Guest Author - Jill Browne

It used to be that the interpretive programs in parks meant a few slides, some not-too-exciting commentary, and a generally boring time for all but the most keen nature enthusiasts. Things are much better today.

What sort of interpretive programs do parks typically offer?

Programs should help visitors discover and appreciate what is right in front of them. In the Canadian Rocky Mountains, interpreters at Kananaskis Country dramatize the story of the local forest ecosystem. There are costumed characters, like the lodgepole pine and the evil pine bark beetle. The presentation is funny and informative.

Children love seeing plays and using their imaginations. They will remember stories like this about Mr. Lodgepole Pine for years to come.

Many interpretive programs offer activities and crafts for children. Sometimes there is a small charge for supplies.

Another kind of interpretive program is the guided walk. Provided the group on the walk is small enough to hear and see the leader, a guided walk is a perfect way to figure out where you are and what the place has to offer.

Park Rangers at San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park offer free Historic Waterfront Walking Tours. The daily program "Adventures at Sea: Life Aboard a 19th Century Sailing Ship" costs five dollars for a guided tour of a historic sailing ship. Where else can you do that?

Many parks also publish guides for taking unescorted interpretive walks.

Even on a rainy day, a park's interpretive centre can be a great place for exploration. The hands-on exhibits allow visitors to feel the fur and feathers of the wildlife. Slide shows and posters help with identifying the unique features and creatures of the park, while maps and brochures show the facilities and opportunities for recreation.

Park staff are paid to help visitors find their way around, and to encourage everyone to explore.

Unlike commercial campgrounds and RV parks, a national, provincial or state park exists first to provide a link between man and nature. Historic parks may express their mission slightly differently than natural parks do, but in each case the message is that there is something special about that place - that is the whole reason there's a park there. The facilities for visitors are secondary.

As a park visitor, you are entitled to expect that there will be something to assist you in getting to know the place and to understand why it deserves the rank of "park". Budgets don't always allow for the fanciest high-tech equipment, or even for full-time staff to put on live programs, but every park should at least have some interpretive signage and a very clear statement of what is so special about the place.

Going to a park is not meant to be a forced lesson in biology or geography. It's a wonderful chance for people of all ages to observe, compare, touch and talk about the natural environment.

Investing your own time in going to an interpretive program should make your park visit much richer.

Many parks offer interpretive programs at night. Talk about something to remember! Being outside under the stars is like nothing else. Other programs take visitors to places which can only be visited with an official guide.

Visitors can find out about the interpretive programs offered in parks by consulting the websites of the particular parks, by going to the park visitor centre or interpretive centre, by checking campground bulletin boards, and by telephoning or e-mailing the park directly.

About the book advertised here:

The principles of interpretation set out by Freeman Tilden are considered by many to be the seeds of interpretation as it should be practiced. This is a classic in the field.