9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

For lack of a better term, the education organization that I am interested in starting will be referred to as “the nature center.”

Bill P.

            Bill is a maintenance technician at a local distribution center. He is retiring in 2 months. He mentioned that as enjoyable as the opportunity sounds to him, his body is not able to go out on walks. One of Bill‘s other concern is how to get the message in front of enough people so that those who might be interested would be aware of the existence of it. 

John C.

            John is a local ethnologist who mainly studies eagles in the area. John alluded to the presence of walking tours in the area but was not able to give specifics on this matter. I am not aware of any in the area. John says he is more comfortable learning in groups of 1– by himself. Sometimes he’ll learn and study with other local experts. Being in a group of amateurs was not his idea of a good time. 

Kevin P.

            Kevin viewed the need as being innate in most people—the need tp connect and be refreshed by the natural world. One of his concerns was, like others, that of time and attention constraints. Many people in the area wouldn’t mind participating, says Kevin, but due to commitments to high school sports and people’s contracted time with work. 

Doug R. 

            Doug’s thoughts were that the introversion of many people who might be interested could keep them from participating. This is small-town Indiana and many people are reserved, quiet, and enjoy their privacy. Doug’s advice was to find who those people are and build relationships with them so that they feel comfortable learning with a group of strangers. He did think the idea is different enough than the local bird hikes that take place several times throughout the year, since they only focus on one subject. 

Tim B. 

            Tim is a math professor at a university about an hour north of the area I would like to have the nature center. Tim is trying to develop a wayfinding, also called orienteering, class. It teaches learners how to find their way about using map, compass, and the heavens while in the woods. Tim and I met while enrolled in a state nature education course. He drove 90 minutes each way to attend the class once a month for a year. Tim may or may not have the unmet need, but certainly lives too far to joining a regular basis. Tim thinks that location is one of the biggest factors of meeting customer’s needs. Time and concerns about missing certain themes and being able to attend a class at a later date that would cover the same material. Having this flexibility would be attractive to people like Tim that have prior obligations that would create a scheduling conflict. 

Inside the boundary     Outside the boundary

Who is In                        Who is Not

What the Need Is          What the Need Is Not

Why the Need Exists     Alternative Explanations