If you need a little inspiration for how to activate some concerned citizens out there, look no further than this recent blog post from the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, which is campaigning to get some local natural areas protected as wilderness.

This well-written post doesn’t belabor all the various facts, statistics, and details about the issue. The author knows that the audience is friendly to the cause, so he or she addresses the real reasons a concerned citizen may stay silent:

“Writing a letter to the editor is easy and takes only a few moments,” the Conservancy writes, then explains how to do it. Most importantly, the group paints a vivid picture of elected officials and their staff reading the letter in the paper as they contemplate their eventual vote on the issue. Their straightforward explanation leaves the reader with no doubt hat if their letter gets published, it will, indeed, make a difference.  And that is far more motivating than knowing how many acres are at stake here.

Here’s a revealing comparison: Check out the “rough and respectful” attitude that the WV Highlands Conservancy shows  its supporters with “slick and stifling” attitude that The Nature Conservancy of Illinois displays towards theirs with the ”Start One Conversation” campaign.

Which group would you rather be a part of? I thought so.