In nov dec 2015 cover

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East Coast Fishermen ca. 1886.

JVA InterpNews

2 Volume 4, #6 Nov/Dec 2015

The international heritage interpretation e-magazine.

Well, here we are again approaching the close of another year. So much has happened this year including the development of our Heritage Interpretation Training Center. We now offer 22+ college level training courses in interpretation. Check out the announcements at the end of this issue. InterpNEWS is growing and adding subscribers too, now close to 156,000 in 36 countries, and it is still FREE. I have developed our new Heritage Interpretation Training Center Resource Center where we offer our text books and free interpretive articles as well. And we are expanding our Training Center to now offer more live, on site interpretive training courses for larger audiences, agency staff and for conferences and workshops world-wide. As we expand we are looking for development partner agencies, universities and organizations to work with us to expand our live training courses in the US and internationally. If you're interested in growing with us, please get in touch. 2016 will be a year of "making things happen"! Looking for articles for our Jan/Feb 2016 issue too - some topics of interest are listed below. Cheers, JV

* Interpreting and using Music for interpretive presentations. * Interpreting heritage foods and food preparation. * Interpretive research results. * Interpretation of communities. * Living history interpretation (planning/presentation).

* Interpretation for children. * Interpretation of churches/cemeteries. * Historic site-home interpretation. * New museum exhibit technology. * Interpreting climate change.

Author guidelines: up to about 4 typed pages, single spaced, with photos as jpegs. Give your contact information web site or e-mail (and a photo of your smiling face if you want to). Send as a WORD document so I can cut and paste to fit the IN format. Let me hear from you: jvainterp@aol.com - John Veverka - Publisher

In This Issue: - Improving Awareness and Action on Climate Change’s “Equally Evil Twin, Ocean Acidification”.

Bill Mott, The Ocean Project - Walking the Talk: Moving the Needle on Climate Change Education at The Florida Aquarium.

- Tips for Planning self-guiding gallery tours using the "mass customization or markets

of one" planning approach. John Veverka - Application of Interpretive Master Planning of Natural and Cultural Resources for Ecotourism and Reducing Environmental impact; A case study Ban Wat Chan Royal Project, Thailand.

Daranee Danwandee1 Luxsana Summaniti1 Kriangsak Sri-ngrnyung1 The Last Time I Let An Audience Get The Best Of Me - Ethan Rotman - Are Houses "saved"? Dr. Martha Benn Macdonald - “MUSEUM FATIGUE” And Related Phenomena. Stephen Bitgood - Feeling Van Gogh: a programme for all the senses. Ann Blokland, NL - Interpreting Christmas - The history channel.

- The Strength of an Interpretive Program’s call to action: How much power do you have?

Lauren Hartling - The Art of Interpreting State Fish Hatcheries - Maureen Stein

- Interpretation in a Nutshell - Allan Randall and Carol Parr

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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: East Coast Fishermen - 1889 www.heritageinterp.com , jvainterp@aol.com. SKYPE: jvainterp.

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Improving Awareness and Action on Climate Change’s “Equally Evil Twin, Ocean Acidification”.

Bill Mott The Ocean Project

Ocean acidification has emerged as an issue of serious concern to aquariums, zoos and all other institutions with an interest in a healthy future for our ocean and its diversity of life. As the world’s oceans absorb increasing amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide, pH is decreasing and acidity increasing, threatening the fundamental chemical balance of ocean and coastal waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States Department of Commerce refers to ocean acidification as, “an urgent environmental and economic issue,” while former NOAA director, Jane Lubchenco, characterizes ocean acidification as climate change’s “equally evil twin.”

By working in partnership with our partner zoos, aquariums and science museums (ZAMs), the Ocean Project recently completed a year-long series of research activities to better understand how to improve awareness, understanding and action around the growing threat of ocean acidification. The goal of this research was to establish a baseline regarding: the extent to which partner institutions are interested in addressing, or are already addressing, this issue with their visitors; the extent to which the broader public and, specifically, the visiting public, is already informed about it; and, perhaps most importantly, whether there is an opportunity to make a difference in the combination of these factors.

Key findings from the research thus far: • Current unaided awareness of ocean acidification is very low. A comprehensive national survey, confirmed by visitor intercepts, indicates that knowledge of ocean acidification is low and that people have very little information about the topic.

• Concern for ocean acidification spiked significantly once there was awareness. Even just seeing the words apparently was enough for some to express concern. Once made aware of the issue, ZAM visitor concern spiked significantly, especially among those already concerned about climate change.

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• ZAMs are currently very interested, but not yet very active, in addressing ocean acidification with visitors.

Many partner ZAMs indicate that they “are currently” or “plan to” communicate around the issue of ocean acidification, and most of these efforts are centered around coral reef exhibits, or part of a larger communication about climate change.

• Visitors appreciate conservation information from ZAMs and consider it an integral aspect of the experience at the institution. Across all ages, visitors indicated that they expect, trust and appreciate the ocean conservation information they receive from our partners, and receipt of such information as a key part of a good experience. Evidently, advancing conservation can also be good for the “gate” at ZAMs. • ZAM visits are critical activation points for visitor engagement, offering an excellent opportunity for raising awareness and inspiring action on the issue of ocean acidification. ZAM visitors are not only a selfselecting group with an interest in the ocean and ocean animals, but also a group whose interest is activated upon arrival, offering ZAMs great opportunities to raise awareness and inspire action around ocean acidification.

These findings are consistent with our other previous research findings about ocean issues and communication for conservation action. Americans, and ZAM visitors in particular, are overwhelmingly supportive of conservation and there is little necessity to convince them of the need. What they are less inclined to be familiar with is the urgency of the issue, as well as the appropriate actions to take. Many conservation issues such as “ocean health” can seem abstract and have little relevance to daily life, and consequently viewed as no personal action needed. Our data consistently tell us that the public would welcome guidance on conservation issues from ZAMs – a highly trusted source for conservation information – and the challenge is to make it personally relevant with a tangible goal.

For more information on this research, visit The Ocean Project’s Ocean Acidification Special Reports. We’d also like to hear from you if you’d like to share your institution’s activities regarding addressing ocean acidification. Please contact Bill Mott at bmott@theoceanproject.org.

http://theoceanproject.org/ Reprinted with the authors permission from the August 2013, AZA’s Conservation Education Committee (CEC) newsletter about climate change. Thanks to: Jennifer Fields Communications Coordinator Association of Zoos & Aquariums jfields@aza.org www.aza.org www.azasavingspecies.org

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Walking the Talk: Moving the Needle on Climate Change Education at The Florida Aquarium.

Debbi Stone Vice President of Education and Heather Segura Education Outreach/Animal Coordinator The Florida Aquarium

In the past four years, the Education Department at The Florida Aquarium has been part of nine grants related to climate change education. Some have been single-year mini-grants, while others have been multiyear and larger in scope. Several have been led by The Florida Aquarium, while others have been another organization’s grant in which we play a small role. One thing that has been consistent among them, however, is our excitement about the momentum we built in our attempts to make a positive difference in our community. Do we make a difference? Can we promote behavior changes that reduce one’s carbon footprint? Recent reflection among some key education staff led to an “a-ha” moment. We have been working on what we can do in our local community, our state, our region and even at a national level… but what about our OWN staff and volunteers?

As we started assessing our own institution’s environmental impact, we realized that we inadvertently bypassed our own Team Members when it comes to climate literacy and climate change knowledge. And, furthermore, we wanted to ensure that our entire organization understands our goals and why we feel that climate change education is a critical area to address as an AZA facility.

The Climate Change Agents: A team of five key educators started meeting regularly to bring order to the mounting chaos. Debbi Stone, Jenna Biggs, Heather Segura, Lauren Tyler and Kevin Van Dien form the core team, with the goal to develop a climate change education plan rather than a disconnected string of grants and projects. In other words, what do we REALLY want to do? What are OUR goals? We recognized that we needed to identify what we felt were priorities for key content messages as well as behaviors to promote. Before we would expand our current efforts in the community, we could think of our own organization as a pilot audience. This would accomplish two things: 1) it ensures that our Team Members are informed about content and messages; 2) it allows us to “practice” and refine our content and programming. If we aren’t able to successfully move the needle within our own organization, how will we be able to do that with our external audiences?

The Goals: When we first started meeting, we had more goals than we could reasonably accomplish within the next several years, a common yet positive challenge. We started to group like concepts and activities, and we were pleased to see that common threads and goals began to emerge. After much refining, we settled on the following goals for the next two years. There may be sub-goals added as we progress, and we may find that we modify our timelines, yet we are confident that these are reasonable targets given our resources:

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• Solidify three climate change key themes (“Big Ideas”) that will guide our program development and messaging strategies.

• Develop 2-3 sub-themes for each theme.

• Deploy climate change surveys o Short values survey at a Member Night (non-staff) o Education department survey o All-staff survey -Include 8 content-based questions -Include 2 questions about values (to help us frame our messages) • Conduct staff and volunteer training for climate change to include behaviors that reduce one’s carbon footprint.

• Begin to incorporate appropriate climate change messages into visitor programming.

• Continue to seek out new grant opportunities, with a focus on expanding existing efforts rather than “new” programs.

