developing a wetland centre, English - Wetland Link International

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The table above shows that wetlands are a great conduit for learning about everythingfrom art to zoology. Different aspects of the curriculum will be suitable for differentaudiences at different times.Corporate messages – These are about the organisation running the wetland centre.What are its vision and mission, aims and objectives, origins, history andachievements? What does it believe in? What does it do? How may the visitorbecome involved?Wetland centre-specific messages – These are messages that are unique to theindividual wetland centre. They comprise stories about the place that cover:• Its biodiversity• Its geology and landscape• Its cultural history (including archaeology andindustrial/agricultural past)• Relationship with local and regional community• In addition, a set of key ‘site behaviour’ messages need to beidentified and included within the Interpretation Plan. Often theselink to signage and include such elements as:• Where to go/where am I? – directional signage and maps• Codes of conduct – e.g. being quiet, not running, not dropping litteretc.• What to do with ‘stuff’ – e.g. litter, dogs, lost property (or people)etc.• Where to find information• How to join any appropriate organisation26
Chapter 7 – And to whom?Who will visit your wetland centre? Will it be local people or tourists? Will theycome from afar or just ‘round the corner’? Will they have specific needs (e.g.birdwatchers)? Have they visited to escape the stress of city life?A detailed analysis of your projected visitors is important before designing thewetland centre. As well as who they are and where they come from, it is useful toknow their cultural and educational backgrounds (attitudes, previous experiences andprior knowledge). Questionnaires, surveys, interviews, pre-opening preview tours,inviting local residents for a chat and snacks, focus groups, local communityconsultation, reviews of historical data – they’re all ways of learning about the peoplewho will visit and support you.It is not very helpful to refer to the ‘general public’. People are very varied –everyone is individual although you can classify them into certain groups.Marketeers are adept at this, dividing the audience into several smaller groups, anexercise known as segmentation. Your audience segments, for example, mightinclude family groups, schools, seniors, special interest groups and so on.Develop priorities for developing existing audiences and encouraging new ones.Have qualitative and quantitative targets for each audience over a one, three, five and10 year span. The key is to know your various visitor markets and what excites them.Then work towards enhancing their visit through the provision of targetedprogrammes and activities, and exceeding their expectations.It is ironic that many of us in wetland centres know more about the fish, frogs andwildfowl that live there than the audiences who visit and support the place. Largerwetland centres may be able to afford marketing staff and consultants. Smallercentres would do well to develop relationships with social science, marketing,business and tourism schools of local higher education institutions. There are alwaysstudents, from undergraduate to MBA, looking for projects. The WWT LondonWetlands Centre and Australia’s Wetland Centre at Shortlands, New South Wales,have even shared a PhD student who evaluated the effectiveness of theirinterpretation.But wetland centres are about influencing and lobbying as well as educating andentertaining general audiences. The Ramsar CEPA Programme identifies some of themore prominent ones (see www.ramsar.org/key_cepa_programme_e.htm). Theyinclude:27
Page 1 and 2: DEVELOPING AWETLANDCENTRE1: Public
Page 3 and 4: Chapter 1 - Introduction“Can you
Page 5 and 6: Chapter 2 - The world of wetland ce
Page 7 and 8: Chapter 3 - The contextPeter Scott,
Page 9 and 10: • Using a diversity of approaches
Page 11 and 12: Wetland Link International (WLI)WLI
Page 13 and 14: through the conservation of the par
Page 15 and 16: At the end of the process, the Mast
Page 17 and 18: Learning Policies - These are likel
Page 19 and 20: Please note that the above sequence
Page 21 and 22: Wetland knowledgeWater and wetlands
Page 23 and 24: Sustainability• Concept and defin
Page 25: CommunicationCommunication• Commu
Page 29 and 30: • Financial - can the visitor aff
Page 31 and 32: • Basic physiological needs - are
Page 33 and 34: At site level• Ecological integra
Page 35 and 36: • Information - ensuring a hierar
Page 37 and 38: Modularity - The wetland centre fac
Page 39 and 40: Chapter 9 - HardwareChapters 9 and
Page 41 and 42: • Touch screens are one example o
Page 43 and 44: Chapter 10 - SoftwareBy ‘software
Page 45 and 46: Chapter 11 - OperationsOperating or
Page 47 and 48: Sometimes there will be tensions in
Page 49 and 50: Chapter 13 Case studiesAs an online
Page 51 and 52: SUDS - Sustainable Urban Drainage S
Page 53 and 54: Chapter 16 AcknowledgmentsProduced
Page 55: This manual was produced withthe he

developing a wetland centre, English - Wetland Link International

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