Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Korean National Arboretum Project


JVA, working with Dr. Ju-Hee Lee of Daegu University (Korea), will begin working on a new projet for the Korean National Arboretum, developing an interpretive training program/exibit planning training program, for Arboretum Staff. I will be working on a strategy for training people who want to be an expert on Interpretive Education and Exhibit Planning in Arboretum settings. I am also charged with developing the curricula for the training program as well as lesson plans, teaching aides and related materials, all of which will be translated into Korean. I just finished my new book "An Interpretive Trainers Handbook" which will be incorporated into the training program.
I will post more on this project as we develop it further.
jv

Thursday, May 19, 2011

COE Advanced Interp. Training Course



We are just finishing up our 2011 Army Corps of Engineers Advanced Interpretive Training Course in St. Louis, MO. This was a 5 day interpretation course that included having the participants do a critique of exhibits at the National Great Rivers Museum and Lock & Dam, on the Mississippi River. Here are some pics of the participants. The exhibits were generally very good, but the group had some excellent ideas for exhibit updating, and reinforcing the interpretive theme.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Bonnet Carrie Spillway



Just saw the news that the levy at the Bonnet Carrie Spillway was opened to help releive water pressure on the Misissippi. We did the interpretive plan for the BC spillway, including auto tours in the basin, and many different interpretive kiosks and panels there too. Fountinately the interpretive media haven't been fabricated yet or all our work would be "underwater" now. Here is a pic of the BC spillway opening to allow the water flow into the basin (bottom photo). In the top photo, everything to the right of the spillway is now underwater!