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Handbook for Interpretive Guides
Connecting you to Canada’s mountain parks.
Edited by Dan Clark
HANDBOOKFOR INTERPRETIVE
GUIDES
Edited by Dan Clark
2008
Handbook For Interpretive Guidesii
Handbook for Interpretive Guides
1st edition Copyright © 2006 Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association 3rd printing Copyright © 2008 Interpretive Guides Association
No part of this manual may be reproduced for any purpose without the permission of the Interpretive Guides Association
Produced and published by:
Interpretive Guides Association
Offi ce Address: Banff Rotary Community Hub302 Buffalo St.Banff, AB
Postal Address:Box 3039Banff, ABT1L 1C7
Telephone: (403) 760-2854Fax: (403) 760-2906Email: [email protected]
Edited by Dan ClarkDesign and production by Dan ClarkFront cover photos: Small hiking photo and snowshoe photo courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Large hiking photo courtesy of Travel Alberta. Back coverPhoto above top right: Bill Peyto, courtesy of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, by Walter Wilcox.
We acknowledge the fi nancial support ofThe Banff Heritage Tourism and Parks Canada.
Printed in Canada on recycled paper
Handbook For Interpretive Guides iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The TeamThe Handbook for Interpretive Guides was the work of a team of dedicated interpreters from the Canadian Rockies. As with every successful team, many people contributed a variety of skills and knowledge to the completion of this project.
The CoachThe executive director of the Interpretive Guides Association, Dave Verhulst, provided leadership throughout the process of creating this handbook amid several other projects he was simultaneously overseeing. His vision to create a practical, useable interpretive handbook kept us on track whenever the direction of the book looked like it would become another information text.
The AuthorsThe book includes contributions from several authors. The primary authors were Nadine Fletcher, Joel Hagen, Robert W. Sandford, and Dan Clark. Nadine and Joel wrote the interpretation chapter and continually refi ned their material to provide a solid, useable foundation for this handbook. Robert generously provided the majority of the material for the human history chapter. His insightful synthesis of human history and ecology help to demonstrate the inter-related nature of the studies of human history, geology and ecology. Dan wrote the chapters on geology, ecology, parks management and ecological integrity, and group management. He also edited the work of Nadine, Joel, and Robert.
The Handbook Production CommitteeThis project would not have been possible without the dedicated work of the handbook production committee composed of Tracey Gage, Ann Morrow, Ronna Schneberger, Sheri Tarrington, Dave Verhulst, and Michael Vincent. This amazing committee brought this project to life and provided many ideas to improve the handbook. These people took time out of their busy schedules to edit and proofread the many chapters in the book and respond with insightful feedback. Ann provided a huge number of editing tips and proofreading corrections. The fi nal draft was edited by Joanna Kadi.
The Course InstructorsThe course instructors have put in a huge amount of work to develop the knowledge standards, curriculum, and course materials. These materials form the basis of this handbook. Heather Dempsey, Peter Duck, Nadine Fletcher, Joel Hagen, Ann Morrow, Carolyn Fysh and Robert W. Sandford have been instructing the courses since their inception.Nadine and Joel developed the material for the interpretation chapter through many years of teaching courses for the IGA. The course materials developed by Peter form the foundation of the geology and ecology chapters. Peter generously donated his time to review and provide comments on the geology and ecology chapters in the manual. Materials provided by Heather Dempsey, Carolyn Fysh, Steve Malins, and Ann Morrow were essential in the writing of the parks management chapter. Ann and Carolyn reviewed and provided feedback on the parks management chapter. Finally, Jenny Clark, Ronna Schneberger, Dave Verhulst, Michael Vincent, and Ken Walker recently wrote the scripts for the online basic courses. The content for these courses provided important additions to the human history chapter.
