April 2007   Latest Stories National Workshop Call for Presentations ends tomorrow! The application process for the 2007 Call for Presentations will end Tuesday, April 3, 2007. To submit your proposal, visit www.interpnet.com/workshop and click on "Call for Presentations." If you are unable to access the online call for presentations, call NAI toll-free at 888-900-8283. The workshop will be held on the banks of the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita. The downtown museum district and Wichita's thriving Old Town are within walking distance of the hotel. Fine restaurants, clubs, sports bars, and one of the best movie theaters in the country await you!   Julie Buderus leaves NAI staff We're sorry to lose Julie's considerable talents as development director to her new role as the executive director of Aims Community College Foundation in Greeley, Colorado. Julie worked for NAI since November of 2004 and she will be sorely missed.   Job Opening at NAI A new position of Sales Manager will be announced on the website in the next 30 days. If you have skills in advertising sales, developing sponsorships, and store merchandising, think about coming to work for your professional organization. Full details will be available soon.   Conferences & Workshops Interpretation by Design: Lessons in Nonpersonal Interpretation This two-day workshop will be held September 18-19, 2007, prior to the NAI Region 2 Fall Workshop at Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes, Delaware. Join NAI Associate Director Lisa Brochu, Executive Director Tim Merriman, and Art Director Paul Caputo to explore the variety of nonpersonal media available to deliver your message to the public. Learn how to combine principles of interpretation and design in exhibitry, signage, and publications to create the most successful method of message delivery. This workshop will be designed for those who have a basic understanding of interpretation, but need to know more about what makes good interpretive writing, how to lay out a simple sign or publication, and the advantages and disadvantages of various exhibit types. Visit www.interpnet.com/design for more information.   Kansas: Land of broad horizons Kansas is indeed a land of broad horizons and perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in the Flint Hills region, which is just a short drive east of Wichita. The Flint Hills contains the largest expanse of tallgrass prairie left in the world. It extends from just south of the Oklahoma border north nearly to Nebraska. Climbing to a hilltop and gazing at a 360 degree panorama of largely untouched open range encompassing 100+ square miles is a sight to be seen! You can have that opportunity on some of the field trips we have planned. Don't miss it! For more about the NAI National Workshop, visit www.interpnet.com/workshop.   NAI opens Call for Presentations for 2008 International Conference in South Korea NAI invites you to apply to present a session at its 2008 international conference to be held in Sokcho, Korea, May 11-15, 2008. The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2007. The conference will bring together 150 to 200 delegates from 30 to 40 nations in an effort to create opportunities for professional development for attendees and establish a network for professional associations and individuals involved in heritage interpretation around the globe. Visit www.interpnet.com/iwh for more.   Association News Submit your project for an NAI Media Award NAI is accepting entries for the 2007 Media Awards Competition. Did your site create an innovative interpretive curriculum, ingenious wayside exhibit, intriguing site publication, or an excellent interpretive panel in 2006? Be sure to give it the applause it deserves (especially since it can't speak for itself, metaphorically speaking) and submit it to the Media Awards Competition. The deadline for submissions is May 25, 2007. Awards will be presented at the NAI National Workshop in November. Look for more information and the Media Awards application online at www.interpnet.com/about_nai/media_awards.shtml.   Nominate a peer for a 2007 professional award Through its awards program, NAI recognizes outstanding achievements and showcases the successes of NAI members and others working to advance the profession of interpretation. As a member of NAI, you are exposed to outstanding and inspiring programs and professionals. Please nominate someone you know and respect. This year's national awards will be presented at the NAI National Workshop in Wichita, Kansas, November 6-10, 2007. NAI members receive nomination forms with complete instructions by mail, and the form is also available online at www.interpnet.com/about_nai/professionalawards.shtml. Nominations must be postmarked no later than Thursday, May 31, 2007.   Obituary: John Hanna We lost a dear friend and colleague this past Saturday when John Hanna passed away suddenly during a camping trip with his wife Nancy. John served as Treaurer of the Association of Interpretive Naturalists for many years before the consolidation of AIN with Western Interpreters Association to create NAI. He has been a professor of interpretation at Texas A&M University and Lakehead University and most recently consulted as owner of Inside Outside, a consultancy and planning firm. He has been a professional member, commercial member and donor with NAI for decades. We will let you know of any memorial arrangements as we learn of them. Visit www.insideoutside.ws for more on John.   