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PODCAST

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with Guides and Interpreters

Tim Merriman talks story with heritage interpretation professionals from all over the world. In his 50+ year career as a heritage interpreter, Tim has been a park ranger, nature center director, and national recreation area research manager. From 1995 to 2012, he was Executive Director of National Association for Interpretation, the professional organization for guides and interpreters in the United States. He has been a motivational speaker, trainer, and planner in 26 countries and all 50 states in

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

48:42

Dr. Robert Powell and Dr. Marc J. Stern Talk Story...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/10/10

Dr. Robert Powell’s research at Clemson University focuses on informal STEM education, interpretation, protected area management, and sustainable tourism. He has led multiple NSF-funded national studies on learning outcomes in parks and environmental education, publishing over 100 peer-reviewed articles. A former U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team member, Bob spent 20 years guiding whitewater and sea kayaking tours spanning 45+ countries and seven continents before earning his PhD from Yale University in

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34:48

Celeste Bernardo, Retired NPS Superintendent, Talks...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/09/26

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Celeste Bernardo, who devoted 35 years to the National Park Service (NPS), building bridges between people, places, and heritage. With a career spanning coastlines, historic neighborhoods, and international cultural exchanges, Celeste is known for her gift of turning partnerships into lasting legacies.As acting Deputy Regional Director for the North Atlantic-Appalachian region, she supported more than forty national park units—from wilderness preserves and

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45:47

Toby Merriman, Matt Villamaino, Bill Gwaltney and Tim...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/06/28

Matt Villamaino, Bill Gwaltney, Toby Merriman, and Tim Merriman gather on Zoom to explore the role of Artificial Intelligence in heritage interpretation—with a focus on authenticity, ethics, and emerging opportunities. Toby Merriman, MFA, serves as Assistant Director of the Center for Virtual Expression at Southern Illinois University, where he supports faculty in integrating AI, virtual reality, and gamification into teaching and research. This dynamic discussion examines how these technologies

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33:27

Marc Blackburn, NPS Historian and Interpreter, Joins...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/06/14

Born and raised in California, Marc Blackburn’s love of history led him to the Pacific Northwest, where he earned a B.A. in history from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Inspired by a passion for teaching and the complexities of the American experience, he pursued graduate work at Temple University in Philadelphia. There, under the mentorship of the renowned historian Dr. Russell F. Weigley, Marc earned a Ph.D. with a focus on modern American military and diplomatic history.What

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49:44

Matt Villamaino Joins Tim Merriman and Bill Gwaltney...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/05/30

Matt Villamaino has worked in the interpretive field for over 15 years, not counting the dinosaur museum he and a friend started in his basement at age 8. He currently works for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as the Regional Interpretive Coordinator for the Central Region. He is a Certified Interpretive Trainer, Planner, and Heritage Interpreter and has worked and done training in iconic places like the USS Constitution, Pilgrim Memorial State Park and Springfield Armory

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01:10:02

David Larsen's Legacy for Interpretive Training

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/05/15

David Larsen (1960-2011) was a National Park Service Interpretive Ranger who became the Manager of Interpretive Training with National Park Service (NPS) at The Mather Employee Development Center. After many years as a frontline interpreter at sites such as the the Vietnam Memorial and Harper's Ferry National Historic Park, David stepped up to become a leader in Interpretive thought, philosophy, and training.Bill Gwaltney, Connie Rudd, and Kim Sikoryak were colleagues and collaborators with David

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01:09:08

Toby Merriman Talks Story about Artificial...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/04/18

Toby Merriman is the Acting Director of Center for Virtual Expression at Southern Illinois University (SIU). He and his staff assist faculty at SIU in the uses of Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Gamification in teaching university students, who so readily employ these new tools. Join Monique Thompson, Clark Hancock, Rosemary Prince, Angel Burns, Matt Villamaino, Joanna Robinson and Tim Merriman in an hour and 8 minutes of Questions and Answers about the uses of these new tools in

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01:06:03

Interpretive Trainers Talk Story with Tim Merriman...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/04/04

Interpretive Trainers are our guests this week on Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with Guides and Interpreters. Karin Hostetter, Robert Smith, Jamie Hubert, Clark Hancock, Bill Gwaltney and Tim Merriman discuss the economic changes affecting training, the challenges of training large numbers of docents, seasonal workers and frontline staff and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on training. Join us for a lively conversation on your favorite audio

