Karen, if there's a team who will work on it, I'd be glad to
participate. I'm swamped, as are most people, so time is a
big issue. But if we can could up with well-defined ideas via
email, each person can then volunteer to run off and do little
pieces of it. A coordinator could then work with the team to
put it all together.
Some ideas:
A) One way to get publicity would be at the convention, sending
out press releases to the local media, as well as network and
cable news shows. (Do you have a publicity or press officer?)
B) Other thing we can do with the help of the aquascape contest
winners is to invite the local press to visit their aquariums.
C) What about contacting HGTV (Home and Garden TV)? That's
something to think about -- a show on indoor aquatic gardening.
Does PBS have gardening shows anymore? I haven't seen Victory
Garden in a long time.
D) Make some nice color handouts with photos of beautiful planted
aquariums, handouts that can be left at LFSs.It benefits both
AGA and the LFSs since customers would be getting their supplies
at the LFS. The handout could have some basic info about setting
up a simple planted tank. Once people have taken the bait, some
will get more interested in more elaborate set-ups, and will
want to join TAG.
The biggest challenge for an official AGA handout would be
content and layout. Once it's done, members can download it
as a PDF file, print it in color (preferbly at a copy center
using color-calibrated printers, and make color copies for
distribution.)
Exposure is the best way to get more people into the AGA. For
many people, it never occurs to them that this could be a hobby.
When they see what plant aquarists do with their fish tanks,
something may click in their heads, and they may want to do the
same. (That's what happened with me, when I met Gloria and her
tanks at the Aquarium Center in Baltimore.I blame her for
everything. :-)
BTW, I'm a freelance writer (you can do a search on Google
and find examples of my work for Earth & Sky). I could submit
an article proposal to Smithsonian Magazine about aquarium
gardening, an article that would be lavishly-illustrated with
photos from the aquascaping contest. AGA would be heavily
mentioned, and the article will feature interviews with members
like Karen, Tom, and other wise aquaplant people.
- shireen