Courses

Learn about foundational concepts of accessibility and disability in this free microlearning e-course series! This course is intended for anyone in the parks, recreation, and tourism industry who wants to learn about disability and accessibility in historic and modern-day contexts.

Learn about foundational concepts of accessibility and disability in this free microlearning e-course series! This course is intended for anyone in the parks, recreation, and tourism industry who wants to learn about methods of appropriate interaction with people with disabilities.

Learn about foundational concepts of accessibility and disability in this free micro-learning e-course series! This course is intended for anyone in the parks, recreation, and tourism industry who wants to learn about accessible design requirements vs. equitable use of facilities and recreation environments.

Learn about foundational concepts of accessibility and disability in this free micro-learning e-course series! This course is intended for anyone in the parks, recreation, and tourism industry who wants to learn more about recognizing the rights of individuals with disabilities to use service animals and assistive devices.

This previously recorded one-hour webinar will introduce different revenue-generating strategies agencies may use for long term financial planning.

The Capital Improvement Certificate provides the learner with a foundational understanding of capital improvement projects, financing of capital improvements, site plans for capital projects, and project management.

Explore the skills needed to be an effective interpretive coach. Coaching others to develop and deliver meaningful interpretation is rewarding because you multiply the opportunities for visitors to understand the relevance and significance of our resources. It gives you the chance to share your passion.

A medida que usted avance en este curso, aprenderá a apreciar este ambiente especial y las reglas que tenemos para protegerlo. También se enterará de las muchas maneras en las que usted genera un impacto en los Cayos y en sus recursos naturales. El tomar este curso y utilizar los recursos que aquí se proveen lo convertirá en un navegante más responsable y seguro.

This previously recorded one-hour webinar will introduce participants to best practices in identifying data sources, creating data, and using data for management decision-making.

Explore the four most important principles of managing wilderness: Preserve Wilderness and Natural Conditions, Protect Wilderness Benefits, Provide and Use the Minimum Necessary, and Manage Wilderness as a Whole.

Not a designer, but need to develop an interpretive media product? This course will teach you basic design principles that will help you put together a product that is both interpretive and eye-catching.

In this course, you will develop an understanding of how the health of the environment directly affects human health. We will discuss issues related to the contamination of public lands and the importance of regulating chemicals. We will also explore how environmental health is directly influenced by legal actions.

Why do you write? Is it to inform, instruct, or persuade your audience? Or do you write to help your audience think or feel something new? Effective interpretive writers have basic skills in writing and understand the art and practice of interpretation. This course explores the reasons we write and teaches the essential elements of effective interpretive writing.

This course is designed to assist individuals charged with approving Minimum Requirements Analyses (MRAs). The stories and case studies presented in this course are based on real cases and real MRAs. Learn More

This course is the third in a series of three courses on Cultural Resources Management in Wilderness. It provides a comprehensive overview of the process used to evaluate proposals for scientific activity in wilderness.

The Everglades Boater Education Program consists of the course, assessment, and receipt of the park boating certificate and is intended to prepare boaters for their experience in Everglades National Park. The boat operator must have the Certificate when boating in the park.

Para ver este curso en español, haga clic aquí.

Gain skills in effective methods for communicating with staff, colleagues, and partners.

Gain skills in methods for leading teams and developing staff ability to perform effectively.

Gain ability to ensure organizational goals and customer expectations are met.

Gain skills in hiring and preparing staff to be successful in their positions.

Gain a comprehensive understanding of what a team is and how to develop an effective team.

Gain skills in developing competencies and managing staff with competencies in mind.

Gain skills in developing competencies and managing staff with competencies in mind.

Gain an appreciation of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s special resources and the important rules that protect both the resources and boaters in the Keys.

Para ver este curso en español, haga clic aquí.

Establish a strong foundation in the physical and programmatic components of accessibility compliance. This certificate program explores disability and accessibility as a social construct and provides knowledge in disability awareness concepts, program access, universal design, and guidelines and standards for accessible design.

This course is designed for students and professionals who are interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the requirements for providing accessible programs, services, and activities within federal, state, and local recreation agencies.

This course will help you gain an understanding of the different movements in the history of parks, human health and natural environments. It will also provide you the tools to develop personal definitions for the terms “human health” and “natural environments.”

