Heritage interpretation refers to all the ways in which information is communicated to visitors to an educational, natural or recreational site, such as a

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

or science centre. More specifically it is the communication of information about, or the explanation of, the nature, origin, and purpose of historical, natural, or cultural resources, objects, sites and phenomena using personal or non-personal methods. Some international authorities in

museology Museology (also called museum studies or museum science) is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and ed ...

prefer the term mediation for the same concept, following usage in other European languages. Heritage interpretation may be performed at dedicated interpretation centres or at museums,

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been re ...

s, parks,

art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

, nature centres, zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens,

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

s and a host of other heritage sites. Its modalities can be extremely varied and may include guided walks, talks,

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

, staffed stations, displays, signs,

labels A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affixed to ...

artwork A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...

brochure A brochure is an promotional document primarily used to introduce a company, organization, products, or services and inform prospective customers or members of the public of the benefits. Although, initially, a paper document that can be folded ...

s, interactives, audio-guides and audio-visual media. The process of developing a structured approach to interpreting these stories, messages and information is called interpretive planning. The thematic approach to heritage interpretation advocated by

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...

professor Sam Ham, the National Association for Interpretation, the US

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

, and others, is considered best practice. Those who practice this form of interpretation may include rangers,

guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

naturalists Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

actors An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

(who may wear period dress and do reenactments), museum curators, natural and cultural interpretive specialists, interpretation officers, heritage communicators, docents, educators, visitor services staff, interpreters or a host of other titles. The interpretive process is often assisted by new technologies such as visualizing techniques.

Purpose

Biscayne National Park H-ranger kids hermit crab

The goal of interpretation is to improve and enrich the visitor experience by helping site visitors understand the significance of the place they are visiting, and connecting those meanings to visitors' own personal lives. By weaving compelling, thematic stories about environmental phenomena and historical events, interpreters aim to provoke visitors to learn and think about their experiences. Effective interpretation enables the visitors to make associations between the information given and their previous perceptions.Moscardo, G.(1996
Mindful Visitors: Heritage and Tourism
, Elsevier According to Moscardo interpretation can produce 'Mindful Visitors' who are carefully processing information and negotiating the meanings of the observed object or intangible element. Interpretation is often used by landowning government agencies and NGOs to promote

environmental stewardship Environmental stewardship (or planetary stewardship) refers to the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through active participation in conservation efforts and sustainable practices by individuals, small groups, nonprofit org ...

of the lands they manage.

Definitions of heritage interpretation

"Tilden's principles" of interpretation

In his 1957 book, "Interpreting Our Heritage", Freeman Tilden defined six principles of interpretation: For the past 50 years, Tilden's principles have remained highly relevant to interpreters across the world. In 2002 Larry Beck and Ted Cable published "Interpretation for the 21st Century - Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture", which elaborated upon Tilden's original principles. In 2011, Beck and Cable released a new version of their principles in "The Gift of Interpretation".Beck, L, Cable, T. (2011) ''The Gifts of Interpretation: Fifteen guiding principles for interpreting nature and culture''. Sagamore Publishing,

Interpretation organizations

2013 Orgelkids Doe-orgel toetsen verbinden aan de windlade

* Association for Heritage Interpretation, UK
external link
* Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums, USA
external link
*Interpretation Latin América and the Caribbean
external link
* Interpretation Australia
external link
* Interpretation Canada
external link
* Interpret Europe
external link
* Interpret Scotland
external link
* Interpretation Network New Zealand
external link
) * ICOMOS Charter for the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites, International
external link
* ICOMOS International Committee on Interpretation and Presentation
external link
* National Association for Interpretation, USA
external link
* Swedish Centre for Heritage Interpretation
external link

Notes

References

* Beck, L.; Cable, T. (1998). ''Interpretation for the 21st Century: Fifteen guiding principles for interpreting nature and culture''. Sagamore Publishing, * Hadden, Robert Lee.
Reliving the Civil War: A reenactor's handbook
. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1999. * Ham, S. (1992). ''Environmental Interpretation: A Practical Guide for People with Big Ideas and Small Budgets''. Fulcrum Publishing, * Ham, S. (2009). From Interpretation to protection—Is there a theoretical basis
''Journal of Interpretation Research, 14''(2), 49-57
* Salazar, N. (2007)
Towards a global culture of heritage interpretation? Evidence from Indonesia and Tanzania
''Tourism Recreation Research'', ''32''(3), 23–30. * Salazar, N. (2012)
Envisioning Eden: Mobilizing imaginaries in tourism and beyond
Oxford: Berghahn, . * Silberman, N. (2006). "The ICOMOS Ename Charter Initiative: Rethinking the Role of Heritage Interpretation in the 21st Century." ''George Wright Forum'' * Tilden, F. (1957). ''Interpreting our Heritage''. University of North Carolina Press, North Carolina

External links

A Sense of Place - An interpretive planning handbook. James Carter

Basic Interpretive Skills - A Course Manual. Thorsten Ludwig

Definitions Project

Distilling the Essence - New Zealand Department of Conservation Interpretation Handbook and Standard

Heritage Destination Consulting Interpretive Resource Library

Heritage Interpretation Centres. The hicira handbookMuseums Galleries Scotland Interpretation Guidance

Tasmanian Thematic Interpretation Planning Manual

ShineNet.net, An on-line professional network for interpretation, environmental education, heritage education and non-formal education.
{{Authority control Hermeneutics Cultural heritage Museology Communication Environmental interpretation Heritage interpretation