Eppley Institute: Blog

Project Management

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:56:16 +0000

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When tackling a particularly thorny project, I always find myself going back to the basics of project management practices. Numerous project management books and sites refer to the "Project Management Triangle" of Budget, Scope, and Time. These three must align to ensure the excellent quality of the deliverable. I would throw Resources into the "Triangle" mix, which I guess would then make it a square. When these four components align, "voila!": you have a successful project!
Why do projects fail?

Unclear scope and objectives
Undefined needs
Sloppy scoping
Unrealistic expectations
Lack of a project plan
Insufficient resources (people, funding, technology, time)
Erroneous project approach or methodology

So what should you take away? Before embarking on a project, refresh yourself on project management concepts:

Manage that square of Budget, Scope, Time, and Resources!
Be cognizant of why projects fail and take action to mitigate potential project pitfalls.
Follow the project management stages outlined below.

For more information on Project Management, check out our Project Management for Capital Projects e-course. View Catalog.

Researchers Continue to Learn more about Deadly White Nose Syndrome

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:59:14 +0000

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Biologist measuring a bat's forearm. Photo credit: Ann Froschauer, USFWS. Original photo can be viewed here.

Bats with WNS exhibit unusual behavior during cold winter months,
including flying outside during the day and clustering near the entrances of caves and mines where they hibernate. Many dead bats have been found with a white fungus on their muzzles, prompting the name White Nose Syndrome. It had been unclear if the fungus was the cause of WNS and how the disease moved in bat populations. However, a study published in the journal, Nature, in October 2011 confirmed that the fungus Geomyces destructans is the cause of WNS and that the disease moves from bat to bat.

The study, conducted by U.S. Geological Survey scientists and partners in Wisconsin, exposed hibernating healthy little brown bats to the fungus, and the disease developed in 100 percent of the exposed bats. Study authors stressed that even though the disease does spread from bat to bat, all pathogens can spread in multiple ways, and universal precautions on the part of resource management agencies, including closing caves and restricting access, should still be followed.

This devastating disease is a serious threat to the farmers and the American economy in general. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe reports that, "bats provide tremendous value to the U.S. economy as natural pest control for American farms and forests every year, while playing an essential role in helping to control insects that can spread disease to people." It is imperative that this syndrome be stopped from spreading further.

For more information on White Nose Syndrome, please visit http://www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome/ or http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3015.

Civil War E-course Can Add to Your Vacation Plans

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:34:58 +0000

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It is summertime, and that means family vacations and road trips. Many families will be heading out to our national parks, including sites dedicated to the Civil War. These sites are likely to be particularly busy this year, because 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

There are over 70 parks in the National Park System related to the history of the Civil War. Many parks are having special events and exhibits to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/civilwar150/.

The Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University released a free e-course, Causes of the Civil War, this year as well. Taking this course either before or after your vacation can add to your experiences at Civil War sites. The course focuses on the political and social issues that revolved around the topic of slavery from the 1840s through the 1860s.

Activities and links to an interactive forum are included as well. This course can help both teenagers and adults better understand the causes of the Civil War. Visit Causes of the Civil War to enroll in this free program today!

Meet Bloomington’s Newest Greenway: An Update on the B-Line Trail

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:55:06 +0000

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The B-Line Trail, a unique multi-modal trail linking the south, central, and northern regions of Bloomington, Indiana, is nearing completion. When completed, the B-Line will be 3.1 miles in length and will connect to the 2-mile Rail Trail which connects to the 2.4 mile Clear Creek Trail. Phase I of the B-Line, the downtown section totaling 6 tenths of a mile, opened in June 2009 and Phase II, the north and south sections totaling 2.5 miles, is expected to open around Labor Day 2011.

Walkers, runners, and bicyclists have been able to "unofficially" enjoy much of the trail as most of it is now paved. However, the trail is not officially open to the public until it is completed in its entirety. INDOT, the project funding entity, will not release the project for use due to legal liability issues.

Visitors may notice the trail is undergoing safety related improvements, including street crossings, trail stop signs, and the installation of various other amenities such as water fountains, park benches and other elements. Additionally, the unique overpass bridge at Grimes Lane is awaiting concrete to finish the bridge trail surface, and plans for the north leg include paving and completion of trail landscaping.

The trail is expected to be completed by Labor Day weekend- and the project is on schedule! You can bet that we will all look forward to the Grand Opening of the entire B-Line Trail project when work is completed. An announcement about an official Grand Opening Ceremony will come later this summer when the project is nearing completion.

To find out more about the B-Line Trail, visit the City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation website.

Is There A Place for Classroom Training?

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:52:51 +0000

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In the world of rapid instructional design, just-in-time training solutions, and virtual classrooms, has face-to-face training become obsolete? Eppley's Asset Management for Superintendents course proves that it is not. With that said, this is "not your mother's" classroom training.

What Makes Asset Management for Superintendents Different
Based on a combination of Socratic Method, discovery learning, and peer-to-peer learning, this four-hour workshop helps National Park Service Superintendents synthesize their knowledge of facility management to better see how this vital discipline fits in with the greater park management picture. But it does so in a truly unique way.

The primary course materials are four 11"x17" sheets of printed transparency which, when pieced together, form an approximately 20"x30" poster depicting the four vital signs of a healthy asset portfolio (see the complete image below). As a group, participants take notes, doodle, and complete activities which help them understand the vital signs directly on the layouts. They then take that knowledge to analyze reports about their parks in order determine how healthy their asset portfolio is. The roles of the instructors for the course is also unique; rather than "experts" who impart information, the instructors act as "facilitators" of the group discussion, asking leading questions in the Socratic style, so learners discover answers on their own.

If this course sounds messy, it is. But the messiness and non-linearity are design elements based on a learning needs analysis (LNA) of the audience and cognitive research. The LNA found that Superintendents already knew many of the concepts of asset management, but did not see how all of the concepts fit together into an overall strategy and were not making decision based on that knowledge. Therefore, what they really needed was a chance to put the pieces together, to construct meaning as it relates to them in their situation right now. In order to aid in construction of this new cognitive structure, the course applies some of the results from Stephen, Dixon, and Isenhower's Dynamics of Representational Change: Entropy, Action, and Cognition (2009). In this study, the researchers found that a small amount of messiness (what Stephen et al. labeled "environmental entropy") actually increases the rate at which new cognitive structures are formed. In Asset Management for Superintendents, the environmental entropy took a number of forms: 1) non-linear flow of information; 2) the acquisition of any new information from classroom or group discussion; and 3) deciphering accurate and inaccurate data in order to evaluate their park.

The Results
The results to date have been very promising; the Superintendents have been very active during the course and the evaluations have been remarkably positive, as have observations and feedback from the instructors. However, as the course is still quite new (just over a year old), it is yet unclear whether the participants have actually put what they learned this into action.

Discussion
Distance education solutions are undeniably an incredible tool at the hand of quality instructional designers; however, they cannot be the only solution. A distance education version of Asset Management for Superintendents simply would not have been able to achieve the same level of intricacy and interpersonal interaction, both of which are the key components through which the learning objectives are achieved. In short, there is still a place for the traditional classroom in modern training, but, more than ever, it must be linked to the course goals.

Emerald Ash Borer: Threat to North American Forests

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:52:16 +0000

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What is the size of a penny, has a metallic green hue, and is threatening nearly 8 billion ash trees across North America? The Emerald Ash Borer. This invasive species was first noticed in lower Michigan and is thought to have been brought to the continent in wooden packing materials, such as crates, boxes, or skids, imported from eastern Asia. First discovered in the United States in 2002, the Emerald Ash Borer continues to spread across 15 states in the Northeast and Midwest.

Trees hosting the Emerald Ash Borer eventually die and will fall within 2-5 years. All cultivars of native North American ash trees are susceptible to infestation. The USDA Forest Service has projected a 2% total leaf area loss and a value loss between 20-60 billion dollars. Once infected, a tree's survival rate is close to 0%, and nearby ash trees will almost certainly become infected as well. The larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer destroy trees by feeding on the tree's vascular tissue just underneath its bark layer. It leaves behind a telltale "S" pattern as it navigates throughout the tree. Heavy infestations can kill trees very quickly, within 1-3 years.

Ash trees (Fraxinus) can be found throughout much of North America, with many concentrated in the eastern half of the continent. There are many varieties of ash trees and all are subject to threat from the Emerald Ash Borer. It can be somewhat difficult for non-forest-professionals to identify an ash tree, but here are some helpful guides to help distinguish them:

Moving firewood accelerates the species' infiltration of new regions. When firewood is purchased from an area with an infestation and then transported to a new region, the insect spreads much more quickly than it would by itself. For this reason, an initiative has been started to raise awareness and urge people to use firewood only in areas where it was purchased. Some states have been quarantined, and stingless wasps, a natural enemy of the Emerald Ash Borer, have been introduced to help combat them. You can learn more about what is being done to curb the spread of this invasive species and what you can do to help by visiting http://www.stopthebeetle.info/help-stop-the-eab/.

Sources

GLPTI—Laughter, learning, and lifelong friendships

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:51:55 +0000

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The 2012 Great Lakes Park Training Institute (GLPTI), held February 27 through March 1 in Pokagon State Park in Angola, Indiana, was everything I had hoped for! After spending the last five months helping to plan and organize this big event, I really feel like my internship here at the Eppley Institute has been a great success and a worthy endeavor. Here is what just a few of the participants were saying post-institute:

"The networking and food were fantastic!"
"This is a great place to be. I never relaxed so much, ever."
"Everyone was so nice!"
"Concurrent sessions were excellent, professionally valuable."
"The best thing had to be meeting the attendees and the volunteers."
"The GLPTI conference is a positive manifesto for a synergized, harmonious world."

And that, my friends, is an amazing feeling.
If you aren't familiar with GLPTI, allow me to fill you in. For over 60 years, park professionals from the Great Lakes region have met annually in an effort to explore and share new ideas, current events, and techniques and practices for successful park programming and management. In addition, the Institute values its close and intimate setting, offering a week's worth of small, interactive classes, social events, and endless opportunities to build a network of friends and professionals who truly love what they do. Most importantly, GLPTI is a whole lot of fun.

So when I started working on this project, it was more than a little daunting. Having never participated in GLPTI before, I felt a combination of uncertainty, nervousness, and, of course, excitement. I had been to such conferences as the NRPA National Congress of 2011 in Atlanta, where thousands of people came together for an extravagant week of learning and networking. So being on the planning side of GLPTI, I expected to spend my week there behind the scenes.

I was wrong.

Real professionals and real students were interacting with me personally and directly every day. What a relief! Before GLPTI even started, I had already gained so many new friends. Working the registration table, having dinner with the participants, just hanging out with the board of regents and the student volunteers--I was much more than just a busy intern. I was, like everyone there, a part of something special.

And what better way to make friends and to network than to race down the park's toboggan run, screaming and laughing, with park professionals?!

So you can see why I'm still so excited about the success of the latest Great Lakes Park Training Institute. I attended amazing sessions about volunteering, the Americans with Disabilities Act, maintenance of artificial turf, weather forecasting--and that's just a small sampling of what was offered. What excites me the most is that I will be working hard all year long to bring together the best bunch of parks people, sessions, and sponsors I can find in 2013!

So, my friends, on that note, I look forward to seeing you there!

From the Classroom to the Field: The Benefits of Field Experiences

Thu, 24 May 2012 01:10:38 +0000

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Have you ever sat in a classroom and thought "when will I ever use that?" or "that would never work in the real world?" Well, you are not alone! I have always been the student sitting in the class eager to go out into the field, and recently I got the chance to develop a session that not only provided students with new information, but allowed them to use that information in the field.

