Pete Colverson
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 2:30-3:00
Natural areas are under continuous pressure to be used for purposes that might not be in the best interests of resource protection. For some issues, law enforcement may well be the answer. However, it is often not feasible to obtain the level of support needed to adequately enforce problem situations. And many problems fall outside the realm of law enforcement. Interpretation is one communication tool that managers can turn to in tandem with a suite of other tools. This session will focus on why urban natural areas managers need to be aware of interpretive techniques that they can utilize to assist them in solving incompatible public use issues. Interpretation is often left to the communications department, if the agency is big enough to have one. It is also often thought of as signs and brochures rather than a communication technique that can be harnessed to solve problems. To be successful, interpretation should not be seen as an isolated tool but as part of a suite of communication tools that can be used to assist managers to solve natural resource issues. Some case studies will be presented and the audience invited to share their own success stories.
Keywords: INTERPRETATION, INTERPRETIVE TECHNIQUES, COMMUNICATION TOOLS