Obituary: Howard R. Alden, Ph.D. The National Association for Interpretation lost a wonderful friend when Howard R. Alden, professor emeritus, passed away after a brief illness on Oct. 1, 2006. Howard grew up knowing he wanted to pursue a career in natural resources. He completed his doctorate at the University of Michigan then began his career as a professor. For more, visit www.interpnet.com/membership/howardalden.shtml. Image: Howard Alden with his Mitchell Award for his 20 years of contributions to the stewardship of the Poudre River.   Richard Louv keynote available on DVD At the 2006 NAI National Workshop, Last Child in the Woods author Richard Louv spoke eloquently and with passion about the growing disconnect between children and nature--and what interpreters can do about it. The entire keynote speech is now available on DVD at www.interpnet.com/store. To see a preview of the DVD, visit www.interpnet.com/publications/louvDVD.shtml.   Help us with the NAI Member Area! The NAI Member Area has been around since the middle of 2006, and we'd like to hear what you feel about it. In the NAI Member Forum, under the Member to Member topic, is a thread about the NAI Member Area. We're looking for comments, things you like and don't like about it, and any other helpful information. Feel free to post your thoughts on it, so we can make this an important part of your membership.   Save money through referral discounts Want to save money on your next membership renewal? Call 888-900-8283 to request membership brochures to pass out to your friends and coworkers. The more new memberships we receive with your name in the "Referred By" line, the bigger your renewal discount will be.   NAI Member Forum: Interact with other interpreters The NAI Member Forum is available through the NAI Member Area, and is a benefit of NAI membership. The forum includes areas for regions and sections, member to member discussions, workshop and conference discussions, and much more. Start a new thread today in the forum, a great way to interact with other members. Visit the NAI Member Area at www.naimembers.com/memberarea for more information.   Legacy magazine welcomes your contribution We invite members and other interested individuals to contribute to Legacy magazine. Upcoming themes are: Interpreting Industry, July/August 2007, Queries due by April 10, 2007 Myth vs. Reality in Interpretation, September/October 2007, Queries due June 10, 2007 Interpreting Universal Concepts (What Ties Us Together?), November/December 2007, Queries due August 10, 2007 Changes in World Tourism, January/February 2008, Queries due October 10 Interpreting Peace, March/April 2008, Queries due Dec. 10, 2007 Interpreting Great Oratories, May/June 2008, Queries due Feb. 10, 2008 Stewardship of the Oceans, July/August 2008, Queries due April 10, 2008 Visit www.interpnet.com and click on "Publications" for author guidelines and freelance payment information. E-mail queries to legacy@interpnet.com.   Certification & Training It's not too late to take your CIT course in Italy! Join Tim Merriman, NAI Executive Director, and Lisa Brochu, NAI Associate Director, for a 5-day Certified Interpretive Trainers workshop April 16-20, 2007 in Tuscany, Italy. The landscape of Val d'Orcia, on UNESCO's World Heritage List, is part of the agricultural hinterland of Siena, re-drawn and developed when it was colonized by the city-state in the 14th and 15th centuries. The landscape's distinctive aesthetics, flat chalk plains out of which rise almost conical hills with fortified settlements on top, inspired many artists. Their images have come to exemplify the beauty of well-managed Renaissance agricultural landscapes. Details on the workshop can be found at www.interpnet.com/certification.   Upcoming Certification/Training Workshops Details on these workshops can be found at www.interpnet.com/certification. Note: CIG and CIH courses are managed by individual instructors, not through NAI's national office. Please contact individual instructors if you have any questions. Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) Training Workshops   April 9-12, 2007 | Springfield, Vermont April 10-13, 2007 | Fernandina Beach, Florida April 10-13, 2007 | Yosemite National Park, California May 1-4, 2007 | Acton, Massachusetts May 1-4, 2007 | Seward, Alaska June 1-2, 5-6, 2007 | Holderness, New Hampshire October 2-5, 2007 | Aurora, Colorado Certified Heritage Interpreter (CHI) Training Workshop   June 4-8, 2007 | Fort Collins, Colorado Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP) Training Workshop   May 7-11, 2007 | West Palm Beach, Florida June 11-15, 2007 | Castlewood Canyon State Park, Colorado August 20-24, 2007 | Key Largo, Florida September 3-7, 2007 | Blue Springs, Missouri Certified Interpretive Trainer (CIT) Training Workshop   April 16-20, 2007 | Tuscany, Italy (Valdorcia, UNESCO World Heritage List) July 16-20, 2007 | Shepherdstown, West Virginia August 6-10, 2007 | Fort Collins, Colorado CIH Trainers Workshop- open to CIG Instructors ONLY   May 3-4, 2007 | Fort Collins, Colorado   Opportunities and Resources for Members 2007 Spring Elderhostel Program at Tremont Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont education staff guide Elderhostel participants in exploration of cultural and natural history of the Smokies. These amazing mountains combine to make this an unforgettable experience in Tremont's mission to "connect people and nature." For more information about Elderhostel or to register for an Elderhostel program in the Great Smoky Mountains, visit www.elderhostel.org or call 1-877-426-8056. Program runs from April 9 to 14.   