"For This and Future Generations": Cultivating Meanings at Crater Lake National Park
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Date
2014-09-29
Authors
Lester, Sarah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The National Park Service strives to connect the natural and cultural resources located within its national parks to the visitors that experience them. These connections must be on personal, meaningful levels to fulfill the agency mission. Within this thesis, an analytical framework entitled the Mission and Meanings Triad Model (MMTM) is proposed to examine the process of "meaning formulation" in a national park setting. The MMTM takes into account the interdependent nature of three mission-driven factors: the park's resources, interpretation, and the visitor experience. An audience-centered perspective is emphasized within the model to ensure that the end result is the meaningful connection itself, rather than merely an "interpretive opportunity." To illustrate the MMTM, an analysis is undertaken of Crater Lake National Park and its interpretive offerings during the summer 2013 and winter 2014 seasons. Through this field and document analysis, multiple recommendations regarding the improvement of interpretive components are suggested.
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Keywords
Education, Interpretation, National parks, Visitor experience