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Monday, March 11, 2024

DEATH VALLEY OVERLANDING

 

DEATH VALLEY AREA AND PARK NEVER DISAPPOINT

BY DEL ALBRIGHT

Touring Death Valley and vicinith with Metalcloak friends and my build partner Cloakworks4x4. Overlanding the backcountry and getting our tires dirty in canyons galore.




#metalcloak #deathvalley







Thursday, February 15, 2024

DEL ALBRIGHT BOOKS & WRITINGS


 DEL ALBRIGHT'S BOOKS AND WRITINGS ALL IN ONE BLOG

Find a complete listing (with links) of Del's books, writings, poetry, articles and more.  


Sunday, January 21, 2024

SOCIAL NETWORKS EXPLAINED


                                                               -Social Networking-

By Del Albright

 

In today's world, communication skills mean you also have some social networking skills – the Internet – like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc. The world is on the "socials." So, learn to tweet, post, share a pic, tag, hashtag, and comment! At least learn to understand these tools and be able to talk about them. And if you want to support and thank your partners/sponsors, social networks are crucial. Social media is essential if you want to expand your reach or grow your cause.  It is never too late to jump in.

 

 

 

 

 TWITTER (now called X)

Twitter has its place but seems to be dying off. It is now ranked the 12th most popular social network (see below). However, if you are in a critical position (organizational or club leader), learning to tweet on Twitter is a big help to your cause and build your club or event. For example, Tweet up a storm if you are an event chair or director. You will build a following to help develop your event (and profit margin).

 

Events can benefit from setting up a Twitter feed advertised in event literature or entrance gates. Participants sign up to get the tweets and updates on their phones as they enjoy the event. In addition, you can keep folks posted on changes in the schedule of new times for special activities and hold fun contests with tweets (for example, "Find Del before 3 pm and win a free t-shirt"). 

 

You can tweet parking and camping information. You can tweet announcements affecting the participants. And most importantly, before the event, you can tweet all your sponsors and raffle donors to give them lots of "love" in return. Make sure you have "followed" and liked all your sponsors first. Then, you can "mention" them with the "@" symbol (see below).

 

                           

 


 

     (from Backlinko.com, October 2023)


 
FACEBOOK: You do not want to read about someone washing their poodle on Facebook. So, OK, don't follow them, but learning to use Facebook is a powerful tool for spreading the word about your cause, club, and event. For example, one of my landuse articles (2014) received well over 10,000 views (reads) overnight. In 2020, I wrote an article on FB about Mega-Wildfires with over 64,000 shares (which means 30 – 50 million people read it, most likely). However, even if you paid for it elsewhere, that number is hard to achieve. And Facebook is free (as of this writing).


You can buy Facebook (and Twitter) books (like the ones "for Dummies") and get a crash course in how to make these socials work for you, spread your cause, and help keep outdoor activities alive and well.

 

You can set up a specific event or club's Facebook pages, manage the message, and grow many interested parties that share it in their networks.   The cumulative impact is far-reaching and thrives on its own, creating what is called a "social network."

 

I highly recommend using Facebook "Events" to promote your club, raffle, event, whatever. From your page, set up a sub-page under the Events tag. First, invite people to join your event. Once they do, they automatically get your updates and posts to the event page. This saves you a lot of work in promoting and building your event.

 

FB Groups: this is one of the most powerful tools FB offers. Private or public, you can have a group dedicated to your cause, event, family, or whatever. In addition, you can search a group for specific subjects or posts. It is a great way to coordinate and share on specific topics.

 

 

 


 HASHTAGS:  The # (pound) symbol is a hashtag. Hashtags put the mention (post, tweet) on the entire Internet. So, if a business or group watches a hashtag, they will see it immediately.  Technically, a hashtag is a word or un-spaced phrase prefixed with the number (pound) sign.

 

Hashtags are great for anyone wishing to know how much exposure you are getting. Hashtags are powerful search tools on social networks. Anyone can follow anything with a hashtag and sort out other superfluous data.

 

Sponsors, partners, supporters, and vendors all love hashtags and follow many. Take a business, let's say JeepBusiness.com. Usually, they follow their hashtag, especially on Instagram (see below). #jeepbusiness will bring up all posts about them. So, if you hashtag an entity you want to promote, they will see it every time you mention it (as promised).

 

 


TAGS:
Using the "at symbol" @ means tagging someone – different than a hashtag. Tagging them means your post will appear on their social network feed on Facebook (and Instagram). When someone "tags" you in a photo, a copy of the photo is transferred to your profile.

 When a friend tags you in a post, your name appears as a link in their profile. A tag is a link you can see and click on (follow).

