Knowing we would be on the Big Island of Hawaii by March 21, we looked at the calendar and saw the BIG ISLAND CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL put together by the Kona Cacao Association scheduled for March 22-23. Oh my. How do you resist something that has three of your favorite things in its title? What aContinue reading “The Big Island Chocolate Festival”
Category Archives: Communication
The News You Never Hear
People sometimes ask us why we bother with trying to help people and animals in African nations, particularly the ones that no one else knows much about, like Malawi. The answer is simple. No one knows much about these places. What we’ve learned in our travels is that many people, places, plants, and animals areContinue reading “The News You Never Hear”
Seven Ways to Connect with a Large Audience
My wife says that I can sleep anywhere. I’m pretty sure that is true. I slept in church as a kid, snoozed my way through large lecture halls in college, and I’ve never survived a planetarium program without a nap. It’s easy to look out at a very large audience and lapse back into lecturingContinue reading “Seven Ways to Connect with a Large Audience”
Akagera National Park and Ruzizi Lodge, a Wildlife Experience
We recently visited Akagera National Park in northeastern Rwanda to fill in our understanding of the amazing progress being made in this small nation to protect important habitat and wildlife populations. Akagera, named after the river of the same name, includes montane forests, savannah and wetlands in its 1120 square kilometers. The park was badlyContinue reading “Akagera National Park and Ruzizi Lodge, a Wildlife Experience”
Kikoti Camp, Tanzania; Glamping in Tarangire
At 3:30 AM one morning I awakened to the sounds of a waterbuck bellowing below our tent cabin in Kikoti Camp near Tarangire National Park in Tanzania. Kikoti is a wonderful combination of comfort and close to nature. Glamping, glamor camping, as some call it, is a wonderful experience and the Kikoti experience is firstContinue reading “Kikoti Camp, Tanzania; Glamping in Tarangire”
Rwandan Guides Share Nyungwe’s Beauty with Guests
Nyungwe National Park is nestled in the southwest corner of Rwanda, a nation roughly the size of the state of Maryland. Nyungwe is several hours south of Volcanoes National Park (VNP) of “Gorillas in the Mist” fame. VNP brings people from all over the world to northern Rwanda, but some manage to also find thisContinue reading “Rwandan Guides Share Nyungwe’s Beauty with Guests”
Beware the Memorized Spiel
I once attended a guided tour of a large, expensive visitor center for a major religious group in the United States. Elders of the church met people at the door of the center to offer a free, guided tour. I joined a tour and our group obediently followed the guide as he delivered what wasContinue reading “Beware the Memorized Spiel”
A Motivation by Any Other Name
I have questions about visitors, clients and customers. Who are they? What do they want to do? What do they enjoy? What kinds of experiences appeal to them? Is it enough to know their age group or their family status? Many planners have spent many decades developing visitor experiences with market segmentation approaches that areContinue reading “A Motivation by Any Other Name”
Collaborate, Leverage, Partner and Package
When I lived and worked in Pueblo, Colorado, as a nature center director I had the opportunity to participate in a community collaborative planning group that really produced for all of us. I have written about it before in blogs and in our book, Put the HEART Back In Your Community. Too often collaboration isContinue reading “Collaborate, Leverage, Partner and Package”
Mto wa Mbu, A Great Cultural Tour in Tanzania
February 5 to 16, 2013, we’ll be in Tanzania to host a photo safari/ecotour with World Discovery Safaris and Safari Legacy. One of my favorite stops on this particular itinerary is Mto wa Mbu, near the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park. Mto wa Mbu (which translates to Mosquito River) is a community in centralContinue reading “Mto wa Mbu, A Great Cultural Tour in Tanzania”
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