·  talks

·  slide talks

·  roving interpreters

·  performing arts (theater, music, dance)

·  demonstrations and 1^stperson (costumed) interpretation

·          Visitors can ask questions and receive answers immediately.

·          Presentation content can always be up-to-date.

·          A quality presentation is credible and good for public relations.

·          Introduces a personal element and can be a highlight for a visitor.

·          Allows for inter-activity between interpreter and visitor.

·          Allows for debate and discussion.

·          Can involve the visitor.  Research suggests that people retain more from doing than reading.

·          Feedback and evaluation can be obtained immediately.

·          Volunteer and contract guides can be used.

·          Discussion of management issues and messages can be encouraged.

·          Program of events may encourage repeat visitation.

·          Enthusiasm and passion can be communicated by the interpreter.

·          Guided tours/activities can be used to manage visitors.

·          Guide can perform a variety of roles (e.g. safety, law enforcement).

·          Can encourage appropriate environmental and cultural behavior.

·          Can be responsive to a varied audience (e.g. children and adults).

·          Interpreters can suffer burnout if constantly presenting the same program – difficult to maintain creative presentation.

·          Not all staff may be suited to personal interpretation activities.  Careful staff selection and training required.

·          Availability of interpretation is relatively fixed in time and place.

·          Guide can be viewed as a threatening authority figure.

·  Information shelter panels

·  Trail head signs

·  Wayside or trail side panels/ interpretation signs

·          Most visitors are comfortable with the written word.

·          Enable important themes or messages to be communicated.

·          Maps are helpful for site orientation.

·          Can be used to direct visitors to particular areas.

·          Generally medium to long term, low maintenance fixtures.

·          Can incorporate shelter from sun or wet weather.

·          A hierarchy of material can be presented so visitors can choose their own interest level.

·          Displays can be designed so that they can be updated reasonably easily.

·          Large eye-catching graphics can be used.

·          Saves paper.

·          Can establish corporate identity.

·          Low cost of provision on a per visitor basis.

·          Can feature both permanent and temporary material.

·          Can encourage a passive approach to the environment rather than an active “discovery” approach.

·          Intrusive in natural/wilderness areas – can detract from experience of a natural or historic area.

·          Risk of repetition of messages and of “lowest common denominator” approach – i.e. over-simplifying complex stories.

·          Need good design, production and maintenance.

·          Visitors require literacy and map reading skills.

·          Information is not “portable”  (can’t be taken home), so messages may be forgotten.

·          Subject to vandalism.

·          Permanent material can go out of date.

·          Temptation to put too much information on signs.

·          Generally do not cater for children.

·          High initial cost.

·          Reasonably non-intrusive on landscape.

·          Relatively flexible – posts can be moved if they use symbols rather than numbers or letters.

·          Require simple materials.

·          Information is portable and brochure can be taken home after visit.

·          Brochures may not be readily available to visitors (may only be available at one entrance, for instance).

·          Need to ensure that the features at the pegs are still evident/relevant.

·          Requires reading skills.

·          Potential litter problems.

·  Self-guided trail notes

·          Information is portable and brochure/booklet can be taken home after visit.

·          Can be targeted to specific audiences and sites.

·          Detailed and sophisticated information can be presented.

·          Can make use of diagrams and illustrations.

·          Relatively inexpensive to produce and maintain.

·          Can be updated reasonably easily.

·          Useful icebreaker for roving rangers in communicating with public.

·          May not be valued by visitors.

·          Not interactive.

·          Can encumber visitor’s interaction with the resource.

·          Can be more expensive in the long term if numerous reprints are required.

·          May not always be available to the visitor.

·          Need to ensure dispensers are always stocked.

·          May not encourage observation beyond the sites mentioned in the brochure/booklet.

·  Booklets

·  Souvenir guides

·          Information is portable and may be widely read (e.g. in schools, libraries etc.).

·          Income generated may enable further editions to be produced.

·          Can save printing costs if the demand for free publications is reduced.

·          Can increase recognition, respect and status for the site.

·          Can serve as a souvenir of the visit.

·          Cost may exclude some visitors from purchase.

·          Large amount of preparation time and funding required.

·          Amendments are reasonably time-consuming.

·          Some visitors object to paying for information and may miss out on the message you want to communicate.

·  Listening posts (indoors and outdoors)

·  May be automated using movement-sensitive lasers, or controlled by a push button

·          Direct first person commentary possible.

