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VIsionsWinter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1
Director’s Corner By Jay Schneider, ArkansasI am extremely excited to start my service as your region direc-tor. We are fortunate to live in a great region with strong roots, great past leadership and won-derful members. I know some of you well and I know about some of you from your work. I look forward to knowing many of you better in the months to come as we work together in this wonder-ful organization and serve you the members well.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you in Springfield at the end of February.
I have been the Assistant Super-intendent at Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area in Rogers, Arkansas, since 2009. Hobbs is the sixth Arkansas State Park, I have worked at since 1999. I am an avid bird watcher and the lead kayak instructor for Arkansas State Parks. I previously worked for Fontenelle Nature Associa-
tion in Bellevue, Nebraska, Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, Kansas and Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.
I was born and raised in Washington, Kansas. I have a B.S. in Park Re-source Man-agement from Kansas State Uni-versity, and an M.S. in Resource Interpretation from Stephen F. Austin State University. I have been married for 17 years to Brandi and have one son, Thomas who is 12 years old.Every January many of us make a resolutions for the New Year. I have a long list of personal, professional and region six goals. Here is something to ponder:
You can live up to three days
Welcome, Jay!
Continued on Page 2
Inside This Issue
Director’s Corner 1
Finding Hidden Treasure 2
Backyard Birding 4
To Nominate Or Not? 4
Janet Price Wins Award 5
A Treasured Stop 6
Arkansas Report 7
Kansas Report 8
Louisiana Report 9
Texas Report 9
Missouri Report 10
Oklahoma Report 11
The theme of this issue is Interpretive Treasures.
Have an idea for a theme for a future issue? We’d love to hear it! Send your ideas to [email protected]
without it, and then you die. It makes up the majority of our planet and our bodies. It has dic-tated where every city, town and village has been built all over the world. It is one of the four basic needs of life. It is water.
As interpreters we all connect our visitors emotionally and intellectually with our resources. We can all list many resources that make our site special, rel-evant and worthy of interpre-tation. Is water the first thing you think of when you list your resources?
If your hope for the future of our planet and its children is to grow and prosper we must use this precious resource wisely. We must overcome many sacri-fices large and small to take this resource to the top of our list.
What’s on the top of your list?
National NewsPaul Caputo, Assistant Director from the National NAI Office will be attending the regional work-shop. We can look forward to his insight and news from the na-tional office.
Kathy Evans was just hired to be the Certification and Training Office Administrator. Kathy is a former Region Six Member; we can look forward to working with her in the future.
Director’s Corner, from Page 1
Finding Hidden TreasureBy Michelle Soenksen, MissouriAt some point in time, you have imagined discovering that trea-sure chest: lost in the woods, un-der a loose board in the attic, or playing imagination with class-mates at the playground. What do you think of when you hear the word treasure?
Two thoughts came to my mind when thinking about treasures: the natural and cultural resourc-es that surround us in work and everyday life and the nuts and bolts of what makes us who we are. In fact, good ol’ Web-ster defines treasure as
something valuable • (such as money, jewels, gold, or silver) that is hidden or kept in a safe placesomething that is very • special, important, or valuablea person who is greatly • loved or valued espe-cially because of being very helpful.
We may have our great uncle’s pocket watch, grandma’s wedding ring, or great-great grandpa’s bible,
passed down through genera-tions and held close to our hearts. These treasures aren’t special to us because of their tangible value, but the intangible connec-tions to loved ones and family.Where do we find treasures within the workplace? Not the tangibles that you can hold on to, but those intangibles—that astonishment at something awe-somely mysterious that leaves you with a sense of wonder. ¬It doesn’t have to be the Grand Canyon, the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, or Glacier National Park. There is wonder all around us all the time. We are surrounded by hidden treasures. And quieting the mind allows us to see trea-sure in the simple things: a star lit sky, the sunrise or sunset, a sleeping infant.
Be yourself and believe that whatever you provide to your site is valued.
Continued on Page 3
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 2
For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask your-self, ‘What if I had never seen this be-fore? What if I knew I would never see it again?’
– Rachel Carson
While doing research for a pro-gram on wonder, I became mind-ful of how much that emotion can have an impact on the way we see the world. In fact, it has been found that wonder can improve your well-being and quality of life. It connects us to nature, cre-ates life changing experiences, inspires creativity, provides hope and an appreciation for life, and improves relationships with others. Allowing ourselves to see treasures in our everyday life gives us this sense of wonder and all the benefits it provides.