A group of 14 leadership students spent a day in a traditional classroom setting, learning about accessibility. The following day, the students toured McCormick's Creek State Park and some aging facilities at Indiana University where they were able to identify accessibility issues and offer possible solutions. Park and University staff members were on-site to provide immediate feedback and to answer questions. Students relished the opportunity to see accessibility issues firsthand and the staff was happy to share what they knew.

Although hands-on field experiences are nothing new, sometimes their benefits are overlooked. While the benefits of field experiences are plentiful, there are a few worth mentioning. Field experiences can match the variety of learning styles in a class, which allows for more students to succeed. Similarly, they often offer resources that are unavailable in a traditional classroom. But most importantly, field experiences allow students to take a theory and put it into practical application in a safe environment.

In conclusion, a field experience does not take away from a lesson, but adds a unique spin. So, spice up your lesson plans with a field experience! You may find that your students get just as much, if not more, from being in the field rather than behind a desk.

Reflections from NPS Director’s Healthy Parks Healthy People address

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:49:43 +0000

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Healthy Parks Healthy People is the focus of the National Park Service's (NPS) public health plan, which was outlined by NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis during his presentation to over 180 students, faculty, and administrators at the Reynold Carlson Lecture on April 27, 2012. Director Jarvis emphasized the important role that park managers from the NPS--one of the largest land managers and informal education institutions in the United States--can play in addressing public health challenges. He also introduced the concept of "park prescriptions," a type of program implemented in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and other national park sites in which health professionals write actual prescriptions directing patients to visit a park and use a particular trail. Director Jarvis shared with the audience that he often turns the tables during his own annual check-up, asking his physician when he last visited a park.

Healthy Parks Healthy People was originally an Australian effort, implemented in "Oz," to link public parks to public health. It was first introduced to Indiana University's campus around 2003 with the visit of John Senior, strategic partnerships manager for Parks Victoria. His visit brought the attention of academic programs on campus to health issues such as our country's obesity epidemic and the almost crippling economic impact of our failure to address the decline in public health. Director Jarvis's lecture and comments furthered this initiative and made clear how important it is for all park, recreation, and public land professionals to engage in the Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative.

Jarvis's lecture also focused on the wide-ranging value of national parks to America's economy, values, sense of place, and environmental sustainability. Finally, he discussed the Call to Action, the NPS's plan for the Second Century of National Parks. With the approach of its 100th anniversary in 2016, the NPS--along with its partners, supporters, and many other state and local agencies--will turn its attention to delivering key messages: the continued relevance and educational value of parks, as well as the importance of stewarding the areas under its care and developing the workforce to meet the NPS's mission and Call to Action.

The upshot of Director Jarvis's message is that we are facing a critical moment that calls on us to intelligently and effectively advocate for the continued management, stewardship, and promotion of national parks as essential to our country's heritage, health, environmental sustainability, and long-term viability. The crucial question is the one that Director Jarvis asks his physician during his annual checkup: "When did you last visit a park and take advantage of the benefits it offers to you and your community?" For all of us, the answer should be, if not "recently," then at least "soon," so that we can be models for health and advocates for the tremendous value of our national parks and protected areas.

Recovering from Disaster: A Case Study: Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Tue, 22 May 2012 23:51:11 +0000

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"Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed."
-- Francis Bacon

Bandelier National Monument, a breathtaking park with sprawling views of canyons and mesas, holds both cultural and historical significance. Over 11,000 years ago, nomadic hunter-gatherers migrated across the park land, leaving behind precious artifacts. Around 1150 BCE, the ancestral Pueblo people established permanent houses, carving out "cavates" left from voids in the volcanic rock canyon walls. In the twentieth century, the Civilian Conservation Corps, a work relief program created after the Great Depression, built many of the structures and trails still present in the park today.

Bandelier's unique beauty and invaluable resources were put in jeopardy in late June of last year when a simple spark ignited from a tree falling onto a power line. On June 26, at approximately 1pm, the largest wildfire in New Mexico's history began in Bandelier's neighboring wilderness, the Jemez Mountains. The fire burned 44,000 acres in the first 13 hours--a rate of one acre per second! The fire, propelled by winds and the dry ground vegetation, burned so hot that all organic matter above and within the soil was turned to ash. The park staff reacted quickly and efficiently, first evacuating park visitors and residents, then securing and moving critical artifacts to safer ground. The fire was eventually contained, but it left behind over 156,000 acres of scarred land.

As Bandelier began healing from the disastrous fire, nature further unleashed its force at the height of the North American monsoon season. With little remaining ground coverage to stop the torrential downpours characteristic of this monsoon, the park braced for imminent flash flooding. The resulting flood impacted a portion of the newly renovated Visitor Center, numerous trails, and most of the bridge crossings.

In the course of two months, Bandelier experienced natural disasters incomparable to any in its history. But on a recent visit to the park, it was clear that its staff is dedicated to restoring the visitor experience. Work is underway to repair the Visitor Center and to reopen its exhibits and interpretive films. An innovative pilot public shuttle system will be unveiled this summer, allowing more visitors to enter the park. The backcountry, the area with the greatest fire damage, is showing signs of new seedling growth, as well as the reintroduction of indigenous wildlife.

While the disaster is not something that any park would like to experience, it served to strengthen Bandelier's resolve in their commitment to the visitor. The park is emerging from the disaster with a determination not only to restore the visitor experience to what it once was, but also to improve it. If your travels take you to New Mexico, consider visiting this National Monument to experience first-hand its natural beauty and the evidence of exceptional stewardship by its National Park Service employees.

Eppley on the Road!

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:47:35 +0000

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The Eppley Institute hits the road this January and February as members of the Eppley staff travel to the Indiana Parks & Recreation Association 2012 State Conference (January 18th-20th; Michigan City, Indiana) and the Michigan Recreation and Park Association Conference & Trade Show (February 8-10th; Dearborn, Michigan).

If you are attending either of these, come visit our booth to learn more about the Eppley Institute's services and products. The Eppley Institute specializes in training and education, technical assistance and research, as well as planning and design. Find out how our services and products can improve your parks and recreation agency! Fun fact: The Eppley staff will debut a new mobile quiz app. See how your parks and recreation knowledge stacks up against the rest.

Not only will the Eppley team be present at the Trade Shows, but you will also have the opportunity to hear our experienced staff further discuss the Eppley Institute's areas of expertise. See the schedule below for a listing of our educational sessions.

Indiana Parks and Recreation 2012 State Conference
January 18th: "Parks Promote Public Health: Active Living Design as Indicators". Learn more about what public health is and does, how to build systems and policies that promote health, and how to build sustained funding support for public health through active living.

January 20th: "Trail Facts and Fiction". This session will help distinguish the fact from fiction when it comes to trail development in your community.

January 20th: "3 C's for Improving your Agency". This session will describe how to increase organization capacity by using competency guidelines to improve employee individual development.

January 20th: "Financial Fitness for Park & Recreation Agencies". Presenters will discuss challenges to securing adequate agency funding, and financial practices to improve financial fitness.

Michigan Recreation and Park Association Conference & Trade Show
February 10th: "Implementing Best Practices in Strategic Planning and Continuous Improvement". Presenters will review best practices as a management concept and outline the results of research to strategic planning and continuous improvement.

February 10th: "3 C's to Improving Your Agency"

February 10th: "Customer Service and Informal Visitor Contact". This session reviews the best practices in customer service, the requirements for quality service and visitor contact.

February 10th: "Social Media and the Collaborative Web". Presenters will describe effective social media uses and how to implement social media as a marketing tool in your parks & recreation agency.

May Is National Preservation Month: Discover America’s Hidden Gems

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:16:20 +0000

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May is National Preservation Month, and this year's theme is Discover America's Hidden Gems. What "gems" are in your backyard?

I looked in my own town of Bloomington, Indiana, and found thirteen historic walking tours , one of which is in my office building, which once housed the Showers Brothers Furniture Factory.

I learned that it was one of the first furniture factories in the United States to employ women and that it is the largest historic building in Bloomington. The sawtooth roofline of the building, "its most striking feature," was one of the first in the world. These are only a few of the things I learned about during my quest for information on preservation.

Another historic area of Bloomington is called the Vinegar Hill Limestone District. This is an area I pass by most days going to work. I learned that "Herman J. Muller, a geneticist who won the Nobel Prize in 1946, B. Winfred Merrill, the founder of I.U.'s School of Music, and Alfred Kinsey, all lived along this illustrious strip in Bloomington."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a comprehensive list of activities that will help you and your community celebrate, such as volunteering your time to help preserve a historic landmark. Find out more here!

PS - Check out Indiana Public Media's story on the Showers Brothers and hear about the history of the Eppley Institute's offices!

Creating Connections with Nature

Sun, 20 May 2012 22:41:10 +0000

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I recently attended the Environmental Education Association of Indiana's annual conference held at Shakamak State Park in Jasonville, Indiana. The theme of the conference was Turning Hoosiers Inside Out. With sessions ranging from Wild Edibles in Late Fall/Early Winter to Pondering Pollinators, the whole idea was to encourage people, especially young people, to head outdoors and explore the world around them.

Technology in the form of computers, televisions, video games and gaming systems tends to encourage our children to stay indoors. For those of us who work in parks and public land agencies, trying to help people connect with nature and the outdoors can be a struggle. Creating a connection between people and nature can be the best way to encourage outdoor recreation and stewardship.

This can be done a number of different ways. If you are presenting a program to school-age children, taking them outside is a great way to get them to connect with nature. Ask them questions, tell them stories, and have them interact with the earth around them. By engaging them, you are helping them form a bond with the natural world. These connections will follow them throughout their lives into adulthood. The same concepts that are used with children can be used with adults to create lasting relationships with nature. The more people engage with the outdoors, the more they will care about the world around them.

For more ideas or to connect with others in the environmental education field in Indiana, please visit www.eeai.org.

American Society for Training and Development Presentation: Linking Training to Organizational Performance

Sun, 20 May 2012 21:06:22 +0000

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The Graduating Class of the Facility Manager Leaders Program on the steps of the Department of Interior Annex

On May 24, 2011 marked a milestone in the Eppley Institute when I was able to present a session at American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Annual Conference with my colleague from the National Park Service (NPS), Betsy Dodson. The session outlined a strategy to affect organizational change through training, using the Deming award winning Facility Manager Leaders Program as a case study. Our session, titled. "Linking Training to Organizational Performance" was attended by approximately 200 Learning Professionals in both the public and private sector.

Held this year in Orlando Florida, the ASTD Conference is the foremost event for workplace learning and performance professionals. Since 1944, ASTD has provided a platform for training and education professionals to share best practices and ground-breaking research. Our inclusion in this international conference was a tremendous honor, particularly considering that other speakers included such giants in the field as Donald Kirkpatrick, Bob Pike, and Jack Phillips.

We also were able to stretch our creative muscles in our presentation with our use of media. Take a look for yourself.

Recreational Caving in Danger

Fri, 18 May 2012 22:55:01 +0000

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Holy smokes, Batman! Something is killing the bats!

Okay, so a cheesy intro to a very serious topic. By now many people have heard of White Nose Syndrome, a disease that is killing bats. The fungus that is linked with the disease was first found in a cave in upstate New York in 2006, and has since spread as far west as Oklahoma. For reasons that aren't entirely clear yet, the fungus shows up on the bat's muzzle, hence the name White Nose Syndrome, and seems to cause them to wake up during hibernation. They use up their stored energy and die.

