Blue Bark & Co. works with sport, recreation, and community organizations to understand participation, strengthen programs, and build communities people want to be part of.
Research · Engagement · Evaluation
We find the patterns behind participation.
Research, engagement, and evaluation help organizations understand who is participating, who isn’t, what people experience, and where opportunities for change exist.
Community and participant research · Engagement and consultation · Program evaluation · Needs assessments · Insights and recommendations
Program Design · Strategy · Facilitation
We turn insight into programs that work.
We work with organizations to design and strengthen programs around the people they want to reach. That means removing barriers, creating meaningful experiences, and building participation that lasts.
Program design · Strategic planning · Facilitation · Participation strategies · Community initiatives
Leadership · Capacity · Community
We build the conditions that help good programs last.
Strong programs need more than a good idea. We help organizations strengthen leadership, partnerships, and internal capacity so communities can grow, adapt, and sustain the work over time.
Leadership development · Training and workshops · Partnership development · Community building · Organizational capacity
Sometimes the work starts with a question. Sometimes it starts with an idea. We meet you where you are.
Women on Wheels was redesigned around a simple question: what would make it easier for more women to ride and lead?
By investing in ride leaders, creating new chapters, building a community of practice, and giving leaders the training and tools they needed, the program grew from 2 ride options to 7, expanded to 5 new chapters, and increased membership from 25 to 115.
Ride options
New chapters
Members
Project Hike started with a different question: what if we designed the program around the reasons people couldn’t participate?
Built through a network of community and institutional partners, the program addressed barriers including transportation and childcare while creating opportunities for participants to build outdoor skills, confidence, and connection. The approach later became the subject of a peer-reviewed publication.
A strong community program shouldn’t depend on one person to keep it going.
Trail Magic began in Ontario, where leadership was intentionally transitioned before I moved away in 2019. The group continues today. A second Trail Magic community grew from my graduate research in Nova Scotia and, after two years of programming, has also transitioned to community leadership.
Communities established
Still running in Ontario
Successful leadership transitions
Let’s figure out what could work.
You don’t need to have the whole project mapped out. If you have a question, a program that needs strengthening, or an idea you’re trying to get off the ground, we can start there.