Establish a strong foundation in the basics of interpretation. This certificate program explores the history of interpretation as a profession and provides knowledge in roving, informal interpretation, audience identification and engagement, and interpretive talks.

This is the first course in the Paleontological Resources Management in Wilderness series. It focuses on the basics of managing paleontological resources found in wilderness.

This course provides a brief introduction to the benefits of facilitation in group settings.

State, county and local park and recreation agencies steward most of our open spaces and are responsible for a vast amount of the programming and facilities available to the public. More importantly, park and recreation agencies, often in partnership with other community organizations, are natural catalysts for health and wellness.

This recorded webcast is designed for park and public agency employees who are interested in the history of parks. The session will include historical details, drawings and photographs of the people and places who make up the story, their objectives, successes and failures.

Explore the role(s) that the parks and recreation profession can have in making connections between the natural world and human health through this self-paced certificate program.

Being in tune with community needs drives successful agencies. However, there is more to it than the “build it and they will come” philosophy.

In this three-part series of micro-learning, you will explore strategies park and recreation agencies can use to demonstrate impact on community health.

In this course, you will explore the many ways in which individuals have creatively engaged with the natural environment to improve individual and community health.

Do you have a strong background and understanding of interpretation (perhaps in programming) but want to dig deeper? Do you struggle with interpretive media or writing? Are you curious about what exactly ‘dialogic’ interpretation means? If so, this certificate program is for you!

The Intermediate Methods in Interpretation Certificate is entirely web-based and consists of five interpretive courses each culminating with an applied assignment that relates to your organization or site. This course of study provides you with the opportunity to receive feedback from your instructor(s) who review the elements of your portfolio. Additionally, if you apply for and are accepted into the cohort-based program, you will work with a mentor who has considerable experience in the interpretive field who will guide you as you develop your intermediate skills.

Stop! Before you register for this certificate program, are you an NAI member interested in completing it as part of a cohort and working with a mentor? The Eppley Institute and the National Association for Interpretation are recruiting students to participate in a cohort program that typically begins in January of each year. Applications are now available. If you are interested in learning more and applying, please click here. If you would like to join NAI, please visit their website.

The purpose of this course is to help ABMC managers further appreciate their role as supervisors, coaches, auditors, and appraisers of interpretive programs and projects. Interpretive coaching and supervision are important responsibilities of ABMC supervisors.

New to interpretation? Want to refresh your understanding of the basics of interpretation? This course is for you!

Explore guided interpretive programs, which can take many forms: walks, hikes, house tours, canoe trips, bus tours, cave tours, just to name a few.

Explore a new approach to interpretation – dialogic interpretation. This course discusses three methods interpreters are using to present dialogic programs to visitors and guests.

In this course you will explore the core concepts covered in the seven courses in the Human Health and Natural Environments series.

This course is the second in a series of three courses on Cultural Resources Management in Wilderness. It provides an in-depth look at the special requirements of inventorying and monitoring cultural resources in wilderness.

The visitor is sovereign. Interpreters may hear this very basic but very important concept many times during the course of their career. What does it mean? It means that each visitor or guest brings a unique level of knowledge, interest, and care each time they visit a site.

Making the Case for Nature & Health: Theoretical Arguments is geared towards park and recreation professionals and students in park, recreation, public health, and related disciplines. No prior knowledge is required to take this course. This course is recommended to be completed fourth in this series.

This hour-long webinar will provide learners with a basic understanding of politics, power, influence, and the many ways that parks and recreation agency leaders can use these elements to guide operational practices. This is part of the Continuing Professional Development Webinar Series. 

Learn about relevant considerations for managing insects and disease in wilderness.

This course will provide wilderness managers a comprehensive overview of their role in managing mineral rights in wilderness.

This training course addresses the management of rights-of-way and access to inholdings in designated wilderness.

In this certificate you will learn the basic steps for decision making and management that are applied to federal wilderness areas, and how they can be interpreted and implemented on other, non-federal protected areas. These wildlands can benefit from the same systems and strategies the US government uses to identify the wilderness characteristics, develop plans for stewardship, manage visitor usage, and protect the natural resources.

Micro learning courses are an excellent way to learn content in quick and focused segments. These concise and informative courses enable learning when time is limited. The use of video and other instructional techniques make this an engaging experience for the learner and provide a unique alternative to our full-length courses.

