The Newsletter for Interpretation in California State ParksFall 2003 Volume 7 No. 2

The

Catalyst™

Interpreters HonoredThree interpreters were honored for their outstanding

interpretive accomplishments at the Director�s AwardsCeremony held August 27, 2003.

Empire Mines State Historic Park Supervising RangerJeff Herman received the prestigious Ingenuity Award forhis development of a multi-facetted curriculum-basedschool program that creates a realistic mining experiencefor children. Jeff�s program has been hailed as creative,dramatic, fun, imaginative and highly praised by educators.

For his work in promoting excellence in interpretationthroughout the Department by his tireless role as editor ofthe Catalyst, Acting Director Ruth Coleman and FieldServices Division Chief Bill Berry presented DistrictInterpretive Specialist Brian Cahill with a Director�s SpecialCommendation.

State Park Interpreter I Julie Sidel�s instrumental andenergetic role in the planning, development and implemen-tation of the Big Basin Redwoods State Park�s CentennialCelebration was acknowledged by a Director�s SpecialCommendation.

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�The role of interpretation is to facilitateconnections between the meanings ofthe resource and the interests of thevisitor. Interpretation does not provideanswers; it poses questions.Interpretation does not teach;it offers opportunities foremotional and intellectualconnections. Interpretation does noteducate; it provokesincreasingly sophisticatedappreciation and understanding.�

� David L. Larsen

The Catalyst Committee

Karen Beery SPI II So. Svc. Ctr. (619) 688-6103 FAX (619) 220-5400Wes Chapin DIS Channel Coast (805) 899-1406 FAX (805) 899-1415Diane McGrath SPI III San Simeon (805) 927-2049 FAX (805) 927-2117Julie Payne SPI I San Simeon (805) 927-2014 FAX (805) 927-2031Donna Pozzi CEA Interp./ Ed. Div. (916) 653-4643 FAX (916) 657-4747Jenan Saunders SPI II Interp./ Ed. Div. (916) 653-0768 FAX (916) 657-4747Mary Stokes DIS Four Rivers (209) 826-1196 FAX (209) 826-0284John Werminski SPI II Interp./ Ed. Div. (916) 653-8959 FAX (916) 657-4747

Contributor's GuidelinesThe Catalyst welcomes your original articles of any length! Or, send copies of

stories published elsewhere that you think our readers will appreciate. Be sure toinclude information about the publication so we can get permission to use thematerial. You may submit an article at any time.

We really appreciate articles submitted on disk or by e-mail. We can readmost formats of DOS/Windows disks. Printed manuscripts, facsimile or phonemessages are also accepted. Please advise if you would like your diskette returned,otherwise we will recycle it in our office to save postage.

Illustrations are strongly encouraged. Drawings, graphs or other illustrationsmay be submitted on disk or hard copy. Black & white glossy photos are pre-ferred; color prints or slides are usually acceptable. All photos and artworksubmitted will be returned promptly.

Catalyst is published periodically byCalifornia State Parks. ©2003. Opinionsexpressed are those of the author and notnecessarily those of California StateParks. By submitting a manuscript theauthor warrants to Catalyst that it doesnot infringe on any copyrights and thatthe author assumes full responsibility forany such infringement. Please contactthe editor for permission to reprint anyitem appearing in Catalyst.

For address changes or addi-tional subscriptions, please call

or e-mail Pam Rocksvold at(916) 654-2249

procksvold@parks.ca.gov.

ISSN 1089-9286

Catalyst Editor: Brian CahillColorado Desert District200 Palm Canyon Drive

Borrego Springs, CA 92004(760) 767-3716

FAX (760) 767-3427bcahill@parks.ca.gov

®

Page 3Catalyst

From the Editor

Brian Cahill, Editor

In many places it still feels alot like summer. But the days willsoon be getting shorter, and formany of you, a little less hectictoo. We hope this fall Catalystwill help ease you into autumn.

Just turn the page for somegreat interpretive resources and training opportunities.And you will find the Master Interpreter presiding on page5 as usual, offering gratuitous advice to the interpretivelychallenged.

Page 6 sets the tone for the season with Daylight asNature�s Timekeeper. Written by Bob Dispenza ofMetro Parks in Ohio, this piece also appeared inFourThought, the NAI Region 4 newsletter, and is re-printed here with permission.

Page 7 considers the plan to privatize National ParkService positions with some �toons drawn by CarltonStoiber. Mr Stoiber reports having spent some happytimes in California State Parks before moving to the EastCoast and he wishes us �good luck with those West Coastparks.�

Making Programs Relevant to Schools on page 8 is byBy Anne Marie Tipton, Education Coordinator at TijuanaRiver National Estuarine Research Reserve. You can reachher at amtipton@parks.ca.gov.

The Great Eyeball Race on page 10 is by Jon Kohl, afreelance writer specializing in interpretation, education,and worldview change. See more of his work atwww.jonkohl.com. This piece also appeared in the NAInewsletter of the Environmental Education Section and isreprinted here with permission.

Page 12 presents Governor�s Day at Capitol BringsPast Alive. Michael Green, Guide II at the State Capitolfills us in on this recent special event. You can reach himat MGREE@parks.ca.gov.

New Twist on an Old Technique, found on page 13,looks at how one park improved its wooden signs.

The State Indian Museum is doing something fun.Read all about it on Page 14 in Unit Specific Jr. RangerProgram. It�s written by Ranger Joann Helmich, who canbe reached at jhelmich@parks.ca.gov.

It is time to start thinking seriously about attending theNational Interpreter�s Workshop in Reno this November.Perhaps you should plan to go. Page 16 provides a fewmore tips to help you get there.

On page 17, you will find A New Look At Interpreta-tion In our Parks by John Werminski. It summarizes someof the findings of our first statewide interpretation survey.John is a Regional Interpretive Specialist with the Interpre-tation and Education Division.

Winter Bonnin, State Park Interpreter I at CrystalCove, sends Working Your Way Down the Watershed onpage 18. Winter would love to hear from you atcrystalcv@fea.net

Mary Helmich tells us all about Picturing MexicanCalifornia on page 20. This incredible collection is nowavailable out in the field on CD.

On page 22 you will find a piece by Wes Chapin,Playing the Geologic Dating Game. Wes would like tochallenge some of last issue�s geologic time article.Catalyst places a high value on being open to diverseviewpoints. What do you think?

On page 24 you will find a piece by Jaime Mendez,part of her ongoing series, �The Road Less Traveled.�Jaime is a Guide I at Hearst Castle;® you can email her attahquish@att.net.

And you�ll find another installment of �California�sTapestry,� back in its usual place.

And that�s about it for our fall issue; enjoy! Thanks toeach of you for reading Catalyst!

What's Up?Interpreters� Resources

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Waves, Wetlands, and WatershedsFree workshops are scheduledthroughout California this fall! Whenyou attend one of these workshops,you will receive a FREE copy of the

California CoastalCommission�sscience activityguide titled Waves,Wetlands, andWatersheds. You�llalso try outsome of theactivities in the

guide and get an overview ofthe other free educational resourcesand programs the Coastal Commis-sion has available. You must pre-register. Contact Annie Kohut Frankelat afrankel@coastal.ca.gov or (415)597-5888 to register.

