Name: Intro to Interpretation for Naturalists
Start: 2026-07-31T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-07-31T13:00:00-04:00
Location: 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way

In this class, we will go over Freeman Tilden’s Principles of Interpretation and how naturalists might use them to educate.
About this Event

Intro to Interpretation for Naturalists

with Lauren Lampley

Friday, July 31 | 10 – 1pm

BRN - Capstone

Interpretation, at its core, is the act of sharing the meaning of something we are seeing or observing. In the educational lens, outdoor interpretation is a method of teaching mostly used by rangers and educators in parks throughout the US. We will go over Freeman Tilden’s Principles of Interpretation and how naturalists might use them to educate people about the natural world. This class is the reformatted Natural History Interpretation capstone class that is part of our Blue Ridge Naturalist Certification of Merit curriculum and qualifies for credit toward the BRN certification. Anyone can join this class and it is no longer limited to just BRN students at the end of their studies.

Two different types of tickets are available for this class: in-person full price tickets and discounted virtual only tickets. Those attending virtually will be able to attend the lecture part of the class but will miss some application of the aspects of interpretation when the in-person class goes outside.

For in-person attendees: This program takes place in the classroom and outdoors. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.

Lauren Lampley began her career at Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation as a Park Naturalist which solidified Lauren’s interests in ecology and a passion for teaching others. She has led walks and hikes in a variety of subjects from Geology to Birding and especially enjoys learning and teaching about our local ecology. She currently works at the NC Arboretum as the Adult Education Coordinator managing all the programming hosted through the Adult Education Department.

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