Handbook For Interpretive Guidesiv
The ContributorsMany talented interpreters contributed their knowledge and materials to this handbook. Early in the project, a group of interpreters gathered one evening to share interpretive approaches. Many of these ideas are included in the book as highlighted boxes entitled Interpretive Approaches, all of which provide a glimpse of the diverse approaches to this profession. These people included Ward Cameron, Kevin Gedling, Ronni Ishakey, Sherry Krannabitter, Ronna Schneberger, Eva Sylvestre, and Dave Verhulst. Several interpreters wrote out some of their stories and submitted them in response to a call for scripts. The stories from Tracey Gage, Cara Granberg and Kathleen Ridgely at Lake Louise Sightseeing Gondola, and from Brenda Holder, Ronna Schneberger, Dave Verhulst, Michael Vincent, and Dan Clark add variety to our interpretive approaches sections.
Several stories were included in the handbook from the members-only section of the the Interpretive Guides Association's website. Keith Webb wrote two stories, one about ticks and the other about the symbiotic relationship between the whitebark pine and Clark’s nutcracker. Ben Gadd shared an inspiring story of transformation through interpretation.
Photographs for the handbook were provided by the following organizations: Parks Canada, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Discover Banff Tours, and Library and Archives Canada. The following individuals provided photographs: Alice Young Clark, Peter Duck, Nadine Fletcher, Joel Hagen, Ronna Schneberger, Dave Verhulst, Michael Vincent and Dan Clark. A special thanks to Michael Vincent for going out and taking specifi c photos needed in the handbook on short notice.
The Layout and IllustrationsDan Clark completed illustrations and layout to prepare this handbook for publication.
Handbook For Interpretive Guidesvi
CONTENTSChapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................... 1-12
How This Handbook Works 2What is the Interpretive Guides Association? 3Levels of Training 5Interpretation Versus Information 5Why be a Guide? 6Dirt Time 8
Member Code of Ethics and Conduct .......................................... 10
Chapter 2: Interpretation .................................................................... 13-54Defi ning Interpretation ................................................................. 14Steps Toward Interpretation ......................................................... 16The Four Qualities of Interpretation ............................................ 17Quality #1: Interpretation is Relevant to Your Guests ................. 17
Understanding Your Audience 17Special Audience Members 19Making Sure Your Audience Understands You 21
Quality #2: Interpretation has a Theme ....................................... 22Why Themes are Important 22Creating Themes 23
Quality #3: Interpretation is Organized ....................................... 26The Theme Writes Your Guided Event or Talk 27Working with Introductions and Conclusions 28
Quality #4: Interpretation is Enjoyable ....................................... 29More Ways to Make Interpretation Enjoyable 32
Finding Your Voice ...................................................................... 33Storytelling 34Using Music 34Using Drama: Costumes, Characters and Puppets 35Audience Participation 37
Off the Cuff or Spontaneous Interpretation ................................. 37You See Something that You Want to Talk About 37Answering a Question 38An Example of Off the Cuff Interpretation 39
Planning Ahead for High-Quality Visitor Experiences ............... 40Putting the Four Qualities to Work 40
Sample Five-Minute Talk on Magical Lake Colour .................... 42Introduction 42Body 44Conclusion 45
Considerations When Running a Guided Event .......................... 45Public Speaking ........................................................................... 47
Dealing with Nervousness 50Gauging Your Success ................................................................. 50Professionalism ............................................................................ 51Conclusion .................................................................................. 53
Handbook For Interpretive Guides vii
Chapter 3: Geology, Glaciology and Climate ................................... 55-92The Formation of Mountain Landscapes .................................... 56About Geologic Time .................................................................. 57Sedimentation .............................................................................. 58
Rodinia Rock 58Old Clastic Sediments at the Bottom 58Middle Carbonate Layers 60The Curious Story of the Burgess Shale Fossils 63Young Clastic Sediments at the Top 64Clastic Sedimentary Rocks 65Organic Sedimentary Rocks 67Metamorphic Rocks 67Igneous Rocks 67
Mountain Building, Compression and Up-Piling ....................... 68Erosion ........................................................................................ 72
Mechanical Weathering 72Chemical Weathering 76Conclusion 76
Ranges in the Canadian Rockies ................................................ 78Comparisons Between Mountain Ranges ................................... 80Glaciation .................................................................................... 82River Systems ............................................................................. 87Weather and Climate ................................................................... 88
Weather Systems Across Western Canada 88Mountains and Climate 89Cloud Formations 90
Chapter 4: Ecology of the Rocky Mountains ................................... 93-158What is Ecology? ........................................................................ 94Vegetation Patterns ...................................................................... 94
Factors Affecting Vegetation Success 95Landscape Infl uences 95Weather and Climatic Infl uences 97
Wildlife Habitat Requirements .................................................... 99Natural Processes ......................................................................... 102
