For People Who Work With The Public

An Interpreter shares his program with visitors to Denali.

NPS Photo / Kent Miller

 

Welcome!

Visitors to Denali National Park and Preserve meet a wide variety of Interpreters, whether they are called naturalists, guides, or group leaders, as well as business and community members when they come to the park on a trip. The people visitors encounter enrich their experience in and around Denali, helping to provide them with memories for a lifetime.

This page is designed to provide resources for group leaders, naturalists, hiking guides, hotel staff, drivers, raft guides, flightseeing pilots, Bed & Breakfast owners, and anyone else who may routinely work with visitors to Denali National Park and Preserve.

The resources on this page are a good place to start, but we also have many great resources found by partnering and working together to share ideas between different organizations. Please contact the park's Division of Interpretation (click on the email link for "General park information") with questions, comments, or ideas on how we can all work together to deepen visitor connections to this special place.

 

A beaver gnaws on a twig.

NPS Photo / Kent Miller

 

A Selection of Natural and Cultural Park Information

• A Few Denali FAQ's
• Denali National Park History Timeline
• A Brief Description of Mount McKinley Geology
• Denali Climbing History Timeline
• Mammal Summary
• Small Mammal Summary
  
• Bear, Moose and Wolf Warnings
• Park Education Packet
• Denali's First Superintendent, Harry Karstens
• Charles Sheldon, early park proponent
• Other cultural history resources
• Denali Fact Sheets
  

 

Two naturalists work together to develop an Interpretive Program.

NPS Photo / Kent Miller

 

Tips and Tools for Creating Effective Interpretive Programs

• Core Interpretive Themes
• Program Development Tips
  
• Conducting an Interpretive Walk at Denali
• Outline Form: Guided Walks
• Outline Form: Talks
• Tilden's Principals
• A Few Things to Try
• Multiple Intelligences - Reaching Different Kinds of People
• Diversifying Program Techniques: Handles (1.10 MB)
  

 

A view of fall colors near Wonder Lake.

NPS Photo / Tim Rains

 

Key Things You Should Know About the Park's Purposes and Goals

• Denali National Park Mission Statement
• National Park Service Organic Act
• Park Purpose and Significance
• Denali Division of Interpretation Mission Statement
• Denali National Park and Preserve Education Plan
  

 

Training, Coaching, and Development Opportunities

Invitation to attend Denali "Resource Days" to learn about current scientific research in the park.

Check here for updates on training opportunities in Denali. Support materials from skill development courses will also be posted here. For questions about training, coaching, or other Interpretation skill development courses contact the park's Division of Interpretation (click on the email link for "General park information").

 

Want to learn more about interpretation?

There are many resources available online to help develop interpretive skills. Visit www.interptraining.org to explore online courses about creating interpretive programs. Skills gained through the courses help interpreters hone their skills whether presenting a talk, walk, hike, bus tour, or narrated plane flight.

The introductory course Foundations of Interpretation is free. Park Partners may receive a discount when selecting additional courses. Three courses are particularly useful for people working with the public: Informal Visitor Contacts, Conducted Activities (especially for those leading hikes) and Interpretive Talk.

This site is the result of an innovative partnership between the National Park Service Interpretative Development Program and the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands of Indiana University.