Our treasures can also be the people around us; our family and friends, children, cowork-ers and visitors…ourselves. As a professed introvert, I sometimes struggle with my role as a front line interpreter. I love what I do. But discovering who I am and what value I provide to my site can easily be overshadowed by the talented, interpretive giants in the field. Research has shown that wonder helps us feel con-nected to something larger than ourselves, providing a sense of purpose in life. I challenge my-self, and you, to search for your own unique talents and worth. Be yourself and believe that what-ever you provide to your site is valued.
Open your eyes. Notice the wonder and beauty of everyday life. Treasure the memories, the twinkling moments in time. Appreciate the treasures found under your feet and learn to love the treasure you have become.
Finding Treasure, from Page 2
NAI National ConferenceCorpus Christi, Texas, November 8–12, 2016www.interpnet.com/conference
Nature ProtectionCultural Connection
#NAI2016
Call for PresentationsDeadline: April 17, 2016Share your experience and expertise by presenting a session at NAI 2016!
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 3
Whether I am hunting, fishing, backpacking, or working in my backyard, the beauty and unique behavior of birds is one of my favorite things to notice. As I consider a good bird habitat I like to look at four components: food, water, shelter, and space. By taking a moment to observe if your back-yard has proper habitat you will be on your way to observing one of the most visible signs of wildlife.
Is there food available? Proper food is important for birds and can be provided in various ways. Birds will benefit from bird feed-ers as well as native plants. When setting up your bird feeder area it can be as simple as placing seed on the ground, purchasing a feeder, or making a feeder out of a water bottle. The type of bird seed depends on what you want to attract. Black oil sunflower seeds will attract a wide variety of birds like cardinals and blue jays. White millet is appealing to doves, spar-rows, and juncos. Niger “thistle”
Backyard BirdingBy Steve Jacobsen, Missouri
will attract goldfinches and purple finches. Suet cakes are also good for attracting woodpeckers. Person-ally I like to provide native plants as a food source for birds. Native trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers not
only produce food for birds, but they also provide cover and beauty to a backyard. Holly, hawthorn, and persimmon are favorites of cedar waxwings which are a sight to see in the winter.
Is there water? To increase the popularity of your feeding station furnish water for the birds. Water can be provided through a bird bath or by building a permanent
Whether you are a veteran birder or just a beginner, your backyard is valuable to birds.
water feature like a rain garden. The Carolina wren and bluebird are often attracted to feeders that have nearby water access.
Does your yard have shelter? Birds need a place to take shelter from predators as well as a place to nest. Shelter can happen in various ways. Planting native bushes, trees, or flowers will provide good cover. Another popular way to create shelter is to pile tree branches and brush in a pile. Do you have space? When devel-oping your bird feeder area con-sider the issue of space. Position your feeders away from windows and buildings. Birds benefit from feeders that are placed near trees or bushes. This gives them shelter if a predator is near. Whether you are a veteran bird watcher or just a beginner, your backyard is valuable to birds. Con-sider ways to improve the habitat as you enjoy the colorful feathered visitors this winter. To learn more about birds and their habitats visit a Missouri Department of Conserva-tion nature center or: http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/outdoor-recreation/birding
To Nominate or Not to Nominate - That is the QuestionBy John Miller, MissouriNow is a great time to nominate one of your fellow interpreters for a National NAI award. While writing a good solid nomination takes time, you just have to be willing to write.
The deadline is May 31, 2016 and the information on the NAI web site can be found at here.
If you write a nomination before
May 1st, I will make each of you a special offer. Now that I am no lon-ger the NAI Professional Awards Chair, I will be happy to review your nomination to make sure that you have not missed anything. I am not going to re-write your nomi-nation, but only suggest ways to improve it. I make no guarantees on winning, only that you will have a more competitive nomination. I
want to help you get the nominee the recognition they deserve.
If you have a nomination written and want me to look it over, send it to [email protected] . Everyone wins when you make a nomination of a truly deserving interpreter. So please nominate someone this year.
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 4
Janet Price Wins National AwardJanet Price, with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park in Middlebrook MO, is the recipi-ent of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Master Front Line Interpreter Award for 2015. The award was presented at NAI’s national workshop on November 13th in Virginia Beach, VA.
The Master Front-Line Inter-preter award is presented to an NAI member who has worked for a minimum of five years in interpretation and whose current duties are at least 60% front-line interpretation. Recipients must demonstrate a mastery of inter-pretive techniques, program de-velopment and design of creative projects. Two of these awards were presented this year.
