In may june 2016 issue

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Ever, ever when you clamp, do you miss?

For once, my beautiful, lovely, green Queen Praying Mantis, please don't prey.

But instead, lift your arm, as I lift mine, And we'll twirl together t'ward cold, cheesy Wis. Or warm, 'ole' Miss.

Martha Benn MacDonald

JVA InterpNews

2 Volume 5, #3 May/June 2016

The international heritage interpretation e-magazine.

Here we are with our May/June issue, one of our largest issues this year and with an amazing diversity of article topics. A big thank you to all the authors, and several will be providing articles for our July/August issue as well. I'm looking for articles for our July/Aug issue as well, so with 300,000 readers in 60 countries (isn't that just too cool!) we'll have a lot of folks reading about your programs, ideas, innovations and expertise.

Our Heritage Interpretation Training Center has big news too. In March we added 7 new college level interpretive training courses, bringing our curriculum of courses to 29 and with a few more to come. Check out our catalog and other HITC news in the advertisement at the back of this issue. We're now offering all of our 29 courses to be presented as live John VeverkaIN Publisher training experiences at your agencies or institutions location for all of your interpretive Director - Heritage staff to attend - HITC "on the road". If you would like to host a interpretive training course Interpretation or event at your park, museum, heritage site or tourism organization please feel free to get in Training Center.

Sr. Instructor, Kansas touch with me. We're also available for seasonal naturalist training, museum docent/volunteer training, and advanced interpretive courses internationally. I'll be at State University Global Campus Klaipeda State College, Lithuania in the fall teaching interpretation courses for a 2 week (Interpretive training event in their tourism department. More on that later. Hope you enjoy this issue Planning), and think about contributing for our July/Aug issue too. Cheers - jv In This Issue: - Interpreting the praying mantis - J. Veverka - Out of Africa ... The World Elephant Center - Brent Liddle - Interpreting 'water bears'...The toughest creatures on the planet. Wild Facts - Scrolling through History: A new app for the Royal Line of Succession. Elizabeth Simpson - With wings and wonder, children gain knowledge about Monarch butterflies at Oakland County Parks. Jane Peterson - The Commercialization of Heritage: Key Insights from South Africa’s Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa. Calvyn Gilfellan & Hilton Naidoo - Bring on the CARP for Better Interpretive Photography. John Miller - Interpreting Climate Change: The Human Factor Pat Walsh - Horicon Marsh 12,000 years of change Alan Eidson - The Tale of a Black Shirt: Finding the hook that engages your audience. Jim Jordan - Anatomy of a Program: Trepidation on the Tramway, Skinner State Park, MA Matt Villamaino - Jargon Jangle - Judy Fort Brenneman - Partnering for Climate Change Communication in National Parks Jenell Walsh-Thomas

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InterpNEWS is a NFTGA strategic alliance partner - www.NFTGA.com InterpNEWS is published six times a year as a FREE John Veverka & Associates publication and published as a service to the interpretive profession. If you would like to be added to our mailing list just send an e-mail to jvainterp@aol.com and we will add you to our growing mailing list. Contributions of articles are welcomed. It you would like to have an article published in InterpNEWS let me know what you have in mind. Cover photo: Praying for lunch. www.heritageinterp.com , jvainterp@aol.com. SKYPE: jvainterp.

JVA InterpNews

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Interpreting The Praying Mantis.

John Veverka IN Publisher & Pet Mantis Keeper.

One of the things that our subscribers tell me is that they love our covers. It is a real challenge to find a diversity of subjects to appeal to the wide interests of the diversity of our readers, from cultural history, to natural history, geology, arts, etc. So it I try to find photos that "got it" as far as a cool look, or a provocative look, etc. to get your attention. Well, I love insects - have a large collection myself - and a world-wide collection of mantis. So why not. Here is a little interpretive "did you knows" about one of my favorite insects.

In literature and art.

One of the earliest mantis references is in the ancient Chinese dictionary Erya, which gives its attributes in poetry, where it represents courage and fearlessness, and a brief description. A later text, the Jingshi Zhenglei Daguan Bencao ("Great History of Medical Material Annotated and Arranged by Types, Based upon the Classics and Historical Works") from 1108, gives accurate details of the construction of the egg packages, the development cycle, anatomy, and the function of the antennae. Although mantises are rarely mentioned in Ancient Greek sources, a female mantis in threat posture is accurately illustrated on a series of fifth-century BC silver coins, including didrachms, from Metapontum in Sicily, in the 10th century (left) and even on modern day postage stamps.

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In mythology and religion The mantis was considered a god in southern African Khoi and San tradition for its praying posture; the word for the mantis in Afrikaans is Hottentotsgot ("god of the Khoi"). Several ancient civilizations considered the insect to have supernatural powers; for the Greeks, it had the ability to show lost travelers the way home; in the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead the "bird-fly" is a minor god that leads the souls of the dead to the underworld; in a list of 9th-century BC Nineveh grasshoppers (buru), the mantis is named necromancer (buruenmeli) and soothsayer (buru-enmeli-ashaga).

As pets - really?

Gray adult female Carolina mantisin human hand

Mantises are among the insects most widely kept as pets. Because the lifespan of a mantis is only about a year, people who want to keep mantises often breed them. At least 31 species are kept and bred in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. The Independent described the "giant Asian praying mantis" as "part stick insect with a touch of Buddhist monk", and stated that they needed a vivarium around 30 cm (12 in) on each side. The Daily Mail recorded that a pet "budwing mantis" in Arizona "lifted a dead goldfish" out of its bowl and ate it.

The Daily South argued that a pet insect was no weirder than a pet rat or ferret, and that while a pet mantis was unusual, it would not "bark, shed, [or] need shots or a litter box".

Summer is here and time to start looking for your pet Praying Mantis.

Here is a web site to help you take care of your new pet. http://hubpages.com/education/praying-mantis-care Have fun with your new interpretive pet.

John Veverka Pet mantis keeper. jvainterp@aol.com

JVA InterpNews

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Out of Africa...

The World Elephant Centre Brent Liddle Haines Junction, Yukon This winter I escaped the cold in Yukon and headed straight to Africa, with a sixty degree Celsius increase in temperature. My assignment, with the World Elephant Centre near Serengeti, was to develop preliminary interpretive storylines on the conservation crisis facing the African Elephant.

This was a second stage to the work I had conducted previously which focused on developing a concept for the proposed visitor facility. The Kesho Trust continues to play a supporting role in this project. The interpretive materials I was preparing on this trip will be used in an initial facility and for traveling exhibits that promote the World Elephant Centre and explain the desperate need for conservation actions to protect this iconic species. Eventual permanent facilities will include an Interpretive Centre with exhibits, displays and audio visual media as well as a Research Station to monitor the migration movements of these animals and prevent human interference. Indeed, combining science, education and research is the ultimate goal of the World Elephant Centre. During my field work I had the opportunity to experience these magnificent animals and photograph them at very close range. The World Elephant Centre is located in the midst of the northern park circuit in Tanzania so I manage to get to places like Tarangire, Manyara and Serengeti national parks and especially appreciated visiting friends who are managing the Lamai Camp in northern Serengeti, Nic Kershaw and Jana Arnhold.

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For me, the Northern Serengeti bordering Kenya was particularly special, not only from a wildlife perspective but also the wonderful people I met who are equally committed to elephant conservation. I particularly remember the guide, Anaphi who accompanied me on a walking safari. He really added value to my experience by interpreting everything around us, from “ant lions“ to real lions! In the distance we could see several free roaming family herds of elephants ...it is my sincere wish that all future generations can have such a wonderful experience such as this. To quote Julius Nyerere, first president of Tanzania who wrote the famous Arusha Manifesto stated: “These wild creatures amidst the wild places they inhabit are not only important as a source of wonder and inspiration , but are an integral part of our future livelihood and well being." Never a truer word was spoken.

I'm now " Out of Africa " , back home in Yukon , where snow still stubbornly lingers , but my memories of a safari in Tanzania and encountering the largest land animal on Earth remain a highlight of my trip !

Brent Liddle Haines Junction, Yukon brent.wenda@northwestel.net PS .

Brent's most recent planned adventure is a trip from the southernmost tip of Argentina , along the Pacific Coast to Panama , then to Columbia . During the voyage he will draft an article for a future article in INTERPNEWS . I'll keep posted !

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Interpreting 'water bears' !

The toughest creatures on the planet planet.

http://www.wild-facts.com/

Let's talk about a bear that absolutely loves the water. Of course, I am talking about the amazing Water Bear.

Bear What? You have never heard of the Water Bear? Well, keep reading to find out a little more about this microscopic barrel of fun.

Okay, so by now, you have probably realized that the Water Bear isn’t actually a bear.

Basically, the only things they have in common with a regular ol’ bear is the way they walk…..oh and they also hibernate. So what does a Water Bear look like? Well, the length of the Water Wa Bear is typically between 0.3 to 0.5 mm (0.012 – 0.02 inches), so clearly they are not the largest animal in the world. Their bodies have five segments, if you include the head, with 4 pairs of legs.

Each leg obviously has a foot and each foot has anywhere here between 4 to 8 claws. So far, these creatures sound like something you would see in space. Actually, these little creatures have survived in space. Believe it or not, we have exposed the Water Bear to the harsh elements of space, including harmful amounts ounts of radiation.

This would instantly kill a human and most other animals, but the hardy Water Bear actually survived.

Whenever, the environment of the Water Bear gets unbearable, they will go into a state called Cryptobiosis, which means they basically shut everything off. The ultimate hibernation! In this state, these creepy little critters have been able to withstand intense heat (151 degrees Celsius), freezing cold (-272 ( degrees Celsius), high pressure (1200 times higher th than an atmospheric pressure) and have even been able to survive 10 years without water. To sum it all up, the Water Bear has Super-Powers….Oh Super Powers….Oh and I don’t think Kryptonite has any impact on them.

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Photo by RPGCH (Wikimedia)

Water Bear Fast Fact – So what does a durable bear such as this need to fuel itself? Well, this microscopic superhero keeps its body running by following a strict diet of plant cells, algae and very small invertebrates.

Maybe this type of diet will turn you into a Superhero as well. Can’t hurt to try, right?

Some additional fun facts: Water Bears belong to a lesser known phylum of invertebrate animals, the Tardigrada. The first tardigrades were discovered by Goetz in 1773. Over 400 species have been described since that time.

Tardigrades grow only to a size of about 1mm, but they can easily be seen with a microscope. Tardigrade bodies are short, plump, and contain four pairs of lobopodial limbs (poorly articulated limbs which are typical of soft bodied animals). Each limb terminates in four to eight claws or discs. They lumber about in a slow bear-like gait over sand grains or pieces of plant material.

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JVA InterpNews

Scrolling through History: A new app for the Royal Line of Succession.

Elizabeth Simpson Content Manager The Royal Collection Trust

In December 2015, in the year that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning British monarch, Royal Collection Trust launched its first official Kings and Queen's app, tracing the royal line of succession from 1066 106 to the present day.

Kings and Queens: 1,000 Years of British Royal History was created as a means of allowing users to navigate across centuries of history, exploring the lives of the monarchs from the Normans to the Windsors, and engage with the unique stories of the 42 monarchs, their families and spouses, through biographies and animated portraits.