This is alarming on a number of levels. Bats eat thousands of mosquitoes each night and pollinate thousands of plants, but there is another totally selfish reason to be concerned about this epidemic - the effect it is having on recreational caving. In 2008, authorities began questioning how the disease was traveling from cave to cave, and the idea was that people, particularly recreational cavers, were inadvertently spreading the fungus on their gear. Cavers were advised to clean their gear after each trip in a cave, and a few conservation groups and cave owners began voluntarily closing caves with known bat populations.

Fast forward two years to 2010. Caves are now closed in more than 20 states. Some caves as far west as Arizona and New Mexico have been closed to slow the spread of this disease. With nearly 12,000 members of the National Speleological Society and 200 grottos, there is a fairly large community of cave enthusiasts being impacted by these cave closings. For a sport that is already somewhat misunderstood, will White Nose Syndrome kill it in addition to bats?

For more information about White Nose Syndrome, cave closures, and what you can do to help, please visit http://www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome/ or http://www.caves.org/WNS/ .

Busman’s Holiday – Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:17:34 +0000

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Busman's Holiday was the name of a game show on British television that ran in the 1980's and 1990's in which teams of contestants competed to win working exotic vacations. The game show was a question & answer format based on careers of the contestants, and the winning team went on a holiday to learn how their jobs were carried out in other locations.

Although no game show was involved, I was lucky enough to take my own busman's holiday in mid-March of this year. I set out south on a road trip that took me through Nashville, TN, Chattanooga, TN, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park before heading home. Great Smoky Mountains NP is America's most visited National Park, and as I had never been to the Smokies, it was an extremely peaceful experience.

I took an eighteen mile drive through the north section of the mountains, stopping several times to take pictures. I also stopped at the Visitors Center to learn more about the types of wildlife one could expect to see when veering off the main paths. Within the Smokies there are over thirty species of salamanders, which is why they are known as the 'Salamander Capital of the World'. Throughout my drive I kept glancing into the wooded areas hoping to see a black bear or two, but was disappointed to learn that bears were still in hibernation and would not be seen for another month or so. It might be worth a trip back someday to see more of what the park has to offer!

The Importance of Training: National Trainer Development Program’s Visit to Fort Payne, Alabama

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:51:55 +0000

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Teaching is an art, not a knack. This sentiment, expressed by Indiana University's Dr. Dana Anderson, explains the need for instructor training. Teaching is something that can be learned and improved upon. Based on this premise, the Eppley Institute and National Park Service collaborate to offer the National Trainer Development Program (NTDP). NTDP is a five-month training program that instructs NPS employees about teaching in order to improve training within the NPS.

Over the course of the program's five months, students learn about educational philosophies, learning styles, and delivery methods that will make them effective teachers. The first four months of NTDP consist of a distributed learning session, which relies heavily on the Eppley Institute's Instructor Training Certificate Program. Each month, students must complete the following:

Two e-courses
Two assessments
Two discussion forum comments
One webinar
Two written assignments

The subjects that students learn during this session are later expanded upon and applied during the week-long, in-person Instructor Institute.

Eppley and the NPS hosted the most recent Instructor Institute April 24-27, 2012, in Fort Payne, Alabama, at the Little River Canyon National Preserve. The Instructor Institute gives students a chance to put what they have learned online into practice in a classroom setting. Students participate in activities, attend sessions, construct presentations, and deliver a lesson during the Institute.

When a student successfully completes NTDP, they have the basic tools that they will need to teach effectively in the NPS. With more qualified instructors successfully completing the Institute this April, the NPS gains more qualified trainers who will help that agency meet its mission to preserve natural and cultural resources and extend the benefit of recreation to those who visit.

On a personal note, I am very glad that I was able to visit Fort Payne, Alabama. Little River Canyon features some remarkable views, and the town is home to the band Alabama. Some of us at Eppley stopped by the band's statues on the way out of town to pay tribute to these rockers. My air guitar is renowned for its awesomeness, as you can see from the photo.

Deciding to Keep Wilderness Wild: Four Cornerstones for Wilderness Managers e-course

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:39:00 +0000

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The Four Cornerstones for Wilderness Managers e-course, or as we affectionately call it "4C" outlines the four most important principles of managing wilderness.

The course uses wilderness "stories" and case studies to help frame the cornerstones. Each of them are based on real wilderness situations and are designed to help stimulate your thought process about wilderness.

The course is free and fun. If you are a novice wilderness learner, this is the perfect place to start!

Corporate Sponsorships and State Parks

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:53:08 +0000

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As states face continued budgetary problems, funding for state parks has been targeted for cuts by many state legislatures. These cuts can lead parks to reduce staff, cancel programs, and even close altogether (see Arizona). Some state parks are addressing budgetary shortfalls, in part, by seeking corporate sponsorships. For instance, Virginia state parks have raised $5 million in the last five years from corporate agreements, including the addition of The North Face logos on trail signs. California has received approximately $6 million dollars from corporate sponsorship agreements over the past three years. For example, Coca-Cola and Stater Bros, a supermarket chain, provided $650,000 to plant trees in areas affected by wildfires. The contribution is acknowledged by corporate logos on informational signs. In 2010, Verizon Wireless sponsored Boy Scout activities in Georgia's state parks. This sponsorship provided the scouts with tools and supplies to carryout trail maintenance, waterway cleaning, and bridge and bench construction. Verizon received recognition in the publicity materials for the event and on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website.

These sponsorships have been mutually beneficial. The sponsorships have provided states with needed funds for state parks. In return, corporations have publicized their philanthropic donations and placed their logos in state parks. Yet, this sponsorship of public entities by private companies could lead to problems.

If state and local governments come to rely too much on corporate sponsorships and budgets are continuously cut, will the parks be forced to accept deals that are questionable? What if a corporation offers to donate a certain amount of money that is desperately needed on the condition that a park is named after it? What if a corporation wants to sponsor a historical site in exchange for partial control over interpretive programs? In these instances, would state parks that are facing enormous budget cuts be able to say "no"?

As of now, it seems that public officials are aware of the problems related to sponsorships and are limiting what can be branded by corporate partners. Joe Elton, director of the Virginia State Parks stated, "We believe that these sponsors deserve some recognition, but we don't believe we need to engage in crass commercialization of our park system." Kim Hatcher, public affairs coordinator for Georgia's state parks stated, "We've been reassuring people we will not rename any parks ... We might have a picnic shelter that has a small, tasteful sign that says brought to you by X company." California's director of state parks, Ruth Coleman added, "I don't think you'll ever see a park named after a company. I don't think the value is there for them. ... Park names are kind of sacred."

Looking to the future, are corporate sponsorships something that will increase in the years and decades to come, or are these partnerships simply temporary until state legislatures are able to return funding to previous levels? Are there concerns about too much corporate influence over public lands, or are these donations part of corporate responsibility to communities that activists clamor for? Comments are encouraged, particularly from people working for park systems that are utilizing sponsorships.

Restoring the Legendary American Chestnut

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:52:36 +0000

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According to legend, the American chestnut tree was so plentiful that a squirrel could travel the chestnut canopy from Georgia to Maine without touching the ground.

The American chestnut tree is a native species to eastern North America. While the tree has mostly disappeared from its eastern range, small sprouts and rare pockets of the once common tree remain. In the early 1900's the chestnut blight fungus was accidentally introduced in New York through the import of lumber or Asian varieties of the tree that have a natural resistance to the fungus. The rest, as they say, is history. Within 40 years the American chestnut population of approximately 4 billion trees mostly disappeared.

Prior to disease the American chestnut was an important part of the culture of the eastern United States. In the Appalachians, where it is predicted that one in four hardwood trees were chestnuts, the tree was an important part of everyday life. The timber was used for homes, barns, fences, roofing, flooring, furniture, tools, and railroad ties. The tannins from the bark were extracted and used in tanning leather. In the fall, the seeds were gathered and used as food for families and livestock, as well as export. The American chestnut was also an important part of the diet for a variety of wildlife, from birds to bears to the now extinct passenger pigeon.

While it would appear that this is just a sad story about a tree of the past, the future for this tree is looking brighter. Through the tireless work of the American Chestnut Foundation and the American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation, the chestnut could be making a return to eastern forests in the near future. This is all made possible through a time consuming back cross breeding program. In back cross breeding American chestnuts are bred with the blight resistant Chinese chestnut. The resulting tree is selectively bred back with American chestnuts to maintain the unique qualities of the American chestnut save blight susceptibility. Once two blight resistant trees are produced that are 15/16^thsAmerican chestnut they are intercrossed to produce seeds with true blight resistance.

In 2008, the US National Forest Service established three plots of American chestnuts in forests of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. This year, the forest service was scheduled to plant another 500 blight-resistant chestnuts in national forests in the south. The recovery of this great tree will be slow, but with luck future generations may be able to enjoy the return of this tree to the eastern forests of North America.

For more information or to support the efforts of those focusing on the restoration of the chestnut, please visit the American Chestnut Restoration Project website.

Eppley and Facility Management

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:52:09 +0000

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The National Park Service is entrusted with our country's most precious treasures for the enjoyment of this and future generations. The science of Facility Management is being used to maintain and repair these assets. Here, employees from Golden Gate National Recreation Area speak about the role Eppley Institute has had in the development of training and education programs in Facility Management.

Yes, Recreation, But When??

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:47:40 +0000

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The slogan for a recent campaign to get children up and moving states, "Get up and play an hour a day." It is catchy and fun to say, but also carries some heavy meaning, and not just for children. In our world of work, filled with long hours at the office and then more hours shuttling children or grandchildren to their various activities, it seems almost more appropriate for adults. What adults get up and play an hour a day?? We are way too busy for that. And yet, those of us in the recreation industry should be setting the example. How do you play every day?

There are many definitions of recreation, some of which are included here:

Recreation is about activities, pastimes, and experiences which are freely chosen and produce feelings of well-being, fulfillment, enjoyment, relaxation and satisfaction.
Active participation of an individual in sport or play
Activities which are relaxing to humans or provide diversions from their normal routine
Activity that refreshes and recreates; activity that renews your health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation
An activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates

The main theme in most definitions of recreation is "activity." Merriam-Webster defines activity as "vigorous or energetic action". Nothing passive about that! What is your activity (vigorous or energetic action) of choice? Do you walk, bike, run, hike, swim, skate, climb, kayak, work out at a gym, play Frisbee, tennis, or play softball? If you don't have something specific that you enjoy, you should consider a plan to get out and play an hour a day.

So, what is the best time to be active? Most people seem to be at their physical peak in the afternoon or evening. Muscle strength tends to wane during the morning but slowly improves until early evening. The web hosts hundreds of informational sites on the benefits of activity, but in reality, the best time for you to be active is the time at which you are most likely to do it. If you are a morning person and love getting up and going, then you should plan to take your "hour a day" earlier. If you like to get your work done and then take some time before dinner to recreate, perhaps the late afternoon will be your time. If you are like many, it is good to reach a more quiet time of the day and then play in the evening. With lighted courts and gyms abounding, this is relatively simple. Whatever time of day and whichever activity you choose, make sure to set a goal, get going and keep going. An hour a day will make a more relaxed, satisfied, and potentially productive you.

The Calumet Revival

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:47:03 +0000

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Showy Goldenrod Photo: Joe Nowak

From my vantage, one of the most intriguing and necessary turnarounds in urban ecology is starting to gain momentum, and the fact that it's happening so close to home leaves me with an insatiable desire to get involved.

Put plainly (but better articulated by Chicago Wilderness Magazine in their special issue), the Calumet Region of Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois is on the verge of burgeoning into a landscape of repentance from the centuries-old effects of industrialization and urban sprawl. The just-concluded Calumet Summit 2010 gave the area a forum for cross-regional communication and collaboration earlier this week. Over 250 individuals representing over 100 organizations converged on the campus of Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana, to learn, connect, and partner.

