Post on 06-Apr-2016
description
National Parks as Curators of Change
For almost a century, the US National Park Service (NPS) has existed as an institution which protects our cultural and natural resources. Through conservation, preservation, and traditional resource curation the NPS has frozen in time the history of our changing land and culturally diversifying peoples.
I propose that a new model be developed by the NPS which seeks to curate our cultural and natural changes as they occur.
The process of curation would be inclusive and would engage the public as citizen scientists in the process of documentation. A living document would result, curating what we see every day on a micro and macro scale.
This model could be implemented by park managers and visitors while within the U.S. National Park Service and therefor would take a different shape based on its people groups and locations. Glacial retreats and animal habitation are some examples to consider.
The primary delivery and collection method of information and visualizations would be through a user generated interface which chronicles these changes over time and provides opportunities for experiential and quantifi able data extraction.
Base image: Louis H. Pedersen (1917)
Cameron R. Rodman
PARK DECLINESYMPTOMS
9%
17%
16DAY
$
5%NATIONAL PARKS VISITATION
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS REALLY SAY???
140 MILLIONREDUCTION IN FUNDINGIN 2011
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TAYS
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FEDERAL SHUTDOWN
BU
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ALL PARK TYPES - REC. VISITORS
HTTP://WWW.NPCA.ORG
WWW.NPS.GOV
ICON CREDIT: JAMES CHRISTOPHER,
13.5 MILLION
4.8 MILLION
2.8
MIL
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THE SPORTSMEN’S HERITAGE ACT
ANTIQUITIES ACT
CLEAN WATER PROTECTION RULE
FUTURE PARK DESIGNATIONS
NATIONAL PARK FUNDING
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
FRACKING THREATENS HEALTH OF NATIONAL PARKS
IN THE 21ST CENTURY?
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VISITOR ENGAGEMENT METHODS
While in the nation’s parks, visitors are engaged in a variety of ways. Some are actively engaged while others are passively engaged. Each of these engagement types creates a typified response which alters the actions and experience of the park visitor. Much like traditional marketing and current social media marketing trends, engagement is everything. Without engagement, the consumer, in our case the park visitor leaves without buying into the idea or product (the national park). This can be detrimental to our national parks longevity and the successful sharing of our countries greatest idea through generations and culture groups. Actively engaging park visitors and those who have yet to come to the parks is essential to creating a feeling of empowerment within the visitor. An accurate understanding of which areas need improved engagement techniques and those that are currently working but can be further built upon is essential.
IDENTIFY LANDS IDENTIFY LANDS
STORY FROZEN IN TIMESTORY GROWS
WITH TIMEREINTERPRETATION
CONSERVE CONSERVEPRESERVE PRESERVE
TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION
Our parks each tell a story. The decades of history, cultural richness, ecological variations, and scenic wonders are all wrapped up in the container that are the national parks.
These lands, through local movements and political legislation, have been bound up and protected by the people and for the people for generations to come. Each park unit is often maintained to represent before a specific time in history. Meaning that at a certain point cultural associations and relationships no longer develop as part of the identity of the place.
The place is locked in time. While staff continue to work with ever changing dynamics within the parks (pollution, landscape systems, animals, plants, etc.), cultural and historical changes fail to find integration into the curated identify of the parks.
Many may ask why change should be introduced and recognized within the parks. Is this the goal and duty of the parks? Does this new idea not threaten the idea of the parks? Should people be included as part of the parks ever changing image and history?
DYNAMIC INTERPRETATION
If parks are ever changing and the experience of people within these parks is always changing...why not then include these experiences as part of the story? While nature has the ability to exist without our presence and contribution to the story line, it is our experience of and in nature that enriches our memory of the place. This is true culturally, spiritually, and physically.
What would happen if we injected the concept and ideas that these landscape are always changing and that the political climates, amongst other things, all play a role in the development and identity of these places?
We will see that the park stories change. This doesn’t mean that we have to build signs at the entrance of each park that says ‘this park made possible by your state senator’. Rather, the engagement of these changing stories helps us identify with these special lands in a way that creates and promotes ownership by park visitors.
The inclusion of people and their experiences, as a means of developing pride and ownership, is essential for creating future success for these wonderful places.