Succession 102Fundamental Natural Processes 103
Ecosystems .................................................................................. 107Montane Ecoregion ...................................................................... 108
Disruptive Debris Flows 111Who’s in Jeopardy? 112Buffaloberry: The Best Bear Berry 116The Wolf’s Dining Guide to the Canadian Rockies 118The Trouble with Ticks 122
Subalpine Ecoregion ..................................................................... 125The Snowshoe Hare and the Lynx 128The Crisis of the Caribou 131Trial Triggers an Avalanche of Protest 133The Bird, the Tree and the Ecosystem 136
Handbook For Interpretive Guidesviii
Do I Look Like a Goat to Ewe? 139Alpine Ecoregion .......................................................................... 143
Alpine Adaptations 145Marmot Marketing 148
The Top Ten Wildfl owers That Every Guide Should Know ........ 150The Top Ten Birds That Every Guide Should Know ................... 152Aquatic Ecosystems ..................................................................... 155Simplifi ed Population Dynamics ................................................. 156
Chapter 5: History ............................................................................. 159-198The Human History of the Mountain West .................................. 160
History is Directional 160You Are Now Entering Holocene Park ........................................ 1611. A Long Native Presence ........................................................... 162
Diverse Native Populations 163Cultural Change in Native Populations 166The Effect of Disease on Native Populations 168
2. Exploration and the Fur Trade .................................................. 169Background to the North American Fur Trade 169Ecological Impact of the Fur Trade 171After the Fur Trade 174
3. Nation Building ........................................................................ 174The Palliser Expedition 175Gold in the West and the Overlanders 176The Age of the Train 176
4. The Early Park Period ............................................................ 181Horsing Around 184Early Mountaineering: An Accident Waiting To Happen 187The Early Mountain Guides 188The Birth of Skiing 189The Age of the Automobile 190
5. The Evolution of Conservation Thinking ................................. 192Understanding Conservation by Understanding Place 197
Chapter 6: Park Management and Ecological Integrity ................. 199-226The Creation and Development of the Mountain National Parks 200The National Parks as UNESCO World Heritage Sites ............... 205The National Parks System Plan .................................................. 206The Historic Sites System Plan .................................................... 209
National Historic Sites in Banff National Park 209National Historic Sites in Jasper National Park 212National Historic Sites in Yoho National Park 213
The Y2Y Conservation Initiative ................................................. 214The National Park Management Plans ......................................... 215
Goals of The National Parks Management Plans 215Major Stressors Affecting the Mountain National Parks 216
Ecological Defi nitions That are Helpful to Know ........................ 221Current Research .......................................................................... 224What You Can Do To Help ........................................................... 224Heritage Tourism Helps Promote Park Goals .............................. 225
Handbook For Interpretive Guides ix
Chapter 7: Group Management ........................................................ 227-248Best Practices for Day Hiking Guides ........................................ 228Trip Planning ................................................................................ 231
Choosing Appropriate Trips for Clients 231Estimating Time 232Time Planning 233Pre-Trip Meeting 233Interpretive Hiking Guide’s Equipment List 234
Client and Group Care ................................................................. 235Safety 235Comfort 235Enjoyment 237
Group Management ..................................................................... 237Control of Clients 238Pace 239Communication 240
Risk Assessment and Management .............................................. 242General Guidelines 242External Hazards 242Internal Hazards 245
Emergency Response Preparation ............................................... 247
Chapter 8: Conclusion ...................................................................... 249-256Final Thoughts from our Master Interpreters .................... 250
What is the Purpose of Interpretation? 251The Power to Inspire Change ...................................................... 251Realizing the Potential ................................................................. 253Why I Love My Job ..................................................................... 254
Appendices .............................................................................................. i-xxRecommended Reading List ii
Chapter 1: Introduction iiChapter 2: Interpretation iiChapter 3: Geology, Glaciology, and Climate ivChapter 4: Ecology of the Rocky Mountains ivChapter 5: History viiChapter 7: Group Management ix
IGA Knowledge Standards .................................................... xInterpretation xGeology, Glaciology and Climate xiEcology of the Rocky Mountains xiiiHistory xivPark Management xv
Index ............................................................................................ xvi
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
Handbook For Interpretive Guides2
How This Handbook WorksThis handbook was created by interpretive guides for interpretive guides. It has been written and designed with the awareness that information is not interpretation. The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with tools to enhance and enrich your knowledge and your abilities to present that knowledge as meaningful and relevant stories. These pages are fi lled with skills, strategies, examples and scripts that transform facts, figures and information into usable interpretive narratives.
