Spring is coming – really!
This is the first of a few periodic newsletters, that we will be sending out as the festival planning moves forward.
As you know, we have been in stasis for 2 years waiting for the “all clear” from health authorities to move ahead.
We will hold the Meadowlark Nature Festival on the weekend of May 20-23, 2022. It will look a little different this year. Our long-term Program Coordinator Jayme Friedt, out of necessity, has found a new Position with the Osoyoos Desert Centre and we wish her well in her new position.
My name is Paul Lockington and I have recently taken on the difficult task of trying to replace Jayme.
Since 2019, we have had a new set of rules imposed upon us and we will be adhering to all the regulations regarding Covid 19. Those rules are changing frequently, so this may mean that each of our tours will necessarily be smaller, and perhaps some of the indoor events will be altered to meet those restrictions. All participants will need to show proof of vaccine and all volunteers will also need to be compliant with vaccine requirements. Your safety and that of our volunteers is very important.
Covid 19 has disrupted plans for many of us for the past couple of years. Each festival, we have had a local artist create his/her rendition of our namesake meadowlark. In 2019 we commissioned Michael Sime to do that for us. Unfortunately, the cancellation of the festival meant that Michael’s meadowlark did not come to public view. We would like to acknowledge Michael as artist of the 2020 festival and express our appreciation for his efforts on behalf of the festival.
We are currently reaching out to our group of tour guides and volunteers to ensure that the tours we present are as diverse and interesting as we can make them. As soon as we have the 2022 program guide complete, it will be up on our website www.meadowlarkfestival.ca so you can choose your next adventure. That website still shows 2019 tours but it will be updated with more current content in the near future.
As we rise again to put on a quality show, I want to ask you for two favours.
First: Our preparations have started a bit late and our budgets are thin, so I would ask you to help us by using the most effective means of promotion in the world of business – your word of mouth – to help us raise awareness of the festival. The success of the weekend depends on well attended tours and events, so you talking to your friends about how much fun you have had in the past, would be a great help to us.
Second: We have partnered with the Okanagan College School of Business to create a promotional campaign and they would like to know what attracted you, as past participants, to attend. There will be a short survey coming to a random selection of past participants to capture that information. It is not spam and we would appreciate it if you would watch for it and take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire when you see it in your inbox. It will help us shape our future festivals to better meet the interests of our guests.
In the past 2 years Covid 19 and technology have changed the way people do business. We will be offering a secure purchase program for our tours through our website and any direct transactions will include a debit card/credit card option.
We have a beautiful Meadowlark oil painting to auction off as well as many other interesting items for our silent and live auction. Our friends and supporters have stepped up again to offer interesting and valuable items for the auctions. We have confirmed dates for a couple of special events that we will tell you more about as we get closer.
Our partners at the Okanagan Newspaper Group have generously provided an advertising plan so you will see regular updates via their website and paper version of the news.
We will keep you updated on our progress towards the festival.
See you in the Spring!