Anyone who has studied British history will know that the path of succession has never run smoothly, and that mapping the various relationships between kings ngs and queens and the rationale for why the crown has passed from one monarch to the next requires a three-dimensional dimensional approach. This app aims to demystify these connections, using interactive family trees and timelines to show the links between figures and a the wider historical context.

In the digital age, we have come to recognise that the printed book is no longer an end in itself and we have begun the think of publishing not only as book production, but more broadly as 'packaging content'. When we look to develop apps, we consider how this particular format can be best used to complement and augment the material in question, and what this delivery mechanism can offer to enhance comprehension beyond what is provided by the printed book. In this th instance, our objective was also to rethink the content for a new, younger audience.

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We underwent user testing and consulted with our Learning team to explore the best means of interpreting and delivering this content for a younger readership, thinking about user engagement within a variety of spaces – the classroom, the learning areas in our own galleries, children's libraries and the home. To this end, we also decided to include quizzes within the app to test users' knowledge, as well as downloadable PDFs to offer teachers all of the material in a print-friendly format.

Interestingly, while the material was initially conceived for a younger audience, anecdotal evidence has suggested that it also has wider appeal, with older users also using it as a tool to consolidate their own knowledge.

For this project, the portraits, (many of which can be seen in royal residences today),became the structural starting point, giving users a visual reference for the key players within the app. In some instances we had the portraits animated to reflect the personalities of the sitters in some small way, or else to allude to a story from their lives.

We wanted to bring these portraits from the Royal Collection to a wider audience and to familiarise users with these representations of the various kings and queens. All images are pinch-zoomable and all link back to our Collection Online, where users are able to access further art-historical information about them. In some instances we also provided a series of further portraits, showing monarchs at different stages of their reign. For example, we offer an image series for Queen Victoria, showing, amongst others, a portrait of her as a young Princess, as depicted by Richard Westall in 1830, in her twenties in an intimate, alluring pose, as depicted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1843, and in her later years at the age of 80, as depicted by Baron Heinrich von Angeli in 1899.

The text content was re-written to ensure that it was suitable for both the format and audience. We offered a layered approach to biographical information, with top-level, short introductory biographies followed by more in-depth biographical texts and separate 'interesting fact' boxes. References to other figures within the text also link through to separate short biographies and images of these figures, to enable readers to build up a bigger picture of the lives and times of the monarchs.

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Navigation was developed both through a scrolling portrait wall and through a family tree interface. User testing suggested preferences for both of these navigational tools, with some preferring the logical, graphical structure of the family tree, while others favoured the visual references of the portraits. Users can also easily switch between interfaces using a tree or crown logo in the top right-hand corner, which 'flips' the screen taking you from one to the other. There is also an A-Z of monarchs and all of the material is searchable, making navigation and dipping in and out of content easy for users.

The final result is an app which we hope is easy to use, rich in content, engaging and informative for all readers.

The final result is an app which we hope is easy to use, rich in content, engaging and informative for all readers.

Elizabeth Simpson Content Manager

Stable Yard House, St James's Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7024 5645

Kings and Queens: 1,000 Years of British Royal History was developed by Royal Collection Trust in partnership with Aimer Media with animations from Cognitive Media.

Images courtesy of Royal Collection Trust / Š Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016 and Aimer Media 2016

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With wings and wonder, children gain knowledge about Monarch butterflies at Oakland County Parks

By Jane Peterson petersonjm@oakgov.com Technical Assistant, Oakland County Parks Michigan

Red Oaks Nature Center in Madison Heights, Michigan is a popular spot for families. Located within a bustling metropolitan area just 12 miles north of Detroit, families visit to connect with nature and explore wooded trails.

Adults and children delight in observing wildlife in their natural habitat as it is not unusual to spy a robin making a nest, a squirrel collecting acorns or even an owl making its early evening rounds.

However, on one afternoon each summer Monarch butterflies can be spotted fluttering everywhere – in the nature center, along the trails and outside in a huge tent. It is all part of the annual Butterfly Parade, an event designed to draw attention to the plight of the butterfly and educate families about this amazing creature that plays an important role in Michigan’s dynamic ecosystem.

Recreation Specialist Melissa Nawrocki, who served as program leader for the Butterfly Parade, said the program has been an amazing addition to the programming schedule, attracting hundreds of families to the Red Oaks Nature Center and receiving a 2015 Innovative Programming Award from mParks, Michigan’s top parks and recreation organization.

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Taking Flight The idea for the Butterfly Parade was first discussed in the planning department as Principal Planner Jon Noyes was seeking a creative solution to bring attention to Monarch conservation.He developed the 2014 Community Stewardship Initiative for Oakland County Parks, a collection of program ideas designed the make residents aware of and committed to care for the unique features of the park system that provide a sense of place for the community.

The goal of the butterfly activities specifically was to “raise awareness of the international decline of the Monarch butterfly and the role of citizen stewards in their protection,” Noyes said.

The idea was brought to ITC, a longtime supporter of Oakland County Parks and Recreation. The electric utility company based in Novi, Michigan enthusiastically signed on to be a sponsor, making it possible to offer the event free to the community.

“We wanted to have a fun but educational event and thought that Red Oaks County Park would be a great venue,” Nawrocki said.

Red Oaks County Park is a popular draw for families year-round. In addition to the nature center, it includes a golf course, dog park and waterpark. Since families were familiar with the facility and it has the capacity to host large crowds, it was a natural fit for the Butterfly Parade.

As the planning process got under way, Nawrocki, along with Recreation Program Supervisor – Nature Education Lynn Conover and Naturalist Sarah Hudson, knew immediately that they wanted to include fun elements like crafts, music and educational walks.

Butterfly wings that children could decorate with their name and stickers to reflect their interests and activities seemed like a natural choice. The plan was for children to embellish the wings at the event, wear them for the signature Butterfly Parade, pose for photos at the photo display area outfitted with props and then tote them home as a souvenir.

“We looked for reasonably priced wings but the premade wings were pretty expensive,” Nawrocki said.

Not to be deterred, Noyes made a template and cut wings out of poster board and painted them.

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Soon multiple departments within Oakland County Parks began assisting with planning efforts, including Mobile Recreation, Operations, Planning, Communications and Marketing, Recreation Programs & Services, Volunteers and Natural Resources.

Graphic Artist Melissa Wagner designed a logo for the event. Nawrocki thought it would be fun for children to color T-shirts with markers. Natural Resources Specialist Brittany Bird was consulted on conservation efforts throughout the park system.

Increasing Awareness The Monarch butterfly is easily recognizable by its size and striking black-and-orange markings on its wings. It flutters around garden landscapes and wooded areas. Spotting one of these fleeting insects is exciting to energetic children who often delight in spending several joyful minutes chasing butterflies just to get a splitsecond glimpse.

In addition to being a beautiful part of natural landscapes, butterflies are an essential part of the ecosystem. As they cross-pollinate plants, they are a crucial link in the food supply chain.

Unfortunately, with their own food source in decline, the Monarch butterfly has suffered a setback in recent years. The problem has become so severe that there is some debate over whether the Monarch butterfly should be listed as an endangered species.

In addition to the Monarch overwintering habitat loss of the ovamel fir trees in Mexico, the concern in Monarch breeding grounds, including Michigan, centers on the milkweed plant. In their caterpillar phase, Monarch butterflies feed on milkweed. Unfortunately, this once populous plant is disappearing from the landscape, making it increasingly challenging for the butterflies to find a food source and lay their eggs.

Complicating the issue further is the strong emergence of the black and pale swallow wort species, a non-native plant that it similar enough to milkweed to attract Monarch butterflies, but is toxic to caterpillars (photos below).

Pale Swallow wort plants - a threat to Monarch butterflies.

Learning Through Fun Oakland County Parks and Recreation, a 13-park system in southeastern Michigan that includes 6,700 acres of natural property, brings awareness to the plight of the Monarch butterfly in a fun, hands-on way with the annual Butterfly Parade.

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Last year more than 300 participants turned out for the July event. They were greeted by volunteers and presented with a full slate of activities, including decorating a butterfly T-shirt, creating a pair of butterfly wings and playing games. Naturalists led caterpillar hikes to educate children and adults about the different plants caterpillars like to eat and discuss the role they play in the environment. Children also had the opportunity to interact with butterflies and get up close and personal with these fascinating creatures by visiting the butterfly tent, which was filled with live Monarch butterflies.

“The Monarch population has been decimated over the past 10 years,” Noyes said. “We want to get people to care and the best way to do that is to make an emotional connection. We wanted to do something cool, fun and recreational and we came up with the Butterfly Parade. From the looks on the faces of the kids covered in Monarchs in the butterfly tent, you know that they made the connection.”

The highlight of the afternoon was the Butterfly Parade itself. Participants looped the adjustable strings on their handcrafted butterfly wings over their shoulders so that everyone could see the unique designs they created on the back. As a collective group, the children and their adult companions marched down the nature trail with much laughter and fanfare.

Creating Citizen Stewards Since milkweed is key in helping the Monarch butterfly population rebound, free milkweed information was provided to families during the Butterfly Parade. Children also created make-and-take milkweed seed bombs.

The hope was that they would plant the seeds in their own yards to attract Monarch butterflies to lay their eggs.

Parents were excited to give their children an opportunity to view the butterfly lifecycle up close and pledged to plant the seeds in their gardens and natural landscapes.

“I am confident that these kids will plant the milkweed seeds we provided and look for the return of the butterflies,” Noyes said.

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The Commercialization of Heritage: Key Insights from South Africa’s Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town Calvyn Gilfellan & Hilton Naidoo

Background The Castle of Good Hope, built in 1666, is South Africa’s oldest surviving colonial building. In a myriad of ways it represents the epicentre of much of the socio-economic, legislative and cultural heritage of the country today. The continuum of diversity that can potentially be reflected at the Castle in the City of Cape Town is truly and quite uniquely immense. The Castle Control Board (CCB) as the legally mandated management and liability authority of the Castle of Good Hope has a historically significant task at hand to present a truly transformed Castle in a democratic state. In addition, it has an inherited matrix of complexities, which on multiple levels, both actively and passively, contribute to avoidable value (and revenue) losses to both the CCB, the Castle of Good Hope as a site and the local economy at large.

Figure 1: The 348-year old Castle showing off its bright new colours (September 2014)

The Castle of Good Hope recently appointed its first civilian Chief Executive Officer, as part of a government led process to formalise certain aspects of regulatory compliance within existing legislative precepts.As part of this overarching and multifaceted process, the CEO initiated an ongoing process to review the existing Vision, Mission and Values components of The Castle. This initial period unearthed key areas of opportunity and threat to the mandate of The Castle, as well as its mode of operation up to this time. One of the strategic outcomes of this process was the identification of the need to obtain clarity on the area of revenue optimization; both in the entity’s current form, as well as the more viable and balanced future scenarios which speak more effectively to the values of Nation Building, Healing and Ubuntu (translated as humanity).

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Subsequently, an external call to professional expertise was made, to receive comprehensive briefs which spoke to the aspect of responsible revenue optimization as its core emphasis.

Figure 2: The Castle’s Project Focus Areas

Once the regulatory compliant processes had been duly completed, the most effective brief was further reduced to six (6) specific focus areas pertinent to the most visible aspects of The Castle at the time. The Final Terms of Reference for the review process, was (i) Events, (ii) Rental, (iii) Retail, (iv)The Military , (v) Accommodation and (vi)The Digital Domain.

