InterSection The magazine of the National Association for Interpretation’s Sections
Leadership
Volume 1, Number 6 December 2012
NAI Sections Visit www.naisections.org for more information. P.O. Box 2246 Fort Collins, CO 80522 888-900-8283 toll-free 970-484-8283 970-484-8179 fax www.interpnet.com
board of directors Executive Committee Amy Lethbridge, President Cem Basman, VP for Administration John C.F. Luzader, VP for Programs Amy Burnett, Secretary Theresa Coble, Treasurer At-Large Representatives K.C. DenDooven David Knotts Mike Whatley Region Leadership Council Representatives Tom Mullin (Chair) Kevin Damstra Chuck Lennox John Miller Section Leadership Council Representatives Travis Williams (Chair) Jane Beattie Todd Bridgewater Duane Fast staff Paul Caputo, Interim Executive Director Jamie King, Membership Manager Deborah Tewell, Events Manager Beth Bartholomew, Business Manager Emily Jacobs, Certification & Training Program Manager Carrie Miller, Certification Program Specialist Sheila Caputo, Administrative Assistant NAI’s mission is to inspire leadership and excellence to advance heritage interpretation as a profession. Interpretation is a mission-based communication process that forges emotional and intellectual connections between the interests of the audience and the meanings inherent in the resource.
2
InterSection
CILH
Cultural Interpretation/Living History
CINP
Council for the Interpretation of Native Peoples
CUA
College and University Academic
EE
(featured on page 8)
Environmental Education
IM
Interpretive Media
IN
Interpretive Naturalist
INTL
(featured on page 14)
International Interpretation
IT
Interpretation and Tourism
NCDA
(featured on page 10)
ZWPA
(featured on page 4, 6, and 7)
Nature Center Directors/Administrators Zoos, Wildlife Parks, and Aquaria
Contents 4
Inter Section Volume 1, Number 6 December 2012
ZWPA
Foreseeing the Future Terry Joyce
6
ZWPA
Work Your Plan Laura Beers
7
ZWPA
To ZWPA Members, Leadership Team, & Board Dennis Fredriksen
8
ON THE COVER: Planning doesn’t require a crystal ball. See page 4.
EE
When You Can’t Get the Class to the Resource, Take the Resource to the Class Roseana Burick
10
NCDA
NCDA Roadshow a Hit! Jamie Krupka
14
INTL
International Conference 2013 Duane Fast
National Association for Interpretation
3
Zoos, Wildlife Parks, and Aquaria
Foreseeing the Future ZWPA Plans for the Next Year and Beyond Terry Joyce, CIT, CIG, CIHT SecretaryTreasurer, ZWPA Education Specialist, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
4
InterSection
It was a dark and stormy night. As I walked down the lonely alleyway, all I could hear were my footsteps on the hard concrete and my beating heart pounding in my ear. Then I saw it: the glow of the light from her window. “Learn the future” read the sign from Madame Zora’s establishment. She welcomed me inside and led me to a room with velvet curtains on the walls. As I sat, she looked into the crystal ball on the table and told a tale of what was to become…. Fortunately for us, as ZWPA Members, we do not need a crystal ball or tarot cards to tell the future of our section. What we do have is a member survey; a survey to guide us into planning the future of our section for the next year or two or three. In October, I, along with ZWPA Member Tracy Sullivan of the Mystic Aquarium, helped craft our member survey with questions that would lead us to discovering what our sections’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are currently, in other words, a SWOT Analysis. Of our almost 800 ZWPA Members (a record high), 98 of you responded to our survey. While we are still looking through and discussing what to do with our newfound
information, the ZWPA Leadership Board thought that we should share some of the data with our members. Here is some of what we found: Who We Are 1. We are young! Not necessarily in terms of age (we didn’t ask that at this time), but in length of membership to ZWPA. Most of our members have been members for only 5 years or less. Of those that have been members for 5 years or less, half have been members for 1 year or less. 2. Most of our members work/volunteer at a zoo facility. Those that work in aquariums are the next highest in number followed by those at wildlife facilities. There are a decent amount of members that are members of ZWPA, but do not currently work or volunteer at those institutions, rather they work for universities, nature parks, are self-employed or work for privately owned consulting agencies.
