USFS Interpretation Refresher Training

2016

May 27,

Instructors:
Pat Barry: jpatbarry@hotmail.com
Robin Norris: Robin.C.Norris@usace.army.mil
Natural Resource Specialist, Bonneville Lock and Dam
US Army Corps of Engneers
541-374-4569

Definitions of Interpretation:
National Association for Interpretation: A mission-based communication
process that forges emotional and intellectual connections between the
interests of the audience and the meanings inherent in the resource.
Sam Hams Definition: Interpretation is a mission-based approach to
communication aimed at provoking in audiences the discovery of personal
meaning and the forging of personal connections with things, places, people
and concepts.
USFS Objective FSM 2300 (2390.2, 1): Forge intellectual and emotional
connections between people and the nations forests and grasslands and
community green spaces through meaningful interpretive opportunities.

POETRY OF INTERPRETATION:
Purpose:
What does the U.S. Forest Service want you to do?
What is your mission? Using key messages
Organized:
Tell them what youre going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what
you told them.
How?
Introduction: your introduction should state the theme and the
concepts you will
be talking about.
Body: No more than four major concepts.
Each concept should support the theme. (Pat explain later)

As you move from concept to concept use a transition that

sense
and relates one concept to the

makes
other.

Conclusion: Restate the theme and summarize the points youve

made. A conclusion is important to reinforce your message, and
it tells folks when your program is over. They shouldnt have to
guess is he done now?

Enjoyable:
Effective interpretation is fun.
How?
Smile and be approachable. Have fun, be energetic and
enthusiastic.
Use active verbs (play, involve, creep)
Involve the senses and get your audience to participate. Look,
see, feel, hear.
Show cause and effect (ex: dead salmon in streams)
Use a vehicle (music, art, poetry, demonstration)
Create a contrived situation (what if?

Imagine that)

Humor (only g rated and never about politics, religion or

bathroom habits)

Thematic:
Develop using a tangible and universal concept
To write a theme, complete this sentence: By the end of my
interpretive
program I want visitors to understand
that.
Relevant:
Personalize it: Warm up. Getting to know your audience can help
make your program better. Early interaction with them will
encourage them to participate throughout the program.

Learning about them may give you information to help make

your program relevant to them.
Reference the self. (Think of the last time you.)
Use labeling (people who enjoy nature.)
Make it meaningful: Relate to universal concepts (love, freedom,
hunger)
(hiking,

Connect with something within the audiences frame of reference

camping, driving, eating, etc.)

Bridge the unfamiliar to the familiar with metaphors, similes,

analogies, and
comparisons.
You:
You start the interpretation communication process. You make a
difference on how
visitors perceive and respond to heritage resources.
Keep learning and growing as an
interpreter.
Verbal and Non-verbal skills

Evaluation: Use this technique as a way to help one another improve

your presentations. If you all do the same program, do it for one another
then, after each member presents their program, do a group evaluation only
using the following questions:
Ask the presenter: What did you like about this presentation?
Ask the people viewing the program: What did you like about this
presentation?
Ask the people viewing the program: What would you suggest to make this
program better?

Interpretation Outline:
So how do you put a program together?
A. Write a theme.
B. Decide on your major concepts or sub-themes
C. Write your conclusion.

D. Write your introduction.

It is very easy to want to tell your audience everything you know about a
topic. Dont do it!! Let them ask you questions or go do their own research.
A program with just a lot of information is not interpretation that is why it is
very important to
Sub-themes: decide on three or four. All must relate to the theme!
Conclusion: Restate your theme and summarize your sub-themes. End
with a phrase that lets the audience know you are done and they can leave.
Example: Thank you for joining me today, have a great time exploring the
Columbia River Gorge!
Introduction: This is where you let your audience know
Who you are
Whats going to happen
Where youll be going (if applicable)
Where youll end up (if applicable)
How long its going to take
What will be required of the visitors
Then you zap them with your incredible theme
statement!
When you have given your audience this information, it puts them at ease
and more willing to listen to you.
Be creative by: Using an attention getting statement related to your theme.
Sharing a personal experience (Robins interview story)
Letting them know you welcome questions
Showing your personality
Putting it all together tips for preparing for and giving a good interpretive
program.

Carefully choose a theme

Write out your theme and outline your program including your
concepts.

You could write out your introduction.

Do not write out your program and then memorize it (or read it to your
audience).

Arrive early.

Be aware of your surroundings. Will the audience be comfortable, are

there distractions, can the audience hear you etc

Read your audience. When they fall asleep it is time to move on.