October 4, 10am-NoonLoleta, Humboldt Bay NationalWildlife Refuge

October 22, 4pm-6pmSanta Cruz, Seymour Marine Center

November 4, 4pm-6pmSan Diego Natural History Museum

November 5, 4pm-6pmOrange County, Upper Newport Bay

November 6, 4:30pm-6:30pmSanta Barbara Natural History Museum

CAM WorkshopThe California Association of Muse-ums� regional workshops will be heldNovember 17 in San Francisco andNovember 19 in Los Angeles. Forinformation or registration call (714)542-2611.

Heavenly HappeningsThere are two celestial events youmay want to keep track of in Novem-ber. There will be a total lunar eclipseduring the evening of November 8.The Leonid meteror shower will alsoput on a pretty good show for acouple of nights around the 16th.

New Interp BookPersonal Interpretation: ConnectingYour Audience to Heritage Resourcesis just out from NAI. Written in clear,concise language with many examples,it employs the most current ideas inthe interpretive profession. Thisresource shares approaches testedand proven by the National ParkService and many other organizationsalong with research concepts thatback up their approaches. Cost, only$15.00 from www.interpnet.com.

Public SpeakingHave you heard that people fearpublic speaking even more thanheights, snakes and death? That iswidely quoted, yet no scientific datacan back-up this claim. You have towonder how these clichés get started!Check out the latest in public speak-ing at www.upsidedownspeaking.com.

Group ToursDo you handle scheduling for grouptours? A new software packageavailable from Alta Mira Press prom-ises to simplify this process and avoidlast minute mishaps. This completeturnkey package handles everythingfrom the first inquiry to confirmationletters, calendars and even invoices.A free demo version is also available.See www.altamirapress.com.

Recreation dot govSuppose you are looking online forrecreational opportunities in parks.Until recently that meant wadingthrough NPS, BLM, Forest Service,Corps of Engineers and other agencywebsites. It was a bit like finding aneedle in a haystack. Now,recreation.gov helps you transcenddepartmental boundaries to get theinformation you need. It took monthsof meetings to bring all of the agen-cies together, but now there is oneeasy-to-use site for information,permits and reservations. It serves asmany as 30,000 visitors a day withminimal costs. Some states are evenjoining in.

Buzzerks EyewearDo you do a Jr. Ranger program oninsects? Then you could probablyuse a pair of these bug eyes. Wefound them in the toy section atTarget, or see www.insectlore.com.

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Dear Master InterpreterDear MasterInterpreter,I was ap-proached by alady setting up avisit next monthfor a group thatincludes 3 deafpeople who willbe taking a tourof the park. From her explanation,under ADA we are required toprovide a sign language interpreter atour expense as an �auxiliary aid� forthe deaf visitors. I asked if a printedtranscript of the tour would sufficeand she said it would not. As I under-stand the law, it calls for reasonableaccommodation. But �reasonable� inone area of the state may be impos-sible in the next. And how do we payfor that service when we are not evenable to hire park aids to staff entrancestations due to the shrinking budget?Perplexed

Dear Perplexed,The lady speaks the truth; State Parkswill provide a sign language inter-preter when requested. You arewasting your time worrying aboutwhat�s �reasonable,� because that�snot part of this law. Yes, you haveheard about reasonable accommoda-tion because it is part of Title I, whichapplies to the employer / employeerelationship. But this situation fallsunder Title II (which applies to publicentities). We are held to a higherstandard. The law under Title II callsfor our program to be readily acces-sible, period.

Dear Master Interpreter,Who says historical re-enactments areboring? In June, Indian activistRussell Means crashed the NationalPark Service�s dedication of a memo-rial to the Indian soldiers who died atthe Battle of Little Big Horn. Meansrode up on horseback and comman-deered the podium, causing InteriorSecretary Gale Norton and MontanaGovernor Judy Martz to leave thestage. Afterward, Fort Peck tribalmember Chauncey Whitwright III,one of the organizers of the cer-emony, told the Billings Gazette thathe needed some �intensive counselingand rest� and is �never volunteeringfor another thing in my life.�Incredulous

Check with your District InterpretiveCoordinator or Chief Ranger for helpgetting a sign language interpreter.Yep, it will cost a little, but we can�tafford not to do it. ADA is the law ofthe land and it has been since January1992. We may not get requestsoften, but we�d better respond whenwe do get a request.MI

Dear Master Interpreter,How much does an outdoor interpre-tive panel really cost? I have heardestimates ranging from a few hundreddollars to several thousand.Thrifty

Dear Thrifty,There are many variables involved thatcan leave you comparing apples tooranges. Do you want to hiresomeone to research the story, writethe text and create original artwork tosupport the story? Do you want adurable panel with a 10-year warrantyin a spiffy aluminum frame? Talk itover with your DIS or specialistsfrom your service center. If you havealready done the research andinterpretive planning, if you have agood strong theme and about sixtywell-chosen words and you want touse existing graphics or photography,and if someone on park staff candesign it for you � then you mightget a panel for a few hundred dollars.But you could easily spend $500 ormore just buying a frame to mount itin. Talk to someone who does thisregularly and they can help you sortout exactly what you will need forwhat you envision. Good Luck!MI

Dear Master Interpreter,I am finishing up my college degree ininterpretation, but sometimes Iwonder why. Most of the interpreta-tion I see is being done by peoplewith little or no training. Volunteersdo the bulk of our programs. Otherprograms are done by seasonals whojust watched one Junior Rangerprogram before they were expectedto lead one. Our rangers have to begood at so many things they havelittle time for interpretation. What�sthe point of going to college?Interp Student

Dear Student,You bring up a good point. Interpreta-tion is important, but we expectalmost everyone to do it. But thatdoes not mean anyone can do it! Weare counting on interpreters like youto help show the way to truly profes-sional interpretation.MI

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Daylight as Nature�s TimekeeperBy Bob Dispenza,

Metro Parks of Ohio

The flaring oranges and brightyellows of autumn leaves tell us ofapproaching snow and long nights.Even if the fall weather is mild andtemperatures are warm, the trees willturn colors and drop their leaves. Ifautumn leaves tell us that winter iscoming, what tells the trees (or, forthat matter, the birds, insects andmammals)?

While temperatures are importantwarnings to plants and animals, it isthe length of day (or length of night)that gives the most accurate predic-tions of impending seasonal change.Day length, or photoperiod, is usedby plants to control flowering, loss ofleaves, setting fruit, and production offood storing roots and stems. It isused by animals to control reproduc-tive cycles, changes in fur or feathers,migration and metamorphosis.

How plants respond to lightdepends on genetics�what kind ofplants they are. Long-day plantsrequire more than 13 or 14 hours ofsunlight per day to flower. Most ofthese are late spring and summerwildflowers. Short-day plants (allearly spring and late summer wild-flowers) start blooming when days areshorter than a critical length, usuallyless than 12 or 13 hours. Theseinclude asters, ragweed and violets.Plants found in the tropics tend to beshort-day, while plants found north of60 degrees latitude (south of 50degrees in the southern hemisphere)tend to be long-day. To many otherplants (tomatoes, dandelions and

sunflowers), length of day isn�timportant in flowering.