What makes the challenge of the Calumet region so interesting is the stark way is demonstrates the interconnectivity of the environment, society, and the economy. An incremental improvement such as the connection of two separate parcels of protected land through the donation of an easement for a trail not only benefits the natural environment through the creation of a corridor, but facilitates a new community connection that can lead to new economic opportunities (e.g. increased property values or the creation of an attractive business location) and new social benefits (e.g. a safer way to commute or the creation of an informal trail running club). And the Calumet region stands above and apart as a wonderful case study because of the bountiful supply of opportunities and the growing demand at grassroots levels for these improvements. Moreover, once the tipping point eventually comes, an unavoidable positive visibility that will be reaped from the region's proximity to the nation's third largest city and relevance to national concerns regarding the public health, the environment, and the economy.

Are you involved in the Calumet revival? Were you at the Calumet Summit 2010? In your opinion, how close are we to meaningful lasting change in the region?

Eppley Contributes to the Public’s and Profession’s Knowledge

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:34:54 +0000

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Often the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands is viewed largely as an organization devoted to training and education, which are among our services and are a facet of our academic mission as part of Indiana University. Just as often, however, the contributions our partners and the Eppley Institute make to applied research and technical assistance through publications are overlooked. These publications are a very important aspect of our mission as a unit within a research-intensive higher-education institution like Indiana University. Yet we are often guilty of not promoting this contribution.

Our discussion at a recent staff meeting led us to recognize that we had an obligation to the profession, as well as to the University, to compile our efforts into a bibliography of sorts. Without knowing for sure, our staff suspected that there were many valuable and important research, planning, and training documents available in our records. We recently made a major effort to identify and catalog our many publications and make them available to the profession and the public at large on our website.

It was a big project--the Eppley Institute has a significant and diverse library of publications dating from 1997. What's more, we've been wanting to make this resource available for some time, making the contributions of the Eppley staff who completed this project that much more important.

A snapshot of what's online now contains 58 research and technical-assistance publications, 20 park and strategic-planning reports, and over 100 training resources. The documents include visitor and user surveys for national parks, cities, and non-profits; return-on-investment research; park plans for many of Indiana's local communities; business-feasibility and asset-management plans for specific facilities; and many more documents that are valuable to the public and the profession.

The bibliography gives almost anyone a valuable resource for information on current and best practices in parks, recreation, and public lands management. It also serves as a resource for the public to learn more about how federal, state, and local resources are managed for the parks, recreation, and public lands mission of various agencies. We're proud of this 5-year snapshot of our work in the applied research, technical assistance, and education service arenas. More is to come, as we evolve and focus on the new challenges facing our partners and the profession.

Climate Change and Its Impact on Our Planet

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:34:15 +0000

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Every day you watch the news and hear about another natural disaster that has destroyed homes and communities. Wildfires, tornadoes, flooding, snowstorms, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions - what could all of this mean? Some say it signals the end of the world, while others use natural disasters as evidence to prove or disprove climate change. But what could a snowstorm possibly have to do with global warming?

First we should define climate change. According to www.answers.com, climate change can be defined as "any change in global temperatures and precipitation over time due to natural variability or to human activity." Also according to www.answers.com, global warming is defined as "an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climatic change."

At this point, it seems difficult to me to argue against the existence of climate change. Scientists from all over the world have testified that it is real, it is here, and it is changing the way we live on this planet. We know global temperatures are climbing, glacial ice is melting, and ocean levels are rising. There is still much debate over whether or not climate change is being caused by humans, whether or not it's a bad thing, and what, if anything, we should be doing about it.

However, according to www.skepticalscience.com, 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is being caused by human activity. Furthermore, a 2004 survey of all peer-reviewed abstracts on the subject "global climate change" published between 1993 and 2003 shows that not a single paper rejected the consensus position that global warming is caused by man, showing that the scientific community as a whole is not refuting the cause of climate change.

There are those who argue that while climate change is real, it is not a bad thing. Some argue that warmer, shorter winters are good for the health of certain populations, like the elderly. While that is true, longer, warmer summers are also dangerous to those same populations. Warmer, longer summers also raise the threat of disease from insects, like malaria and West Nile virus.

You may think these facts are all well and good, but what does a snowstorm or flooding have to do with global warming? Isn't the planet just supposed to get hotter and drier? One thing that is important to remember is that one cold winter or one snowstorm is not a trend, and the trend is that the earth is growing increasingly warmer. While it is true that 1934 was the hottest year on record for the United States, that is just the United States. That is not on a global level, and at the global level, the world as a whole is getting warmer.

So what can we do about climate change? Is it just inevitable now that the earth will continue to get warmer and warmer until we live in what feels like a scary movie? Can anything be done to save our children from the mistakes we have made? Yes, we can do something to protect our planet from climate change. Simple things like recycling, driving less, and using less energy can all have a dramatic impact when we all do them together.

The most effective changes you can make include buying a car that gets good mileage, insulating and weatherizing your home, carpooling and driving less, and replacing worn-out appliances with more energy efficient ones. According to the U.S. Global Change Research Information Office, if average U.S. citizens undertake all of these actions, they can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by about 25%, which equals about five tons of carbon dioxide per person each year. Imagine the impact if everyone took these actions!

Other helpful actions include turning off lights and appliances when not needed, planting trees, setting your thermostat higher in the summer and lower in the winter, and recycling. Participating in these activities can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 3%, which equals just over half a ton of carbon dioxide a year.

There are many sources of information out there about climate change and global warming. One source is the Environmental Protection Agency. Visit them at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ to learn more. NASA also has a climate change website. Visit http://climate.nasa.gov/ to learn more.

Old Friends and New, and So Much To Do...it's GLPTI Time Again!

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:33:18 +0000

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I remember being told, in December 2008, that I would be spending part of my spring helping a fellow graduate student organize and host the 2009 Great Lakes Park Training Institute in late February. I remember being thrilled about it...I love working on conference planning, and this Institute, in particular, had a special place in my heart already.

As an undergraduate, I attended the 2000 Great Lakes Park Training Institute as a student volunteer. My job was to help set up and tear down, take notes and develop abstracts of sessions, and generally do whatever was needed. I and a few other friends in the recreation department had an excellent time. We met tons of parks professionals, rode the toboggan, one of us even won a television in the door prize drawing! On the drive home, I typed up all my abstracts on an ancient laptop while the other passengers drowsed happily. (I have since discovered that the three page reports I had turned in to describe each session I reviewed were a little bit on the, er, ambitious side? They had been whittled down to just a few paragraphs before placed in the 2000 Proceedings. Haha. I was trying to be so thorough!)

This year's Great Lakes Park Training Institute will mark my fourth year as part of the GLPTI leadership team and my fifth year of attendance. And, you know what? I just don't get tired of the Institute! The whole drive up there, from Bloomington to Angola, is even exciting. I know that every year at the Institute I am going to get to see the twenty-odd awesome Regents who put so much volunteer time and effort into producing a new year of excellent sessions, enthusiastic speakers, and opportunities for networking. I am lucky to spend time with them each June, too, as we plan for the following year's GLPTI. This past June, as usual, we had a stellar meeting, some memorable social time, and ended up with a table of fresh ideas. The Regents are always quick to laugh, eager to help, willing to mentor and guide, and they genuinely and absolutely believe in parks and recreation.

Tucked into the back of the inevitably gigantic university vehicle we rent each year for GLPTI, my student volunteers will wedge themselves in amongst boxes of registration gifts, signage for the rooms, and flip charts. They work hard, they are interested in meeting attendees, and they're a jolly lot. One gal has come back to volunteer three years in a row! (And incidentally, landed a job at the DNR this summer, as a result!) I love the student volunteers for their willingness to consistently push themselves to help with a smile on their face, no matter their fatigue, or their piles of homework.

Finally, as we'll eventually pace down the Pokagon State Park Road, I know I will start to get this jumpy feeling...I can't wait to get out of the car. Sure, we have to unload about four luggage carts worth of gear and drag it back to our little headquarters room. This will shortly be followed by me shuffling, organizing, and assigning a ludicrous amount of "neatness rules" to the headquarters and sessions rooms. It's a lot. It's a lot for the students and the staff and the Regents...

...but it is so worth it when you get to greet the first attendees as they walk into the Potawatomi Inn and sidle up to the registration table. Many of these park professionals have made GLPTI a tradition in their work year, and we greet them as old friends as they arrive. Having a loyal fan club of the Institute as well allows us to gather rich feedback that helps us to plan the Institute each year.

The 2012 Great Lakes Park Training Institute, February 27 through March 1, promises to be a meeting of some of the sharpest, wittiest, progressive parks and recreation professionals in the country. It is truly an extraordinary Institute, offering something for everyone. It stands alone in its ability to offer programming for everyone on a park staff--maintenance techs to administrative assistants, superintendents to front-line programmers. Bring the whole gang this year, and trust me, you'll leave with a happier team reflecting on ways to implement new ideas, become more sustainable, run a tighter ship, and more.

I hope we really do see you there! And, if you see a smiling, rapidly walking blonde girl, carrying too many things and poking her head into sessions...please, say hi!

Update on White Nose Syndrome in Indiana

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:32:15 +0000

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Last summer I wrote about White Nose Syndrome (WNS), the very serious

fungal disease that has killed approximately one million bats since it was first discovered in upstate New York in 2006. Nine bat species in 16 states have now been documented with either WNS or the fungus, Geomyces destructans, which is the likely cause of this staggering epidemic. For reasons that are still unclear, the disease causes bats to wake up during hibernation, using their stored fat reserves. Because they awake in the winter, they cannot find their number one food source, mosquitoes, and they freeze or starve. Mortality rates are approaching 100 percent at some infected sites. According to wildlife biologists, this disease has caused, "the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently added Indiana to the list of affected states. Researchers in Washington County in Southern Indiana discovered two little brown bats displaying white fungus characteristics similar to that of WNS. Tests later confirmed it was the disease, and since then, other bats with signs of the disease have been found.

Experts do believe that the disease is transmitted primarily from bat to bat, but warn that the spores may also travel from cave to cave on gear and equipment used by humans. Because of this concern, caves in Indiana and many other states remain closed.

In addition to Indiana, the fungus has been discovered in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

For more information, please visit www.dnr.in.gov/batdisease or www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome.

Behind the Scenes: Eppley Website Redesign

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:31:08 +0000

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Over the course of the last year, Eppley's website has undergone some major changes. The previous website, having been developed about 5 years ago, was showing its age. Additionally, Eppley had extended its services, resulting in a situation where there were separate websites for the different areas of business. While this was one of the reasons behind the site redesign, integration of sites was not the only goal.

The goals for our new website were quite simple.

Provide site visitors information on Institute identity, competencies, and processes.
Provide visitors familiar with Eppley more information about the Institute's current activities.
Integrate the eLearning site with the traditional website and provide eLearning users a streamlined and easy-to-use process for purchasing eLearning products.
Make the site easy to update and scalable enough to allow growth into new service areas.

Our Method

The biggest technical problem with the previous sites, and the most challenging part of this project, was getting the systems to work together. Eppley's technical staff, with the assistance of the open source community around these systems, was able to fully integrate the shopping cart and learning management systems. As a result, Eppley now has a website that is easy to update; a course catalog that is powerful, flexible, and scalable; and a learning management system that provides access to materials with no delay following a purchase.

The new website is not just about the nuts and bolts. The site is both visually appealing and easy to use. By keeping the content on the site fresh and adding sections for news, blogs, and resources, Eppley is able to provide a wealth of information to the park and recreation community.

