“People can’t fall in love with your park if they’re lost.”
Interpretation plays a vital role in attracting, entertaining, and educating diverse users. One person with a lot of experience in this area is Ky Harkey, former director of interpretation for Texas State Parks and now founder of The Visitor Experience. His expertise in interpretation and visitor experience helps park leaders improve the relevance and inclusivity of their programs and services. During our conversation Ky shares some of the ways we can enhance the visitor experience, increase diversity in visitorship, and create a more engaging and impactful park environment for everyone.
Key Takeaways from this conversation:
- Interpretation & Business: The concept of “entrepreneurial park rangers” reflects the need for the park industry to approach management and services as a business. This will help them effectively solve the challenges and drive impact.
- Stewardship Staircase: The framework of the “staircase of the visitor experience” encompasses the 5 core services along the Staircase to Stewardship. It provides a strategic way to guide visitors towards stewardship and reflects the diversity of the communities the parks serve.
- Diversity in Visitorship: Interpretation plays a vital role in attracting and engaging diverse users by sharing under-told stories of natural and cultural history, providing relevance, and fostering connections leading to moments of impact.
Make sure you listen to the full episode to gain insights into the visitor experience and the influence of interpretation in shaping the future of parks. To learn more about Ky’s work and get access to a self-assessment tool to evaluate your visitor services, visit thevisitorexperience.org. Consider ways you can embrace the transformative power of interpretation and entrepreneurial innovation to grow the experiences that have a positive impact of parks and conservation.
Connect with Ky
The Visitor Experience website
Resources
https://parkleaders.com/about/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/theparkleaders/
Key Moments
03:49 Law enforcement rangers use interpretation to influence.
07:05 Expanding park interpretive products for diverse experiences.
09:56 Framework for visitor experience in parks and its application across different contexts.
13:53 Problem-solving strategies for adaptation.
19:08 ROI of interpretive programs for park rangers.
21:54 The challenges of parks to increase diversity amid visitor influx.
23:14 Diversity and inclusion in State Parks for better representation.