The intensity of the light is not asimportant as the timing; intensitiesdown to about the brightness of thefull moon will work. Actually, lengthof night is more important than daylength, and only a few minutes of lightin the middle of the night will con-vince a plant that the day is muchlonger than it really is. Often, expos-ing only a small part of one leaf (onsome plants) to light is enough tobring on seasonal changes. Onetheory about why plants fold theirleaves at night states that the foldingmay prevent bright moonlight frominterfering with the plant�s �count� ofnighttime hours. Photoperiodism isused in the commercial flowerbusiness to force flowering outside ofnormal seasons. But how does aplant, without eyes or a brain, deter-mine the length of a day?

Phytochrome is a blue or bluish-green protein contained in leaves inextremely small amounts. Thischemical absorbs certain wavelengthsof red light during the day andchanges them to an active form. Indarkness, phytochrome returnsslowly to its original, inactive form,giving the plant a method of keepingtrack of the length of night. Hot orcold temperatures may speed up orslow down this process.

Photoperiodism in animalscontrols many facets of life. It helpsthem know when to head south,when to prepare for hibernation,when to grow more or fewer feathersor fur, when to enter a resting phase

and when to seek mates. Insectseven have specialized eyes (ocelli) thatdo not see shapes, but may be usedonly to measure the length of day!Light stimulus travels from the eyesthrough nerves to the brain, where itinhibits or speeds up the productionof certain chemicals that affectbehavior. One of these chemicals ismelatonin, which increases at night.More light (longer days) means lessmelatonin. In many animals thismeans an increase in reproductivehormones.

Melatonininjected into spar-rows during the day causes the onsetof nighttime behaviors, such asroosting and a drop in body tempera-ture. Seasonal behaviors also respondto changes in day length, and somepeoples� �winter blues� can be cured bysitting under a full-spectrum light for afew hours, simulating a longer day.

Day and seasonal rhythms are setby light, in concert with internal,inherited biological �clocks� that havetheir own intrinsic times. In completedarkness, many important rhythmswill continue, but will gradually get outof sync with the actual day-night orseasonal cycle.

Cool autumn air is one clue treesuse to prepare for winter, but it�s theearlier sunsets and later sunrises offall that convince the trees (and otherplants and animals) that winter is reallyon its way. The results are migratingbirds, bats and butterflies, animalsgrowing thick winter coats and theberries, fruits, nuts and showy fallingleaves of autumn.

Page 7Catalyst

A View on PrivatizationCarlton Stoiber, a free-

lance cartoonist, shares hisinterpretation of the Bushadministration�s plan toprivatize Park Servicepositions. He lives inWashington, D.C., and isalso a consultant on interna-tional and nuclear law. Aformer federal employee atboth the State and JusticeDepartments, Stoiber hasbeen an NPCA member forfive years and frequentlycontributes cartoons to theNational Parks magazine.Reprinted with permissionfrom National Parks maga-zine, Carlton Stoiber,©2003 by National ParksConservation Association.For more information seewww.npca.org.

Page 8 Catalyst

Making Programs Relevant to SchoolsBy Anne Marie Tipton

Education CoordinatorTijuana River National Estuarine

Research Reserve

The San Diego Coast DistrictInterpretive Improvement Team,headed by District InterpretiveSpecialist Joe Vasquez, decided thatwe should train District schoolprogram providers on aligning schoolprograms to content standards. Afterreading Jenan Saunders� report onteacher evaluations, we noticed thatCalifornia State Parks wasn�t up to paron using current pedagogy, so wewanted to include that topic as well.A sub-committee of the ImprovementTeam planned the training � JoeVasquez, Nancy Mae Gallagher, andAnne Marie Tipton. We started out bywatching Joe Von Herrmann�sPowerPoint presentation �IntegratingAcademic Content Standards intoSchool Group Interpretive Programs,�to help us plan out the training day.Since the program addresses themesand content standards, we figured webetter do a thematic interpretationrefresher, too.

We really wanted the visitorservices staff and volunteers in thepark units to make use of the training.Chief Ranger John Quirk�s supportwas critical in ensuring a goodattendance and the implementation ofthe training. He sent a memo to thesupervising rangers asking them toassign a school programs coordinator.That person would work after thetraining to ensure that the schoolprograms align with state contentstandards. He also requested in the

memo that everyone who did schoolprograms come to the training as ateam led by the coordinator, includingpermanents, seasonals, and docents.The training includes a post evaluationdue in October 2003 to determine ifthe units used the training to helpmake their programs thematic andaligned with standards.

Approximately 40 people at-tended the training �Making ProgramsRelevant and Exciting to Schools� heldat Torrey Pines State Reserve on June18th, 2003. The training included afree lunch and door prizes at the endafter participants turned in evaluations.The outside speaker and lunch werefunded by Southwest WetlandsInterpretive Association and theTorrey Pines Docent Society. Thetraining began with a team buildingexercise (interpretation bingo). Then

Dr. Donna Ross, a science educationprofessor, gave a presentation oncurrent pedagogy. Participants reallyliked this section and said they wantedto see more of this kind of training.She spoke about simulations, models,experiments, and mental puzzles. Hermain point was that retention andinterest would be greatly improved byincorporating the above techniquesinto programs. She showed a videoof two simulations that she did in localschools and had training participantsdo the Oh Deer! activity from ProjectWild.

After a yummy tamale lunch, JoeVasquez showed the PowerPoint�Integrating Academic ContentStandards into School Group Inter-pretive Programs.� Thematic interpre-tation was next after a fun energybreak (�Rustasha,� which got high

Dr. Donna Ross teaches how Pedagogy can help school programs.

Page 9Catalyst

marks in the completed evaluationforms). Anne Marie conducted acondensed version of Sam Ham�sthematic interpretation training from�Training for Interpretive Trainers.�Afterward, she had everyone breakinto groups by unit to look at themesfrom their school programs and to tryto improve them using Ham�s themewriting advice. The planning team hada real eye-opener when it was obvi-ous that many participants neededbasic theme training. Many partici-pants appreciated the practical natureof the exercise to improve schoolprogram themes.

We further explored contentstandards after a cookie break. ParkAide Cynthia Curtis gave a 15-minutepresentation on the local pre-contactKumeyaay Indians. The participantswere given a sheet with the contentstandards that staff at Torrey Pinesthought were covered by the presen-tation. Afterward, we evaluated thepresentation to see if it indeedcovered those standards.

Technical problems with the AVequipment prevented us from con-ducting the final activity of participantsaligning their school programs to thecontent standards. The technologyfairy was surely not with us this day.After the Kumeyaay presentation, weconcluded the day by going over thepost-training assignment, finishingevaluations, and giving out the doorprizes from Acorn Naturalist.

Joe, Nancy, and Anne Marietabulated the results of the evaluations(modeled after Asilomar evaluations.)and the training received mostly �4s�(agree) or �5s� (strongly agree) onsatisfaction with content and instruc-tors. Many, however, felt rushed dueto the equipment snafus. The planninggroup thought that we probably didpack in a lot of content in one day,and if/when we do it again we willmake it a two -day training. It is achallenge to get staff and docents fortwo days given low seasonal budgets.We also discovered our district needsmore school program training at eachunit. Often park aides are required todo presentations after minimal training(maybe only watching another parkaide once). The District InterpretiveImprovement Team will try to providetools for park staff to train schoolprogram presenters. The currentpedagogy training was popular despitethe equipment problems. Staffseemed to take in this training verywell � maybe because, like the oldsaying goes. . . �an expert is a personthat arrives from out of town with asuitcase� or a Macintosh laptop.

Anne Marie Tipton discusses Content Standards in the afternoon session.