These 6 areas straddled raddled the historic, current and potentially future revenue stream channels, of the Castle of Good Hope and its managing entity, The Castle Control Board (CCB). The departure point of the process remains that every aspect of the Castle of Good Hope has a cost and therefore a value; both the visible and invisible, the obscured and hidden past and its link to the present and how it may likely affect the future. This includes the multiple facets of human life that interacted in and around this location over pre-colonial p times as well as from the colonial period onwards to the Democratic South Africa today. The ability to identify this value, assemble it and build appropriate delivery platforms for it; is where the challenge lies. The level of success to achievee this aspect is intertwined with the revenue levels the CCB achieves, as it makes decisions around which recommendations it opts for and what levels of support it is able to solicit to ensure the delivery of the strategic and operational targets.

The inherent rent mandate which falls to the CCB is thus not only one which resides within the Heritage sector; because of its very history and role in the history of especially South Africa. It is incumbent upon it to also address in some manner the issues of disposse dispossession, re-dress, dress, economic and social access as well as equity, and also the transitioning of the Castle to a broader inclusiveness.

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The Context South Africa’s very recent turbulent, violent and oppressive past, presents acontinuing project toward Nation Building, Healing and Ubuntu. Even though 21 years have passed since the first democratic dispensation was realized in 1994; the preceding 301 years of colonial occupation and dispossession and the subsequent 48 years of brutal Apartheid rule; have meant that the required transformation agenda for the country as a whole, in all aspects of society remains a critical and ongoing project.

The Castle of Good Hope, being the oldest surviving physical colonial structure, and the original location of the foundation of the uneven and inequitable structural nature of current South African society, is thus by default at the forefront of transformation. It is this sensitivity that has been placed foremost in all planning and thinking around a revitalized and more appropriately positioned Castle of Good Hope.

The Challenge In the last 100 years resources in both the natural and cultural heritage arena have come under ever increasing pressure and threats, from a broad variety of sources operating at various levels; such as an ever– globalising world, tourism growth, population growth, resource depletion, global warming and localized national and regional development initiatives.

The outcomes of these multiple threats vary in no specific pattern globally, both in respect of the response to the external threats as well as the internal threats to each country, region and continent.

The review process of the CCB’s Responsible Revenue Optimisation Study identified all aspects of the Castle that had an intrinsic value; whether conspicuous or not at the time. Given this foundational position, the environmental ecosystem associated with the location also contributed toward the value proposition of the location. This includes environmental sustainability, which addresses in part the need to protect the biodiversity and natural resources of the location. The cultural significance of the location, both before and during the existence of the Castle also assumes good value, as well as the heritage aspects associated with it. Both these elements add a critical element toward a sustainable location and one which supports the values of nation building, healing and Ubuntu, in both a South African, African and Global context.

The locality itself, inclusive of its lengthy, varied and difficult history; much of which remains to be unearthed (both literally and figuratively) as well as written; lends itself to forms of uniqueness both as a landmark and as a shaper of its subsequent impact on the indigenous peoples to this day. It is both a remnant of the past and an ever present reminder of the source of the South African reality today; a sort of window in the present which reflects the past. In this regard too, it speaks to another strategic imperative, being one of ensuring that the Castle becomes a truly living and unifying site.

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Figure 3: The Castle’s Growth Strategy

Heritage has many diverse tentacles and contributions. This is a valuable place toward adding to the notion of sustainability of the location, especially within the realm of ongoing development of content and the expression thereof.

The socio-economic economic impact of responsible revenue optimization, within the repositioned Castle’s repositioned Vision, Mission and Values is vitally important as it builds platforms for the alleviation of poverty, the generation of unique goods and services, knowledge creation, a pleasant and well--operated facility, contributing to reducing inequality and critically also providing access to those previously excluded. While Tourism is often a key driver of economic benefit, the role of the unique history and heritage heritage of the site would have a direct impact on economic development.

The Responsible Revenue Optimization Review also highlighted the necessity to harness all the aspects of the site, especially the ecosystem, toward ensuring a well preserved and balanced balanced reservoir of natural resources and the environment. The need for knowledge creation at the Castle is equally important, as a valuable contributor toward adding to the site’s narrative, especially of those who have been denied a voice in the recent past. past In this respect it is reasonable to link the principle of access to the Castle to the valuable component of the spiritual wellbeing of people; especially the oppressed and the indigenous first peoples simply because of its powerful symbolic, connective and nd aesthetic dimensions. Achieving a sense of belonging is inherent in the new Vision and Mission of the Castle and its contribution toward social cohesion and democratic participation.

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The current multi-million million rand renovation and refurbishment of the Castle of Good Hope is the first in a number of decades, and covers major aspects of the site, and of course has an associated impact which restricts access to many areas of the site. This renovation renovation will be completed toward towards the end of 2016. However, the value of a welcoming, effectively run, well well-conserved conserved natural and historic environment infused with multiple facets of traditional knowledge and skills; adds an intrinsic and highly differentiating diff factor to the Castle as a location in the City of Cape Town and the broader region. The Revenue Review also highlighted the opportunity to establish a balance between conservation, sustainability and development aspects of the Castle; many areass of which are available to enhance the new Vision of The Castle of Good Hope as a Living Site.

Unpacking the Six Focus Areas The Final Terms of Reference for the review process, was (i) Events, (ii) Rental, (iii) Retail, (iv)The Military , (v) Accommodation tion and (vi)The Digital Domain. These 6 areas straddled the historic, current and potentially future revenue stream channels, of the Castle Control Board. These six areas also straddle and intersect with the sub areas which have been analysed below, and which which cumulatively equal CCB revenue.

Figure 4: Relative Contribution of Current Revenue Streams

Events: As per the pie diagram reflecting revenue contribution, events equal 21% of the Castle’s total annual income for the financial period of 2013/2014. Events consist of a diverse type and scale of category, including audience profiles. The overall Revenue Re Review view Report identified key areas of contribution that a revitalized and restructured events model could make to the sustainability of the Castle.

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Rental: As per the pie diagram reflecting revenue contribution, rental equals 4% of the Castle’s total annual income for the financial period of 2013/2014. Rental, as with the other 5 areas of special focus, all suffer the negative consequences of the absence of a unitary site of operation, which is an integral part of the new Vision and Mission of the Castle. Rentals have the potential to contribute substantially more than is currently the case, both in percentage and volume.

Retail: As per the pie diagram reflecting revenue contribution, retail equal 5% of the Castle’s total annual income for the financial period of 2013/2014. As with the Events area, the overall Revenue Review Report identified key areas of contribution that a more focused and conceptualized retail area could make to the sustainability of the Castle.

Military: The Military as a theme, is both at the core of the Castle, and is also an integral part of its day to day operational costs as well as its major Renovation currently underway. The focus of the Revenue Revue Report was to identify the differing aspects of the Military and in which ways these aspects could best serve the new Vision and Mission of the Castle of Good Hope. In this regard, multiple areas and content contributions were identified, including the Military Museum at the Castle; where the limited but valuable work being done could be further enhanced and supported to offer a greater contribution.

Accommodation: This aspect of the Report process noted that whilst there are promising options for specific permutations of accommodation; the current Renovation process needs to be completed to allow for an accurate assessment of whether this is indeed an option the Castle wants to proceed with, or to perhaps opt for temporary forms of accommodation on the site which may be more practical.

The Digital Domain: This area was identified as being an important multiplier, especially for the Castle, given its extremely limited resources and with so much to communicate and display. Substantial interactions confirmed both the technical need for an infrastructure to be able to carry the type of data volumes anticipated, as well as the variety of data content possibilities; both confirming the important need for the appropriate expertise and focus to enabling this aspect effectively.

Tickets: As per the pie diagram reflecting revenue contribution, ticket gate takings equal 70% of the Castle’s total annual income for the financial period of 2013/2014. Tickets are thus the largest revenue source for the CCB to enable it to fund its mandate. In this regard, the extreme imbalance between these current revenue components is not a desirable situation and comes with significant and unnecessary associated risks. A far more equitable, diverse and balanced portfolio of revenue streams will serve the sustainability and the planning and operational stability of the CCB far better.

International Heritage Sites and their status International experiences vary from cases with a strong state led support package, clear and useful legislation as well as meaningful entity enforcement resourcing. In other instances, state and civil intervention are weak to non-existent, effectively putting cultural and natural heritage resources at risk to a variety of negative outcomes.

Equally critical, as is the case in South Africa is the very real eruption of open conflict between indigenous populations, heritage entities and the different levels and departmental lines of state, concerning the ownership, access to and the protection of heritage resources – both natural and cultural.

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Whilst a great risk, these same scenarios pose a strategic opportunity for especially the Castle, under this new Management Vision and Mission, to bring equilibrium to access, expression and support; one in which it is leading the transformation of South Africa and a torch bearer for broader change, rather than on the receiving end of why it operates in the past and does not reflect a transformed SA. Key Market Features Identified during the Revenue Review Process Each of the areas directly impact the heritage, culture and arts aspects of multiple generations of various groupings both pre and post the construction of the Castle. Expected collaborations on highly visible themes and content were remarkably absent. The digital arena also equally represents a unique but small window of opportunity for the Castle to recover its losses over a lengthy period of time on multiple fronts and over many years, by both catching up and becoming a leadin leading role-player player of a “one of a kind” content provider in the sector.

Figure 5: The Castle Control Board’s Revenue Optimizers

Conclusion The active implementation of the Castle of Good Hope’s new Vision, Mission and Values Valuesis beginning to reveal the first signs of the strategic shift embarked on recently. This observation is supported by increased and varied accessibility, broader public awareness and differentiated content – both in tangible and intangible heritage offerings.

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Whilst progress is not as fast as could be hoped, the reality of resource limitations exacerbated by the fact that the CCB does not receive a state subsidy as is the norm for other heritage oriented entities in South Africa.

This comprehensive Responsible Revenue Revue Optimization Study, has provided strategic, operational and implementation insights to both structural and process impediments toward achieving this new Vision. What makes this endeavor even more vital is the fact that the Castle of Good Hope commemorates its 350th year of existence in 2016 and the ongoing challenges of the necessity of meaningful transformation in post-apartheid South African society at large. The Castle of Good Hope has the potential to serve as an authentic source of the heritage sensitivity and accessibility, that is visibly lacking when the progress (or not) of the necessary change across SA heritage locations is viewed objectively.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.

2.

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8.

Castle Control Board, 2014. Annual Report, Cape Town, September 2014.

Castle Control Board, 2014. Annual Report, Cape Town, September 2015.

Durham Riverbanks Management Group (2002): Durham Riverbanks Management Plan.

Ebbatson, E., Lowther, M. et al (1993) The City of Durham: An Archaeological Survey. In: Durham Archaeological Journal Volume 9.

Pocock, D. (Ed) (1995) St Cuthbert and Durham Cathedral: A Celebration. Durham: City of Durham Trust.

Pocock, D. (1999) Durham: Essays on Sense of Place. Durham: City of Durham Trust.

Roberts, M. (2003): Durham: 1000 Years of History. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Ltd. Stringer, R. and Jones, P. (2003): Durham Castle: Repair of Fabric: Condition Survey for Repair.

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Bring on the CARP for Better Interpretive Photography by John Miller, Branson MO They say that a photo is worth a thousand words. Is your photo saying the words YOU intended your audience to see?

