INTERPRETIVE MASTER PLAN 2019 - 2023 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION p. 3 2 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES p. 8 3 THEME HIERARCHY p. 16 4 TARGET AUDIENCE PROFILE p. 20 5 RECOMMENDATIONS p. 26 6 IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE p. 42 APPENDIX A HISTORY p. 50 B INVENTORY p. 57 C PARAMETERS p. 64 D STRATEGIES p. 71 1 INTRODUCTION THE INTERPRETIVE EXPERIENCE On your way home from visiting relatives, your family decides to stop at that botanic garden you’ve been meaning to visit. The clear directions provided on the garden’s website help you navigate through city traffic with ease. As you come closer to your destination, you are happy to find road signs that guide you in the right direction and as you approach the garden, you easily locate the large and attractive entrance sign in the distance. Once you’ve parked, you easily identify a path leading to a welcome center. When you arrive at the center, you receive a friendly welcome from a staff member and then notice a sign publicizing a guided tour of the grounds later that day. An eye-catching exhibit draws your attention, which gives you a clear picture of what you can experience and helps your family plan your day. Though you’ve just arrived, you feel comfortable and eager to explore this unique place. When you think back to visits to your favorite attractions, what made them memorable? They likely started out similarly to the scenario above. It is critical to the success of botanic gardens, museums, zoos, aquariums, and other cultural attractions to consider what visitors need to make their experience enjoyable and enriching. Enabling visitors to easily orient themselves, recognize and locate all experiences offered, and interact with interpretation that helps them gain a deeper understanding of what they are experiencing and why it is important are all part of the “interpretive experience.” This experience is successful when the interpretive planning process is taken to determine how best to deliver these services to visitors. WHAT MAKES INFORMATION INTERPRETIVE? Visitors come to experience what is offered at a cultural attraction, not to engage with interpretation. To motivate visitors to commit time and engage with messages communicated during their visits, information must be offered in a way they consider worthwhile for the effort involved. Information that relates to the visitor, reveals a larger message, and provokes visitors’ curiosity has a much higher likelihood of attracting and holding visitors’ attention. Presenting information in this way is considered the interpretive approach to communication. DEFINITION OF INTERPRETATION The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to inspire leadership and excellence to advance heritage interpretation as a profession. NAI defines interpretation as: “A mission-based communication process that forges emotional and intellectual connections between the interests of the audience and the meanings inherent in the resource.” DEFINITION OF INTERPRETIVE PLANNING The purpose of an interpretive plan is to identify the most appropriate methods of interpretation to successfully deliver messages to the intended audiences for the purposes of achieving a desired outcome. NAI defines interpretive planning as: “A decision-making process that blends management needs and resource considerations with visitor desire and ability to pay to determine the most effective way to communicate the message to targeted markets.” 3 Interpretive Master Plan 2019 1 INTRODUCTION THE INTERPRETIVE PLANNING PROCESS LAY THE FOUNDATION DEVELOP THE PLAN Establish Interpretive Goals and Objectives: Develop message framework: The overarching A mission-based road map for achieving theme, subthemes, and supporting stories that desired outcomes from offering an focus communication to achieve the desired Interpretive Program. impact on attitude and behavior. Inventory parameters: Identify visitor interpretive experiences: Site-specific: Identify features of the site Develop narratives that describe the desired that impact the scope of interpretive media. visitor experience for all target audiences that align with their motivation for visiting. Institutional: Identify policies, funding, staffing and other factors that impact the Identify the information network: All Interpretive Program. components that facilitate an interpretive experience that enhances the experience Inventory interpretive opportunities: Take visitors expected. stock of all interpretive features and their potential interpretive stories. Prescribe interpretation: Description of all interpretive media and services needed to Profile audience characteristics: Identify facilitate the desired visitor experiences. the needs, interests, and expectations that motivate the audience to