While we all had many other goals, we determined that in order to move forward, limiting ourselves to these efforts would help us progress. It would also ensure that we are reaching our own community of staff and volunteers, something that we know is critical for future support of our important work.

Where we are now: To date, we have refined our content to the following three themes: • The Earth’s climate is changing.

• While natural processes shape our climate, human actions are accelerating the rate of global climate change.

• Humans can take actions to reduce climate change.

We are still refining these themes, based on feedback we have received from our own staff and our climate change education partners across the country. We have also conducted several surveys, as well as a word cloud activity with our Educators. Additionally, we recognize that some of our work will be happening simultaneously, while some tasks will need to take place before others can be started.

Using our experiences from projects such as the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) and the ClimateInterpreter.org collaborative community, as well as grants such as the Climate Change Community Outreach Initiative, we are looking forward to moving the needle in our own organization so that our external efforts can also be enhanced and strengthened. We look forward to the continued collaborations of AZA institutions in an effort to make a positive difference in the world of climate change education, and we hope to support these efforts right here within our own cadre of dedicated Team Members.

Reprinted with the authors permission from the August 2013, AZA’s Conservation Education Committee (CEC) newsletter about climate change. Thanks to: Jennifer Fields Communications Coordinator Association of Zoos & Aquariums jfields@aza.org www.aza.org www.azasavingspecies.org

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Tips for Planning self-guiding gallery tours using the "mass customization or markets of one" planning approach.

John A. Veverka Certified Interpretive Planner Director, The Heritage Interpretation Training Center

What do you do when your galleries are "stuffed" with artifacts and overpower the visitor with a sensory overload of images, sounds and information? Take a look at the photo of a gallery room form the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic (Canada) as an example.

As you can see, the gallery is packed with "stuff", most not even labeled. This is where a self-guiding gallery guide can come in handy, as well as using the concept of "mass customization". That means that you can have more than one gallery guide for this room, each focusing on a different theme or storyline, or for a different target market group.

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We would plan the self-guiding gallery guide as we would for a self-guiding trail brochure. This would include: - Review the main interpretive theme for the gallery (if it has one).

- Review the interpretive objectives for the gallery (if it has any).

- If no theme or objectives exist - then create one (theme) and some objectives (learn, feel and do) that you would want the self-guiding gallery tour to accomplish.

- Are there opportunities for more than one self-guiding tour topic (mass customization)?

For this example and gallery room, let's say that we can have two different interpretive themes presented, each supporting an overarching main gallery interpretive theme. An overarching interpretive theme for this gallery might be: Changes in fishing technology and regulations affects our National fisheries in several ways.

Two Sub-themes for this gallery might be: 1. Changes in use of fish finding technology had a dramatic affect on the size of an average catch, affecting our economy in many ways.

2. New fishing seasons and regulations were/are needed to keep the Atlantic fisheries from being "over fished".

Each of the number locations below illustrate artifacts or experiences that illustrate one of these two subthemes.

3 2

2

3

1

1

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So in the example above for our gallery tour planning, the yellow squares illustrate the artifacts or exhibit elements that illustrate the sub-theme: 1. Changes in use of fish finding technology had a dramatic affect on the size of an average catch, affecting our economy in many ways.

The blue squares might illustrate the artifacts or exhibit elements that illustrate the sub-theme: 2. New fishing seasons and regulations were/are needed to keep the Atlantic fisheries fished".

from being "over

Now of course, with the "mass customization" concept, for this gallery example you could have 10 or more different interpretive sub-themes, including a children's guide, guides in different languages, etc.

The planning process is the same as illustrated by the Model of Interpretation (below).

- Have an interpretive theme your tour would work to illustrate.

- Consider the objectives (learn, feel, do) that you want the tour(s) to accomplish.

- Remember the diversities of your audiences (mass customize).

- Think about the best interpretive media to deliver the self-guiding tour with.

- Think about the implementation of the tour (media, costs, updating, how SGT media will be offered or delivered.).

- Remember to pre-test the tour before finalizing it.

- Remember Provoke, Relate and Reveal to be "interpretive".

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Test Yourself: Here is an exhibit from a Science Museum. What two or three different interpretive subthemes could you develop for this exhibition as part of a self-guiding tour using the mass customization approach?

To learn more about advanced interpretive concepts of Mass Customization and Markets of One, send me an email and I will send you a copy of my article: "Experience and Outcome Based Interpretive Planning - Mass Customization, Markets of One and more‌" Available as a PDF. Cheers, Prof. John Veverka Certified Interpretive Planner/Trainer Director, Heritage Interpretation Training Center www.heritageinterp.com jvainterp@aol.com

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Application of Interpretive Master Planning of Natural and Cultural Resources for Ecotourism and Reducing Environmental impact; A case study Ban Wat Chan Royal Project, Thailand.

Daranee Danwandee1 Luxsana Summaniti1 Kriangsak Sri-ngrnyung1 1

Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, Maejo University,Nongharn, Sansai, Chiang Mai. 50290 Thailand

Abstract The purpose of this research is for an interpretive master planning of natural and cultural resources for ecotourism based on a sustainable design concept. The objectives require educating people and allowing for participation to set up an interpretation planning appropriate to the geo-social structure of the area, to know community needs and opinions within the resources, and to assess the potential resources of the area for the establishment of an interpretive pattern as well as appreciation, understanding, and protection to the consumptive use of visitors and local people with the ultimate goal of decreasing environmental impacts especially smoke from human fire.

This applied research of the social sciences uses tools such as questionnaires, observations, and interview data.

Primary and secondary data collection of bio-physical, social, cultural, document and reported research is related with resources and users of the area. Site surveying, as well as the participatory process, was implemented to create area mapping, and to set up planning and facilities development by the stake holders or people who come to participate in the activities such as government officials; the local government and local people supervise the interpretation of the master planning to encourage ecotourism of this area.

The result showed the advantage of an interpretation of natural and cultural resources with the concentration to set appropriate knowledge and understanding for all users at the visitor center and built the necessary facilities. Finding of this study indicated that the media to make understanding and knowledge was70.20%, visitor center was 57.05%facilities design such as a local store, canteen, parking lots, and signs for the nature trail. The concept of design focused on the environmental; material concerns are based on sustainable design principles to maintain unique characteristics of the local people’s life style and respected nature. The amount of use and facility’s size was based on the capability of resources.

The research team also prepared the construction blueprints and cost estimates, which are necessary for implementation and higher benefits for local people, and publicity, for the local government office.

1 Introduction Interpretive significance is to create an experience for visitors for the things they have seen both the living and non-living things. It is also to still a good conscience to visitors as well as to realize the worthiness of natural resources, culture, local environment, country environment and the world environment. The important aspect in this interpretation may be to limit inappropriate behaviors of the tourists and also, local people as well as to motivate their awareness on the environment supported by people participation process. According to Banki (1981) “People’s participation is a dynamic group process in which all members of a group contribute to the attainment of group objectives, share the benefits from group activities, exchange information and experience of common interest, and follow the rules, regulations and other decisions made by the group” and also, Tyagi (1998) reported that involvement of local people in decision making generates commitment for implementation of the program; it enhances people’s ability to take responsibility and show competence in solving their own problems

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This interpretation may reduce the effects of tourism on the natural recreational site. It is also to have more safety in enjoying the recreational activities. To create a story for interpretive significance will result in having more knowledge and enjoyment to visitors as well as a good tool in administering the resources in the area. And the interpretative significance is a mean to communicate between the natural resources and the visitors to understand one another and a way to learn and study nature effectively and sustainably.

Fig 1 hiking and biking activities on site experience Study Site In the past, His Majesty the King made a royal visit here and initiated the ‘Wat Chan Royal Project’ to lift up the standard of living for the poor villagers residing here, things have vastly changed for the better. Watchan Royal Project was Chiang Mai Province and shares a border with Mae Hong Sorn province about 93 km distance from the city to the center 154km some the path is the rough Rd. This site was the beauty of the pine forest older than a hundred years, is the largest natural pine forests in Thailand. Pine forest is a natural with wild orchids and local bird many species. This project requires diverse areas of researchers like forest ecology researcher, recreation planning researcher, landscape designer to assess the environmental impacts on the project. This will allow the researcher to achieve the goals in planning. The site for the project study is an important protected area for this study site

Fig.2 Accessibility and linkage to Ban Watchan Royal Project.

(Copy and paste to enlarge this graphic).

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Interpretation Planning Model The model of interpretation presents the following elements are considered (fig.3) What – the resource, theme, and sub-theme to be interpreted.

Why – the specific objectives that interpretation should accomplish Who- the visitors to the site How/when/where – the presentation of interpretive program and services Implementation or Operation- to implement the various aspects of the plan Evaluation- evaluate of the plan should be the visitors to use the programs or services.

People’s Participation-Stake holder involvement to think, to plan, to implement

2. Research Methodology In setting up the design for interpretation, the researchers will use the following methods 1) Survey and gather data about tourists, their activities, their opinions, and their desires for nature interpretation by the use of observation and the questionnaires are used for officials in the area.

2) Survey and gather data for nature interpretation, the development of current facilities by the use of observation while the officials are asked questions with the survey form to assess the suitability of the facilities according to the sustainable design.