 

Tags are a great way to show sponsors that you are promoting them. Your tag/post goes to their page/profile immediately.

 

A tag looks like this @DelAlbright and ensures Del Albright will see what you posted on his feed.   Tags are vital in promoting businesses that help you promote and grow your cause or market your product.  Tag your partners every chance you get.

 

Remember, a hashtag is a searchable phrase or word someone can follow.  A "tag" actually puts your post on their feed/page without them having to follow anything.

 

  

 


INSTAGRAM:
  Businesses, opinion leaders, influencers, and media stars often use Instagram to build a tribe of followers. It is quick, easy, short, and sweet, like a tweet, but designed to emphasize the picture and not so much the words.

 

For example, at an event, with Instagram, you use your phone to take an event picture of your vendor show line-up. Then, you post the pic and promote your sponsors by showing their flags, banners, booths, etc., in your Instagram app to your feed.  People "like" or "heart" the pic and share it with others. Immediately, you have happy sponsors who know you are promoting them.

 

And let's talk about "stories" and "reels." TikTok's copycat, as some call it, is a powerful way to engage followers and promote the reach of your posts. Reels allow users to create and watch engaging short videos on the platform.

 

Reel is a feature of Instagram that allows users to create short videos between 15 and 30 seconds in length. In addition to recording short clips, Instagram Reels also lets users edit, remix, and add effects and audio to their reels.

 

With Instagram Reels, you can create and watch short, entertaining videos anytime. In addition to these features, Instagram also provides several options for making reels more exciting and engaging. Add an extra dash to your reels through options such as multi-clip videos, easy-to-use text, AI filters, and audio.

 

Use hashtags (#) to showcase other causes, vendors, and sponsors. They will see you promoting their support and help you even more next time! We all benefit from the never-ending circle of networking that comes from social networks.

 

Social networks are a substantial part of our world today, and to be an effective leader in your field, you should find a way to be in the game.

 ##

    Del

 

 

EGOS AND PERSONALITIES IN CLUBS

 



"They" Are Killing Our Access!

How Egos and Personalities Could Be Our Downfall


By Del Albright, Sustainable Motorized Recreation Advocate

Is your club ticked off at a neighboring club?  Are you drifting away from your club because of the behavior of a few folks?  Do you find yourself attending fewer club/group meetings these days?  Do you feel like your opinion does not count? Are you ready to just say heck with it and walk away as a volunteer? Are you tired of the politics and clicks in your club?  In other words, do egos and personalities rule your recreation?

 

In my travels around the country helping folks get organized and keep trails open, I have seen too many of the above problems. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great clubs that are doing just fine.  But I've seen my share of personalities driving folks away from organized recreation.  There are ways to fix that.

In my opinion, our future lies in folks joining and staying active in organized recreation.  The more we band together and stay tuned into what's happening with our trails, the better our chances of having a sport in the future.  The more we separate or alienate from each other, the less chance we have of surviving as a recreational pursuit.  We must be together at every opportunity. 

This means that our local clubs/groups must be viable and effective.   I am constantly reminded of the anti-access (radical environmental groups) slogan "think globally; act locally." They have got it figured out.  They preach keeping the big picture in mind while taking baby steps locally towards achieving the big picture.  It works!

 

Making Swiss Cheese

In large business corporations and management, there's a concept called the "Swiss Cheese" approach.  Swiss cheese has a lot of holes in it to make the cheese what it is.  When a manager faces a tremendously complex task, the Swiss cheese approach is to make one hole at a time until you have your block of cheese done.   In other words, like a long hike in the backcountry, it's just one step at a time until you reach your destination. 

This is where the local level involvement is so significant.  If we're all taking baby steps, punching holes in the big block of Swiss cheese, eventually, we'll achieve the big picture – responsible and sustainable motorized access for all!

It starts with your local club or group.  It begins with a few folks deciding to get past personalities and get something done for the greater good.  It starts with not letting someone else control your feelings about your sport or club.

 

Expectations

If you have personality issues in your club or group, I suggest that before you give up, you confront them head-on.  Let folks know how you feel and what you expect.  Only then can a group or club decide if they want to make changes to accommodate your wishes.  But to me, it is such a shame to see someone drop out of a group without letting folks know the reason why.  It's similar to telling a boss at work what's wrong from your perspective so the problem can be fixed.  Many times, bosses don't know what the employees know.  So, by letting someone know there's a problem, at least you give them a chance to fix it.

There's an old saying I use a lot: "A complaint is never legitimate until it's voiced to someone who can fix it."  If personalities rule your recreation, I suggest you speak up and clear the air.  Get to the "peace table" and talk it out.   Go face to face, and don't try to solve it on the forums. Find solutions or compromises that all the parties can live with.  But whatever you do, give it a shot before you give up.

