Northeast Iowa – Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) will be hosting the
workshop, “Sowing Stories, Reaping Meaning: Developing an Interpretive Plan for Your Site,”
on December 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hartman Reserve Nature Center in Cedar Falls,
Iowa. The workshop will be based on an Interpretation Manual developed by SSNHA, which
outlines a step-by-step process for creating effective interpretation. Angi Reid, SSNHA
Education & Interpretation Manager directed development of the manual and will be
presenting the workshop.
During the workshop, participants will discover how to develop an interpretive plan by using a
five-step process, as well as the history of interpretation and how to use their organization’s
mission statement as the foundation of their planning. Each participant will receive a free
copy of the Interpretation Manual, which contains hands-on worksheets and a “toolbox” filled
with interpretive resources.
“We are pleased to offer these tools to help cultural sites throughout Northeast Iowa tell their
own stories. Through creating an interpretive plan in-house, sites can save thousands of
dollars on consultant fees while preserving important stories,” commented Don Short,
SSNHA President.
The registration fee for Designated SSNHA Partner or Emerging Sites is $35 per person or
$90 for three individuals from the same site. Fee for all other participants is $45 per person.
Registration deadline is November 29. For more information or to register for this workshop,
visit www.silosandsmokestacks.org or call 319-234-4567.
SSNHA is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and is Affiliated Area of
the National Park Service. The Heritage Area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of
Iowa. Interstate 80 borders it on the south and Interstate 35 borders it on the west. Through a
network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA interprets farm life, agribusiness, and rural
communities—past and present.
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