The 2008 Conference of the Association of Missouri Interpreters

September 16-18 -- Columbia, Mo.

Let your voice be heard and listen to others at our annual AMI conference. Discover how voices from our past and those in the present will help to forge a future in interpretation.

Download the full registration packet! (Adobe Acrobat file)

This year's conference will be held in Columbia, Missouri. Our host hotel is Stoney Creek Inn. Call (573) 442 - 6400 or (800) 659-2220 to make a reservation. The room rate will be $80 for double occupancy.

Monday, September 15

Pre-conference Field Trips

Tuesday, September 16

12 noon - 1:30 pm Conference Registration, Stoney Creek Inn. Drop off auction items.

1:30 - 2:30 pm Opening Session

2:30 - 2:45 pm Break

2:45 - 4:15 pm Concurrent Sessions

4:15 - 6:00 pm Break

6:00 pm Banquet and Awards Ceremony on MU Campus

Wednesday, September 17

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Conference Field Studies. Check individual descriptions for exact times, locations, etc.

6:00 - 10:00 pm Picnic and Auction at Stephen's Lake Park, Reichmann Pavilion.

Thursday, September 18

8:15 am Leave for Runge Conservation Nature Center, Jefferson City

9:00 am - 12:30 pm Concurrent Sessions

12:30 pm - 2:30 pm Lunch and AMI Business Meeting

Monday, September 15

Devil's Icebox Wild Cave Tour

Experience a day-long adventure-style wild cave tour in Rock Bridge Memorial State Park's Devil's Icebox Cave. Topics will include cave geology, biology, hydrology, history of exploration, and the connection between surface watershed and karst ecosystems. Participants must be in good physical condition and able to carry a 65-pound boat for 1/4 mile over rocky ground, up or down stairs, and for several portages in the cave. At one point, participants must lie flat in the boat to pass through the "Low Spot". Most of the cave tour will be spent walking in spacious passages with muddy, slippery, and/or rocky surfaces and in and out of cold water. Some area require crawling, stooping, climbing, or going through small passages. The excursion will be 3.5 miles round trip with a minimum of 4-6 hours underground. Participants must provide cave-appropriate headlamps, footwear, and clothing. A pre-trip packet will be mailed to each participant upon receipt of registration. Trip may be canceled due to threat of flooding. Limit: 4 to 10 participants. Cost: $25 per person.

The MU Connection

Let the voices of the University of Missouri (MU) campus, their alumni, and their museums speak to you. This will be a walking interpretive tour of some of the more notable and some not-so-notable locations of historic and biological interest. The Herpetology and Anthropology museums plus the the Raptor Rehabilitation Project are just a few locations on the tour. Meet in the lobby of the Stoney Creek Inn at 12:30 p.m. and we will travel to campus together. We will end the day with dinner in downtown Columbia. Bring your money, your walking shoes, and your sense of humor.

Along the Katy Trail

Meet in the lobby of the Stoney Creek Inn at 1 p.m. for an afternoon of bicycle riding on the Katy Trail. We will start by renting bikes ($7.50 / hour) in Rocheport, Mo., just 20 minutes outside of Columbia. From Rocheport we will ride the trail east and west, stopping to investigate various interpretive signs, historic markers, and conservation areas. Plan to ride approximately 12 miles total. Bring your own bike or money for bike rental and money for an evening meal. We will eat at a winery in Rocheport that overlooks the trail and the Missouri River. Wear appropriate clothing for bicycling. Bring a helmet and a water bottle. Limit: 20 participants.

Wednesday, September 17

Treasure Hunting 101

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Experience letterboxing, geocaching, earthcaching, and map-and-compass orienterring at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Learn how interpretive programs utilizing these popular "treasure hunting" activities can draw new audiences to our parks and sites. Skills taught include how to use a map and compass, how to use a GPS unit, and how to carve your own rubber stamp and decode clues. Lessons also include a brief overview of each activity, potential positive and negative impacts on parks and sites, and tips and tricks for designing and setting up your own interpretive program using these activities. A classroom session in the morning will be followed by an opportunity to test your new skills with a field session in the afternoon. Some compasses and GPS units provided; please bring your own if you have them. Wear good hiking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Lunch is on your own. Limit: 25 participants.

