NAI International Conference, Townsville, Australia

Speakers	NAI International Conference Townsville, Queensland, Australia April 13–17, 2010 Sponsors & Partners National Association for Interpretation 888-900-8283 www.interpnet.com Email a staff member. Deb Tewell is the primary staff liaison for the conference. Contact Jamie King regarding conference registration and NAI membership. Contact Paul Caputo regarding the conference website and publications. Queensland beach photo © Jenny Rollo.
Keynote Speakers
Greg Bruce Australia Greg Bruce is executive manager of integrated sustainability services in Townsville City Council (TCC), where he has worked for 14 years specializing in and leading an integrated coastal-water-energy and carbon cycle management approach to on-ground sustainability outcomes. This has included establishing the “Creek to Coral” partnership with council engineers and community; and the Citisolar: Community Capacity Building program of Townsville: Queensland Solar City in partnership with Ergon Energy and other consortium members, staff, and researchers. His passion and interest in sustainability is in finding practical new ways to communicate on-ground outcomes in sustainability, including “whole of community” approaches. He has joined the empathic communication style and effectiveness of professor Sam Ham’s (PhD) work on thematic interpretation with the council’s own innovations in experiential learning/community development principles (TCC Community Based Education and Involvement). In turn he has added further value and synergy to these approaches by joining both the Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) applications of Dr. Doug Mackenzie Mohr and the impactful Collective Social Learning/Multiple Knowledges process work of emeritus professor Valerie Brown (PhD), thus enabling a systems approach (non-linear) which delivers implementable and socially acceptable community processes in sustainability practice and communications. Rick Morales Panama Rick developed a love for nature and wildlife while growing up in the mountains of western Panama. By age 13 he already knew his way around all major national parks and off-the-beaten-path corners of his native land, frequently leading trips and interpreting nature for visitors with a contagious passion. He didn’t seriously think of natural history as a career, and eventually opted for a degree in Spanish linguistics at the University of Panama. Several years ago, Rick’s zeal for nature and his gifted ability to interpret it were noticed by Ancon Expeditions of Panama and in 1998 he joined the organization as a full time naturalist guide. Today he is one of Panama’s most proficient interpretive guides and he is recognized for his birdwatching skills. Rick conducts natural history trips, jungle treks, and birdwatching tours in all of the country’s life zones with the enthusiasm that has characterized him since his first encounters with nature, but backed by plentiful knowledge and experience. Rick is also recognized as one of Panama’s premier trainers and holds a Certified Interpretive Trainer credential from the National Association for Interpretation. His unquenchable thirst for exploring and learning has taken him far beyond the geographic boundaries of his motherland to Europe, North, Central, South America, and Asia; but it is in Panama where his heart belongs. Sue Olsson Australia Sue Olsson will present "A Practitioner’s Viewpoint of the Role of Interpretation in Influencing Visitors in Parks." So often, interpretation is quoted as a vital component in a park system—at least by those of us engaged in the interpretive profession! Are claims of inspiring park visitors and supporting tourism founded? Does interpretation help in resolving management concerns? Two case studies—a recently interpreted cultural site in Queensland’s Whitsunday islands and an externally evaluated communication program to complement the management of a dingo-human interaction on Fraser Island—support that well-researched, planned, and developed programs are vital tools in the park management armory. This keynote address will examine the approaches and philosophies that underpinned these programs. Sue is team leader for interpretation in Queensland’s Parks and Wildlife Service (central hub), a diverse area stretching north from the Whitsunday islands to the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef and west to the Simpson Desert. Sue is active in voluntary support for Interpretation Australia Association and is currently the president. Previously, Sue worked for eight years in the Great Sandy Area, which includes Fraser Island World Heritage Area. She developed communication guidelines for managing visitors around dingoes, an approach recognized for its international best practice and won her an Australia Day Agency award. Sue’s earliest experience in Victoria included six years secondary teaching in environmental education and several years managing Victoria’s state-wide park face-to-face interpretation program, as well as planning, training, delivery, and evaluation.
