National Association For InterpretationNational Association For Interpretation

Region 6 Region 6 WorkshopWorkshop

Springfield, MissouriFebruary 21–24, 2016

to the 2016 NAI Region 6

Workshop, Interpret Your Masterpieces To Enrich Our World. We are thrilled to see so many of you from the six states in Region 6: Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. We appreciate the hospitality of the Ramada Oasis Hotel & Convention Center for playing host to the various aspects of the conference, as well as all the field trip sites.

We hope you’ll enjoy the opportunity to meet new people, network with colleagues, share ideas with peers, visit outstanding natural and historical sites, and hear some of the latest news in interpretation.

National Association National Association For InterpretationFor Interpretation

Welcome

Region 6 WorkshopRegion 6 Workshop

Springfield, MissouriFebruary 21–24, 2016

Chris Pistole • Co-Chair

Rudy Martinez • Co-Chair

Cyndi Cogbill • Volunteers & Meals

Dakota Russell • Field Trips & Hospitality

Dana Hoisington • Hospitality & Programs Dave Catlin • Donations

Clark Hancock • Collegiate Competition

George Kastler • Logistics & Programs

John Miller • Registration

Kathy Miller • Donations & Meals

Lisa Lacombe • Programs

Matt Kantola • Hospitality & Programs Steve Jacobsen • Field Trips & Programs

Tim Smith • Field Trips

Special Thanks to:

Andrea Joslin • previous NAI Region 6 Treasurer

Heather Runyan • Scholarship Chair

Jamie King • NAI Membership Manager

Katie Raney • Visions Newsletter Editor

Laura Motley • Awards Chair

Melissa Harvey, PhD • NAI Region 6 Treasurer

Stephen Brueggerhoff • NAI Region 6 Webmaster Lori Spencer • Scholarship/Professional Development Auction

If you have any needs, our workshop planning committee is here to serve you.

The 2016 Region 6 Planning Committee

7:00–8:30AM . . . . . . . Breakfast buffet in Grand Ballroom • vendors open (only during breaks) Workshop registration/information booth remains open throughout conference

8:30–8:45AM . . . . . . . . Workshop Kickoff in Grand Ballroom of Ramada Oasis Convention Center Welcome • announcements • two silent auctions during breaks

8:45–9:30AM . . . . . . . . Keynote—Kevin Armitage in the Grand Ballroom

9:30–10:15AM. . . . . . . Concurrent Session I

10:15–10:30AM . . . . . Break

10:30–11:15AM . . . . . Concurrent Session II

11:15AM–12NOON . . . Break

12NOON . . . . . . . . . . . . Silent Auction I ends

12NOON–1:30PM . . . . . Lunch in Grand Ballroom followed by business meeting

1:30–2:15PM . . . . . . . . Concurrent Session III

2:15–2:30PM . . . . . . . . Break

2:30–3:15PM . . . . . . . . Concurrent Session IV

3:15–3:30PM . . . . . . . . Break

3:30PM . . . . . . . . . . . . Silent Auction II ends

3:30–4:15PM . . . . . . . . Concurrent Session V

4:15–5:00PM . . . . . . . . Break

5:00–5:30PM . . . . . . . . Travel to auction site at White River Conference Center at Bass Pro Shops

2016 NAI Region 6 Workshop Agenda

Saturday–Sunday • February 20–21Preconference Wilderness Backpacking

Sunday • February 219:00AM–4:30PM . . . . . .Preconference Interpretive Writing Workshop in the Fiji Room

TIMES VARY . . . . . . . . . . . .Preconference field trips

3:00PM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hotel check-in at Ramada Oasis

3:00–5:00PM . . . . . . . . .Board Meeting (members welcome)

3:00–7:00PM . . . . . . . . .Workshop Registration at entrance to Grand Ballroom of Ramada Oasis Convention Center • dinner on own • vendors open until 10PM

7:00–7:40PM . . . . . . . . .Welcome and kickoff with Jamin Bray’s performance in Grand Ballroom

7:40–7:55PM . . . . . . . . .Announce scholarship winners and art project

8:00PM–12MIDNIGHT . . .Hospitality room open • jam session

Monday • February 22

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5:30–7:00PM . . . . . . . . . Tour of America’s Wildlife Museum & Aquarium and WOLF School Open House

6:00–7:00PM . . . . . . . . . Heavy hors d’oeuvres at auction site and cash bar

7:00–9:00PM . . . . . . . . . Scholarship/Professional Development Auction • cash bar

9:00–10:00PM . . . . . . . . Transport back to hotel

9:00PM–12MIDNIGHT . . . Hospitality room open • jam session

Monday • February 22 continued

Tuesday • February 236:00–10:00AM. . . . . . . Complimentary full hot breakfast buffet for room guests in tropical atrium

7:30–9:00AM . . . . . . . . Field trips depart (lunch included in some field trips)