With the advent of digital photography, we all have the opportunity to take photos of all kinds of programs, artifacts, nature, and sites. It is so disappointing to think you have taken just the right photo only to see that you did not capture what you wanted. When taking photos, there are a few tips that may help you choose just the right photo to tell ‘the’ story. With a little bit of creativity, your photos will provide the interpretation you always wanted.

Borrowing four concepts from the world of graphic design, the word CARP will change the way you take or select photos for interpretive work. These techniques have made a world of difference in my photographs.

C is for Contrast Contrast is essentially creating a distinct difference between two or more items. The classic dark silhouette is one of the iconic ways to create contrast. It creates mystery and interest. One of the most common ways to create contrast is with black and white. Amazingly features that you did not know existed are brought out by using black and white photography. The contrast between the various shades of black and white is often breathtaking and emotional.

Try and look for ways to create the contrast in your photos. Here are examples.

1) Sensitive Briar (Left - This photo of the Sensitive Briar shows both an open and unopened flower. That contrast shows the concept of time and the dramatic transformation the buds make into the pink pompom blossom. ) 2) Upper Bottom Road sign (Right - Juxtaposition always makes for great humor and comical contrast. Yes, this is a real sign in St. Charles, MO. The viewer is now wondering, “Is there a lower upper road?”

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3) PFD Demonstration (Left photo - This contrast of wrong sized PFD’s gives the viewer a far better idea that the wrong size can be disastrous (and comical). The viewer is now mentally trying to put the right PFD on the correct individual.) 4) Interpretive Training (Right photo - The within a matter of second, the viewer is drawn to the one person who is not looking at the presenter. What message does her ‘not looking’ send to you the observer?)

5) Frost Flower (It is hard to capture the texture of these amazing interaction of ice and plants. Shooting into the sun creates a great contrast of the texture that could not be seen if you shot it any other way.)

Contrast gives your photos the ability to reveal more than the obvious.

A is for Alignment Alignment is primarily how the subject is positioned in the photo. Most photographers forget that they can control nearly all alignment of their subject. Alignment done correctly, can add the illusion of motion to an inherently static photo. Sadly, most people shoot ‘dead on’ or ‘bullseye’ their subject. That is fine for a family photo album, but for interpretive photos try shooting on ‘the thirds’. Pretend the rectangle you are looking at has two lines running across and two lines running vertical creating a 3 by 3 grid (see grid below).

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Try not to put your subject into center of the 9 squares but rather at one of the four intersections (see grid). By putting the subject, he head, or even the eye (best!) in one of the four intersections, you get a far more dramatic photo. When you watch a dramatic movie or TV program this week watch carefully how they place the main characters on the screen. You will notice at times of drama, the head and eyes of the main character are usually off to the left or right of the screen. This is called the rule of thirds. Here are some examples of alignment.

6) Fish Fillet demonstration (Left photo -The focus of this photo is BOTH the fish being filleted, but also the faces of the kids. Taking advantage of the rule of thirds, their faces and the fish are the where the viewer focuses on.) 7) Interpreter leading a Hatchery Tour (Center photo - Notice that the interpreter leading the hike is not the center of the photo, but she is aligned on the upper right third of the photo; it gives action to the shot) 8) Pine trees at Night (Right photo - To gain more alignment, the shot was taken by turning the camera into a portrait orientation. The strong lines of the trees directs your eyes automatically to the starry night sky.)

9) Kids Playing Tug of War at Historic Site(Left photo - This shot was planned to take advantage of all the straight lines. How many straight lines can you find? The straight lines give you a feeling of organization during one of the least organized activities . . . tug of war.) 10) Baby Yellow-bellied Racers (Right photo These hatchling snakes have much more personality than being photographed down on their level instead of shooting straight down. As with any animal photo, make sure to align the eye in one of the four focal points using the rule of thirds.) Creative alignment will allow for greater perspective and insight.

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R is for Repetition Repetition is a key component of interpretation as well as photography. Essentially repetition is finding a similar aspect (obvious or implied) more than once in the same photo. Repetition helps to reinforce a feature or concept just as we might do in a presentation. Like alignment, repetition is easy to control, but often overlooked. Repetition also allows you to keep the viewer engaged in the photo longer. Here some examples:

11) Smooth Sumac Leaves (Left photo - Some subjects, especially plants, lend themselves well to repetition.

While there are two seed heads, there are only 10 leaves (with dozens of leaflets on compound leaves. The repetition reveals the organized pattern to the plant leaves.) 12) Old Log cabin (Center - Look at all the repeating lines in the logs and wood. The repetition in the photo gives an insight into how much effort it took to build this cabin.) 13) Dodder Plant (Right photo - Sometimes repetition can be random. This photo reinforces the dramatic effect that a plant parasite, like Dodder, can have on other plants.)

14) Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Left photo - A nest of young animals is always a good example of repetition. This mother pygmy rattlesnake and her young also have distinctive repeating patterns on their back, making them somewhat easy to identify. 15) Table Rock Lake (Right photo - Reflections are a great way to accomplish repetition. Photos like this allow the viewer look back and forth multiple times. . . more so than without the reflection.) Repetition in photos can create clarity and reinforcement.

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P is for Proximity Proximity is a relative distance (both in space in time) the item is from the viewer. Proximity is sometimes overlooked, but can have powerful advantages. Being able to look for the best ‘view’ of the subject can create more meaning. Sometimes you can manipulate the shot to create an unnatural illusion. Just ask any fisherman who has had their photo taken with a fish; they will often hold the fish closer to the camera to create ‘forced proximity’ where the fish is bigger than it truly is. Here are examples.

16) Girl Flying a Kite (Left photo - The proximity of the girl’s arms leads you to see the kite and gives the feeling that the little girl is in control of the kite.) 17) Frog Races (Center - The proximity of the frog makes it look large and imposing on the little girl who is not sure about how to race the wooden frog. The size of the frog also adds mystery.) 18) Young Blue Racer Hatchling Snakes (Right photo - instead of shooting animals and flowers from straight above, there is more character if you shoot at the same level as their head. This proximity gives a unique insight into the faces of the snakes).

19) Ax Throwers at Historic Site (Left photo - Sometimes proximity gives you unexpected background interactions that make a comical twist to a dangerous situation. Look carefully at the ax flying in the air and its proximity to the young man’s head. While the boy with the ax on his head were separated by over 30 feet, it looks like an accident just waiting to happen.) 20) Wooden Chair at Old Log Cabin (Right photo - Yes, some photos can be staged. Both chairs were originally sitting side by side near the window of the cabin. By placing one chair closer to the camera, it gives a lonely or forlorn feel to this abandoned log cabin.)

Proximity gives your photos meaning, context, and emotion.

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TEST YOUR CARP Take a look at these four photos and see what CARP you can find. You will find that they tell their own stories.

I hope that you begin to incorporate at least one or more of these CARP techniques into your photography.

The result might be photos that tell the story as you truly wanted it to be.

Take the time to shoot with a purpose. You will find that your photos will express a more interpretive message than ever before. Finally, I have been influenced by many great photographers and the one true thing they have all told me is to seize the moment. Don’t pass opportunity and regret not taking ‘the shot’. Shoot the photos even if it makes a you a few minutes late. The photos will be your ‘excuse’ for not being on time. . (credits) I would like to thank Pat Whalen (MO Department of Conservation) and Robin Williams’ (not the late actor) book “The Non-Designer’s Design Book” for inspiration for taking better photos.

John Miller John.Miller@mdc.mo.gov

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Interpreting Climate Change: The Human Factor Pat Walsh NASA Earth Ambassador

Angie Richman speaks during a climate change workshop at the toe of Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska.

Editor's note: This article launches a three-part series exploring the challenges and opportunities of interpreting climate change. It was originally published in the Jan-Feb issue of Legacy Magazine of the National Association for Interpretation.

The More Facts You Give, The Less They Hear During a routine session with her long-time chiropractor in Fort Collins, CO., Angie Richman mentioned feeling stressed. When he asked why, Richman referred to her then job with the Climate Change Response Program of the National Park Service.

The chiropractor stiffened.

“You’re one of those people,” he said.

Caught off-guard to hear this from him, Richman snapped, “Yes, I’m one of those people.”

A 20-minute argument ensued--especially awkward for Richman since the chiropractor continued his adjustment on her. She left his office vowing never to return.

“I got half way across the parking lot, then I hung my head in shame,” Richman remembered as co-instructor of a recent NPS online training on Interpreting Climate Change. “I realized I really blew it.”

Richman acknowledged she had taken the “I am right, you are wrong, and I am going to convince you” approach.

Ironically, in her job at the time, Richman frequently taught others that climate change communication is about more than facts. Still, she ran full steam into a very common pitfall: the more facts you throw at a climate skeptic, the less they hear.

Or as environmental sociologist Thomas Heberlein puts it, “changing behavior with information is not as simple as it seems.”

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Rational Brain, Emotional Brain Researchers now study the psychology of climate change. In fact, biologist and science writer Joe Hansen suggests the psychology may be more interesting than climate change itself, in his clever seven-minute PBS Digital Studios video on YouTube called, “Why Some People Don’t Believe in Climate Science.”

Author and climate activist George Marshall cites research showing our brains have “two distinct information processing systems.” In his book “Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains are Wired to Ignore Climate Change,” Marshall describes the rational brain and the emotional brain.

The rational brain is slow and logical; the emotional brain is impulsive, driven by fear, intuition and experience. These “brains” have actual locations in the physical brain: the rational in the cortex and posterior parietal cortex; the emotional in the amygdala at the brain’s base.

If you cast these “brains” as Star Trek characters, Mr. Spock, with half- human, half-Vulcan heritage, would be “rational brain.” Hot-blooded Captain Kirk would be “emotional brain.” Both live on the Starship Enterprise, but Capt. Kirk decides where to go--just as in our lives, the emotional brain usually steers.

Meanwhile, New York University psychologist Jonathan Haidt illustrates the two-brain system as a person (rational brain) riding an elephant (emotional brain.) The rider thinks she is in charge, but in the end, the elephant has its way.

“The real driving force of attitudes is emotion,” says author Thomas Heberlein in “Navigating Environmental Attitudes.”

During human evolution, Marshall explains the emotional brain kept “its dominance in decision making because of its ability to rapidly assess threats” here and now. Like a saber-toothed tiger, for example.

“The human mind is not designed to immediately react to threats that seem to manifest themselves in the distant future, such as climate change,” says a report from the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions. “Human brains struggle to balance long-range worries with the demands of more immediate concerns.”

And when we use facts hoping to persuade people about the dangers of climate change, we attempt what Heberlein calls a “cognitive fix.” Unfortunately, this fails to connect with our emotional Captain Kirk brain-and can trigger a backlash.

Atmospheric scientist A. Scott Denning of Colorado State University told a webinar for NASA Earth Ambassadors that scientists long believed when people became more “science literate,” they’d change their attitudes about climate change. Instead, a research team led by Dan Kahan of the Yale Project on Cultural Cognition discovered that piling on facts only made climate skeptics more skeptical.

Marshall advises addressing both the emotional and rational brain, motivating emotions through immediacy, stories and metaphors, while using just enough facts for credibility

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‘Us, Here and Now’ vs. ‘Others, There and Then’ Harvard professor Daniel Gilbert uses the acronym PAIN to summarize four things that trigger strong responses in humans: Personal: We are quick to identify friends or enemies. Abrupt: Sudden change gets our attention; threats that move slowly do not. Immoral: We respond strongly to repulsive or indecent things.

Now: We deal better with current challenges than future ones.

