GEOLOGY INTERPRETIVE WORKSHOPS FOR NATIONAL PARK STAFFS

A series of workshops are presented through a collaborative project between the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University and the Geologic Resources Division of the National Park Service. The workshops present geological content as well as methods to present the content to park visitors. Park rangers are trained to incorporate geology into interpretive programs by focusing on features that convey geological principles, by relating ongoing geological research in understandable terms, and by showing how a park's biology, ecology, and human history are connected to a landscape formed by geological processes. The workshops are primarily for interpretation staffs, but resource management, research, and other park personnel also participate. An overview of the geology of national parks from a plate tectonic perspective is presented, with emphases on geological features and processes important to the region of the park. Geologists with research experience in the region then present the local geology of the park. Field trips are used to brainstorm about themes that focus on specific features in the park. Participants work in groups to design and deliver interpretive programs that are discussed in terms of geology content and interpretive approach. Brainstorming about interpretive methods, especially with experienced staff from other parks in a region, helps rangers find ways to make the geological information relevant to the public.