| |
Abstract |
Beyond their ecological and commodity functions, forests are naturalsettings of scenic beauty, recreational activity and symbolic meaning. Peoples’ attachments to forest settings and landscapes are fostered– discursively, and experientially – by resource management agencies, communities, non-profit organizations, business entrepreneurs, and others.Within these contexts, the services of environmental interpretation have been used to enhance personal and collective experiences of forest places. Environmental interpretation is a termthat refers to avariety of mediated and personal communicative servicesprovided by resource managers to “reveal meanings and relationships of our natural and cultural heritage to various publics” (Tilden 1977). Agencies offer interpretation services and programs to educate and entertain visitors, accomplish management goals, and promote positive images. More than just information presentation or educational techniques, environmental interpretation personalizes meaning using stories, revelation, provocation, examples, imagery, and other linguistic and visual devices. Interpretive presentations are found in brochures, museum exhibits, guided and self-guided tours, on-site signage, and other personal and mediated communications. |
|
