Interpretation, Education, and Programming Guidance

Getting Started: You Can Do This!

Many people think they need special training to teach others about nature. That's not true!

Here's what you really need:

• Love for the natural world
• Desire to share that love
• Willingness to learn with others

Your First Steps

Start small and simple:

• Pick places you know well
• Work with small groups (5 - 10 people)
• Practice with family and friends first
• Focus on fun, not perfection

Easy activities to try:

• Nature walks to look for birds
• Scavenger hunts for interesting leaves and rocks (which you leave where found)
• Simple outdoor games
• Connect with local nature, hiking, or youth groups

Building Confidence Step by Step

Help people, including yourself, feel more confident. Start easy and get more challenging:

1. Explore - Just look around and notice things
2. Ask questions - Wonder about what you see
3. Think deeper - Connect what you see to bigger ideas
4. Take action - Do something to help the environment

Part 1: Environmental Education

What Is Environmental Education?

Environmental education helps people learn about nature. It teaches them to:

• Notice what's happening in nature
• Understand environmental problems
• Make good choices about caring for the environment

Simple Terms

Environmental Education - Teaching people about the environment so they can make smart choices about caring for it

Conservation Education - Teaching people why we need to protect natural resources and how to do it

Hands-on Learning - Learning by doing things yourself instead of just listening

School Learning - Learning in schools with set classes and grades

Life Learning - Learning outside of school, where you choose what to study

Connecting with Your Audience

Good environmental education meets people where they are. Here's how to make it meaningful:

Tools for Success

• Start local. Use the environment in your own community.
• Build slowly. Begin with simple ideas. Add harder ones later.
• Mix it up. Some people learn by seeing. Others learn by doing. Others learn by listening.
• Make it balanced. Plan some activities. Leave time for free exploring too.
• Get help. Work with local nature centers and schools.
• Include everyone. Let community members, partners, and others who are interested help teach.

Effective Activities for Environmental Education

• Outdoor exploration
• Problem-based learning
• Team projects
• Community connections
• Action projects

Planning Environmental Education Programs

Step 1: Get Ready

Before you start any environmental education program, you need to prepare. Be honest about what you can do. Learn about your community.

Check Your Team:

• What do you or your group already know about environmental education?
• What spaces, tools, and materials do you have?
• Who can you work with in your community?

Learn About Your Community:

• What environmental issues do people care about?
• Who might want to join your environmental education programs?
• What local environmental problems matter to people?

Count Your Resources:

• People: Staff, volunteers, local experts
• Money: Current funds, possible grants, fees
• Spaces: Indoor and outdoor areas you can use
• Partners: Schools, nature centers, government agencies

Environmental Education Programs for Different Ages

Little Kids (3-6 years old):

• Use all five senses
• Keep activities short (10 - 20 minutes)
• Make it playful and fun

Elementary Kids (7-11 years old):

• Teach basic concepts through exploration
• Tell stories about nature
• Let them investigate and discover

Middle School (12-14 years old):

• Focus on real community environmental problems
• Help them think critically
• Get them involved in their community

High School (15-18 years old):

• Let students lead their own environmental education projects
• Connect to possible careers in the environmental field
• Tackle bigger environmental issues

Adults:

• Make environmental education apply to daily life
• Be flexible with scheduling
• Respect their existing knowledge

Step 2: Make Your Plan

Turn your preparation into a real environmental education program. Make clear goals.

Set Goals for What People Will:

• Know: Learn facts about how the environment works
• Do: Develop skills like observing and thinking critically
• Feel: Care about the environment and feel confident
• Act: Change their actions and help their community

Choose Your Format:

• Workshops, classes, camps, or community events
• One-time sessions or year-long environmental education programs
• Indoor, outdoor, community, or online settings
• Small groups or large audiences

Make It Welcoming for Everyone:

• Make sure people with disabilities can participate
• Be respectful of different cultures and backgrounds
• Keep it affordable with free environmental education programs or sliding fees

Important Skills for Leaders:

• Target activities to your own knowledge level and build from there
• Don't be afraid to learn from your participants
• Understand how to teach different age groups
• Know how to include everyone
• Be good at managing and leading groups

Plan for Safety:

• Check the site conditions, safety issues, and weather
• Decide how many people work best in groups
• Make a list of equipment and materials needed
• Set clear rules for protecting the place
• Plan what to do if problems happen

Step 3: Run Your Environmental Education Program

Make your environmental education program come alive with engaging teaching. Be ready to change as needed.

