Certified Interpretive Guide Training
April 27-30, 2015
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
100 Brown Farm Road
Olympia, WA 98516
WHO Do you give visitor programs and guided walks or conduct outreach on behalf of
your agency, institution or non-profit? You’ve got the facts–now shape them into a
meaningful experience for your audience! Here’s a chance to sharpen your
communication skills, capture the essential ingredients of great programs, and
create visitor experiences that help accomplish your organizational mission–by
turning visitors into supporters. If your job involves speaking with visitors about a
natural, cultural, or historical resource, this training is for you!
Offered in collaboration with the National Association for Interpretation, an
additional course partner is the Earth Island Institute and its Russian partner, the
Great Baikal Trail Association. This year’s course will include several Russian
environmental professionals who are developing interpretive programs at parks in
the Lake Baikal region and at other protected areas in Siberia. This is part of an
ongoing partnership among professional interpreters in the US and Russia.
WHAT The National Association for Interpretation’s (NAI) Certified Interpretive Guide
training is the internationally recognized professional training for everyone who
brings visitors and natural, cultural or historical resources together. Each day of
the workshop consists of presentations of new information followed by hands-on
practice with the material.
This four-day, 32-hour CIG training course includes:
• history, definition, and principles of interpretation
• techniques for making your programs purposeful, enjoyable, relevant,
organized, and thematic
• ways to link tangible objects to intangible ideas and universal concepts so
that your presentations deeply connect with your audience
• presentation and communication skills
• certification requirements (an open-book literature review test; a fully
developed program outline; and a 10-minute presentation)
• all materials, handouts, and the CIG course training workbook.
WHEN Monday, April 27 – Thursday, April 30, 2015
8:15 AM – 4:45 PM each dayWHERE The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a premiere birding and wildlife watching
area along Puget Sound in Western Washington. Its lands include much of the
original delta of the Nisqually River. The Nisqually watershed is one of the most
ecologically intact in the region; it originates from a glacier on Mount Rainier.
Recently, the Refuge has undertaken a major habitat restoration of the delta by
removing agricultural dikes—thus restoring a major estuary of the Puget Sound
ecosystem. Come see a wonderful area that will be teaming with both migrating
birds and early nesters in April, and enjoy our meeting space that looks out on
beautiful freshwater wetlands!
THE DETAILS
Requirements: To receive NAI certification as an interpretive guide, individuals must attend the
32-hour course, complete with 80% or better an open-book literature review, develop a
presentation outline, and deliver a 10-minute presentation. All requirements can be completed
during the four days of the workshop (test scores will not be available until after the workshop).
Cost – $335 for current NAI members; $385 non-members, which includes a 1-year
membership in NAI. If you do not want to join NAI, or if you want to attend the workshop without
getting certification, please contact us about an adjusted course fee. The course fee covers all
instruction, the CIG Training Workbook and handouts, certification fees, training supplies and
snacks. You will need to bring a sack lunch each day.
CIG Workshop Texts: The titles listed below are valuable for any interpreter and useful to read
in advance. Although you are not required to purchase these books for the course, you will
need to use them to complete the literature review portion of the certification requirement.
Loaner copies of these books will be available during the training workshop. If you wish to
purchase your own set of books, the NAI online bookstore sells each of the titles individually
and by mid-February or so, NAI will list them as a package. (In the meantime, do not order
the “Certification Library Package”: it will no longer be used when we meet for the CIG course
in April.) You can order individual copies of these books from the NAI Store:
http://www.naimembers.com/store/ or you can order new/used copies through your local
bookstore or online.
The CIG Workshop texts are:
• Interpreting Our Heritage by Freeman Tilden (4th Edition, University of North Carolina Press,
2007)
• The Gifts of Interpretation by Larry Beck and Ted Cable (Sagamore Publishing, 2011)
• Personal Interpretation: Connecting Your Audience to Heritage Resources, by Lisa Brochu
and Tim Merriman (National Association for Interpretation, 2008)
• Interpretation: Making a Difference on Purpose, by Sam H. Ham (Fulcrum, 2013)
OVERNIGHT LODGING
If you need overnight lodging in the Olympia area, we have reserved a block of non-smoking
rooms beginning Sunday, April 26 at the Comfort Inn in Lacey, which is right at Exit 109 off
Interstate 5. (Nisqually Refuge is nearby at Exit 114).
