Wild Tails:

the Value of Story-telling and other Quality Interpretation in Wildlife Tourism

Tuesday to Thursday 5-7 November 2024

This was a conference for tour guides, ecolodges, conservation managers, researchers students, wildlife parks, destination managers, NGOs and general educators

A report will soon be published on this website as for our 2022 event

See below for downloads of presentations

Presentations Day 1.

Major sub-theme: inspiring interest and imparting memorable information 

Opening of conference Chris Cherry, Mayor of Tweed Shore Council 

Design of participative environmental interpretation in White Sands New Mexico, USA, Manuel Ramon Gonzalez Herrera (Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico) online 

Together, writers and scientists make magic, Sarah Pye (University of Sunshine Coast) and Maree Treadwell Kerr (Bats and Trees Society of Cairns, Vice-chair Wildlife Tourism Australia) 

From nature connection to wellbeing: Promoting wellbeing experience through wildlife storytelling, Aise Kim (University of South Australia, Secretary Wildlife Tourism Australia) online. 

Interpreting Cape York Wildlife Greg Clancy (ecologist)

Enhancing Geotourism through Engagement with Wildlife, Angus M. Robinson  (Leisure Solutions) 

Beyond the Tour: The Role of Interpretive Training in Enhancing Wildlife Tourism (keynote), Jennifer Waithman (Interpretation Australia)

Invert Interp – promoting our smallest natural wonders, Colleen Foelz (eye4insects) 

The Gowonda project: a story of dolphins, marine life conservation and cultural knowledge, Liz Hawkins and Josh Slabb (Dolphin Research Australia) 

Twisting a tale (or tails) with Dr Sarah Pye (interactive discussion), Sarah Pye (University of Sunshine Coast) 

Interpretation through Flow Learning, Dale Treadwell (Naturally wild) 

Telling tales: Wildlife interpretation in Visitor Centres – a case study from Far North Queensland, Maree Treadwell Kerr (Vice-chair Wildlife Tourism Australia, Kuranda Visitor Centre, Mareeba Shire Local Tourism Organisation) 

Moonlit Sanctuary’s story to storytelling, Sian Mulhall (Moonlit Sanctuary) 

Workshop. Interactions with animals: Exploitation or valuable conservation and interpretive tool. (interactive discussion), Led by Ronda Green (Chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia) 

Tour of Marine Discovery Centre Session 4. Chair: Darren Green 

Mind the gap: Animals, guiding, storytelling and you (keynote), Jonathon Spring (Independent researcher) online 

Sentient shark tourism: Story-telling about the affectionate nature of sharks, Tony Isaacson (Marine Life Society of South Australia: Founding President and Life Member) and Jim Abernethy (Abernathy’s Scuba Adventures)

Presentations Day 2. Major sub-theme: wildlife tourism interpretation in Asia.

Explaining the blue economy to wildlife guides and tourists in Sri Lanka, Madura Thivanka Pathirana (Edith Cowan University, Sri Lanka) 

Wildlife guiding workshops, Kinabatangan, Sabah (Borneo), Ronda Green (Araucaria Ecotours, Chair Wildlife Tourism Australia) 

Interpreting the Wild: Enhancing Visitor Experiences in Sabah’s Wildlife Tourism, Albert Teo (Borneo Ecotours)  

Teaching “Wildlife Tourism” in Japan: Reflections from a new practicum, Thomas Jones (Asia-Pacific University, Japan) 

Developing effective interpretation design for communicating animal welfare messages to tourists in free-ranging settings in Japan: A preliminary investigation, Rie Usui, (Asia-Pacific University, Japan), Remi Suga (Asia-Pacific University, Japan) and Meng Qu (Hokkaido University, Tokyo) 

Interpretative signs at Iruka Jima Dolphinarium in Tsukumi City, Kurisu Isogai and Miku Higashi (Asia-Pacific University, Japan) online 

An exploratory study of snake cafes in Japan: From the perspective of animal welfare, Dai Ikeya (Bangor University, UK) online 

Proposed Japanese chapter of WTA and other possible expansions, Rie Usui (Asia-Pacific University, Japan), Thomas Jones (Asia-Pacific University, Japan), Ronda Green (Araucaria Ecotours, Chair Wildlife Tourism Australia)

Presentations Day 3. Major sub-theme: imparting conservation messages 

Is interpretation effective?, Glen Hvenegaard (University of Alberta) online 

Positive Ecotour experiences: Enhancing conservation outcomes by encouraging pro-environmental behaviour, Leah Burns (Griffith University, Wildlife Tourism Australia committee), Wade Hadwen and Rafaela Barbosa de Andrade Aragao (Griffith University) 

Best practices for designing interpretive experiences (keynote), Mike Mayer and Bill Reynolds (Experiential Interpretive Design) online 

Inclusive citizen science, Vikki Schaffer (University of Sunshine Coast)

Shark Dive and Hologram Zoo, Rebecca Scollen (University of Southern Queensland)

Kangaroos Alive – Building the Kangaroo Walks & Talks Program, Ric Allport and 

Craig Thompson (Kangaroos Alive) 

Koala Guardians: Empowering tourists to protect an Australian icon, Katrin Hohwieler, Romane Cristescu, Liz Foote, Cathryn Dexter, Elizabeth Brunton, Kye McDonald, Andrew Hoskins and Sharyn Rundle-Thiele (University of the Sunshine Coast, Griffith University, Redland City Council, CSIRO) 

A flying-fox roost as the destination, Matthew Mo, Maree Treadwell Kerr, Sera Steves, Nicholas Colman. (Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment and Water, NSW, Australasian Bat Society, Bats and Trees Society of Cairns) online 

“Learning to give a flying fox about bats”: Exploring ways to affect positive behaviour change towards a maligned species, Tyron de Kauwe (Sunshine Coast Council) 

