Education, Communication

g Management Plan (Draft)‎ > ‎

Education, Communication

School group in the floor of the crater

(Updated 23/7/2017)

Education

" Find and present information to enrich the visitor experience."

Background:

Mount Elephant has unique features which make it of great interest to researchers and educators.

These include its geology and landform, aboriginal and white settlement history, extractive mining experiences, native plant restoration, pest plant and animal control, and natural history of the surrounding area.

Community consultation indicated very strong support for using the site as a basis for interpretive and educational activities for schools and other groups.

Both of the local schools at Derrinallum and Lismore are keen to involve their students in the development of Mount Elephant and have contributed to tree planting days, walking tracks, fencing, picnic facilities and using it as a basis for educational programs.

The schools support the provision of basic facilities for use by their students on site visits – shelter, interpretive materials, toilets and potentially a barbecue.

An interpretation strategy is being developed to ensure that the mount is well understood. The committee have started the process of interpretation with signage, brochures, walking tracks, facilities and seats.This web site also provides material.

Communication

The main public access to information about Mount Elephant is: https://sites.google.com/site/visitmountelephant/home

and surrounding area : https://sites.google.com/site/mountelephantcentre/home

Coming events are with facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mount.Elephant.community

Irregular email updates of events go to subscribers: https://sites.google.com/site/mountelephantcentre/updates

There are links to this site on the sites of Lismore, Derrinallum, Corangamite Shire and Trust for Nature.

The brochures are available at the local towns and tourist offices.

The messages should be designed not to conflict with those of Trust for Nature or Corangamite Shire.

Objectives

• Become one of the major centres on the volcanic plains for interpretation of the volcanic origins of the region and its ecology.
• Develop a range of interpretive and educational activities that allow visitors to undertake formal and informal learning and research about the natural and cultural history of Mount Elephant.
• Foster relationships with appropriate educational institutions to develop educational programs about the Mount.
• Provide information which is readily available to the public and is sought after by them.
• Broaden the focus to include the grasslands and wetlands of the basalt plains.
• Deliver messages which are in line with those of Trust for Nature.

Actions

• Continually update the current Mount Elephant promotional material.
• Engage at intervals a consultant and artist to develop an interpretation strategy for Mount Elephant that is based on unique and consistent branding which identifies the target audience/s, messages, educational themes and interpretive mechanisms and is focused around volcanic and ecological themes.
• Train local guides to deliver information.
• Implement the interpretation strategy as resources become available.
• Investigate the opportunity for commercial/ecotourism operators to undertake activities or deliver programs on the site, or interest them in visiting the site as part of their tours.
• Ensure that the site is found by search engines and links are found on all relevant sites.
• Continue to develop an email list of interested parties.
• Ensure that TfN and Shire are aware and approve of major publicity initiatives.