Marshall notes that humans and their emotional brains prioritize “the things that affect us, here and now” and disregard “those that affect others, there and then.”

But while some still perceive climate change as a slow-moving, future threat for someone else, this perception is shifting.

“The threats may still seem like they're ‘out there’ for many of us, but that doesn't mean others aren't already experiencing the painful effects,” says Becky Lacome, NPS training specialist and coordinator of the NPS training on interpreting climate change.

For example, coastal residents in Bangladesh likely see the threat as current and personal--not to mention survivors of Super storm Sandy, those experiencing this summer’s wildfires, and people across the world facing events at least partially linked to climate change.

Marshall says “we need to emphasize that climate change is happening here and now” and avoid “framing climate change as a future threat for people far away, and, especially, as a threat for non-humans…”

Another challenge in climate communication is “optimism bias.” Marshall explains individuals believe that others face a higher risk, as in “the next big hurricane will hit somewhere else.”

Meantime, Marshall worries “each successive extreme weather event then becomes accepted into our status quo” and becomes “the new baseline” to measure change.

Climate Silence and Social Bonds In addition to the physical evolution of our brains, “a socially constructed silence” hinders climate change communication. Marshall says he often mentions climate change in casual conversations, only to have the topic “die in mid-air.”

“It is like an invisible force field that you discover only when you barge right into it,” he says, adding that few people experience this because, “without ever having been told, they have somehow learned that this topic is out-of-bounds.”

People avoid discussing climate change with co-workers, friends, neighbors and relatives because the issue is “polluted with cultural values.” Attitudes about climate change “have become a social cue like gun control: a shorthand for figuring out who is in our group and cares about us,” Marshall says.

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“This social conformity… is a strong behavioral instinct that is built into our core psychology,” Marshall says.

When we evolved, “our survival depended entirely on the protection” of our social group, says Marshall, adding that “being out of sync with the people around us carried a potentially life-threatening danger of ostracism or abandonment.”

He also cites the work of Professor Dan Kahan of the Yale Cultural Cognition Project, which shows people get information from those they trust or from media sources which, as Marshall puts it, “speak to their worldview and values.”

This relates to so-called “confirmation bias,” what Marshall calls the “tendency to actively ‘cherry pick’” evidence supporting “our existing knowledge, attitudes and beliefs.”

Know Your Audience In addition to considering the brain and psychology, interpreters can benefit by understanding attitudes toward climate change.

George Mason University researchers place U.S. citizens in six categories. In the study “The Six Americas,” the university’s Center for Climate Change Communication lists the categories as: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful and Dismissive. As of October 2014, 13 percent were alarmed, 31 percent concerned, 23 percent cautious, 7 percent disengaged, 13 percent doubtful, and 13 percent dismissive.

However, some interpreters have an edge. According to the National Park Service, when researchers survey people visiting protected areas like national and state parks, the breakdown shifts to 29 percent alarmed, 21 percent concerned, 20 percent cautious, 9 percent disengaged, 17 percent doubtful and 7 percent dismissive.

And even more encouraging, a whopping 67 percent of visitors to National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges said in a survey that those agencies should be communicating about climate change.

So Now What?

Remember Angie Richman and her chiropractor?

Richman knew she could do better. She returned and apologized for being disrespectful. The chiropractor also apologized, and the two agreed to move forward.

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Over the next 14 months, they progressed from small talk, to brief comments on climate change, to a full conversation when the chiropractor asked, “If it is real, there’s nothing we can do anyway, right?”

“When I mentioned that people could adjust their thermostats, he got excited and told me how his office had already done this to conserve energy,” Richman says.

Richman’s story illustrates the value of keeping the conversation going, as well as a “fail forward” philosophy crucial for interpreting climate change. Specific interpretation strategies will be explored in the next article in this series.

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Patricia Walsh, CIG, CIT, NASA Earth Ambassador, interprets nature and culture in New Mexico. She has completed trainings on climate and climate change interpretation from the National Park Service, the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI), and NASA. She can be reached at 6602pw@zianet.com Other resources: -- NPS Interpreting Climate Change Self-study Modules: idp.eppley.org/icc -- National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation: nnocci.org -- NASA Earth Ambassador Program: climate.nasa.gov/nasa_climate_day/Earth Ambassadors/ --“Why Some People Don’t Believe in Climate Science”: youtube.com/watch?v=y2euBvdP28c&feature=youtube itsokaytobesmart.com

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Horicon Marsh 12,000 years of change Alan Eidson Owner, Eidson Studios

Located in southern Wisconsin, about an hour's drive northwest from Milwaukee, lies a virtual paradise for lovers of nature and migrating water fowl. As an extinct glacial lake with the largest intact area of freshwater cattail in the US, the 33,000-acre Horicon Marsh boasts as the home of more than 305 kinds of birds. In addition to the many variety of birds, the marsh is also home to numerous species of mammals and countless varieties of insects and plants. Because of this unique blend of wildlife, Horicon Marsh is a wetland ecosystem protected by the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is designated as a United Nations Wetland of International Importance.

On the southern tip of the marsh is the Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center and Explorium.

Since its grand opening in August, visitors are “flocking” from across the globe to experience the peace associated with “getting back to nature” as well as learning the history and management of Horicon Marsh.

The dual floor facility provides a panoramic overlook of the expansive marsh as well as fascinating interpretive experiences.

Visitors have a unique opportunity to not only witness current wildlife in their native environment but also travel through time by experiencing a plethora of interactive sights, sounds, touches and smells that tell the story of how this marsh has morphed through time. The interpretive experience within the Visitor Center and 4,000-square-foot Explorium was provided by the team of Taylor Studios; the exhibit design and fabrication firm and Eidson Studios; the audio/visual and interactive production company.

On the first floor of the facility, the visitor has the opportunity to eavesdrop on the heron rookery located out in the marsh through high powered scopes. For an even better experience, a video monitor allows the visitor to view a live video and audio feed from a “Heron-Cam” located at one of the nests. The visitor can view upclose the daily activities of the herons lying their eggs, hatching and raising their young. The nature camera also transmits the audio of these majestic fowl.

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Offering an in-depth study of migratory birds that frequent the marsh, an interactive touch-screen created by Eidson Studios highlights five of these species. This interactive provides detailed information on each species, when they are at the marsh and where their migratory journey takes them. It also instructs the visitor on basic migratory patterns of birds in the Americas.

The visitor then proceeds to the lower level of the facility and enters the Explorium. Here, one is taken on a journey through time covering thousands of years of natural and human history. The first thing visitors see when they descend the stairs is a diorama with a lifelike model of a DNR wildlife educator kneeling in tall grass, uncovering a Clovis spear point.

This Clovis point later serves as the interpreter throughout the exhibit.

The first experience is a delightfully chilly tunnel that leads through a re-creation of the glacier that covered the region up until about 12,000 years ago and scraped out the shallow basin that became Horicon Marsh. Within the glacier tunnel is a short film interpreting the advancement and retreat of glaciers; and how wildlife moved in and native people followed to hunt the birds and larger animals.

The next stop brings the visitor to a scene 12,000 years ago where a hunter is napping a Clovis point in preparation for a future hunt. Narrative audio featuring a familiar, Morgan Freeman sounding voice describes the scene and introduces himself, the Clovis point, as the guide throughout the exhibit.

The Marsh and Lake area, includes a fossilized mammoth tooth and 10,000-year-old Clovis points that were found in the marsh. There is also a giant wooly mammoth life-form; and a touch-screen interactive that educates about the thousands of effigy mounds the native people built later in the region. This interactive features an effigy mound match game for the visitor to match graphic images of effigy mounds with their description. “Lake 1845� This area interprets a period when the marsh was altered by European settlers. They dammed the Rock River that flows out of the wetlands, which created the largest man-made lake in the country. Three individuals with dramatically different viewpoints interpret, in first-person, the activities of the lake through brief audio programs that the visitor listens to though Gorilla Audio handsets activated with proximity sensing technology from Technovision.

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Continuing into the next area, “Marsh 1869”, the now familiar Clovis point tour guide describes unregulated hunting that eradicated almost all of the wildlife at Horicon. Within this area, exhibit items that the visitor interacts with include identifying duck calls and learning about the hunters that utilized the area in the mid 1800's. Located in one corner is a recreation of a hunting club filled with items used by the hunters. The visitor selects short audio programs of the hunters talking about these objects and hunting life in general. There are also pelts to touch, scents to smell and giant building blocks to entertain the most active youngsters.

Next came the time that the lake was drained, canals were dredged and people attempted to farm the area within the marsh.

The land wasn't suitable for farming and after a long dry spell, the land caught fire and burned for over a decade. The Clovis point describes the scene: “Lacking water, stripped of wetland vegetation, ditched, tilled, and scorched from peat fires, the farmland lay smoldering atop a wasteland, useless to people…useless to wildlife. I sat atop the landscape again…and I wondered at that time, what could possibly be next?”

Within this area, are samples of muck and peat as well as an animated story of the dredging, farming and peat fires on a video device called a Spin-Browser. The Spin-Browser lets the visitor navigate through the animation with a large knob... going forward and backwards as the visitor chooses.

The next phase of Horicon was a restoration of the marsh to a more natural state. A gentleman named Louis “Curley” Radke led the project to construct a new dam and restore the original water level. Personal items of his are exhibited. This restoration of the water levels led to the rejuvenation of the natural occurring vegetation and the return of wildlife to Horicon Marsh.

Managing the wildlife and habitat of an area this size is a massive undertaking. Three short documentary style films featuring DNR wildlife biologists tell the stories of managing the marsh and the educational opportunities made available at the Education Center. Numerous educational programs are available for young and old alike. One local educator explains that “...it's important for kids to learn about the marsh... the wildlife... to see the marsh as more than a bunch of water and grass..”

Within this area of the exhibit the visitor also has the chance to experience what it's like riding in an airboat on the marsh by operating an airboat simulator. The simulator features an 18' panoramic video screen and interactive technology that allows the visitor to navigate the craft with hand controls similar to an actual airboat. With wind blowing in their faces and subsonic motor vibration rumbling the seating, the visitor takes a ride on the marsh and learns about the watercraft that the wildlife biologists utilize to manage the marsh. A photograph taken of the visitors during the simulation is made available to email to themselves or to loved ones.

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“Everyone Lives in a Watershed” is the topic of the next area.

The visitor learns how the water levels of the marsh are regulated by operating a water flow mechanism. There is also a large touch-screen interactive that interprets what a watershed is and how that relates to the marsh. An animated video describes how watersheds are similar to an upside down umbrella; the rain that falls at the edge of the umbrella flows toward the center. The video explains that it is important to manage watersheds because along the way from one watershed to another, the water collects pollutants.

Questions are posed to the visitor to guess how many gallons of water pass through the marsh daily and there is a game to connect pictures of various water management techniques with their description.

Exit Experience - At the end of the Explorium is a large projection screen resembling a sketchbook. The sketchbook is flipping through historical images of Horicon Marsh as well as graphical imagery recapping the different transformations of the marsh highlighted throughout the exhibit.

Upon entering a motion detected area, the Clovis point interpreter concludes his story while video of the DNR wildlife educator introduced at the beginning of the Explorium, finds the Clovis point and proceeds to sketch it in her sketchbook.

