Abstract
Effective interpretive panels go far beyond conveying information: they are highly engaging, instill passion, and inspire visitors to engage in environmental stewardship. This review paper on designing and evaluating interpretive panels at geoheritage sites shares recommendations gleaned from experts in conservation science, neuroscience, pedagogy, psychology, visual arts, and communication. It emphasizes the importance of developing a communication plan, knowing your audience, using strong visuals, invoking storytelling and active learning techniques, layering your message, being inclusive, choosing an appropriate panel location, integrating evaluation throughout the design process, and budgeting appropriately. An extensive reference list is provided for further reading.
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Acknowledgments
This manuscript was informed by numerous presentations at the June 2018 IXth International ProGEO Symposium in Chęciny, Poland. Early drafts were reviewed by D. Eason, J. Engels, L. Knapman, and M. Izumi (all of University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, USA), and their useful feedback led to considerable improvements.
Funding
Salary support was provided by National Science Foundation awards #1565950 and 1557349. Travel support was provided by the University of Hawai‘i Commission on Inclusion and Diversity.
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Geoheritage and Conservation: Modern Approaches and Applications Towards the 2030 Agenda, IX ProGEO Symposium, Poland, 25-28th June, 2018
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Bruno, B.C., Wallace, A. Interpretive Panels for Geoheritage Sites: Guidelines for Design and Evaluation. Geoheritage 11, 1315–1323 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-019-00375-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-019-00375-0