Question: What services does ZWPA provide that you utilize? (Top 3 answers) 1. Newsletter 2. Annual InterpNET Conference 3. Professional Development Opportunities Question: What type of Interpretation most interests you? (Top 3 answers) 1. Interpretive Conversations (short oneon-one interpretations) 2. Interpretation in Captive Audience Settings 3. Interpretation & Inquiry Question: What topics would you like shared in a conference or webinar? (Top 3 answers) 1. Training & Evaluation 2. Connecting Visitors to Animals/Using Animals & Biofacts in Programs 3. Improving Interpretive Skills 3. ZWPA members that responded to the survey primarily work the frontline with the public at their facility as educators, interpreters and volunteer interpreters. Managers of departments or programs followed closely behind with other roles such as animal keepers, exhibit designers and researchers at a minority. The following are a sampling of some of the questions asked and the top 3 responses found for each question: Question: How does ZWPA fit your needs professionally? (Top 3 answers) 1. Provides networking 2. NAI best practices 3. Sharing of ideas between similar institutions Question: What services could ZWPA improve upon? (Top 3 answers) 1. Interpretation Tips (specific to ZWPA) 2. Networking 3. Professional Development
Question: Our program tracks are exhibits, collections, management/leadership, planning, and programs. Which of these tracks do you feel are most useful to you? (Top 3 answers) 1. Programs 2. Management/Leadership 3. Exhibits So now that you have seen some of the questions and responses, the next question is where does ZWPA go from here? Well, we can go to a psychic and ask our future, or we can create a plan to reorganize our section based on the information received in our survey. Our first step is to restructure the Leadership Team and create our 2013 Operation Plan by our deadline of December 31, 2012. We will be reviewing the new NAI Bi-laws and incorporating the feedback received in this survey and the survey sent to the Leadership Team Members. Our hope is with this new plan we will create a more useful, stream-lined section to better serve our members for the next few years to come.
Share your thoughts at http://naisections.org/ZWPA/2012/12/01/foreseeing-the-future
National Association for Interpretation
5
Zoos, Wildlife Parks, and Aquaria
Work Your Plan
Laura Beers Disney’s Animal Kingdom
To be honest, when I learned that the next topic to write about was to involve planning, I was hit with the mixed bag of emotions I usually feel when planning anything. On one hand, I am excited to begin the process and get to the end result, and on the other hand, I am dreading the process and trying to determine where to begin and where to go and whom to get involved. The planning process can also become more complicated and have different expectations if the project was delivered from what I call “top down” (assigned by leadership) or “bottom up” (suggested by non-leadership). No matter how I feel about the project or its origin, I find it best to start with the end in mind and then establish everything else so I can work my plan. For me, the end is my objective. How will your organization determine if the project or product was a success? The only way to test success is to measure it against objectives. I am a big advocate for evaluation and feel that all zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums should evaluate their work more frequently. If you incorporate objectives into your
programs and evaluate them soon after a visitor experiences the product, you will quickly learn if you need to return to the planning process to tweak some details or have proven that you are meeting or exceeding your objectives. Once you have set your objectives, identify the players who are involved with each stage of the planning and determine if you need a project manager (in most cases you do). If there are multiple people involved, delegate responsibilities and set multiple deadlines. It is imperative to set multiple deadlines so you and/ or your team have an understanding of what needs to be done and by when. Also, by setting multiple deadlines, it should decrease and possibly eliminate unnecessary check-ins with the project manager, which can take up valuable time. Another aspect of delegating responsibilities is determining what resources are needed to meet the planning deadlines such as allocating a budget or prioritizing other projects to complete the current project. One question that will help you work your
Share your thoughts at http://naisections.org/ZWPA/2012/12/02/work-your-plan
6
InterSection
plan is to ask the question why and ask it a lot! “Why” can be the most revealing question during planning. I have found that if the answer begins with a “because…” it may be a reactive or emotional solution or reason. Depending on the project, “because” can mean that we have always done it that way, which means it is time for a change. If the answer begins with an “in order to…” or “so that...” it is generally a proactive or positive solution. There is a variety of ways that one can plan and reach a successful outcome. What I have shared is just one approach. We have all heard the age-old proverb “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” Let that be a lesson to us all to not only plan but to work our plan too!