Results to Date

Eppley has realized an increase in site traffic, with users spending more time on the site and viewing more pages per visit. On the e-commerce side, there has been an increased conversion rate (percentage of users who purchase a product) and an increase in the average transaction amount. As time goes on, Eppley expects to see increasing traffic as well as improved lead generation. The next step is to focus institutional efforts on marketing activities to leverage this new platform. Through effective communication, the website will become a powerful tool as Eppley continues to exhibit leadership in the park and recreation community.

Comments on the Website

Lisa wrote

Given that the Eppley Institute is a leader in developing high quality e-learning academic and job training courses, their new website naturally practices what they preach. It's combination of imagery, motion, and a breadth of resources is presented in a clear but engaging way that entices visitors to learn more about their programs and services.

James wrote

This is my first opportunity to visit the new site. I like the way it is structured. A lot of information that I would have missed on the old site is now easily accessible. It's a great tool... Thanks.

The Eppley Institute and Commercial Services Program Training

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:27:36 +0000

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In 2011, the Eppley Institute worked on several projects with the Commercial Services Program of the National Park Service (NPS). The Commercial Service Program oversees contracts and agreements between the NPS and concessioners. These concessioners operate shops, hotels, boating, and much more. In order to provide needed training to its geographically dispersed employees, the NPS partnered with the Eppley Institute to develop two e-courses, Orientation to NPS Concessions, and Introduction to Prospectus Development. Through these courses, employees learn the basics of the Commercial Service Program and the principle way that the program advertises and finalizes agreements with potential concessioners, the prospectus development process.

Additionally, the Commercial Services Program contracted with the Eppley Institute to update two existing e-courses, Asset Management for Concessions Management Specialists I & II. The Eppley Institute and NPS originally created these courses many years ago. The e-courses focus on Concessions Management Specialists duties related to asset management. Due to advancements in e-course design by the Eppley Institute, and changes within the NPS, the NPS found that updating these courses would be a prudent endeavor.

From September through November, Eppley, with Subject Matter Expert support from the NPS, moved the old e-courses into a new, proprietary template that features better navigation and design. Additionally, Eppley updated graphics, added interactive tutorials, developed new quizzes, and updated course content to reflect changes found in NPS programs.

After completing these projects, Eppley Institute e-courses are now being used to teach NPS personnel across the country about the Commercial Services Program.

Farmers Markets: Bringing Communities Together

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:27:04 +0000

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Farmers Markets bring communities together as evidenced by the success of the Bloomington Indiana Saturday Market. Each spring, summer, and fall, the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department sponsors a Saturday market in the City Hall Parking Lot.

The Saturday market not only features beautiful displays of Indiana grown fresh fruits and vegetables, but also live music performances and other community services, such as adopt a pet, voter registration, and others.

Why it Works

The Bloomington Parks and Recreation department offers hundreds of programs and manages over 40 park sites in the area, but when we think of recreation and leisure, "farmers market" may not immediately come to mind.

The Bloomington Farmers Market benefits not only our local farmers, but surrounding businesses as well. Locals frequently walk the newly opened B-line trail, sipping coffee purchased at the market, laden with flowers and produce. You can meet volunteers from the local SPCA and meet the pets who are up for adoption. Depending on the season, you can partake in salsa tasting or apple tasting.

Farmers Markets, like the one in Bloomington, builds local economies, fosters new business growth, generates tourism, provide a pathway to community health and nutrition, and help to reclaim a sense of neighborhood and community.

Why not visit your local farmers market this week!

Electronic Field Trips Bring National Parks into Classrooms

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:26:34 +0000

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I recently had the chance to attend North Cascades National Park in Washington from my desk in Bloomington, Indiana. This unique opportunity was courtesy of an electronic field trip provided by the National Parks Foundation.

Electronic field trips are being provided by more and more organizations, including the History Channel, PBS stations, and the National Parks Foundation. These "trips" give both students and adults the opportunity to learn about a particular topic by virtually visiting a park or historic location.

What makes an electronic field trip different from an educational video is the interactive component. For the North Cascades trip, students could call or email in questions and have them answered by a park ranger or other expert immediately. Many electronic field trips also have accompanying websites where teachers and students can download games, lesson plans, and other supplemental information.

Electronic field trips are a great use of technology to bring nature and distant places to students all over the country. As we rely more and more on technology, it's nice to know that technology and the outdoors don't have to be mutually exclusive.

150 Years Later: Lincoln Inaugural Train Ride

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:25:45 +0000

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The National Park Service has recreated President Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Train Ride from Springfield, Illinois to Washington DC. On February 12, 1861, Lincoln's inaugural train made a stop in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was Lincoln's 52nd birthday and he spoke to a group of legislators at the State House about the fragile state of the Union.

"If the Union of these states, and the liberties of the people shall be lost, it is but little any one man of 52 years of age, but a great deal to the 30 millions of people of the United States, and to their posterity in all coming time."

In two short months, the first shots of the Civil War would be fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

150 years later, actor Fritz Klein, recreated the speech for a small group at the Indianapolis State Museum. Mr. Klein has been portraying Lincoln for 40 years and does so brilliantly. He had the audience's full attention right down to the school children who asked some very challenging questions- "Do you have a dog?" "What is your favorite color?" "What do you think of Gettysburg?"

You can follow the historic train journey by clicking on this link, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/10/opinion/20110211_Lincoln_Train.html

Go Play! Learning in Outdoor Spaces

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:16:16 +0000

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"Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education." - David Polis

It cannot be denied that outdoor play for children of all ages is beneficial to social, emotional, and physical development, but with the changes in today's culture the opportunity for outdoor play is decreasing. In a study conducted by Rhonda Clements (2004), only 31 percent of children reported playing outside every day, compared to the 71 percent of their mothers who reported having played outside every day when they were their child's age. This staggering statistic suggests that children today lead passive, inactive lives--one possible cause of the increasing rate of childhood obesity.

Outdoor play provides many benefits to a growing child, including these:

Enhances coordination, balance, and cardiovascular health
Provides opportunities to problem-solve in controllable situations (e.g., avoiding a fall, crossing an obstacle)
Allows for social interaction with friends and families
Encourages exploration, inquiry, and discovery
Provides an opportunity to learn about themselves and the natural world

An excellent way to encourage exploration is to be the leader--demonstrate your enthusiasm for the outdoors! Try leaving the car behind and walking together to school or to a friend's house. Take advantage of the change of seasons by searching for fossils or shells in creek beds during the summer or by bird watching in the winter. Or let the children lead the way--their natural instinct to play combined with imagination and an open space can become anything they dream.

The Eppley Institute’s Certificate Programs

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:15:00 +0000

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In 2011, the Eppley Institute launched five online certificate programs aimed at parks and public lands professionals. The programs focus on a wide range of topics that affect parks and public lands agencies: facility management, park planning, capital improvement, instructor training, and aquatics management.

Each program is comprised of a series of e-courses. Facility Management, Park Planning, Capital Improvement, and Aquatics Management Certificate Programs feature five e-courses each while Instructor Training Certificate Program features eight individual e-courses.

By finishing these programs, learners gain valuable knowledge that can be applied to their jobs. Additionally, learners earn a certificate of completion from the Eppley Institute, an Indiana University research institute.

Since Eppley released these programs in 2011, 45 registrations have been processed for these certificate programs. To complete each program, learners must explore each e-course, successfully complete an assessment for each e-course, and submit an assignment for each e-course. The assignments are reviewed by the Eppley Institute. Eppley offers comments on the work and grades the content for accuracy. The strength of these assignments is that learners can incorporate information from their jobs in parks and public lands agencies into their answers. For example, in the Facility Management Certificate Program, participants can analyze their own park and conduct practice condition assessments on their own buildings. As a result, the assignments prove to benefit each learner with specific information that can be used at their park agency.

Students have found the courses to be useful. Dan Dilworth, a Northeast Region Program Manager in the National Park Service has taken two certificate programs, Instructor Training and Capital Improvement. He found that courses to be helpful to his career and has "highly recommended it [certificate programs] to coworkers and other instructors." Mr. Dilworth found the feedback from Eppley Institute staff to be helpful in completing the programs.

The certificate programs are versatile and can be molded to fit specific agency training needs. For example, Eppley has modified the Instructor Training Certificate Program to meet the needs of the National Trainer Development Program of the National Park Service.

Given the early success of these first certificate programs, the Eppley Institute is developing other programs to address key topics in the parks and public lands profession.

Medical Partnership Builds New Mason Community Center

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:37:38 +0000

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The Mason Community Center has been a unique intergovernmental cooperative between the City of Mason, OH, and Mason City Schools since opening on March 1, 2003. The School partnership effort began in 1999, and then moved forward with a successful school bond levy in 2000 for a joint-venture community center.* This 99-year partnership agreement continues, as a new medical partnership between the City and TriHealth has come into fruition with a new and expanded Mason Community Center. Construction, including a complete renovation, started in fall 2008 and was completed in October 2010. This new partnership with a health care provider provides 77,000 square feet of additional Community Center space that secures its financial future and continues to provide a recreational wellness amenity for residents.

The Need for an Additional Partnership Begins

Upon opening in 2003, pass rates were intentionally set low to encourage community participation. Initial shortfalls in revenues were offset by the partnership with Mason City schools and the contractual dedication of inside millage by both entities. The idea was that rates would increase each year to eventually reach the equilibrium where revenues covered expenses.

In 2006, the contractual infusion of inside millage ended and the calculation of "shared" expenses such as utilities, custodial and insurance began on a usage basis. This calculation, combined with growing utility expenses, exerted pressure to increase rates. In November 2005, in order to avoid subsidy of the Center, the Council approved new rates. In 2006, the required subsidy to the Center was less than $100,000.

Many new fitness centers opened in the area in 2007 and the Community Center saw revenues decrease 9% and 17% for 2007 and 2008, respectively, while efforts continued to reduce costs and maintain current market share. Staff began exploring ideas in 2006 to forge additional partnerships and increase the financial stability of the Community Center.

TriHealth Partnership

In 2007 the City entered into a partnership with TriHealth, which includes Group Health Associates (GHA) and Bethesda Physical Therapy, in order to better secure the Center's financial future. Mason's partnership with GHA, TriHealth and Bethesda Rehab is without peer in the region for a public-private sector partnership where a community center is integrated with a medical component, bringing a comprehensive approach to wellness for Mason's residential and corporate community. It creates additional opportunities to spur local job creation, enhance membership/revenue growth, share operating expenses, and set the groundwork for additional community amenities and partnerships. TriHealth, including their Group Health Associates (GHA) medical practice and Bethesda Rehab services, offered the City an ambitious partner. Their commitment to community investment, expanded wellness opportunities, and proven track record creates considerable opportunities both for the financial health of the Center as well as the physical health of Mason residents.

TriHealth provided an immediate impact on capital. They will lease their medical office and rehab space for 20 years from the City, with an option to renew for up to three additional 5-year terms. Their lease payment of nearly $1 million annually to the City is designed to cover construction costs and future expansion areas of the Community Center. A separate operating agreement between the City and TriHealth outlines annual operating costs that are shared. This includes the parking lot and interior common areas. An additional benefit to the City is that TriHealth will compensate the City for each Rehab/Therapy visitor that uses the shared section of the fitness floor.