Nancy Mae Gallagher captiveates audience during her presentation.

Page 10 Catalyst

The Great Eyeball RaceBy Jon Kohl

When I worked as a Peace Corpseducator (1993-5) at the National Zooin Costa Rica, this was my problem:How to educate 300,000 CostaRicans per year, most of whom werechildren, in a facility that had 75years� experience in using its animalsto entertain, not teach, on one smallgreen island floating in a sea ofcement?

What�s more, the zoo hadaspirations of stripping away its crustypast and building up from itself theNational Urban Environmental Educa-tion Center of Costa Rica. To do this,we needed to slow down one millionracing eyes and promote a new breedof zoogoer that engages the entirebody in its education.

As I peered out my office win-dow, I saw those visiting eyeballs rollinto the parking lot, bouncing andbumbling as they went. When theycaught a glimpse of our front gate,designed as a castle, they got excitedand rushed in. Upon entering, theeyes greeted the crocodiles andturtles. They hovered and ogled for abit and then noticed the jaguar andtapir cages to the left. The eyeshurried over, missing the small�interpretive� signs. Only momentslater one eye spied monkies, blinkedto other eyes, and off they went. Andin no time the eye had raced aroundthe small zoo before finally rolling outin the parking lot to disappear into theurban bowels.

Eyes are the most promiscuouspart of the body. They go whereverthey please. They are easy to catchand almost impossible to hold. Theyare fast, tireless, and backed up by abrain that often fully supports theeyes� antics. The brain, too, can be atroublesome organ: it ignores 95percent of the world it encounters,and then discards most of the rest.Often the brain only works when

pushed, excited, or tricked. It doesn�tlike to change its ways � it willignore, deny, blame, and lie before itfinally makes up its mind. It will fullyengage an educator�s message onlywhen the educator understands howto play ball.

While the eye can be satisfiedwith a diet of vapid viewing, such asof animals, architecture, silly presen-

tations, or bright colors, non-formaleducation must target the rest of thebody. While this may be a harsh viewof the brain and its henchmen, theeyes, this realization can help educa-tors rise up out of formal educationparadigms, which have hauntedclassrooms since prehistoric stonechalkboards turned to slate.

An educator can take betteradvantage of non-formal education byunderstanding psychological realitiesto manage racing eyes by involvingnoses, ears, feet, hands, and the priorexperience that each person harbors.

Eyes, like all senses, inputsinformation; they copy it directlyfrom the environment to an area inthe brain where raw data lasts 0.25 to2 seconds. The subconscious braindeems some information potentiallyimportant and transfers it to the short-term memory, where the conscious

brain has 30 seconds to use it beforeit also decays into discombobulatedhistory. After passing numerousmental examinations, the informationmay then be added to long-termmemory where it could play in theindividual�s thinking.

Hearing and touch have their ownstorage buffers and can contribute tolearning just as vision can. The job of

Eyes are the most promiscuous part of the body Theygo wherever they please. They are easy to catch andalmost impossible to hold.

Page 11Catalyst

non-formal education is to exploit asmany senses as possible to make asmany connections as possible withexisting knowledge in the zoogoer�sbrain, to effect education. Why thendoes the brain use some information

and discard the rest? A fact withoutassociated conceptual understandingis mental clutter the average brain cando without. Therefore, non-formaleducation taps structures called�mental schema:� past experiences,understandings, associations to givemeaning to new experiences.

A brave new idea with which therecipient has no previous experienceis at least a shock, with a greatchance of also being discarded sinceit is time- and energy-consuming tothink through, or even worse, torethink an understanding. But thismarks the challenge of education; ittries to use as many channels (sight,smell, hearing, doing, etc.) as possibleto tap as much pre-existing knowl-edge as possible.

For example, eyes loved Fofo, theZoo�s African lion (though handssteered clear), as did ears whichheard Fofo�s roaring. But because ofthe lack of applicable knowledgeschema, the vast majority of people(in trying to incorporate the roar into

their past experience) misinterpretedit. Normally when an animal yells it�sbecause: He�s hungry! He�s sad in hissmall cage! He�s lonely for a wife!He�s sick! He�s bored!

Common interpretations all, butall wrong. It would have been betterhad the brain trashed this observationfrom the start. Actually, like in theAfrican savannah, he�s declaring histerritory. But by not making contactwith the appropriate schema, ears aremiseducated with little help from eyes� or from the educator.

All connections help studentslearn. And one basic tenet of cogni-tive psychology is that if new informa-tion has a hard time teaming up with

pre-existing knowledge, then the brainmight leave that new stuff out to washaway in the river of informationrushing through buffers.

How, then, can this knowledge beapplied to eyeball management? Firstwe try to slow down eyes with signsthat engage thought. We have signsthat talk and ask questions aboutlittering, in which trees our sloths arelikely to be found, or about thepolluted Río Torres that flows throughthe zoo.

More eyes will get stopped in oureducational programs as we tempt theother senses into action. All theseprograms will use non-formal educa-tional techniques, especially one veryappropriate for a zoo: natural historyobjects. An eye can peruse a stuffedsloth but only a hand can feel its furand only both can discover what theskin is like beneath the fur and onlywith an analytical brain can one darean explanation as to why the fur isgreen (algae live there).

In addition to using bones, skins,and stuffed bodies that can be manipu-lated and examined closely both byhand and by microscope, inside andoutside, the zoo should shift from biganimals to little ones. Smaller animalsare easier to manipulate and moreeducational than big ones.

Thus while the Great Eyeball Racecontinues, with non-formal methodswe hope more parts of the body willcompete for the ultimate prey: ameaningful education.

More eyes will get stopped in our educational pro-grams as we tempt the other senses into action. Aneye can peruse a stuffed sloth but only a hand can feelits fur and only both can discover what the skin is likebeneath the fur.

Page 12 Catalyst

Governor�s Day at Capitol Brings Past AliveBy Michael Green

State Capitol

The California State Capitol, incollaboration with the State CapitolMuseum Volunteer Association,hosted its annual Governor�s DayLiving History Event on Saturday,August 2, 2003. The turnout wasrobust on a rare rainy day in August.

Visitors were treated to docentsdressed in turn-of-the-20th-centuryattire who led crowds through thehistoric rooms on the first floor, ledinterpretive games, and portrayed pastgovernors and their wives.

Governors� portrayals were partof four dramatic vignettes played inthe historic rooms and on the floor ofthe Senate chamber. �The quality ofthe acting this year was superb!�exclaimed Guide I, Oscar Warner. �Idon�t think I�ve ever seen them donethis well.� The vignettes includedGovernor and Mrs. Gage (1899-1903) and governors Pardee (1903-1907), Gillett (1907-1911), andJohnson (1911-1917). Each governordiscussed issues and events thatdefined his term of office in 15-minute plays repeated throughout the

day.

The annual event is a great wayfor people to connect to California�spolitical past and understand theimportance of participation in theirgovernment. Many people may notrealize that, in 1911, it was a fieryprogressive reformer, GovernorHiram Johnson, who gave Califor-nians the ballot initiative process andthe power to recall the governor.

One of the more popular features

Docent Bobby Scoggan with young visitors.

Visitors are attracted to costumed docentsTom and Ann Rost.

of the day was the Children�s Tablewhere kids of all ages had fun playinggames of the early 20th century andlearning how to make California poppiesout of crepe paper and pipe cleaners.