3:00–5:00PM . . . . . . . . Field trips return

4:00–6:00PM . . . . . . . . Dinner on own

6:00–9:00PM . . . . . . . . Collegiate Competition and poster session

8:30–9:30PM . . . . . . . . Saving An Ozark Treasure in the Bora Bora Board Room, Steve Bost, Interpretive Resource Specialist III, Montauk State Park, Missouri

6:00PM–12MIDNIGHT . . Hospitality room open • jam session

Wednesday • February 247:00–9:00AM . . . . . . . Breakfast buffet in Grand Ballroom • vendors open (only during breaks)

9:00–9:45AM . . . . . . . . Concurrent Session VI

9:45–10:00AM. . . . . . . Break

10:00–10:45AM . . . . . Concurrent Session VII

10:45–11:00AM . . . . . Break

11:00AM–11:45AM. . . Concurrent Session VIII

12NOON–1:00PM . . . . . Lunch in Grand Ballroom, promotion of 2017 Region 6 Workshop in Arkansas

1:00–1:45PM . . . . . . . . Concurrent Session IX

1:45–2:00PM . . . . . . . . Break

2:00–2:45PM . . . . . . . . Concurrent Session X

2:45–3:00PM . . . . . . . . Break

3:00–4:45PM . . . . . . . . Brian Barnette All American Interpreter’s Quiz in Grand Ballroom

4:00–6:00PM . . . . . . . . Hospitality room open

6:00–8:00PM . . . . . . . . Banquet dinner and awards in Grand Ballroom speaker John Miller, 2015 Region 6 Director, Closing

8:00–11:00PM . . . . . . . Entertainment • DJ and dancing

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2016 NAI Region 6 Workshop Agenda

Preconference Interpretive Writing Workshop

Wilderness BackpackingSaturday • 1:00PM to Sunday

3:00PM (overnight experience)

Whether you are a

beginner or a veteran

backpacker get ready

to explore Hercules

Glades Wilderness Area in

Missouri. Along with hiking

during the day, you will experience

one night of tent camping in

the wilderness. This backpacking field trip does include stream

crossings, moderate to difficult terrain, and elevation changes.

Ozark Underground Laboratory Sunday • 7:00AM–5:00PM

This field trip begins with a surface tour that explains the

relationships between the surface and the cave. The underground

tour is on a walking trail through the most diverse cave ecosystem

west of the Mississippi River. Please bring rough clothes, comfortable

boots or closed-toe shoes with tread, a flashlight with new batteries,

insect repellent, a raincoat, snacks, and a water bottle.

Words To Change The World: A Day Of Interpretive WritingSunday • 9:00AM–4:30PM Fiji Room

Does your writing move readers, change their hearts and minds, and communicate in the most eff ective way possible? How do you take what you know—about your site, your resource, about interpretation itself—and weave it into writing that inspires, intrigues, delights, and educates? How do you turn that knowledge into writing that is powerful, passionate, and persuasive? In this one-day workshop by Judy Fort Brenneman, we’ll explore ways to lift our written language above the ordinary. We’ll practice the art and craft of interpretive writing through facilitated discussion, in-class exercises, and sharing results.

Preconference Field Trips

Fantastic CavernsSunday • 12:30–5:00PM

Visit one of the only ride-through caves in the world. Regardless

of the weather outside, visitors can stay dry, relax in comfort,

and get away from it all by boarding the Jeep-drawn tram and

experiencing the natural beauty of Fantastic Caverns. Along

the roomy, brightly-lit passageways, visitors can see thousands

of speleothems–cave formations that include stalactites and

stalagmites, tiny soda straws, cave pearls, massive columns, and

flowstones.

Welcome And Kickoff With Jamin BraySunday • 7:00–7:40PM

Grand BallroomThis Masterpiece of Time is filled

with Jamin’s original songs

that interpret the experiences

of connecting to both natural

and cultural resources. You will

experience a musical journey

through song that is interwoven

with stories of the song’s

inspiration. The performance will

conclude with the very personal

song, Masterpiece, which she was

inspired to write after her experiences working for Missouri State

Parks and Historic Sites, some of “Missouri’s Masterpieces.”

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Concurrent Sessions

Concurrent Session I • Monday • 9:30–10:15AM

Feathers: Masterpieces Of Natural And Cultural History

Coco RoomDelia Lister, Director of Nature

Reach, Pittsburg State UniversityWe may not always take the time to focus on the one feature that is unique to birds; however, feathers are evolutionary masterpieces of form

and function. Feathers have given us a window into the past, can tell us a great deal about the birds

that carry them, and have been deeply embedded in human culture. Learn a few ways to incorporate

these little masterpieces into your program!

