THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE INTERPRETATION
Bridging the gap Nature interpretation = making meaning by John Roff – environmental educator at Hilton College, Howick, and author of Bridging the gap, a handbook for environmental educators and interpreters. There seems to be an increasing gap between people and nature. Interpretation can be seen as a process of repairing this divide by building bridges, across unfamiliar territory, to places of deeper care and understanding. The simplest definition of interpretation is ‘making meaning’. The interpreter is one who makes or reveals meaning of a place and the living things, processes and human interactions, in which all the participants (including the interpreter) are learning. Interpretation happens in many ways, from guided tours to brochures, signboards, slideshows, living theatre and many others. The principles in this section can be applied in any place, to any kind of interpretation. “Interpretation is first and foremost a communication process, to reveal