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Project Update - October 2005 |
1) Results of first submission to NSF In May of this year, the How On Earth project received results and commentary from the National Science Foundation on our request for funding. Although NSF declined to fund our project, the team was gratified by the feedback returned by the evaluators. Besides specific criticisms, which have been instrumental in focusing and refining the project, there were many compliments and encouraging remarks. Here is a small sampling: "There is no question that environmental restoration is a vital topic" because it is "constructive, strategic, productive, hands-on, optimistic, tangible and demonstrative." Furthermore, the review board considered the project's stories to be "compelling and well researched," and the team to be "experienced and strong" with a "track record of handling complex and potentially controversial issues in a reasoned and balanced way." Finally, two reviewers were unequivocal in their support by saying, "I would hope that the producers will address the concerns and re-submit." 2) Current NSF proposal The How On Earth team is indeed resubmitting for funding to the National Science Foundation. The team learned a lot from the review comments by the NSF evaluators and program officer. After extensive project review, analysis, and re-tooling, a preliminary proposal was submitted on September 16th. We are currently readying the full proposal that is due on December 5th. In this second submission round, NSF will see a considerably modified and improved project. We have retained the services of Ron Nolan, Ph.D., as lead proposal writer. With his broad experience in marine biology, electronic media, education, and numerous other fields, Ron has brought new creative energy and intellectual rigor to the project. Ron also has a successful track record with NSF on his own project work. NSF should make its decision known sometime in spring of 2006. 3) New Management Documents As part of this project's development, the team commissioned Peter Weinstein and Caren Holzman to help us draft both a strategic plan and a project management plan. The strategic plan is a comprehensive articulation of the entire project, incorporating the project's purpose and goals, all of its end products and initiatives, partnerships, board members and other organizational capacity, as well as profiles on Filmmakers Collaborative and the project team. The management plan is our blueprint for how the team will execute the project, including all of the steps and stages of development, personnel and resource requirements, and a completion schedule. These are our steering documents that will guide us in development, creation, delivery, and follow through of the How On Earth project. 4) New Story Approach
The series will now be a journey through our country's natural heritage as we profile significant restoration projects on location from our mobile eco-lab -- a mobile home running on biodiesel and outfitted with test equipment, 3D simulation software, and other analytical tools. Shot in a contemporary style in High Definition (HD) video, and hosted by an inquisitive and charismatic restoration ecologist, the series will appeal to families with school-aged children as well as the more traditional, older audience that watches PBS science, technology, and environmental programming. 5) Year of Restoration In August, David represented the How On Earth project at a meeting held in Washington, D.C. exploring the prospects of having the year 2008 declared the "Year of Restoration." The meeting was attended by several leading environmental and restoration organizations, such as Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Restore America's Estuaries, Environmental Defense, the Heinz Center, and Society for Ecological Restoration. The two-day planning meeting generated many wonderful ideas, a list of action items, and of course, the need for another meeting. We can't yet say unequivocally that there will be a Year of Restoration, but this first planning meeting was an important, hopeful start. We will report continued progress on this important corollary to the How On Earth project as the initiative moves forward. 6) Fundraising
In addition to the NSF funding initiative, other project fundraising efforts have continued apace. Greg O'Toole works part time for the How On Earth project to cultivate potential donors whose contributions help us do things like generate a competitive proposal at NSF and continue production on stories like the children restoring habitat on dairy ranches to save the freshwater shrimp. Recently, the project was awarded a grant through the generosity of the Farallon Island Foundation and its founder, Richard Spight. We are most grateful for such support. |
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