3) Survey and gather data for resource potential of the area, and the impacts by using the observation, asking questions to the local area officials as well as looking into the acquisition and/or suggestion from visitors in order to systemize nature interpretation.

4) Survey the area and do the site analysis like visual, space, slope, the location of the buildings, river, water drainage, soil, vegetation, and wild animals according to the principles of landscape architecture by the use of observation. The area officials are asked questions with the use of maps derived from the survey and GPS. 5) Measure the length of nature trail with the use of compass and GPS to locate and find this trail in order to map them on the territory map of Ban Watchan Royal Project, Chiang Mai province with the ratio of 1:50000 6) Bring all the field data to write as a base plan by using the drawing programs

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Analysis 1) Examine all the relevant documents such as the policy in administering Ban Watchan Royal project and other aspects of protected areas, the data to communicate the nature interpretation as well as the model guideline in managing this site study.

2) Analyze and assess the resource potential, its strength, its weakness, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) and the tourist data on activities, opinions, and needs in communicating and nature education by using social science aspect and the use of statistical program 3) Synthesize the data of resource potential, tourist data/ user data in order to set up the overall perspective and theme, nature interpretation and nature education in the area and design the pictures for the facilities and the format for nature interpretation according to the potential of the area by the application of sustainable design concept. Procedures on Figure 4

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Visitor

In collecting the user data to survey the users’ attitudes, the researcher group used questionnaires written by the researchers. The population was from the tourist statistics in a three-year period from 20032005[5]with 6,853 tourists (The calculated sample group was 400). Collecting data by an accidental random sampling of 3 times on the study sitesuch asWinter season(High season) Summer and Rainy season(Low season) but because of the visitors stop travel to visit Chiang Mai and other provinces due to site constrain and environmental impact like the smog has been covered of Northern Thai.However, the researcher group adapted the number of sample study was 200 samples were divided into 206 Thai tourists and the other group was 10 foreign tourists (10.0%). The last group was 16officers working in the area (87.50% from the total number of officers)and applying formulas to calculate a sample size ofYamane(1973) n = __N__ 1+ N(e2) n= number of sampling N = total of population (annual). e = Percentage of error acceptable sampling of 5 % (e = 0.05) Finding of this study indicated that most of all needs to get the sightseeing was 36.40% and hiking/nature education was 32.9% (figure 3) which is Expected activities that the visitor needs to do at the study site . About the media to make understanding and knowledge was interpreter/personal service of70.20%, visitor center was 57.05%, nature trail 50% and also, other media facilities design such as a local store, canteen, parking lots, and signs for the nature trail(figure 4) detailed is on table 1

JVA InterpNews Fig.5 Expected activities of the visitors

Fig.6 Percentage of an opinion about media to make understanding and knowledge.

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For people’s participation section was an opinion about interpretive facilities and styles of people participation especially, key man of community. The data revealed that majority about 73.35% needs the visitor center and style, toilet 60%, canteen building was 46.70% and also Sign style was more suitability was 68.75% detailed is on table 2

a

b

c Fig. 7. People's participation a= On the left was the first meeting with communities. b= Middle figure was presentation of the site potential. c= On the right was brainstorming of design purpose of interpretation. d= Design purpose exhibition prepared for the meeting.

d,

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Interpretive Theme

fig 8 Interpretive theme for tourism The big picture of this study theme was “Nature is Life” which is interpretive significant of preservation of forest and landscape ecology of the site. Hence, when the visitors and also local people needs to get started activities they will be learning about the site in the visitor center to interpreter will brief of data base activities, recreation sites, safety first, and environmental impact by media presentation such as Indoor & Outdoor Exhibition,Studio self guided activity; self guided trail, self guided auto tour, off-site, off-season media. Sign and Symbol, Publication (brochure,leaflet, poster, booklet) before they’ve started activities. On the study site facility for interpreting suitability in the Ban Wat Chan Royal Project design propose let’s see the figures 9-10.

Fig9Design purpose of visitor center and Canteen.

Fig10 Design purpose of sign, and bicycle trail facilities

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Conclusion For using the interpretative master planning of natural resources for eco- tourism based on the principle of sustainable design for this study, it was found that the planning of interpretative system on natural resources can be adapted to all areas especially natural recreation areas, cultural, and historic site are tools or media to build understanding and increase knowledge about nature, and ecology system to visitors. [2],[6] This is to stimulate awareness in conserving natural resources, ecology system, the planning of landscape and the development of convenient facilities and it’s adapted from sustainable design. There are nine factors: the suitability of size and the ability to facilitate people of the area, the harmony with nature, safety, usefulness, the convenience in maintenance, the vulnerability to destructive behaviors, the use of local materials, maintain or preserving local identity and its culture and the maintenance area. [5] These were valued by using three levels of suitability like very suitable, moderate suitable and little suitable. From the assessment based on sustainable design, it was found that the managing area of Ban Watchan Royal Project had low suitability. The suggestion is to consider the significance of size, the number of convenience facilities which can facilitate visitors without having impacts on the area or having the least impact. Another consideration is to think about the patterns of convenience facilities which should be simple and harmonize with local identity and local people’s way of life.

The materials used should be biodegradable after use. The color of the buildings should harmonize with natural environment to maintain the ecological system to its perfect condition as much as possible. Therefore, the management team should understand the theory in planning the physical development of natural recreation and adapt it to use with the context or the geo-social of the area to preserve natural environment as much as possible. Recreation area is suitable for eco-tourism because visitors can learn about nature/ecology system and local culture. This is because of its natural setting and there are quite a few convenience facilities. Tourists should be careful when they want to study nature and make sure that there won’t be effects on natural resources and ecology system. This means that people are non-consumptive users or appreciative users. By doing this, visitors are the ones who visit natural attractive places which have their uniqueness and attractiveness rather than adapting/changing nature and developing convenience facilities. [1] The interpretative planning of natural resources in of this site is to emphasize tourists to get the experience of natural study or feel satisfied with natural environment. This will enhance good awareness on environment. Thus, there has been a plan to develop the interpretative panel in the nature trail as well as necessary facilities to prevent the impacts of tourism on these attractive sites. The design patterns use harmonious with nature based on carrying capacity of the area.

References [1] Veverka John. A. 2015. The Interpretive trails Book. MuseumsETC, Edinburgh, Scotland.

[2]Veverka, John A. 2014. Interpretive Master Planning, Volume I. MuseumETC, Edinburgh, Scotland.

[3] USNPS. 1993. Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design. Denver service, Washington DC.117 p.

[5] Annual report 2548.Office of tourism development of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai Province. 61p Banki, E.S. (1981). Dictionary of Administration and Management. Los Angeles, California: Systems Research Institute, pp. 533.

Tyagi, L. K. (1998). People’s participation in rural development, employment news, New Delhi, Vol. XXIII, No.11, pp. 1-2.

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The Last Time I Let An Audience Get The Best Of Me Speaking Tip 103 Ethan Rotman

I remember the last time I let an audience get the best of me. It wasn't really the entire audience, it was just one person who was unhappy or angry at the group that I represented. I let him rip me to pieces in front of everyone. I was embarrassed, belittled, distracted and felt quite stupid.

I remember the experience well because I left feeling beat up and angry at the man who attacked me. As I drove home though, I realized my anger was misguided. Yes, he was a jerk and yes he was trying to make me look bad but the real culprit was me: I allowed this happen.

I had the tools to better manage the situation I just forgot to use them. I let him lay a trap and like a fool, I walked right in. It was a good, but painful, lesson for me to learn and it has never happened to me since.

By comparison a year ago I led a meeting where there was a woman clearly gunning for me. This time though, the experience though ended quite differently and I walked out giving myself high fives in my brain. The difference was this time I remembered what I knew and I used the tools I had at hand. I was calm, I let her speak, I asked clarifying questions, and the more she spoke, the more outrageous she sounded to all in the room. I used the audience as my ally watching their reaction to her behavior and then asked if they wanted to continue her conversation of if they preferred to return to the agenda.

The next time you make a presentation, take stock of all your tools and training before you go into the room. Don’t allow fear to guide you, but do prepare for anything that might happen and keep control of yourself. If you sense something beginning to happen, breathe, think, and respond but don’t react.

Chances are great you will not have to use all of your tools, but it sure is great to have them handy when you need them. .

Tools For Managing Hecklers       

Set ground rules for audience behavior and stick to them.

Always be on guard – pay attention to all questions Make sure to understand the questions or issues raised When dealing with a heckler (or possible heckler), allow them to speak freely for a limited time as they will probably dig themselves into a hole Use the audience as your friend Be calm – it is usually not personal Ask for more information as most hecklers expend all their energy in the first punch and have little more to say after the initial attack

This Speaking Tip is one in a series from iSpeakEASY. We help people present information in an exciting and relevant manner – usually by helping them avoid the mistakes discussed here. Contact us for information on workshops and coaching. Visit us at www.iSpeakEASYblog.wordpress.com. © 2015 by iSpeakEASY. All Rights Reserved.

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“Are Houses Saved?” by Dr. Martha Benn Macdonald York Technical College, Rock Hill, SC Now that seems like a ridiculous question, especially compared to the religious interrogation, “Are you saved?” Sometimes houses often seem more worthy of being saved than do those who claim they are saved, yet continue to practice deceit, dishonesty, fraudulence, and more, all of those sins befitting those punished in Dante’s lowest circles. If you are offended by the comparison, my dear readers, I apologize.