Wetlands Exploration - Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area and Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Spend this day exploring two diverse and amazing wetland communities. Experience wildlife through binoculars and viewing scopes at Eagle Bluffs and then take a trip by boat on the Missouri River. Discover the importance of restoring our wetlands, how two different are accomplishing these goals, and simply enjoy the spectacular view of our Missouri bluffs. Wear apprpriate clothing. We will have lunch at a local winery and bistro, Les Bourgeouis. Lunch is on your own. No other cost. Limit: 20 participants.

What Did the Missouria Indians Eat? - Paleoethnobotany of the Missouri Village Sites, 1620-1720

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Your study trip will begin with a tour of Missouri's American Indian Cultural Center. A variety of activities are planned featuring the cultural and natural aspects of Van Meter State Park. Mark Mills, associate professor of biology at Missouri Valley College, will lead a tour of the Oumessourit Boardwalk Trail and discuss his marsh research. Learn what archaeological materials recovered at the Missouria village (Utz) site have taught us about American Indian ways of life, trapping and hunting, food collecting, and cultivation. Listen as site interpreters discuss data derived from the analysis of plant remains from middens, hearths, house floors and cache pits, as well as animal remains that have been studied. Experience what their diet consisted of through preparation of a meal. Participants will prepare traditional Native American dishes made from garden produce grown on site. Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden is a classic publication documenting Indian agricultural practices and related activities. Experience her knowledge of planting, harvesting, food processing, cooking, and storing food with this hands-on program. Lunch will be provided. Limit: 15 participants.

Super Bugs

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bugs rule the world and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Immerse yourself on this trip into insects bizarre and beautiful, from forest to prairie. Learn how to net live specimens, indentify them using various keys and groupings, start your own collection, learn about killing and relaxing jars, and finally explore how to use these important creatures to tell the story of the resource. Kevin Lohraff will lead this trip to Prairie Garden Trust - a hidden jewel of land (180 acres) south of Fulton, Mo. Wear clothing and shoes suitable for the weather. Box lunches will be provided. Limit: 20 participants.

Call for Papers! Let your voice be heard by presenting a session. Contact Kathy Cavender by e-mail or phone at (573) 526-5544 or use the official Call for Papers form (Adobe Acrobat file).

AMI annually awards Missouri's "Distinguished Interpreter of the Year" and the state's overall "Best Interpretive Effort." Winners are recognized at the annual AMI Conference.

Each year, AMI also awards one undergraduate and one graduate scholarship to students who plan on entering the interpretive field. Scholarship applicants must be enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education in the state of Missouri. Scholarships include $300 cash, plus paid registration and expenses for the annual AMI Workshop. Recipients are recognized at the annual AMI Conference.

It's never to soon to apply for an AMI Scholarship or nominate a colleague for an AMI Award. Applications and nominations must be received by July 15, 2008.

The AMI auction is an annual event. It is tradition. But why exactly do we have an auction? We get used to offering it, giving to it, and participating in it, but how often do we stop and ask why? If a new AMI member asks you about the auction, what do you tell them? It's as simple as this: money raised in the auction goes to scholarships for up and coming interpreters. Remember those school days? Remember those expenses? We are not in interpretation to make money, but it takes money to get into the field. Help out someone who, like you, shares a passion for our natural and cultural resources and wants to connect others to it. Search high and low for wonderful treasures that will pique the interest of fellow interpreters. Make something special. Contact your favorite eatery or store for that one of a kind item you know we will love. Then bring your auction items with you to registration and drop them off there. If you have some great ideas for the auction or questions about the auction, contact Alane Dubbert at the Runge Conservation Nature Center (573-526-5544).

If you have questions or comments, please contact the conference planning committee:

Connie Grisier (Van Meter State Park, 660-886-7537)

John Cunning (Department of Natural Resources, 573-522-1979)

Kathryn Devany DiFoxfore (Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, 573-449-7402)

Jeremy Soucy (Cape Girardeau Conservation Campus Nature Center,573-290-5218)

Mark Morgan (University of Missouri)

Kathy Cavender (Runge Conservation Nature Center, 573-526-5544

Robin Grumm (Runge Conservation Nature Center, 573-526-5544)