Booklet focuses exclusively on Goose Pond FWA

That came to mind one day when advertising director Christy Lehman and myself sat down to talk about a special project involving Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area.

There's been a lot of discussion the past several years about how much tourism dollars GPFWA will bring into Greene County. That's a debate for another day.

What Christy and I came up with was a way for GPFWA Property Manager Brad Feaster and his staff to promote the property to outsiders.

We decided to do a special publication focusing exclusively on GPFWA. A publication does exist that includes GPFWA, but there's nothing that includes just information on GPFWA.

"The Sassafras Audubon Society has a booklet, and it includes other birding spots in the state, and includes Goose Pond. But it's not exclusively about Goose Pond," Feaster said.

The Greene County Daily World's "Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area: A southern Indiana treasure" is all about the local wetlands.

It offers:

* History about the property.

* Information about Friends of Goose Pond.

* A list of activities and things to do.

* A month-by-month look at all events.

* A map.

* And some outstanding photography.

How will the booklet help GPFWA?

"It certainly helps us in the fact that we have professional-looking material to hand out and distribute that answers a lot of the questions that we get asked," Feaster explained.

"We can give them that booklet and it contains almost everything they need to know."

I must give Feaster credit. When Christy and I met with him a couple of months ago, we offered him the opportunity to provide the information for the booklet. He's the "man in the know" for GPFWA.

He came through big-time.

You'll find a lot of detailed information about GPFWA, and tons of events and activities.

The booklet is intended to help bring people to our area, so it will be distributed to a lot of people outside the Greene County area. But Feaster added that local groups and organizations wanting copies will get them.

"We do a lot of events. We're at the Indiana Boat Sport and Travel Show, and we give talks around the area to various organizations and clubs," Feaster said.

"The Mayors Roundtable is coming up in May, and probably all the mayors from southern Indiana will be there. I'll hand them out there."

He added that he'll try to distribute them to tourism racks at motels, restaurants and other such places.

"We plan on distributing them as much as possible," Feaster noted.

Feaster is encouraged that there was enough local support to do the booklet.

"I appreciate you guys (the Greene County Daily World) doing this. It's all about these little incremental baby steps to start really marketing this place," Feaster explained.

"The fact that we had enough interest locally, local businesses willing to help underwrite this shows growing support."

The booklet won't be inserted into the newspaper or The Shopper. Its purpose is to allow Feaster to promote GPFWA any way he can.

You can see a copy of it on the newspaper's Web site -- www.gcdailyworld.com.

The newspaper believes tourism will be an important part of the area's future, and the booklet is our way of helping to get the ball rolling.

Chris is the general manager/editor of the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at 847-4487 or 1-800-947-4487 or by e-mail at cpruett79@hotmail.com .