Just as I am to write about a house in Rock Hill which needs to be “saved,” I read about another home, much older than this edifice, over in the Dutch Fork area of South Carolina. Like the William Wallace Fennell home in Rock Hill, that one seems doomed for demolition unless someone can raise sufficient funds. These wonderful old places are everywhere. I imagine that the fathers of Rock Hill would be happy to see the historic William Wallace Fennell home built in 1910 demolished. After all, neighbors complain that it’s an eyesore.

Meantime, Russ Frase, a truly talented carpenter, a brilliant craftsman, who saw the house in 1997, wants to save it. For nearly two decades, he has worked daily on this house. It is his passion. “Why?” I asked him; “You’re not from Rock Hill, South Carolina.”

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“No, but when my wife, Nancy, and I drove by here on New Year’s Day, eighteen years ago, I said, ‘I’ve got to try to preserve it.’”He has, only to be pricked and needled almost weekly by someone from the city complaining that he’s made no progress. He has already spent $200,000 in city fees for approval to do this and to do that. Moreover, Frase has stabilized the exterior and painted it with a dark gray primer and completed work on the hardwood floors. Because vandals enjoyed tossing bricks through the glass windows, the carpenter got permission to cover each window with a white shutter. In time, with money, he can complete the work and restore the home to its original beauty.

What these people, who seem to enjoy cutting down trees and destroying houses, who seem to have no appreciation for history (I’m honestly not sure what their vision is), and who, around the Bicentennial years, exterminated (strong verb) most of Rock Hill’s truly elegant homes, many built during the 1880-1915 years, do not seem to appreciate is Rock Hill’s place in the growth and development of South Carolina. Of course, Rock Hill is no Charleston; it never pretended to be.

But this house, like many which have been ruined, has an engaging history. Built in 1910, it stood next to the Fennell Infirmary, built circa 1908 by Dr. William Wallace Fennell. The house has eight coal-burning fire places, two sleeping porches, a coffered ceiling, some decorated windows, and a gorgeous staircase, separated from the entrance hall by columns. These are only a few of its architectural features. Why bother to save it?

The Infirmary which Dr. Fennell built has an interesting architecture and history itself. It is a mistake to say that the house and the infirmary looked alike and were often mistaken. The infirmary was a two-story structure with a double piazza and long halls on both floors, each extending from the entrance wayto a winglike hall jutting toward Confederate Avenue.

What makes the house really interesting, in addition to its history and architectural motifs, are the family and their stories, many, of course, associated with the hospital. Dr. Fennell was one of Rock Hill’s earliest doctors. He was the Fennell Infirmary. The Fennell Infirmary was Dr. Fennell. He had a railroad car so that he could travel to the sick if they were unable to make it to the hospital. Before my father, the late Dr. Roderick Macdonald, came to practice Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology in Rock Hill, his mother came by train from Blackstock, South Carolina, with his younger brother, Claiborne, who suffered from appendicitis (around 1914), to the hospital. The train stopped at Confederate and Pendleton where the infirmary stood, that railroad stop known as “Fennell Infirmary Crossing.” My older sister was born in the infirmary.

My friend, Edwin Harrison Stultz, said that his mother served as a nurse at the infirmary. One day, Dr. Fennell peered down over his glasses and said, “Roberta, I want you to be my head operating room nurse.” When she declined, he insisted a second time. Afraid, she contacted her fiancé and said, “I want to go home to Kershaw.”

Her fiancé took her on the train. When Dr. Fennell heard the story, he had the train stopped at Steele’s Crossing and said, “You don’t have to be my head OR nurse.” He studied and consulted with other physicians, often exchanging ideas by mail. On one occasion, he experimented with skin grafting.

After Dr. Fennell’s death, his widow sold the infirmary to Dr. Ward, a medical associate. Shortly thereafter, the infirmary was sold to the Sisters of St. Francis from Peoria, Illinois. The infirmary became St. Philip’s Mercy Hospital. These sisters were dedicated to helping the poor and the sick. My father, who operated there for many years, said that the sisters were “very kind, very capable, and very good.” These sisters frightened my twin and me, only because their habits seemed sinister when we were little girls, their head gear reminding us of flapping geese or roosters, the latter of which we were mortally afraid (seriously, and that’s a story in itself). One unidentified patient remembered that the surgical unit was across the street from the hospital. She was taken there from the hospital on a gurney for surgery. Unusual!

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When Mrs. Fennell, the doctor’s widow, sold the house in 1843, to the Catholics, she moved to the Patrick home where she once lived on Oakland Avenue while her home on Confederate Avenue was being built. The Franciscan sisters had plenty of room, for in addition to all of the bedrooms and the sleeping porches, there was a wonderful basement. They had their own chapel and grotto with a garden in the backyard where once upon a time deer roamed in the woods beyond. Having read a number of “Gothic” stories, I can just imagine stories. Can’t you? Certainly there’s more than one lingering ghost.

I went to school with Dr. Fennell’s grandson, Wallace. He told me about his father, also a doctor. His family lived on College Avenue, too. Our mothers played bridge together. Our fathers were good friends. “Your daddy’s office at 2 a.m. was a horror, especially when I had an earache. Daddy called up Roderick, and your father met us down there at the office. Your daddy was very honest, Martha, and when he said to me, ‘Now, Wallace, I’m sorry, but this will hurt,’ he was exactly right. That long needle hurt, but then afterwards, my ear didn’t hurt anymore. I hated going down to your Daddy’s office. Even in the day time it was dark.” It was. It was an eerie place. For some reason, his old office, built in 1870, smelled medicinal or something, and the dark green shades were always drawn. I remember the lovely mantels and the gorgeous stair steps.

Finding a bank which might finance Russ Frase’s passion will be difficult. Frase estimates that it will cost between $250-300, 000 to complete the project. Although this house is located in one of Rock Hill’s earliest districts, the neighborhood is not entirely safe. What will entice a bank or a patron? What is the one nougat? What are other gems?

Frase anticipates starting a Friends of the Fennell Home and a volunteer program. That’s a wonderful idea even if may seem idealistic. We need to hold onto our dreams, our passions.

What I see would be a complete revamping of the old neighborhood (not the hospital because that’s the site of a housing project). To one side of the old home is Pickens Street where a lovely lake with swans once flowed. Because one person drowned there, the city decided that the lake had to be covered over. How absurd! Will we cover over a river because one person drowns? Of course, drownings are sad, but safety practices are important. More than that, accidents unfortunately happen.

If the city has its way, the house will be demolished, and a typically boring marker erected: “Site of Dr. William Wallace Fennell’s Home, early doctor, builder of Fennell Infirmary, 1869-1926, son of a Confederate War Veteran.”

When I die, the marker at 325 College Avenue might read: “Home of the late Dr. Roderick Macdonald, built in 1910, by sister of another early Rock Hill physician, Dr. Frank Strait,” or something like that. What these markers miss is the stories, the histories, and the people .

I hope that Frase is able to develop a marketing plan to attract a patron and to create a living history program there. While the White Home a few blocks away offers an early living historical interpretation, this sitecould be another. I have written the Fennell living history story in my head, and I plan to share it with Russ Frase. I will gladly serve as a volunteer, but I do not have the funds to put into his restoration project. A community project would be awesome. The hope of physicians turning the restored mansion into a museum is probably not a reality. Things are different.

Dr. Martha Benn Macdonald, Ph.D., English instructor, author, nationally certified historical interpreter, performer, doctorbenn@gmail.com

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“MUSEUM FATIGUE” AND RELATED PHENOMENA Stephen Bitgood Jacksonville State University

In hopes of clarifying some thorny issues and of correcting common misconceptions, I published several articles and book chapters dealing with the concept of “museum fatigue” (Bitgood, 2009a; 2009b; 2009c; Chapter 17, 2011; Chapter 14, 2013). Following Arthur Melton (1935), the term is used in quotes because it is misleading, full of surplus meaning, and has included several distinct phenomena that have little do with the definition of “fatigue.”Within these papers, I havealso critically reviewed the often cited, early “fatigue” studies of Gilman(1916), Robinson (1928;), Melton(1935), and Porter (1938).

Major Points from Previous Writing My publications have attempted to make the following points:  

 

There is no single phenomenon called “museum fatigue.” And, all the phenomena that result in decreased attention do not fit the definition of “fatigue.”The term “fatigue” is misleading when it is applied to “non-fatigue” phenomena such as satiation, selective choice, and information overload.

Phenomena associated with decreases in attention across time in museums should be defined in operational terms to include both the outcomes (e.g., the specific type of decreased attention to exhibits such as stopping, viewing time, reading text) and the conditions under which the phenomenon occurs (e.g., prolonged physical or mental effort, repeated exposure to similar stimuli or competition between or among two or more exhibits).

Since there is no single phenomenon, there is also no single solution to the decreases in attention that occur in museums. Thus, multiple phenomena require more than one solution to the problem of reduced attention.

Effective museum design can minimize these phenomena if there is an understanding of the several mechanisms that produce decreased attention.

