Freeman Tilden III contacted us recently by email to congratulate the winner of the Tilden Award at the upcoming NAI National Workshop in Hartford, CT. I was delighted to learn that a grandson of Freeman bears his name. This gentleman serves as Training and International Sales Director for Anderson Wood Floors out of Greenville, South Carolina. I would enjoy meeting Freeman Tilden III and to hear his stories of growing up around his very interesting grandfather.
I just missed meeting Freeman Tilden in 1980 at the Cape Cod Association of Interpretive Naturalists National Workshop. I was out on a whale watching trip that stayed out late due spyhopping whales just a few feet from our boat. Personally I was so seasick on the fantail with a bevy of other blue-green interpreters, that I was just praying we would one day walk on land again. When we disembarked and learned we had missed the lobster and crab cookout on the beach, I also learned that Freeman Tilden had also just left. Bummer. Seasick, missed a great cookout, missed meeting a legendary figure in our field – so it goes. I even missed the spyhopping whales.
Another legendary writer and trainer in our field, Dr. Sam Ham, will be at the National Workshop in Hartford from November 17-21 to speak about, what else – Tilden Was One Sharp Cookie. Actually that’s my title, not Sam’s title for the talk. I’m not sure what a “sharp cookie” is but I’ve always liked the sound of that. Sam will speak on, “From Interpretation to Protection: Is There a Theoretical Basis?”
Tilden is certainly best remembered for the six principles he put forth in his well known book, Interpreting our Heritage (1957). It’s still one of our best selling books at NAI. In it he quotes a National Park Service administrative manual that said, “Through interpretation, understanding, through understanding, appreciation, through appreciation, protection.” Sam will carefully walk us through the social science research that relates to that statement. Sam’s message is very compelling and useful. Don’t miss his Thursday morning plenary keynote.
In the Certified Interpretive Guide course we teach a social marketing model that looks like stairsteps with “curiosity” on the lowest step on the left and then “awareness” on the next step, “understanding” on the next, then “care about” and finally “care for.” This depicts the varied states of interest our audience has for our messages and ideas. I always like to point out that there’s an even lower step below “curiosity” called “dragged along.” Some of our audience are unwilling participants who are not even curious. Our challenge is to move people up these stairsteps from no interest to caring about and for the resource – stewardship at this highest level. This social marketing model is really the same notion as Tilden’s message about using interpretation to build understanding to appreciation to protection.
I’m looking forward to Sam’s talk about this important idea in Tilden’s book. I do think Tilden was one sharp cookie. I hope to see you there. If you know the origins of “one sharp cookie,” please let me know.
- Tim Merriman