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Keynote

The Nature Study Movement:How A Bunch Of Turn-Of-The-Twentieth-Century School Teachers Wanted To Teach Science With Sentiment And Wound Up Igniting The Conservation MovementMonday • 8:45–9:30AM Grand BallroomKevin Armitage is an Associate Professor who has worked as a research scientist, bus driver, teacher, bouncer, bartender, and commercial fisherman in Naknek, Alaska. His PhD is in American history and his research interests include American environmental and cultural history, and modern social theory. He is the author of The Nature Study Movement: The Forgotten Popularizer of America’s Conservation Ethic.

The Missouri River Masterpiece: Place-Based Interpretation

Maui RoomLisa LaCombe, Nature Center

Manager, Burr Oak WoodsThe Missouri River is truly a masterpiece! An intimate relationship with the Big Muddy will change the way you feel about this often forgotten resource. Focus on this river will create better understanding of the importance of direct experiences in nature. In this session, attendees will participate in a place-based activity and use the same principals at their own site to forge deeper connections with visitors through place-based education.

What’s In YOUR Wallet? Reaching Out And Drawing In! Fiji RoomJamin Bray, Middle School Language Arts Teacher, Naturalist, Trustee of the Bonebrake Center of Nature and History, and Libby Sanders, retired teacher and Executive Director of the Bonebrake Center of Nature and HistoryYour local schools NEED what you have! Whether it is your knowledge, your site, or your talent, YOU have the power to show teachers how they can use untraditional settings and topics to teach their students while incorporating the mandated educational standards. Research has documented that students benefit from outdoor activities. See how the teachers, students, and schools in a small, poor rural area have benefitted from the Bonebrake Center of Nature and History.

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Oh Great, The School Kids Are Here! Oh H*ll, The School Kids Are Here! Fiji RoomWilliam H. Ray, Chief of Interpretive Programming, Historic Daniel Boone Home and Heritage Center – Lindenwood UniversityWith school groups, you have everything you need–except time. This program equips you to engage the children as early as possible, thus capitalizing on their learning potential.

Inspired Collaboration Coco RoomInterpreters’ Coalition of Springfield-Greene County: Barbara Lucks, Sustainability Officer, City of Springfield Dept. of Environmental Services; Linda Chorice, Manager, Springfield Conservation

Nature Center; Laurie Duncan, Education Outreach Specialist, City of Springfield Dept. of Environmental Services; and Ann Wallenmeyer, Science Curriculum Facilitator, Springfield

Public SchoolsWhether you are in an urban or rural environment, collaboration that enriches your agency’s mission and has a lasting and positive impact on your community is possible. Learn low-cost and no-cost best practices for diverse collaboration that have been successfully used in southwest Missouri for 15 years.

The Shortest Distance Between Two People Is A Story

Maui RoomJudy Fort Brenneman, owner of

Greenfire Creative, LLCThe stories we create reflect and reveal us: who we are, where we come from, what we believe. Audiences who see themselves reflected in our stories may form powerful connections to those stories. Exploring the stories that form our identity–experimenting with re-interpreting, reframing, and changing them–helps us create powerful, compelling connections with our audience. When we change the story, we change ourselves–and, perhaps, the world.

The Missouri State Museum: An Interpretive Masterpiece

Fiji RoomBilly Haag, Graduate Student, and Mark Morgan, Associate Professor,

University of Missouri-ColumbiaIf you’re a Missourian, you’ve probably been on a guided tour of the State Capitol in Jefferson City. It’s one of our most famous cultural masterpieces. How well do you remember this interpretive experience? Attend this session to learn what others think about it.

Adding The Human ElementCoco Room

Dakota Price, Seasonal Interpreter at Mastodon State Historic Site, Interpretive Assistant at the Missouri Botanical Garden“How can I make nature more engaging for my audience? What can I do to make them relate? What’s an archaeologist doing interpreting natural resources?” Join interpreter Dakota Price for a little interpretive chemistry as she discusses using her anthropology background to create relevant and engaging experiences in her natural resources programming.

American Women Afield: Writings By Pioneering Women Naturalists Maui Room

George A. Kastler, retired Chief Naturalist for Missouri State ParksThis presentation will look at the important role that women naturalists have played in the development of the land ethic in the United States over one hundred years with emphasis on at least three women. It will follow the direction as put forth in the book American Women Afield: Writings By Pioneering Women Naturalists. It will be open to discussion throughout the presentation. C

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Concurrent Session II • Monday • 10:30–11:15AM

Concurrent Session III • Monday • 1:30–2:15PM

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The Sense Of WonderFiji Room

Michelle Soenksen, Park Naturalist, Sam A. Baker State Park

How often do you find yourself lost in wonder? Today, we are more likely to find ourselves busy and distracted. Wonder is what helps us build an emotional connection with our surroundings and instills a desire within us to do everything possible to protect them. How can mystery and beauty change our sense of place? How can we experience wonder more frequently? Bring wonder back into your life and that of your visitors during this inspiring program.