How “Museum Fatigue” Has Been Described What is commonly called “museum fatigue” can be described as follows:   

It results in decreased attention including the probability of stopping at exhibits, the average viewing time once stopped, the amount of reading interpretive text associated with exhibits, or possibly other measures of engagement such as self-report surveys.

It is an acute rather than chronic condition. With a rest period, there is usually recovery from the temporary decreases in attention.

Actual fatigue, when it does occur, can be the result of either physical or mental workload/effort.

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

The term has been applied to other phenomena such as satiation, competition, and cognitive/environmental load that are not consistent with the usual notion of fatigue. Non-fatigue phenomena may differ from fatigue in terms of how long each takes to develop,the patterns of decreased attention, as well as the conditions under which it occurs (amount of effort, rate of exposure, whether choice is involved).



The non-fatigue phenomena, especially satiation and competition, are likely to play a larger role in decreasing visitor attention than the fatigue phenomena.

In addition to reviewing arguments from my previous writings and describing how the term “Museum Fatigue” has been used, the current article addresses three issues: (1) distinguishing definitions of the phenomena that are associated with decreased attention; (2) describing how these phenomena are measured;and (3) suggesting ways to reduce the impact of these phenomena and, as a result, improve engaged attention?

Variety of Phenomena That Have Been Associated With “Museum Fatigue” What it is and what it is not can be understood by comparing and contrasting several concepts associated with decreased attention across time. It is important to emphasize that each of these phenomena has its own operational definitions that combine the outcome measures with the conditions under which they occurs.

1. Acute physical fatigue. This type of fatigue can be defined as a decrease in attention resulting from prolonged physical exertion. Note that it is a temporary condition that is likely to recover after rest. It must be distinguished from chronic physical fatigue which is long-term and does not recover quickly with rest.

2. Acute mental fatigue. Mental fatigue is a decrease in attention from prolonged mental effort over time.

It is acute if it recovers with rest or a change of activity (e.g., viewing an exhibition with different subject matter).

3. Object satiation. Satiation is reduced attention/responsiveness over successive exposure to stimulus conditions such as exhibit objects that are ordinarily attractive to the visitor.

4. Information overload. Information overload occurs when there is more information presented than can be processed at one time. Generally, in exhibitions, visitors control their own rate of information processing so overload would be a concern only when the rate of information presented is not controlled by the visitor – for example, in a lecture/demonstration or audio-video presentation.

5. Cognitive load. This term refers to the mental workload or the amount of cognitive effort that is necessary to process the information. Difficult vocabulary, long passages with complicated grammatical construction, statistical comparisons, and complicated theories provide a higher cognitive load than short, easy-to-process text passages.

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6. Competition between and/or among objects and/or text. Two types of competition occur: (1) sensory distraction, and (2) selective choice. Sensory distraction occurs when visual or auditory stimuli divert attention away from a particular object or text. For example, a loud noise, or sudden movements, or large object may distract visitors from a less salient object or text passage. Selective choice occurs when two stimuli are competing for attention, and only one is selected or chosen based on its perceived value(See Bitgood, McKerchar, & Dukes, 2013).

7. Interactions among phenomena. Complicating matters further, each of these phenomena can interact with others. For example, when you are physically fatigued (have a lower energy level), it influences which choices you select and how quickly you satiate to exhibit objects.

How Are These Phenomena Measured?

Most of the published studies have reported reductions in observational methods across time including: the percentage of stops across viewing and reduction in viewing time. Time sampling of visitor attention to exhibits was used by one study (Falk, et al, 1985). We have also used reduction in reading as an indication of reduced attention (Bitgood, 2011; 2013).

A few studies have also used self-report scales (Bitgood, 2011;2013; Cota-McKinley, 1999; Matamoros, 1986). One advantage of self-reports is the possibility of teasing out differences in cognitive impact. Does interest rating decrease with fatigue or does interest stay high, but the motivation to view the content is decreased? When you become satiated as a result of a gourmet meal, it doesn’t necessarily mean you loose interest in food. You may still be interested in ordering desert after you are satiated with steak.

Some Suggestions for Minimizing the Negative Impact of these Phenomena 1. Mental fatigue can be minimized by reducing the cognitive workload for visitors. This might include making it easier to way-find by reducing the number of pathway choices, by decreasing the number of words in interpretive text passages, and by placing interpretive text close to the objects it interprets.

2. Physical fatigue can be reduced by providing places to sit and rest and by minimizing the required number of steps. People usually prefer to take routes involving the fewest number of steps as evidenced by pathway choice, reluctance to backtrack, and walking in straight lines from exhibit hall entrance to exit (see Bitgood, 2006).

3. Object satiation can be reduced by designing visitor experiences containing a variety of stimulation.

“Open storage” exhibitions, in which similar objects are lined up one after another with little variety to visual attractiveness is very likely to produce rapid satiation. Decreasing the total number of objects and varying the visitor experience with each one is one way to minimize satiation.

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4. Reducing cognitive load can occur by reducing the density of objects and by organizing exhibit elements in a way that makes sense to the visitor (rather than only to the curator). Note that visitor evaluation may be essential in order to assess whether the cognitive load is reasonable.

5. Sensory distraction may be minimized by controlling powerful stimuli (e.g., eliminate distracting loud noises or sudden movements) that interfere with paying attention to an object or exhibit display. Visually isolating exhibits from each other by distance or creating clear borders can also minimize distractions.

6. Selective choice occurs when two exhibits or objects are presented in a way that encourages visitors to choose one or the other rather than both. If one has higher attraction (larger size, movement, or contrast with the background), it is often selected for engagement and the lower attracting object is ignored.

Conclusions Physical and mental fatigue are responsible for only part of the decreases in visitor attention over time – it is important to understand all of the phenomena that are associated with decreased attention. There are a number of possible ways to deal with decreased visitor attention (See Bitgood, 2009a; 2009b; 2009c). Exhibit design based on an understanding of all the phenomena involved is more likely to improve visitor attention to exhibits than conceptualizing the problem simply as “fatigue.”A number of other factors such as the size of the museum must also be considered since physical fatigue is not likely to be when there is limited physical exertion.

References Bitgood, S. (2006). An analysis of visitor circulation: Movement patterns and the general value principle.

Curator: The Museum Journal, 49, 4, 463-475.

Bitgood, S. (2009a). When is “museum fatigue” not fatigue? Curator: The Museum Journal, 52(2), 193-202.

Bitgood, S. (2009b). Museum fatigue: A critical review. Visitor Studies Journal, 12(2), 93-111.

Bitgood, S. (2009c). Museum fatigue: A new look at an old problem. Informal Learning Review, July-August Issue. Also found in Chapter 14 of S. Bitgood, Social design in museums: The psychology of visitor studies.

Edinburgh, UK: MuseumsEtc. and in Ten must reads: Interpretation, Edinburgh, UK: MuseumsEtc. Bitgoood, S. (2013a). Chapter 14: Phenomena associated with decreases in visitor attention. In Attention and Value: Keys to Understanding Museum Visitors. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Pp. 155-165.

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Bitgood, S. (2013b). Looking back at Melton: Gallery density and visitor attention. Visitor Studies Journal, 16(2), 217-225.

Bitgood, S., Davey, G., Huang, X. (2013).Pedestrian choice behavior at shopping mall intersections in China and the US. Environment and Behavior, 45(8), 1019-1032.

Bitgood, S., McKerchar, T., & Dukes, S. (2013). Looking back at Melton: Gallery density and visitor attention. Visitor Studies Journal, 26(2), 217-225.

Cota-Mckinley, A. (1999).An empirical investigation of workload on the visitor experience: Effects of exhibit size and time constraints on performance. Ph.D. dissertation. Ft. Collins, CO: Colorado State University.

Falk, J., Koran, J., Dierking, L., & Dreblow, L. (1985). Predicting visitor behavior. Curator: The Museum Journal, 28, 249-257.

Gilman, B. (1916). Museum fatigue. Scientific Monthly, 12, 67-74.

Matamoros, M. (1986). Information overload. Master’s Thesis in Management, University of Massachusetts at Boston, Boston, MA> Melton, A. (1935).Problems of installation in museums of art. (New Series No. 14 Monograph), Washington, DC: American Association of Museums.

Porter, M. (1938).Behavior of the average visitor in the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University.(New Series No. 16 Monograph). Washington, DC: American Association of Museums.

Robinson, E. (1928).The behavior of the museum visitor.(New Series No. 5 Monograph). Washington, DC: American Association of Museums.

Dr. Stephen Bitgood Jacksonville State University steveb@jsu.edu

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Feeling Van Gogh: a programme for all the senses Ann Blokland, Curator of Education Van Gogh Museum Recently the Van Gogh Museum has embarked on an exciting new journey. Vincent van Gogh’s artworks can now also be ‘seen’ through touch. In March 2015 we launched Feeling Van Gogh, a special programme for blind and partially sighted visitors and their sighted friends, family and companions. It consists of an interactive guided tour and a multi-sensory sensory workshop, using different interpretive media to open up the artist’s world, which before was not accessible to them.