To ZWPA Members, Leadership Team, & Board Please convey my thanks once again for being the recipient of the ZWPA scholarship this year to the national workshop of NAI. I received many benefits from attending this event that I believe will enhance my work at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The workshops I attended related well to frontline interpretation. I have some new ideas to enhance what I am already doing as well as ideas for new ventures. The offsite experiences provided examples of 1st person interpretation and national parks historical interpretation. I was impressed. I would like to attempt some 1st person interpretation at the zoo. The people at the workshop were inviting and friendly, and I felt as though I belonged. It was a super experience. Thanks again, Dennis Fredriksen Cleveland MetroparksZoo ZWPA / NIW Scholarship Recipient
Share your thoughts at http://tinyurl.com/an9ej2g
National Association for Interpretation
7
Environmental Education
When You Can’t Get the Class to the Resource, Take the Resource to the Class Roseana Burick Natural Resource Specialist, Outreach and Water Safety Coordinator, John H Kerr Reservoir
Working at John H Kerr Reservoir affords me many hours around the water, but most of my interpretive programs are indoors and away from the resource. We’ve come up with the perfect way to take a piece of our lake into the classroom, library, church, or anywhere else they will have us. The program is called “Who Polluted Kerr Lake”. It teaches participants about the history of the area and how water quality has changed over time. It’s a great activity to get people involved and help them understand not only what goes into the lake, but also how they can help improve it. Who Polluted Kerr Lake Each student will get 1 canister (up to 20 students). (Do not use doubles if 16 or lesser student.) 2 2 2 2 1 1 1
Construction = ½ dry clay soil People Fishing = tangled fishing line Factory = ¼ canister of vinegar Farmer = ¼ tsp baking soda Trees = dry, crumbled leaves Barnyard = 1 Tbs. old coffee Homeowner = full canister of yellow food coloring & toilet paper 1 Family Picnic = Styrofoam, napkins, foil
8
InterSection
1 Smokestacks = ¼ canister of vinegar 1 Commuters = ¼ canister vinegar & couple drops vegetable oil 1 Gardeners = ¼ tsp of baking soda 1 Antifreeze = 1 Tbs. blue/green food coloring, diluted 1 Washing Car = ½ canister of soapy water 1 Motorboat = ¼ tsp vegetable oil 1 Beach Party = pull-tabs, Styrofoam 1 Mystery Liquid = ¼ tsp of diluted red food coloring Focusing Event: Q) What are some of the ways that people use Kerr Lake today? Intro: Today we are going to look at how Kerr Lake and the Roanoke River has been used over the last 500 years and how the lake and river have changed because of how humans have used it. Activity: I’m going to read you a story, and each of you are going to play a part. You each have a container—Don’t open it—but do look at the label—When you hear the name of your character mentioned in the story bring your container up to the fishbowl and empty the contents into the bowl—which
represents Kerr Lake. (Story omitted for space concerns. To see an example of the story see the activity “Who Polluted the Potomac” at http://worldsavvy.org/docs/2010_WAC-LessonsPolluted_Potomac.pdf) CONCLUSION 1) Who polluted Kerr Lake? (Everyone played a role) 2) What effect did the increasing human population have on the health of the Lake and ultimately the Roanoke River? (More people meant less wetlands, which filter water. More cars, less open space, etc.) Think about the pollution contained in your canister. 1) Could something be done to prevent that type of thing from entering the water? How? 2) Once this type of pollution has entered the river, how can we get it out? How can we clean up the lake and river? 3) What are some of the ways to clean up the water in this bowl? 4) What could each of us do to help improve of our lake and rivers by preventing some of this pollution? (biking or walking instead of driving, conserving water, picking up litter, pulling weeds instead of spraying them, etc.) Today you learned that we have all contributed in some way to polluting Kerr Lake. And we know from our other activities that not only do we humans depend on Kerr Lake, but the wildlife and plants that make up the river community—also depend on Kerr Lake. Some of you came up with some really good ideas as to how to clean up the river and prevent more pollution from entering Kerr Lake. Try to do some of these things and share what you learned today with your family and friends because they probably don’t know that they may also be polluting Kerr Lake and the Roanoke River. This program is easy to modify for almost any water system so make it work for you. As always have fun and be creative.
National Association for Interpretation
9
Nature Center Directors & Administrators
NCDA Roadshow a Hit!
Jamie Krupka
From Day 1: Sandy Bottom Nature Park (above), Newport News Discovery Center (opposite top), Newport News Park (opposite below).
10 InterSection
The Nature Center Directors and Administrators (NCDA) Section put together another unique look at facilities in the area of the 2012 NIW in Hampton, VA. As part of the two day pre-workshop, the group had a chance to see what parks, nature centers and historical sites are doing to connect with their visitors. The first stop was at Sandy Bottom Nature Park in the city of Hampton. This municipally run nature park has a vast 456 acre property that is rich with wildlife yet nestled amongst the residents of Hampton. It is a newer park that has been operated by the city for less than twenty years though it has a history dating back to the 1950’s when sand was removed from the site for road construction. Huge restoration efforts
have been made on the site to return the property to its former natural diversity. It has also become a flagship park of the City of Hampton with opportunities for people to hike, bike, boat, fish, camp and picnic while learning about the city’s natural heritage. One of the things taken away from the visit was the unique abilities and responsibilities of their ranger staff. Not only do their rangers provide law enforcement but also they manage groups of volunteers, lead interpretive programs and perform conservation and management tasks. The second stop was at the renowned Virginia Living Museum in Newport News. Despite being hit by major flood damage in August of 2012, the museum
was open for us to explore. It’s a great showcase for Virginia wildlife with impressive displays, interactive learning stations and meticulously reproduced native habitats with live animals and plants. A behind the scenes tour was a highlight of the visit. Staff shared the assorted ways they serve thousands of visitors annually, how they maintain their live animal exhibits, and what they do to connect their lesson plans to Virginia learning standards. The museum serves the general public while providing a wide range of program offerings to organized groups that use classroom space inside their museum building. Thanks to more than 400 active volunteers and over twenty staff they are able to meet the
National Association for Interpretation 11
The group out on the road.
