LESSONS LEARNED FROM DEVELOPING SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE EXHIBITS FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: NO APOLOGIES FOR THE COMPLEXITY OF THE RESOURCES

For many paleontologists, preparing adequately detailed, yet understandable, exhibits concerning complex topics is more challenging than writing a paper for peer review. Conventional wisdom is that the material be simplified to an 8th-grade level (or less) and avoid details. In areas that are nationally significant largely because they contain very complex resources, this interpretive wisdom falls short. The process of designing new exhibitry in a major new paleontology center was facilitated by having the park paleontology staff work directly with the contractors and their designers, artists, and writers. To highlight the active process of scientific investigation, for example, lobby cases were built covering topics such as radiometric dating, taphonomy, biostratigraphy, fossilization, curation, preparation, fieldwork, and more. Contrary to some expectations, it appears most of the visiting public consumes this information quite readily - and many have wondered why the NPS has such scanty or bland information at other visitor centers. The conventional wisdom that the public will not consume scientific information at parks without translation/interpretation by non-scientists may be askew. Media content can and should be developed by scientists working in a commensal relationship with professional exhibit writers. Displays should be flexibly designed and written based on the nature of the data, rather than forcing the data to fit some static interpretive methodology. This should lead to digestible but rich content prepared to inform and challenge the interested visitor, not simply pandering to the ill-defined and unquantified "lazy tourist".