Planeta Forum

[planeta]

TOPIC: Interpretive Program Development
1. Guide training programs
2. Management of visitors in sensitive ecosystems
3. Development of programs in cooperation with local communities
4. Discussion of sensitive cross cultural interactions

MODERATOR: Jeremy Garrett

SETTINGS: Active participants can reply to this topic

PARTICIPANTS:
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/tour/emerging.html#part

REFERENCE

Ecotourism Emerging Industry Forum (Nov 1-18, 2005)
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/tour/emerging.html

[natour]

Welcome to the forums. I'm excited to learn what you find effective in developing interpretive programming, especially relating to community interactions. In many instances, interpretation is the only means to make a connection between the visitor and the resource, so it is vital to be done correctly in a fun atmosphere.

For background, I'm the principal of NaTour Communications (www.NaTour.us), a consulting firm specializing in the development, marketing and promotion of sustainable tourism products and destinations. Prior to starting NaTour, I worked for The International Ecotourism Society, and before that with a state wildlife agency in the U.S., which is where I gained my first-hand knowledge of guide training and interpretation.

With our agency, we developed guide training programs for two specific wildlife areas -- one a bat cave housing one million Mexican free-tailed bats, and the other a wetland area with boardwalk. Both required separate training programs due to the differences in habitat and wildlife species, and we worked with volunteers (mostly from the local communities). We would hold an annual pre-"season" training, and then periodic trainings throughout the year on various subjects (interpreting the flora and fauna, giving better presentations, etc.), and then an annual "wrap-up" training and party to recognize the volunteers for their efforts.

So what interpretive programs have you seen that have been effective at working with the local communities and managing sensitive environments? I look forward to seeing your examples over the next few weeks.

[redbilb]

This is a very interesting topic and I'm also looking for innovative and new ideas in this area. We are currently developing a sustainable tourism infrastructure which we hope will be implemented in the Iwokrama Rain Forest in Guyana.

The concept is to use the popular activity of geocaching to guide users to points of interest throughout the one million acre reserve. The theme is the 12 Giants of the El Dorado. This area houses 12 species that are the largest of their kind either in the world or on the continent (eg. Harpy Eagle). The intent is to set up a network of guided high quality geocaches in areas where there is a good likelihood of seeing these species. The geocache locations enable us to direct tourism where we want it to go and with a guide accompanying the tourist.

The local Amerindian community is heavily involved and has several trained guides. Sightings of these rare species through the geocache network will be accurately and diligently recorded to provide scientific data for trend-through-time analysis. The final product will produce a themed draw to Guyana, involvement and benefits for the local community, provide valuable scientific data and will combine new technology (GPS) with sustainable tourism.

The hook here is similar to bird watchers that have their life lists of bird observations. We hope that visitors will return to check off each of the 12 Giants of El Dorado.

I'd love to hear any comments or ideas related to this concept.

Rod Bilz
FRi Ecological Services

[natour]

Although we have not had many posts in this forum, I'd like to reiterate the importance of interpretation to the ecotourism industry. There are few destinations in the world that offer anything unique or individual. I mean, just how many howler monkeys do you need to see in a lifetime? How many beaches? How many rainforest trails?

However, a good interpreter will weave the story of the place into the overall message of the necessity for conservation and support of the local communities. Training is necessary so that your guides and interpretation are accurate, interesting and above all, fun -- no one takes a vacation so that they have to take a college course in biology.

The geocaching activity posted above is an innovative and modern take on today's guiding/interpretation. It might be a little intimidating to people who aren't familiar with GPS, but I think if it were explained as a "treasure hunt" using today's modern technology, it might come across as an easier "sell" to potential participants. But what a great idea to utilize local communities and unique places, providing a "checklist" of sorts for the non-birdwatchers.

[George Duffy]

Good day Jeremy and group, George Duffy here, from Historic Black Diamond, Alberta, on the job in British Columbia.

I heard about geo-cacheing a year or two ago and it fascinated me because it seemed to be of those sleeper trends. I think it holds a lot potential as and interepretive tool as well as a destination magnet. There are a lot of people doing it and there are a lot of hikers out there who already have a GPS unit for aiding in orientation, at least here in western Canada.

For the other question of human interpretive guides, I think it will be universally agreed that a good guide is one of the most crowd pleasing features of any travel experience. Some guides do develop followings and they actually become the product.

The sad fact seems to be that guides are generally poorly paid and underappreciated at least until after the fact. People love the guide and maybe they give great tips, but would they pay more in advance for a good guide? My initial response is no, but maybe that's just because we have never really promoted guides like we have other professional servers like say restaurant chefs. Maybe we need to start nature guide critics like restaurant critics or movie critics.

Sometimes the more you charge, the more you create demand because some people think that if it costs a lot, it must be good.

[planeta]

Just a few references ... I have not tried geocaching, but it is quite popular

Check out the references online Planeta's geography guide
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/resources/geography.html

You can also conduct a web search
http://a9.com/geocaching

[planeta]

A few words and pictures about interpretation

During the development of the Ecotourism Emerging Industry Forum, we made a special request of participants to share photos from their operation that showed tourists AND guides. These pictures comprise a virtual gallery used for the artwork that you'll find on the conference home page.