A museum for everyone Vincent van Gogh is one of the world’s most famous artists. His ambition to give expression to human existence resulted in beautiful, powerful paintings, that go straight to the heart. His impressive impres life story can be read in his many letters, in which he describes his love of painting, but also his disappointments and his struggle with his illness. We want to share the emotional impact of Van Gogh’s art, and it’s meaning with as many people as possible. It’s t’s our mission and passion, but also an obligation: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 27, (1948) “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts ... and its benefits."

Even though The Netherlands ratified the UN UN-treaty on equal rights,, it hasn’t implemented impleme it in laws or regulations. It is expected the government will do so in 2016. The programmes for the blind and partially sighted offered in Dutch museums are few few, in comparison to countries like the US and The United Kingdom, where legislation has urged museums to take action.

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The need of this group to participate e in culture is huge though. As an outsider one might wonder why a blind person would want to go to a museum, which above all is a visual experience – some of my colleagues asked me that question when I was setting op Feeling van Gogh.. The answer is simple: just like any human being and any art lover they hey want to visit a museum and enjoy art.They aren’t different, they are just like any of us.

And since a museum visit is also a social outing, we wanted to include sighted friends and family in the programme.

Our goals for the programme were: -

To increase the accessibility of the life and work of Vincent van Gogh to visually impaired visitors and facilitate the enjoyment of the arts.

To reach a new audience: to connect to a group that isn’t familiar with art and paintings especially because of their impairment.

To show the social role of the Van Gogh Museum by actively approachingthe blind and partially sighted, cooperating, and giving them a positive boost through the art experience.

But how to do it, what means of interpretation to use? What do blind and partially sighted visitors need?

Stimulating the senses Relievos – premium quality relief reproductions of Van Gogh’s paintings – were the starting point of Feeling Van Gogh.. These Relievos were developed by the museum and Fuji film at an earlier stage for the commercial market,, but proved to be very suitable for a programme for visual impaired visitors. visitors Vincent van Gogh is known for his thick, impasto brush rush technique and the Relievos offered the opp opportunity ortunity to experience his paintings through touch. Touching ouching these reproductions is also a unique experience for sighted participants. participants But I realized that feeling a criss-cross cross of ‘paint’ wouldn’t give a blind person any idea of the representation, the scene of the painting. I looked for 3D items related to the painting of the Sunflowers, Sunflowers for example, or of The Bedroom.. We started looking for the sunflower vase – an antique piece typical of the Provence Provence– and using real sunflowers. We had a model made of Van Goghs bedroom by a lady specialized in making doll houses. h It turned out our showstopper.

A typical Provence pot from the 19th c. similar to the one in Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

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But of course the other senses, like smell and sound, should be put into action too: using the scent of lavender from the south of France,, where Van Gogh lived, and read out quotes from Van Gogh’s letters, letter so you can ‘crawl into his head’. But these were all a my ideas, based on assumptions. It was key to cooperate, cooperate from the start, with the people themselves to find out what would work best for them.

Scale-model of Van Gogh’s painting The Bedroom

Special needs I reached out to Dutch organizations of the blind and partially sighted, did research, and visited to other museums. I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, that has been offering Touch Tours for some fifteen (!) years: a guided tour in the gallery accompanied by touching objects. From this visit sprang a very valuable connection with Equality & Access Advisor Barry Ginley, who is blind himself. He and his assistant came over to the Van Gogh Museum useum to give a one day-training day training to our group of guides. We learned some essentials for object description1):

    



Pay close attention to the speed at which you speak, and pace yourself.

More detailed and complicated information should be taken more slowly, leaving le time for the person form a mental impression of it.

Use the basic information found on a label, such as the name, title or subject of the object as a starting point before the description. The dimensions are especially important to get an idea of size. s Ask questions, this will allow the description to flow and meet the needs of the visitor. (Interactive guided tours are the Van Gogh Museum’s specialty, using Visual Thinking techniques, which came in handy).

Do not be afraid to use words such as: sight sight or see. Use everyday words and terms when describing an object.

Use colour as many blind people who have lost their sight have a visual memory of colours, which will help to build up a picture of the object in their mind.

Explain appropriate sounds, sm smells, ells, etc. which relate to the object to make it come alive.

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We organized two test sessions via blind organizations to see if our set up and objects, smells, and sounds would meet their needs.. They gave good feedback and tips, like:: include music (why didn’t I think of that?), visual impairment differs from individual to individual, individual so offer abroad variety of means (li (like simplified relief images), being together with sighted family or friends was a big thumbs-up. thumbs Now four times a year specially trained guides take the visitors on a tour through the museum galleries, explaining Van Gogh’s gh’s story by means of painting descr description. iption. Then we go to our studio, where – without the noise of the many visitors in the gallery – the guide introduces the Relievos and other interpretative media.

Because of the high demand (we were fully booked within a couple of weeks and have a long waiting wa list) we would like to increase to ten sessions a year.

Multi-sensory session in the studio

Conclusion One of the main objectives of the Van Gogh Museum is making Vincent van Gogh’s life and art accessible to as many people as possible. Feeling Van Gogh has been an important step forward in achieving this.

Connecting with the artworks by appealing to various senses, and discussing Van Gogh’s art together, has resulted in a very positive effect on how visually impaired visitors experience the museum. ‘I had visited the Van Gogh Museum before, but it was mainly something that the other members of my family enjoyed and I was simply dragging my feet. This time I felt I was also participating and that was fun, because you really experience the museum a lot better.’ better. (Robbert –partially sighted participant ) 1) B. Ginley, How to describe museum objects objects, 2015 Van Gogh Museum Stadhouderskade 55 Postbus 75366 1070 AJ Amsterdam The Netherlands T +3120 5705 274 Blokland@vangoghmuseum.nl

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Interpreting Christmas with thanks to the History Channel

AN ANCIENT HOLIDAY The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire.

The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

SATURNALIA In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.

Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome.

In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

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In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia.

Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated.

By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today’s Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the “lord of misrule” and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined “debt” to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.

AN OUTLAW CHRISTMAS In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe.

When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday.

The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident. After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

IRVING REINVENTS CHRISTMAS It wasn’t until the 19th century that Americans began to embrace Christmas. Americans re-invented Christmas, and changed it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia. But what about the 1800s peaked American interest in the holiday?

The early 19th century was a period of class conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was high and gang rioting by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the Christmas season. In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city’s first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed certain members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was celebrated in America.

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In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English manor house. The sketches feature a squire who invited the peasants into his home for the holiday. In contrast to the problems faced in American society, the two groups mingled effortlessly. In Irving’s mind, Christmas should be a peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of wealth or social status. Irving’s fictitious celebrants enjoyed “ancient customs,” including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving’s book, however, was not based on any holiday celebration he had attended – in fact, many historians say that Irving’s account actually “invented” tradition by implying that it described the true customs of the season.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Also around this time, English author Charles Dickens created the classic holiday tale, A Christmas Carol. The story’s message-the importance of charity and good will towards all humankind-struck a powerful chord in the United States and England and showed members of Victorian society the benefits of celebrating the holiday.

The family was also becoming less disciplined and more sensitive to the emotional needs of children during the early 1800s. Christmas provided families with a day when they could lavish attention-and gifts-on their children without appearing to “spoil” them.

As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a perfect family holiday, old customs were unearthed. People looked toward recent immigrants and Catholic and Episcopalian churches to see how the day should be celebrated. In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards, and gift-giving. Although most families quickly bought into the idea that they were celebrating Christmas how it had been done for centuries, Americans had really re-invented a holiday to fill the cultural needs of a growing nation.

CHRISTMAS FACTS  

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Each year, 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States alone. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.

Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

In the Middle Ages, Christmas celebrations were rowdy and raucous—a lot like today’s Mardi Gras parties.

From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers were fined five shillings.

Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.

The first eggnog made in the United States was consumed in Captain John Smith’s 1607 Jamestown settlement.

Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828.

The Salvation Army has been sending Santa Claus-clad donation collectors into the streets since the 1890s.

Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,” was the product of Robert L. May’s imagination in 1939. The copywriter wrote a poem about the reindeer to help lure customers into the Montgomery Ward department store.

Construction workers started the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition in 1931.

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The Strength of an Interpretive Program’s call to action: How much power do you have?

Lauren Hartling Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre

We all have felt the rush of finishing an interpretive show that felt perfect; our message was clearly woven throughout the fabric of our flowing program and you knew you connected to your guests because they were actively engaged the whole time. It is one of the feelings that make this job so awesome; the understanding that we are linking people to matters that delve beyond the surface of what they might hear in the news or in passing from a friend. We are inspiring them to care or at least give more than a passing thought to the resource that we ourselves are so passionate for (hence why we work where we do).

But what do you do when a bigger statement needs to made with a program? When you need to push the envelope of messages shared in years past because through actions beyond the control of your organization there are negative impacts on the resource that you interpret and love? I recently had this experience while writing a show focused on beluga whales in the Arctic. It is no secret that the Arctic is experiencing rapid climate changes and has been for the past several decades. The issue however becomes “how do you re-engage people with a topic that they are starting to tune out?”

You change the rhetoric.

The glazed over look that passes over some guests when the phrase “climate change” is used is as recognizable as a mosquito (and about as annoying). But have you ever tried rewording your program, for example, using “changing climate” instead of “climate change”?. The first time I heard someone say “changing climate” it actually made me stop and think about what I had just heard. How could such a simple action make such a big difference? But it did!