“But We Can’t Afford To Do That!” Creating An Accessible Interpretive Site For All

Coco RoomJeanne Spencer, Interpretive Guide, Historic Daniel Boone Home and Heritage Center, Defiance, MO Interpretive sites can be a challenge for visitors with disabilities, but there are a variety of resources you can use to make your site more accessible without costly renovations. Join us for a presentation about barriers to accessibility, why interpretive sites should be accessible, and what you can do to make your site more enjoyable to visitors of all abilities.

Crafting The Perfect MessageMaui Room

April Anderson, Naturalist/Freelance writer, CIG To create an exhibit that resonates with guests, you’ll want to know them and their interests. Bring a topic you’d like to address at your site or signage that needs editing and let an experienced exhibit developer provide insights and information to encourage you to create better exhibits. April Anderson has spent her career opening nature centers, developing exhibits and programs, and creating positive relationships with the communities she serves. She has written for Chicago Wilderness, Chicagoland Gardening, and Quintessential Barrington magazines and provides freelance support to anyone who needs help finding the right words.

Concurrent Session IV • Monday • 2:30–3:15PM

Concurrent Session V • Monday • 3:30–4:15PM

Storytelling Inspires Meaningful Interpretation

Fiji RoomMystina Swaim, CHI, CIG, Park Interpreter,

Arkansas State ParksInterpretive storytelling connects the mind and heart to your passion. Gain ideas for using storytelling in programs with live animals and common natural or historical artifacts from your site. Explore what makes stories effective as you create your own.

Interpretive MarketingCoco Room

Christie Collins, VP Marketing/Co-owner WITH Software

Who doesn’t want to attract more visitors to their interpretive site? Sometimes sending out a newsletter isn’t enough. Many interpreters are already marketing and advertising to promote their site programs and don’t know it! Learn more about the new concept of “Interpretive Marketing” to get a full understanding of how to organize your ideas better.

Interpreting Slavery And Freedom In The OzarksMaui Room

Dakota Russell, Interpretive Resource Specialist, Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic SiteIt’s a common misconception that the resources for interpreting early African American history in the Ozarks just “don’t exist.” This presentation will bring some of those resources to light. We’ll take a look at how the African American history of the Ozarks is unique, discuss how to research and document slavery and freedom at your site, and share tips on how to connect that information to your resources and interpretation.

Tour of America’s Wildlife Museum & Aquarium and WOLF School Open House • Monday • 5:30–7:00PM

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Tour Of America’s Wildlife Museum & Aquarium Formerly Wonders Of Wildlife (WOW) (45-minute tour)

Hosted by Misty Mitchell, Director of Conservation Programs, National Hunting and Fishing Day Coordinator, America's Wildlife Museum and Aquarium

Get a sneak preview of the world-class exhibits and displays that this museum features during this 45-minute tour. Enjoy the privilege of touring the museum before its grand opening scheduled for later this spring. Exhibits are modeled after the great nocturnal exhibit at The Henry Doorly Zoo and the Rain Forest Exhibit at The Dallas World Aquarium. Features include a flooded rain forest exhibit, shark and ray touch tanks, catfish and turtle feeding pools, a large living coral tank, a bird aviary, and a nocturnal swamp, just to name a few.

You may visit the WOLF school before and after the museum tours of

America’s Wildlife Museum & Aquarium.

WOLF School Open HouseHosted by Sue Dyle, Springfield Public Schools 5th Grade Teacher

Staff from the Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility (WOLF) will be on-hand to answer questions about WOLF

This school is a partnership with the Springfield Public School System. The partnership involves housing a School of Choice program at Wonders of Wildlife. Schools of Choice are an integral part of the Springfield Public School’s strategic plan, and this school will be a model for others in the future. The WOLF school offers 46 lucky 5th graders the opportunity to come to WOW for classroom studies every day as part of a conservation science-based learning program. These

students learn the entire 5th grade curriculum through the lens of science. Teachers are provided through the school system and work with Wonders of Wildlife educators and other conservation education organizations throughout the Ozarks to expand the knowledge of these students. Throughout the year, the students will think of themselves as “explorers,” comparing their experiences to those of people like Lewis & Clark, Daniel Boone, and Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. These people possessed a distinguishing set of characteristics, were conservationists before conservation was “cool,” and out of necessity were experienced in many areas of science.

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Field Trips

Take a tour of the Chase Studios campus located in 11 buildings set on 1500 acres of oak and hickory covered hills on Bull Shoals Lake. Chase Studio is a world-renowned exhibit design and production studio with a reputation for scientific accuracy and attention to detail. Chase Studio is possibly the only firm involved exclusively with the natural sciences that can offer its clients the entire gamut of museum exhibit work from master planning through installation.

