US Army Corps of Engineers, DeGray Lake Field Office, Arkadelphia, Arkansas.  JVA provided interpretive planning consultation services for a new Visitor Center Exhibit Plan, and reviewed interpretive trail opportunities at the Project site, July, 2009.  You can learn more about this park at: http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?Id=B404530 .  Another link to this park is: http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Lakes/ar/degray/

Arlie Moore Interpretive Trail Head at DeGray Lake, and the reception and VC Exhibit area entrance at DeGray Lake.  The DeGray Lake Visitor Center vista view point also provides an amazing view from the visitor center.

Grey Roots Museum and Archives, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.  JVA was awarded the contract to develop the Interpretive Master Plan for the the Grey Roots Museum and Moreston Heritage Village.  The project began in July 2009 and completed in September 2009.   You can learn more about this client at: http://www.greyroots.com/

Nova Scotia Museums - Canada. JVA provided a variety of interpretive planning/training consultation services for six of the Nova Scotia Museums members including: Highland Village, Sherbrooke Village, Ross Farm, Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Fundy Geological Museum and Village Historique Acadien.  The project began in early September 2009 and took  two weeks to complete, spending approximately one-two days with each site and travel time in-between.  

Highland Village (top left), Ross Farm Museum (center) and the Fundy Geological Museum.

The Cardiff Story (Cardiff City Museum), Cardiff, Wales, UK.   Provided a  interpretive text writing workshop for the museum staff, May 2008.  The Cardiff Story is developing a new museum to interpret and celebrate the people and history of this city.  You can find out more about this project at their web site: http://www.cardiffmuseum.com/ as well as learn about their current programs and activities.

Luray Valley Museum Interpretive Plan, Luray, VA.  This new facility will be part of the Luray Caverns complex, which includes the Luray Caverns (an amazing show cave), vintage car museum, heritage farm and related historic buildings and much more.  The Luray Valley Museum is a new museum project for the site, and will celebrate the history of the Shenandoah Valley with additional emphasis on the decorative arts and people of the Luray Virginia area as well.  Interpretive planning also included looking at the formal Gardens with heritage plants/orchard and related demonstrations.  The project was completed the end of April, 2009.  To learn more about Luray Caverns you can visit their web site at: http://www.luraycaverns.com/

Luray Caverns - Saracen's Tent formation and the new Luray Caverns Museum and Gardens - under construction for a July opening. This site will include many different historic homes/buildings, garden, vistas and more for as part of the historic site complex.  Luray Caverns Park is listed as a National Natural Landmark by the Department of the Interior.

  Group for Education in Museums, UK.  JVA was invited to present a training workshop for GEM entitled Interpretation for the New Millennium - Are You Ready?  This workshop focused on a brief review of interpretive basics and look at new approaches to planning, designing and presenting interpretive programs and services.  We  included topics such as "mass customization", outcome based planning, and new marketing strategies for changing market groups.  The workshop was held at the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Templemeads, Bristol, Friday, 8th of May, 2009. You can visit the GEM web site at: http://www.gem.org.uk. .

Shenandoah Valley battlefields Foundation, Virginia.  Provided an interpretive training workshop for foundation members, March, 2009.   The National Historic District—one of the nation’s congressionally-designated National Heritage Areas—encompasses ten battlefields and more than 325 military engagements as well as numerous related historic sites.  As approved by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation is responsible for leading the preservation effort for these sites.  You can find out more about the work of the Foundation at: http://www.shenandoahatwar.org/

The Big Pit National Coal Museum - A National Museum of Wales Heritage Site.  Big Pit stands on the edge of Blaenafon, a town that played a vital part in the Industrial Revolution. This revolution transformed the landscape, culture and society of Wales, the UK and the world. Awarding World Heritage Status to the town and landscape marked the wider impact of Blaenafon's unique industrial heritage.  JVA was invited to the Big Pit to provide interpretive training and planning consultation services in February, 2009.  This site visit was part of a longer consultation service for the National Museum of Wales which  included work at the National Wool Museum.  You can visit the Big Pit  web site at: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit  

National Museums of Wales - National Wool Museum, Llandysul, Carmarthenshire Wales.  JVA was invited to return to the Wool Museum to provide additional interpretive planning consultation for the museum, February, 2009.  This trip focused on developing a self-guiding audio tour and printed tour booklet for the local village.  You can visit the museum web site at: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/wool

The National Wool Museum, Wales, and one of the many artifacts illustrating the evolution of the wool manufacturing industries.