�The mood was so positive!� saidGuide I Kay Parkman. �It was great tosee so many people turn out on arainy day.�

Wearing garlands of poppies: Park Aide AnneAdrian (left) and Guide I Andrea Burnett.

Jerry and Sandy Grulkey, visitors from Vallejo,got in the spirit with antique clothing.

Docent authors Evelyn Cray (left) and LorraineDonnelly sign their books.

Docent Bobby Scoggan shows young visitorshow to play an old game.

Page 13Catalyst

Handcrafted wooden park signshave a long and proud tradition. Manyparks would just not be the samewithout them. They are an importantelement of �park rustic� architecture.

Talented craftsmen throughoutthe Department carry on that traditiontoday. Using routers, sandblasting,chisel or dremel tools, along with thenatural beauty of the wood, theycreate signs that convey a sense ofour history.

Usually each of these woodensigns is a one-of-a-kind work of art.But not necessarily. Recently thestaff at Anza-Borrego Desert StatePark wanted to add the State Parkslogo to the existing wooden entrancesigns. But at Anza-Borrego, that�s awhole lot of signs and a sticker justwould not do.

So instead of carving a logo inevery sign, PMWI Gil McKinnoncarved just one original wooden logo.He then made a mold from thisoriginal and began to cast duplicate

logos in polyurethane. After hand-painting, they are difficult to distin-guish from the original. The moldreproduces the natural grain of thewood and even the tool marks fromcarving with great detail. Gil was alsoable to cast the mounting hardwareright into the back of the logo.

Now every entrance sign issporting a finely crafted State Parkslogo. It gives the signs a nice 3-Dfeel. Of course it was almost inevi-table that vandals would try out thisnew target. They found it impossibleto steal them, and it took quite a bit ofeffort to destroy one. But of courseGil always pours a few extra copiesso they can be quickly replaced.

You can find out more aboutcasting techniques at:www.smooth-on.com or www.castcraft.com.

Casting copies of park signs

New Twist on an Old Technique

Gil McKinnon has mastered the art of park logos, cast in plastic. Painting each one by hand isnot as difficult as it might seem. Raised letters and other �carved� elements makes paintingeasier.

We wanted to add the State Park logo to the existing wooden entrance signs. But at Anza-Borrego, that�s a whole lot of signs and a sticker just would not do.

Page 14 Catalyst

State Indian Museum

A Unit-Specific Junior Ranger ProgramBy Joann Helmich, Ranger

State Indian Museum

When a ranger travels with his orher children to other parks there is acertain expectation to have thechildren involved in the park�s inter-pretive programs; at least this is so inmy family. On a recent trip to theSouthwest, my younger boys, thenages 5, 7 and 9, became involved inthe parks� various Junior Rangerprograms. (My 18-year-old passed onthe program.)

As we traveled from park to parkthe boys would head to the visitorcenter to pick up their Junior Rangerbooklets. The booklets were site-specific, self-guiding, and age-specific.If the boys completed all of therequirements and took the pledge,they were each issued a badge andcertificate. The badges were site-specific and so enticed the boys tocollect different ones from thevarious national parks we traveled to.

Of course the booklets alsoinvolved the parents. I learned asmuch as my boys did. Some of theactivities required by the bookletmight involve an interpretive walk orprogram. We saw films, went throughmuseums, went on nature walks,climbed through ruins and caves andendured 100-degree-plus temperaturein the Petrified Forest on a self guidednature walk, and all of this because ofthe Junior Ranger program. We didnot camp at any of these parks andwere just there for the day. When we

came home, my boys wanted me todevelop this type of program for theState Indian Museum.

So with the help of graphic artistand computer wizard, Lynda Austin, Idid. Lynda Austin is an artist who hasher degree in computer graphicdesign. She has been a seasonal with

State Parks for over 15 years. Westarted by asking my boys what theyliked the best about each booklet wehad collected from the various

national parks. The parks includedZion National Park, The North Rim ofGrand Canyon National Park, GreatBasin National Park, Glen CanyonNational Recreation Area, MontezumaCastle National Monument, andTuzigoot National Monument. Allthese national parks had a NativeAmerican history element to them.We then developed a booklet for theState Indian Museum borrowing andmodifying activities from these parksand developing a lot of our ownactivities based on a combined 45years of park experience.

All in all it took about a year todevelop the booklet that we are usingin the museum now. We tested theprogram on my boys and then ran apilot program in the museum. Wewent back and tweaked it some more.We worked with DARC to print thefirst batch, then modified it again. Ourfirst month we had a total of 167junior rangers. Things started out

slowly as the seasonal park aideswere hesitant to ask the visitors to dothe program. But it became a kind ofcontest to see who could get the

We saw films, went through museums, went on naturewalks, climbed through ruins and caves and endured100-degree-plus temperature in the Petrified Forest ona self guided nature walk, and all of this because ofthe Junior Ranger program.

Joshua, age 6, is a California State Parks kid.

Page 15Catalyst

greatest number of participants. As amatter of fact, we even offered aprize to the park aid that had the mostjunior rangers.

The program is simple and doesnot involve an interpreter to workwith the junior rangers for an hour.Again, it is self-guiding, age-specificand park-specific. It works like this:The visitor comes into the museum.The person staffing the front countertells the visitor about the program. Atany time the person at the frontcounter might be a ranger, a guide ora docent but most times it is aseasonal park aid. The staff personmust tell about the program. Wetried sign and a special exhibit, butthey did not work. The visitor willinevitably ask how long it will take.The answer is about one half-hour to45 minutes.

The program involves watchingthe 12-minute video on California�sindigenous peoples and the participantmust complete four activities in thebooklet according to their age group.Our �Coyote� designation is for ages6 and under, the �Bear� is ages 7-9

and the �Eagle� is for ages 10 and up.Most of our junior Rangers areCoyotes and Bears. The Eagle takesthe longest and we�re thinking ofcutting their requirement to threeactivities. After completing thebooklet, the participant takes it to thefront counter where the staff personchecks it and has the participant takethe junior ranger pledge. The parkstaff signs the certificate and theparticipant is given a State IndianMuseum patch and a sandstonereplica arrowhead (note: fake but fun).The Sacramento Historic SitesCooperating Association funds thepatches and arrowheads. We ran outof patches and had to halt the pro-gram for a week. I then learned ofour department�s new Junior Rangerbadge and contacted John Werminskito see if I could get a few to hold usover until our supplies come in. Johnis the one who recommended that Iwrite this article for the Catalyst, soblame him.

In reality the Indian Museum�svisitor spends more than one half-hour if they do the program. Theadults learn along with the childrenand the kids aren�t bored while theparents try to read the informationfor each exhibit. We have used thebooklet in our Summer Fun Pro-gram (our day camp program) andour docent training program andhave incorporated some of theactivities into the Museum�sTeacher�s Guide. It has helpedmake the museum come alive thispast summer, the kids had fun, andmy boys have quit bugging me.

Junior rangers have their work reviewed andtake the pledge.

An NPS ranger at Grand Canyon helps the Junior Rangers earn their award.

Page 16 Catalyst

Last of a Three Part Series

Attending a National Interpreters WorkshopA Dummy�s Guide

This may be your best opportu-nity. This year�s National InterpretersWorkshop in Reno / Sparks, Nevadais a great opportunity for interpretersof all types. We hope you are gettingready to go.

