Capabilities

Riparian buffers have numerous benefits, including cleaner water, but not many people know about them. We set out to educate landowners, local decision makers, and contractors to create demand for more buffers.

The Upper and Middle James Riparian Consortium is a network of private, non-profit, and public partners that focuses on riparian forest buffers across the Upper and Middle James watersheds. Their mission is to increase acreages of riparian buffers in the Upper and Middle James River watersheds. Riparian buffers are an effective means of protecting river and stream water quality from the impacts of agriculture and development.

Green Fin Studio was hired by the Consortium to provide ongoing communications and outreach support to help them engage with riparian landowners about the benefits of buffers. Over the years, that has entailed a website audit to ensure they were providing easy access to important information, interviews with partners to identify communication needs, the creation of an outreach toolkit to be used by Consortium members, an educational module to inform municipal leaders about the multiple benefits of buffers, and a riparian plant guide to engage homeowners. Green Fin also develops the Consortium’s annual report. 

The riparian plant guide is in its second print edition and the buffer graphics have been used by partners and peer organizations across at least five states for presentations, signage, and other outreach efforts.