Create a Welcoming Space:

• Use respectful language
• Value different cultural views
• Give people multiple ways to show what they understand
• Encourage people to learn from each other

Working with Partners:

• Schools: Support classroom learning
• Environmental organizations: Share resources
• Government and business: Get expert advice and input

How to Communicate:

• Use clear language that fits the audience
• Change voice tone and speed of delivery if necessary, and pause for emphasis
• Use gestures and movement to support what is said
• Make eye contact and watch body language to make sure people are engaged
• Create a welcoming space for all people

Step 4: Learn and Improve

Build evaluation into your environmental education program from the start. This helps you keep getting better.

Types of Evaluation:

• During the environmental education program: Get feedback from participants
• At the end: Check what people learned
• Follow-up: See if people remember what they learned

Simple Ways to Evaluate:

• Anonymous exit surveys with a few questions
• Take photos to show progress
• Have casual conversations with participants
• Regular meetings for staff, volunteers, or partners to reflect

Keep Getting Better:

• Look for patterns in feedback and results
• Figure out what's working well and what needs work
• Make specific improvements
• Plan for long-term success

Track Long-Term Results:

• Count how many people keep coming to environmental education programs each year
• Look for changes in how visitors treat nature, like staying on trails, picking up trash, or using less water at home
• Collect stories from participants about how the program changed their thinking about the environment
• See if the environmental education program helps protect local parks, wildlife, or natural areas

Planning for the Future:

• Find ways to keep the program running and help it reach more people in the future
• Seek different or additional sources of funding
• Build community ownership through partnerships
• Train more staff, volunteers, or partners if necessary
• Write down your processes so others can use them

Part 2: Interpretation

What Is Interpretation?

Interpretation is a special way of communicating. It creates meaningful experiences. It helps people understand and care about the world around them.

It's different from just sharing information. Instead, interpretation:

• Creates emotional connections between people, places, and natural resources
• Helps people understand not just what they're seeing, but why it matters
• Uses storytelling and interactive experiences
• Makes complicated ideas personal and memorable

Simple Terms

Interpretation - A way to communicate that creates meaningful experiences and helps people understand and connect with the world around them

Interpretive Experience - A planned interaction between a guide and audience that creates emotional connections with a place

Universal Concepts - Big themes that everyone can relate to, like survival, change, beauty, safety, happiness, or conflict

Interpretive Theme - The main message that connects a place or resource to people through universal concepts

Tangible Resource - The physical thing being interpreted, like wildlife or a historic site

Intangible Resource - The stories or meanings connected to physical things, like cultural traditions

Active Learning - Getting people to participate rather than just listen

Planning Interpretation Programs

Good interpretation requires understanding special places or resources and your audience. Then you create bridges between them.

Understanding Your Resources

Ask these questions about your place or resource:

• What makes this place or resource special and unique?
• What's the historical, cultural, scientific, or ecological story?
• What universal themes connect to this place or resource?
• How do different people view this place or resource?
• When is the best time to experience this place or resource?

Understanding Your Audience

Consider your visitors or participants:

• What are their ages, interests, and knowledge levels?
• What physical abilities and time limits do they have?
• What cultural backgrounds do they come from?
• What motivates them to visit or participate?
• What's the right group size for interaction?

The best interpretive opportunities happen when you understand both what makes a place or resource amazing and what your audience cares about.

Creating Meaningful Connections

Good interpretation creates links between audiences and places or resources. It uses universal concepts that everyone can relate to.