The Clovis point speaks of how the marsh is very much like it was when he was made. “I find myself coming full circle. I was shaped and created by a craftsman alongside this marsh around 12,000 years ago…and today, I was discovered by a friendly woman alongside this marsh 12,000 years later…And she is as good with a sketchbook and paintbrush as the craftsman was with his hands.”

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The majority of the audio, video and computer controlled elements of the Explorium are housed within a central location in a rack array of audio processors, video processors, computers and amplifiers. These are all remotely monitored for ease of updating and timely problem solving by Eidson Studios.

______________ Design • Create • Integrate.

Eidson Studios is a full-service interactive exhibit design, content creation and integration company. We design interactive exhibits to exceed your expectations, create the content that captivates the story to be told and integrate that content into cutting edge technology that best delivers the intent.

Visit us online at www.eidsonstudios.com to learn more about us and view samples of our work

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The Tale of a Black Shirt: Finding the hook that engages your audience.

By Jim Jordan, Director of Programs, Aim High St. Louis

I am always looking for ways to apply interpretive techniques in both formal and informal settings. This recently happened in my new position as director of programs as I developed my recruitment strategy for Aim High. How would I as a 59-year-old privileged, white male connect with fifth grade students from a city environment? I needed an effective hook if I was to be successful.

During my recent interview for director of programs I was asked what strategies I would implement to recruit approximately 150 new students every year. I have always been able to engage learners of all ages and have worked with many schools in which almost all the students meet the requirements for free and reduced lunches.

I knew it was important to immediately hook and engage the students if I had any chance of them staying with me through a 45-minute recruitment session. I spoke about developing a high impact, fast-paced video from footage of the past year’s programming, as well as bringing in current Aim High students to interact with the 5th graders.

A little more context about how I landed at the intersection of formal and informal education. Aim High St. Louis, an out of school program, targets and supports about 450 middle school students for four years starting in sixth grade. It is a five-week summer program followed up by school year Saturday programs. Aim High St Louis was started in 1991 as a private public partnership between St. Louis Public School District and John Burroughs School. It has since grown and today includes three school districts, charter and parochial schools, and two additional private schools. Even though it is an out of school program that many would place into informal education, it is closely aligned to a school program as all the faculty and staff come from formal education backgrounds as school teachers and administrators.

Aim high targets underserved middle school students that have a B or C average and could use an extra level of support to achieve their potential in middle and high school. They are often the forgotten population that does not excel or needs immediate intervention. In St. Louis, there are few out of school programs for the middle grades that are both academically challenging and fosters personal growth. Attention is also given to Character Education and developing Social Emotional Learning skills. Visit www.aimhighstl.org to learn more about us.

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When I looked at the current recruitment presentation, I discovered a static PowerPoint presentation with lots of text and beautiful images, but little interactivity. I really questioned if it was going to hold the interest of middle school students I never met and came in to interrupt their school day. In December an AmeriCorp Vista volunteer and I collaborated with our local public broadcasting service television station's public media lab and staff to create three short, high impact videos and twelve picture collages that would present the Aim High program in a visually exciting way and give the students a better understanding of the Aim High experience.

This is where the black shirt magically appeared and became an integral part of my thought process. At work that December, staff were given a present—a black shirt with our Aim High logo on it. My name begins with a J and I immediately thought of a movie that many of you have seen—Men in Black (MIB). I checked with some 5thgrade teachers and school counselors and yes, middle school students in St. Louis area were familiar with at least one, if not all the MIB movies. So I pulled out a pair of black pants, my black trench coat (yes I know that this doesn’t exactly match the outfit that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones donned, but it conjured up the right image). I downloaded a strobe app on my cell phone to serve as my neurolizer and purchased a pair of sunglasses. J was now ready to visit the students.

I needed a catch phrase that immediately engaged the students. I chose "summer school is cool" as it rhymes and few city fifth-graders would utter those words. My recruitment program starts as I enter the classroom in my garb, then turn around and introduce myself as J and I'm here to tell you about a really cool summer school program, since you all know “summer school is cool”. I ask the students to do the thumbs up, thumbs down, or sideways and most of the kids point their thumbs down as they chime in by saying "summer school is NOT cool!"

"What do you mean summer school is not cool, summer school is indeed cool."

They again reiterate "summer school is NOT cool.”

I then turn around, pull out my phone and make a phone call to K. It goes something like this.

"K, I have a problem here. The students at ______ school don't think summer school is cool. What should I do? K, I can't do that, they're just students! Really K, alright?”

I then turn around, put my sunglasses and point my phone to them. I hear a student squeal "Don't look, he's pointing that thing and is going to zap us!"

I flash the strobe and say to them again "summer school is cool."

They reply back "summer school is not cool," So I turnto the smart board and start the video. the students watch intensely, some tapping their feet, as it has a great sound track. I hear giggles, oohs and ahhs, "They do that?"After the three-minute video I asked again if summer school is cool and almost every thumb points up in the air.

J talking to K...

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AimHigh's tagline is "it all comes back to you" and that is repeated and appears numerous times as text in the video. I asked the students what does “it all comes back to you” mean?I provide positive reinforcement as they voice their thoughts. Drawing from brain research to help them remember the tagline, I then have them stand and learn to sign it all comes back to you as they repeat it out loud. They practice with me a couple times and then I asked them to face and do it with a partner. It all comes back to you ends with them pointing to each other which leads to another discussion of how Aim High students help and support each other.

The presentation continues with pictures and slides that show the students what they will experienceduring Aim High, both during the summer and school year. This includes bus transportation to and from a close by school to the site, eating nutritious and great tasting snacks and lunch, being supported by TA's (high school students) who work with them one on one and serve as role models, and caring faculty that are with them throughout their four years in Aim High. I then whisper "You know what? All this is absolutely free; it won't cost you a dime! That's right, it's free if you take the challenge, do your best, and work to achieve your dreams!”

Later in the program after they watch another video on the four academic classes, math, communication arts, social studies and science I have to hook them again. The video doesn’t fully convey the difference between learning content and skills in their traditional classroom and at Aim High. The next PowerPoint slide has a graphics the phrase"hands-on, minds on." I ask what they think that means? After a brief discussion I present a short activity on reaction time that all of you have probably done. I ask them to get with her partner again and for one to come up and I give each pair a fake $10 bill. They go back and I demonstrate how one person will put their thumb and forefinger close to the dollar bill and then their partner lets go and they try to catch it.

Most of them can't, unless they cheat and catch it below their knees as it floats down. After everyone tries it a couple times I have them sit down and I pull out a real dollar bill.

“How many of you would like to try to catch it now as maybe you were not motivated enough with the fake money?”All their hands shoot up and I get some volunteers to come up and . . . I have not lost a dollar yet.

“Why can't you catch it?”Inevitably one of the students will mention reaction. We go through the thought process as a group of how our reaction time is longer than the time it takes gravity to pull the dollar bill below their fingers.

“This is an example of the type of activities you will do in the academic classes!”

The presentation continues with other forms of engagement and at the end I asked the class again “Is summer school cool?" How many of you will take the challenge and complete the application for Aim High? After a Q&A period and explaining the application process, I thank the students and don my sunglasses and J says bye.

I know that the majority of applications will be completed and returned, partially because of letting a black shirt help develop the hook that takes me on a path to discover how I, as a white privileged older male can engage city middle school students.

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Sign Language activity with the students.

Did my recruitment presentation effectively use POETRY – The Six Essential Qualities of the Interpretive Approach?

• Purpose – Recruiting 5th grade students to take the challenge and complete and turn in the Aim High Application. So far, so good as the student applications begin to role in. The students leave excited and then they must tell their parents they want to go to participate in Aim High this summer.  Organized – The recruitment presentation was already well organized. It had an introduction, themes with supporting subthemes, and a conclusion. I just needed to bring in some engagement in the form of video, theater, storytelling and fun activities middle school students could relate to.

• Enjoyable – What 5th grade student doesn’t want to take the challenge to get a dollar bill?

• Thematic – The presentation keeps coming back to It All Comes Back To You! • Relevant – The students are given an avenue to make their education and learning more meaningful.

They experience new learning, visit companies and explore career opportunities, are supported by caring adults who serve as positive role models, and make new friends over the four years.

• You make the difference – Take the Aim High Challenge, if you are ready to try new things, achieve your dreams, be the best you can be. We will be there to support you and help you grow.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I have always been interested the way formal and informal education and interpretation arenas intersect and support each other or are viewed by some as being different entities. The literature often subscribes different pedagogies and underlying philosophies to each. I want to look at the similarities and ways we can support each realm with tried and true methods and tenets from “the other camp.” I continue to journey through the interpretive and educational landscape looking for the path that a black shirt will lead me and allow me to discover the joys of connecting myself and others to Aim High.

Jim Jordan, Director of Programs Aim High St. Louis, Missouri jajordan725@sbcglobal.net

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Anatomy of a Program: Trepidation on the Tramway, Skinner State Park, MA Matt Villamaino

The predominant feature at Skinner State Park is the historic Summit House, a 19th century hotel atop Mount Holyoke that is one of only a few remaining Victorian Era summit houses in the United States. About halfway up the mountain, near the park office, are the remains of a steam engine. In the 19th century, this steam engine powered a tramway that took visitors from the halfway point of the mountain to the summit.

Originally built to carry supplies to the summit, it was not long before it brought visitors to the summit as well.

The park supervisor felt that this would be a good subject for an interpretive program, and so began development for my first interpretive program.

The historic Summit House, a 19th century hotel atop Mount Holyoke that is one of only a few remaining Victorian Era summit houses in the United States.

The history of Mount Holyoke and its Summit House (left photo) is not something that most people would know prior to working at the park, and so it must be learned after starting there. The primary source of the history for the park is Mount Holyoke: An Enduring Prospect by David Graci, written in the 1980s.For his book, Graci compiled information from a wide variety of period sources, especially newspaper clippings, creating an invaluable resource for information on the history of the summit house.

Not having and formal training on preparing an interpretive program, the first version of the program was very heavy on facts and did not relate well to the audience. At this point, the program was a good example of “interpradata� as it included many technical bits of information about the tramway, but did not do much beyond share those facts with the visitors. The program also covered two distinct topics; the tramway and its history, as well as how steam engines work. While the first is clearly in the scope of the park’s interpretive plan, the second went into more detail than necessary.

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Soon after initially developing the program, I was fortunate to be able to take the Certified Interpretive Guide workshop and learned to incorporate the interpretive principles, especially theme, into the program. As part of making the program more thematic, I made sure that the information in the program fit to the theme and removed a large amount of the technical information and most of the details on steam engines. While the theme was not as strong as it would later be, the program was significantly improved. At this point I also made the decision to shorten the program. A shorter program carried more appeal to people who were already in in the park, they might do a 20 minute program on impulse, where they might not attend a 45 minute program.

The last day of my first season in the park I discovered a resource that would have been incredibly useful while developing the program, a book of newspaper clippings about the Summit House compiled by the local historical society. This book included a number of articles either focusing on or mentioning the tramway, and visitors’ experiences riding it. While the updated program was significantly better, it still lacked relatability.

The clippings book provided this with quotes from people describing their experiences on the tramway.

My second season in the park saw a significant change to the program as I incorporated a number of these quotes into the program to make the personal connection that it had been missing before. I was also able to present the updated program as a model program to the other park interpreters at our seasonal orientation. This significantly improved the program and it proved to be popular with visitors.At this point though, the program was still focused on the tramway rather than the experiences of those that rode it, and used the quotes to help describe the history of the tramway.

