Dear Master Interpreter — Winter 2026
Your questions answered!
Dear Master Interpreter,
“Help! I need somebody! HELP! Not just anybody – Help!”
I have many tasks in my job as a field interpreter, and I’ve heard that there are resources available to me within Division. Could you share what these resources are and how to access them?
—Not So Self-Assured
Dear NSS-A:
We acknowledge that field interpretation requires a breadth of skills, passion, and perseverance much of the time. Division wants to help! And Division isn’t some faceless maze of paperwork and requirements, it’s a collection of somebodies (🎼not just anybody🎵) whose job is to help bring resources to you in the field.
Your best place to start is the Interpretation & Education Resources Hub SharePoint. There, you’ll find a link to Division staff and their contact information. Division staff are divided into program management areas, overseen by managers who in turn meet regularly with the Division’s Chief. Many of these staff have years of experience with the department, working in the field in capacities such as your own. You are not alone and many of us have been where you are!
Let’s break down the table of I&E Division staff to help guide your search for assistance.
- Planning and Programs – They manage and assist with Junior Rangers, Statewide Panels, CICADA, interpretive plans, and even The Catalyst. They are also there for many of those between-the-cracks forms of help, being your sounding boards, reviewers, resource connectors, and even potential collaborators.
- PORTS – They manage and coordinate PORTS programs statewide, make the PORTS Van available to you, oversee K-12 Education programs, and provide the technology and training to keep your PORTS presentations flowing smoothly.
- Boating Clean and Green – They provide programs and educational materials for park visitors and volunteers to get involved in offerings from the California Coastal Commission to prevent the introduction of invasive species and reduce pollution of our waterways, both marine, and freshwater lakes and streams.
- OHV Outreach and Education – They assist with interpreting off-highway recreation statewide (not only at State Vehicle Recreation Areas), and getting the word out on both safety and caring for fragile resources. They attend events with opportunities to reach communities statewide.
- Boating and Waterways Education and Outreach – They address the public on how to stay safe on California’s waterways and help manage the regulation of boaters and their boats. If your park has questions about life vest programs or your visitors find they need a California Boater Card, their staff can help.
- Relevancy and History – They grew out of the “Reexamining Our Past Initiative” and have four interpreters in different districts who have begun the work of sharing a more balanced telling of California’s history. Programs from this group will serve as models statewide. If you have an immediate question about changes in the interpretation of cultural resources, they can steer you in the best direction.
- Watershed Program – They administer programs focused on interpretation and education regarding watershed protection around the state. Three of their staff have been designated for separate regions within California, while a fourth coordinates programs along the coast and marine protected areas. They also have staff who specialize in the interpretation of climate change and how to incorporate climate-related messages into your interpretation of park resources.
As time allows, we encourage you to explore all the program areas and materials found on the I&E Resources Hub. If you still can’t figure out where to start, there’s a general email monitored by multiple Division staff, Interpretation.staff@parks.ca.gov, and somebody (🎼not just anybody🎵) will figure out who can “Help!”
—Master Interpreter
Send your questions for the Master Interpreter to interpretation.staff@parks.ca.gov