For a first-time participant, theworkshop can seem a bit complex.Hopefully this article will offer a fewtips to simplify it and help you makethe most of the workshop.

Remember, you are not requiredto stay at the conference hotel � youare welcome to shop around forlodging. But be sure to stop by theNugget as soon as you get into townto register. Most interpreters will bearriving Tuesday afternoon. There is awelcome reception that evening tokick off the workshop. Don�t skip thereception even if you are tired after along drive. It is a great chance to talkwith other interpreters in a fun setting,and food is provided. Best of all, it isfree to registered NIW participants.

By the way, don�t forget to wearyour nametag. It is your ticket into allworkshop events and they will bechecking them at most venues.

For those who enjoy music, thereis an informal musical gathering everynight. For some, this is the highlightof the workshop. Ask around to findwhere it will be held.

On most mornings a light break-fast is served in the exhibit hall. Talkto the vendors while you enjoy yourcoffee, but be sure to get into the

auditorium in time for announcementsand the keynote address. The work-shop team promises keynote speak-ers who could change your life.

Lunch is also provided (Wednes-day and Thursday). Every year somepeople skip the meals thinking theyrequire separate tickets, but many ofthem are included for everyoneregistered for the workshop. After-noon breaks often include cookiesand cold drinks. Dinner is usually onyour own.

Watch for a message board nearthe registration desk. There will belots of interesting stuff postedthroughout the week. You may alsojust find someone with a spare field-trip or banquet ticket ready to makeyou a deal there.

After two full days of sessionsand keynotes, Friday will be devotedto field-trips. Be sure to take one ofthe trips. It costs a few bucks for thebus ride and lunch, but it can be agreat learning opportunity. Then onSaturday it is back into the hotel for

more sessions. Don�t even thinkabout leaving early. Saturday is a fullday with some great stuff.

Finally, Saturday evening bringsthe closing banquet. Even if you areon a budget and didn�t buy a banquetticket, you still might find a free oneon the message board at the lastminute, courtesy of someone whosetravel plans changed.

Most interpreters dress nicely forthe banquet. Of course, �dressing-up�for some interpreters means puttingon a clean t-shirt. But many otherswill wear suits and ties or little blackdresses. So if you enjoy dressing-up,go for it. But you won�t feel too outof place if you don�t. Just make sureyour shoes are comfortable fordancing!

And that�s about all. Sleep-in a biton Sunday before you head back toCalifornia. It will take you quiteawhile to absorb everything you willhave picked up at the NIW. Of coursethere�s always next year � it�s a goodtime to start saving for the trip toGrand Rapids, Michigan.

Just because it is in November, don�t forget your swimming suit! The Nugget has a nice pool.

Page 17Catalyst

A New Look at Interpretation in Our Parksby John Werminski,

Regional Interpretive Specialist,Interpretation and Education

Division

Last summer the Interpretationand Education Division conducted astatewide survey of interpretationpresented to the public by ourdepartment�s permanent and seasonalstaff. (This one-time survey isn�t to beconfused with the �Semi-annualInterpretive Summary,� DPR 918,which districts submit regularly toHeadquarters.) More than 550 statepark employees representing dozensof classifications responded to thesurvey. The data that was gatheredgives managers a clearer, morecomprehensive look at our program-ming than has ever been availablebefore.

Many of this survey�s findings arethe first of their kind, and the resultscontain some surprises. For instance,when staff were asked to list both thetopics and themes of their variousinterpretive programs, themes werestated properly in only 38% of thecases. Considering that the conceptof theme is fundamental to goodinterpretation, there appears to bequite a bit of room for improvement.As a reminder, a topic merely tellswhat a program is about, while atheme summarizes, in a single sen-tence, the main message that thepresenter is trying to convey.

Another surprise involves therelative amount of natural, cultural,

and recreational interpretation that istaking place. From this survey, itappears that nearly 80% of theDepartment�s reported interpretiveeffort is devoted to cultural topics.This situation is due to the fact that somany of the programs that werereported came from two culturally-oriented districts, Capital and (for-merly) San Simeon. In fact, the oldSan Simeon District alone accountedfor more than 60% of all programsreported statewide�leading to thestrange conclusion that more than halfof the collective effort of all parkemployees surveyed is dedicated tointerpreting the life and possessionsof William Randolph Hearst.

In fairness, it�s important to bearin mind that hundreds of presenterswere not surveyed, including all of theDepartment�s volunteers. If theircontributions had been included, it�slikely that a more balanced picture ofstate park interpretation would haveemerged.

Among other things, the surveygathered data on the amount oftraining and evaluation received.

Statewide, interpretive staff reportedan average of 1.4 evaluations per yearand 14 hours of training. Those inclassifications that gave the greatestnumber of programs usually receivedthe most evaluation and training�the�Guide I, PI� class clearly dominatedin this regard.

One notable exception involvedthe �State Park Ranger� and �ParkInterpretive Specialist (Seasonal)�classes. Although the rangers re-ported giving only about half as manyprograms as the seasonal interpretivespecialists did, rangers receivednearly 7 times as many evaluationsand 22 times as many hours ofinterpretive training.

Ideally, the results of this surveywill help park managers allocate ourinterpretive resources even moreeffectively than they have in the past.If you would like a copy of the fullreport, please contact Pam Rocksvoldin the Interpretation and EducationDivision at (916) 653-0760.

Themes were stated properly in only 38% of the cases.Considering that the concept of theme is fundamentalto good interpretation, there appears to be quite a bitof room for improvement.

Page 18 Catalyst

Working Your Way Down the WatershedBy Winter Bonnin

State Park Interpreter ICrystal Cove SP

Nowhere do we see the love forthe outdoors more clearly than in theeyes of children. It might involveseeing a hummingbird drinking from aflower, a hermit crab cruising thetidepools, or a gray whale spoutingwhile on its annual migration. There-fore, as interpreters it is our obliga-tion to teach these children thingsthey can do to help preserve andprotect our natural environment.

In Orange County, a recent pilotprogram sponsored by OrangeCounty Wild, a coalition of public andprivate wildlands managers, unitedfour agencies and five parks andwilderness areas that were once allpart of the sprawling Irvine Ranch todo just that. All five locations pro-vided an ideal setting to ignite thecuriosity of 17 local children to learn

about the natural world and gain anunderstanding and appreciation of thebountiful resources found in theirown backyard.

The theme for the first-ever CampWild was �Working Your Way Down

the Watershed.� With water pollution,conservation issues and watershededucation such hot topics in heavilypopulated Southern California, theOrange County Wild planning commit-tee felt that this would be an appropri-ate debut topic. How to makewatersheds interesting? That wasanother question.

We started the week at the �top�of the watershed at LimestoneCanyon where campers hiked to anatural springs, and learned aboutriparian ecosystems, groundwater,aquifers and water pollution.

The next day at Bommer Canyonwe focused on habitat types and theirrelationship towatersheds, watersupply, anddownstreamcommunities.

Nowhere do we see the love for the outdoors more clearly than in the eyes of children.

The theme for the first ever Camp Wild was �WorkingYour Way Down the Watershed.� With water pollu-tion, conservation issues and watershed educationsuch hot topics in heavily populated Southern Califor-nia, the planning committee felt that this would be anappropriate debut topic. How to make watershedsinteresting? That was another question.

