Nathan Taxel: Building Community through Interpretation

Join Paul and Song with guest Jennifer Chapman, Education Manager with Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, as she discusses front-line interpreter daily warm-up exercises and general interpretation within Epcot Animal Experiences at Walt Disney World Resort.

Newly elected NAI Board member Nathan Taxel, Interpretive Programs Curator with OC Parks, discusses the role interpretation plays in building community at the NAI regional level, in the profession as a whole, and in our larger communities. Nathan joins NAI's Heather Manier and Paul Caputo to chat about his goals for his first term on the NAI Board.

Jacquie Gilson (she/her) has been involved in the interpretation profession for over 45 years as an interpreter, manager, and researcher. She has worked for municipal, provincial, national, and not-for-profit park and heritage organizations. In 2015, she completed her Doctor of Social Sciences degree after studying inspiration in interpretation for her dissertation. In 2020, Jacquie retired after 8 years as the Interpretation Coordinator for Parks Canada in Lake Louise, Banff National Park. Jacquie joins Song Stott and Paul Caputo to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in interpretation.

What role does interpretation play in helping state parks achieve their goals and serve visitors? Emily Jacobs of Washington State Parks and Rob Barrett of Tennessee State Parks join NAI's Song Stott and Paul Caputo to discuss.

NAI staff members Madison Hyatt, Song Stott, Heather Manier, and Paul Caputo recap 2024 and look forward to what's to come in 2025.

The sold-out NAI 2024 conference brought interpreters from around the world to St. Augustine, Florida. NAI's Heather Manier and Emily McCowan spoke with participants and exhibitors during the event.

It's Thanksgiving Day and we're thankful that Margo Carlock was the executive director for NAI from 2013 to 2020. Margo returns to chat about interpretation, retired life, and her dog Lucky with NAI's Song Stott and Paul Caputo.

Jim Peters and his son John have been involved in the industry of interpretive graphics since before there were computers to help them complete projects as far away as Saudi Arabia. They join NAI's Heather Manier and Paul Caputo to talk about their decades of work with their companies Interpretive Graphics and Envirosigns, and how the field has changed (or not) in all those years.

Kathryn Leann Harris is the Founder & CEO of Interpreting Sports, LLC, which aims to re-center the international sports conversation around empathy, balanced humanity, and authentic connection. Kathryn Leann joins NAI's Heather Manier and Paul Caputo.

Volunteers play a critical role at interpretive sites, but until now, NAI has never had a community dedicated to enhancing the skills and experience of interpretive volunteers. On this episode, NAI's Heather Manier and Song Stott chat with Shawna Skinner and Shaunna Costicov-McCombe, the director and deputy director of NAI's brand-new Volunteer Section.