Chase Studio • Tuesday • 7:30AM–5:00PM

Discover Springfield • Tuesday • 8:30AM–5:00PMVisit the Discovery Center of Springfield (DCS), an interactive, hands-on museum committed to inspiring people of all ages with a lifelong love of learning and an appreciation of the world and our place in it. DCS lets you take your mind on a thrilling exploration of the sciences by providing

entertaining, hands-on adventures for all ages. You will have such a fun time playing with the exhibits that you will forget you are learning! Then visit the home of one of the most unique caves found in North America–Riverbluff Cave. The cave was accidentally discovered on 9/11/2001 while blasting for a new road. This cave has been sealed with an air-tight locked door and passageway to protect the pristine and untouched condition of the cave from the Pleistocene Age (the last Ice Age). The Missouri Institute of Natural Science was born on the heels of an amazing discovery to create a natural history museum to educate the public on the ways that learning from past environments can help us to be better stewards of our present climate and natural resources. The museum also provides a venue for meetings and educational activities involving community groups and local schools.

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Ash Grove was the last home of Nathan Boone, a genuine Missouri icon–a hunter, soldier, surveyor, and businessman. Boone carried his father’s name–he was the youngest son of Daniel Boone–deep into the Missouri wilderness. His last home, preserved at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site, is now a place to travel back to the 1830s. We will visit the home he constructed and the family and slave cemeteries. Father Moses Berry will share some fascinating African American history with us as well as his vision and goals of preserving and interpreting this unique history. The Berry family has been in Ash Grove, Missouri, since the 1870s when William Berry and Caroline Boone Berry built their home on a plot of land right outside of town. This family kept an amazing amount of oral and physical history and passed it down with each generation including more than a century’s worth of photographs, clothing, mementos, furniture, and even slave chains.

Ash Grove • Tuesday • 8:30AM–5:00PM

The Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center, located in Wildcat Park, is adjacent to some of the last remaining chert glades, a globally unique habitat found only in this area, and the biologically rich Shoal Creek, an important place for migratory birds and other wildlife. The center is a partnership project of Audubon Missouri, the City of Joplin, and the Missouri Department of Conservation; it is a celebration of nature with innovative “green” technologies creating a truly distinctive building. The Joplin Museum Complex is home to the Everett J. Ritchie Tri-State Mineral Museum, Dorothea B. Hoover Historical Museum, The Empire District Electric Company Museum, The Joplin Sports Authority Sports Hall of Fame, and the National Historical Cookie Cutter Museum and interprets the geology and geochemistry of the area and illustrates mining processes and methods used from the 1870s through the 1960s. It also emphasizes the growth and development as a result of the mining in the Tri-State District. On display are assorted historical items from Joplin’s mining era including a circus room, a child’s playhouse (children are invited in with adult supervision), a 1927 American LeFrance fire engine and Victorian furnishings, textiles, and a doll collection. Finally we will visit George Washington Carver National Monument, the birthplace of George Washington Carver, a distinguished African American scientist, educator, humanitarian, Christian, artist, and musician.

Joplin • Tuesday • 8:30AM–5:00PM

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Field Trips

We will visit Bakersville Pioneer Village for a tour of the village and lunch. The tour of the village will include a speaker barn, old-time mercantile, natural bakery, garden museum, blacksmith shop, western jail, rock oven, windmill, many breeds of historic poultry and livestock, and the Baker Heritage Seed Company. Baker Pioneer Village is reputed to be the longest-lasting homestead in Missouri. The families raised many varieties of produce, birds, and animals and were quite skilled in the crafts of the region. They traded with the Osage Indians and cared for soldiers during the Civil War in their hand-hewn log cabin.

Mansfield • Tuesday • 9:00AM–3:00PM

Springfield, Missouri, boasts the largest Solar Farm in Missouri. The 40-acre site has nearly 22,000 solar panels with the potential output of 4.95 megawatts. The panels will produce approximately 9,606 MWh/yr–enough to power 902 homes. Residents have the option to purchase all their electric energy from this farm. Next, we will cool off at Valley Water Mill Park. The park is a synergistic example of community resources and organizations working together to provide a wonderful experience for park users while protecting the watershed and environment. The property is owned and the dam maintained by City Utilities. The Springfield-Greene County Park Board has leased the land around the pond and spring to provide an opportunity for visitors to appreciate the beauty of this natural resource while highlighting “best practices” in building and maintaining environmentally-sound structures. Last but not least, we will become detectives in an art heist at the Springfield Art Museum following the clues to different areas around the museum to try and solve the mystery.

Potpourri Springfield • Tuesday • 9:00AM–5:00PM

Smallin Civil War Cave was the first documented cave in the Ozarks. It was written about at great length in Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s journal in 1818. Smallin Cave was considered to be noteworthy enough that it was cited by major publications including the 1923

National Geographic and 1948 issue of the Ecological Society of America. The town of Ozark was a centralized location of Union activity during the Civil War. There is strong evidence

that Smallin Cave was used for war-related activities. We will then catch a few “throwed rolls” at Lambert’s Café for lunch, followed by a visit to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. Some of the most passionate and bloody battles occurred in Missouri, a state which harbored strong southern sympathy, but was occupied by the Union. Wilson’s Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River. The bloody Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focused greater national attention on the war in Missouri. The nearly pristine landscape allows visitors to experience one of the best preserved battlefields in the nation.

