March Updates

Hi Folks,

Thought it was time for an update. The photo is from my April Army Corps of Engineers Interpretive Services Course - a 4-day course. In the photo, they are at our field trip site working on developing interpretive panels as part of an interpretive trail plan. A repeat of this course is scheduled for June, with a 4-day advanced interpretation course set for May.

What else is new:

* Working on the COE Atchafalaya Basin – Indian Bayou Area Interpretive Plan . A draft plan copy went out to the client last week.
* Finishing up the Interpretive Plan for the American Chestnut Land Trust - that plan will go out on Monday.
* Finishing up work for for Susquehanna River Corridor project - self-guiding auto tour booklet and pod-cast audio edits from interviews. That will go out next week too.
* Preparing for a project start up with the Brown EE Center, in Ohio - that starts in two weeks after some "snow delays" for the origingal trip last month.
* Sent draft interpretive objectives and theme for the Ft. Gartiot Lighthouse Interpretive project - that project is moving along.
* Getting ready for a trip to Panama in April.

So you can see why I haven't had time to blog too much lately. I am ready for spring - how about you?

Cheers,
JV

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Project

Yesterday we began our Fort Gratiot Lighthouse interpretive planning project with a site visit and tour of the several buildings in the complex, and of course, the lighthouse itself. Other buildings on site include the keeper's houses, foghorn building and coast guard crew quarters. All the buildings and grounds were just recently transfered from Coast Guard ownership over to St. Clair County Parks. The Coast Guard built a new complex and headquarters next door to this site. Yesterday we also did a public meeting to get development ideas and interpretive needs and subjects from the community.
As you can see from the photo, this is a cold, cold, cold place in winter. I was totally impressed with the wealth of heritage sites/museums in Port Huron, MI, the location of the Fort Gratiot Light. Some serious Heritage Interpretation and Tourism when everything is fully developed and connected.

Interpretive Training Updates

Hi folks,

We just finished the first of two Interpretive Services Courses for the US Army
Corps of Engineers Rangers/Intepreters, here in Huntsville, AL. These are 4 day courses and we award 1.9 CEU credits for the participants. We will be repeating this course on Monday and complete this batch of training on Feb. 3rd. The course will be presented again in June.

JVA was also just awarded the contract to present the Advanced Interpretation Course, for COE Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders. This course will be held in May in St. Louis, MO.

When I return to Michigan at the end of the week I only have a few days at home as Monhday I am off to Port Huron, MI to start the Interpretive Plan for our Lighthouse projet. It's good to be busy.

The photos are my class at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge - our field trip site -where they are working on developing interpretive panels for several different trails there.

For more information on these projects you can check my web site: http://www.heritageinterp.com.

Getting Ready for 2011.

Hi folks, Happy New Year. It looks like 2011 will be a busy one for JVA. We start two new projects this month noted in recent blogs. In addition, we have two training courses for the Corps of Engineers to teach at the end of January as well. We completed the Interpretive Plan for the NPS Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS, and the Civil War Lanadscape Museum Project in Georgia in November/December 2010. It's cold with snow here in Michigan today, so I thought a Spring scene from the Snowdonia NP Training Center in Wales would warm things up. I will be back there in May for the start of our 2011 UK training courses. Hope you all have a great New Year. jv

Merry Christmas

Another Christmas is almost over - time sure does go quickly. My family and I want to wish everyone a great holiday and New Year. We have lots of new projects starting in 2011, so more on that later. Rest, relax and enjoy the spirit of the day. But be careful of what you wish for - I just wanted a monkey!!!

Never Stop Learning !!

Just a quick note. I recently completed two E-courses offered by Illinois University, the Eppley Center and National Park Service:
- Foundations of Interpretation
- Training and Coaching Interpreters.
Even though I have been doing this for 30+ years, I feel that no matter how much you think you know, you can always learn more. These two courses were a good refresher, and the Training and Coaching Interpreters course gave me lots of new ideas I can apply in my next training course, with the Corps of Engineers in January 2011.
Here is the link for Illinois University/Epply center if you'd like to check it out. http://eppley.org/elearning/course-catalog/interpretation. I am starting a new project as well, but can't talk about it yet :) Lots of new work for a business Christmas Present. More news in a week or so. Merry Christmas.

New Environmental Center Project

JVA has been contracted to develop the Interpretive Master Plan for the Brown Family Environmental Center at Kenyon College, in Ganbier, Ohio. The mission of the Center is to support the education goals of Kenyon College providing opportunities for the study of organisms and habitats, and by conserving the natural and cultural diversity and history of the Kokosing River Valley. We will start work on this project right way and target completion in March 2011. You can visit the Center's web site for more information about their on-going program and services at: http://bfec.kenyon.edu/welcomeset1.htm.