Naturealm - Summit County Metro-Parks, Ohio.  Provided 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-November, 2008.

MWH Americans, Inc/US Army Corps of Engineers, Bonnet Carre' Spillway, Louisiana. JVA will work as a sub-contractor to MWH Americans, Inc. who are developing the overall Master Plan for the Spillway, to develop the Interpretive Master Plan for the site.  You can visit Bonnet Carrie' Spillway at: http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Recreation/Recreation_Sites_Bonnet_Carre.asp    This project began in June, 2008 and was completed in November 2008.

The spillway (highlighted in green) stretches from the Mississippi River, ,at right, northward to Lake Ponchartrain, on the left of the photo.

Orientation/Interpretive Panel Evaluation Research Project.  Under a separate contract, JVA has been asked to do an evaluation of Greenway Orientation Panels (and other interpretive media) located at Greenway/PA Boat Launch Sites.  The study includes observational studies as well as asking randomly selected visitors to fill out a short questionnaire about the panels design and content.  The project was completed in October 2008.  The final results may end up with these panels being re-designed!!

A typical visitor reviewing one of the boat launch orientation panel                                                                                                                                   placements and completing the associated questionnaire. 

  Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, Pennsylvania.  JVA has been 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 will 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 will run through December of 2008.  You can visit this client at: http://www.susquehannagreenway.org .

Snowdonia National Park Training Center, Wales.  Planning, Design and Evaluation of Interpretive Media Course, September, 2008 held at Plas Tan y Bwlch.  This was a three - day interpretive training course supported in part by a grant from the Countryside Counsil of Wales.

Course participants at the National Slate Museum of Wales - course field trip.

Countryside Training Services (CTS), UK.  JVA was asked to present a one-day workshop, sponsored/coordinated by CTS, on Engaging Your Visitors - a workshop on effective marketing and interpretive media techniques, on 9 September, 2008.  The workshop was held in the Tennis Court Room, the Welcome Trust, Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire.   For more information on CTS you are invited to contact Angela Gamble (CTS Director) at: agamble@ESSEXCC.gov.uk, or visit their web site at: http://www.countrysidetrainingservices.co.uk/ for information on their other services and course offerings.

Course participants in the Marketing and Interpretive Techniques Course.

National Museums of Wales - National Wool Museum, Llandysul, Carmarthenshire Wales.  JVA provided an interpretive site assessment and interpretive planning consultation for the museum, September, 2008.  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.

Shetland Amenity Trust, Shetland Islands, UK.  JVA  provided interpretive planning consultation services for the Trust for a project they are undertaking to restore the lighthouse at Sumburgh Head and convert some of the residential buildings associated with the lighthouse into an education and interpretive center.   August, 2008.

  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.  February - May 2008.  We were also recently 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.

Summit County Historical Society, Akron, Ohio.  JVA provided interpretive planning consultation and a objective workshop session for the Society, with focus on their "John Brown House" becoming an education and community oral history/ethnography center.   April, 2008.  You can visit this client at: http://www.summithistory.org/contact.htm .  A follow up workshop session will occur on the 13th of June, 2008.

   The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley - Glen Burnie Historic House and Gardens Interpretive Plan.  JVA was selected to develop the interpretive master plan for the Glen Burnie Historic House and Gardens facility within the museum campus.   You are invited to visit this client at: http://www.shenandoahmuseum.org.   The project ran from April 08 until November 2008 when it was completed.

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 2009 training.   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 Corps.

Participants in last years Interpretive Services Course (field trip to Constitution Hall Village Historic Site and in-class lectures and activities).

The Eden Project, Cornwall, England.  JVA   provided interpretive training for the Eden Project education/tour guide staff, March, 2008.  The Eden Project is an amazing site as you can see from the photos below.   You can visit their web site to find out more about them at: http://www.edenproject.com

International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin.  Provided interpretive training and interpretive planning consultation services for development of new outdoor exhibits for the Center, February, 2008.  You can visit this site at: http://www.savingcranes.org. \

Lackawanna Heritage Valley, Scranton, PA.  Provide an interpretive training workshop for LHV sites.  March 31st, 2008.  You can visit this client at: http://www.LHVA.org.

Sherbrooke Restoration Commission, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada).   Provided interpretive training/consultation for several NS Historic Sites including: Ross Farm Museum, Sherbrooke Village and Highland Village. You can visit Ross Farm at: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/rfm/, Sherbrooke Village at: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/sv/index.php, and Highland Village at: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/hv/.   Training seminars took place in April, 2008

JVA provided an interpretive training course for the National Waterfront Museum - a part of the National Museums of Wales, UK, May, 2008.  This is a large and unique museum.  The workshop will focus on interpretive planning for programs and new exhibit planning.  You are invited to visit this museums web site for more details on its programs, galleries and services.  http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/swansea/   A photo of the Museum Campus is shown below.

Texas Historical Commission.  Provide three interpretive workshop sessions for the THC annual conference, 1-3 May, 2008.   You can learn more about the THC at http://www.the.state.tx.us.

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 - Provide 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.  This project will run from 1 July 07 through 2009.

   The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley - Rose Hill Interpretive Plan.  JVA was selected to develop the interpretive master plan for the Rose Hill facility within the museum campus.   You are invited to visit this client at: http://www.shenandoahmuseum.org.   The project ran from October  07 through February, 2008.

The Rose Hill Farm historic home (front view - left, and side view - right).  The interpretive plan for this farm site will interpret the theme "Rose Hill gives us a window into the past of an average Shenandoah Valley farming family's life, through many generations, from early settlement through the Civil War".   The property includes a civil war battlefield site, farm buildings, and a future environmental education center and activity area.

Wisconsin DNR Division of Forestry - Forestry Education and Awareness Center Interpretive Master Plan.  JVA was selected to develop the Interpretive Plan for the new Forestry Education and Awareness Center, Milwaukee County, WI.  June 07 - April 08.

A general view of the woodlot area (left) and our proposed aerial or canopy elevated boardwalk leading from the Forestry Awareness and Interpretive Center into the forest canopy with discovery stations.

Snowdonia National Park Training Center, Wales.  Interpretive Master Planning Course, May 2008 held at Plas Tan y Bwlch.  This was a three - day interprjetive training course supported in part by a grant from the Countryside Counsil of Wales.

Course participants on a field trip to a slate mine museum for the deep mine tour.

Norfolk Tourism, Norwich, and the Broads Authority ENGLAND, received a LEADER + grant for a major interpretive project for the Norfolk Tourism region and Broads National Park Authority.  JVA was the winning proposal for Phase I of this project to develop a structured interpretive assessment of all current interpretive sites and facilities within the region and their interpretive services, develop a regional interpretive strategy, and regional interpretive planning and training program.  Phase I was completed in September 2007. JVA was recently awarded the contract for Phase II of this large project, and will be developing several interpretive training courses offered in the Region, as well as developing 10 interpretive plans for selected "priority development" sites within the Broads.  The project ran  from October 2007 - March 2008.

Some general views from the Broads National Park.  Top photos, sailboats on the broads (left) and canal boats on a typical broads (salt marsh estuary) with typical windmill (for pumping water) in the background.  Many historical sites within the National Park boundary like St. Bennets Abby ruin (with a later windmill foundation in the middle of it) and a historic landscape from a port once used by the Romans for shipping goods in and out of a town once located here.