·          Avoids some limitations of signs (message length, effort, reading skills).

·          Generally visually unobtrusive.

·          Tape can become a saleable item – can be listened to at home.

·          Relatively easy to update.

·          Some systems can be expensive or difficult to maintain.

·          Automated systems do not allow for visitor choice.

·          Messages may be missed by some visitors (e.g. if they walk past too quickly).

·          Possible impact on wildlife.

·          If not carefully sited, sound may conflict with other noises in the area making the presentation difficult to hear (‘sound bleed’).

These require visitors to carry or wear equipment in order to receive the signal.  The systems generally allow the visitor to control the message (stop, start, select information by keying in a number, etc.) and include audio cassettes (‘Walkman’), compact discs (‘Discman’), minidisks or wands.

·          Direct first person commentary possible.

·          Can be produced in a variety of languages.

·          Avoids some limitations of signs (message, length, effort, reading skills).

·          High dramatic capability – good for historic and cultural sites.

·          No or minimal impact on site.

·          Ease of use means children can be independent of parents.

·          Can relate audio to feature of site.

·          Can sometimes be difficult to synchronize to the site and establish a logical sequence.

·          Can hinder and discourage group interaction.

·          Separates listener from natural/ambient sounds.

·          Requires frequent replacement of tapes to maintain quality.  This is less of an issue with compact or mini-discs.

In this system, a portable, pre-tuned headset is supplied to visitors and their location on the site in relation to low-powered transmitters affects the message they receive in their headphones.

·          Ease of use means children can be independent of parents.

·          Recording can be a saleable item.

·          Effort involved in supervision and administration of system.

·          Can discourage group interaction.

·          Separates listener from natural/ambient sounds.

In this system, low power short range FM radio transmitters relay a message continuously at a site and visitors can pick up the information using their car radios.  Talking billboards are an example.

·          Good for reaching people in cars.

·          New and different.

·          Fairly low running cost.

·          Requires instruction signs for visitors.

·          Moderate to high installation and operating costs.

·          Possible transmission and reception problems.

In this system, low power short to medium range FM radio transmitters relay a message over  a region, town or extensive area with a general message which is repeated continuously.  Visitors can pick up the information using their car radios.  Tourist radio stations are an example.

·          Not visually obtrusive.

·          Visitor chooses whether to listen or not.

·          Low running cost.

·          Range of information can be delivered.

·          Potential for advertising income.

·          Messages often general, short and commercial.

·          Requires roadside signs.

·          Moderate to high installation costs.

·          Possible transmission and reception problems.

·  Slides from multiple projectors with a range of effects (fade, superimpose)

·          Potential to combine visual and auditory materials into an interesting and stimulating presentation.

·          Useful medium for communicating management messages.

·          Slides or slide set can be a saleable item.

·          Material may go out of date

·          If a general show, cannot be tailored to the audience.

·          Potential to combine visual and auditory materials into an interesting and stimulating presentation.

·          Saleable item.

·          Useful medium for communicating management messages.

·          Very familiar to visitors as a form of communication.

·          Can cater for children.

·          Can be seen widely beyond site (e.g. schools, libraries).

·          Material may go out of date.

·  Wayside panels

·  Sound (using a localized short-wave radio broadcast to the car radio or audio cassette)

·          Sequential delivery of material.

·          Can use a range of sound effects and narration to tell an interesting story.

·          Novel form of delivery.

·          Audiocassette may be a saleable item.

·  CD-ROMs

·          Can cater for children.

·          Still novel form of delivery for some visitor groups.

·          Interactive.

·          CD-ROM can be a saleable item.

·          Potentially the equipment can be out of order for long periods, especially in country areas.

·          Need for trained staff.

·          May not encourage visitors to explore the natural/cultural environment.

May have a combination of:

·  Display panels

·  Automated slide shows

·  Audio elements

·  Computer interactives

·  Tactile interactives

·  Take-away publications (free and saleable)

·          Potential to combine a range of visual, auditory and touchable materials into a stimulating and captivating presentation.

·          Can present more in-depth information to visitors, including management issues.

·          Can be an outlet for saleable items.

·          Can cater for children.

·          Can provide visitors with an opportunity to ask the on-duty staff person or volunteer (at the information desk) specific questions of relevance to their visit.

·          Provides the on-duty officer with opportunities to communicate

·          Maintenance issues –equipment etc. May mean computers, videos, slide shows or interactives are out of order for long periods, especially in country areas.

·          Material may go out of date.