For over 25 years with Missouri State Parks, Janet has been the quintessential innovative in-terpreter, respected leader, and mentor. In addition to sharing her expertise and passion with her visitors, she selflessly gives her time and encouragement to
others. Through Missouri State Park’s award-winning Spring Interpret-ers Training she has touched the lives of students, staff, and ad-ministrators. Janet’s leadership as a trainer involves leading spe-cific sessions on fundamentals, as well as coaching small groups as they prepared and presented programs. Some employees would see this mentor task as an “extra chore” and “draining.” Janet views this as a privilege and thrives from it. Janet is not afraid to dress up in hand made costumes to create the perfect interpretive moment.
To illustrate her grasp of inter-pretation, she wrote an article for the Region 6 newsletter that in-
cluded the following passage: “As interpreters, it’s not our job to give our visitors facts. It’s not our job to tell our visitors what they should or shouldn’t do. Our job as interpreters is to give our visitors focus. This is the heart and soul and life of this resource.”
In addition to being a Certi-fied Interpretive Guide, she has earned several state and Re-gional awards including the 2014 Distinguished Interpreter of the Year, and multiple “best work-shop” presentations. You can’t toss a pebble in Missouri or NAI Region 6 and not hit an inter-preter who counts Janet Price as a mentor and their personal giant of interpretation.
“Our job as inter-preters is to give our visitors focus. This is the heart and soul and life of this resource.”
Janet Price (left) with NAI President Amy Lethbridge
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 5
When leading school groups at Lewisville Lake Environ-mental Learning Area, one of my favorite stops along the trail is an old cottonwood tree. It's nothing special, but it is big and tall, and to the mostly-urban kids that come out as part of our school groups, it is often the biggest tree they have ever seen. They're all sure it must be hundreds of years old. In reality, it's probably around 60 or so.
Before saying anything, we stop close to the tree and then I tell them to look up. I love watching their expressions as they do.
A Treasured StopBy Diane Wetherbee, Texas
Upcoming Certification OpportunitiesCertified Interpretive Guide Courses
March 14-17, 2016 • Tulsa, OklahomaOxley Nature Center
April 14-19, 2016 • Odem, TexasNueces Delta Preserve
Certified Interpretive Host Courses
February 20 & 27, 2016 • Tulsa OK Oxley Nature Center
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 6
Arkansasstate report
Compiled by Don Simons
2015 was the wettest year on record here in Arkansas. Mount Maga-zine received at least 81 inches of precipitation. Twenty-one inches fell during the month of May. Abundant rainfall had good and bad aspects, depending on one’s perspective.
Good: a reduction of wildfire. Bad: less prescribed burning necessary for land management.
Good: streams which normally dry up during summer months were at least trickling year round; therefore, waterfalls were photogenic for longer periods. Bad: rain caused quite a few no-shows for guided hikes.
Good: our aquifer is replenished. Bad: soggy soil led to landslides shutting down a section of a scenic highway north of here for months.
Good: caused a massive landslide here on the mountain. It was in a wilderness area causing no damage or inconvenience to people. It was a fine example of geology at work. Bad: now that area is unsafe to visit.
When it is all said and done, “You have to endure rain to have rain-bows.” Maybe that interpretive treasure is a waterfall at one end of a rainbow.
Save the dates February 26-March 1, 2017 and for the Region 6 workshop. Now is the time to budget for such workshops. It will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Rogers, Arkansas, located right off the interstate near the Pinnacle Promenade and close to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Our working theme is “Building Bridges Connecting Art, Nature, and History.” Workshop chair Lori Spencer is looking for a few additional committee members. Contact Lori at [email protected] for more details and tasks.
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 7
Kansasstate report
Compiled by Pat Silovsky
Johnson County Park and Recreation hosted a Certified Interpre-tive Guide Training at Ernie Miller Nature Center in December. Six people went through the training. This included three part-time staff, one volunteer and two Park Police Officers. Three of these people are also Kansas Master Naturalists and at least three of these participants will be attending the Region 6 Workshop this year.
The Johnson County Museum just became a part of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. They will be moving their museum in the next year to a new facility at Johnson County’s new Arts and Heritage Center. The new facility will give them the ability to move their All Electric House to an interior location. One of their Education staff Michele Brewer just became an NAI member and will be attending the Region 6 Workshop.
Ted Cable will be hosting a CIG workshop for KDWPT and the staff of the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita in early March. It will be at the Nature Center and a few other organizations are sending people as well. If you are interested in this training, you can contact Ted.
The Kansas State University interpretation students will be work-ing at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve helping the National Park Service with Junior Ranger Days on April 16 . The students are also helping to design a summer day camp for the Preserve as well.
