2021 Community Survey
We asked and you answered! Our grassroots group is by and for the outdoor community. We're a young and growing group of passionate outdoors people spread all around Australia.
Our community survey gave us an opportunity to share our experience and insight, get to know each other better and to see our community in action.
We'd like to say a huge thanks to everyone who completed the survey in April, during our short one week window. We received a whopping 53 completed surveys. The results from our 2021 community survey will strengthen our work.
Download our graphic to see the results
We asked "has climate change impacted you in a personal way?" The stories that were shared revealed the complexity of our relationship to the climate crisis - as humans, as outdoors people, as community members, and as citizens.
For some, their loved ones and communities have been affected by fires, floods, or both. Some have had work affected, have lost work or are worried about future work because of the impacts of extreme weather events like the 'Black Summer' bushfires. For many, climate change and the lack of action from government has affected our health, well being and our morale. In the outdoors, we've experienced bushfires 'restricting access to national parks', reduced snow levels, and we've even had scares, like 'dry lightning strikes while hiking in remote areas'. We've witnessed changes in the natural places we love - 'dry rivers', 'coral bleaching', and changes to vegetation. We've felt grief for natural places. "It is devastating to have to see my favourite hikes, canyons, camping areas destroyed to the point of extreme difference." And for many, climate change has influenced the way we live our life - from travelling less, to becoming vegetarian and even changing careers.
The survey results showed that overall we understand the climate crisis and our community is highly motivated to take climate action, and that we want to protect people, nature and the planet.
Download our graphic to see the results
We also asked for feedback and got plenty of satisfying high-fives! Let's give ourselves a well earned pat on the back...
"Loving the informative newsletters!"
"You rock Thanks for all your work and effort"
"Your work is so important. I wish you every success."
"Thank you for all the work you do. I'm so impressed with everything I read from you. keep up the good work! legends"
"An outstanding cause run by outstanding people!"
"Love OPCA. Keep it up!"
…and we received fantastic insight from the passionate people in our community.
"Keep telling real stories - strengthen the emotional connection between people like me (and other OPCA supporters), the environment and why it's important to protect. It's always a story I see that will make me go 'right, I'm doing this!" and I'll spring into action straight away."
"Positive stories are important. Ethics studies to examine what makes people actually respond and change in relation to climate change suggest an ‘all in this together’ or ‘I will if you will approach’ is the most effective way to get people to act. Scary information (E.g. if we don’t do this, by this date climate change will be like this..) has the opposite effect and turns people away from action by making them feel powerless."
"...I think/see the true test of a conservation organisation is how it will practically serve and support other existing groups with similar aims."
Don't forget to download our graphic to see the results
Our 2021 community survey was a wonderful reminder of the power and passion of our community. We're excited to take on the rest of 2021 with you and to keep working alongside our community - taking climate action every single day so we can protect what we love. Thank you for your continuing support of Outdoors People for Climate Action.
Feeling inspired?
Here's 3 actions you could take right now:
1. Ask a friend or family member to join our community
2. Take the pledge to take on the challenge: 21 climate goals for 2021
3. Donate in support of our Pilliga Ultra team and to help power the Wilderness Society's work to save the Pilliga forest from coal seam gas
