Advocacy means taking action to effect change in an issue that personally matters to you. Advocacy makes up a large portion of activity undertaken in community science [projects](/projects). **Types of processes that projects may seek to generate or contribute to:** * Telling your story * Relationship building (see section on audiences, below) * Awareness raising / education * Community organizing / mobilizing * Getting media coverage * Making an issue a focus of an electoral campaign season * Pressuring electeds to act on an issue * Providing public input to established regulatory processes such as permitting for land uses that are continuing, changing, or new. * Providing cover to regulators so they can stand up to political/economic influence over an agency's action (Example: showing proof of valid grounds to sue the government agency for not acting) * Triggering agency investigation, administrative action, and/or enforcement action * Designing regulation in situations where there is none * Mediation * Litigation against industry * Litigation against government agencies * Nonviolent direct action **Types of audiences projects may seek to reach:** * Others who are affected * Neighbors who are also constituents * Landowners making private land use decisions * Elected representatives * Agency civil servants * Industry employees, management, ownership, or board of directors * Journalists * Environmental lawyers