Some people have great jobs – Jacquie Gilson is one of those people.
Gilson, an interpretation coordinator for the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay Field Unit of Parks Canada, is heading to Burlington, Ont. to take part in a national conference being held by Interpretation Canada.
She has been invited to present at the conference on what Parks Canada has done to inspire interpretation. Her presentation is entitled: Inspiring Hearts, Minds and Hands in Interpretation.
“It’s a great opportunity for a national conference, to be involved and lots of good opportunities to talk with people and get ideas from them and what they’re trying and share what we’re doing. It’s a really good opportunity for learning and sharing what we’re doing,” said Gilson.
“My topic is about inspiration in interpretation – we are responsible for the park educational experience for visitors. The kinds of things we do with interpretation for mountain parks are guided walks, getting people out to experience the parks hands-on,” Gilson said. “We’re doing art in the parks programs, giving people the opportunity to create art and learn more about the park at the same time. Interpreters are typically out there leading programs for people that involve entertainment and education, engagement – just getting people out there experiencing the park.
“One of the things I’ll be speaking about is that visitors are looking for different experiences nowadays, they aren’t just looking to be lectured at. They don’t just want to hear the information, we are constantly trying to come up with ways to make the experience more interesting and engaging for visitors.
“The idea of inspiration is looking at interpretation from the perspective of the visitors – what would inspire the visitors? We know the landscape inspires visitors, so what can we do and use with the landscape we have here in the mountain parks to inspire people to want to come back? To experience other national parks, to share their experiences with others.
“We’re trying to come up with programs that go beyond information and that actually inspire and engage people.”
Gilson said the reasoning behind always trying to enhance parks interpretation comes from changing demographics, Internet and interactive technology having played a major role in having to keep looking for ways to involve visitors.
“It’s not just about reading something or listening to somebody speak – it’s about people being involved and engaged, because that’s our world now – something we need to deal with too, is the fact that we’ve got people who are used to being more engaged and involved in things and we want to make sure we offer opportunities.
“The title is: Inspiring Hearts, Minds and Hands in Interpretation and so that gets at the idea that it’s not just about minds as in our nation, it’s about reaching people at the heart -– that’s inspiring people and emotionally involving people in our parks,” said Gilson. “And hands – as in terms of hands-on activities and participation, but also hoping the hands part is involved in people going back home and doing something active in some way and sharing their experiences and getting other people to visit – so trying to reach people at the hearts, minds and hands level.”
Examples of interpretation programs in the mountain parks that focus on inspiring visitors hearts, minds, and hand include: Guided walks as they provide a hands-on opportunity for experiencing the parks, such as Burgess Shale guided hikes. “Over 800 visitors were able to experience this UNESCO World Heritage Site and these world renowned fossils first hand in 2013,” said Gilson.
“We have also implemented art-based programs that get visitors creating art out in the parks, sometimes using park resources. For example, in Kootenay’s Wild Art program this summer, visitors used charcoal from past wildfires and red ochre from the Paint Pots to create sketches to take home as mementos.”
“We initiated Discover the Park activities held at various day use areas in the parks. These family friendly drop-in programs involved games, crafts and hands on activities to engage visitors in understanding and appreciating park resources and issues such as wildlife crossings, bears, fossils, pond critters and wildlife signs,” Gilson said.
“We also offered a new campfire program in 2013 to share stories and inspire visitors while sitting around a fire under the stars.”
To learn more about Interpretation Canada’s national conference, visit: www.interpscan.ca.
