“Save the Crabs,Then Eat 'Em”: A Culinary Approach to Saving the Chesapeake Bay

The Academy for Educational Development, a nonprofit organization specializing in social change communications, implemented a campaign to reduce nutrient pollution flowing into the Chesapeake Bay from the greater Washington D.C. area. Funded by the Chesapeake Bay Program, the primary campaign goal was to convince area residents not to fertilize their lawns in the spring, when fertilizer runoff is most damaging to the Bay, but to do so in the fall, if at all. For the 16% of residents who hire a lawn service, the goal was to convince them to hire a Bay-friendly partner lawn service. To overcome message fatigue from previous Bay-oriented campaigns and motivate this urban audience with a meaningful connection to the Bay, the campaign message was framed not as an environmental appeal, but as a way to ensure the continued availability of Chesapeake Bay seafood. Television, newspaper, and out-of home ads ran for a seven-week period during March and April 2005. In spite of a small budget, a post-intervention survey showed increased awareness of lawn care behaviors that contribute to Bay pollution, and decreased intent to fertilize in the spring.