(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2007) Koch, Alison Lindsey; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Dennis Aig
The future of the National Park Service depends upon the agency's ability to educate the public to care for and preserve America's parks. In order to achieve this, parks must provide accurate, up-to-date scientific and preservation management information to visitors so that they gain a greater appreciation of parks by understanding what they protect. Although the Park Service has gone to great lengths to ensure scientific information is utilized in all management decision-making, no management documents or Park Service programs currently provide practical guidance or are adequately equipped to directly address communicating accurate and up-to-date scientific and preservation information to those who hold the future of parks in their hands: the public. Demands placed upon interpreters, who are the park staff primarily responsible for front lines visitor communication and services, are such that science communication can get lost in an array of other informational needs.