Page 19Catalyst

The following day at the SanJoaquin Wildlife Sanctuary webridged the connection betweenfreshwater wetlands and what camp-ers had seen upstream and what theywould see downstream. We spentmuch time observing birds in thewetlands and studied their behaviors.We also examined live pond samplesto determine what these birds mightbe eating.

On Thursday at the UpperNewport Bay, campers took anelectric boat ride to explore theestuary and look at birds, and thenthey studied invertebrates that dwell inthe mud (bird food, see how it�s allconnected?). Finally, the week endedat beautiful Crystal Cove State Park

where we traipsed through thetidepools, viewed footage of under-water animals, and painted environ-mental messages in our 300�-longtunnel.

Our goal was to instill in theseOrange County children, ages 7-11,an understanding of watersheds andhow, ecologically, everything isconnected. We attempted through

science experiments, art projects, andrecreational activities to convey anenvironmental message and topromote an appreciation for theirwildland areas.

More importantly, we continuallyreinforced the lessons they hadlearned at the previous locations andstressed how their actions, both

positive and negative, could affect thewaterways.

Judging by written evaluationsand informal conversations withparticipants, Camp Wild was a greatsuccess. We received a grant fromthe Blue Planet Foundation to assist instaffing costs, office and art supplies,snacks and giveaway items.

Because all the naturalists en-joyed the half day camp and becausethere has been such positive feed-back, next summer we will run threecamps, one week each month. Infact, we even have a list of kidsinterested in Camp Wild for next year.We�ll have to develop another topicthough, perhaps one even moreexciting than watersheds.

Our goal was to instill in these Orange County chil-dren, ages 7-11, an understanding of watersheds andhow, ecologically, everything is connected.

We attempted through science experiments, art projects, and recreational activities to conveyan environmental message and to promote an appreciation for their wildland areas.

Picturing Mexican CaliforniaBy Mary A. Helmich

Interpretation and EducationDivision

While scholarly and popularworks about California�s MexicanRepublic years have grown in number,most are sparingly illustrated andusually produced in black and white.Color� It permeates our lives andaffects our perceptions. What hap-pens when everything is reduced toblack and white? Historians, curators,archeologists, and interpretersroutinely confront this problem whenreviewing historic photographs andline illustrations.

For many, understanding theMexican Republic Era�when evenphotography was not available�is ofparticular concern. Visualizing theperiod�s lifestyle, objects, and cloth-ing is central to authentically repre-senting them in California State Parks.

In developing the Department�s�Old Towns Initiative,� I began gather-ing and organizing images of theMexican Republic Era to use forreference with historic communities,

such as Old Town San Diego andMonterey. There are few resourcesavailable to guide staff and volunteersabout the period�s appearance.

Among the exciting and colorfulpictures I found were vaqueros ropingcattle, Mexican street scenes, fandan-gos, and detailed close-ups of spurs,

saddles, clothing, and china. Theproject grew. With the help of Shan-non Rowden and other staff in ourdivision, more than 400 images werescanned and assembled as a three-

volume set called Picturing MexicanCalifornia: 1821-1846. Ten sets havebeen produced and distributed to thefield (that�s nearly 5,000 pages ofcopies!).

We recognized, however, that thelimited number of binder sets wouldhinder their access. Division Chief

Visualizing the period�s lifestyle, objects, and clothingis central to authentically representing them in Cali-fornia State Parks.

Page 20 Catalyst

Donna Pozzi suggested turning thevolumes into CDs. With her supportand that of Office Technician JohnUnderwood and John Peterson, aweb consultant to the Department,and student intern Carren

Christensen, the project evolved intoan easy-to-use set of three CDs. Onehundred sets were created. These arenow being distributed to districtinterpretive coordinators and tocultural resource specialists through-out the Department.

Picturing Mexican California is agreat resource for research, housemuseum and exhibit development,living history planning, training,lectures, campfire programs, etc. Thevolumes are organized thematically.

Volume I deals with men�s work,agriculture, transportation, trade, andcommerce; Volume II featureswomen�s work, the home, andpictures of pueblos and villages; andVolume III highlights clothing, social

and religious occasions, and religion.Staff, docents, volunteers, conces-sionaires, and others involved withinterpreting the Mexican Republicyears will find the volumes veryuseful.

The CDs include historicalpictures and first-hand accounts,along with more recent research thatcaptures the texture, color, andenergy of life from 1821 to 1846.The vast majority of the pictures andobjects are mid-nineteenth century inorigin, although later era illustrationshave been included where artists areknown to have carefully researchedthe subject.

Material culture examples fromthe Index of American Design (com-piled in the 1930s by the WorksProgress Administration) and Califor-nia State Parks� own archeologicalexcavations add dimension andsubstance to the compilation. To-gether, these images often challengeour expectations, based upon earliermonochromatic views. They put thecolor back into history.

The CDs include historical pictures and first-handaccounts, along with more recent research that cap-tures the texture, color, and energy of life from 1821to 1846.

Page 21Catalyst

By Wes ChapinDistrict Interpretive Specialist

Channel Coast District

Remember the British satiricalcomedy, Monte Python? The an-nouncer would regularly introduce anew segment with the line, �And nowfor something completely different.�That�s what this article is intended tobe: a completely different, andhopefully thought-provoking, look atthe subject of geologic dating.

In the last issue of Catalyst, anarticle, entitled �Putting GeologicTime into Perspective�CaliforniaStyle,� described how to use timesegments of seconds, minutes, etc. torelate the 4.6 billion-year age of theearth in terms more familiar to laypeople�a sound interpretive tech-nique. (In fact, �relate� is the first �R�in RAPPORT, remember?)

However, you�ll probably besurprised to learn that there is somecontroversy surrounding the methodsused to date the age of the earth andother geologic phenomena. What�sthat, you ask? Haven�t geologists allagreed that the earth is 4.6 billionyears old? As a matter of fact, mostgeologists do agree with this estimate.Most, but not all. Do I smell contro-versy?

Controversy is one of the easiestways for an interpreter to provokeinterest� another sound interpretivetechnique. Presenting multipleviewpoints is an excellent way toencourage your audience to use theircritical thinking skills and increase

your accuracy at the same time.Finally, I find it stimulating to periodi-cally reexamine my own dearly heldassumptions. Doing so may open upnew ways of looking at things or helpreinforce my understanding of why Ibelieve what I do, not just because Iheard it from some expert, butbecause I�ve really thought about itfor myself.

So I offer a friendly challenge:Read what follows with an open mind.Perhaps even check the referencesoffered that give more in-depthexplanations of the controversy froman alternative viewpoint. See if youdon�t expand your horizons.

Have you ever wondered howscientists date rocks? Are there tinylabels on rocks that tell how old arock is? Actually, rocks don�t havelabels, at least not while they�re still inthe earth. But the impression givenby the Catalyst article and by thegeologic establishment is that geolo-gists have got this dating thing downto a� well, a science!

There are at least three objectionsto this impression. The dates arebased on unproven assumptions,

dates that don�t conform to theseassumptions are rejected, and, finally,there is ample alternative evidencethat indicates the earth is muchyounger than 4.6 billion years.

Unproven AssumptionsMost geologic dating methods

have one thing in common. They allmeasure something that changes over

time. Certain rocks contain radioac-tive elements, e.g., uranium, whichchanges into a by-product, e.g., lead.Geologists call the uranium the�parent� material and the lead the�daughter� material.