Check out the gallery online
http://www.flickr.com/photos/planeta/sets/522624

FYI -- The gallery has become quite popular. As of November 9th, it's been viewed 2,054 times!

REQUEST -- If members have other photos that can be shared in this way, please send them to be in JPG format (preferably less than 300K)

[natour]

George and all,
What would a guide/interpreter have to do to reach that exalted status where they are a name; i.e. "famous"? And is it realistic to think that consumers will pay more for guiding services, let alone outbound tour operators? I'm thinking here of a local guide, who offers his services to an inbound operator, who then wholesales the product to an outbound operator.

I just can't see that guides will get paid much more than where they're at now. Any time you're at the bottom of the chain, you're going to make much less than at the top. But conceivably, if the guide is successful, they can move from being simply a guide to starting their own tour operation, whereby they can command higher prices.

What is everyone's experience in this?

Also, who offers the best guide training programs? I know RARE used to be heavily involved in this, but think they've pulled back somewhat. Is Rainforest Alliance now filling this role? And if not, who can provide it to developing countries?

[tsoutham]

Hello its Theresa Southam a naturalist/trainer of 25 years from Canada. In terms of pay I know of guides who are servicing wealthy individuals by building experiences for them, their familes, their companies. This type of personalized service is well-paid and engaging since it is different every time. Another type of reward that I am seeing is what Pine and Gilmour in their book The Experience Economy call 'transformation'. This is when through interpretation or experience-making we can cause the conditions for people to transform, gain wisdom, become fulfilled. Its this kind of thing that keeps me in the field.

In terms of training from what I can see the North American Association for Environmental Education still has some of the best training. I have been offering courses that lead to a certificate in Enrichment Travel (adding value to your tourism product by incoroporating the culture and nature of the region) but the certification is at a regional level from our Selkirk College.

Theresa Southam, www.southamconsulting.com, 250-354-1088

[George Duffy]

HI Jeremy and all,

Good question

[VGerber]

Hello, I am Verena Gerber, owner of Hotel Eco Paraiso in Celestun, Yucatan, Mexico.
Working for us is Alex Dzib a indigenous bilingual naturalist guide with a bachelors degree in ornithology and very knowledgeable not only in ornithology, but in local natural history. He conducts the 12 ecological tours that we offer to explore the unique Special Biosphere Reserve of Celestun. In our experience our guests are not willing to pay more for his expertise. We all know that a good guide makes the difference in any tour, much more so in enhancing the experience and information of an ecological excursion. Does anybody know how to market and portray to the guest a good guide so that they are willing to pay more?

Another matter are the interpretative trails. We at Eco Paraiso have spent a lot of time and money to get the proper information about the vast biodiversity that is present in the reserve. There is a lot of information out there, but mostly very technical, scientific and boring. It has been a big challenge to present our guests information that they care for and have a relation to. Again, in our experience, local knowledge of medical uses and anecdotes has been very useful. Any ideas to this topic?

[redbilb]

In response to Verena's question I'd like to offer the following. Part of any interpretive program is what do the visitors take with them?

I think it is very important that they take something with them that is a reminder of the trip and it also markets the experience to others that they share with.

Photos are a good example but that really just scratches the surface.

A recent trip that I took to the rain forest got me thinking of the multitude of sounds in the forest and for me some of these sounds are what stand out most for me being from Canada.

I think an exceptionally interesting interpretive program would be to have a trained guide that could record the sounds of your trip with a parabolic microphone. At the end of the trip the sounds you have heard would be recorded on a CD along with a checklist of the sounds contained on the CD. I know I was haunted by the sounds of the Howler monkeys the first time I heard them. Recording the personally experienced sounds of the rain forest and having the opportunity to take them with you would be a unique and interesting option.

Another interesting product to take from your trip is a personalized map. We have done this type of thing domestically. A GPS unit can track a persons adventures including hikes, treks, kayaking or whatever mode of transportation. Points of interest such as wildlife sightings, references for photos taken etc. can also be plotted. At the end of the trip, a high quality GIS map can be made showing all the individual adventures experienced and specific points of interest. If the quality is good enough it can be framed. These are great ways of documenting a trip and are great marketing tools when clients show them to friends and perspective new clients.

Just a couple of ideas. What do you think?

[VGerber]

Thank you Rod. We will try to have a parabolic microphone and record "our" sounds. We have a lot of bird songs which are common to ornithologist, but not to the general public - some explanation is needed.
Could you please explain to me waht GIS map means? Sorry, I am not familiar with this term.

[redbilb]

Hi Verena. If you are familiar with a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit then GIS (Geographic Information System) is the other half of the puzzle. The GPS collects the location and spatial information with satellite technology. The log of all the areas travelled and points of interest are stored in the GPS and the data is downloaded into the GIS computer system. GIS is really a mapping program that has information tied to any given point on the map in a series of layers which you can choose.

For example: When I was in Guyana, I ran my GPS unit the entire inland flight to the destination in the savannah. From that point on, every hike, canoe trip that I took I logged the route on the GPS. Every significant wildlife observation was also logged as a point. When I was finished the trip, I loaded all this data onto a map that documents every mode of transportation I used and all points of interst as well.

I could email you an example if you are interested.

[VGerber]

Hola Rod, yes, I would love an example via mail info@ecoparaiso.com. Thank you for all the trouble and your time.