Ways to Make Universal Connections

• Link to human experiences. Connect specific features to emotions everyone feels.
• Use comparisons. Relate things to everyday life.
• Share stories. Tell about human connections to the place or resource.
• Create "aha moments." Guide discovery instead of just lecturing.
• Encourage reflection. Let people make their own meaning.

Storytelling Techniques

• Strong openings. Grab attention right away.
• Story structure. Have a beginning, middle, and end.
• Sensory details. Help audiences see, hear, smell, and feel what you're describing.
• Add elements. Use appropriate humor, mystery, or surprise.
• Thoughtful endings. Finish with questions that make people think.

Remember: Good interpreters help people discover things for themselves rather than just delivering information.

Designing Interpretation Programs

Step 1: Get Ready

Prepare well before you start your interpretation program. You need to understand the place or the resource (historic, natural, cultural, etc.) and the visitors.

Learn About the Place or the Resource:

• Study the history, science, culture, and nature of the place or resource
• Find the main stories about the place or resource
• Get photos, artifacts, maps, or specimens to show people
• Talk to experts and community members who know the place or the resource
• Write down how the place or resource changes with the seasons

Learn About Visitors:

• Find out who visits and why they come
• Learn about time limits, physical needs, and accessibility needs
• Find out about different cultures and languages
• Discover what makes people want to visit
• Think about what works for different ages

Step 2: Make Your Plan

Turn your preparation into a real interpretation program. You need clear goals and engaging activities.

Set the Main Goal:

• Create clear themes that connect the place or resource to ideas everyone understands
• Decide what people should learn
• Think about what emotions and thoughts people may have
• Consider conservation and stewardship messages
• Make sure the interpretation program fits the goals

Design the Interpretation Program:

• Opening: Start with something that grabs attention
• Middle: Share information that builds toward the main theme
• High point: Create a key moment when people connect with the place or resource
• Ending: Tie everything together with a bigger meaning

Make It Work for Different Groups:

• Families: Activities for adults and children together
• School groups: Connect to what they learn in school
• Special interest groups: Deeper information for people who already know a lot
• General public: Appeal to many different people
• People with disabilities: Different formats so everyone can join

Choose the Interpretation Program Type:

• Guided tours: A guide leads people on a set route
• Self- guided: People explore on their own with materials
• Activity stations: Different locations where people learn different things
• Special events: Interpretation programs for seasons or special features
• Technology- based interpretation programs: Use videos, apps, or other technology

Plan for Safety:

• Check the site conditions, safety issues, and weather
• Decide how many people work best in groups
• Make a list of equipment and materials needed
• Set clear rules for protecting the place
• Plan what to do if problems happen

Step 3: Run Your Interpretation Program

Make your interpretation program come alive. You need to watch the audience reaction and change things as needed.

How to Share Information:

• Ask questions and make comparisons
• Use all five senses when possible (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste)
• Mix sharing information with letting people discover things
• Change the amount of detail based on what people want to know
• Connect hard-to-understand ideas to things people can see and touch

Get People Involved:

• Ask questions that make people think and observe
• Create activities where people touch and interact with things
• Use objects, specimens, or pictures to help explain
• Let people share what they know
• Give people time to think and reflect on their own

Work with Others:

• Partner with experts for special knowledge
• Work with community members for different viewpoints
• Coordinate with land managers to access and use sites properly
• Work with other interpreters or community members to share ideas
• Let audience members help interpret when appropriate

Change as Needed:

• Watch how engaged people are and adjust
• Answer unexpected questions that come up, or find the answer
• Adapt to weather, site conditions, or group actions
• Use feedback from people to change things right away when appropriate
• Keep resource protection in mind while keeping people engaged

How to Communicate:

• Use clear language that fits the audience
• Change voice tone and speed of delivery if necessary, and pause for emphasis
• Use gestures and movement to support what is said
• Make eye contact and watch body language to make sure people are engaged
• Create a welcoming space for all people

Step 4: Learn and Improve

Get feedback to keep improving. Write down how well the interpretation program worked.

