. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1999 Burnett: Chapter 7: Telling the Wildlife Story 113 Other lessons were emerging from the interpreta- tion experience as well. Traditional interpretive pro- grams, conducted in the protected settings of provin- cial and national parks, tended to portray nature as if it were in a pristine state. The very mandate of the Wildlife Service, as an agency charged with the responsibility, among others, of managing the human uses of wildlife in a variety of contexts on public and private lands, meant that hunting and trapping and other "real world" impacts
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1999 Burnett: Chapter 7: Telling the Wildlife Story 113 Other lessons were emerging from the interpreta- tion experience as well. Traditional interpretive pro- grams, conducted in the protected settings of provin- cial and national parks, tended to portray nature as if it were in a pristine state. The very mandate of the Wildlife Service, as an agency charged with the responsibility, among others, of managing the human uses of wildlife in a variety of contexts on public and private lands, meant that hunting and trapping and other "real world" impacts on wetland wildhfe and habitats had to be presented in an even- handed manner. Another insight emerged from the formative years of the CWS interpretive program. The Wye Marsh wildlife centre had begun with the premise that the point of an indoor interpretive centre was to prepare visitors for an outdoor experience. With the benefit of hindsight, it seemed almost contra- dictory to bring people indoors to give them a mes- sage about the outdoors. On the other hand, the central building did serve a variety of practical pur- poses. It housed washrooms, workrooms, staff, and administrative facilities and provided shelter for the public when the weather turned hostile. In addition, it was a recognizable point of entry for visitors who needed some initial orientation in order to launch themselves into the visit. As Yorke Edwards recalls it, the enquiry led to an important moment of real- ization: Then came a thought that created a long and thoughtful silence: "Maybe we have the sequence of visitor experi- ences backwards. Perhaps the introduction should be a general orientation plus encouragement to enjoy a bit of the natural world which is in view for the first time. Reinforcing experiences should come after visitors explore the wild area. The beginning is not when [they] need answers from staff, exhibits, books,...;'-' Meanwhile, with Wye Marsh well established and
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