National Park Interpretation and Place-Based Education: An Integrative Literature Review

Background: Both national park (NP) interpretation and place-based education (PBE) approach learning by applying the unique attributes of a place to facilitate meaning-making experiences within learners. Despite the similarities between these two place-centered pedagogies, there is a limited amount of collaboration between NP interpretative services and school systems engaged with PBE. Purpose: Within this integrative review, my purpose is to fully consider both NP interpretation and PBE to present a comprehensive understanding of the two types of pedagogies. Methodology/Approach: Following an integrative review methodology, I use three different databases to access relevant empirical and theoretical articles. I evaluate and analyze each article separately, then methodically integrate the two place-centered pedagogies. Findings/Conclusions: There are some key similarities between ideologies and epistemologies, goals, approaches to learning, and content matter of NP interpretation and PBE. There are also considerable differences relating to perceptions of learning, the incorporation of the local setting, and the role of the community. Implications: A collaboration between the National Park Service (NPS) and place-based educators has the potential to open up a wealth of possibilities when it comes to learning about and caring for the rich ecology, history, and culture of a given place.

Contested Terrain: Attitudes of Lakota People towards Interpretation at Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park (NP) in South Dakota has a long and complex history with local indigenous peoples, including the Lakotas. Wind Cave is the location of the Lakotas’ traditional origin story, and is now protected by a park representing a federal government that many indigenous peoples view negatively. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand the attitudes of Lakotas toward Wind Cave NP and the interpretive stories it shares with visitors. Seventeen in-person interviews were conducted with Lakota people to understand their thoughts and feelings. Content analysis was used to uncover positive and negative themes about the park and various forms of interpretation. Findings indicate that park interpretation should include more Native perspectives, and recommendations are noted. The park should attempt to work more closely with Lakota and other local tribes, and can follow the examples of other National Park Service sites to accomplish these changes.

Research on the Design of Cultural Park Interpretation System——Taking Panjin City Gujia Culture and Customs Holiday Park as an Example

Inside the scenic spot, the interpretation system is an important way to strengthen resource protection and manage the communication between tourists and institutions. It helps tourists to quickly obtain information and also feedback the quality and management level of the scenic spot. Taking Panjin City Gujia Culture and Customs Holiday Park as an example, this paper analyzes the shortcomings of the existing interpretation system during the planning and reconstruction period of the park, and re-designs and improves the park interpretation system in combination with environmental psychology. The park's interpretation system and the enhancement of visitors' understanding of the cultural connotations of the scenic area are of paramount importance.

Visitors’ perceived impacts of interpretation on knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

Interpretation in protected areas can help reach conservation goals and inspire a new generation of knowledgeable and dedicated park supporters. However, few research projects have examined this connection in a comprehensive manner. This 2011 study evaluated perceived knowledge, interest, appreciation, and advocacy impacts from interpretive programs at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park (MLPP), Alberta, Canada. Of 497 respondents, 19.7% attended an interpretive program. Among attendees, 89% rated the programs as excellent or very good, and most agreed that interpretation increased knowledge about nature (88%), interest in future programs (87%), and appreciation for MLPP (82%). Somewhat fewer but still a majority of attendees agreed that interpretation increased their desire to support AB Parks (71%), their awareness of environmental issues (69%), and their desire to help the environment (61%). Attendees (and nonattendees to a lesser extent) supported the role of interpretation in the park. The key constraints for not attending were lack of awareness, awkward timing, and being too busy. Park interpretation at MLPP appears to generate positive impacts related to the environment, regarding learning, awareness, appreciation, and a desire to help.

A Study on Building Interpretation System of National Forest Park

Interpretation system is an important part of the forest park overall planning, is an inevitably choice for forest landscape resources protection, spread of forest ecological culture and ecological tourism development. It has the function of tourist service, ecological civilization education, forest resource protection, visitor management and economic function. In view of the current problems of forest park interpretation system, pointing out that it is made up of forest ecological tourism resources, tourism media, forest management and forest tourist four subsystems, and for four subsystems in detail respectively in this paper.

Waterborne: Vietnamese Australians and river environments in Vietnam and Sydney

Vietnamese Australians who arrived in Australia as refugees since the 1970s and later as migrants, have developed complex relationships of remembering, knowing and belonging to environments in Vietnam and Sydney. Water was a frequent point of reference in our interviews with Vietnamese people in Sydney, and their relationships with water are used in this article to explore interviewees’ associations with places. The article focuses on cultural knowledge of environments, which people bring with them, such as their connections with rivers and oceans, central to both memories of place and the histories of Vietnam. These memories also change with return visits and experiences between these places. Vietnamese refugees’ experiences of escape and trauma coming across oceans from Vietnam also influence subsequent relationships with place. Finally, relationships with Sydney parks and urban waterways are explored by examining popular places for family and community get-togethers along Georges River, located near where many Sydney Vietnamese people live. These have become key places in making Sydney home for Vietnamese people. The article considers how Vietnamese Australian cultural knowledge of place could be shared and acknowledged by park managers and used in park interpretation.

Improvisational Theater Games for Children in Park Interpretation

With children increasingly disconnected from nature and much interpretation geared toward adults, agencies need age-appropriate techniques for children. Improvisational theater games use group-based role-playing to solve problems through dialogue and activity in a creative, spontaneous, supportive, and interactive atmosphere. This paper highlights children's enjoyment and perceived learning resulting from a new improvisation program in Banff National Park, Canada. We thematically analyzed open-ended evaluations of an improvisation-dominated program. The activities enjoyed most included improvisation, because they involved fun, physical activity, creativity, challenge, and novelty. The least-enjoyed activities were physical activity games and an interpretive talk. Perceived learning was highest from an interpretive talk and nature walk and least from games focused on physical or group activities. Most perceived and desired learning related to natural history and park management topics. Despite being nontraditional and non-thematic, improvisation can contribute to children's enjoyment and perceived learning in park interpretive programs.