Innovation, Creativity & Leadership
ParkPal
ParkPal was the outcome of an Action Learning Project undertaken during my ProfDip in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership at UCD Innovation Academy. Using Design Thinking, and leaning heavily into building a network through social engagement, I aimed to highlight issues of environmental concern by harnessing the power of community to drive behavioural change.
From March 2020 and throughout the duration of the Covid-19 related lockdowns, the number of visitors to the Phoenix Park in Dublin increased significantly. This resulting in a change in deer behaviour, an increase in littering, injuries to those visiting the Park and a rise in the numbers of visitors feeding the wild deer.
Using insights gathered during the project, ParkPal targets local businesses, community groups and those feeding the deer to engage with these issues using Stories, Reels, the Instagram feed and the #dontfeedthedeer hashtag. Using a broad content mix to support the initiative, the aim is to educate the wider public on the issues and bring about a change in visitor behaviour.
With broad support, ParkPal has become a micro-movement with the potential to scale and positively impact other parks, nature reserves and green spaces.
