American Chestnut Land Trust Interpretive Plan

I just finished the start-up meetings here in Maryland with the American Chestnut Land Trust. This group had begun with a few hundred acres of protected land and grown to over 3000 acres of land protecting and conserving important habitats and watersheds. With a paid staff of just three talented people, and a core of dedicated volunteers they now have about 15 miles of trails as well as offering guided walks and more. We finished our initial site visit and conducted a focus workshop to begin teasing out the main interpretive objectives that the interpretive plan will focus on accomplishing. Here are two photos of some of the landscapes. I will be back toward the end of July for a week of site interpretive inventory work and moving the plan forward.

Advanced Interp. Course

Heading home from Huntsville, AL. We finished our Advanced interpretation course yesterday and we had a great group of participants from Corps of Engineer parks and offices from around the US. One participant came in from Alaska and one from Hawaii as well. Our team of instructors (Pat Berry, Nancy Rogers and myself) want to thank the participants for their course engagement, ideas, and contributions to helping make the course a real success. I get to rest a few days, then on to Maryland to start interpretive plananing with the Chestnut Trust. More on that next week. Here is the group photo of the participants and instructors.

Corps of Engineers Interpretive Course

Hi folks,

We finished our COE "Introduction to Interpretation" course here at the Tom Bevill Center in Huntsville, Alabama. We had 26 COE staff from around the US participate in the 3-day course. Here are some pics of them in action - critiquing the visitor center exhibits at our host field trip site - The Wheeler Wildlife Sanctuary - and planning/design of outdoor interpretive panels. This coming Monday we gear up for our Advanced Interpretation Course for Corps of Engineers Managers.

Interpretation for the 21st Century.

Conducted a one-day workshop on "Interpretation for the 21st Centruy" hosted at the National Museum of Wales, in Cardiff. We had about 25 partidipants resprsenting about 10 different organizations and museums in Wales. Here is a photo of the group I had the pleasure of presenting to. Back home in Michigan now - have a week in the office, then two weeks in wonderful Huntsville, Alabama for two Corps of Engineers Interpretation courses. Have a great weekend.

Roman Legion Museum

Had a great day working with the Roman Legion Museum in Caerllion, Wales. Visited some of their remarkable outdoor Roman fortress remains, including an awsome amphitheater and the excivated remains of the Roman Legion Barracks (photo). The site dates from around AD 75, and the museum itself have amazing artifacts on the Roman occupation of Wales. You can visit their web site: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/roman/ for more information. Tomorrow I have a one day workshop at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, then head home.

Interpretive Media Course - Wales

Hi folks. The interpretive media couse was a lot of fun and the the course participants a real treat to work with. Some of the topics included planning and designing an interpretive panel, as well as new technologies, web site development and more. Here are a few photos of the class (working on their panel project) - sample of a draft panel design - and a group photo at the National Slate Mine Museum of Wales, where we went to do a critique of their interpretive media for the museum manager.

Off to Wales.

Well, I had a nice few weeks working here at my home office catching up on things, but my itchy feet are taking me to the UK on Monday. I will be spending most of my time in Wales teaching a course on interpretive media at the Snowdonia National Park Training Center (Plas tan y Bwlch)for three days, then off to Cardiff to do a day of site critique/advisory services for the National Roman Legion Museum, and finally a day workshop for museum staff in Cardiff. More details are posted at my web site: http://www.heritageinterp.com. Here is a photo of the training center grounds in Wales - a great site and location when it is not raining. More photos from there later on.