Ways to Check How It's Going:

• Quick feedback: Ask people during interpretation programs how it's going
• Surveys: Provide written evaluation forms after interpretation programs to get opinions
• Casual talks: Have relaxed conversations with people about their experiences
• Watch each other: Get feedback from other staff, volunteers, or partners on how to improve
• Think about it: Regularly think about what worked and what didn't

Important Questions to Ask:

• Did people connect with the place or the resource in a meaningful way?
• Were the main themes clear and understood?
• Did the program achieve the learning goals?
• How did different people respond to different parts?
• What unexpected discoveries or connections happened?

How to Make Changes:

• Change content based on what people are interested in
• Adjust how information is delivered based on what works best
• Update interpretation programs for seasonal changes or new information
• Include suggestions from participants in future interpretation programs
• Change logistics and timing based on experience

Make Interpretation Programs Better:

• Build on especially engaging parts
• Create follow-up materials that extend the experience
• Connect to other interpretation programs for continued engagement
• Build partnerships that make interpretation programs better
• Write down successful techniques to train others

Check Long-Term Success:

• Track if people come to more interpretation programs
• Watch for changes in visitor actions or care for the place or resource
• Collect stories that show lasting impact
• Check how the interpretation program helps broader local or regional environmental goals
• Explore how the interpretation program can continue and grow

Interpretation Program Case Studies

New Hampshire-Specific Interpretation Program Case Studies

Boulder Loop Interpretive Trail (White Mountain National Forest)

The Boulder Loop Trail is a 3.1-mile hiking trail near Covered Bridge Campground that was popular with hikers and campers for decades. But the trail's interpretive features had a problem.

The trail was built by the U.S. Forest Service in 1962 with wooden posts and a paper brochure that taught visitors about nature. The system worked well for about 35 years. But by the late 1990s, the wooden posts were falling apart. The Forest Service couldn't afford to maintain or replace them, so they removed all the posts in the early 2000s. The interpretive trail disappeared.

The problem: A popular trail lost its educational value. Visitors could still hike, but they missed opportunities to learn about the forest's natural and cultural history.

The solution: In 2016, the White Mountains Interpretive Association (WMIA) decided to bring the trail back to life.

How they did it:

• WMIA funded an internship to research and plan a new interpretive tour
• The intern worked closely with Forest Service staff to design the experience
• They expanded beyond just nature education to include historical information
• They installed new numbered posts along the trail
• They created a trailhead kiosk to introduce the tour
• They developed both printed handouts and a smartphone app

The goal: Make the trail educational again while expanding what visitors could learn.

What makes it work:

• Partnership between WMIA and the Forest Service
• Multiple ways to access information (paper brochures, smartphone app, trailhead kiosk)
• Broader focus that includes both natural and cultural history
• Sustainable funding through the nonprofit organization

The bigger message: Historic interpretive trails don't have to stay dead. Community partnerships can revive educational opportunities and make them better than before.

New Hampshire Conservation Corps - Discover the Power of Parks Program (New Hampshire State Parks)

New Hampshire State Parks attract millions of visitors each year, but most people just hike, swim, and camp without learning about the natural and cultural treasures around them. The parks needed a way to connect visitors with the deeper stories of these places.

The challenge: How do you provide quality interpretation across 93 state parks when you don't have enough permanent staff or budget for full-time interpreters?

The solution: Partner with AmeriCorps to create a seasonal interpretive ranger program that brings young people to the parks as educators.

How the program works:

• Training period: 5 weeks of intensive preparation, including wilderness first aid, environmental education, and interpretive skills
• Spring outreach: Rangers visit schools and community groups to build connections before summer
• Summer programming: Rangers stationed at different parks offer daily programs for visitors
• Fall outreach: Rangers return to schools and expand to new community partners

What makes it successful:

• Funding partnership: Eversource Energy has supported the program since 2007
• Comprehensive training: Rangers get both formal education and skills and interpretive guide certification
• Flexibility: Programs adapt to each park's unique features and visitor needs
• Community connections: School partnerships create lasting relationships

The results in 2023:

• 896 interpretive programs delivered
• 23,524 people attended programs
• 13,607 additional visitor contacts through informal education
• 37,131 total visitor interactions

Popular programs that work:

• Animal skulls and pelts demonstrations
• Evening astronomy and storytelling programs
• Indigenous peoples' history and culture
• Sustainable camping and Leave No Trace education
• Pond ecology and wildlife programs

The innovation: Rangers learned to engage busy hikers through quick trivia questions and polls rather than formal programs. This allowed them to educate people who wouldn't normally stop for a program.