Parks Canada and the IGA have worked together to develop knowledge standards for guides working in the mountain national parks. This handbook is specifi cally designed to address the knowledge standards for standard/apprentice level interpreters and professional interpreters. These knowledge standards are listed in the appendices and you should look at them so you are familiar with the knowledge and skill expectations for guides in the mountain national parks. This handbook covers the knowledge standards for both the standard and professional level courses and is designed to be useful both during the course and in the fi eld.
This handbook should be viewed as a springboard from which you can further develop your knowledge and skills. For interpreters new to the profession, it is intended as your fi rst step in a lifelong journey of learning. For interpreters wi th exper ience in t h e p r o f e s s i o n , i t i s i n t e n d e d a s a n opportunity to refresh your understanding and inspire your continued learning.
This handbook does not contain everything you need to know to be a masterful interpreter. It
Chapter OverviewWe are delighted you have chosen to sign up for a training course offered by the Interpretive Guides Association (IGA). This handbook will expose you to stories about the Canadian Rockies that will help you personally connect to this place and its natural and cultural heritage. In connecting to this place, you will be better able to fuse your experience and knowledge into entertaining stories that will be enjoyable and inspiring for your guests. By embarking on the path to become a professional interpretive guide, you are beginning on a journey that could transform your life and the lives of the people you guide.
“In the end we conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” Baba Dioum
An interpreter introducing clients to one of the small wonders of the Rockies.
Dav
e Ve
rhul
st
Introduction
Handbook For Interpretive Guides 3
was never intended to be a summary of all the things a guide needs to know. In many ways it is just the tip of the iceberg and it is expected that you use resources outside this handbook to continually improve your skills and knowledge. Have a look through the annotated bibliography in the appendices to fi nd other books, such as the Handbook of the Canadian Rockies by Ben Gadd, that you can use to augment this material. But remember: you can’t learn everything in books! You need to bring your own knowledge, experiences, and enjoyment of the mountain environment to your work as a guide and continue to learn new things along the way.
What is IGA?The Interpretive Guides Association (IGA) is an educational, not-for-profi t organization that was established in 1997 after Parks Canada and local tour operators agreed that standards for interpretive guide training needed to be established and administered by an accrediting organization. The mission of the association is to establish and maintain high standards in heritage interpretation in Canada’s Rocky Mountain National Parks.
The association has eight key goals:1. To encourage excel lence in the
interpretation of nature, history and culture in Canada’s Rocky Mountain National parks and surrounding areas.
2. To advise Parks Canada through consultation in the development of standards and training programs for guided activities in the mountain national parks..
3. To ensure professional standards of communication of the natural and human heritage of our mountain national parks.
4. To improve the effectiveness and appeal of natural and cultural heritage programming in the mountain national parks and surrounding areas.
