Interpretation Canada is a community that supports and inspires those involved in the field of heritage interpretation and education at museums, historic sites, parks, farms, nature centres, first nations cultural sites, zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, and a host of other heritage sites and wilderness locations. Their second online conference has the theme “Audiences and Innovation”. Speakers include: Chris Mathieson (Vancouver Police Museum) – Building New Audiences: Big Lessons From a Little Museum; Dr. John Falk (professor, University of Oregon) – Keynote Address: Understanding the Visitor Experience; Brad Tucker (Dinosaur Provincial Park) – Carving the Niche: The Benefits of Designing Programs from an Experiential Perspective; Interpretation Canada’s 2010 AGM (Annual General Meeting); Stephanie Weaver (experienceology blog, author) – Forgotten Spaces and Your Visitor Experience: Details Matter; Nicole Deufel (from Wales, UK) – From Stakeholder to Audience; Stéphane Bruneau (Parks Canada) – social marketing and outreach education (title TBA). Conference Details: Six live hour-long online sessions, as well as our AGM. Registration will give you access to all seven as well as continued access to the recorded sessions for six months. So if your time zone or daily work prevents you from attending all of the sessions, you will still have access. FREE – watch the sessions from the first online interpretation conference in the world – last year’s IC conference! Includes Sam Ham’s keynote address. Over 100 interpreters from seven different countries came together to share ideas, get recharged, and develop further as professionals. Visit our website for more info. Today’s member rate: $113 (US$110); Non-member rate: $175 (US$170). To register and for more info: http://www.interpcan.ca.

10 a.m.-2 p.m., Crossroads, Grenfell
Student Housing (on- and off-campus) and the Environmental Policy Institute are holding a Dump and Run. Students, staff and faculty can drop unwanted items off at the Crossroads during this time period. The collected items will then be offered to the Grenfell population for free. Bring your own mug to sip on free hot chocolate! Suggested items include furniture, toys, books, gently used clothes, sports equipment, tools, posters, shoes, small appliances, decorations, and electronics. Prohibited items include food and large furniture items (i.e.: mattresses and couches).

MUN Botanical Garden, Mt. Scio Rd. (St. John’s)
The Garden and Nature Exhibition is an annual event intended to encourage the photography and illustration of natural things. This multi-media show has featured Newfoundland artists of all ages for over 30 years. For more information please call 864-8590 or visit http://www.mun.ca/botgarden.

Blow Me Down Mountain, Corner Brook
The Grenfell Outdoors Club hike up Blow Me Down Mountain has been rescheduled to Sunday, Nov. 28. If you would like to join the club on the hike, email Richard Butt at rbutt@swgc.mun.ca and indicate if you need a ride or can drive. Information on the hike can be found at http://www.iatnl.ca/index.php/our-trail/blow-me-down-mountain-trail/. We will be hiking the trail indicated in purple on the map from the highway up to Blow Me Down Peak.

10 am – 4 pm, MUN Botanical Garden, Mt. Scio Rd. (St. John’s)
Everyone is invited to MUN Botanical Garden’s Gift Shop Customer Appreciation Days. Receive 20% off most items in the gift shop. Some items discounted by 30%. A lovely selection of Christmas & locally-made gifts are now in stock. Free admission to the flower gardens and trails on both days. For more information please call 864-8590 or visit http://www.mun.ca/botgarden.

12:00-1:30 pm, Earth Sciences Building, Room ER-4002, Memorial University, St. John’s
The Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy & Development invites you to a Synergy Session & Webinar featuring Dr. Tom Cooper, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Memorial University. Events like Hurricane Igor demonstrate that managing risk is an essential part of municipal governance in Newfoundland and Labrador. Municipalities in this province are faced with situations which carry various types of risk (economic, environmental, operational, etc). Citizens now expect proactive risk management from their municipalities. So how should municipalities manage their strategic risks, and what is the role of the Provincial Government in providing advice and in sharing these risks? This session will outline the findings of a recent analysis of 150 municipal plans from Newfoundland and Labrador, assess how risk is managed in municipalities elsewhere in Canada and around the world, and propose a model for better integrating risk management practices and concepts into strategic planning for municipalities in this province. Tom Cooper has significant expertise in the area of risk management consulting and education with over twelve years in the field. Prior to taking his position at Memorial University, Tom worked as a senior manager with Pricewaterhouse-Coopers’ Performance Improvement Consulting and advisory practice in the United Kingdom and was team leader of their Governance, Risk and Compliance Financial Services practice. Since returning to Newfoundland and Labrador, he has worked with a wide range of clients across a number of different areas predominantly focusing on strategic planning and performance improvement. Attend in person at Earth Sciences Building, Room ER-4002, Memorial University, St. John’s. Or sign up for the WEBINAR. You will require a computer connected to the Internet; high-speed connectivity is preferred but not necessary. Register early, as you will need to download software ahead of the session. Deadline for registration: Wednesday, November 24th at 1:00 pm NST. Admission is free, but registration is required. For those attending in person, lunch and parking are provided free, but space is limited, so register early. To register, contact Kathy Mason at (709) 737-3143 or kmason@mun.ca.

7:30 pm, Botanical Garden Field Centre, Mount Scio Road (St. John’s)
Following the AGM, a presentation will be made by Todd Boland, MUNBG’s Research Horticulturist, on “The Flora and Fauna of South Africa.” All are welcome! For more information please call 864-8590 or visit http://www.mun.ca/botgarden.

7:00 p.m., Forest Centre, FC2014 (Corner Brook)
You are invited to view the third film of the Environmental Policy Unit’s film series. “From the ashes of riots arose a lush, 14-acre community garden. The largest of its kind. Now bulldozers threaten its future. If everyone told you to give up, would you?” Click on http://www.thegardenmovie.com/about-the-film for more information. Parking available in area P2 directly across from the front of the Fine Arts Building. Free admission.

7:30 pm, LC301 Grenfell Campus, MUN (Corner Brook)
Join guest speaker Keith Nicol (Geography and Environmental Studies professor, Grenfell Campus) for a talk on a variety of trails in Western and Central NL and what they have to offer the casual hiker. All are relatively short hikes, so are suited to a wide variety of people. Parking at Grenfell: Use either the large back parking lot behind the Arts and Science Building or the large lot in front of the Fine Arts Building (turn off Grenfell Drive near the Pepsi Center). Enter the nearest building and look for signs for the talk. The public is welcome, bring a friend!

17:00 (UK time – GMT), 12:00 (EDT), 9:00 (PDT)
Earthscan would like to invite you to join a free webinar “Reconnecting Nature with Culture” presented by the authors of Biocultural Diversity Conservation and Sacred Natural Sites for an event that explores the important relationship people have with nature and how vital it is for the future of our natural world. Webinar participants will learn how to integrate cultural and spiritual values into conservation, tourism and heritage management practices; and discover how embracing the values of local people can dramatically increase the success of conservation and sustainability efforts, for the benefit of all. Who should register? Professionals and academics working in the fields of conservation, tourism and heritage management. Click here for registration. Can’t make the date? Don’t worry, simply email Rachel.Butler@earthscan.co.uk with Reconnecting Nature and Culture recording in the subject line and we will send you a link to the archived event. 20% DISCOUNT: Type EARTHCAST into the voucher code box in your shopping cart when ordering any book. For more information, and to view all previous Earthcasts, please visit http://www.earthcasts.co.uk