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!

Back from Panama

Our Panama trip is over and back home again. Had a great time going through part of the Panama Canal, visiting rain fortest habitats, and visiting Indian villages. I did spend time looking at and photographing different interpretive panels and exhibits, and went on some museum tours. Here are some pics from the trip:
- A Kuna Indian marketplace, they make famous mola embroidery.
- Judi getting a "tatoo" from a Embera Indian woman during a visit to their village.
- Embera village dance performance.
- On a tour boat going through several locks in the Panama Canal.

Books to be out this summer.

Hi folks,
Just got the covers for my two new books. One is the revised/updated version of my original Master Planning text book, and the other a collection of about 20 articles on various aspects of interpretation. They will be out sometime this summer.
Off to Panama tomorrow.
Cheers,
JV

Panama Coming Up.

Looking forward to a get-a-way to Panama for a short 8 day trip. We are looking forward to visiting the canal - of course - as well as interpretive centers and other cultural heritage experiences. We'll be gone from the 13th - 20th of April.

JVA and Heritage Destination Consulting, our UK partner will have some other exciting news to post too in the upcoming weeks. Still lots of work on the desk to wrap up before the 13th. All-in-all, 2011 looks to be a busy year.

New Book Deal in the Works

This is exciting news. My current text book "Interpretive Master Planning" which was published by Acorn Naturalists, just went "out of print", as Acorn wanted to get out of the publishing business. I have been looking for a new publisher, and as chance would have it, found a great one. MuseumEtc - (http://museumsetc.com/) located in Edinburgh, Scotland is going to publish the new "revised edition"of my book. The revised edition has several changes in it including new photographs and planning examples. In addition, I have many articles I have written on interpretation that they are interested in publishing as well, including some of my Interpretive Graphic Standards documents, and new concepts for interpretive planning. So we are looking at a two volume set:

Volume 1: Interpretive Master Planning - Strategies for the New Millennium.
Volume 2: Interpretive Master Planning - Interpretive Philosophy, Theory and Practice Updates

We are working on the details now and may have the two volumes available by mid summer 2011. Details will be posted at my web site: www.heritageinterp.com.

Check out the MuseumEtc. web site for their current book selections.

That's it for now. Still waiting for Spring.
JV

Brown Family Env. Center Project Begins

Hi folks,

It has been a busy past few weeks. The interpretive plan for the American Chestnut Land Trust has been completed and I am moving on to other projects, including starting work on the Brown Family Environmental Center interpretive plan. Spent several days on site walking trails, and enjoying the 70 degree weather. Hope to have a draft done for them this coming week. Also working on finishing up work for the Susquehanna Greenway and the Landscape Museum project in GA. So one down and many to go. Here are some pics of the Brown Family Environmental Center in Ohio from last weeks field trip: their EE Center facility and office (bottom photo), and a view from one of their excellent trails where we are looking at doing a viewing area to interpret their local watershed system and ecology (top photo). You can visit their web site at: http://bfec.kenyon.edu/welcomeset1.htm

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