Photo by Isaiah West Taber - Sierra Club Bulletin, Vol. VI. No. 4, January, 1908, pg. 211 [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28233048

Micro learning courses are an excellent way to learn content in quick and focused segments. These concise and informative courses enable learning when time is limited.

Micro learning courses are an excellent way to learn content in quick and focused segments. These concise and informative courses enable learning when time is limited.

Learn about the history of the National Park Service (NPS) with our free micro-learning e-courses! In celebration of the Centennial of the NPS, ProValens will offer short 10-minute courses each month to enhance your knowledge and understanding of this great agency. No registration is required.

Micro learning courses are an excellent way to learn content in quick and focused segments. These concise and informative courses enable learning when time is limited.

Learn about the history of the National Park Service (NPS) with our free micro-learning e-courses! In celebration of the Centennial of the NPS, ProValens will offer short 10-minute courses each month to enhance your knowledge and understanding of this great agency. No registration is required.

Learn about the history of the National Park Service (NPS) with our free micro-learning e-courses! In celebration of the Centennial of the NPS, ProValens will offer short 10-minute courses each month to enhance your knowledge and understanding of this great agency. No registration is required.

Learn about the history of the National Park Service (NPS) with our free micro-learning e-courses! In celebration of the Centennial of the NPS, ProValens will offer short 10-minute courses each month to enhance your knowledge and understanding of this great agency. No registration is required.

This course will allow you to gain an understanding of the different environmental attributes that affect human health. It will also discuss how our personal perceptions of the environment influence our behaviors and interactions with nature.

Learn the natural resource management techniques relevant to air quality in wilderness.

This course discusses the decision-making process for planning natural resource restoration in a wilderness area. It is essential that managers consider impacts to the untrammeled and natural qualities of wilderness when contemplating restoration efforts within wilderness boundaries.

Learn about the process of evaluating proposals to conduct scientific activity in wilderness and the decisions wilderness managers must make in order to preserve wilderness character while such activity occurs.

Learn the basics of fish and wildlife management in wilderness. The course covers guiding principles and includes case studies to demonstrate a variety of management options.

This course presents the legal foundation for managing natural resources in wilderness and addresses the myths and realities of wilderness management.

Learn the importance of natural resource monitoring and what resources are appropriate to monitor in wilderness.

Preserving natural lightscapes is one of many management actions that helps protect cultural traditions, visitor experiences, and the physiological and ecological processes of wildlife in wilderness. This course will discuss the fundamentals of lightscape resource management, including threats to the night sky in wilderness and relevant principles of management.

This course discusses the importance of management and monitoring soil and water resources—inside and outside wilderness; the various laws relating to management; and identifies strategies for prevention, mitigation, and restoration of impacts on soil and water resources in wilderness.

Learn to differentiate between sounds and noises in wilderness soundscapes, identify threats to wilderness soundscapes, and examine strategies for soundscape management.

Learn the guidelines managers should follow in order to satisfy the requirements of the Wilderness Act, the Endangered Species Act, and agency policies when managing threatened and endangered species in wilderness.

This training course addresses the management of rights-of-way and access to inholdings in designated wilderness.

This course is designed for facility managers and park and recreation providers who are interested in gaining a foundational knowledge of the requirements for accessible facilities within federal, state, and local agencies.

Jump start your training with online onboarding courses!

Jump start your New Employee training with online onboarding courses! Upon completion of purchase, you will receive a code that can be redeemed for the New Employee Onboarding suite of courses.

Jump start your training with online onboarding courses!

Jump start your New Employee training with online onboarding courses! Upon completion of purchase, you will receive a code that can be redeemed for the New Employee Onboarding suite of courses.

Build a foundational understanding of facility management practices, particularly as they apply to parks and public lands agencies. The certificate program follows the Asset Management Process, an approach used by the National Park Service.

The purpose of this certificate program is to prepare park and recreation agencies to conduct a system master plan. The components can be used in several types of planning and will ultimately prepare agencies to either 1) conduct the planning process on their own, or 2) be prepared to collaborate with a contractor to facilitate the master planning process. This certificate covers the fundamentals of a system master plan according to the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).

This webinar explores the art and science of park design.

New to the procurement process? This course will help you to gain an understanding of how to obtain products and services from organizations outside your own.

