John Veverka & Associates

Interpretive Consultants

Provoke, Relate, Reveal and more!

For the Cutting edge in Heritage Interpretation

Interpretive Planning, Training, Evaluation and more!

World Wide

5010 Delray Dr. Lansing, Michigan 48910

(517) 899-4548 (we've gone mobile)   jvainterp@aol.com

SKYPE: jvainterp

From interpretive planning for castles in Wales for the National Trust and bird sanctuaries in Michigan for the Kellogg Biological Station, to interpretive training in Alabama for the US Army Corps of Engineers, and museum exhibit evaluation in Wisconsin - (bottom row) and critiquing ancient temples interpretation on Malta for Malta Heritage, prehistoric archaeological site interpretation in Utah for Nine Mile Canyon/BLM, and docent/interpretive staff training for the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, we do that - and more!

Heritage Interpretation: Interpretive Planning, Training and Consultation Services

Serving Parks, Museums, Historic Sites, Zoos & Botanical Gardens, Heritage Tourism Sites and Facilities, Commercial Tourism Attractions, and related interpretive sites and facilities -

Qualifications

2011 Projects

2010 Projects

2009 Projects

2008 Projects

2007 Projects

2006 Projects

2005 Projects

2004 Projects 

2003 Projects  Interpretive Services Library Interpretive Planning  Scenic Byways  Evaluation Links         Text Book     Training Video    Home Page

                   Clients and Projects for 2006

Association of Partners for Public Lands/NPS Gateway Program.  Provide three one-day interpretive planning seminars to Gateway member sites staff on basics of interpretation and the importance of interpretive planning.  January, 2007.

State of Pennsylvania, Department of Community & Economic Development.  Provide an interpretive planning seminar and open dialogue for their Pennsylvania Underground Railroad Colloquium, 19 January, 2007, Christiana, PA.

Mainline Canal Greenway/Allegheny Ridge Corp. Provide a one-day interpretive training workshop on Creating Interpretive Panels that Work! 13 December, 2006, presented at the Altoona Heritage Discovery Center, Altoona, PA.

  Haida Heritage Centre, Skipgate, B.C. Canada. Provide a variety of interpretive planning consultation services and interpretive training for the Heritage Centre Staff as well as interpretive program planning develoment.  The $26 million dollar heritage centre is a series of longhouses connected by interior walkways and fronted with six traditional totem poles representing each of the 14 clans.  The interpretation focuses on and is a celebration of the living culture of the Haida people.  You can visit this site at: http://www.haidaheritagecentre.com.   December 2006 - January 2007.

Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for Enterprise & Development, Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Provide a training workshop in Interpretive Master Planning for the organization staff.  September, 2006.  You can visit this clients web site at: http://www.planed.org.uk .

Hallefors Center for Interpretation, Sweden.  Provide a two-day interpretive training workshop on Planning and Designing Interpretive Trails and related Media.  September, 2006.   You can visit this client at: http://www.interpretation.se .

The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, Bradford, UK.  Provide a two-day workshop on Planning and Conducting Live Interpretive Programs and Tours to museum interpretive/education staff.  September, 2006.  You can visit their web site at: http://www.nmpft.org.uk/about/background.asp.

The National Museum of Wales and Mynydd Parys on Anglesey.  Provide a one-day Interpretive trails planning tour presentation workshop for a historic copper mine (photo).  To find out more about Amlwch History and this interpretive site, visit their web site at: http://www.AmlwchHistory@parysmountain.co.uk.   September, 2006.

  Slovenian Museum of Natural History, Ljubljana, Slovenia.  Provide two days of interpretive exhibit planning consultation services for their new exhibition "What is changing the world?".  September, 2006.

Municipality of Ljubljana, Nature park Ljubljansko barje, Ljubljana, Slovenia.  Provide one day of interpretive planning consultation for the development of the under development Nature Park Ljubljansko barje.  September, 2006.

  BirdLife Slovenia Association.  Provide a short 1/2 day interpretive session on interpretive planning for "interpretive trails" for a short bird-watching trail at the area of Ljubljansko barje.   September, 2006.

Provide consultation for the new "Greatest Generation" exhibit helping to develop and refine the theme and sub-themes and integate the interprtve planning principles in to the total exhibition development.  October, 2006.

E.L. Johnson Nature Center, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  Provide a focus workshop and consultation service for development of new exhibits for the Nature Center.  July, 2006.

Provide a one-day workshop/overview of the interpretive planning process and interpretive development strategy for the new Macomb Cultural Center being planned by the Community College, Macomb County, Michigan. July 2006.  You can visit the Macomb Community College web site at: http://www.macomb.edu

Develop the Interpretive Systems Plan for the Mainline  Canal Greenway, Pennsylvania.  The Greenway is a heritage corridor following the route of the historic Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, going from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg PA, almost 320 miles in length.  This project will take many months to complete, and will begin in July, 2006.  You can learn more about his heritage area at: http://www.alleghenyridge.org . Two of the interprtive sites along the greenway (photos below), Locust Campground (left) with part of the original canal intact, and the city of Saltsburg with the canal route preserved in the towns main street.

Juniata River Water Trail, Pennsylvania.   Provide interpretive planning services and draft concept for interpretive signage at key access points for the Water Trail, which includes about 150 miles of paddling/boating the river and includes parks of the old Mainline Canal and the Mainline Canal Greenway.  For more information on the River Water Trail contact: http://www.alleghenyridge.org  (The Altoona Heritage Discovery Center).

