Personal Interpretation

If you only had time to read one book before becoming a front-line guide or interpreter, Personal Interpretation: Connecting Your Audience with Heritage Resources is the ideal resource. Written in clear, concise language with many examples, it employs the most current ideas in the interpretive profession. It also shares some of the rich traditions from interpretation's past masters, drawing on Freeman Tilden's principles and Enos Mills' thoughtful ideas on nature guiding. It will connect you with the more in-depth resources developed by authors such as Sam Ham, Bill Lewis, Douglas Knudson, Ted Cable, Larry beck, and Joseph Cornell. This resource shares the approaches tested and proven by the National Park Service and many other organizations along with the research concepts that back up their approaches.

Lisa Brochu specializes in interpretive master planning, interpretive writing, and training. As Program Director for the National Association for Interpretation, Brochu is responsible for planning, development, and supervision of programs, products, and services. Before joining the staff at NAI, Brochu was a freelance consultant and completed over 150 projects for a wide variety of private, municipal, county, state, and federal agencies over her 30-year career. She has taught numerous classes and workshops related to interpretation and is recognized as a leading authority in the field. She has edited and published a number of newsletters and published a bimonthly magazine about interpretation within federal agencies. Brochu has won numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Fellow Award, the highest honor given by NAI to recognize excellence, innovation, and leadership in the interpretive field. Brochu also headed the task force responsible for initiating an internationally recognized certification program for professionals in interpretation through NAI.Tim Merriman, Ph.D., has been the Executive Director of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) since 1995. Merriman's career started as Environmental Programs Director at Southern Illinois University's Outdoor Labs near Carbondale, Illinois, from 1969 to 1972. Following that he was a Ranger/Interpreter at Giant City State Park from 1972 to 1980. From 1980 to 1993 he was Executive Director of the Greenway and Nature Center of Pueblo in Colorado. He has also worked as Director of Conservation for Bat Conservation International (BCI) in Austin, Texas, and served as Manager of Research and Innovations at Tennessee Valley Authority's Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Kentucky.His educational background includes a B.S. in zoology with a secondary teaching certificate, an MA in botany (aquatic ecology), and a Ph.D. in speech/communications. He has taught for 22 years as an adjunct profession with University of Southern Colorado, Regis University and Colorado State University (CSU). Merriman has published more than 100 articles and papers in the areas of interpretation, environmental education, fundraising, nonprofit organizational management, and natural history. His many professional awards including being named NAI Fellow in 1987, after serving as the organization's president from 1985 to 1987. He enjoys reading books, gardening and playing bluegrass mandolin.