5. To d e l i v e r t r a i n i n g a n d o f f e r professional accreditation, relating
to the communication of natural and human heritage of our mountain national parks to guides and operators, to meet standards established by Parks Canada.
6. To develop a common commitment within the tourism community to the enhancement of the training of those charged with the responsibility of sharing heritage information and values with park visitors.
7. To exchange information of educational or scientific value about natural and human heritage and any other matters of interest with other heritage organizations having the same or similar objects, throughout the world.
8. To promote the general public’s awareness of professionally accredited tour operators in the mountain national parks.
The accomplishment of these goals requires a broad vision. That vision is to foster the growth of a learning community for interpretive guides. Many interpretive guides working in the mountain parks often feel that they are working in a vacuum and they struggle to improve and grow in a working environment that often is seasonal, has long hours, and rarely offers opportunities for feedback, ongoing training, or evaluation from employers. The Interpretive Guides Association works to fill some of these roles by offering different levels of high-quality training programs and learning opportunities that are accessible to all types of guides. Through our website, fi eld trips, regular electronic updates and newsletters, the Interpretive Guides Assocition connects guides to other associations, events, programs and information that are relevant to interpretive guides in the mountain national parks.
The Interpretive Guides Association is administered by a board of seven volunteers committed to raising the quality of heritage interpretation in the mountain national parks. It employs a part-time executive director in Banff, a part-time regional manager in Jasper and a part-time administrative assistant.
Chapter 1
Handbook For Interpretive Guides4
Type of Guiding Minimum Level of
Interpretive Training
( Parks Cana-da licensing requirement)
Description of Course and Accreditation
Technical Skills/Safety training
• River rafting guides
• Horse packing guides
• Scuba guides• Angling guides• XC ski guides• ACMG
mountaineering, climbing, and ski touring guides
BasicInterpreter
Instruction• 4 hour overview of
heritage and the guide’s role in protecting and presenting that heritage.
• Available in-person and online
Assessment• Online exam
Ask employer or see Parks Canada’s Guide Grid for details – the training varies depending on the type of guiding.
• ACMG day hiking guides
• ACMG backpacking guides
• Lake guides• 1/3 of hiking or
snowshoeing guides (See note below)
Apprentice Interpreter
Instruction• 16 hour introduction
to natural and cultural history and the art of interpretation.
Assessment• In-course exams.
Interpretive day hiking guides who are not ACMG accredited must take at least 8 hours of training in Group Management and Hazard Assessment (e.g. IGA Group Management Course)
• Interpretive day hiking and snowshoeing guides
Professional Interpreter
Instruction• 40 hour course covering
natural and cultural history, techniques of effective interpretation and Park Management. Course is optional, but recommended.
Accreditation is based on:• Experience,• Education• Oral & Written Exams.
Interpretive day hiking guides require at least 8 hours of training in Group Management and Hazard Assessment (e.g. IGA Group Management Course or approved equivalent)
Introduction
Handbook For Interpretive Guides 5
Levels of TrainingIGA currently provides three levels of interpretive training courses that assist tour operators in achieving specifi c knowledge standards created and regulated by Parks Canada. Hiring qualified guides remains a requirement of the business licenses that tour operators need to operate in the national park. See the table below for clarifi cation.
IGA recognizes that meaningful connection to place can be fostered in many ways, at many levels, and through a variety of activities. As the above table indicates, we are working toward a role in enhancing heritage interpretation at many levels. In addition to the courses outlined in the above table, IGA also offers a Master Interpreter Recognition. This is the highest level of accreditation IGA has created to date and it acknowledges those with extensive experience and skill who have become leaders in their field. These individuals serve as models and mentors for the guiding community. Many of the Master Interpreters teach IGA courses. Guides accredited at this level are ideally suited to provide consulting and training services for businesses and their interpretive guides.
All courses and accreditation levels offered by IGA are interdependent and interrelated, facilitating the ongoing development and sharing of ideas, knowledge and skills. They work together synergistically to foster a healthy learning community, wherein everyone is both a teacher and a learner. We hope you enjoy our courses and that they help you on your journey to becoming an outstanding interpretive guide in the Mountain National Parks.
