Lisa Brochu, my wife and consulting partner in Heartfelt Associates, recently celebrated a birthday and suggested we have her birthday lunch at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company. In two decades of traveling to 24 countries and 50 U.S. states to train and consult on heritage interpretation and visitor experiences, we had somehow managed to miss visitingContinue reading “The Hawaiian Vanilla Company Experience”
Category Archives: Communities
Dolphin Swims on the Big Island
Sometimes there are no easy answers to complex problems. Dolphin swims on the Big Island have been around for several decades as a recreational activity. As visitors to the island we, like many others, enjoyed amazing experiences on dolphin swims with Dolphin Journeys’ Captain Nancy Sweatt. She always provided a high quality and very ethicalContinue reading “Dolphin Swims on the Big Island”
A Visit with Mountain Gorillas – CANCELLED 3/21/16
Due to not meeting the minimum travelers needed to tour Rwanda in October, we have cancelled the trip as of March 21, 2016. If you have a group of six or more interested in a tour of Rwanda with us as your interpretive guides, let us know and we can plan for your specific group.
Festival of 1000 Bowls
We recently stopped by the Cool Fusion: Festival of 1000 Bowls held by the Donkey Mill Art Center at Keauhou Shopping Center south of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, with only a little idea of what the 4-hour event held in store for us. It was lunchtime and a Somen Noodle lunch is part of the fun ofContinue reading “Festival of 1000 Bowls”
Encouraging a Community of Arts
Today we stopped by the Donkey Mill Art Center just south of Holualoa, Hawaii, and enjoyed a small but fascinating exhibit based on area artists taking the challenge of creating a unique work of art from one eight foot two by four, the most basic unit in wood home construction. The variety of results achievedContinue reading “Encouraging a Community of Arts”
Though Boys Throw Stones at Frogs in Sport
A very long time ago Bion of Borysthenes, (325-250 B.C.) wrote, Though boys throw stones at frogs in sport, yet the frogs do not die in sport but in earnest. This Greek slave, later a freedman turned philosopher, shared several ideas that get interpreted lots of ways and still resonate today. The boysContinue reading “Though Boys Throw Stones at Frogs in Sport”
Great Things Happen to Good People
You often hear “bad things happen to good people.” It’s sometimes true and unfortunate, but sometimes great things happen to good people. Ange Imanishimwe was selected to participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowships (MWF) this summer. We first met Ange when training Certified Interpretive Guides in Rwanda. Ange organized Biocoop Rwanda to defeat povertyContinue reading “Great Things Happen to Good People”
The Power of Real People
Using photos of real people on signs and exhibits is an especially powerful method of telling the stories of communities. Here are some examples we have seen around the world that were interesting choices connecting visitors to real people in the region. The Warm Springs, Wasco and Paiute people of Oregon share their stories in the Warm SpringsContinue reading “The Power of Real People”
Your Message Could Be Many Places
Signs, exhibits, videos and TVs are the most common media selected for interpretive messages at natural and cultural heritage sites and in communities. There are some variations on these approaches that will convey a message powerfully and creatively. Here are a few to think about: Visiting natural and cultural heritage sites and communities will become moreContinue reading “Your Message Could Be Many Places”
We’re Nuts about Hamakua Nut Factory’s Tour
We have driven by the sign pointing up the hill in Kawaihae, Hawaii, many times. Hamakua Nut Factory Tour is just one block off of the main highway from Kailua-Kona to Hawi on the Big Island of Hawaii. Having a guest with us, we were looking for a macadamia nut factory tour and the timeContinue reading “We’re Nuts about Hamakua Nut Factory’s Tour”
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