Participate in the largest environmental education event in U.S. history National Environmental Education Week, April 15-22, will involve thousands of educators and millions of students. It will enhance the educational impact of Earth Day and create a full week of environmental education preparation, learning, and activities in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums. National Environmental Education Week is coordinated by the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation in cooperation with hundreds of outstanding environmental education organizations, education associations, state and federal agencies. For more information on National Environmental Education Week, go to www.EEWeek.org or contact info@neetf.org.   IMLS and NEA Announce Second Deadline for The Big Read The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), announces the second deadline, April 12, 2007, for The Big Read program. The purpose of The Big Read is to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture. Grants ranging from $5,000 - $20,000 are available to encourage local communities to inspire literary reading through the Big Read program. The Request for Proposals can be downloaded at www.NEABigRead.org. Funded activities should be scheduled to take place between September and December, 2007. Questions should be directed to Arts Midwest at 612-341-0755 or TheBigRead@artsmidwest.org.   IMLS Requests Proposals to Purchase, Promote, and Distribute a Conservation Bookshelf The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites proposals to purchase and distribute a set of conservation-related books, bibliographies, DVDs, and on-line resources as part of its Connecting to Collections initiative (see www.imls.gov/about/collections.shtm). The grant winner will also mount a promotional campaign about the Connecting to Collections initiative and the Conservation Bookshelf, with special attention to raising awareness and soliciting requests for the bookshelf from small to medium-sized museums, libraries, and archives. Download the RFP at www.imls.gov/pdf/ConsBookshelfRFP.pdf (PDF, 73KB).   2007 Project Learning Tree conference to be held in May The 21st International Project Learning Tree Coordinators' Conference will be held in Wichita, Kansas, May 7-11, 2007. Leaders in environmental education from every state as well as other countries around the world will share in a range of professional development opportunties, including an awe-inspiring field trip to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and a private evening visit to Exploration Place with guest speaker Chad Pregracke of Living Lands and Waters. Conference attendees will receive in-depth training on new PLT curriculum materials, learn how to address the needs of special audiences, share ideas for strengthening environmental education and the PLT program in their state, and more. Visit www.plt.org/cms/pages/40_163_42.html for information and registration materials.   Montreal Museums Day for Tourists On Sunday, May 27, 2007, tourists are invited to discover Montréal, city of culture, by taking part in Montreal Museums Day when some thirty museums will open their doors free of charge from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offer a free shuttle bus service between the sites. For the 21st edition of its Montreal Museums Day, the Board of Montreal Museum Directors has put together an offer especially for tourists in cooperation with its new partners, Tourisme Montréal and Via Rail. For more information, visit www.museesmontreal.org/site/museumsday.htm or call Tourisme Québec at 1-877-BONJOUR extension 867.   Scholarship opportunity: Ben Meadows offers two $2,500 natural resource scholarships The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is pleased to announce two new scholarships offered by Ben Meadows and administered by SAF. The scholarships, one for academic achievement and one based on leadership, are each worth $2,500. Students must be entering their junior or senior years and enrolled full time in a natural resource curriculum at the baccalaureate level. Applications are due by June 30, 2007 . Instructions, complete requirements, and the application form can be found at www.benmeadows.com/scholarships/.     If you would like to contribute to NAI Now, email interpnews@interpnet.com. Add membership@interpnet.com to your Address Book to avoid spam filter. Click here if you are having trouble seeing this design.   You are receiving this message because you are a member of the National Association for Interpretation, or have subscribed to email communications from NAI. NAI Now is designed to keep members up to date with information from NAI. National Association for Interpretation National Office   mailing: P.O. Box 2246, Fort Collins, CO 80522 shipping: 230 Cherry Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521 www.interpnet.com phone 888-900-8283 (toll-free); 970-484-8283 fax 970-484-8179 membership@interpnet.com Copyright © 2007 National Association for Interpretation.