Stark County Park District, Ohio.   Develop the Interpretive Master Plan for the Magnolia Flouring Mills Historic Site, operated by the Park District.  The interpretive plan will consider planning for both interior  and external interpretive services, programs, and media.  You can visit Stark Parks at: http://www.starkparks.com/homepage.htm.   This project will begin in July 2006. 

  Magnolia Flouring Mills

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Washington, PA.  Provide interpretive exhibit planning consultation services and docent training assessment and training workshop services for the museum, July-October 2006.  You can visit the museum at: http://www.pa-trolley.org .

Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Park (museum complex), St. Mary's County Museum Division, Colton's Point, MD.  Develop the Interpretive Master Plan for the Museum and Park Museum Complex.  Project to begin in June, 2006.   You can visit this client at: http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/museums

Piney Point Lighthouse, Colton's Point, MD.

Nova Scotia Dept. of Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, Heritage Division, Nova Scotia, Canada.  Provide a 3-day interpretive training workshop of several different interpretive topics (interpretive planning, exhibit evaluation, etc.) to a variety to local and regional museums and related historic/heritage sites.  June, 2006. 

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museums of Wales.   Provided a 2-day interpretive workshop focusing on Interpretive Planning, Interpretive Exhibit Planning and Exhibit Evaluation, Cardiff, Wales.  May 2006.

Dawson Historical Complex National Historic Site of Canada, Dawson City, Y.T.  Provide five days of interpretive training workshops on both personal (live) interpretation, and non-personal interpretive services and media planning.  May, 2006.  You can visit this client at:  http://www.pc.gc.ca/1hn-nhs/yt/dawson/plan/plan11_e.asp.

Parks Canada & Dawson City Museum Staff participating in the Interpretive Training Workshops (top left).  Interpretive planning consultations were also provided for the Parks Canada Dredge #4 National Historic Site (top right), and the SS Keno National Historic Site.

  Bar U Ranch National Historic Site of Canada, Alberta, Canada.  Provide a 2-day interpretive training workshop for this, and near-by other Parks Canada staff, to be held at the Bar U Ranch.  May, 2006. For more information about the Bar U Ranch you can visit their web site at: http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/baru/index_e.asp

Norfolk Tourism, Norwich, UK.  Provide 2 days of interpretive training workshops focusing on planning and design of heritage tourism marketing brochures.  May, 2006.  You can visit Norfolk Tourism at: http://www.visitforfolk.co.uk

Nashville and Davidson County Parks and Recreation, Nashville, TN.  Provide an interpretive planning focus workshop session, and a 3-day visitor center  interpretive planning course.  The Visitor Center course will allow staff to develop working draft interpretive exhibit plans for three new interpretive centers currently in the planning stages.  February, 2006.  You can visit this client at: http://www.nashville.gov/parks/wpnc.htm

Slovene Ethnographic Museum in Ljubljana (Slovenia).  Provide interpretive exhibit planning training and exhibit planning consultation for major new exhibits being developed for the museum.  You can visit the museum at: http://www.etno-muzej.si/index_eng.php

Postojna Cave (Slovenia) - (KRAS Destination Management Postojna).  Develop and present a 5-day interpretive training course and interpretive program development strategy for the Postojna Cave Interpretive Guide Staff/program, January, 2006.  You can visit their web site at: http://www.postojnska-jama.si

                                 Professional Interpretive Guides participating in the Interpretive Planning and Presentation Skills worskhop at Postojna Cave.

Stark County Park District (Ohio).   Interpretive exhibit planning and label copy writing consultation services for a new exhibition being developed for their new District Library Educational Facility.   You can visit this client at: http://www.starkparks.com ,January 2006.

Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons, MD.  Provide two interpretive workshops for museum staff - one workshop on general principles of interpretation and interpretive planning for museums, and one workshop for exhibit staff on planning effective interpretive exhibits.  February, 2006.  You can visit the Calvert Marine Museum at:  http://www.calvertmarinemuseum.com.   This site is a member of the NPS Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.

Chesapeake Parks and Recreation, Chesapeake, VA. Develop the Interpretive Master Plan for Great Bridge Lock Park, and the Interpretive Exhibit Plan for the Great Bridge Lock Park Visitor Center. March 2006 - May 2006. This site is a member of the NPS Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network and the project is funded by a NPS Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grant.

Watermen's Museum, Yorktown, Virginia.  Develop an interpretive plan for exterior interpretive signage and services.  You can visit this museum as: http://www.watermens.org.   The project will run from October 05 through January 06.

The Watermen's Museum.

Snowdonia National Park Training Center, Wales. Participants in our 2006 courses at SNP - May 2006 - Planning/Design of Interpretive Media (bottom left), and September 2006 Interpretive Master Planning Course (bottom right).

Participants in the May 2006 Interpretive Media Course (left) and Sept. Master Planning Course (right).

US Army Corps of Engineers - Interpretive Services Course.  JVA was awarded the contract to teach the annual   Interpretive Services Training Course for the Corps through 2006.  The contract also calls for rewriting/updating the course training manual, lesson plans, and all course handouts in 2004.  Training courses for 2006 were held in   February and June at the COE National Training Center, Huntsville, Alabama.

Feb. 2006 and June 2006  Interp. Services Classes.