The bigger message: Seasonal AmeriCorps programs can solve the staffing challenge that prevents many parks from offering interpretation. Young people bring energy and fresh perspectives while gaining valuable career experience. The key is comprehensive training and partnerships that provide sustainable funding.

Interpretive Signage Program (White Mountain National Forest)

Popular hiking destinations across the White Mountain National Forest attract thousands of visitors each year. But many visitors miss the deeper stories about these places - their history, ecology, and cultural significance.

The White Mountains Interpretive Association (WMIA) recognized a simple problem: beautiful places weren't telling their stories. Hikers would visit waterfalls, historic sites, and scenic areas without understanding what made these places special beyond their natural beauty.

The challenge: How do you educate visitors at busy outdoor recreation sites without creating barriers or requiring staff to be present?

The solution: Strategic placement of permanent interpretive panels at high-traffic locations.

What WMIA did:

• Funded interpretive panels at over 12 popular Forest Service sites
• Focused on locations where visitors naturally stop and spend time
• Tailored each panel's message to the specific site's unique story
• Created partnerships with local organizations for funding and content

Key locations and their stories:

• Lower Falls (Kancamagus Highway): Two panels covering watershed education and Civilian Conservation Corps history
• Diana's Baths: Tourism history and evidence of past mill operations
• Russell Colbath Barn: Local community history, funded by residents in memory of a longtime ranger
• Androscoggin Ranger Station: Mt. Washington's natural and human history

What makes it work:

• Permanent installation means no ongoing staffing costs
• Multiple funding sources, including community partnerships
• Content connects natural features to human stories
• Strategic placement at destinations where people already gather

The goal: Turn popular recreation spots into learning opportunities without changing how people use them.

The bigger message: Small investments in interpretive signage can transform any outdoor destination into a classroom. When communities help fund the signs, the stories become more meaningful and locally relevant.

National Interpretation Program Case Studies

National Historic Park Plan (Massachusetts)

Boston has many historic sites connected by the Freedom Trail. But visitors often get confused because the sites are spread out. Some are owned by the federal government. Others are owned by the city or private groups.

The park created an interpretive plan to fix this problem. The plan has five main themes:

• Boston's role in the American Revolution
• How different communities participated in the revolution
• How the meaning of liberty has changed over time
• The importance of the Charlestown Navy Yard
• How historical figures became American icons

The goal: Help visitors understand Boston's complete story by connecting all the historic sites.

The fix:

• Better signs and directions
• Improved visitor centers
• Better marketing for all sites
• More educational programs
• Stronger partnerships between different organizations
• Physical improvements like new exhibits

Dix Park Cultural Plan (North Carolina)

Dix Park in Raleigh has a complex history. The land was once home to Native Americans. Later, it became a plantation. Then it was a psychiatric hospital for over 100 years.

The city and park conservancy worked together for 18 months to create an interpretation plan. They talked to community members. They studied historical records. They collected oral histories.

The plan does three things:

• Shares the site's full history with visitors
• Connects past stories to today's community values
• Balances recreation, education, and reflection

The challenge: How do interpreters tell difficult stories about mental health treatment, slavery, and Native displacement while creating a welcoming park for families?

The solution: Be honest about the past while helping people understand how history connects to today.

New York Wildflower Program

This is a simple 45-minute nature walk that teaches people about wildflowers. But it tells a bigger story about New York's forests.

The problem: Many of New York's forests used to be farms. Even though the farms were abandoned 70-100 years ago, native wildflowers still haven't come back to many areas.

Why this happens: Wildflower seeds spread very slowly on their own. It's not that the soil is bad. The flowers just can't get there naturally.