WEATHER
MOST COMMON VIEWS
AVERAGE SPEEDS
TRAIL ELEVATION
ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS
TRAIL CONDITIONS
TRAIL DIFFICULTY
TRAIL TRACKING
PHENOLOGY DATA COLLECTED
TAGGED IMAGES
SHARES TO SOCIAL MEDIA
FAVORITE MOMENTS IN PARK
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE
FAVORITE VIEWS
SKILLS DEVELOPED
HIKE DIFFICULTY
PUREDATA
VISITOR EXPERIENCES INTERPRETED
INPUT OUTPUT
BIG DATA EXPERIENCE - MAPPING
SOCIOLOGY
USER DATA - SOCIAL SCIENTIST PICS/PHENOLOGY/ANIMALS
PERSONALIZE EXPERIENCE: TRIP AND TAKE HOME
USER SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIENCE - FB - YEARBOOK
EXPERIENTIAL
Younger generations have begun to view their world in a very different way. Digital technology is one of the methods through which these generations view their world. A misconception is
that younger generations need technology to view nature.
Instead, viewing is now layered. Current generations are now learning to view the world with multiple layers of information. Our desire for layering information on almost everything has
driven the successful development of digital technologies. People don’t need to simply have a friend. For example, many people now look to have a friend, understand their friends social
network, their personal interests, their travels, and much more.
Nature is the same. Now, when people look at nature they want to understand the relationship to climate change, food production, endangered species, and local/regional implications. Nature, for this generation, needs to be more than just a bear walking through the woods. This logical
and educational complexity helps layer reasons that they should prioritize their concern for this object. These layers can be viewed through any tool. Magazine, book, hiking group, interpretive
ranger, or an ipad. They all accomplish a similar goal. They diversify and layer the story.
ENHANCING OUR PERCEPTION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
THROUGH A DIGITAL LENS
NATIONALPARKS
USE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE
PRESERVE
RESEARCH
ENGAGEMENTSOCIAL MEDIA
YEAR BOOK
ADVENTURE LOG BOOK
RESOURCE CURATION
MAPPING
DU
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DU
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TRADITIONAL PARK EXPERIENCE
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BIG DATA
VIP’S
TRAIL USE/DEGRADATION
TRAIL DAMAGE
INVASIVE
FRONT AND BACKCOUNTRY USE
TAGS
TRAFFIC
ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS
VISITOR DATA
PLANTS
ANIMALS
TAGS
JOURNAL
BADGES
FRIENDS
DESTINATIONS
TRAILS
IMAGE
VIDEOS
500 MILE PLUS CLUB
RESOURCE PROTECTION
NATURAL SYSTEMS
ANIMALS
HABITAT
PERSONAL DEVICE
RENTAL DEVICE
Phenology
UPLOAD MOBILE CLIENT
TABLET
MOBILE
WARNINGS
CAN CONNECT TO SOCIAL PROFILES
INTELLIGENT USER INTERFACE
AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE (AI)
QUESTIONNAIRE
VISUALIZE HOTSPOTS W/APP
APPROACH - PUSH NOTIFICATION (I.E. WATERFALL, OVERLOOKS)
SELFIE UP/LOAD W TAG RECOMMENDATIONS
VIDEO/IMAGES/SOUNDS/TRIVIA/GAMES
INPUT PERSONAL SELECTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE
Project NOAH
INP
UT
OUTPUT
CITIZEN SCIENCE
CAN CONNECT TO SOCIAL PROFILES
HOW I SUPPORT THE PARKWHO I MET WHAT I LEARNED
WHERE I HIKED
WHAT I SAW
FRANCOIS
PICSICONS: SIMON CHILD, MONIKA CIAPALA, EALANCHELIYAN S
BASE IMAGE: NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
VIDEO FIRE SWIMMING TRACKINGXU
LAUREN
CLARK
MY PARK EXPERIENCETHE PERSONALIZED PARK EXPERIENCE
The digital platform has the current ability to collect and organize a person’s individualized experience throughout the park system. A large variety of data can be automatically collected and additional information can be supplemented with the goal of generating a takeaway that reminds the visitor of their experience, the relationships they developed, and the knowledge that they acquired while visiting.
Pictures, videos, linking to new friends via social networking, and an account of the trails and locations that they visited are all captured in this living document which grows with each subsequent park visit. Each park unit visit adds to the experience and the story that people relate to our national park units. This living document places value on the place of our national parks and the resources that we strive to protect.