URL: http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-lacey-washington-WA072
Call the Comfort Inn directly to make your reservation at 360-456-6300. The special room-rate
is $85/night +tax (single) and $90/night +tax (double), which includes a complimentary
breakfast; also, the rooms have micro-waves and small refrigerators. When you call, indicate
that you are part of the “CIG Training Workshop.” The rooms will be held at this special rate
until April 10, 2015. We will provide you with a list of suggestions of local restaurants. COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Jean MacGregor, an NAI Certified Interpretive Trainer
(CIT) and Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG), works at
The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington
where she teaches in the Graduate Program on the
Environment and also directs a sustainability
education initiative involving colleges and universities
throughout Washington. Jean passionately believes
that direct contact with the living world and high-quality
interpretation are crucial to creating a culture of
conservation. Her training was at the University of
Michigan’s School of Natural Resources with a B.S. as
an Interpretive Naturalist and an M.S. in Resource
Planning and Conservation.
Jessica Moore, an NAI Certified Interpretive Trainer
(CIT) and Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG), is the
Curator of Education and Conservation Programs for
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, Washington.
Jessica has been working in the interpretive field for the
past 15 years as a National Park Service Interpreter,
wildlife park Naturalist and Conservation Program
Coordinator. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in
Wildlife Biology from Central Michigan University, and
her Masters in Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources
from Michigan State University. Jessica currently serves
as a National Board Member for NAI.
Jennifer Smith Lee, an NAI Certified Interpretive Trainer
(CIT) and Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG), works for U.S.
Forest Service Office of International Programs and oversees
a variety of projects in Russia, Mongolia and India, including
efforts to promote sustainable tourism and nature
interpretation in the Lake Baikal region. Long interested in
both Russia and cultural influences on environmental issues,
Jennifer has an M.S. in Natural Resources and Environment
and an M.A. in Russian and East European Studies from the
University of Michigan. Prior to joining the Forest Service’s
International Programs Office, Jennifer served as the
Executive Director of the Tahoe-Baikal Institute, a non-profit
that facilitated international exchanges focused on watershed
management. FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information or questions about this CIG course, please contact Jean
MacGregor at jeanmacg@thurston.com or call 360-866-0166 (evenings).
For more information about the National Association of Interpretation and its certification
programs, go to NAI’s website at www.interpnet.com and choose “Certification and
Training” from the menu on the top navigation bar.
Learn or improve your skills in guiding and interpretation
with this internationally recognized course!
REGISTRATION
DEADLINE – April 20, 2015
Please fill out the registration form below and send it with a personal check, money
order in U.S. funds, or a purchase order to:
CIG Training
c/o Jean MacGregor
533 Olmstead Lane SW
Olympia, WA 98512
Make checks payable to Jean MacGregor and mail with the registration form on the
next page. Certified Interpretive Guide Training – April 27 -30, 2015
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA 98516
REGISTRATION FORM
REGISTRATION DEADLINE – April 20, 2015
After March 15, please inquire by email whether there is still space in the course.
Please fill out the registration form below and send it with a personal check or money order in
U.S. funds (sorry – no credit cards accepted) payable to Jean MacGregor. Purchase orders
are also acceptable. Send completed your registration and check/money order or purchase
order to:
CIG Training
c/o Jean MacGregor
533 Olmstead Lane SW
Olympia, WA 98512
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Certified Interpretive Guide Course Registration – April 27-30, 2015
Name _______________________________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________________
City __________________________________    State ______   Zip ______________________
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Please check one:    I am ______a current member of NAI.    ____ not yet a member of NAI.
Fees: $385 (includes instructor fee, one year of NAI membership, certification fee, training
supplies and beverages and snacks).  Are you a current member of NAI?  The registration fee is
$335.  If you want to take the course either without joining NAI, or without becoming certified,
please contact us directly about an adjusted course fee.  Send your check or money order only
in U.S. funds.  Purchase orders are accepted also.  Please make checks payable to Jean
MacGregor at the address above.
Questions about the course or about registration: Please contact Jean MacGregor,
jeanmacg@thurston.com or call 360‐866‐0166 (evenings).