Naturalists on the Road

In December, CNC’s Naturalist Manager, Christie Hill, attended the 2024 National Conference for Interpretation in St. Augustine, the oldest continually occupied city in the U.S. Though the conference took place at the modern World Golf Village Resort—surrounded by highways and shopping centers—nature was still present. A small pond near the boardwalk teemed with waterfowl, offering a welcome connection to the coastal environment.

Much of the conference was spent learning from and teaching with peers. Over 600 in-person attendees and 1,500 virtual participants engaged in interactive sessions designed to keep everyone thinking, moving, and reimagining interpretation. What is the practice of Interpretation, you might ask? Interpretation is more than just sharing facts, it’s an artful, audience-centered approach to revealing meaning, sparking curiosity, and encouraging deeper connections to people, places, and history. It is communication designed to relate to each audience and to reveal mysteries, truths, or just the simple meaning of a place, person or thing. Whether in naturalist work, education, or guiding, interpreters are storytellers who help others see, feel, and engage with the world around them. It is about engaging others with methods that will encourage their interest and participation and excite them to want to learn more. It can be successfully used in every profession and relationship, and is a key technique we utilize at CNC as our staff and volunteers work to connect people with nature each day.

As naturalists, tour guides, rangers, historians and teachers, conference attendees came to be immersed – to be unafraid to dive in and open minds and senses to new ways of teaching and guiding. Interpreters live to share passion. They are learners as well as teachers, on a mission to touch other people with meaning and impact; to make a difference in conserving the resources we treasure in this world. Reflecting on her experience, Christie noted she enjoyed the engaging stories other centers used to show their visitors the essence of the natural world – almost anyone can take a walk in the woods, but to see, smell and touch, and to feel being a part of the whole is a very different experience. Christie was even able to attend sessions unveiling new apps for audio tours, participated in a game from NASA to help centers interpret climate change with visitors, learned about new practices in conservation, and learned about the essential work going on interpreting national parks in China.

Christie shared, “I really appreciated the chance to convene with and learn from others in my field and know that the lessons will continue to be helpful and will bring deeper understanding over time. I left the conference inspired, with new tools and fresh perspectives to bring back to CNC. From exploring innovative conservation practices to testing new digital tools for interpretation, every session reinforced the power of engagement in our field. This experience fueled my passion for my role as Naturalist Manager and Interpretive Trainer, reminding me that the heart of our work lies in creating meaningful, lasting connections between people and nature.”