Crafting Inclusive Interpretive Experiences: Engaging Diverse Audiences in Wildlife Tourism Education, Pawas Chaturvedi and Akhilesh Kumar Singh ( Sikkim University, India) 

Workshop: Interpreting roadkill, Elleke Leurs (University of Tasmania) 

Interventions in Wildlife Trafficking: The role of public awareness and eNose sensor development, Simin Maleknia (Tetratherix Technology, Treasurer Wildlife Tourism Australia) 

Transforming the lives of African elephants in human care to improve welfare, conservation, education and human-wildlife coexistence, Jake Rendle-Worthington (We Are All Mammals) online 

EcoTraining: The Value of Good Wildlife Interpretation and Guide Training (keynote), Anton Lategan (Ecotraining, South Africa) online 

Plenary discussion: Where to from here? 

Poster presentations 

Reaching different audiences: an example from signage in a Wildlife Ecology Centre 

Ronda Green (Araucaria Ecotours, Green Publications, Chair Wildlife Tourism Australia) 

ERTH: Leading the way in storytelling for conservation Scott Wright (ERTH Visual & 

Physical Incorporated) 

The Cassowary Trail: interpreting wildlife through stories and art for conservation Maree Treadwell Kerr. (Mareeba Shire Local Tourism Hub, Vice-chair Wildlife Tourism Australia) 

King of Tanzania Safaris Juma Mbelwa, King of Tanzania Safaris

The following pdf’s of conference presentations can be downloaded here free of charge

(more to follow).

What is Interpretation?

From Merriam-Webster Thesaurus: “to make plain or understandable.”

They elaborate that “Some common synonyms of interpret are elucidate, explain, explicate, and expound. While all these words mean “to make something clear or understandable,” interpret adds to explain the need for imagination or sympathy or special knowledge in dealing with something.

Missed opportunities

A traveller arrives at a new destination. Before him is a stretch of woodland with many inhabitants: small furry creatures with a bizarre love-life, feathered ones with amazing architecture skills, tiny but beautiful insects and plants with intriguing ways for attracting pollinators . The geological history that made it all possible is quite a story in itself. But the traveller sees only a stretch of smallish trees with some hills in the background, takes a few photos, and leaves without ever knowing what was there.

I used to visit Glacier Rock TeaHouse south of Adelaide. An ancient glacier (yes, Australia did once have glaciers) had lifted a huge granite boulder while passing through Visitor Harbour and dumped ere in soft sediments. Visitors can now see it easily in the creek bank, all these 500 million years later, as well as scratch marks on nearby rocks from the glacier slowly moving over tham. But most visitors called in, had a cup of tea/coffee and snack and left again without any idea of what was sitting there beneath them. That always seemed a shame.

I’ve been on wildlife tours in various countries where animals have been pointed out and named, everyone gets a photo and we move on without any new insights into the behaviour or ecology or conservation needs of the animals we’ve just seen. I’ve been on other tours with excellent guides, where I came to know and understand a lot more about all the species we encountered and how they fit into the ecosystem.

Tourists vary hugely in their desire to learn. Some ask questions about almost everything, while others just want a few photos to show friends. But there are ways of making things interesting even for those who don’t initially feel the need to learn, while also delighting the enthusiasts.

Why should we want tourists to learn about wildlife?

• We (as guides or ecolodge managers or zoo-keepers) are entranced by wildlife and enjoy sharing our enthusiasm
• If people understand more about the animals they may better understand why they should avoid disturbing them, and also support conservation efforts of others
• It can dispel some exaggerated fears about certain animals and also explain some genuine risks
• It can help increase satisfaction even if the animal can’t be found on a particular day to be shown tracks, scats, burrows, the kinds of plants they use for food or shelter etc.
• If we can “hook” visitors with interesting stories and information about the animals it can enhance their satisfaction with the tourism experience and encourage them  to return or recommend to friends
• It may open up whole new worlds for the traveller, starting to see how fascinating nature can be, maybe developing a new hobby while traveling or after returning home
• It can add to the knowledge of those who are already amateur naturalists, ecology students, biology lecturers, nature journalists and others – and suggest to them further possibilities for research, writing and other wildlife-based activities.

Topics for this conference:

• How do we best design interpretive experiences for a variety of visitors – different age groups, levels of interest or prior knowledge, different levels of understanding of the language spoken by the guide, different cultural backgrounds etc.?
• How can we awaken interest in the “forgotten fauna”: reptiles, insects, rat-like mammals, small brown birds etc. with interesting behaviours or important ecological roles?
• What are the best ways to use story-telling to capture interest and also impart some important or fascinating information?
• How can we best guide our visitors’ behaviour for minimal-impact viewing?
• Different methods of interpretation: face-to-face guiding, self guided nature trails, interpretive signage in zoos or wilderness areas, apps, websites, virtual reality etc
• What to avoid when giving out information (e.g. don’t make things easy for poachers) or opinions (e.g. clarify the difference between fact and opinion, examine your own possible biases).

“An average human looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odour or fragrance, and talks without thinking.” Leonardo da Vinci. (Can guides help to change this just a little?).

Keynote speakers

Jennifer Waithman, Interpretation Australia 

Jonathon Spring (online)

Bill Reynolds and Mike Mayer, Experiential Interpretive Design (online)

Anton Lategan Ecotraining, South Africa (online)

Click here for our keynotes page

The Venue: conference and accommodation

Incorporated into the resort is a very impressive facility: the Marine Discovery Centre, a great example of nature interpretation for tourists, school groups and others, with many different styles of passive viewing or interactive displays. It was started by environmentalist Ted Brambleby and teacher Kerrie Trees many years ago (read their story here) and more recently expanded with a substantial grant.