When you think of the Arctic you might imagine all of the threats polar bears (specifically) are facing because that is the current main conversation. However, at our Aquarium we care for 2 majestic beluga whales. While polar bears do enter the discussion on occasion, our focus is on these cetaceans adapted to survive around packed sea ice. We inherently have a different starting point for conversations than visitors typically encounter. This is vital. Presenting the impacts of changing climate beyond a lack of ice for polar bears to walk on must happen in order for change to be possible. For belugas, the loss of sea ice means a loss of the food web in the Arctic (sort of like no grass for the mice to eat to feed the foxes; in the Arctic algae grows under the ice which feeds the entire Northern food chain). Furthermore, less Arctic ice means predators like killer whales can now enter areas they never could before and eat belugas that are slower and have nowhere to escape to. Less ice means easier passage for ocean liners transporting goods from one continent to another (The first trip of this kind happened in 2013, and it saved time, fuel and trips, allowing the boat to carry more cargo on their route through the Arctic vs. going through the Panama Canal). I am regularly approached by guests after these shows who express that they never imagined that changing climate had such a range of impacts on the Arctic.

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So what can the average person do to make a difference? What power do we have against a corporation looking to save money and time in travel, or looking to expand Arctic energy exploration?

Your call to action has the power.

The decision was made by my manager and I to make our beluga show call to action painfully clear to every single guest who experienced the program; that each person has the power to make positive change for places p like the Arctic by informing themselves and voting. This message aligned with the mission of our facility, to “…effect the conservation of aquatic life through display, communication, public programming and education, research and direct action” with the direct action being the key point.

To be clear, we are NOT telling anyone who to vote for, but merely stating that using your vote is a powerful tool we have in our hands. We cannot simply go about our daily lives knowing what we know and doing nothingg about it. Taking the time to inform ourselves of the political position government representatives (globally) have on protecting vulnerable places (or their stance on supporting education, science or their stance on affordable healthcare… it works for everything) everything) is the most powerful thing our visitors can do.

I wasn’t sure what the reaction from guests would be when this message was first used but I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer volume of positive feedback received from visitors. They were excited excit to see that “someone was saying something”. Seeing guests nodding along as I share this call to action, making eye contact with me, and smiling encouragement for such a simple but bold message makes the message’s power clear.

Many nonprofit organizations ns need to be incredibly careful of what they say and how they say it as many of us receive grants that make our work possible. Obviously knowing your organization’s mission statement is important. But in the end, the reality is that our job as an interpreter interpreter can really be evaluated on the effectiveness of our program in connecting to guests. I have to say that for me personally, I never appreciated how powerful an interpretive program could be until this beluga show went live in 2014 and I heard praise from fro our visitors.

We as interpreters are incredibly passionate and powerful already, but I hope that all interpretive facilities already do or will be inspired to make their programs even more powerful than they already are.

Lauren Hartling Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre Lauren.Hartling@vanaqua.org

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JVA InterpNews

The Art of Interpreting State Fish Hatcheries By Maureen Stine

Celebrates his 30th egg-take at the Oden State Fish Hatchery_2015

Have you ever visited a state fish hatchery? They serve as some of the most outstanding examples of quality conservation management in action. Considering our nation’s declining aquatic habitats, growing numbers of poachers, and rising number of licensed anglers, fish hatcheries have become a fundamental means to keep fish populations balanced, especially in states like (Pure) Michigan, where Governor Rick Snyder ranks tourism third in industry. And after directing the interpretive services program at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Southwest Michigan and pioneering the interpretive programs at three of Michigan’s northern fish hatcheries, I can share with some degree of authority that fish hatcheries are also a phenomenal place to get your start in the field of Interpretation. Not only will you find inspiration meeting visitors who hail from all over the globe, but you encounter genuine supporters and adversaries. Not everyone is a fan of rearing fish artificially, yet the opportunity to share the significance of keeping various species from extinction and maintaining an abundance of fish populations, is a tremendous honor to those lucky enough to land these unique occupations. The tough questions are ideal for keeping your interpretive skills sharp; “Why don’t you stock fish at night?” (Predation & the cost of salaries), “Why do you use all of these chemicals? (To suppress disease brought on by containment in close quarters). Additionally, you’re encouraged to engage in cool hands-on activities such as fishing yearround with visitors and get paid for it! What could be better?

Children painting Lead Free Fishing Jigs_2015 (left photo).

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The Birth of Interpretation in Michigan Since their inception, state fish hatcheries have the profound responsibility of implementing egg-takes - the annual process of squeezing eggs from females and fertilizing them using the milt from males, along with rearing young fry to yearling stage and releasing those healthy fish in carefully selected rivers and lakes.

Michigan’s fish hatchery production system began in 1870 as a response to an alarming decline of Whitefish in the Great Lakes, and the origins of interpretation in Michigan arguably began with fish. By 1940 state fish hatcheries were already highly popular tourist destinations with hundreds of travelers flocking to state hatcheries to catch a glimpse of fisheries management up close. During this year, the Oden State Fish Hatchery located in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan had been operating for 20 years and according to historical journals kept by hatchery management, lake sturgeon, currently listed as a state threatened species, were their most celebrated species with the visiting public. Michigan’s first documented hiring of interpretive staff came from the state’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). On April 15, 1940, James Wilkinson of the Michigan Department of Conservation completed Project Proposal Form #402 requesting that the CCC Camp in the nearby town of Wolverine “provide two enrollees for the Oden State Fish Hatchery starting approximately June 15 [1940], to assist Oden Hatchery personnel in guiding visitors about hatchery and explaining its operation.” This bid helped give rise to the present-day interpretive staff now stationed at all six state fish hatcheries managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

Tricks of the Trade Upon serving the MDNR in the state’s hatchery system for nearly a decade, I learned some interpretive activities from biologist and students I hired over the years which I have used many times in my career. One such activity entitled, “Getting Jiggy With it” enables participants to use heat to power-paint a lead-free fishing jig and accompanies a fantastic lead-free tackle message with discussion on the detrimental effects of lead on wildlife. Here is how it works:

 Unfortunately not many vendors make and sell lead free fishing tackle. I use Timmy Tom’s Lead Free Jig Company in Arkansas.  Many larger sporting goods stores sell the powder paint used to color the jigs.  Big box stores will carry small tin can sternos to use as a heat source.  You’ll also need a lighter to light the sternos, a pair of fishing hemostats for kids to hold the jig in place as they heat the jig over the sterno and a cup of water per participant to cool the jig after it has been painted.  Pick up some coin envelopes from an office supply store to carry the finished jigs in. You could use other envelopes but the coin style are small and thick and strong.

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Light the sterno Clip the jig in place with the hemostats Hand the hemostats with the jig in place to the child Warn the participants about the fire source coming from sterno, (you can’t really see that the sterno is on fire in the mid-day sun) and participant want to touch their jig before it has been cooled so tell them, hands off.

Have the participant hold the jig in the fire of the sterno without touching the blue or purple chemical in the sterno. Have them hold the jig right in the flame (not touching the chemical in the sterno) and make small movements of their wrist from side to side so that the jig is evenly heated. Count to 20.

Have the participant dip the now super- hot jig into the center of the power paint (you’ll want to have someone hold the plastic jar of paint so the kids do not knock over the jar of paint while their dipping their jig in the center.

Have the participant take the now painted jig and reheat until the power paint is shinny for about 5-10 slow seconds. If they overheat the jig the paint will bubble. Remind participants that every jig is unique and any jig could catch a fish!

Have the participant take their super-hot painted jig and dip in into a cup of cool water for 20 seconds.

Unclip the jig from the hemostats and place the finished painted jig into a coin envelope.

Remind the parents these jigs have the barb still attached and not pressed down. Remind the kids this jig is a tool not a toy.

Safety reminder: Bring aloe or burn cream for use in case someone touches the hot jig. Children will curiously bring the jig close to their face to inspect it while it is still super-heated, keep an eye out for that typical behavior and redirect them if you witness that.

For questions on this and other cool fishing activities contact, Maureen Stine by visiting: www.natureology.me ****************************************************************************** Maureen Stine is a Certified Heritage Interpreter with NAI and serves as the Treasurer of Region 4

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Interpretation in a Nutshell by Allan Randall and Carol Parr Freelance Interpreters Kath Owen, Woodland Trust, Ancient Woodland Engagement Manager The Woodland Trust Interpretation Toolkit An interpretation toolkit for volunteers and others engaged in developing interpretation for the first time. The toolkit is supported by 15 case studies which provide examples of experience based interpretation.

Here is the link for you to have a look: http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/about-us/ancient-woodland-restoration/advice-and-support/engage-peopleon-site/ 1. The rationale for the toolkit Engaging people within an (ancient) woodland through interpretation The Woodland Trust is the UK's largest woodland conservation charity and a leading voice for woods and trees. We campaign to protect precious ancient woodland and restore any that are damaged. We hope to inspire people up and down the country to visit woods, plant trees, treasure wildlife, and enjoy the overwhelming benefits that woods and trees offer to our landscape and lives.