President RooseveltSept. 2 1940Park Dedication
1900
2000
“Educational and historical platforms can provide visitors with an unique user specific experience.”
INTERESTS VISUALIZED
Decades of historical information swim around our national monuments and in our national parks. The decreasing funding to our national parks reduces the ability of our park staff to interact with visitors. Having the opportunity to more fully understand the cultural and historical significance of our treasured lands and landmarks is available.
The Roosevelt Monument is one example of technologies ability to present the decades of events that surround the monument. Visitors can learn about the grassroots movement to secure the lands for the park from the timber industry, the dedication of the park, the efforts of the CCC throughout the park, how the Appalachian trail crosses through this location, and how the weather fluctuates atop this wondrous gap.
Visitors can watch events such as the 75th anniversary celebration or view images from the original park dedication by President Roosevelt. Previously input personal preferences would highlight specific info over others. If a visitor is more interested in plants or animals instead of history this would be shown.
INTERESTS VISUALIZED
image credit: ADAM BRIMER/NEWS SENTINELimage credit: NPSColor calender credit: https://www.behance.net/Emigo
“Rangers would now have additional assistance in educating visitors on the dangers of approaching and feeding wildlife through on-screen prompts.”
WILDLIFE EDUCATION
Millions of visitors enter our park each year looking to view wildlife. Wildlife viewing is one of the largest recreational industries in our nation and in the world. In-ear tracking can be used by the parks to embed information for veterinary care. This information can be pared with visitor programs which provided educational material to visitors.
Visitors can learn about the habitat, feeding habits, hibernation patterns, and even the history of the specific animal. This helps the visitor view the animal as something worth protecting and communicates value of the animal in the overall system of the park.
Some may worry that this would encourage visitors to get closer to the animals. This would be untrue. Locating technology would be at a far distance and would actually encourage responsible visitor behavior through on screen warnings and educational material. When visitors tap the ‘more info’ tab, an on screen prompt would pop up which required a type of interaction indicating that visitors have read and understand the danger of wild animals and the potential impacts that the human presence can have.
WILDLIFE EDUCATION
VISITOR CENTERS
Over 9 million visitors enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. Numerous visitors stop at the Oconaluftee and Sugarlands visitor centers. These two visitors centers are among numerous information hubs located throughout the park.
Visitor centers, heritage centers, research facilities, educational facilities, and even basic facilities offer opportunities for the park to reach out to visitors and provide education, information, and resources.
Current information curation within these facilities and at outdoor centers allow for limited user engagement. An information center like the one pictured below on the far wall is only able to receive the 6-8 people comfortably. Other than the TV. the information presented is static and unlayered.
If paired with digital technology a visitor could use the display from across the room, watch videos, download interactive educational material, download maps, they could even share the information with their friends and social media networks.
“Digitally curated information is the future. Presenting layered information multiplies the reach of the park staff and diversifies the information available.”
VISITORCENTERS
INTERACTIVE INFO
Current visitor center displays can be enhanced with additional layered information. The 3d topo and trails/road map below can be enhanced by introducing an overhead projection system which projects user generated information onto the surface below. This resource would augment the presence and abilities of volunteers within the visitor center.
Park visitors could visit this table for traffic directions, trail information, areas to avoid due to traffic jams or icy road conditions, and most popular sites within the park. Features like this can also serve the park by providing visitors with recommended alternative destinations so they can avoid overcrowded and stressed resource sites.
The information panels, as well as the table as a whole, can be embedded with mobile interactivity. As visitors walk around the table they can hold their mobile device between the table and themselves. They will then see options to learn more about the geology or phenology of the park. They could learn about the history of the parks original inhabitants (Native Americans) and their displacement by European settlers.
WEATHERSnow and rain can set in fast in the Smokies. Be prepared with the proper hiking supplies and always know your abilities and the forecast.
DANGER:Numerous people have lost their lives attempting to get near dangerous features. Always exercise caution around cliffs, water, and in the park.
“The availability of information allows people to act with a more informed mindset. Delivering this information in a variety of ways is essential to accomplishing this.”
INTERACTIVE INFO
Traffic
heritage centergrassy
baldgreat views