Talks and Conferences

March. Jon presented the argument to a meeting of tourism coordinators from throughout Costa Rica's conservation area system (SINAC) on why implementation barriers must be taken into account when preparing tourism plans.

February. Jon presented a talk at the Partners in Flight Conference in McAllen, Texas on how interpretation can be used to engage audiences. He represented Fermata, Inc.

October. Jon presents a paper at the Congress in Bariloche, Argentina on the barriers to park planning implementation. He represented the World Heritage Centre/UNESCO. He presented the same paper on the session about park planning.

September. By pemtition of the US Embassies in Bolivia and Ecuador and in collaboration with Conservation International in Bolivia, the State Department has awarded Jon a Speaker and Specialist Grant to give a lecture/workshop tour through those countries in September on the topic of environmental interpretation and resource protection. Please ask Jon for a DVD of the presentation he gave at the Ministry of Tourism in Quito. See articles about his presentations in Bolivia on the US Embassy page (English), El Deber (Spanish), El Nuevo Día (Spanish), and Ciudad Universitaria/El Nuevo Día (Spanish). Please contact Jon when links are dead. Please visit my publications on interpretation.

Union Island, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines. Representing Fermata in late May, Jon talked about the potential of developing local sustainable tourism as partof the restoration program of Ashton Lagoon. Project supported by the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, BirdLife International, and the US FWS Neotropical Migrant Program.

Itabó Biological Reserve, Paraguay. In December, Jon joined a team from the Latin American School for Protected Areas to give a 12-day course to park guards and protected area personnel from throughout Paraguay. Jon was in charge of 1.5 days of class on public use management in protected areas.

Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jon, representing Fermata, Inc., presented in November at the National Association for Interpretation’s annual National Interpreters Workshop.

Participates in Pegasus Communication's Annual Conference on Systems Thinking and Learning

Waltham, Massachusetts. Jon participated as a conference assistant in the annual conference, entitled, “Leading Beyond the Horizon: Strategies for Bringing Tomorrow into Today's Choices.” November.

Monteverde, Costa Rica. In September, Jon presented about barriers to tourism plan implementation at a workshop designed to redefine the objectives of CI’s ecotourism efforts and build a learning network around the world.

Participates in the First Meeting of the Sustainable Tourism Network of the Tropical Eastern Pacific Marine Corridor

Coclés, Panamá. In September Jon participated in the meeting to establish a network of tourism experts who promote sustainable tourism in the marine corridor that comprises the Galápagos (Ecuador), Isla de Coco (Costa Rica), Coiba (Panama), and Gorgona and Marpelo (Colombia).

Presents at World Heritage Centre Seminar on Tourism Planning at Major Archeological Sites

Granada, Spain. In February Jon argued before an audience of 70 experts from around the world that the implementation of any park plan depends on changing the fundamental assumptions parks hold about the nature of planning. His presentation is scheduled to appear in a book on the topic and contribute to a declaration arising from the seminar. World Heritage Centre.