Ancient woodland supports hundreds of species and a variety of habitats across the UK. From Caledonian pine woods in Scotland to beech woods in the south east of England; each one is unique and irreplaceable. They are wildlife and heritage strongholds, where you can often find important features from our past. Today, ancient woodland covers just two percent of the UK and is under increasing threat. Almost half of what remains is in need of restoration as a result of the damaging effects of non-native conifers and invasive species.

The Woodland Trust is leading an exciting five year partnership project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Forestry Trust to restore ancient woodlands planted with conifers in 10 key regions around the UK. As well as offering funded advice and help to owners of ancient woodland with the gradual removal of conifers and enhancing key remnant features, the engagement of landowners and the public through a series of learning and training events is a key part of the project.

We want to help those who own publicly accessible woodland to explain what’s happening within their wood when, for example, management operations involving forestry machinery are taking place. We hope to inspire visitors about the importance of ancient woodland and why restoration is necessary. We want to provide ideas on how to plan dynamic and exciting interpretation that is tailored to their woodland.

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As well as providing interpretation ideas for woodland owners who are restoring their ancient woods, this toolkit can also be applied to woods of any age or structure. The core concepts in the toolkit can be taken and adapted to suit a variety of groups such as NGOs, community groups and local authorities and help them meet their individual goals. The toolkit offers a number of unique ideas to get people thinking about taking their onsite interpretation beyond interpretation panels. By inspiring people to plan their own exciting and innovative interpretation, in a style that’s appropriate to their woodland, we hope to encourage more audience-focused messaging that tells the story of the history and conservation of our ancient woods. “We were lucky to be able to work with Allan Randall from Focused Learning, together with Interpretive Planner, Carol Parr , and Mike Foster of Maltings Partnership to bring this exciting piece of work to life."

(Katherine Owen, Ancient Woodland Restoration Engagement Manager).

The toolkit is an exciting opportunity for everyone who owns woodland and for the Woodland Trust to also look at how we reach people within our woods through interpretation. We look forward to receiving feedback on the content of the toolkit and this will help us with our work in the future.

2. The Toolkit Creating the Interpretation Toolkit presented an opportunity for us to step aside from our busy schedules of writing and delivering interpretation plans and go back to the basic principles of what interpretive planning is all about. Over the last fifteen years we've developed some fifty or more interpretation plans for sites, buildings and collections as diverse as historic churches, art galleries, industrial heritage sites and country parks.

Over the years, the processes involved have become second nature. An Interpretive Planning Model is lurking somewhere in the portfolio, but rarely gets an airing. Now our task was to revisit that planning model, take it to bits and put it back together in a format that will inform, encourage and hopefully inspire anyone who finds themselves faced with planning or delivering interpretation for the first time.

One early decision was to make the Toolkit visually appealing. The Woodland Trust image library provided a treasure trove of stunning photographs. Where there wasn't a photograph to fit the situation, our talented illustrators, Maltings Partnership, created bespoke illustrations enabling us to present ideas and processes without the need for reams of text.

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Another key consideration was to present the process of interpretive planning as concisely as possible - "in a nutshell". The Toolkit starts by explaining what interpretation is and why it's important. It then takes a step by step approach leading the reader through a series of logical stages: Start by thinking about ... 

Why provide interpretation - what do you hope to achieve?

Establish clear aims and objectives.

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What stories will you tell - what are the things that you want your visitors to know and appreciate?

How can you celebrate the spirit of place?

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Who is the interpretation for - what interests and needs do your visitors have?

Who are your target audiences?

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Where will people find it - how will you reach your target audiences?

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When will it have most impact - can stories be linked to seasonal activity?

Capture the moment.

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Who will deliver the interpretation - what skills are needed and who can you involve?

Answering each of these will help you to crack the big question ...  How will your interpretation be presented - what is the best media for your site, your messages, your audiences and your budget?

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The Toolkit was designed to be used online. It has hyperlinks that allow readers to navigate quickly between sections and find supporting information, examples and tips. It provides guidance on:  writing themes and storylines  identifying and understanding target audiences  pros and cons of different interpretive media and activities  evaluation techniques  buying in professional help  finding sources of funding  finding suppliers.

Another key consideration was to provide inspiration through examples. The main Toolkit is supported by a series of Case Studies.

3. The case studies The case studies have been chosen from real life examples of practical, experiential, hands on activities. We have visited a large number of outdoor sites, which include woodland or parkland, to select successful activities that have stood the test of time and are well supported. Some of these activities attract a regular audience and have become well established events, other activities are designed to provide engaging experiences for occasional visitors. We have endeavoured to provide a range of case studies covering activities suitable for a wide audience, ranging from families with young children to active adults, enthusiasts to casual participants and the knowledgeable to the beginner.

The fifteen case studies can be divided by themes. These include the arts, walkers and explorers, health, woodland crafts and survival. The audio trail and geocaching case studies introduce digital technology applications, whilst at the other end of the scale, foraging for food and painting with plants provide activities that require little in the way of resources.

Art based activities include:    

Painting with flowers Sculpture Woodland soundscapes Woodland crafts

Healthy living activities:    

Foraging Nordic walking Natural play Woodland survival

Digital media activities:  

Audio trails Geocaching

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Walking activities:     

How to plan a walk Destination walks Permissive footpaths Guided walks Self-led walks

Exploring woodland with natural play.

Collect the lines of a poem as you walk.

Developing the case studies brought us into contact with a wide range of people and organisations whose activities were enriching and life enhancing. Our consultation showed us that interpretation can be enhanced by introducing elements from outside our normal experiences. Truly engaging interpretation is being delivered by exceptional people, such as John Blunt who has created an extensive network of permissive paths linked by poems on stiles in his woodland; Steve Burrell who has created a foraging trail with disadvantaged and disaffected young people; and Dave Watson who is running survival courses in remote woodland. In one way or another they are all interpreting the woodland landscape.

We hope that you will dip into the Ancient Woodland Restoration Interpretation Toolkit and find something useful and inspiring for your projects.

For more information: www.heritage-now.uk

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Rich Pawling’s History Alive! to join the Heritage Interpretation Training Center Team The Heritage Interpretation Training Center is very pleased to announce that Rich Pawling's History Alive! is developing one of our newest courses for 2016:

Introduction to Developing Living History Characters and Delivering Living History Programs 10 Units, 3 CEU Credits ($275) - Launching in January 2016 The Course Units include: - Unit One - Interpretation Defined - Unit Two – The Value of Interpretation * The Interpreter/Living /Living Historian vs. the Reenactor * Where to start? Choosing the character to portray - Unit Three – Selecting the Best Interpretive Method * Methods of Interpretation - 1st person, 3rd person, spirit past - Unit Four – Designing the Character - Unit Five – Making the Character Come Alive!

- Unit Six – Continually Adapting pting Your Character to Your Audience - Unit Seven – Preparation Builds Confidence - Unit Eight – Controversy Builds Interest - Unit Nine – Safety is #1 - Unit Ten – The Total Package = Success!

About the Instructor: Professor Richard Pawling Rich Pawling has over thirty-five five years of experience interpreting the natural and cultural heritage of the United States. Beginning his interpretive career as an environmental educator and later historian historian-naturalist at local and state parks, ks, his evolution into living history began while employed as a National Park Service ranger at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. To help visitors there understand that this now pristine site was actually a dirty, smoky iron furnace in the 1830s, he chose to portray the charcoal dust dust-covered, tobaccochewing filler of the furnace in first person. He was honored with the Freeman Tilden Award for the MidAtlantic Region of the NPS for his efforts in designing and presenting this program about the "forgotten "forg heroes" of the past - the common laborers. In 1991, he launched Rich Pawling’s History Alive! - his own entrepreneurial venture. His unique teaching style twice won him the Outstanding Adjunct Professor of the Year award at Penn State Berks.. Most recently, rec he was a full-time time instructor of natural and cultural interpretation at Hocking College (Ohio)--inspiring (Ohio) the next generation of interpreters interprete and retiring from in-class teaching in 2010.

For course content details and registration information you're invited to visit the course webpage at: www.richpawling.com (clicking on “e-LIVE Course” under the “Training” tab) or contact Rich at: richpawling@yahoo.com. The course fee includes pdf segments of Rich's book: Old Clothes: But All I Wanted to Do Was Wear Old Clothes and Go Back to the Past.

Past

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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 156,000 readers in 38 Countries. And it's FREE - yes FREE (send us an e-mail to request it).

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

Want to learn more about our range of services world-wide? jvainterp@aol.com www.heritageinterp.com

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Interpretive Training - on-line or live at your site - 22 college level interpretive training courses are available with more coming.

Our e-live on-line interpretive training currently offers 22 different college level interpretive training courses including: - Introduction to Heritage Interpretation Course. 14 Units - 2 CEU credits. $150.00 http://www.heritageinterp.com/introduction_to_heritage_interpretation_course.html - Developing Marketing Plans for Heritage Interpretation & Tourism Sites and Attractions.12 Units, 4 CEU's $300.00 http://www.heritageinterp.com/developing_marketing_plans_for_heritate__tourism_.html - Interpretive Writing e-LIVE Course - 8 Units and 2 CEU Credits $200.00 http://www.heritageinterp.com/interpretive_writing_course.html Check out our complete course catalog: http://www.heritageinterp.com/interpretive_training_center_course_catalogue_.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).