The process of my writing my Vision Book, which subsequently evolved to the creation of several websites has been a result of the lifetime of experiences. However, in my professional life I can identify a point of departure, and a refinement of this process.
I would say that prior to my canoe trip with Steve Simpson's class, my direction in life was not determined. From that trip, I came away with a definite direction.
So, with that as a starting point, I will attempt to outline, and provide pdf files, or links to the documents which record the Evolution of my Vision to Re-Create the World.
- Discovering My Purpose
- In 1988, I was taking outdoor recreation classes with Steve Simpson and Tom Makowski. The dynamics of the two sets of courses and coming across a series of articles about rainforest deforestation in Brazil (Ecology magazine) inspired me to develop and idea around creating an ecotourism consulting company. This addressed a number of issues related to economics, single industry economies, community empowerment, but also, especially advancing the idea that earth is rich with travel and learning experiences. Ecotourism Consulting International: Program Planning for the Future (pdf) - submitted December 5, 1988
After finishing my degree in Leisure Studies at Iowa State University I had already been engaged in Texas in conservation, but also activities hosting groups of people when I completed a Practicum with Bat Conservation International (BCI) and the Texas Nature Conservancy. I did not do a lot of additional writing but the ECI concept I had developed further while at BCI. My Practicum advisor Gary Graham, who later became the Executive Director of the Audubon Society in Colorado, called my ECI idea (grandiose).
My experiences in Texas, and then returning to Iowa for my Masters degree in Forestry were all contributing to this evolving idea. However, direct written work did not occur for several years. Working at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for Texas Adventures and then the Texas Parks and Wildlife Gift Collection and raising money for the Great Coastal Birding Classic were all ancillary but highly influential. During the fundraising for the birding tournament is when I recognized that governmental agencies did not share information and cooperate so the need for a centralized information system would be beneficial. This ideas evolution would lead to the creation of a pilot project developed by me and my ex-wife TRAPSS (Texas Regional Analysis Planning Support System) which combined the power of a Microsoft Access database with ESRI Arcview GIS software. This was developed while we were working on our PhDs at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University, San Marcos). There are some digressive stories related to this tool, that revealed it's potential power, but also the nature of academics.
- me using TRAPSS to conduct a spatial analysis
- while Yongxia and I were on our honeymoon her advisor and the Dept. Chair tried to break into the system to show it to an
interested party with a state agency. (- to be written later)
- while Yongxia and I were on our honeymoon her advisor and the Dept. Chair tried to break into the system to show it to an
interested party with a state agency. (- to be written later)
Further refinement of the power of online resource centers came after I began using the Internet with a friend David Parsons in Austin in about 1996. This was early when Netscape Navigator browser still existed and several search engines such as Yahoo, Excite, Web Crawler, etc. This was before Google and Microsoft made their run to take over the web. Using the web, and working for the Webmaster at TPWD to create a webpage for the Birding Classic revealed to me the incredible potential and power of the Internet. So, when I first started my PhD at the Center for Nature and Heritage Tourism, Geography Department at SWTSU, I completed a tutorial for web programming called Page Tutor.
My first website was created for Dr. Jim Kimmel, for the Center for Nature and Heritage Tourism. During that time I created a few online courses. These were used to supplement, and even replace textbooks because Jim felt he couldn't find a text book that was adequate for his courses, and the web outline, connected to real world examples provided a much better course for students. An additional set of materials were developed between and CNHT and then after I took the professor position at the Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences Dept. at Texas A&M University in 2001. (see Interpretation for tourism)
The first real gathering of information and concepts into a central online resource center came when the CNHT was hired to develop the foundations of the Texas Historical Commission's "Texas Heritage Trail Program". My research assistant stipend was increased from $12,000 to $15,000/yr, because the contract paid $15K. With Dr. Kimmel, and research conducted on the U. of Minnesota's Tourism Center, we developed the concept for a central resource center to stimulate heritage tourism, in a efficient, grassroots fashion. After the person who approached us left the agency, it began to take on a much more bureaucratic, top-down character, and then the idea to adapt to the travel trail system that Governor Connely had established in the 1960s came up. The Heritage Trail System took on a completely different flavor when the Executive Director at the time took control. I continued to be able to observe this project while I was at Texas A&M, until it received a Presidential Award in 2006, from George Bush, Jr.
- description of heritage trail concept, and ancillary presentations
- digression to the award of $4.1 million to do 3 trails
- description of heritage trail concept, and ancillary presentations
- digression to the award of $4.1 million to do 3 trails
During my PhD work at Texas State University is when working with databases, and their application expanded. Also, delving deeper into the utility of the Internet and it's character in detail greatly expanded. My dissertation began with a very broad inquiry into "cyberspace", now commonly referred to as the cloud. Then, my research dug down vertically into the practical implications as it related to my particular area of interest, nature tourism. My ex-wife was a brilliant programmer and computer person, but she lacked practical experience for what to apply this genius. After developing TRAPSS and as my research was forming,