Visitor Services Webinar Series

This webinar series covers a wide variety of topics involving Visitor Services topics.

These webinars will share cutting-edge topics, tools, and resources in Visitor Services. This series targets USFWS employees interested in staying informed about the most up-to-date Visitor Services topics by engaging with experts in the field.

Disclaimer: This webinar series is for educational purposes only. The opinions, ideas or data presented in this webinar series do not represent FWS policy or constitute endorsement by FWS. Some of the materials and images may be protected by copyright or may have been licenses to us by a third party and are restricted in their use. Mention of any product names, companies, web links, textbooks, or other references does not imply Federal endorsement.

Graphic Design for Non Designers

Details: You may not be a trained graphic designer, but if you find yourself in a position of designing for your site this webinar will get you familiar with the fundamentals of design. Whether you’re a content creator who can’t afford a professional designer,or you're a non-designer on a team where the designers are always too busy to help, you need to sign up for Graphic Design Basics for Non-Designers, It will provide you with a working knowledge of practical design tips that will go a long way to making anything you create visually appealing and more likely to achieve results.

Presenters: Mesha Wood (USFWS)

Recorded: May 15, 2020

Duration: 80 Minutes

Interpretation is Not Dumbing It Down!

Details: The number one rule of interpretation is “know your audience.” The interpreter must be able to translate methodologies when the scientist is the audience.

Presenters: Julia Pinnix

Recorded: May 27, 2020

Duration: 51 Minutes

Introduction to Volunteer.gov

Details: We provide an in-depth overview of the website so that volunteers and managers can get the most out of the newly redesigned platform.

Presenters: DC Carr (USFWS)

Recorded: August 25, 2020

Duration: 78 Minutes

Universal Design Doing Mini-reviews

Details: Dive in the awesome sauce and learn more about mini-review design.

Presenters: D.C. Carr (USFWS)

Recorded: October 29, 2019

Duration: 63 Minutes

Using Good Graphics to Tell Your Story

Details: Human beings have been doing it forever. Cavemen used pictures painted on walls of caves to tell stories. European painters used multiple canvases to advance a story. Even today, comic books and graphic novels combine words and graphics to tell a story. Each site has its own unique story. Using good graphics in your publications, signs, and other media can help tell the story to the visitors and provide them connections to the site.

Presenters: Mesha Wood (Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge)

Recorded: March 15, 2017

Duration: 58 Minutes

Virtual Bird Festival

Details: Join Environment for the Americas (EFTA), home of World Migratory Bird Day, and learn about some of the tools you can use to host a virtual festival and other activities that will reach your community. During this webinar, we’ll explore online tools and show some examples of virtual activities.

Presenters: Susan Bonfield and Allyssa Morris (Environment for the Americas)

Recorded: April 27, 2020

Duration: 58 Minutes

Virtual Storytelling

Details: Connecting Children to Nature from a Distance. Parents and their children are looking for new ways to connect to nature, to learn about their area, and to explore the arrival of spring and summer during COVID19. You can help by introducing topics of local interest to early learners and providing parents with some structured activities that are fun and educational.

Presenters: Susan Bonfield and Genie Moore (San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex)

Recorded: May 7, 2020

Duration: 43 Minutes

Visitor Estimation: Current Practices, Barriers, and Opportunities to Accurately Counting Your Visitors Broadcast

Details: Accurately estimating the number of visitors to National Wildlife Refuges is important to the NWRS, yet a number of factors can make accurate and reliable estimation a challenge. Regions 2, 4, and 8, the Human Dimensions Branch, and the Division of Visitor Services and Communications have partnered with Clemson University and the University of Washington on a study that examines both existing visitor estimation practices and innovative new approaches. This broadcast will feature findings from the first phase of the study, which included a literature review and interviews with visitor services staff. Researchers and Service staff will present key insights and discuss recommendations, which include a working list of different estimation methods and key attributes for FWS staff to consider in choosing between them. Presenters will also preview future research efforts and field questions from the audience.

Presenters: Michelle Reilly, Chantel Jimenez and Kevin Lowry (USFWS), Matthew Brown and Danielle Dagan (Clemson University) and Spencer Wood and Sama Winder (University of Washington)

Recorded: December 9, 2020

Duration: 62 Minutes