commit time and Implement strategy: A timeline of tasks pay attention to interpretive offerings. required (by year) to complete the interpretive plan, which includes seeking funding. SCOPE OF PLAN Interpretation is an integral part of Cornell Botanic Gardens’ management and operations and this plan builds on our strong foundation of interpretive media and services. Beginning in 2014, Cornell Botanic Gardens launched a thoughtful examination of our organization and our resolve to make a positive impact on people and the planet. A new mission and vision was developed and, in fall 2016, our name was changed to Cornell Botanic Gardens from Cornell Plantations to better reflect our commitment to our core pillars— cultivation, conservation, and education. This plan ensures that all current and new interpretive offerings are aligned with our updated vision, mission, and strategic plan. FURTHER READING A complete account of Cornell Botanic Gardens’ history and natural heritage is found in Appendix A. 4 Interpretive Master Plan 2019 1 INTRODUCTION CORNELL BOTANIC GARDENS: AT A GLANCE Cornell Botanic Gardens is Cornell University’s gardens, arboretum, and natural areas. Diverse cultivated collections and natural areas provide opportunities for study, research, and enrichment for the Cornell community and the general public. CULTIVATED COLLECTIONS Diverse collections of cultivated plants are located within 25 acres of specialty gardens surrounding the Nevin Welcome Center and within the nearby 100-acre F. R. Newman Arboretum. Nevin Center Gardens: Twelve display gardens feature herbs, flowers, vegetables, rhododendrons, perennials, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, plants with winter interest, conifers, and more. F. R. Newman Arboretum: A wide range of native and cultivated varieties of trees and shrubs hardy in New York State including maples, oaks, crabapples, conifers, dogwoods, and urban trees. Display gardens include the Zucker Flowering Shrub Collection, the Treman Woodland Walk, and numerous “pocket gardens” dispersed throughout the Arboretum. NATURAL AREAS Cornell Botanic Gardens manages 38 preserves totaling 3,600 acres, which are managed to protect the full range of natural community types and most rare plant habitats found in the Finger Lakes Region for education, research, and conservation. On-campus Natural Areas: Over 700 acres among 11 natural areas are found on or near Cornell campus. Woven amid the gardens and Arboretum, they impart the scenic beauty of Cornell and include three gorges and iconic Beebe Lake. Off-campus Natural Areas: A diversity of 27 natural areas including bogs, fens, gorges, glens, meadows, woodlands and other ecologically- significant communities are located throughout Tompkins County and beyond. FURTHER READING A complete inventory of all cultivated and natural areas is found in Appendix B. OPERATIONS Budget: 3.5 million dollar annual budget funded by endowments, monetary gifts and membership, grants, earned income and Cornell University. Staff: Team of 41 includes • 5 administrative/development staff. • 7 staff in the education department, which includes communication and interpretation. • 5 facilities management and construction staff. • 7 staff devoted to stewarding natural areas. • 19 staff oversee the curation and care of the cultivated collections. Volunteers: A core of 125 volunteers carry out a wide range of tasks from gardening and stewarding natural areas to leading tours. Advisory Council: Eleven dedicated individuals including Cornell alumni, faculty, students, and community members who advise and support our vision. 5 Interpretive Master Plan 2019 1 INTRODUCTION Faculty Fellows: Eight Cornell faculty from across disciplines formally collaborate to advance their teaching and research while furthering Cornell Botanic Gardens’ mission. FURTHER READING A complete list of physical features, policies, and other parameters as well as their potential impact on interpretive recommendations is found in Appendix C. CURRENT INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS Cornell Botanic Gardens offer a wide variety of high-quality interpretive and educational opportunities to the public year-round. HOW INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION WORK TOGETHER Achieving desired visitor outcomes (goals and objectives) depends on more than just interpretive opportunities. The role of interpretation is not in-depth education, but inspiration to learn more. Attending an education program at Cornell Botanic Gardens such as a class, workshop, and lecture is one way for visitors to learn more about a subject introduced through interpretation. Adult education: We offer educational programs for adults throughout the year, including guided tours, workshops, botanical art classes, lectures, and special events. Staff