Ozark • Tuesday • 8:30AM–5:00PM

The first stop on this historic tour of Neosho is the Neosho National Fish Hatchery. This is the oldest fish hatchery in operation today beginning operations in 1888. The hatchery raises rare or endangered fish to release in local rivers and streams. Next, we will visit the Neosho History Park and courthouse. The park includes the Newton County Historical Society Museum, which was the local jail from 1889 till 1937; Newton County School #11, built prior to 1896 by the Anti-hours Thief Association; and an 1850s pioneer log cabin. There is a five-panel mural on the main floor of the Newton County Courthouse painted by Thomas Hart Benton which we will visit. Our last stop will be at the Matthew Ritchey House which served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate troops during the Battles of Newtonia where two American Indian units fighting for either side clashed and the last Missouri battle where both sides claimed a victory.

Neosho • Tuesday • 8:30AM–5:00PM

We will get a special behind-the-scenes look at Dickerson Park Zoo which has more than 500 animals that represent 160 different species. Afterward, you will tour the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, a small piece of the Ozarks nestled within the city limits of Springfield. It’s a place to connect with nature and to learn the importance of conserving it too. Here you will see and learn about the challenges and

advantages of an urban nature center. The facility has interpretive exhibits, classrooms, an auditorium, and sits on 79 acres with nearly 3 miles of trails. Interpretive programs are offered for the general public and for organized groups.

Natural Springfield Tuesday • 8:30AM–5:00PM

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Collegiate Competition • Tuesday • 6:00–9:00PM

The Competition’s purpose is to showcase the great work done by students currently enrolled in heritage interpretive academic programs. Any program that provides classes in heritage interpretation is invited to participate.

Track 1: Personal interpretation individual academic programs may submit up to two student representatives for consideration to present 10-minute talks, demonstrations, led activities, or other piece of personal interpretation.

Track 2: Non-personal interpretation individuals or teams will present non-personal projects. This would include signs, guides, electronic media, or other non-personal interpretive products.

Both tracks will be judged by a panel of professional interpreters

following NAI best practices.

4:00–6:00PM . . . . . .Track 2 Set-up

6:00–7:00PM . . . . . .Track 2 Judging

7:00–8:30PM . . . . . .Track 1 Presentations

8:45–9:00PM . . . . . .Awards

Bora Bora RoomSteve Bost, Interpretive Resource Specialist III,

Montauk State Park, Missouri

The Ozark chinquapin tree, our native chestnut, was once abundant and important to both humans and wildlife before disease nearly wiped it out of existence. Learn how interpretation is being used to raise public awareness about its disappearance and about the efforts to save and restore this masterpiece back to our forests.

Saving An Ozark Treasure • Tuesday • 8:30–9:30PM

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Concurrent Session VI • Wednesday • 9:00–9:45AM

Teaching And Using Basic Bird Origami In Your PresentationsFiji Room

Ken Forman, Education Specialist and Fred Berry, Education Specialist, Conservation Education Center, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

You’ve probably heard about origami “peace cranes” or flapping birds or water bombs. You may even have folded a fortune teller as a youth. But have you ever considered including paper folding in your educational programs? Origami is not only a satisfying pastime, it can lead to

better understanding of our natural resources and improve the connection between the folder and those resources. Come learn to fold and to teach folding as part of your programs.

“Fight Dirty” With Auntie Litter

Coco RoomLori Spencer, Interpretive Volunteer,

Mount Magazine State ParkPrepare to be guided by a sense of fun and positive reinforcement as you enjoy this costume and prop program, including process, of Auntie Litter and her friends as they fight dirty. Discover through the chuckles how you can turn your programs about trash into masterpieces of interpretive treasure.

Green At Heart YogaMaui Room

Molly Postlewait, Park Naturalist, Ernie Miller Nature Center

Sample Nature Time Yoga with stories and poems. Yoga can connect park visitors to nature to extend their experience. Explore the concept of using yoga on hikes and incorporating yoga and movement with interpretive programs for preschool, school age and adult audiences. You do not need to be a super yogi, just come to move and tap into the creative energy of this ancient art. Participants choose their level of physical movement.

Concurrent Session VII • Wednesday • 10:00–10:45AM

Public Outreach Education On Caves, Karst, And GroundwaterFiji Room

Jonathan Beard, Treasurer, Springfield Plateau Grotto Learn how a local affiliate of the National Speleological Society conducts public outreach education about caves, karst, and groundwater to the general public in its effort to conserve groundwater and cave resources in Missouri. Springfield Plateau Grotto (SPG) has reached thousands of people in its educational programs.

