Fish & Wildlife
Wed Sep 09 09:23:01 MDT 2020
The Association for Conservation Information awarded Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks top honors in two communications categories at the organization’s annual awards ceremony held virtually on Aug. 30.
FWP took first place in the Social Media Presence category, recognizing the department’s innovative and widespread presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Among the FWP social media features recognized by the judges was #fisheriesfridays, a weekly posting of Montana fisheries management and the biologists and technicians behind the work. Fisheries Fridays topics include the 12 Days of Fishmas, #Feburbotary, #Hatchvember, educational infographics, paddlefishing tips, behind the scene photos, staff biographies, and infomercials.
FWP social media also includes a new Facebook group called My Montana Hunt, where hunters share their experiences and photos and discuss hunting and the department posts hunting information and news. #TuesdayswithTorrey is a post in which FWP nongame wildlife biologist Torrey Ritter writes up entertaining posts about bats, loons, and other nongame species.
“Social media is an essential part of FWP’s overall outreach and communication strategy,” says Greg Lemon, head of the FWP Communication and Education Division. “Through our social media channels we are able to expand our audience and relevancy with the people of Montana and those across the nation who are interested in the resources we manage.”
FWP also won first place in the Destination, Historical, or Cultural Article category for “Where the West Comes Alive,” an article that ran in Montana Outdoors on Bannack State Park. The department also took third place in the Recurring Video Program category for its bi-weekly Outdoors Reports featured on TV stations across Montana.
Formed in 1938, the ACI is a nonprofit organization of communicators working for state, federal, and private conservation agencies and organizations across the nation.