When I help folks get past personality issues, I always remind them that we are not out to change who someone is, only how they behave in our group. If a particular behavior alienates other club members, we must find a way to change that behavior.  It can be done, but only through communications that are pretty open and honest. 

In the leadership training I give folks, I drive home the point that we must let folks know our expectations -- those things that make us smile and enjoy our sport (or our job or anything else).  The same holds true for a club or a volunteer committee.  If you have expectations that are not being fulfilled, then let someone know.  Doing so increases your chances of staying in the game and helping punch holes in that big block of cheese.

Del 

Monday, January 15, 2024

All About RestoreTrails.Org




All  about RestoreTrails.Org, aka Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA)
By Del Albright


 

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Practice MDL and Live Better

 

LIVE LONGER; STAY HEALTHIER; BE HAPPIER

By Del Albright

Stay off the couch as long as you can. Don't let the old man in (Toby Keith words).  In simplest of terms, Keep Moving, Doing, and Learning.  MDL.

Take your vitamins.  Wear your sunscreen.  Sin in moderation.  Practice MDL.
#

Thursday, February 2, 2023

2023 OUTLOOK FOR ACCESS TO PUBLIC LANDS AND DUNES


 2023 LANDUSE AND ACCESS OUTLOOK

By Del Albright, ASA Social Media Manager, Supporter

 

Where will we be riding and exploring this new year? What effect will our recent political history have on our access to public lands and dunes? Are we going to see changes in our favorite duning areas? Allow me to give you some insight.

The mess we call 2020 is now mostly hindsight, with 2021 and 2022 rough but better years. But our riding, exploring, and adventures for 2023 are not by any means guaranteed. 

The Administration’s policy changes, as is usual in a democracy, have flooded the world we live in. However, federal and state agencies are adapting to the “new” normal just like they did a few years ago with other agency/administration changes. Still, access to our public lands and dunes is tenuous at best.

Land closures and restrictions will get headlines in almost all states, especially in the west. New Monuments, new Wilderness, new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), new this and new that. I predict we will not be able to keep up with the pages of reading to review and comment.

In 2022 the environmental movement worked with the Administration to orchestrate the 30 x 30 America the Beautiful initiative – proposing to conserve (some say lock up) 30% of America by 2030. Right now, about 12% of our American lands and waterways are “conserved” or protected (locked up). ASA is watching this one closely!

Then we can throw in the many things that distract us daily. Gun rights will be highlighted and in the news a lot. How our kids are taught in school (or should I say brainwashed) will bug parents daily. The war over “American-made” or foreign-made will hit the top of the charts. Insurance, bills, trying to recover from the pandemic, and many other financial bites will nibble at us all year.

So what?

So, what does this mean? Does it mean you probably aren’t thinking much about keeping dunes open or saving our sports? And does it suggest that this trend of not joining clubs and associations is the easier way to do things – virtually, if at all?

WRONG! I can’t say that strongly enough. If we do not unite, speak up, stay engaged, stay tuned into what is happening with our trails, and FIGHT BACK, we will end up parking our rigs in the garage to look at a few times a year. We cannot just be virtual, and we cannot let daily distractions numb us into apathy.

Exactly what do we do?

JOIN: Get your joining back on! Join ASA and your state and regional associations/organizations. They need our membership dues to make a difference and do what dedicated, knowledgeable riders MUST do.

Sure, if you want to stay with your virtual group, ok. But do not make that your go-to. Virtual groups do not go to state capitals or Washington, DC, to fight for us (unless I missed something). But, on the other hand, brick-and-mortar groups do show up where it counts – in person, face to face.

DONATE: Send somebody some gas money! Donate to a group so they can send someone to those meetings where decisions are made about YOUR trails. Buy raffle tickets to organization raffle vehicles. If we are not at the tables, ALL of them, the head of the table will make decisions without us and not necessarily in our favor.

VOLUNTEER: Put a trash bag to work in your favorite duning area! Donate your time and volunteer to help keep dunes open. Help your association/groups on a project that needs time and effort (strong backs). Show up! Yes, I’ll be trite – the world is run by those who show up.

BUY SMART: Support businesses that support our sport. Buy from those outfits who do something for land use, such as donating to raffles, joining associations as a business, and contributing in some way to keep dunes open or helping a club doing just that.

Join, donate, volunteer, and buy smart. If you start doing those things with all your heart and ability, we can turn the tide in 2023 into a year we can be proud of and keep our right to ride alive and well.

START by joining (or renewing your membership in) the American Sand Association here: https://americansandassociation.org