Jared Bixby from Sunset Zoo is coordinating a new program called Portal to the Public to Kansas informal educators and museums. Cur-rently, Sunset Zoo is the only Portal site in Kansas so they are willing to train and mentor other sites to get involved in this new Kansas Consortium. The goal of the project is to increase the ability of indi-vidual informal science educators and museum professionals to part-ner with scientists, facilitate professional development and execute public programs featuring scientists. In short, this will help visitors to your site become more science literate and give scientists a chance to communicate the results of their research or projects with the pub-lic. Contact Jared for more information about this opportunity to get involved in the Portal to the Public Network.
Milford Nature Center and KDWPT is working along side conserva-tion organizations and tourism groups to host the Kansas Birding Festival April 29-30, 2016. Over 300 species of birds can be seen in the Milford Lake area. Between the Lake, the wetlands, and the native prairie right at your fingertips, you have one of the best kept secrets in Kansas for bird sightings.
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 8
Louisianastate report
Compiled by Rusty Scarborough
Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park is soon to be under con-struction of our long awaited gift shop area. Construction delays have now pushed it to February 5th start. I am excited to get this completed in time for our “40 years of interpretation” festival in April or May of 2016. More information will be available for our 40th anniversary celebration on our Facebook and website as details get ironed out.
Part-time Naturalist Corey Bryant took a full time position in Shreve-port and we have added Dillon Sodurstrom to our interpretive team. Dillon is a graduate of LSU-S and seems to be fitting in quite nicely with our park. Welcome, Dillon!
Texasstate report
Compiled by Tara Humphreys
Jane McFarland, Regional Interpretive Specialist (RIS) for Texas State Parks, recently moved to Oklahoma to be closer to her husband who is stationed there with the military. She spent several years in Texas, first as an interpreter at Hueco Tanks State Park, and then as a RIS in Waco. Thank you for your service to Texas State Parks, Jane. We already miss you! We will be filling the Regional Interpretive Special-ist position soon, and it’s currently posted here. Questions? Email Tara Humphreys at [email protected].
As you may have heard, the National Workshop is coming to Corpus Christi, Texas November 8-12. Program proposals are due April 17th, so let’s not only attend but show folks what good things we have going on in Texas! For more information, contact Lari Jo Johnston at [email protected] or Clark Hancock at [email protected].
Speaking of workshops, Texas is hosting the Region 6 NAI Workshop in 2018. Want to help? A group of planning folks will meet at the upcoming Region 6 Workshop in Springfield, MO. Contact Tara Hum-phreys at [email protected] for more information.
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 9
Missouristate report
Compiled by Michelle Soenksen
John Miller reports the annual Vulture Venture event is scheduled for February 20th from noon until 5pm. This signature event focuses on “Nature’s Clean-up Crew” or vultures. The star of the show is Socrates, a live turkey vulture from the WOW Museum in Springfield MO. There will be hourly presentations featuring Socrates. Between presentations there will be activities and games for all ages including “Roadkill Café”, “Scavenge Like a Vulture”, and “Fill the Roost”. Volun-teers will also be available along Taneycomo to share spotting scopes to see large numbers of roosting vultures. For more information con-tact John Miller at [email protected]
Catherine McGrane reports there are two new naturalists that joined the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center interpretive staff. Jonah Long and Austin Lambert are both great additions to our team. Welcome!
Autumn Anderson was born wide-eyed and ready for her new life at 1:08 a.m. on November 7, 2015 weighing 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 20 inches long. Autumn’s mom, Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center naturalist Rebecca Rodriguez, and her dad, Dionte Anderson, are enjoying their little girl.
Steve Jacobsen reports the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City will be offering its Nature and Arts Camp June 8-12, 2016. This camp is for children ages 9-12. While attending the week long camp participants will have the chance to learn outdoor skills and discover nature and art through various hands-on activities.
During the week of June 22– 26, James A. Reed Wildlife Area in Kansas City will be the host site for Discover Nature Field Days. This week-long event allows participants of all ages and backgrounds to try new outdoor skills, explore the wonders of nature, and much more. There are several MDC employees and volunteers that come together to put on this great annual event in Kansas City.
Coming soon! Jamin Bray of Shortleaf Interpretive Services an-nounces the release of her second musical CD, Take a Hike! This collection of almost exclusively original songs will be available in late Winter/early Spring 2016, and will include songs Jamin has written about our connection to our natural and cultural resources. New titles include Missouri Seasons, Take a Hike!, Into the Forest, Goin’ on a Hayride, Ozark Kids’ Connection, and Osage Hills. If you would like to place an order for this new release, contact Jamin at: [email protected], Or call or text at 573-729-0465 Also, Jamin is available for performances at your park or site this summer. Jamin specializes in musical entertainment that interprets the experiences of connecting to both natural and cultural resources. Her programs can be designed to help interpret the mission of your site or special event. Contact Jamin now to book event dates!