What the program teaches:

• How to identify wildflowers
• How plants reproduce and spread
• How flowers benefit from bees and other pollinators
• Simple ways people can help restore wildflowers

The hands-on part: Participants learn how to collect wildflower seeds and plant them in appropriate places.

The bigger message: People can help nature recover from past damage. Small actions by many people can restore the beauty and diversity of New York's environment.

Part 3: Outdoor Programming

What Is Outdoor Programming?

Outdoor programming creates organized opportunities for people to engage with natural environments. These activities promote:

• Physical wellness
• Skill development
• Community connection

For smaller communities with limited resources, programming helps you use existing natural features to:

• Enhance the quality of life for residents
• Potentially attract visitors
• Build a stronger local economy

How Outdoor Programming Helps Your Local Economy

When you create outdoor programs, visitors come to your town. These visitors need to buy things while they're here. This helps local businesses make money:

What visitors buy:

• Gas for their cars
• Food at restaurants and cafes
• Coffee and snacks
• Beer at local breweries
• Places to sleep (hotels, campgrounds)
• Outdoor gear and supplies
• Gifts to take home

Working with local businesses:

• Gear shops can give discounts to people in your programs
• Restaurants can make special meals for groups
• Coffee shops can let groups meet there
• Breweries can host parties after programs end
• Hotels can offer deals that include the outdoor program
• Local stores can sell snacks and supplies

Why this matters: When someone spends money in your town, that money helps in more ways than one. The restaurant owner uses that money to buy food from local farms. The hotel clerk gets paid and shops at local stores. One visitor's money helps many local businesses. See the Economic Impact Analysis tool for more information on defining the impact of tourism on your community's economy.

Long-term benefits:

• People who have fun tell their friends and come back
• Local businesses grow and hire more workers
• Your town gets known as a fun place to visit
• Young people want to stay or move to towns with good outdoor activities

The key is making sure outdoor programs and local businesses help each other instead of competing. When they work together, everyone wins.

Important Note About Outdoor Programming

The outdoor programming section is mainly designed for communities, towns, municipal staff, and their partners who want to develop recreational programs for their residents and visitors, rather than individuals trying to start something new. Outdoor programming is different from environmental education and interpretation because it usually needs:

• Help from many different groups and government agencies
• Permission to use public lands and buildings
• Insurance to protect against accidents
• Special permits from landowners
• Money for equipment, advertising, and paying staff
• People to take care of trails, buildings, or gear over time

One person can definitely help get outdoor programming started in their town, but they usually need help from local government or established groups to make it work long-term.

If you're one person who wants to help with outdoor programming in your town, you can:

• Volunteer with programs that already exist
• Join local recreation committees or town boards
• Work with groups like nature centers, the YMCA, or outdoor clubs
• Speak up for new programs at town meetings

The environmental education and interpretation parts of this guide are better for people who want to start sharing their love of nature right away without needing help from big organizations or governmental entities.

Simple Terms

Outdoor Recreation Programming - Organized activities designed to help people engage with natural environments through participation and skill development

Community Recreation - Local programming that serves residents' recreational needs while building social connections

Recreation Tourism - Programming designed to attract visitors, contributing to economic development while showcasing local assets

Asset-Based Development - A programming approach that builds on existing community resources and natural features

Seasonal Programming - Activities designed to take advantage of seasonal natural conditions and availability patterns like fall colors or snow for winter sports

Finding Out What Your Community Wants

Understanding community needs and interests helps ensure programs connect with community values and available resources.