Interpretation Versus Information
One of the fi rst challenges you may experience on the road to becoming a professional interpretive guide is to understand exactly what interpretive guiding is. The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) explains that the roots of interpretation are deeply embedded in human culture: “Interpretation of natural and cultural heritage is probably as old as the human species. The shaman, storytellers, and elders of tribal groups carried the oral history of their people from generation to generation. Before books and modern methods of recording stories, these oral traditions were key to the survival and evolution of
heritage and cultures.” (NAI 2005 1)
Storytelling is something that is so embedded in our daily lives, we rarely think about its impact on us and our communities. Helping people to reconnect with the value of storytelling and to understand the link between storytelling and heritage interpretation is a job IGA takes very seriously. More often than not, interpretation for many guides and tour operators is viewed as synonymous with simply providing visitors with Students on a IGA course fi eld trip learning about
ecology in the montane ecoregion.
Mic
hael
Vin
cent
Chapter 1
Handbook For Interpretive Guides6
information about the local area. Some guides and operators still hold on to the belief that guiding and interpretation are different. They feel guiding is keeping people safe and interpretation is telling them something about the area. What you’ll see through our courses and this handbook is that good interpretation is guiding at its best! A guide who uses the qualities of interpretation will create memorable and meaningful experiences for their visitors. That’s good guiding. At its core, interpretation isn’t information, it is about making meaning.
Interpretation is an international profession, and there are many organizations around the globe that teach interpretation. Examples include: The National Association for Interpretation, Interpretation Canada, The Scottish Interpretation Network, The Field Guide’s Association of South Africa, and Interpret Europe. Interpretation is a profession that is supported by considerable research. One of the most well-known researchers in interpretation today is Sam Ham. He suggests that:“Interpreters and guides usually worry too much about content. You can look that stuff up in a book or talk to someone who knows more about it than you. What really separates accomplished interpreters and guides from the rest of the pack is their ability to get inside their audience’s heads and leave something worthwhile there. It’s their ability to communicate in compelling ways.” (Ham 2000)
Simon McArthur, another researcher, has authored a book on the role of effective interpretation in ecotourism experiences. He explains:“Interpretation is not information. It’s not a visitor centre, a sign, a brochure or the pointing out of attractions as they pop into view. It’s not a slide show or a role play. These are merely techniques by which interpretation can be delivered. Interpretation goes beyond focusing on the oldest, the largest or the rarest… It leaves people moved, their assumptions challenged and their interest in learning stimulated.
Good interpretation is still thought about at breakfast the next morning, or over the dinner table the next week. If properly delivered, interpretation not only enriches an ecotourism experience it provides the foundation for remembering and reliving it…” (McArthur 1998, 63)
By moving beyond information, guides and heritage interpreters position themselves to play a key role in determining the quality of the tourist experience, and visitors’ subsequent satisfaction. It is critical that you develop the skills, knowledge, and ability to communicate effectively. This will help you to interpret our unique natural and cultural heritage in a way that stimulates visitors’ interest, enhances their enjoyment, and ensures the long-term viability of both the tourism product and the environment.
The purpose of IGA and our courses is not to fi ll your head with information, but to inspire you to get out there, experience this place, get to know your neighbours (plants, animals, rocks) and learn not just from this book or our courses, but from all the people, events and opportunities that are out there. Everyday you will have opportunities for learning. Being a good interpretive guide means you know learning never stops.
“Do not try to satisfy your vanity by teaching a great many things. Awaken people’s curiosity. It is enough to open minds; do not overload them. Put there just a spark. If there is some good infl ammable stuff, it will catch fi re.” Anatole France
Why be a Guide?People decide to become interpretive guides for a number of different reasons. Often guides are motivated by a basic desire to have a job that is outdoors or a job that allows them to share their love for the outdoors, history, nature and parks with other people. On a deeper level, many guides strive to create experiences that will transform their clients in ways small and large.