Roving / informal interpretation

Misconceptions about informal interpretation:

Its just chatting with visitors

Theyll pop the question if they want meaning

Theres no prep work needed, it just happens

Its just basic level interp.

Step 1: Special Place (SP)/Resource immersion:

Identify your sites Special Places (SP) to get a fresh grasp on just what you
need to interpret and why.
See it through the eyes of the visitor: Spend time reflecting at the SP
and journal answers to these questions: What tangible resources stand
out to you? What emotional and intellectual connections do you
make? What do you want to learn more about?
Revisit the SPs compelling stories and your sites interpretive themes.
Are there more stories that should be told? Consult planning
documents such as the General Management Plan and the
Comprehensive Interpretive Plan.
Based on personal and management knowledge, are there special
days, times of the day, season, or conditions when you can seize a
special the interpretive opportunity?
For each SP identify the tangibles and intangible means

Step 2: Get to know the visitors at your SPs:

Spend time casually listening to them. Write out answers to the following
questions:
What are their common questions? (Create a Trivia Book for
reference)
What are they interested in?
How long do they stay at the site?
What are the tangibles theyre interacting with?
Can you identify intangibles means they connect with or are searching
for?
Age and education level of the visitors? How does this affect their
perception and interaction with the SP?

Step 3: Preparing for the contact:

1. Identify the most common questions. Are they orientation, information
or interpretive in nature.
Identifying orientation, information, or interpretive questions
Where questions are usually orientation opportunities.
Where is the bathroom?
Where can I fish?
Where can I see big cannons?
What, How, When questions are usually information
opportunities.
What kind of tree is that?
What happened here?
How did this valley form?
When is the best time to see Thunder Hole?
Why questions typically offer an opportunity for interpretation.
Why was this site so important in the war?
Why are all those trees dying?
2. Identify the tangibles and intangibles related to each of the information
and interpretive questions.

3. Keeping in mind the intangibles, brainstorm effective interpretive

techniques you can use to convey these deeper means.
4. Write out an interpretive answer that incorporate these techniques.
5. Review.
a. Does the answer provide a clear link between the tangible and
intangible means?
b. Is your interpretive technique clearly identifiable?
c. Are the emotional and intellectual connections clear?

Step 4: Engage the visitors

Remember even though a lot of planning and preparation needs to go into
each encounter; we must balance our message with visitor interest. Unlike
formal interpretation, informal interpretation is more visitor driven and must
allow room for flexibility and spontaneity. Never inflict interpretation on the
visitor.
Step 5: Reflect
Spend time after the encounter to journal how the contact went. What areas
were you successful in? What areas would you like to improve?

1 Interpretive Question:
.
Why are all the trees dead?
Interpretive Answer:
The pine bark beetle is killing the trees. Under normal conditions, trees
can defend themselves from beetle attacks, just like when youre
healthy you can fight off the germs that cause diseases. But the
suppression of fires over the past century has allowed too many trees
to survive in this forest. These overcrowded conditions force the trees
to compete for limited nutrients and water. This stress is compounded
by the fact that we have been in a drought for the past seven years, so
the trees cant get enough moisture to produce the pitch they need to
push out the beetles. So now we have an unnaturally heavy infestation
of beetles, and many trees are dying.

Which tangible resource(s) did you attempt to link to which

intangible meaning(s)?
Trees defense, conditions, survival, competition, drought, stress,
death
Beetles attack, infestation, natural/unnatural
Fire suppression
Which interpretive technique(s) did you choose?
Self referencing, explanation, cause and effect
Which type(s) of connection(s) did you attempt to facilitate?
I attempted to provide an opportunity for intellectual understanding.

2. Interpretive Question:
Why isnt there a bridge to the other side?
Interpretive Answer:
Although people have, from time to time, proposed building a bridge
across the Grand Canyon, todays management philosophy is that we
should preserve the Canyon in as pristine and wild a state as possible.
It is so rare today to find a place that doesnt have many human
impacts. A bridge might detract from the wild beauty of the Canyon.
Then theres the issue of feasibility. It might take extraordinary
technology to create a bridge that could span ten miles and stand one
mile high!
Which tangible resource(s) did you attempt to link to which
intangible meaning(s)?
Bridge technology, impact, feasibility, technology
Canyon wildness, beauty, rarity, vastness
Which interpretive technique(s) did you choose?
Explanation, statistics
Which type(s) of connection(s) did you attempt to facilitate?
I attempted to provide an opportunity for intellectual understanding.

Reference handouts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Handles
Tour Planning and Delivery
Basic Interpretive Outline
Building Themes Using Tangibles, Intangibles and Universal Concepts
Nature Walk Techniques
Tips for Working with Children
Tips and tricks
Customer Service