers. Click here to read more about this audience.
• Distribution : Four distinctive signs were created to be posted in men's and women's bathrooms in 12 coastal state parks. Additional kiosk signs were created to be posted near park entrances and education centers. A total 121 park signs and 93 kiosk signs were distributed. Parks received recommendations for placement, but were responsible for the actual posting.
• Outcome : The success of the state park signs is indeterminate. Although signs were distributed to potentially ideal venues, there were problems with park staff placing the signs in their intended locations. The sign partnership generated no media and no Web site survey respondents reported visiting the site after seeing a state park sign.

Interested in Posting Educational Signs in Your Parks?

We're happy to provide advice and materials to help you produce your own educational signs! Contact Jeffrey Potter at jpotter@biodiverse.org or 608-250-9876. See "Terms of Use" for more details on using Great Lakes Forever materials.

Click on sign for larger image.

Credits: Cartoons by Joe Heller; design by Univerisity of Wisconsin Extension Services; copyright Biodiversity Project.