Some of the direct physical changes to the new and expanded Mason Community Center include:

Approximately 27,000 square feet of GHA medical office space
- 42 on-site physicians
- Pharmacy services
- Radiology, MRI's, Infusion therapy
4,000 square feet of Rehabilitation and Therapy space
A new fitness floor nearly three times the original size
- New fitness equipment and a FitLinx ® system
A warm-water therapy pool
New multi-purpose/gymnastics space with gymnastics equipment and a pit
Expanded group exercise rooms and open programming space
"Main Street" entrance to enhance traffic flow and provide additional cross-marketing opportunities for local businesses and community groups
Expansion space for the possibility of additional complementary tenants
Expanded Kids Korner area for child care
New 38-feet high Rock Climbing Wall (located in the original fitness space)
Exergaming ® (one of only three in the USA) that combines physical activity with game playing
Parking lot with 100 additional parking spaces

Also, members and guests alike can take advantage of the conveniently located US post office, sundry shop, senior center and full-service café.

TriHealth Group Health Associates Now Open

TriHealth Group Health Associates (GHA) already began seeing patients in their new facility on August 23, 2010. The GHA main entrance is connected to the "Main Street" lobby of the Community Center. When the Community Center re-opens in October, medical office visitors will have access to fee-based child care at the Center while they visit the doctor, either for themselves or with a sick sibling. In addition, Bethesda Physical Therapy patients will use some of the equipment on the community center fitness floor for rehab. Because patients will already be familiar with the equipment and staff and their therapists can work closely with the center's personal trainers during transition, many of those patients will find it beneficial and convenient to move from managed rehab care to their own continuing care right at the Center. TriHealth's experience at a similar facility, TriHealth Pavilion in Blue Ash, shows that over two-thirds of post-rehab attendees become members of the fitness facility. A similar conversion rate will increase Mason Community Center memberships and revenues and help sustain the facility.

New Community Center Rates & Hours

The City Council amended the fees and membership categories for use of the Mason Community Center in September. This includes the flexibility to customize special promotional programs as well as corporate packages to encourage membership growth. Fees are no longer resident-based, but are now membership/promotional-based rates to effectively compete in the local market and economy. Many months of research and market analysis, as well as consultation with industry experts and consultants, have developed rates that better reflect the value the Community Center provides to members and guests.

Membership benefits have been upgraded so that certain membership levels permit access to the City of Mason outdoor pool, golf at the Kings Island Golf Center, babysitting, group exercise classes, and pharmacy discounts at GHA. The new rates include a loyalty points system, set up to reward current members who have been with the Center through construction with an opportunity to lock in lower rates for up to two years. It was also announced that the new facility will be open 365 days per year with expanded daily hours. A new interactive website outlining this information and more will be rolled out in mid-October, 2010.

Community Center Success

The combined partnerships of the City of Mason, the Mason City School District, and TriHealth has created the new Mason Community Center of 235,000 total square feet. Recreation facility architects and consultants' have stated that the new Mason Community Center is the largest recreation community center in the USA constructed by both public- and private-sector partners. Performa statements outline that the Mason Community Center should be self-sufficient by 2012, with plans for net gains soon thereafter.

Opening Day festivities for the new and expanded Mason Community Center are planned for the week of October 24. The grand re-opening day is planned for October 30, 2010.

New Mason Community Center Entrance

*The joint venture community center is part of a $71.9 million school bond levy that passed in March 2000 for a new high school/community center facility. The Mason City School District owns the original facility, while the City of Mason owns the land and operates the facility. The portions of the Community Center shared with the high school are indicated in parentheses below. The original 158,000 square feet Community Center funded by Mason City Schools includes the current facilities:

Competition Pool with moveable floor and spectator seating for 800 (shared)
Field House with four synthetic HS regulation courts (shared)
Auditorium for 1,200 people (shared)
Gymnasium with two wood HS regulation courts (shared)
Locker Rooms & Restrooms
Leisure Pool
1/8 mile four-lane running track

The entire Community Center facility was renovated over 16 months of construction.

Snapshots of History: The NPS Historic Photograph Collection

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:37:13 +0000

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Photographs not only provide us with memories of our own past experiences, but a chance to experience the past through another's eyes. The National Park Service is fortunate to possess a large collection of images that not only serve as representations of the parks throughout time, but of the people and culture of America. And a huge number of these images are just a click away.

The NPS Historic Photograph Collection is a digital archive of about 2,000 images, stretching as far back as the Nineteenth century and the advent of photography. The images are culled from a number of collections and photographers and are organized not just by year, photographer, and park but by general themes. Searching by theme is the best way to get a sense of the parks through time. Search under "Native American" and you will find images of Navajo presence at Mesa Verde National Park in the early 20^th-century. "Visitors" will lead you to images of families picnicking and exploring in the decades following World War II. "Scenic Views" offers breathtaking views of the natural landscapes of a variety of parks throughout history. The digital collection, consisting of a diverse selection of images spanning well over a century, showcasing both outstanding views and personal snapshots, provides us with a chance to view not only the evolution of the parks but the evolution of the American people.

Currently, there is no more pressing topic in the world of archives than digital preservation. Libraries, archives, and other repositories are endeavoring to get as much of their collections as they possibly can digitized and online. The benefits of this are two-fold; for one, it allows for better preservation of the originals, as it keeps them from being handled too often and ensures that there is a high-quality copy should the original document become damaged beyond repair. The second benefit is that it provides the public with a great way to view a collection that distance and time may not allow them to see in its physical form. Of course, time and money are at issue when it comes to digitizing materials. The NPS Historic Photograph Collection consists of more than two million physical photographs, so only a small portion is up and available for the public online, but as time goes on that number can only grow. The NPS is doing its part to keep up with the latest trends and technology in the archival process and, in doing so, is preserving physical documents with the same care and respect that it preserves the national landscape.

Viewing this collection is almost like visiting a park, as it provides you with not only a great sense of national history but an opportunity to explore. Visit, search, and see where you end up!

The NPS Historic Photograph Collection can be accessed at http://home.nps.gov/applications/hafe/hfc/npsphoto.cfm.

Eppley Develops New Distance Education Pilot

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:36:24 +0000

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Coming Soon to a Social Media Network Near You!

It's no secret that the Eppley Institute website has gone through some major changes over the last year with the addition of Twitter feeds, blogs, and a complete redesign of the home page. What may not be known is Eppley is also breaking new ground in distance education with its partnership with the Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center in developing an online course that infuses social media.

There are many studies that find benefits of using social media in distance education. In a highly-saturated media world, very few students learn independently in isolation. We share thoughts, new products, and network like never before; we are cooperative learners that help shape and define learning experiences that become long-term knowledge.

Even federal agencies are picking up on the idea of social media to promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Wilderness.net has developed a sister site for wilderness professionals that incorporates social media at its best. Following research conducted by Lisa Eidson at the University of Montana's College of Forestry and Conservation on the barriers to online learning, the Eppley/Carhart partnership seeks to harness content knowledge with social interaction to reinforce learning in new ways using this social media forum. This definitely gives new meaning to what will be considered "old school"!

Busman’s Holiday-Scouting Local Parks

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:35:55 +0000

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During our vacations, many of us at the Eppley Institute find ourselves taking a busman's holiday. That is, we engage in activities in parks, recreation, and public spaces while we are away from work. Urban dictionary defines a busman's holiday as,

"A holiday in which you spend most of your time doing the same or something very similar to your normal work. Comes from the late 1800's, where a man who drives a bus for a living goes on a long bus journey on his holiday."

We define it as searching out those spaces and places that are inherently involved in our work. I find myself, armed with a camera, taking as many photos as I can of facility management and maintenance issues in parks, although I do take the occasional scenic or wildlife shot.

Such was my last busman's holiday to Northern Nova Scotia. For those of you familiar with Parks Canada sites in Nova Scotia, you might think of the Halifax Citadel or the Fortress of Louisburg. I however, like to prowl around the smaller, lesser-known parks in the province, which number in the hundreds. I was lucky enough to visit Powell Point Park, just in time to see the spectacular fall foliage. Powell Point Park is off the beaten track; about 15 kilometers from the Sunrise Trail on the northern coast of Nova Scotia. The park is small, so small in fact that you can walk the trail in about ½ an hour. There are picnic benches along the trail as well as a small swimming beach and boat launch. The draw however, is the incredible view of Little Harbour.

After spending a small part of my afternoon exploring this small jewel, I decided to include at least some time of every vacation or time-off on a "Busman's holiday".

Knowledge Management and the Importance of the Individual

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:35:14 +0000

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This week, Matt Wolf, Eppley Institute Technology Manager, and I will travel to Dallas, Texas, to attend the Association of Partners for Public Lands Partnership Convention and Trade Show. Key individuals from government land management agencies will network with a diverse array of representatives from all kinds of nonprofit, private, and academic organizations. Matt and I will be delivering a presentation on Knowledge Management in park agencies, a subject that we both have become increasingly interested in promoting to our partners and in our own Institute.

Knowledge Management is about the people, processes, and technology involved in creating knowledge, codifying it, and communicating it. It's easy to get caught up in the technology end of KM, especially with tools like wikis, databases, and message boards. But a point we're trying to make is that the most important aspect is the people involved. This may sound like common sense, but often it's hard to think beyond that fact. If people are the most critical ingredient in the KM mix, then what should people do to influence it?

First, it is important to create awareness that knowledge can be managed like virtually any other resource. Asking questions like, "What kind of knowledge do we have?" and "How important is that knowledge?" and "Does it matter who knows it?" can prompt a litany of other questions. "Who makes decisions in our office about capturing our knowledge?" "What's the best way to capture it?" "Is it just a waste of time to do this?"

Within an organization, much of the knowledge about work practices and processes is associated with individuals, rather than with the organization as a whole. The personal nature of knowledge is due to the fact that many of the work protocols that guide an organization are based on the assumptions and invisible work practices of the individuals themselves. Experts in KM call this sticky knowledge. This knowledge is "stuck" to the individual and not easily communicated with the entire organization. The opposite of sticky knowledge is fluid knowledge, capable of flowing around the organization. Fluid knowledge can be exchanged through informal conversation with coworkers or shared through elements of the sociotechnical system, including the organizational intranet and wiki. The key to leveraging fluid knowledge in an organizational setting is to ensure its persistence over time and its accessibility to every member of the organization. There's much more to say about KM, but this is where it starts - understanding that people play a bigger role than any computer application or standard operating procedure. And if you happen to be attending the APPL conference next week, try to swing by our session to get some insight as to how to make Knowledge Management an effective part of your organization.

Seven Ways to Help Make Your Office More Sustainable

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:30:41 +0000

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Going Green" is no longer a new concept. Many of us have already tried to become more environmentally conscious at home, but what about at the office? Working to improve your office's sustainability does not have to be a tedious overhaul. Here are seven basic, easy, and sometimes fun ways to make your office a little nicer on the environment.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
Designate an area in the office for recycling. Bring in bins for glass, cans, paper and plastic. Safely recycle broken electronics and accessories. Visit http://www.electronicsrecyclingdirectory.com/ for help on where and how to recycle electronic waste.

Go Paperless
Only print when necessary, and try to minimize the fax machine as much as possible. If you can do it electronically, then less paper will be wasted.

Turn it Off
Encourage everyone to turn off their computers, printers, lights, etc. when leaving for the day. Not only will your systems have a nice fresh reboot in the morning, but you won't have meaningless energy consumption all through the night.
Replacing old power strips with "smart power strips" also helps reduce energy drain when computer accessories are not in use.

Replace the Bottle
Encourage coworkers to stop using bottled water by placing a water filter on the facet. Also, powdered drink mixes are a great way to avoid soda cans.

Smart Restock
When restocking supplies try to order the most ecofriendly materials. Order recycled paper for printers and copiers. Use ecofriendly light bulbs and nontoxic cleaning solutions.

Donate
Have old computers or other hardware collecting dust in a corner? Ask friends and family, find a local charity, or use websites like http://freecycle.com to donate unneeded items from the office.
As technology steadily increases more and more offices are bringing in smartphones and tablets to the workforce. Instead of throwing out you old cell phone, encourage employees to donate them to soldiers. Find out how by visiting http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/ .

