Resources That Inspired and Influenced Us
Marissa Jones:
One of the things that inspired me in this field the most was a class that I attended online. The class was called Edventures for Early Childhood Educators through Project Learning Tree, and it was hosted by the Environmental Education Association of Illinois. It was a great experience! All of the people were so enthusiastic, and you could tell that they love what they are doing.
Kelly Nicholson:
Podcast: “The Children's Hour”
This podcast breaks down scientific topics in ways kids can understand… and makes listening FUN! I use it to explore different ways of communicating with kids on my tours.
Marissa Ginger:
Marissa’s mentors have inspired her interpretive work: Chris Edmondson, Kendra Swee, Amy Wilkinson, and Nikki Janisin. She takes great inspiration from the people who shaped her professionally and does her best to emulate their leadership in every role she is in.
Grace Teofilo:
Headwaters is a public-radio style podcast by Glacier National Park, produced with support from the Glacier National Park Conservancy. To me, this podcast epitomizes the accomplishments that can be made due to strong relationships between partner organizations. Each season focuses on a different theme and takes the listener on deep dives that start with topics such as whitebark pine, bears, and a history of the park, and then uses interpretive techniques to take the heart and soul of Glacier from the park to the listener’s ear. I love listening to it for inspiration of storytelling techniques, but also to feel like I’m back out west.
Lisa Overholser:
The StoryCenter program and website! As founders of the digital storytelling movement, StoryCenter has helped over 100,000 people share stories from their lives. StoryCenter promotes healing, growth, and social change by creating spaces for listening to and sharing stories. They believe that storytelling inspires connection and action, and they are committed to helping people from all walks of life use the power of their own voices and experiences to build a just and healthy world.
Theresa Coble:
I recommend Terry Tempest Williams’s book, The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks. In this text, you’ll journey with Terry through twelve national parks, sharing meaningful experiences and reflective interludes. This is a journey that explores our connections with the natural world, delves into contested heritage, and elevates the human spirit.
Brendan Kane:
The Dare to Lead with Brené Brown podcast series always has a way of helping to recenter me and see some way that I can help my interpretation matter to the public even more.
Katie Hemann:
The 2019 NAI National Conference in Denver was my first national conference, and it is where I knew this is what I wanted to do. That is why I co-wrote the article "Conferencing as an Emerging Interpreter" and why I keep going back to national conferences!
Cheryl Hunter:
The most recent resource that I am inspired by is the book The Anxious Generation. Jonathan Haidt’s contrast between the “real world” and the “virtual world” drives my interpretive work to create embodied experiences not available in the virtual world. Since children and adults are spending more and more time in virtual experiences, I am inspired to return to "the things themselves" and create embodied garden experiences.
Anna Hoover:
A book that has inspired my interpretive work is The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. This book brought me into a new understanding of trees and our human connection to the global canopy. From looking at the coevolution of our connection with forests, the historic and current interactions between people and trees can have a profound effect on our connection to nature, and these interactions demonstrate how nature is vastly more alive than many of us ever thought it to be.