Hi everyone! Welcome back! The past few weeks have been full of activity as we’ve worked on our project to raise awareness about Ruckle Provincial Park through social media. Our Instagram page is steadily growing, and we’re starting to connect more with the local community. I’m here to share a quick update on our progress—some of the small victories we’ve achieved and the challenges we’ve faced along the way.
1. Where We Are with Our Action?
We’re still in the early phases of the project, but progress is steadily underway. Since launching our Instagram account, the team has been focused on crafting content that highlights both the natural beauty and rich history of Ruckle Park. So far, we’ve featured posts on the historic Ruckle homestead and showcased some of the park’s breathtaking scenery. A key objective for us is to create content that not only captures the landscape but also emphasizes the park’s cultural and historical importance.
One of our biggest wins so far has been connecting with Brenda, an expert in environmental education. Her guidance has been invaluable in refining our messaging and making sure our content is both respectful and historically accurate. We’re also beginning to see some organic engagement on our Instagram page, which has been a great source of motivation to keep moving forward. It’s encouraging to know that our efforts are resonating with the community. We’re excited to continue learning and growing as we share more stories from Ruckle Park.
2. Our Successes So Far
Our biggest success so far has been the steady growth of our online presence. While our following is still small, it’s consistently increasing, and we’re seeing genuine engagement from the community. One standout moment was when we shared a photo of the Ruckle homestead—it sparked a wave of interest in the park’s history, with several people commenting on how much they enjoyed learning about it. That post led to a noticeable uptick in likes, shares, and even a few direct messages from people wanting to know more. It showed us that there’s real curiosity and appreciation for the stories behind the park, and it confirmed that our content is making an impact. We’re now thinking about ways to dive deeper into these historical narratives in future posts.
Another notable success has been the way our posts have sparked meaningful conversations. A photo we shared of the park’s scenic cliffside view was even reposted by several local tourism groups, giving our page a modest but valuable boost in visibility. This kind of response reinforces that there’s genuine interest in Ruckle Park and its story, and it’s encouraging to see the local community and organizations engaging with our content.
Finally, we’re proud of the strong communication within our team. Coordinating and working together has helped us stay organized and focused, and we’re looking forward to continuing that collaboration as the project progresses.
3. Challenges We’ve Had And How We’re Overcoming Them
Like any project, we’ve encountered a few challenges along the way. One of the biggest has been finding high-quality visual content. While the park’s natural beauty is easy to capture, sourcing historical images has proven more difficult. To address this, we reached out to local historical societies, who generously provided access to parts of their archives. Their support has been instrumental in helping us visually represent the park’s rich history with greater accuracy and depth.
Another challenge has been balancing our educational goals with the need to create content that appeals to younger audiences. Many of our initial followers are local residents already familiar with the park, so we’ve been exploring creative ways to broaden our reach and keep things engaging. One approach we’ve started experimenting with is incorporating fun, bite-sized content—like “Did You Know?” facts and trivia—which has already started to boost engagement and spark interest among a wider audience.
Finally, one of the challenges our team has faced is finding the right balance between showcasing the park’s natural beauty and its historical significance. We’ve spent quite a bit of time discussing how to give equal focus to both aspects. While it’s still a work in progress, we’re committed to maintaining a well-rounded approach that highlights both the natural and cultural stories of the park.
4. What’s Next and Why?
Looking forward, we plan to build on our initial progress by increasing the frequency of our posts and trying out a variety of content formats. Our next major goal is to develop a content calendar to help us maintain a consistent posting schedule. Additionally, we’re excited to experiment with Instagram Stories and interactive polls to boost engagement and connect more with our audience.
We’re also looking to connect with local schools and community organizations to collaborate on content. We’ve been considering creating a special post or series aimed at engaging younger audiences more deeply.
Another exciting step ahead is partnering with local Indigenous groups to explore and share their connection to Ruckle Park. This has been a key part of our vision from the beginning, and we’re eager to include their stories in our ongoing narrative.
Reference for Overcoming Challenges:
While searching for tips to improve social media engagement, I found a great article offering numerous helpful tips, such as targeting the right audience, keeping everything engaging, and asking others to engage with your posts. I also found another telling us why social media engagement matters and what it is.
Kenan, J., & Kenan, J. (2025, April 23). Social media engagement: What it is and tips to improve it. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-engagement/
Patil, A., & Patil, A. (2024, November 25). What is social media engagement and why does it matter? Martech360. https://martech360.com/social-media-technology/social-media-marketing/what-is-social-media-engagement-and-why-does-it-matter/
That is all for blog post #4. I hope you stay along for the rest of the journey!
-Eden Geddes