Serving All MasterpiecesCoco Room

Marisol Mayorga, PhD student, Kansas State University, and Dr. Ted Cable, Professor, Park Management and Conservation, Kansas State UniversityInterpreters often encounter barriers to work with people with disabilities. Some obstacles are out of the control of the interpreter, but many come from within. This presentation shares the experience of students who overcame these challenges to design and guide a visit for this audience at the Flint Hills Discovery Center. It also offers practical tips to avoid potential obstacles and proactively implement opportunities for diverse audiences to enjoy the masterpieces of their sites.

We Can Build It! Maui Room

Elizabeth Bittner, Education Naturalist, Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge

Helping young guests understand the whole story of your site can be a challenge especially if time, space, or materials are limited. This session will teach you a simple interactive activity demonstrating how your “masterpiece” came to be and why it was chosen as a special place set aside for people to visit. This activity is very flexible and can be used for history sites, nature sites, career day presentations, habitat programs, and more.

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Concurrent Session VIII • Wednesday • 11:00–11:45AM

The Power Of PowerPointFiji Room

Garrett T. Hargriss, Naturalist, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park

PowerPoint can transport visitors to a faraway time, enhance sites, and take a new approach to our natural wonders. See how PowerPoint, along with engaging interpretation, can take visitors on a “virtual” trip. Learn how to deviate from the ever-boring-not-so-interpretive PowerPoint we’ve all seen and take a short Jurassic journey in the process. Discover the proper way to harness the power of PPT to create our own masterpieces.

Engaging Zoo Audiences: The Conservation Conversation Challenge Coco RoomJerry DiMarcellis, Interpreter, Saint Louis ZooSee examples of how interpreters at the Saint Louis Zoo meet the challenges of evaluating, engaging, and connecting with guests of every age and background. Hear concrete examples of the zoo’s interpretations with a heavy emphasis on questioning strategies. Attendees will be exposed to the challenges found in a zoo and gain some ideas and techniques that will be useful in their own particular interpretive setting.

Freedom ParkMaui Room

Ron Kelley, Freedom Park, Helena, ArkansasSee overhead drone shots of Freedom Park in Helena, Arkansas, as well as high-resolution photos to interpret various elements scattered throughout the park in five exhibits, including early freedom seekers, the story of the contraband, freedmen, and colored troops. The park, appropriately named Freedom Park, was the first site in Arkansas to be put on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.

Concurrent Session IX • Wednesday • 1:00–1:45PM

The Masterpiece Guided HikeFiji Room

Jay T. Schneider, Asst. Supt., Hobbs State Park–Conservation Area, Rogers, AR

Are we giving the best guided hikes possible? The guided hike is a staple in an interpreter’s toolbox. Are we creating memories with each hike leaving visitors inspired and wanting more? We will share and learn the techniques, tips, and success stories of masterpiece guided hikes, whether planned or on a moment’s notice. Dress for the weather, we will be going outside.

Craft Your Masterpiece, 10 Steps To Better Interpretive Writing

Coco RoomJeanette Larson, Craft Director,

Ozark Folk Center State ParkLearn to write interpretive pieces that communicate what you want to say. Find techniques that help you share your passion for your resource in writing. Discover steps that help you clarify your thoughts so that your writing flows. In this workshop, you will practice turning technical, historical, scientific, and cultural information into creative interpretive documents that bridge the gap between an interest in information and a caring for your resource.

A Bird In The Net Is Worth Two In The Bush: Connecting Visitors To Science In Action Maui RoomLisa Cole, Outdoor Programming & Education Specialist, LLELA Nature Preserve, and

Erin Taylor, Recreation Specialist, LLELA Nature PreserveMany Americans have distanced themselves from the natural sciences, but informed citizens are needed to face climate change and other environmental challenges. Opportunities for visitors to meet researchers in the field (like LLELA’s Migration Bird Banding Program) can help close the gap. Brainstorm with your fellow interpreters on ways to connect the public to science at your site. If there isn’t already active research at your location, learn more about citizen science efforts you could easily start.

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Concurrent Session X • Wednesday • 2:00–2:45PM

Journals: Meaningful Masterpieces

Fiji Room Heather Runyan, Park Interpreter, Village Creek State Park, and Mary Buchman, Park Interpreter, Powhatan Historic State ParkJournals are a great way to connect guests to your masterpieces by letting them create a masterpiece of their own. Learn how to use different types of journals in new and existing programs to help your guests form a deeper connection with your resource by paying attention to details and finding their own meanings. You will get the chance to make your own simple journal and complete your first entry.

Tilden’s 6th: Developing Age-Appropriate Programs For Your Littlest Learners

Coco RoomKendra Swee, Interpretive Resource

Coordinator, Missouri State ParksPreschool children can often be the most receptive audience an interpreter can have. For some interpreters though, following Tilden’s 6th principle can be difficult when it comes to children of this age. This session will not only offer tips and tricks for working with preschoolers, but explain what makes preschoolers “tick” and how to use their natural tendencies and developmental needs to your advantage. Plan to be active in this session!