The next two seasons I spent at other parks, but as I was preparing to return to Skinner State Park, I spent some time before the season updating the program with an eye on using it as the program for my Certified Heritage Interpreter credential. While still about the tramway, I moved the focus from the tramway itself to the feelings of the visitors that rode it. Looking through the newspaper clippings again, I noticed a common theme of trepidation linking them, especially in the early days of the tramway. The change in focus is shown in the name of the program; previously it had been Getting up the Mountain, it now became Trepidation on the Tramway.

The new focus of the program significantly improved it, and offered the opportunity for today’s visitors to connect with the visitors of the 19th century.

Development for any program is never truly done and going into the 2016 season there are a few minor changes to make. First, further research has discovered a second accident on the tramway which needs to be incorporated into the program. Additionally, there are letters written by the owners of the Summit House that need to be checked for any new information. There are also a few small changes with the transitions that may help better tie the program together. Finally, in one segment of the program where visitors are asked to close their eyes and picture what it was like to ride the tramway, I would like to add some sound effects to help with the verbal description.

Trepidation on the Tramway (recorded in Summer of 2015) can be viewed at https://youtu.be/PkwjluoArR4

About the author: Matt Villamaino (CHI, CIT, CIG) has worked five seasons with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as a Park Interpreter. Matt is currently working on a book on the history of the Mount Holyoke Summit House. He can be reached at matt@missioninterpretation.com

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Jargon Jangle by Judy Fort Brenneman Greenfire Creative, LLC

"Cairn"—such a nice, innocent word. Who knew it could cause such a ruckus?

It began with one of my Verb Volts exercises at the preconference workshop I was teaching for NAI's Region VI conference in Springfield, Missouri.

In the exercise, participants select a sentence, then experiment with changing out the sentence's verb (or verbs) for different verbs. For example, in the sentence, "The frog jumps into the pond," we replace "jumps" with other verbs that describe the action of moving into the pond—leaps, splashes, cannonballs—lots of possibilities.

Each person picked one of the three proffered sentences and settled in to work.

The most complex sentence of the three has lots of challenges (compound sentence, passive voice), and it has three verbs, so most times, people pick one of the other sentences. The ones who choose this one often rewrite it completely.

Here's the original sentence: Lines of cairns were used to funnel migrating herds into narrows, and spears were thrown at the trapped animals.

And here's the version created by workshop participant Lisa Richter: Snorts and whistles of frightened beasts echoed off narrowing walls of cairns as spears sealed their fate.

Our discussion started innocently enough. We noted how the specific details of "snorts" and "whistles" strengthened both imagery and emotional impact. We talked about how past tense ("echoed") is not the same thing as passive voice ("lines...were used," "spears were thrown"). We noodled around with "their fate," wondering if it was clear that we meant the fate of the beasts. [FN] Then someone asked if we needed "of cairns," and I realized that every time I read Lisa's rewritten version out loud, trying out the group's variations, I skipped "of cairns." So maybe we didn't need it—but then again, a cairn isn't the same as a wall, and maybe we need to differentiate between cairns and canyon walls. Assuming we're talking about canyon walls and not a wall of cairns...

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But before I could say any of this, one of the participants admitted that she didn't know what "cairn" meant— which brought a chorus of agreement from the others. Out of ten people—all of whom are educated, experienced interpreters—half didn't know what a cairn was, and no one was sure how to pronounce it.

Ah, jargon—you tripped us up again.

I admitted that this sentence has never made a lot of sense to me, in part because of that word. I grew up in Ohio, where "cairn" was a little pile of rocks stacked to mark the trail and show you the way (which mostly worked, if you could remember the secret code AND if somebody didn't run ahead and change them all before you got there, which happened often enough that I still have trouble with directions, but I digress). Yes! responded one of the group—that's the meaning she knew about, too. She had guessed from the sentence's context that cairns must also come in the giant economy size; the little ones we'd grown up with were barely big enough to funnel mice through.

Another participant sheepishly confessed that she'd looked it up on Google, because she knew that what she thought it meant couldn't possibly be right. She turned a little pink (we are so easily convinced that everyone else knows the right answer, and we're about to be revealed as ignorant frauds), but then she and the woman next to her started giggling, because the definition they both knew was a dog breed—a cairn terrier. "Toto, in the Wizard of Oz," they explained, as the rest of us laughed, imagining piles of little yappie Toto dogs fiercely herding terrified bison toward certain death.

All of which led to an interesting discussion on how to recognize when a word that is as familiar to you as your favorite blanket is an alien thing to your reader, and whether and why (or why not) to use it.

The problem with big or unusual words isn't that they're big or unusual. The problem is whether they impede (get in the way of) understanding or enhance (improve, make better) the flow of the story. They can (of course) do both, but when space is always at a premium, how do we decide?

I don't have an easy answer to the recognition problem. It helps to trust your instincts and intuition (I've used this sentence in the Verb Volts exercise for years and have ignored my inner "there's something about that word that bugs me" feeling the entire time).

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Pay attention when it's a new-to-you or new-use-to-you word, too (I never bothered to look up the additional definitions for "cairn" until this workshop; I just figured that what I knew of cairns was a direct reflection of my rural Ohio upbringing, and that everybody else knew that "cairn" could mean big piles of rocks). Having a couple of trusted reviewers helps, too—people who understand that what you're looking for is anything they trip over, not because you're trying to catch them in their ignorance, but because you want to make sure important information isn't hiding behind your own blind spots.

As to use or not-use questions, there are several things to think about.

First and foremost is purpose. Is this word here for a particular reason? Are fourth graders learning it in earth sciences or history, so it makes sense to introduce it here, too? If we suspect it's a new word for many of our readers, and part of the purpose of the exhibit or program is to introduce the word, we need to make sure that the word's meaning is clear. We might do that through an actual definition: A cairn is a bunch of rocks or stones that people have piled up to mark something important or show which way to go on a trail. We might use an illustration with a caption: "mountaintop cairn." We might even have a wee sidebar noting that Toto, Dorothy's dog in the Wizard of Oz, is a cairn terrier, that cairn terriers are originally from Scotland, and that the word cairn comes from Scottish Gaelic.

Place also has a say in the language we use—both the placement of where in the larger scheme of exhibits and displays this specific information will appear and the place where the exhibit or display itself will be.

If the previous panel introduces the word, showing and explaining exactly what it means, then using the same word on this panel is probably fine (and reinforces the word's meaning and context, too).

What do visitors see as they're reading (or listening to) this bit of text? Is it a geological formation with the remains of big rock piles? One end of a box canyon? An artist's rendering of long-ago? A spear head? If the display or program takes place in view of real-life cairns (or remains of cairns), then it makes sense to use the word in the exhibit label or presentation, because you are naming an important feature for the visitor.

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Word count and flow affect our decision, too. In Lisa's version of the sentence, she rewrote "lines of cairns...into narrows" as "narrowing walls of cairns." If purpose and placement don't require the use of "cairn," can we shorten our word count by two, and just say, "narrowing walls"?

Maybe. The scene we're describing involves getting a bunch of large animals into a smaller and smaller space bounded with an obstacle—a wall—on either side, so hunters can successfully spear them. So "narrowing walls" seems to work.

On the other hand, dropping "cairns" in favor of "walls" changes the meaning. A wall is not a cairn, and a wall of cairns is not the same as the wall of a room or a canyon wall. Einstein said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler," and this might be a situation where "not simpler" means including the specific detail that these walls are made up of cairns.

What about the sound of the words and how those sounds work together? That's a major element of word flow.

This brings up the issue of pronunciation, of course.

Google and Merriam Webster both give "kern" as the pronunciation key, which most of us in the U.S. would read as the same sound made in "kernel" (kernel of corn, for example). But in fact, "kern" indicates a long-ish "a" sound, like the "a" in "air"; other dictionaries indicate this sound with "eǝ" or "ɛ." The audio version of Mirriam Webster as well as Visual Thesaurus both pronounce "cairn" with this longer "a" sound, a near rhyme to "Karen." The Cambridge Dictionary also uses the "air" sound for both American and British pronunciations, though the "r" is less audible in the British version.

"Cairn-sounds-like-Karen" seems to be the preferred pronunciation, but there are variations, including regional variations, where "cairn-sounds-like-kern" is more common. So when I read this sentence out loud to get a feel for how it literally sounds, I read it with those variations in mind. I'm also reading out loud to get a sense of the "mouth feel" of the entire sentence.

In this case, I'm not sure there's a big difference in the flow for any of the audible variations of "cairns." As to the rest of the sentence? "Narrowing walls" is a little tricky to say, but not so much that I would automatically change that bit.

My personal preference? I like the word "cairn." I vote for keeping it, as long as we make its meaning clear.

Judy Fort Brenneman Greenfire Creative, LLC judyb@greenfire-creative.com Thanks to Eric McDonald of Dragon Phoenix Studios for the Fierce Cairn Terrier artwork!

[FN: Grammatically, it's ambiguous—not technically wrong, but not ideal, either. One possible fix is to move the "sealed their fate" phrase to the beginning of the sentence. Whether that's the best solution is a discussion for another day!]

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Partnering for Climate Change Communication in National Parks Jenell Walsh-Thomas

Engaging people in a conversation about climate change is a challenging task for a variety of reasons.

However, the National Park system provides an excellent opportunity and environment to do so as parks across the country have tangible examples of climate change impacts that can be observed first-hand. In 2009, Jonathan Jarvis, the Director of the National Park Service stated, “There is great need at this time for messages that communicate the complexities of climate change and the actions that can be taken.” Park staff can do just that - talk to visitors in-person and virtually about their park’s climate change story. Park rangers as authoritative figures in parks, and the Park Service as a trusted source of climate change information (Leiserowitz, et al., 2011) can lead by example and facilitate conversations in order to motivate others to take action.

One way that the National Capital Region (NCR) of NPS is taking on the challenge of communicating about climate change is through the Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance’s (UERLA) partnership with George Mason University’s (GMU) Center for Climate Change Communication (4C). UERLA has been collaborating with 4C since 2012 on a variety of projects, and has run a climate change communication internship program for four consecutive summers - the fifth starts in June 2016. This innovative internship program combines both entities’ missions and goals; UERLA strengthens its climate change education and social science research efforts while providing 4C the opportunity to apply and test communication approaches based on current research. In a coordinated effort, communicating about climate science is enhanced and is focused on highlighting the importance of climate change in the parks to both staff and park visitors.

The partnership and internship is highly interdisciplinary. It combines the knowledge of natural and social sciences with graphic design and film. The interdisciplinary of the program has been integral to the success in supporting NCR parks in developing modern, interactive interpretive materials to tell individual park climate change stories. Throughout the internship, students have the opportunity to collaborate directly with NPS staff on projects and draw upon each person’s unique expertise in fields of study different from their own in order to create comprehensive climate communication materials. Final deliverables have included a variety of outreach and education materials for a variety of media platforms while also providing mentoring and science communication skills development to undergraduate and graduate student interns.

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In the four summers of the internship, nine of the fifteen NCR park units have been collaborated with on a variety of projects. The NCR is located in the Greater Washington, DC area and while the smallest NPS region, it provides a diverse setting to work in i - from monuments in urban areas to forested historical and recreational areas. Park managers are presented with a myriad of challenges including the fragmented nature of the parks, the encroachment of urban development, and climate change. While small in size and scale in comparison to other parks, they hold significant natural and cultural resources that attract nearly 40 million visitors annually, both national and international.