Make it Fun!
Get coworkers excited about sustainability. Divide them into teams and have a contest on who can save the most energy or recycle the most for a period of time. If you have multiple buildings or locations a campaign for low energy consumption is great. Have teams come up with names and/slogans to boost excitement and morale.
Another contest idea is to have coworkers bring in their plastic bags. Everyone will be pleased to have the cupboard space back in their homes and ensure that they are recycled properly at the same time. The team or individual with the most bags wins.

Online Learning Works! Make it work for you.

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:30:22 +0000

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The debate continues about the effectiveness of online education vs. classroom education. Can an online medium be as meaningful to a learner as a face-to-face experience?

The short answer to a very complicated issue is "yes"!

The U.S. Department of Education recently published a study called Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies
The authors noted that students performed slightly better in an online environment than in a face to face situation. Although the population studied was K-12, some generalizations may be made when considering the instruction of adults.
Of particular interest was the fact that a blended situation (combining online learning with face to face instruction) was even more effective than either approach used alone.
OK-So we know online learning works. How can you make it effective and meaningful for you?

Some strategies that may help you to be successful:

Commit a specific time each day or week to work on your courses. The value of online learning is the notion of anywhere and anytime. This can be a downfall if you are not organized!
If you need help (logging in, navigation, content question), the Eppley Help Desk is there to assist!
You may feel initially that online learning is too solitary. You might consider taking a class with a friend or colleague, which may help you to stay motivated and disciplined.
The beauty of online learning is that you can skip over what you know and alternatively go back to concepts that are new to you. Take your time with the new information to maximize your learning.
Get comfortable with your computer and web-based applications. Not only will it help you in your learning, but you can also hone a valuable skill!

Good luck and we will see you...online!

Social Media in Parks and Recreation

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:02:26 +0000

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As inescapable as television and radio may once have seemed, the social media of blogs, social networking sites, and Twitter are even more so. In fact, at the same time these media are changing the mass communication model from a one- to two-way street, they are becoming one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available to public agencies and non-profits--at least, when used properly.

Organizational blogging seems to have its own rules of etiquette, and failing to follow them can significantly damage your reputation, or chances of building a reputation, in the rapidly emerging social media circles.

So, maybe you're reading this because you're already pretty sure blogging would be valuable for your organization. Or maybe you're not yet sold on the idea. Or maybe you just don't have enough information to have an opinion one way or the other. So, then, for what reasons should you "jump on the bandwagon" of social media?

One reason would be to increase brand awareness more efficiently. Using social media to post information about your organization--upcoming events, programs, staff perspectives, etc.--provides great exposure for less money than traditional promotional tactics such as producing newsletters or purchasing advertising. These traditional options also tend to be one-time "hit or miss" messages that depend upon a shotgun approach to communication. Quality content placed on the web is not limited by time and can be tailored to target audiences. And unlike print and over-the-air media, social media has no quantity limitations, except the attention span of your audience.

But why get involved with blogging and tweeting instead of maintaining a conventional static site? While using social media is not always the right choice, it does help to establish a conversation between you and an audience, which can help your organization to stay more engaged with the public or particular constituent groups. By interacting with an audience, you not only build a community, you demonstrate that you have taken an active role in the well-being of that community. This can be especially valuable for agencies and organizations that struggle with community awareness, civic engagement, and a favorable public image.

Even if your purpose is not specifically to increase brand awareness, it will likely result. Creating a blog or engaging in other forms of social media gives your organization a way to respond when something newsworthy or controversial happens in your area. (Note I say "when" and not "if.") For those of you in the public sector, you're probably already aware of how easily controversy can be generated. Having a tool that allows you to provide rapid responses to news and rumors is becoming increasingly valuable--especially as those around us rely more and more on social media themselves.

Ultimately, I can't tell you why you should blog, and it is entirely possible that you really shouldn't yet--especially if your only purpose is to be seen as "web-savvy" and avoid being left behind. I can, however, point you to a post on Avinash Kaushik's blog Occam's Razor, about measuring blogging success. The entire post is excellent, but a focus on the introduction and #6 may help explain why blogging is worthwhile. Another useful site, and one I have used extensively in my research, is Beth's Blog. You can find her thoughts on the subject as well.

For my next post, I'll start getting down to the nitty-gritty--what to do once you've determined that indeed you're ready to jump on the social media bandwagon. In the meantime, here are some other useful resources:

A Visit to the Museum of the National Park Ranger

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:35:34 +0000

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As a retiree of the National Park Service, I was invited to spend some time at Yellowstone National Park this summer. The park maintains a "Museum of the National Park Ranger" there, and it is staffed by NPS retirees. My wife and I combined that opportunity with some travel (almost all to NPS sites) on the way to and the way back, visiting Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, Dinosaur, Flaming Gorge, Rocky Mountain, Grand Tetons, Craters of the Moon, Golden Spike and Capital Reef.

I wanted to share just a few impressions and experiences from my time at Yellowstone. Many people aren't aware of the role played by the U.S. Cavalry in protecting early national parks, particularly at Yellowstone. The park was established in 1872, but the NPS did not exist until 1916. The early years of the park were not pretty - animals still being slaughtered, thermal features vandalized, and commercial interests operating with little regulation. The first effective protection of the park as a public resource came when the cavalry arrived in 1886. They built a number of outposts around the park, initiated some of the earliest road building and generally started to put order to the early visitation and use in the park. While their activities (as well as those of the early NPS) are not without mistakes, they are widely credited with helping to preserve the values that made Yellowstone attractive for preservation in the first place.

The Norris station a Yellowstone was built in 1908 and was occupied by up to 20 soldiers during peak season; it is now the home of the

Museum of the National Park Ranger that commemorates the work of both the cavalry as well as the early NPS ranger force which took over protection of the park in 1918. It is a well-preserved log structure in a wonderful setting, overloo

king the Gibbon River and near the Norris Geyser Basin. I spent two weeks there as a volunteer, giving both general park information as well as discussing the NPS, the history of "rangering" and other related subjects.

The clientele was interesting - quite a few folks who were not doing the one-day windshield visit, but were in the park for multiple days. International visitation was easily one quarter of the total. I was impressed by the families who were defying all the odds and had children who were deeply engaged in nature study and discovery. I had the opportunity to dispense career planning advice to aspiring park rangers, most of whom were children but included some adults. There were some deep philosophical discussions about the management of public lands, fire ecology, wolf reintroduction, as well as the endless assistance in finding the nearest restroom.

I was also reminded of the intense desire of the public to view wildlife. The frenzy of activity whenever a bear, bison, wolf, elk or other large animal ventured into public view was dismaying at times, but also reassuring on another level. I cannot defend the behavior of some members of the public as they approached (with cameras and often with kids), animals that can swat, stomp and gore at a moment's notice. But I was fascinated by the intense thirst that people have to experience wildlife at some level. Their need to take home that experience means to me that people still value wild things; our job is to help shape their interaction with the wildlife into a safe experience for them and the animal. The bears responsible for the recent fatal mauling outside of the park may well be the same mother and cubs that hundreds of visitors reported seeing within the park while I was there. A mating pair of grizzly bears delighted visitors to the Norris area by frolicking amorously in the meadow

near the museum and creating a "bear jam" on the nearby road. Eventually one of those bears ran through the Norris campground tearing one tent, stomping another and was eventually trapped and relocated to the Billings, Montana Zoo.

While this is hardly a new challenge to managers, it did give me a lot to reflect on regarding the public's desire to interact with "wild life" in the parks. The Organic Act of the NPS uses the term wild life as opposed to wildlife; it is not a typo. For me there is a huge difference, one that assumes that as a visitor we become part of the wild life of Yellowstone and other parks when we enter them.

Do Arizona State Parks Have a Future?

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:52:01 +0000

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Photo by cogdog; license: CC BY 2.0

As the economy remains locked in recession, State budget cuts continue to hit a host of different areas across the nation. None of these have been hit harder than Arizona State Parks! In FY-2009 the Arizona State Parks budget was $26.0 million. For FY-2011 that budget is projected at $7.5 million. Employees have seen waves of layoffs and more are expected. From a staff of 400 in FY-2009 employee numbers have fallen to 219 today and perhaps as many as three more rounds of layoffs may reduce that number to 120 or less.

Worst of all, 13 State Parks out of Arizona's 30-park system are presently closed and another 8 are slated to be closed by June of 2010. Arizona will have only 9 parks open for visitors this summer. If the Governor's proposed budget for FY-2011 is enacted, even these remaining 9 parks could be closed in 2011.

When we lived in Tucson and I was with NASPD ('97 - '04), we visited many of the Arizona State Parks. I also became well-acquainted with then-Director of AZ State Parks Ken Travous, who invited my wife and me to tour Kartchner Caverns with Ken and one of its discoverers, just as they began work to make it accessible to visitors. That tour was fabulous as we played at spelunking without the risks typically involved. It also gave us an appreciation for the uniqueness of this unspoiled great natural resource.

The Kartchner Caverns State Park project cost something like $26 million, when all things were added up. It was a State Park project that met the highest standards of park development and, as Ken Travous "did it right!", I believe it is one of the very few park projects of the last 20 years that met every measure of professional excellence.

Today, Kartchner Caverns is, in my opinion, by far the best visitor experience in any cave in the country. Because it was found and developed within the last thirty years, its pristine cave formations have received protection and preservation like no other cave has ever had. Even the humidity level in the cave is controlled so that it can continue to be an "active" cave that will continue to make formations. Kartchner Caverns is a great legacy for the people of Arizona, and I hope it always remains a special place for visitors to enjoy. But now, with the budget pressures we see in Arizona today, I wonder whether even this flagship park will survive.

The AZ State Park system, although small by some standards (27 Park units and 3 Historic sites) protects and preserves natural and historic resources of national significance. These include the Tombstone Courthouse with its historic exhibits from the nineteenth century, as well as outstanding examples of the unique Sonoran Desert plant and animal communities.

Lost in the dust of the Arizona State Legislature's efforts to balance their state budget is the economic impact that State Parks have on the rural business communities adjacent to them. Economic impact studies show that the entire Arizona State Parks system generates some $266.0 million of business activity and that the taxes on that going into the Arizona General Fund amount to $25.0 million. The voices of the few Arizona legislators who have pointed out that closing state parks is a money-losing proposition have been lost in the cacophony of cries to do away with government.

Photo by shawdm; license: CC BY-NC 2.0

To right this sad situation there is a proposal to add $9.00 to every vehicle registration in Arizona. The proceeds from that dedicated fund fee would operate Arizona State Parks and provide free entry to them for all Arizonans. The entrance fees the parks collect today would only apply to out-of-state tourists. This proposal, which would resolve the problem, has not received much support to date. Certainly if legislators are concerned about voter resistance, they could place it on the ballot as a referendum.

State and National Parks occupy a special place in the hearts of Americans. They provide a place for us to learn about and enjoy the great natural and historic heritage of our country - as Ken Burns' recent National Parks series demonstrated. Parks are places where we can take our families and be in a setting that uplifts our very souls. In today's tough economic times that uplift is more critically needed than ever before. Yet it seems that some of our misguided legislators want to sacrifice this intangible resource on the altar of budget savings. I hope that the ballot boxes in Arizona this fall will reverse this impending disaster for Arizona State Parks.

Related Links:

Introducing the Eppley Institute's new website!