Concurrent Sessions
Mahbub Alam Masters in Development Studies, North South University Development Of Nature Interpretation Centre Initiative To Conserve The Forests Of Bangladesh BANGLADESH Ya’qoob Al-Busaidi Assistant Professor, Sultan Qaboos University Ethnographic-based Approach to Interpretation Planning OMAN Lyn Beasley Manager School Visits, National Museum of Australia Good Understandings Promote Good Practices AUSTRALIA Betty Belanus Education Specialist/Curator, Smithsonian Institution Cultural Connections: Interpretative Techniques of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival USA Gregory M. Benton Assistant professor, University of Arkansas Wearing Four Hats: Interpretation’s Effectiveness in Achieving Multiple Goals USA Rosemary Black Senior Lecturer, Charles Sturt University Interpreting Significant Vegetation Communities In A Regional Context: A Case Study Of The Victorian Box-Ironbark Forests AUSTRALIA Jennifer Blunden Writer & Language consultant Do This, Don’t Do That: Finding a Framework for Effective Interpretive WritingAUSTRALIA Lisa Brochu Associate Director, National Association for Interpretation Interpretation Is Management USA Brother Yusuf Burgess Parent Intervention Specialist, Green Tech High Charter School Connecting Children to Nature USA Jamie Cabral Chief of Interpretation, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority Stewardship in a Democratic Society or How Interpretation is a Political Tool USA Paul Caputo Art & Publications Director, National Association for Interpretation Graphic Design for Interpreters USA Graham Chalcroft Director, Vertebrae Magnetic Island - Interpretation Of A Solar Community And Other Interpretive Public Art / Placemaking Projects AUSTRALIA Linda Chandler Park Ranger, US National Park Service The Effects of Noise and Crowding on Visitors Forming Interpretive Connections Study Results USA Aimee (AJ) Chlebnik Outreach Coordinator, Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center Put Yourself in Their Shoes: Connecting Visitors to Controversial Issues USA Kye Joong Cho Assistant Professor, Sunchon National University The Visitor Center and Nature Center Movement with Climate Change REPUBLIC OF KOREA Theresa Coble Associate Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University Earth to Sky: Evaluating an Interagency Community of Practice to Support the Interpretation of Global Climate Change USA Miriam Cooper Owner/Actor/Manager, Grannie Rhodes Care and Good Techniques of the Voice for guides and presenters AUSTRALIA Salvatore Di Mauro Senior Lecturer Community Communicating Place through Art AUSTRALIA Duane Fast President, TAA Canada Interpretive Exhibit Planning CANADA Gil Field Coordinator Interpretation Unit, Department of Environment and Conservation Western Australia Interpreting Connections, Continuity And Change AUSTRALIA Regan Forrest Interpretive Planner, Exhibition Studios Mirror Thinking Vs Window Thinking: Moving From A Place Of Judgement To One Of Possibility AUSTRALIA Duncan Forster Education Officer, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority-Reef HQ Aquarium Reef Videoconferencing; Connecting Continents And Communities To The Great Barrier Reef AUSTRALIA Alison Frappell Education and Interpretaiton Officer, Sydney Harbour YHA Presenting the Archaeology on The Big Dig AUSTRALIA Susan Freeman Director, Freeman Ryan Design Design As An Interpretation Tool AUSTRALIA Koji Furuse Director, Center for Environmental Studies Developing An Interpretive Master Plan: First Challenge In Japan JAPAN Corlaine Gardner Chief Park Interpreter, Medicine Hat Interpretive Program Whole Community Interpretation: Together we are Stronger CANADA Imogen Gunn Research Assistant, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge Wonderland Or Wander-Land? An Integrated Approach To Evaluation USA Sam Ham Professor and Director of International Training From Interpretation to Protection: Is There a Theoretical Basis? USA Sarah-Jane Harknett Outreach Organiser, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge Wonderland Or Wander-Land? An Integrated Approach To Evaluation UK Penny Irons Teacher/Facilitator, William Angliss Institute Sustainability, Our Future AUSTRALIA Jane James Head of Tourism, Flinders University Is Big Brother Watching You? Why Interpretation Is A Strategic Priority AUSTRALIA Patrick James Professor and Head of School, University of South Australia Using Interpretation In Geoparks To Promote Education For Sustainability AUSTRALIA Jyotimay Jena Research Fellow, Wildlife Institute of India Contribution Of Wildlife Tourism Towards Livelihood And Attitude Of The Community Around Tiger Reserve INDIA Scott Killeen General Manager Visitor Experiences, Melbourne Zoo Hook, Line And Sinker: A Framework