If you measure the amount ofparent material and the amount ofdaughter material in a rock sampleand you know the rate that uraniumchanges into lead, for example, thenit�s easy to figure the age of the rock.Except that to do so requires you tomake some very significant assump-tions that, if untrue, drasticallyincrease the chance of error in yourdate.

Assumption 1: You know howmuch parent material and how muchdaughter material were present whenthe rock was formed.

Playing the Geologic Dating Game

All scientists have access to the same data, e.g., rocks,fossils, etc. Differences in interpretation of the dataarise because of different foundational beliefs thatscientists bring to their study. There is no such thingas a value-free fact.

Page 22 Catalyst

Assumption 2: The rate of changefrom parent to daughter has beenconstant for the entire age of therock.

Assumption 3: You know that nocontamination has occurred, i.e., noparent or daughter material has leftthe rock or has entered from anothersource, again for the entire �life� ofthe rock.

Given that supposed geologicages for rocks involve millions andeven billions of years, you can seehow critical it is that these assump-tions be true in order to ensure anykind of accuracy. But how can weknow for sure whether these assump-tions are true? In two words, �wecan�t.� These geologic dating meth-ods rely on unproven and unprovableassumptions.

Huge DisparitiesFamed anthropologist Richard

Leakey unearthed a fossilized skulland wanted to determine how old itwas. The first date he obtained was

over 200 million years, too old(humans weren�t supposed to bearound then!). After several othertests from other labs, each withdifferent results, Leakey got one thatmatched his expectation, and that was

the age he announced. This practiceis not all that uncommon. Conspiracy?Not really. But all scientists bring totheir examination of the data certainbeliefs that shape their interpretationof the data.

In another not uncommonexample of the unreliability of thesedating methods, igneous rocks from a

volcanic eruption observed in 1949were dated at millions of years,obviously somewhat impossible.

Conflicting EvidenceDating rocks is only one way to

Conspiracy? Not really. But all scientists bring totheir examination of the data certain beliefs that shapetheir interpretation of the data.

measure the age of the earth. Manyalternative methods give dates muchless than billions of years. Forexample, the oceans aren�t saltyenough to be billions of years old; atits present rate of decay, the earth�smagnetic field would have beencomparable to a neutron star�s only100,000 years ago; the atmospherecontains too much helium to be morethan a few million years old; and agrowing body of evidence points torapid formation of sedimentary strataby catastrophic events, e.g., floods,rather than slow deposition overmillions of years.

We�ve only scratched the surfaceof this subject. To learn more, checkout The Young Earth by geologistJohn Morris, Evidence for a YoungWorld by astrophysicist D. RussellHumphreys, and The Mythology ofModern Dating Methods by J.Woodmorappe.

Page 23Catalyst

Page 24 Catalyst

The Road Less Traveled

Humor HelpsBy J. Mendez-Guide I

The dog days of summer havearrived. It�s hot � it�s humid � it�sAugust! The lazy days of summer youlonged for in February are here. Whythen does a snowstorm seem likesuch an attractive option? Parks,museums, and monuments are filledwith campers and tourists. Lines arelong and tempers are short � at thekiosk and in the break room.

It�s time to lighten up! So grab amoment or two from your busy dayand a cold one (ice water-you are onduty) while Russ Surber, Guide I andresident humorist at Hearst Castle,provides us with his interpretations ofsome memorable events along with agood chuckle.

Remember the day that one of the Hearst cows decidedto take a tour of the Castle?

How about fond memories of closing time and discover-ing that there is still one last camper in the visitor center?

Now it�s your turn �Draw your toon here�

Hope your summer season was agreat one!

Page 25Catalyst

California�s Tapestry A Section of The Catalyst Office of Community Involvement Issue #18 - Autumn 03

Submit articles and comments to: Jack K. Shu, Park Superintendent, OCI-Southern California, c/o Southern Service Center, 8885 Rio San DiegoDrive, San Diego 92108, Ph# (619) 220-5330.

�For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People�By Jack K. Shu

The phrase �For the Benefit andEnjoyment of the People� is writtenabove one of the entrances ofYellowstone National Park. In the pastfew decades, it has brought toquestion whether the parks can keepprotecting the very natural andcultural resources that caused themto be established and be able toaccommodate all the visitors whowant to visit the park. But there isanother interpretation; can it alsomean that the distribution of thebenefits of parks or the services theyprovide should be equitable?

Here is an observation in whichthe names and other details will be leftout to protect the innocent. There isa park where almost every visitor ismeet by a team of two or three parkstaff. The visitors are given programsduring their entire six- to seven- hourvisit, including slide shows, runningaccounts of what they see as theytravel through the park, and hand-heldobjects.

The program and themes aretypical, about the cultural and naturalhistory of the area, how fragile the

park is with a dash of advocacy forpark protection. At this park, about6,000 visitors a day receive this levelof service during the busy season.The profile of the visitors is almostentirely White, with average medianfamily incomes of well over$100,000 a year. Some are young,but most are older adults and thereare a few foreign visitors. There is nodoubt that the visitors are �upper tomiddle class� Americans. Of the parkteam giving the program to about1,500 visitors at a time, two of theemployees are White and a thirdemployee is a local �cultural expert�representing the indigenous popula-tion.

The park agency belongs to ajurisdiction with a diverse populationand a median family income of about$30,000 to 35,000 a year. However,there is little question that the onlyway this park can operate and serveits visitors is the way it is functioningnow � serving a privileged group ofvisitors and offering special programsjust for them. For the agency tobalance its services within its jurisdic-tion, it would have to provide manymore programs to those who have

much lower incomes. New usergroups would have to come fromneighborhoods other than those whonow visit this nameless park. Ofcourse, there are limited resources tocreate more programs. There is aneven greater problem, those two parkstaff members like much of the restof the agency, are not interested inworking in those neighborhoods.Furthermore, most of the time, parkstaff and managers simply do what hasbeen done in the past.

We know that the agency�sfunding base is supported by theentire jurisdiction and that its repre-sentatives are critical of how re-sources are being distributed. Thissituation is not unique; many parkagencies have similar circumstances.There are no quick solutions ready tobe implemented by the park adminis-tration and there are currently notraining classes for employees thatwill solve this issue this year.

The message to the park inter-preter: From the beginning, parkswere meant to be equitable. As weset up our operational plans anddevelop programs, whom we serveshould be primary among our con-cerns. Our responsibility reaches farbeyond the borders of the park.

Catalyst Autumn 2003 Contents

From the Editor Page 3Interpreters' Resources Page 4Dear Master Interpreter Page 5Daylight as Nature�s Timekeeper Page 6A View on Privatization Page 7Making Programs Relevant to Schools Page 8The Great Eyeball Race Page 10Governor�s Day at Capitol Brings Past Alive Page 12New Twist on an Old Technique Page 13Unit-Specific Junior Ranger Program Page 14Dummy�s Guide to Attending a NIW Page 16 A New Look at Interpretation in Our Parks Page 17Working Your Way Down the Watershed Page 18Picturing Mexican California Page 20Playing the Geologic Dating Game Page 22The Road Less Traveled Page 24California�s Tapestry Page 25

Interpretation & EducationRoom 1431P.O. Box 942896Sacramento, CA 94296-0001®

Please check your address label!

Any changes? Contact Rocky at

(916) 654-2249 or procksvold@parks.ca.gov.