Roving Interpretation: Principles and Practice By: Danielle - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Roving Interpretation: Principles and Practice By: Danielle Bradley, Region 6 Interpretive Specialist Jenn Menge, Interpreter, Dinosaur Valley State Park

Roving Interpretation:  What is it?  Cover Bradley’s 7 principles of Roving Interpretation  How do we do it?  Jenn share’s real-life examples of roving  How can YOU do it?  Brainstorming activity to get you prepared to rove at your site

What is Roving Interpretation?  Planned, personalized  Roving Interpretation is: communication with the  Planned, visitor in an informal setting  Personalized  Audience – venue  Resource – stage  Interpreter - catalyst

Bradley’s 7 Principles of Roving Interpretation  Seven basic principles  Helps interpreter prepare for roving interp  Created by me, Danielle Bradley!  Inspired by Tilden’s 6 principles of interpretation

1. Roving interpretation is organized and planned in advance.  Good roving should feel  Great opportunity to capitalize spontaneous on seasonal events  Should plan for:  What items would you put in a general kit bag?  Location  Visitor Needs  Any props

2. Roving should be scheduled.  Important for two reasons:  Schedule during peak times for maximum  Ensures you’ll make the time contact/exposure for it  Gives added emphasis that you’ll spend one-on-one time with visitor

3. The benefits of roving interpretation extend beyond the visitor.  Visitor Benefits:  Public Relations Benefits:  Can address safety concerns  Pure joy for interpreter  Good face time with visitors  Resource Benefits:  Valuable Knowledge Benefits:  Gain compliance via understanding  Gain insight to audience who  What are some commonly aren’t coming to programs broken rules at your site?  What other benefits can you think of?

4. Roving interpretation reaches new audiences.  Only ~20% of visitors attend  By roving through trails, interp. programs campgrounds, and day use areas:  Creates personalized discovery  Personally invite visitors to opportunities for the visitor programs  Gain valuable insight about visitors and program audience

5. The more you know the location, the better the discoveries.  An in-depth knowledge of  More you visit a site, the more your location helps the visitor discoveries you make make discoveries about your  Speed up those discoveries for site your visitor  What are some potential  Look at each location from the roving locations at your site? perspective of:  Management  Interpreter  Parent/child

6. Plan for the less-obvious curiosities of the visitor.  Most important thing to plan  Remember , no matter how for. many times you’ve heard a question, this is the visitor’s  Experience is the best teacher first time asking it. for this.  You’ve selected a location because it attracts visitors  Ask yourself what is it that brings them to this site?

7. Continually assess your audience.  Be observant so you can  Keep an eye out for clues the customize the interaction to contact should end: the individual  What are some clues to look for?  What clues do you look for? (either positive or negative)  Disengaging with a visitor  Use tactful persuasion and skill  Direct them to a trail, or feature they may enjoy  What methods do you use?

Principles into Practice  Sounds great in theory… But what about in real life??

Examples in the field  Information tables  Roving by park features  Roving trails  Roving with props  Scheduled roving

Roving table/Touch table  Easily set up and moved table  Can be placed where most visitors are located at that time  Include tactile objects  Furs, skulls, live specimens (use good judgment), plant IDs, etc.  Great way to educate, inform, answer questions, and direct visitors to other areas  Use clicker to count contacts  Other things – maps, stickers, Jr. Ranger books, Jr. Ranger badges

Roving by a park feature

Roving trails  Interpretation/education  Visitor safety and orientation  Resource protection  Knowledge of what’s in your park and what’s seasonal  Bring backpack with maps, first aid, radio, extra water/snacks

Roving with a prop

Scheduled roving  Supervisors:  Schedule 1-2 hour blocks for employees/interpreters  Put volunteers on roving duty  Interpreters  Set aside 1-2 hour blocks for yourself  Pick what type of roving you will focus on depending on weather, visitation, etc.

Supporting roving interpretation  Talking with supervisors – go over principles and importance of roving  Count and report roving contacts to justify roving  If supervisor is unsupportive of one type of roving, offer another type in its place  ex. supervisor doesn’t want you out on trails, offer to set up information table somewhere instead

Brainstorming Let’s think about roving at your site: Location Season Kit Bags

Questions?  Danielle Bradley  Jenn Menge  Danielle.Bradley@tpwd.texas.  Jenn.Menge@tpwd.texas.gov gov  903-216-4402