The Civil War And Herbal Healing On The HomefrontMaui Room

Vicky E. Schoeneweis, Park Interpreter, Jacksonport State ParkWives and mothers experienced independence for the first time when their husbands and sons joined the army at the beginning of the

Civil War. Southern women learned to treat illnesses using herbal substitutes for the drugs they were unable to obtain. Participants will learn to recognize the native plants used medicinally before, during, and after the American Civil War. The properties of each plant will be discussed as well as methods of preparation and use.

Hosted by Dana Hoisington and Dakota Russell, Missouri State Parks, Prairie State Park and Nathan Boone State Historic Site

Each year interpreters of all experience levels are encouraged to participate in this fun, yet humbling competition. The quiz aims to challenge new and veteran interpreters to see if they really “know their stuff” by answering specific questions related to natural or cultural items. The questions are designed to engage the visitor to learn more about the artifact beyond simply telling them what it is. The top scorer of the quiz will receive an award at the Awards Banquet and each state’s highest scorer will be recognized. Take time to participate this year. You will have fun and you might even learn some new interpretive techniques. In 2005, the Region 6 quiz was renamed the Brian Barnette Memorial Interpretive Quiz in remembrance of Brian Barnette. Brian loved being a naturalist. He died on February 22, 2004, of a heart attack at the age of 48. As the chief naturalist at the Dallas Museum of Natural History, Brian was a consummate teacher and exhibit planner and a wealth of knowledge. We’ve lost track of the number of times he won or placed in the Great All-American Interpreter’s Quiz in the region. Rarely did he miss a workshop, either regional or national. Brian was active in NAI from the days of the merger working on committees and workshops, as the state coordinator for Texas, and as an inspiring writer to the newsletters. This quiz is a fitting legacy to his passion and knowledge.

Brian Barnette All-American Interpreter’s Quiz Grand Ballroom Wednesday • 3:00–4:45PM

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A special THANK YOU to these sites for their support and services

America’s Wildlife Museum & AquariumBakersville Pioneer VillageChase StudioDickerson Park ZooDiscovery Center Of SpringfieldGeorge Washington Carver National MonumentJoplin Museum ComplexFantastic CavernsMatthew Ritchey HouseMissouri Institute Of Natural ScienceNathan Boone Homestead State Historic SiteNeosho Historic ParkNeosho National Fish HatcheryOzark Underground LaboratorySmallin Civil War CaveSpringfield Art MuseumSpringfield Conservation Nature CenterSpringfield Solar FarmValley Water Mill ParkWildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon CenterWilson’s Creek National BattlefieldWOLF School

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Upcoming Conferences

2017 NAI Region 6

WorkshopFebruary 26 – March 1, 2017

Rogers, Arkansas

Nature ProtectionCultural Connection

#NAI2016

Call for PresentationsDeadline: April 17, 2016Share your experience and expertise by presenting a session at NAI 2016!

NAI National ConferenceCorpus Christi, Texas, November 8–12, 2016www.interpnet.com/conference

VENDORSFishin’ Magicians

iZone ImagingLark Label Company

Missouri Department of Natural ResourcesNational Association for Interpretation Region 6

Dr. Larry Quinalty, Author & Dutch Oven CookSouthwest Missouri Herpetological Society

Student Conservation Association

Dickerson Park Zoo Springfield, MO

SPONSORSSPONSORSGOLDGOLD LEVELLEVEL

SILVERSILVER LEVELLEVEL

BRONZEBRONZE LEVELLEVEL

OTHER DONORSOTHER DONORSBaker Creek Heirloom Seed Company

Mansfield, MOBilly Gail’s Restaurant • Branson, MOBrad Wright • Branson, MO Brown Derby International Wine Center

Springfield, MO

Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure Branson, MO

Interpreters’ Coalition of Springfield-Greene

County • Springfield, MOJas. Townsend and Son, Inc. • Pierceton, INLilleys’ Landing Resort & Marina • Branson, MOMama Jean’s Natural Market • Springfield, MOMother’s Brewing Company • Springfield, MOPrice Cutter • Springfield, MORiver Run Outfitters • Branson, MOSpringfield Convention & Visitors Bureau

Springfield, MOSpringfield Conservation Nature Center

Springfield, MOTalking Rocks Cavern • Branson West, MO

Acorn Naturalist • Tustin, CAHogEye Inc. • Fayetteville, ARMissouri Wildflowers Nursery

Jefferson City, MOShepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery

Branson, MOThe Fishin’ Magicians • Nixa, MO

Hy-Vee • Springfield, MO

Jason’s Deli • Springfield, MONature’s Treasures • Branson, MOPlateau Fly Shop • Springfield, MO Stone Hill Winery • Branson, MO