This webinar will cover public and private partnerships. As visitation rises at state parks and the visitors needs and expectations also increases, finding a way to remain relevant to today’s visitor becomes costly. Public and private partnerships may be an option worth looking into.

This previously recorded, one-hour webinar includes a discussion about research and surveys as they are relevant to the future success of state parks across the United States.

Gain the skills and confidence needed to interact with visitors informally and learn how to provide them with interpretive opportunities. This course explores three types of contacts: orientation, information, and interpretation.

In this course you will develop an appreciation for the use of science in understanding the complex relationship between human health and natural environments. Topics include the scientific method, best practices for interpreting scientific reports, and identifying possible sources of bias.

In this course, you will explore the concept of sense of place and how it can be used to understand the relationship between human beings and our natural environments. You will also discuss environmental education and its importance in human health outcomes.

In this session participants will learn about the impacts of urbanization on communities’ physical and social health around the world. Using case studies from Johannesburg, South Africa, and from other international locations, this webinar will provide examples of the challenges park managers face during an era of rapid urbanization and population growth. Participants will gain knowledge of strategies used to maximize social and physical health benefits to communities.

Explore how social media can be used interpretively to expand your reach.

On average, 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. The increase in the availability of opioid drugs is connected with an increase in opioid drug use and opioid related overdoses. Learn more about this epidemic and understand the true impact of opioid abuse.

Trees are as important as ever in our growing cities – the need to provide large canopied shade trees to cool cities is important. Providing adequate root volumes to allow large healthy trees to grow without infrastructure conflicts is also important.

Gain valuable skills that will help you train impactful interpreters. Interpretive trainers support interpreters in connecting people to parks, museums, zoos, and other places.

Survey Basics and Best Practices for Park and Recreation Agencies will provide a brief overview on how to develop and distribute a survey. It reviews the reasons for surveying and how to construct, conduct, and use the survey data.

The causes of World War One are complex. This course explores the social and political factors that contributed to and shaped the conflict in Europe. The initial reluctance and ultimate participation of the United States is described and placed in a cultural and political context as well.

This course is designed to assist you in understanding, developing, and selecting management alternatives for a wilderness stewardship plan.

This previously recorded one-hour webinar examines the efforts of Michigan State Parks and Maryland Conservation Job Corps to program, manage, and integrate better the outdoor experience into urban residents’ lives.

This is the first in a series of three courses in the Visitor Use Management course of study and is designed to introduce you to the fundamental principles of Visitor Use Management.

The third course in the Visitor Use Management in Wilderness series employs the concepts from Fundamentals and Strategies to guide the learner through the specifics of monitoring impacts from visitor use and its management.

This second course in the series provides a thorough overview of how to determine which strategies and actions to use when managing visitor use in wilderness.

From shore to shore, Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas provide both great recreation opportunities and high quality habitat for rare species. Our state park system is home to many unique ecosystems, such as forested coastal dunes, native tallgrass prairies and rare prairie fens that are home to rare birds, insects, turtles and other animals.

Learn about how wilderness character is defined, wilderness character qualities and what degrades these qualities. This course also discusses how to integrate wilderness character into planning, monitoring, management, operations, and more.

Explore the history, philosophy, and application of wilderness law and policy in the United States.This sixteen-week course of study provides a comprehensive understanding of the basics of management in designated wilderness areas.This Certificate is designed for seasonal Wilderness rangers, federal personnel working near or with an interest in Wilderness Stewardship.

This Certificate is designed for seasonal Wilderness rangers and federal personnel working near Wilderness or with an interest in Wilderness Stewardship.

Explore the history, philosophy, and application of wilderness law and policy in the United States.This twelve-week course of study provides a comprehensive understanding of the basics of management in designated wilderness areas.This Certificate is designed for seasonal Wilderness rangers, federal personnel working near or with an interest in Wilderness Stewardship.

Opioids are effective medications for treating pain, but they have a high potential for causing addiction, and some individuals may start misusing opioids, whether that is prescription or illegal opioids. The rapid increase in the use of prescription opioids has led to a dramatic increase in overdoses and overdose deaths. Furthermore, some people who misuse prescription opioids may start using heroin and other illegal substances with similar chemical structures that are cheaper and more readily available.

This course describes the minimum requirements concept and guides users through the process of writing a Minimum Requirements Analysis (MRA) using the Minimum Requirements Decision Guide (MRDG) developed by the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center.