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 10
Oklahomastate report
Compiled by Karena Minor
Neil Garrison reports that he has been successful in working out a part-nership with The Oklahoman newspaper, Oklahoma City’s major daily newspaper. Neil is now writing a weekly "Nature & You" column for the paper. The focus of the weekly column is to provide the readers with natural history tidbits -- in regards to the outdoor world there in central Oklahoma. If you'd like to read some of Neil's archived writings, visit http://www.newsok.com.
The city of Tulsa is doing something entirely different: they are actually creating brand new park land where, prior to the start of the project, there was just air. No less than 67 acres of new park land is being built 30 feet above street level. This elevated portion of new park land is situated so that it connects two pieces of park land that were previously bisected by this busy city street. The automobile traffic will now be routed through tunnels.
Did you know that Amy Stephens of the Oklahoma City Zoo has a sing-ing voice? On a Saturday prior to Christmas, Amy led a "Sing-A-Long" event at the zoological park. The tune was the popular: "I Want A Hippo-potamus For Christmas." Gayla Peevey Henderson made the song famous when, in 1953, she sang the song; she was 10 years old at the time. Ms. Henderson now lives in San Diego, California but the Zoo made arrange-ments via a SKYPE broadcast to have her sing the song once again for this special public event.
In December, National Park Service employees dressed up in historically-accurate clothing in order to lead the "Historic Candlelight Tours" at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The Sod House Museum, owned and operated by the Oklahoma His-torical Society, held a special event in December featuring cowboy poets and pioneer tall-tale-tellers. The "Friends of the Museum" organization served up cookies and hot cider.
Lake Arcadia is situated on the south side of Edmond, Oklahoma. A new trail is being proposed for the perimeter of the lake. When completed, the trail will be 19 miles in length. The guess is that it will take 5 years to complete the project.
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 11
P U B L I C A T I O N I N F O R M A T I O N
DEADLINES FOR VISIONS ARE:Spring: March 20 • Summer: June 20 • Fall: September 1 • Winter: December 1
Articles submitted for publication in VIsions should be sent to the editor at:Katie Raney, CIG, Texas State Parks, 903-566-0535 ext. 281, [email protected]
Information can also be sent to any of the Region 6 State Coordinators:
ARKANSAS: Don R. Simons, Mount Magazine State Park, Paris, AR, 479-963-8502, [email protected]
KANSAS: Pat Silovsky, CIG, Milford Nature Center, Junction City, KS, 785-238-5323, [email protected]
LOUISIANA: Rusty Scarborough, Walter Jacobs Memorial Nature Park, Shreveport, LA, 318-929-2806, [email protected]
MISSOURI: Michelle Soenksen, CIT, Sam A. Baker State Park, Patterson, MO, 573-856-4514, [email protected]
OKLAHOMA: Karena Minor, CIG, Oklahoma City National Memorial, Oklahoma City, OK, 405-609-8854, [email protected]
TEXAS: Tara Humphreys, CIT, TX Parks & Wildlife, Bastrop, TX, 512-308-1475 ext. 29, [email protected]
REGION SIX OFFICERSJay T. Schneider, Director: Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area, Rogers, AR, 479 899-4573, [email protected] Hancock, CIT, Deputy Director: Exhibit Coordinator, Austin Nature and Science Center, Austin, TX, 512-507-1627, [email protected] Cole, Secretary: Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, Lewisville, TX, 972-219-3930, [email protected] Zabecki Harvey, Treasurer: Parkin Archeological State Park, Parkin, AR ,870-755-2500, [email protected]
COMMITTEE CHAIRSScholarship: Heather Runyan, Arkansas State Parks, 870-238-5216, [email protected]: Laura Motley, Oklahoma City, OK, 405-760-5667, [email protected]: Robin Gabe, Arkansas State Parks, [email protected]: Janette Larson, Arkansas State Parks, [email protected] Shelley Flannary, Arkansas State Parks, [email protected]
REGION SIX WEB MASTERStephen Brueggerhoff, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, College Station, TX, 512-705-1813, [email protected]
NAI NATIONAL OFFICE
P.O. Box 2246Fort Collins, CO 80522Phone: 970-484-8283
Toll free @888-900-8283
Winter 2016 • Volume 30, Issue 1 • Page 12