For POWER Packed Presentations AUSTRALIA David Kopelke Principal, Education Queensland Children; A Lens In Evaluating Interpretive Practices AUSTRALIA Jodie Kurpershoek Conservation Officer, Department of Environment and Resource Management Tourism And Hospitality Training For Foreign Cultures: Case Studies From Lao PDR AUSTRALIA Lyn Leader-Elliott Senior Lecturer, Flinders University Creative Heritage Interpretation in an Australian Regional Community AUSTRALIA Amy Lethbridge Deputy Executive Officer, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority Stewardship in a Democratic Society or How Interpretation is a Political Tool USA Lucy Long Instructor, Bowling Green State University Designing Effective Food Demonstrations USA Michael Lück Associate Professor of Tourism Studies, AUT University Though This Be Madness, Yet There Is Method In It: Personal Interpretation And Research NEW ZEALAND Catherine McCarthy Visitor Assistant/Consultant, The Alamo How To Build Compelling Location Based Audio And Video Tours Earth to Sky: Evaluating an Interagency Community of Practice to Support the Interpretation of Global Climate Change USA Tim Merriman Executive Director, National Association for Interpretation Interpretation Is Management USA Karl Meyer Managing Director, Exhibition Studios Mirror Thinking Vs Window Thinking: Moving From A Place Of Judgment To One Of Possibility AUSTRALIA Jodi Morris Park Ranger, National Park Service Interpreting Social Justice USA Sue Olsson Team Leader-Communication & Community Engagement, Queensland Parks & Widllife Service Sharing The Layers Of Cultural Stories Through A Diversity Of Techniques AUSTRALIA Mark Orams Professor, New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, AUT University Changing People's Lives Through Interpretation: Lessons From Social Marketing Initiatives NEW ZEALAND John Pastorelli Lead Consultant, Ochre Learning Hook, Line And Sinker: A Framework For POWER Packed Presentations AUSTRALIA Melinda Rankin Director, Hahndorf Academy Regional Arts and Heritage Centre Creative Heritage Interpretation in an Australian Regional Community AUSTRALIA Kate Ravenswood Head of Access, Education & Regional Services, Queensland Art Gallery The Return of the Guide AUSTRALIA Gail Richard Certified Interpretive Trainer Sharing Interpretation Messages Globally; Effective Strategies for Multicultural Communication USA Anne Ross University of Queensland On-line Heritage: Accommodating Interpretation of a Living Aboriginal Heritage Site AUSTRALIA Claire Savage Managing Director, Savagely Creative From Once Upon A Time To Happily Ever After - Using The Power Of Storytelling To Create Memorable Tourism Experiences AUSTRALIA Lisa Scott Senior Conservation Officer, Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service Sharing The Layers Of Cultural Stories Through A Diversity Of Techniques AUSTRALIA Ilan Shamir President, Your True Nature Inc. Creating Merchandise That Carries Your Core Interpretive Messages and Creates Money Using Drums to Bring Your Interpretive Presentation to Life! USA Ian Signer Director, EcoEd Learning Theory for Interpreters USA Bitapi Sinha Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India Do Interpretation Centres Help In Learning About Tiger Conservation Efforts In The Country? INDIA Leonie Smallwood Museum Coordinator, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Is Meaningful Interpretation Essential in Conservation Of Built Heritage? AUSTRALIA Willie Smyth Folk and Traditional Arts Program Manager WA State Arts Commission Keeping Current with Heritage Tour Productions USA Juan-Carlos Solis Director of Education, WildCare Connecting Children to Nature MEXICO Julie Spencer Manager Interpretation and Volunteers, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority-Reef HQ Aquarium Reef Videoconferencing; Connecting Continents And Communities To The Great Barrier Reef AUSTRALIA Jonathon Spring Lecturer, AIS St. Helens Though This Be Madness, Yet There Is Method In It: Personal Interpretation and Research NEW ZEALAND Patricia Sterry Research Professor, University of Salford Exploring the Challenge of Designing Effective Interpretation for Family Group Visitors in Museums and Galleries UK Katherine Sutcliffe Flinders University The Discovery of Your Own Business Tourism Story AUSTRALIA Spirit Trickey-Rowan Park Ranger, Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Interpreting Social Justice USA Gail Vander Stoep Associate Professor, Michigan State University Interpretation Link: The Granddaddy of All Linkers in the Tourism System USA Annette Welkamp Director, Cultural Connotations A New (Interpreted) Life For An Old Home AUSTRALIA Naoko Yamada Consultant Developing An Interpretive Master Plan: First Challenge In Japan JAPAN