Map of the National Capital Park Region (NCR).

Partnership Goals The main goals of this internship program are to increase public awareness of climate change impacts in the parks and engage the visitors with the issue by collaborating with park staff to complete park initiated projects. These goals are important as they sup support port the NPS mission of fostering connections between American citizens and their public lands. These projects also supporting park’s commitments to the NPS Climate Friendly Parks Program. Ultimately, communication materials that are developed are meant to be easily implemented, appeal to a wide range of park visitors, and lead to positive, measurable outcomes.

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Infographic illustrating the main components of the Climate Friendly Parks program. Figure credit: Sarah Erickson (multimedia intern, 2014).

Interns effectively combine scientific data as well as communication theories, research, and best practices to develop messages about park-specific specific climate change impacts. More specifically, messages are developed to reach the audiences who are not already engaged in the issue of climate change, concerned but have reservations about the realities of climate change, or are concerned but are unsure what actions they can take against climate change. nge. These messages are written into climate change stories for specific park selected topics that comply with NPS design standards so they can be used in interpretation and outreach initiatives. While narratives are developed for park rangers to use, addi additional tional guidance is provided to park rangers so that they can make the narratives their own and apply the similar message strategies to other climate stories at the park.

Additionally, the partnership aims to introduce and connect park staff to the differen different climate change audience segments collectively known as The Global Warming’s Six Americas. information about audience segments is shared with NPS staff with the goal to assist NCR parks in better understanding different audience types. The importance of knowing one’s audience is stressed as presenting messages that resonate with visitors by translating complex science into understandable terminology and sharing place-based place based examples can make for a positive climate change dialogue for all involved.

2015 interns at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

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Climate Change Interpretation Product Development The program’s final deliverables provide useful resources to meet evolving demands on interpretation.

Content is developed to be engaging, understandable and relatable for visitors. Specifically, technical information is put into a context that relates and connects them to the visitor experience in a specific place.

Often times this has meant pairing a written narrative, or even replacing the narrative, with engaging visuals.

An emphasis has been placed on combining climate change information with visually appealing pictures, infographics, and videos to facilitate the understanding of and reduces the complexities of climate change impacts. Another step that has been taken is adding such elements to mobile friendly websites and social media platforms like park Facebook pages and Twitter handles. Doing so reaches not only visitors in the parks themselves, but also the virtual visitor at home.

Projects over the years have included fact sheets, brochures, websites, social media posts, and short videos centered around natural and cultural climate change impacts, as well as climate friendly actions. During the summer of 2012, intern projects ranged from sustainability initiatives (e.g. reducing the carbon footprint of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park through reduction of transportation-related emissions) to science communication (e.g. communicating the impact of climate change on the cherry trees at the National Mall). In the summer of 2013, the interns developed interpretive display boards (waysides) at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Rock Creek Park, and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to educate visitors about the relationship between park ecology and climate change. Other projects that year included developing communication guides about communicating climate change to different audiences, and a brochure about the relationship between changes in climate and the increasing occurrence of tick-borne diseases. In 2014 interns researched and developed content for climate change web pages for Prince William Forest Park and Catoctin Mountain Park; produced climate connection and climate friendly park videos; and created a park ranger climate communication toolkit for interpretive programs at the National Mall and Memorial Parks around the Tidal Basin. More recently in 2015, cultural resource website materials were further developed for Catoctin, while new climate change web pages were developed for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in addition to infographics, videos, and social media posts. This coming summer, projects are slated to develop a climate change communication campaign for George Washington Memorial Parkway and develop communication materials that explain how sea level rise is affecting multiple sites in the region..

Supporting Park Rangers, Engaging Visitors To support park rangers and engage visitors, interns develop and design different messages and materials. Messages for staff highlight that NPS is a trusted source of climate change information, further explain the audience segmentation research, and emphasize that stories can create powerful connections between climate change and resources within the park.

These products are created for park rangers to empower them when they engage visitors in climate change conversation. Rangers can reference the toolkits and guidebooks that have been developed for suggestions on how to start a dialogue or approach a question about natural resources, cultural resources, or about actions their park is taking.

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Parks are in a unique position to educate about climate change through examples of climate impacts and actions that are found right in their park. Narratives that have been uploaded as web pages have been designed to fit ranger needs for dynamic interpretive programs. Rangers can “make them their own” or use the content exactly “as is.”

The NPS Climate Change Communication guidebook that has been distributed in the region introduces park rangers to different audiences when it comes to the issue of climate change. Tips are provided on how to gauge where visitors fall within the six audience segments. Park rangers can find get a sense of what segment someone might be in by what types of questions visitors ask. Additionally, general suggestions are made for each audience segment on how further dialogue might be facilitated when engaging visitors in the park. For example, when speaking with a visitor in the “Alarmed” segment, it is more effective to share the message about how they can help and empower them to be part of the solution. In contrast, when speaking with a visitor in the “Dismissive” segment, it is more effective to share messages that provide concrete examples of climate change impacts in the park and focusing how the park’s actions are beneficial and money saving.

NPS key climate change messages

The messages developed for visitor engagement include making climate change relatable and local; creating a dialogue that climate change is happening; and showing how parks and visitors can take action that make a difference. Both onsite and online park visitors receive informative messages that are static (i.e. on a wayside, or poster), or interactive (i.e. short video). When developing messages aimed to resonate with visitors, the Global Warming’s Six Americas audiences are considered and target the middle segments that are unsure about or disengaged when it comes to climate change. Web and social media content is focused on impacts that visitors can see at the park as well as climate friendly actions that can be taken during a park visit and at home.

For example, visitors to a park might notice more heat warnings when they go for a hike, a trail is closed due to storm damage, or a cabin camp is going through restoration because more frequent humid days are deteriorating the building structure. Climate friendly actions are demonstrated by parks and aimed at preserving natural and cultural resources for future generations’ enjoyment. Several videos in particular have demonstrated these actions that parks have taken and encourage visitors to take part in being climate friendly while at the park (i.e. use a reusable water bottle and water bottle refill stations; carpooling) and then take those actions home with them (i.e. install energy efficient lighting).

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Moving Forward Climate Change Interpretation in Parks The National Parks are unique and special places that are prime for climate change dialogue. The implementation of the materials, either onsite or online, developed through the NPS and 4C partnership aim to increase public engagement with climate change in such vivid and memorable settings. Since climate change impacts and actions can be witnessed, Park Service staff can lead by example and facilitate conversations that lead to issue awareness and solutions. The NPS and 4C partnership and internship program helps NPS staff identify their strongest climate change stories and produces materials to illustrate the actions that parks are taking. The past and current projects combine scientific knowledge and communication techniques to help further NPS goals to adapt to an uncertain future, educate about climate change, continue leading efforts in carbon footprint reduction, and encourage visitors to take stewardship action. Additionally each intern has gained experience in working as part of an interdisciplinary team and grew as a scholar, scientist, and communicator. Not only have these efforts benefited the interns, but also the projects developed will benefit NPS staff and visitors.

For more information on the National Park Service and Center for Climate Change Communication partnership and internship program, as well as outreach materials, check out these links: http://climatechangecommunication.org.php56-22.dfw3-2.websitetestlink.com/other_resources/inter nship_program/ https://www.nps.gov/prwi/learn/nature/climate-change-prince-william.htm https://www.nps.gov/cato/learn/nature/climate-change-catoctin.htm

Citation Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C. & Smith, N. (2011) Global Warming’s Six Americas, May 2011. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.

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Online Professional Development.

MuseumStudy.com At Museum Study our mission is to help you build a better cultural institution and be a stronger member of the team that carries out the mission of your institution.

To accomplish this we provide online professional development. We offer courses on a broad range of topics important to running a cultural institution including; Administration, Exhibits & Public Programming, Facilities Management, Collections Management, and Collection Preservation & Care. Our goal is to help you develop policies, procedures and programs to run your institution successfully.

Courses for 2016: * Introduction to Integrated Pest Management * Policies for Managing Collections * Materials for Exhibit Moving and Storage * Social Relevance: Environmental Sustainability in Museums. * Storage Techniques * Keeping Historic Houses and Museums Clean. * Disaster Salvage and Recovery. * Ethics, Laws and Collection Management. * Grants for Museums and Historic Sites. * Introduction to Natural History Collections. * Introduction to Heritage Interpretation. (Fall of 2016) * Preservation Principles for Cultural Institutions. * Interpretive Writing (Provoke, Relate and Reveal). (Fall of 2016) For more information on these and other courses visit the course schedule on MuseumStudy.com.

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Interpretive Training - on-line or live at your site29 college level interpretive training courses are available -check out or NEW courses below.

Heritage Interpretation Training Center - Our complete course catalog: http://www.heritageinterp.com/interpretive_training_center_course_catalogue_.html

- NEW - Developing and Managing Community Interpretive Plans and Programs, 12 Units, 2 CEU Credits Course Tuition: $300.00 www.heritageinterp.com/community_interpretation_planning.html - NEW - Interpreting

Gravestones and Historic Cemeteries, 14 Units, 2 CEU Credits, $200.00, www.heritageinterp.com/interpreting_gravestones_and_historic_cemeteries.html An Interpreters Guide for Survival Economics or Proving your economic value and benefits to agency during funding cuts, and keeping your job. 10 Units, 1.5 CEU Credits Tuition $300.00

- NEW -

www.heritageinterp.com/an_interpreters_guide_for_survival_economics.html

- NEW - Innovative Strategies in Interpretive Media and Services Planning -New Conceptual Tools for Today's Interpretive Planners. Markets of one - mass customization - the experience economy. Eleven Units, 3 CEU Credits Course Tuition $350.00 www.heritageinterp.com/innovative_strategies_for_interpretive_media_and_s.html

Our live - on site interpretive training - recent clients and courses presented.

Lithuania UNESCO conference, Sep 2015 (workshop session on interpretation - left photo), Budapest Hungry workshop on developing visitor survey research for the Budapest World Heritage Site (center), Interpretive training in interpretive exhibit planning design, Ellanor C. Lawrnce Park (Fairfax County Park Authority, Virginia). Right.

8th Annual Seminar of Latin American Museology, Mexico City (left), US Army Corps of Engineers Interpretive Services Courses (center), and MetroParks of the Toledo Area - Interpretive Planning Training (right).

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Interpretive Planning, Training and Design - World-Wide.

JVA has been contributing to and helping to advance the interpretive profession for over 40 years. From teaching university courses in interpretation (Michigan State University, Ohio State University and New York State University and the State University of West Georgia - heritage interpretation institutes), and years of field experience doing interpretation, we are growing still.

Our services include but are not limited to: - Interpretive Master Planning.

- Interpretive Training Courses - Interpretive Exhibit Planning - Interpretive Trail Planning - Scenic Byways Interpretive Planning.

- Regional Interpretive Systems Planning - Landscape Museum Planning.

- Visitor Research and Marketing Studies.

But there's more we do: Publishers of InterpNEWS, the International Heritage Interpretation e-Magazine with over 300,000 readers in 60 Countries. And it's FREE - yes FREE! Check out our back issues at: https://issuu.com/interpnews

Oh yes, then there's the International Heritage Interpretation Training Center and our text books. http://www.heritageinterp.com/interpretive_training_center_course_catalogue_.html

John Veverka & Associates www.heritageinterp.com jvainterp@aol.com