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:01:46 +0000

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The launching of a new website is no small undertaking, but after lots of hard work, excitement, dedication and commitment from our staff, I'd like to announce the launch of Eppley's new web site. The idea of a new website for Eppley has been bubbling along for a long time - about 4 years. Our first web site was completed in 2001 or so. It was static and a good information site in some ways but certainly not current and did not highlight our or Indiana University's exciting and leading edge approach to using technology. Our efforts to create a new website have generated a great deal of enthusiasm among Eppley staff, and have required the participation and cooperation of nearly everyone, though our web designers and IT staff have done the lion's share of the work. We are all very pleased and proud of the final product.

The new web site offers users some features that were not available previously. New items include resources, services, news, and blog sections. Some of the items found within each of these areas can also be accessed through other parts of the site, such as in "What's New." High profile items of interest are also showcased front and center on the home page, and will be updated throughout the year. The course listings, staff contact information and basic Eppley information remain consistent with what was available through the prior website, but we realized there was a huge public need and benefit to making our experiences, activities, projects and knowledge much more available to all of you.

Explore Our Resources

The resources component of the website will include a showcase of some of our finished products. Also included under resources are tools, links, reports, and other documents.

Stay Up to Date

The news section of the website includes the latest news and events associated with Eppley as well as current events that relate to partner organizations. From the home page, visitors can access the News tab to view press releases, updates, and articles of interest to the industry as well as archived press releases.

Build Your Network

The blog section of the website includes our Twitter feed; links to other Social Media sites where Eppley maintains a presence; and the Institute Blog, which is used to announce Institute events, programs, and other happenings as well as to provide a platform for commentary and analysis. Our staff, Indiana University faculty and our Senior Fellows will provide insight and opinions about critical park, recreation and public land issues for your review.

Become a Partner

Under services, you will find useful information about what we offer in the areas of planning and design, training and education, and research and assistance. We are proud of our long list of partnering agencies and sponsoring organizations. And, we are always looking for new partners to assist, support and contribute to as funding and resources allow us to collaborate with each other.

What to Expect in the Future

One of the great things about a website is the flexibility it gives an organization in providing new and exciting information to its audience. As we developed our site, we kept in mind the need to keep things fresh and new. It's our intent to provide regular updates to the existing content including project updates, new blogs and blog entries, deliverables, e-courses and news about Eppley happenings and the field. In the meantime, please take the time to explore the new website and be sure to visit again soon!

Feedback

As always, feedback is important, and something we are committed to in our Institute. If you have any suggestions, critical analysis, or recommendations, let me know. Just add a comment to this blog or email me at sawolter@indiana.edu and share your thoughts.

Obama Asks Agencies to Shed Surplus Property

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:36:48 +0000

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The Eppley Institute in partnership with the National Park Service has worked to meet Obama's request through a number of training initiatives. First in training in the Asset Priority Index. The API is a balanced scorecard approach which allows park, recreation, and public lands agency managers or stewards to compare the relative importance of facilities in relation to one another (DOI, 2005). Once an API has been established for each distinct entity, management is able to make decisions as to which assets may be disposed of.

The next initiative was to develop training in the Park Asset Management Plan (PAMP). The components of the PAMP are simple:

Identify current footprint-What do we own? What condition is it in?
Identify funding needed to maintain all that we own
Identify current funding-How much are we currently receiving to maintain what we own?
How do we bridge the gap between what is needed and what we receive in terms of maintenance dollars?

One of the strategies to bridge the gap is to dispose of property that does not support the mission or operations of the agency. It is important to note that disposition does not necessarily mean demolishing or removing an asset, such as leasing, transfer to another agency, sale to public benefit conveyances, sale by negotiation, abandonment, or finally demolition.

What do you think: Could there be unintended consequences of this decision?

A few best practices of volunteer management

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:19:55 +0000

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Virtually every contemporary public park and recreation professional has faced the same classic challenge: the mandate to enhance (or simply sustain) their public services in the face of stagnant or declining financial resources. In many respects, park and recreation administrators haven't been able to take reprieve from a defensive budgetary stance since the seminal Taxpayer Revolt from Proposition 13.

And for most of the last three decades, we've seen park and recreation agencies seek creative ways to streamline their operations by cutting hours, reducing programs, and otherwise minimizing costs. But from our perspective at the Eppley Institute, the most effective organizations - despite their slashed budgets - seem to pour more of their energy not into any reduction, but rather into a strategic investment in key assets.

My co-workers and I have observed a surprising number of cases in which certain assets or tools or resources - when managed a certain way - created a surprising degree of resilience against financial turmoil. The asset I'd like to discuss here is your volunteer program. And although it often receives early attention in any discussion of how to stretch a budget, it's frequently dismissed by cynics as too superficial or too ineffective to merit significant consideration. But in my opinion, it's worth a closer look.

The following best practices in volunteer program management have been gathered from our staff and partners and offer some practical tips for ensuring that modest investments in volunteer resources offer financially significant and mission-oriented results.

Align volunteer activities with organizational priorities. The bulk of donated hours tend to benefit relatively few programs, despite the fact that volunteerism can have a role in virtually every aspect of recreation and resource management. Visitor/information center operations and sporadic grounds maintenance constitute the vast majority of all volunteer hours. But trail maintenance, facility improvement projects, roving interpretation, archive management, and marketing or communication projects are other priorities to which volunteers can contribute.

Prioritize support of volunteer program through alternative sources. For many agencies and grant sources, funding for volunteer programs are appropriated or awarded using criteria based upon hours already donated and/or program growth trends. Therefore, parks wishing to invest in and grow volunteerism face a financial paradox. The pursuit of alternative sources of donations and in- kind services serves dual purposes: the provision of monetary support and the establishment of productive future- oriented relationships with partners with compatible missions.

Develop inventory of volunteer tasks.

The agencies we work with usually receive inquiries about volunteer opportunities throughout the year, for both one- time and recurring service. Although generic volunteer position descriptions are often advertised, individuals and groups often seek ways to contribute outside of these standard opportunities. Both volunteer recruitment and volunteer placement can be improved by the development of a task inventory. All park staff could contribute to this inventory as a way to facilitate volunteerism and stewardship at every level.

Enhance volunteer training.

Volunteers receive varying degrees of training that are typically commensurate with the traditional extent of service. In many cases, however, an expansion of volunteer training on non-traditional topics such as marketing, GIS, or graphic design can lead to an expansion of volunteer utilization. Offering opportunities for training also can serve as a way to reward volunteers and to demonstrate confidence in their abilities.

Share volunteers.

Resource sharing, a concept embraced by many agencies, maximizes the value of an asset (e.g. an employee) by allowing multiple units/organizations to draw upon the full range of benefits available to offer. When applied to personnel, it also allows the development of broad experiences in various work settings. Exploring opportunities to share volunteers with other organizations can expand your foundation of knowledge, stewardship, and support while enhancing ties to partners.

Have other ideas about how to maximize your volunteer program? Post your comment below.

Indiana Conservation Hall of Fame Inductees

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:40:56 +0000

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Sometimes, as Executive Director of the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, I have the privilege of attending special events and activities that are extraordinary. This was my experience on September 17, 2010, as I attended a very classy, well-organized, and memorable event at Ft. Harrison State Park in Indianapolis. At the event, I had the chance to talk to Indiana Department of Natural Resource officials including the Director, Rob Carter, who was informative and clearly proud of the DNR's accomplishments. The staff I met from DNR were on the whole professional and clearly engaged in their agency's mission to protect, enhance and wisely use our State's resources.

The event, induction of the 2010 Class of the Indiana Conservation Hall of Fame, was impressive. Citizens from Indiana who helped save the Indiana Dunes, Hoosier Prairie, and Angel Mounds State Historic Monument; catalog important natural resource areas; lead sportsman's efforts to conserve wildlife; and serve the people of Indiana in conservation were all present or represented.

Three former Indiana University faculty members were inducted this year to join the two who were inducted in 2009, Reynold Carlson and Lynton Caldwell: Glenn A. Black, Garrett G. Eppley, and Jim Ridenour.

Glenn A. Black, for whom IU's Archaeology Lab is named and who studied, catalogued and preserved the Angel Mounds State Monument with the financial assistance of Eli Lilly, was added to the Hall of Fame. The history and importance of this site and the challenges that Black faced were presented. His accomplishments in preserving Native American culture in this important site are impressive.

Of course, a number of us were in attendance, including Dean Emeritus Tony Mobley and his wife Betty, as well as Professor Emeritus James A. Peterson, to help honor Indiana Conservation Hall of Fame Inductee Garrett G. Eppley. Dr. Eppley's contributions to the parks and recreation laws and development of departments throughout the State was well-chronicled, and his ongoing impact to the profession through the Great Lakes Park Training Institute and other initiatives was presented. Dean Mobley accepted the award on behalf of Indiana University and the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands (named after Garrett), which I am very proud to lead.

On top of that, Jim Ridenour, former Indiana DNR Director, former National Park Service Director, and the first Director of the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, was also inducted in the 2010 Conservation Hall of Fame this night. His contributions were especially compelling given the challenges he faced while serving as Director of our National Park Service, and his induction was well-deserved. His wife, Anne, attended, as did a few individuals from his home town of Wabash, IN, who reminded us all that Jim was Garrett Eppley's nephew.

The Indiana Natural Resources Foundation and DNR, led by Bourke Patton, Phil Bloom, Ginger Murphy and many others, did an outstanding job--one that made the induction of these leaders in Conservation dignified, entertaining, and noteworthy. The success of the evening is ultimately not the most important part of the Hall of Fame, although it was very successful. Our remembrance and recognition of the giants who have helped preserve, wisely use, and ultimately conserve our Indiana natural and cultural heritage is critical to our future conservation efforts. The evening and Hall of Fame event added to the legacy of these leaders in our state, as well as our future heritage.

Passing of David Larsen

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:16:25 +0000

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It is with great sadness that I write about the passing of a great man and interpreter, Mr. David Larsen. He passed away on Monday, January 17, 2011, at his home in West Virginia. He served as the Training Manager for Interpretation at the Stephen T. Mather Training Center for the National Park Service. In this position, he oversaw the development and delivery of training programs for thousands of National Park Service employees throughout the United States, touching hundreds of lives.

David spent thirteen years as a front-line interpreter at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Washington Monument. He also taught environmental education for two years at the Hard Bargain Farm in Accoceek, Maryland. He worked for the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and for History Associates, Inc. For five years, Larsen was the Interpretive Historian at the National Park Service's National Capital Region Support Office.

He was a dynamic interpreter. He received the National Park Service Sequoia Award, the highest honorary award for excellence in the NPS Interpretation. In 2003 he published a journal and workbook for professional interpreters entitled Meaningful Interpretation: Connecting Hearts and Minds to Places, Objects, and Other Resources. That book is on my bookshelf at home, with many notes and dog-eared pages. His words helped guide my first interpretive programs for the National Park Serivce when I was a seasonal at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

Many words of encouragement and favorite memories of David have been shared by hundreds of people on the facebook page, In Memoriam of David Larsen. Perhaps words from David himself are the best way to end this passage. From a blog entry in 2008, he wrote,

"...I am deeply aware, right now, of our community. It is no small thing to devote oneself to helping things get better. At the heart of it, that's what so many NPS individuals hold in common--a hope for the better. Much of the time, most of us aren't good at carrying out the actions necessary to help things get better. We're often distracted, stuck in a rut, tired, or just don't know what to do. But I suggest that most of us, when we are at our best, try and push the world a little farther.

So I'm thinking today that we have each other and a cause. And that the work just got a little tougher".

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Feedback

Obama Asks Agencies to Shed Surplus Property

A few best practices of volunteer management

Develop inventory of volunteer tasks.

Enhance volunteer training.

Share volunteers.

Indiana Conservation Hall of Fame Inductees

Passing of David Larsen