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

communication with the visitor in an informal setting

• Roving Interpretation is:
• Planned,
• 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

spontaneous

• Should plan for:
• Location
• Visitor Needs
• Any props
• Great opportunity to capitalize
• n seasonal events
• What items would you put in a

general kit bag?

• 2. Roving should be scheduled.
• Important for two reasons:
• Ensures you’ll make the time

for it

• Gives added emphasis that

you’ll spend one-on-one time with visitor

• Schedule during peak times

for maximum contact/exposure

• 3. The benefits of roving interpretation

extend beyond the visitor.

• Visitor Benefits:
• Can address safety concerns
• Resource Benefits:
• Gain compliance via

understanding

• What are some commonly

broken rules at your site?

• Public Relations Benefits:
• Pure joy for interpreter
• Good face time with visitors
• Valuable Knowledge Benefits:
• Gain insight to audience who

aren’t coming to programs

• What other benefits can you

think of?

• 4. Roving interpretation reaches new audiences.
• Only ~20% of visitors attend
• interp. programs
• Creates personalized discovery
• pportunities for the visitor
• By roving through trails,

campgrounds, and day use areas:

• Personally invite visitors to

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

your location helps the visitor make discoveries about your site

• What are some potential

roving locations at your site?

• More you visit a site, the more

discoveries you make

• Speed up those discoveries for

your visitor

• Look at each location from the

perspective of:

• Management
• Interpreter
• Parent/child

• 6. Plan for the less-obvious curiosities of the

visitor.

• Most important thing to plan

for.

• Experience is the best teacher

for this.

• You’ve selected a location

because it attracts visitors

• Ask yourself what is it that

brings them to this site?

• Remember, no matter how

many times you’ve heard a question, this is the visitor’s first time asking it.

• 7. Continually assess your audience.
• Be observant so you can

customize the interaction to the individual

• What clues do you look for?

(either positive or negative)

• Keep an eye out for clues the

contact should end:

• What are some clues to look

for?

• 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
• ther 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
• Danielle.Bradley@tpwd.texas.

gov

• 903-216-4402
• Jenn Menge
• Jenn.Menge@tpwd.texas.gov