Resources for Developing Interpretive Themes – Revised!

The Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area will be revisiting its Interpretive Themes as part of the Five-Year Planning Process it is undertaking this year (FY2023). In advance of the meetings that will be held, we wanted to collect and share resources about this task.

Interpretive Themes play a large role in the MHAA application process. Grant applicants are asked to refer to the themes when they describe their proposed projects, and the applications are judged on their answers. Because of this. we want to examine both what they are, and how they are expressed.

If you are interested in the Interpretive Themes our heritage area has used in the past, download this overview here:

Here are some links that we think are useful about Interpretive Themes:

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/eastern/meaningful_interpretation/mi2c.htm

http://www.heritageinterp.com/developing_theme_and_objectives.htm

http://npshistory.com/publications/interpretation/imr-theme-guide.pdf

http://www.storylinedesigns.co.uk/resources_assets/themes.pdf

A number of key partners participated in writing a Master Interpretive Plan for the Annapolis City Dock Area, led by Historic Annapolis and the National Park Service. This Plan is in DRAFT form, but we have been given permission to share some of its contents with our stakeholders for educational purposes. Click to read an outline summary of the Master Plan’s Interpretive Themes.

The resource listed below is not recent, but it contains excellent guidance, especially on pages 28-32. From the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Park Service, designed for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network: https://chesapeakecrossroads.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CBGN-Planning-For-Success.pdf

Read the recently-completed Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area Management Plan (AFNHA) here: https://chesapeakecrossroads.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/AFNHAManagementPlan.AllChapters.June2222-compressed.pdf

We encourage stakeholders to send additional resources they think will be useful. Thanks!