Introduction
Handbook For Interpretive Guides 7
When people first start on the path of becoming an interpretive guide, they may feel excited. However, the job of communicating the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Rocky Mountain National Parks to visitors is a big one, and visitors to the parks are often well-educated and knowledgeable. When new interpretive guides come to this realization, the feeling of excitement may turn to apprehension, fear and nervousness. Guides who are new to the profession look at the forest and see a wall of green; look at the mountains and see towering slabs of grey, lifeless rock; look at old buildings and photographs and feel they have little connection to this place and its history. It is little wonder that they question how they will ever become a good guide.
We believe that getting through the apprehension many new (and experienced) guides feel requires a solid foundation of skills and information related to interpretive guiding in the mountain parks. This handbook
is designed to be a teacher and mentor. It contains stories that make this place come alive; many of these stories are drawn from guides who are active in the fi eld.
There a re as many approaches to interpretation as there are interpreters, which makes this profession interesting. As you read through the interpretive scripts, strategies, and tips in this handbook, identify the ideas that resonate with you. We encourage you to fi nd your niche in interpretation and to excel in that niche. We also encourage you to step out of your comfort zone now and again and challenge yourself so that you keep improving your skills and continue learning.
One of the key things to remember about the interpretive guiding community is that everyone is a teacher and a learner. There are very competent guides out there, but no one knows everything. A guide who thinks they know everything has lost the curiosity
Interpretive guiding provides amazing opportunities to work outdoors with a diversity of clients and occasionally up close to some of the wildlife that makes this place special.
Fairm
ont C
hate
au L
ake
Loui
se
Chapter 1
Handbook For Interpretive Guides8
and passion that makes a guide good in the fi rst place. Always keep the fi re of curiosity burning and if you sense it might be going out, take a break, check in with yourself, and fi nd out what direction that fl ame is asking you to go.
Many interpretive guides experience burnout and those who have been in this profession a long time have developed unique ways to help them avoid burning out completely. Some guides fi nd that at certain times of year, they need to get away. Sometimes this means away from the mountain parks to another part of the country or to another part of the world. Other times, this means getting
away into the mountains on long trips into the backcountry to reconnect with what they are passionate about. Each guide needs to fi nd a method that works for them.
Dirt Time Becoming an accomplished interpretive guide takes more than attending courses and reading books. Reading books – even a hundred books – on the local natural and cultural history cannot take the place of dirt time. You need to get out there and have experiences in the landscape. Books can help you focus and deepen your experiences in the mountains, but without the dirt time the information you get from books remains
It really helps to get down on your hands and knees when investigating the natural world if you want to become a skilled interpreter with a connection to this place.
Ron
na S
chne
berg
er
Introduction
Handbook For Interpretive Guides 9
ungrounded. On your journey to becoming an interpretive guide, it is important that you not expect an instant miracle or magic pill. Taking the standard/apprentice or even the professional interpreter course will not make you a great guide. The courses we offer are certainly a step in the right direction. However, research and the experience of interpretive guides the world over have shown that experiences in the landscape and a commitment to life-long learning are key to the development of great interpretive guides. Happily for most of us, getting out in the landscape and committing to life-long learning is something that comes naturally, and is born out of a passion and curiosity for the things that make this place what it is today.
It is crucial that you allow yourself time in the mountain environment to bushwhack through some slide alder, balance across a wobbly talus slope, or wade a frigid creek. These experiences will help you to investigate the mountain environment, recognize its interconnected elements and appreciate its complexity. While you are out there, be creative and curious. Feel the needles on the trees, sift through the river sediments, break apart that pile of bear scat and start to wrestle with the questions about why things are the way they are. Search out the answers to your personal questions from the landscape, books, and knowledgeable locals, and you will start to see things in a different light that is rooted in place. At this point, the challenge that remains is to fi nd ways to help the visitors you are guiding look a little deeper, at a different angle, or from a different perspective than they might have initially done so. If you can do that, you will move mountains.
Clients enjoy taking time to investigate the discoveries you make along the trail. This bear scat provides an opportunity for some ‘off the cuff’ interpretation.
