Story template

How to tell a love story about nature is the basic message of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication for those who have to reach out to the non-converted. Somehow not many communicators read and internalize the materials on the CEC website. During recent communcation training workshops I noticed that it is important for people to internalize the love story concept by first practicing what is a story. Then analyzing what the story elements are of the cases in the CEC video are. And then drawing how they would frame their own success stories. Recently representatives from a African coastal community came up with a strong story based on the template which they were asked to fill in only with drawings (no text). In the first part they visualized the issue and main characters, in the middle they framed the emotional trigger that motivated for action, the climax showed credible and realistic activities that widely resonate and deal with the iussue; the end visualized the positive change for community and natture and contained a call for a wider audience to join them in their efforts.