Community Assessment

Find out what people want:

• Survey residents about their preferred activities and what stops them from participating
• Identify existing recreation patterns and popular local destinations
• Talk with local outdoor enthusiasts and informal or formal recreation groups
• Find out about outdoor programming trends in similar communities

Asset Inventory

Natural Assets:

• Trails, waterways, forests, scenic areas, and wildlife viewing locations

Infrastructure:

• Parks, boat launches, trailheads, recreational facilities, ski trails, shooting ranges, snowmobile trails, and climbing areas

Human Assets:

• Local skills, experts, volunteers, organizations

Economic Assets:

• Local businesses, tourism infrastructure, and funding opportunities

Market Analysis

Research your potential:

• Look at regional recreation trends and participation patterns
• Identify potential visitor markets within reasonable travel distances
• Check out the competition and seasonal tourism patterns
• Evaluate transportation access and local visitor services

Designing Programs That Work

Program Categories

Skill Development Programs:

• Beginner hiking and backpacking instruction
• Basic outdoor skills (navigation, camping, fire-building)
• Paddling instruction
• Learn to fish classes
• Nature identification (birds, plants, astronomy)
• Winter recreation skills

Community Events:

• Seasonal festivals celebrating local features
• Group challenges and volunteer projects
• Nature photography contests
• Stargazing events and seasonal celebrations

Tourism Programming:

• Guided tours showcasing unique local features, places, or resources
• Multi-day workshops attracting regional participants
• Specialty programs highlighting local assets
• Seasonal events tied to natural phenomena (meteor showers, comets, fall colors)

Step 1: Get Ready

Set Priorities:

• Pick programs that match what the community cares about
• Help local people and also attract visitors
• Think about different seasons and what resources are needed
• Use what the community already has and knows

Check Resources:

• People: Who can lead programs, volunteers, and people with skills
• Money: Fees, grants, donations, partnerships
• Places and things: Sites, equipment, buildings
• Partners: Land managers, businesses, organizations

Step 2: Make Your Plan

How to Staff Programs:

• Use volunteers from the community
• Work together with existing organizations
• Mix volunteers with expert instructors
• Teach people to train others in the community who can offer programs

Pick Locations and Plan Results:

• Make sure everyone can access the location safely
• Get permissions, and plan for bad weather
• Consider what participants, the community, and local businesses will gain

Step 3: Run Your Program

Focus on Running It Well:

• Make safety the top priority through good planning
• Make everyone feel welcome
• Start with easy skills and add harder ones
• Help people learn from each other
• Follow safety rules and use the right number of leaders based on group size

Get People Involved:

• Mix learning with hands-on activities
• Tell local stories and share cultural connections
• Help people make friends through group activities
• Give people ways to stay involved after the program

Step 4: Learn and Improve

Ways to Check How It's Going:

• Ask participants what they think through surveys and conversations
• Watch how engaged people are and what skills they learn
• Track how the program helps the community and local economy
• See how well partnerships are working

Keep Getting Better:

• Change programs based on what people say and how engaged they are
• Change schedules and formats so more people can participate
• Add new activities based on what the community wants
• Make programs bigger or smaller based on how many people want them

Helpful Resources

Environmental Education

Interpretation

Programming

New Hampshire Specific

Remember: You don't need special degrees or training to share your love of nature with others. Start small, be enthusiastic, and learn alongside the people you're helping. The most important qualification is caring about the natural world and wanting to share that passion with your community.

Glossary of Terms

Active Learning - Getting people to participate rather than just listen

Asset-Based Development - Building programs using what your community already has

Community Recreation - Local programming that serves residents while building connections

Conservation Education - Teaching people why we need to protect natural resources and how to do it

Environmental Education - Teaching people about the environment so they can make smart choices about caring for it

Hands-on Learning - Learning by doing rather than just listening to lectures

School Learning - Learning in schools with set classes and grades

Life Learning - Learning outside of school, where you choose what to study

Interpretation - A way to communicate that creates meaningful experiences and helps people understand and connect with the world around them

Interpretive Experience - A planned interaction that creates emotional connections with a place using specific techniques

Interpretive Theme - The main message that connects a place to people through universal concepts

Intangible Resource - The stories or meanings connected to physical things, like cultural traditions

Outdoor Programming - Creating fun, organized activities in nature

Recreation Tourism - Programs designed to attract visitors and support the local economy

Seasonal Programming - Activities that take advantage of different seasons

Tangible Resource - The physical thing being interpreted, like wildlife or a historic site

Universal Concepts - Big themes everyone can relate to, like survival, change, beauty, or conflict