12 InterSection
education needs of any group that visits. The last stop on day one was Newport News Park Discovery Center. The Center is located on one of the largest municipal parks in the country where people come to fish, boat, bike, hike, camp, play, and generally enjoy the outdoors. The park was created as a way to preserve the watershed where the Lee Hall Reservoir was created. The reservoir provides fresh water to the City of Newport News. Staff of the Discovery Center use the park’s property and their visitor center building to teach about the park’s natural and cultural history. One of the highlights of the park is that it was the site of a famous skirmish between Union and Confederate troops, called the Battle at Dam #1 that led to the Battle of Williamsburg.
The second day of touring had the group visit two historic sites run by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. The foundation’s 2012-2013 operating budget is $15.1 million though they have an additional $43.5 million dollars to use for maintenance projects and the construction of a new Yorktown Victory Center facility. Both sites are impressive with expansive collections of artifacts numbering over 180,000 pieces that are managed by 180 full-time staff, more than 250 part-time staff and almost 1,000 annual volunteers. Between the two sites, the foundation served nearly 300,000 students at their sites and during outreach programs. Jamestown Settlement is a historic site that tells the story of the people that lived in coastal Virginia prior to the English settlement at Jamestown
in 1607. The 46 acre site has a massive interpretive building with exhibits that tell a story throughout the era it reflects. Outside they have a reproduced Powhatan village, recreated Jamestown Fort, and the three re-created boats from the group that settled in 1607. Each of the three fully sea-worthy ships is used by the staff to tell the story of the settlers. The group was able to explore Susan Constant, the largest of the three ships at 116 feet. Some Roadshow participants also visited the Godspeed and Discovery during their free time. The Yorktown Victory Center highlights the decisive battle that ended the American Revolutionary War. The museum will undergo complete renovation as plans are being made to build a new 80,000 square foot building with exhibits, classroom space, and rentable areas that will be completed in 2016. The new site layout will reorganize the outdoor exhibit area with a new and improved Continental Army encampment and 1780’s farm complete with houses, barns and more structures. It will serve to better tell the story of the American Revolution from multiple points of view. Upon completion, the site will be renamed to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. After two full days of touring natural history and cultural history sites in the Hampton area, the NCDA Roadshow was over but the participants took away many ideas. The group was able to see a broad spectrum of operations both governmental and non-profit and how they communicated their goals to their visitors. It was a agreed by many in the group, that the NCDA Roadshow is a favorite part of attending the NAI National Workshop.
From Day 2: Aboard Susan Constant (top), Yorktown (above).
National Association for Interpretation 13
International
International Conference 2013 Sharing our natural and cultural heritage: interpretation can make us citizens of the world
Saturday 15–Tuesday 18 June 2013 at Sigtuna, Sweden The 2013 international interpretation conference will be held near Stockholm, Sweden’s capital city. The venue will be the Folkhögskola, a college for adult education, in the historic town of Sigtuna on the shores of Lake Mälaren. There are many interesting interpretive sites in the greater Stockholm area such as Skansen, the world’s oldest open air museum, the Vasa Museum with its magnificent 16th century warship, national parks, ancient Viking settlements and much more. This will be a truly global event as the conference is being organized jointly between Interpret Europe, the Swedish Centre for Nature Interpretation at the Swedish Agricultural University [SLU] and the National Association for Interpretation [NAI]. You can sign up at www.interpnet.com/ic.
—Duane Fast
14 InterSection
Important notice There are limited numbers of places available at the conference. As a result, allocations for delegates have been set in the following categories: • • • •
Those based in Sweden Members of Interpret Europe Members of NAI Those who are not in of any of the categories above.
Please make sure to note your NAI membership number on the registration!
National Association for Interpretation 15
Networking Join a community of professional interpreters. Network in person at an NAI National Workshop,
NAI’s mission is to inspire leadership and excellence to advance heritage interpretation as a profession.
NAI International Conference, or online through blogs and social networking sites.
Legacy The magazine of the National Association
for Interpretation
Interpreting Food
Publications NAI’s magazines, academic journals, and newsletters bring you information, inspiration, and opportunities.
Join at www.interpnet.com or call 970-484-8283.
Professional Development NAI’s training and certification program helps interpreters of all experience levels improve their skills.
PICTURED: Kye-joon Cho, Olga Diez Ascaso. ABOVE: (Networking) Susan Immer, Jerome Bridges; (Professional Development) Participants in an NAI certification course.