SPES conducted a Mission statement survey from December 2021 to January 2022 as part of developing the 2022 – 2027 Strategic Plan and the results are in. The purposes of the Mission statement survey were to:
- Assess SPES’s current Mission statement.
- Assess how familiar stakeholders are with the Mission Statement.
- Assess whether it describes what SPES does; if SPES is doing what it says it does; and if there are other things SPES should be doing?
As a reminder, SPES’s Mission Statement is:
“Stanley Park Ecology Society promotes awareness of and respect for the natural world through collaborative leadership in environmental education, research, and conservation in Stanley Park.”
Surveys were sent to 4,868 recipients, 1,872 recipients opened it, and 154 responses were received.
SPES would like to thank the respondents for participating in the survey and is delighted to share the results!
Mission Statement Survey Summary
Respondents support SPES and value its work. The comments indicate respondents do not want SPES to drastically change the direction of its Mission and respondents made valuable suggestions to enhance it.
The vast majority of respondents support the focus on education, conservation, and research. Respondents see these as pillars of SPES’s Mission and that this work is what SPES does best. However, there is a general lack of awareness of the mission. One of the overall suggestions is that SPES needs to be clearer on what it is about and make more effort to raise awareness of its programming, conservation, and research work.
Primarily, SPES needs to be a stronger voice for the plants and wildlife of the Park and should take more steps to engage with Indigenous and underserved communities to continue work on decolonization and greater diversity and inclusion.
Mission Statement Survey Results
Respondents are SPES stakeholders but are predominantly not familiar with SPES’s Mission. Overall, 65% were unfamiliar with the Mission. The rest generally have some familiarity with the Mission Statement.
Eight terms respondents associate most closely with SPES’s purpose, in order of priority:
- Environmental Education,
- Conservation,
- Environmental Stewardship,
- Native Species Protection,
- Raising Awareness,
- Research,
- Advocacy, and
- Leadership.
The above aligns with the current Mission focus in the areas of education and conservation, however, respondents do not associate SPES as much with research. This was echoed in the comments where they said we should do more to make the public aware of SPES’s research work.
Six terms respondents mainly associate with the approach that SPES takes in accomplishing its Mission and how it carries out its work, in order of priority:
- Collaboration,
- Inclusivity,
- Respect,
- Diversity,
- Leadership, and
- Being Holistic.
This was echoed in comments that said SPES appears to do a good job of balancing respect, collaboration, and advocacy, with comments encouraging SPES to continue working with inclusion and decolonization.
Who respondents think SPES should be serving with its Mission:
By far, respondents believe SPES should most importantly prioritize the plants and wildlife of Stanley Park, followed by the global ecosystem and the First Nations whose land the Park is on.
This is reflected in multiple comments saying SPES needs to focus on the wellbeing of the plants and wildlife of the Park and increase collaboration with First Nations and underserved communities.
The following three words are considered the most reasonable reflections of SPES’s Mission, in order of priority:
- Education,
- Conservation, and
- Research.
Overall from the comments received, respondents believe SPES should be more assertive, however, most are uncertain on where and if SPES should broaden or narrow its focus.
Where respondents reside as well as why and how often they visit Stanley Park:
Top four demographics (75%):
- Downtown Vancouver: 37%
- East Vancouver: 15%
- West Vancouver: 14%
- South Vancouver: 9%
The five main reasons respondents visit Stanley Park are (86%):
- Walk, Run, Cycling (45%)
- Observe Wildlife (14%)
- SPES Attractions (10%)
- Beaches (9%)
- Nature (8%)
And how often respondents visit:
- At least once a week: 32%
- At least once a season: 23%
- At least once a month: 21%
- Everyday: 15%
- At least once a year: 6%
SPES Next Strategic Planning Steps
SPES’s target is to have the new Strategic Plan ratified in time for the October 2022 Annual General Meeting.
SPES is undertaking internal reviews of the Vision, Values, and Goals.
Thank you to all the respondents for their insights, inputs, and support!