Nad
ine
Flet
cher
Chapter 1
Handbook For Interpretive Guides10
MEMBER CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT
As a member of the association, I—Hold the health and safety of my clients, my employees and myself above all other concerns, by
Taking into account my clients’ and employees’ perceived fitness and abilitiesDoing my best to protect my clients and my employees from harmNot endangering myself or staffMaintaining sufficient safety and fi rst-aid training appropriate for my guided activitiesMaintaining a healthy and safe working environmentAssisting at accidents and incidents involving the general public when doing so does not interfere with my responsibilities to my clients or their safety.
Do my best to provide my clients with appropriate, memorable, high-quality experiences, by
Discharging my duties in a courteous, professional mannerUnderstanding and abiding by the limits of my IGA accreditation Providing information that is accurate and up-to-dateEducating myself about the places in which I guide and the techniques I use in guidingWorking with group sizes that are appropriate for each activity Cooperating with other guides and businesses to avoid on-site congestion.
Protect the natural and cultural environment in which I work by
Interpreting the natural/cultural history of the region without impairing the experience for others, present and future
1.
i.
ii.
iii.iv.
v.
vi.
2.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
3.
i.
Abiding by all applicable laws and regulations, doing my best to ensure that my clients do the same, and keeping my knowledge of these laws and regulations currentCarrying out my activities in ways that do the least harm to the park and its wildlife, and, as appropriate, passing on my knowledge of environmental and cultural protection to my clientsAvoiding wildlife harassment by limiting group size, distance and viewing time according to the species viewed and circumstances of viewingExtending courtesy (as time and circumstances permit) by providing knowledge to people outside of my group.
Maintain fair, legal and equitable business practices, for example, by
Understanding the legal defi nitions of the fo l lowing terms: fee , commission, kickback, agent fee, wholesaler, gratuityC h a rg i n g f e e s t h a t a r e f a i r and reasonable for the services renderedRefusing to accept or pay kickbacks, which are unlawfulUnderstanding the stipulations of my business license (Parks Canada, provincial, municipal, etc.) and operating within themCarrying enough insurance to cover losses resulting from negligence on the part of my business or my employees Recommending another suitable professional interpretive guide or business when I feel that I may not be able to meet a client’s needs.
Assist my association and profession by
Helping to educate others in my profession
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
4.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
5.
i.
Introduction
Handbook For Interpretive Guides 11
Assisting my colleagues when they need my helpMaking such contributions to my profession as I canTaking an active role in the association and its goals and objectivesNot speaking ill publicly of another guide or business. Concerns about possibly substandard service or questionable practices should be brought to the attention of the individuals and/or business involved, and/or the association and/or other regulatory bodies.
Glossary KickbackA return of a percentage of a sum of money already received, typically as a result of pressure, coercion, or a secret agreement. n : a commercial bribe paid by a seller to a purchasing agent in order to induce the agent to enter into the transaction.
Commission StructureThe varying amounts of commission offered to various travel wholesalers, tour opera tors , t ravel agents, and other travel trade organizations such as group leaders for the sale of a travel package or product. Often, these commissions will vary depending upon the volume of bookings and sales made by the particular organization. Commission - A fee or percentage allowed to a sales representative or an agent for services rendered, with a sales commission serving as full or partial recompense for the work done.
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Tiered RatesAlso known as tiered pricing, a graduated rate structure designed to offer professional operator (Buyers) percentage discounts based on volume, production and/or their position in the distribution channel (wholesaler, motorcoach/tour operator, receptive operators and travel agent.) Sellers providing tiered rates protect the Buyer relationship with customers and group leaders. Each Buyer in the distribution channel must mark up the price to realize a profi t, and be able to present the traveling consumer a cost-effective tour product.
Tour WholesalerA person or company which creates and markets tours for wholesalers, but does not usually conduct them. Tour packages are often sold to tour operators or agents.
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As professionals, it is important to provide safe, high quality experiences that help clients develop an appeciation and respect for natural places.
