Transcript Slide 1

INTERPRETING TRAILS – THE NEED FOR STANDARDS
INTERPRETING TRAILS
– THE NEED FOR STANDARDS
Presentation by
Tom Perrigo
Chief Executive Officer
The National Trust of Australia (WA)
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THE
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THENEED
NEED FOR
FOR STANDARDS
Interpretation is commonly defined as:
“a means of communicating ideas and feelings which
help people understand more about themselves and
their environment” (Interpretation Australia
Association).
Recently it was described as presentation:
“presentation of a place to visitors”
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THE
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THENEED
NEED FOR
FOR STANDARDS
The primary purposes of this presentation
are:
• To advocate that interpretation is an essential tool of
management.
• To develop knowledge, awareness, understanding and
commitment of interpretation by the trail industry.
• To assist in the above processes by providing some
basic examples for developing guidelines for an
interpretation plan.
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THE
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THENEED
NEED FOR
FOR STANDARDS
Tilden’s definition:
“An educational activity which aims
to reveal meanings and relationships
through the use of original objects,
by firsthand experiences and by
illustrative media rather than simply
to communicate factual information”.
Freeman Tilden
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THE
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THENEED
NEED FOR
FOR STANDARDS
The principles are:
 Any interpretation that does not somehow
relate what is being described to
something within the personality or
experience of the visitor will be sterile.
 Information is not interpretation
(interpretation is revelation based on
information).
 Interpretation is an art, which includes and
combines many disciplines.
 The main aim of interpretation is
provocation (not instruction).
 Interpretation should aim to present a
whole rather than a part. It involves all the
senses as well as intellect and emotions.
 Interpretation for children is different from
that for adults (separate programs for
each are required).
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THE
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
– THENEED
NEED FOR
FOR STANDARDS
 Knowledge, awareness, understanding and
commitment to best practice interpretation remains
alarmingly low.
 Available resources are not being effectively or
efficiently utilized and to some degree wasted.
 Many interpretation projects are sub-standard, in that
they lack an overall plan.
 interpretation is not given the respect from key
management.
So how can all this be changed?
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
––
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
My hypothesis is that change is possible,
if we make the process :
• simple,
• accessible,
• user friendly and
• fun.
and if:
we acknowledge and accept the essential
role of interpretation in the management of
trails.
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
––
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
The warning signs:
• Have visitor numbers significantly increased
or is growth flat lined?
• Do you have real community support?
• Are grants increasing?
• Is membership improving?
• Are numbers of volunteers increasing?
• Are your visitors coming back?
• Are they (and you) having fun?
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING TRAILS
TRAILS –– THE
THE NEED
NEED FOR
FOR STANDARDS
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
Management Plan for Heritage Places
Interpretation Plan
IDEAL
Business Plan
Conservation Plan
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
––
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
Interpretation is an essential component
of a management plan. Through it:
• visitors will be inspired – this will lead to increased
commitment;
• visitors numbers and the duration of their stay will
increase;
• visitors are more likely to come again;
• visitor diversity (user patterns) will increase; and
• grants and other support are likely to increase
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
––
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
Here is a model:
• Spend extra time identifying the
After the first three
vision.
steps, review and
• Prepare an inventory and review analyse the results.
all currently available information,
Compare and
marketing material, educational
contrast the
matter and infrastructure eg
objectives with the
signs, brochures etc.
values which makes
• Analyse the special values of
place special.
the place.
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
––
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
Analyse the visitor and their
requirements.
Start to put it all together.
Review and evaluate.
Who are the visitors – real and Understand the values of
actual?
the place, what is currently
available, the visitor and
Equally important who aren’t
management requirement.
the visitor and why or why
not?
Develop a general thematic
framework.
This done, one can then
identify the themes or stories Then construct the basis of
an interpretative plan.
which are essential and
desirable.
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
Control
INTERPRETING
TRAILS – THE NEED FOR STANDARDS
De Bono Hat`s
Creativity
“growth”
Information
Emotion
“sky”
In simple terms, he devised a
process which enables a group to
move towards constructive dialogue
as everyone uses the same mode of
thinking characterized by a different
colour of hat at the same time.
The result is that many perspectives are
reviewed at the same time and a
productive conclusion is reached, rather
than arguments.
“warmth"
Benefits
Caution
“sunshine”
“pure facts”
“caution”
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
––
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
• Realize that money and other resources will always
restrict the plan but it must not limit it.
• Plan and develop a staged process which can be
built upon as research as resources become
available.
• Personal and non-personal techniques much be
utilized, evaluated and improved over time.
• Utilize the web – it is an extremely essential
technique that acclimatize the visitor, as well as a
source of standards
• Understand the issues of readability
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
––
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
INTERPRETING
TRAILS
THE
NEED
FOR
STANDARDS
Bryce Courtney:
“I only write 50% of my books. The other
50% is in the readers imagination.”
This should be a goal
for all trail planners.
The
NATIONAL
National Trust
TRUST