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43:20

Rob Pacheco, Hawaii Forest & Trail Founder, Talks...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/01/24

Rob Pacheco's journey began in California, where he spent his formative years assisting a local beekeeper and fostering a deep curiosity for the nature around him. At the University of Colorado, Rob enrolled in a multi-disciplinary environmental program while beekeeping for researchers studying honey bee genetics. He moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, eager to immerse himself in the world of bees. Along this path, Rob blossomed into an extraordinary naturalist, marked by an insatiable curiosity and

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43:59

ET Collinsworth, Cowboy Poet and Storyteller, Talks...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2025/01/10

Join Tim Merriman and Bill Gwaltney on Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story for an engaging conversation with author, photographer, mule packer, storyteller, and cowboy poet E.T. Collinsworth. Together, they will explore E.T.'s remarkable life, adventures, and experiences on both sides of the border.E.T. Collinsworth hails from Tennessee but has deep ties to Chicago and the Czech Republic. After pursuing a traditional education, he ventured to the unconventional Antioch College in Yellow

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57:19

Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of Smithsonian...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2024/11/28

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with Interpreters and Guides was honored to recently interview Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution—and its first African American and first historian to hold the position.Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1952 to educators Lonnie II and Montrose Bunch, Dr. Bunch earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in American and African American history from American University. His career began at the Smithsonian while completing his

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42:38

Juan Castaing, Chilean Interpretive Guide and Trainer...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2024/11/15

Juan Castaing, a Chilean Interpretive Guide and Trainer, specializes in heritage interpretation, media and hospitality services. He has been combining ecotourism and communication for more than 20 years. His expertise lies in effectively communicating and managing cultural experiences, particularly those blending nature and culture.Castaing offers consulting services and workshops to help other guides and organizations develop strong interpretation and destination planning strategies. As a member

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52:46

Kathe Hambrick, Author & Interpreter, Talks Story...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2024/11/01

Kathe Hambrick has long chosen the challenging path to truth, using interpretation to tell stories that are often overlooked or deliberately erased."Making a Way Out of No Way" has been a guiding principle for Hambrick, who founded and served as the Director of the River Road African American Museum in rural Louisiana, her home state. In this role, she was dedicated to promoting the history of African Americans in the rural parishes along the Mississippi River, relying more on passion and

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55:08

Ed Gantt, Living History Interpreter, Talks Story...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2024/09/06

Edward W. Gantt, a retired Navy Captain with a unique background, talks story with Tim Merriman and Bill Gwaltney for "Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with Guides and Interpreters." Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Gantt graduated from Howard University and the National Defense University. He served 30 years in the military, first as a door gunner on a Huey helicopter in Vietnam with the Army, then joining the Navy after completing his degree, eventually rising to Navy Captain. He

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56:28

Christy Coleman, Living History Interpreter and...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2024/08/23

A Native of Eatonville, Florida, Christy Coleman grew up in the shadow of African American anthropologist and writer Zora Neale Hurston. As a teenager in 1982, wanting to become an actor, she accepted a summer position as a character actor for an enslaved woman named Rebecca at Colonial Williamsburg.Her growing enthusiasm for History led her to a Bachelor of Arts degree as well as a master’s degree in museum studies. Becoming the first female Director of African American Interpretation at

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40:56

Kim Sikoryak, NPS Planner and Trainer, Talks Story...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2024/05/31

Kim Sikoryak has had a three decade career working for National Park Service as a Ranger, Planner and Trainer. Today on Reflections on Interpretation:Talking Story with Guides and Interpreters, co-hosts Bill Gwaltney and Tim Merriman chat with Kim about his long and varied career and the importance of excellent interpretation in national parks.https://lnkd.in/gWapDsx3 #timmerriman #interpretationservices #interpretation #interpretivenaturalists #interpretivetraining #heritageinterpretation #NPS

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59:38

James Mazigo, Guide with Regal African Safaris in...

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with... ·

2024/04/19

James Mazigo is a very experience safari guide working more than two decades in Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, now guides with Regal African Safaris, our guide company of choice in Tanzania. He tells of his unique journey to being a safari guide and explains how guides are organizing professionally in his nation. In two weeks Tim talks Story with Mark Jordahl, Communication Manager with Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center in Democratic Republic of Congo and Colorado, a program

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17 results

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