Natural England.  JVA was awarded a contract to provide a 3-day Introduction to Interpretation module for Natural England.  The course was presented at West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex, January 20th - 22nd, 2009.  To find out more about Natural England, you can visit their web site at: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/   Participants in the workshop didn't include the Giraffe who stuck its neck out to be in the photo below.

Natural England staff who participated in the interpretive guiding course.

  Naturealm - Summit County Metro-Parks, Ohio.  Provide interpretive exhibit planning and design consultation services for Naturealm's new interpretive exhibit project.  JV developed the interpretive master plan for Naturealm last year and this is follow up work to provide consultation on the exhibit design project currently under way.  October- through 2009.

  Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, Pennsylvania.  JVA was awarded the contract to develop the Interpretive Master Plan for the Susquehanna River Water Trail, a 500 mile long corridor that bisects most of eastern Pennsylvania, and includes cultural, natural and historic resources and stories located throughout the corridor.  The project also include: development of a wayfinding system, site analysis of existing orientation and safety panels, analysis of potential retrofit of existing panels, an outdoor recreation linkage system, and a model signage plan for the water trail Phase II.   The project  ran through December of 2008. Follow up services continued through May 2009.  You can visit this client at: http://www.susquehannagreenway.org .

US Army Corps of Engineers - Interpretive Training.  JVA was awarded a  new 5-year interpretive services training contract for teaching two 3-day "Interpretive Services" courses each year for the COE at their Huntsville, AL training center.  We are now planning for our January 2010 training course.   JVA has been providing this interpretive training course for the Corps of Engineers for the past 20 years, and is pleased to be able to continue providing this valuable training for the COE.

Participants in the June 2009 Interpretive Services course - one team (on left) working on the design for a draft interpretive panel - another team (right) working on an interpretive trail planning exercise at our field trip site - Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.  We had 27 participants in the June 2009 course from Army Corps of Engineer Project sites from around the US.

  Snowdonia National Park Environmental Studies Center, Wales, UK.   4-6 May, 2009.  Introduction to Interpretation. This was an "entry level" basic interpretation course for individuals finding themselves working in interpretive sites or positions who have had no formal training in interpretive services.  Lots of hands-on experiences including designing mock-up interpretive panels.

Interpretive course participants (left), and one team working on their "interpretive panel" project (right).

  Prater's Mill Foundation, Dalton, GA.  JVA has been asked to provide interpretive consulting services, and interpretive site assessment services for the Foundation, for Prater's Mill in Whitfield County, GA.,  through 2009.  We were also awarded a contract to develop the Interpretive Master Plan for the Mill and its associated heritage partners within their multi-county region.  You can visit this client at: http://www.PratersMill.org.

Prater's Mill.

Macomb Community College Cultural Center, Clinton Twp, Michigan. Provide a interpretive exhibit planning focus workshop for the Cultural Center exhibition team for their new Great Lakes - Great Stories exhibition to open this summer. Provide consultation services for upcoming exhibitions 2007-2009.   You can find out more about the Cultural Center and its exhibition schedule at:  http://www.macombculturalcenter.com/

Cultural and Heritage Tourism Program, State of Pennsylvania - Provided interpretive planning, marketing and visitor survey consultation services to the six major hubs and State Office, for the state-wide Pennsylvania Underground Railroad and Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom programs development efforts. 

Some of the outstanding living history re-enactors for the Quest for Freedom and Underground Railroad programs.