Environmental Interpretation: A Practical Guide for People with Big Ideas and Small Budgets

by Sam H. Ham

Environmental Interpretation is the first truly applied treatment of environmental communication written specifically for people with big ideas and small budgets. Drawing on 20 years experience and the successes of his colleagues worldwide, Sam Ham presents an unusually diverse collection of low-cost communication techniques that really work.

More than 200 illustrations, photos, and technical insets provide simple instructions for designing and implementing effective education programs in forests, parks, protected areas, zoos, botanical gardens, extension and community programs, and in all kinds of agriculture and natural resource management programs.

Aside from its step-by-step, "how-to" approach, what sets this volume apart is its solid theoretical foundation. Readers learn not only how to communicate their ideas more forcefully but why the methods work. Some 20 case studies, carefully selected from throughout the Western Hemisphere, stimulate the imagination and show how others have successfully applied what this book is about.

Written for beginners and experts alike, the book represents a valuable resource for anyone faced with the need to communicate about the environment yet constrained by lack of money and experience.

Genres: Nature, Sustainability

486 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 1992

Reviews

[Tim Merriman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book in the field of heritage interpretation that really put thematic approaches into practice by making the process very accessible. It has been used in hundreds of classes as textbooks throughout the U.S. and Latin America.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because of my Masters and I don't regret it at all. It was the only thing that helped me get a handle on what on my project should be, how I should write it and organize it. If anybody is doing any sort of work in the interpretative area or scientific signage area, I would recommend this book as an introduction. It's also full of sources and recommended reading, in both English and Spanish, which is great. For anybody who wants to start in interpretation, and thematic interpretation, it's a must.

It's not perfect. It is dated in 2019, particularly in the sections about technology, tapes, recordings... but it can still be helpful even there. Old technologies are surprisingly resilient. I haven't touched transparency projections since grade school, but when lacking resources, I know they're still a very good medium. It's also not the most in-depth book. It's a good introduction to concepts and it guides you through your project (very how-to), but for concepts and beyond, you're probably better off finding other books.

[Ceren Özcan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sade bir dil ile konuyu anlaşılabilir şekilde özetlemiş Sam Ham.

[Lee Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ham's principles still hold true today, and for anyone with little or no experience of heritage interpretation this book will be a revelation. It demonstrates how capital costs can be kept to a minimum with engaging, low-cost displays. Effective interpretation does not require high-cost components, as Ham clearly illustrates.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for any interpreter, guide, teacher, docent, etc.