Lesson Structure:  Ecotourism Tour Guide Course BTR301

There are 10 lessons:

1  Ecotourism Basics

• What is Ecotourism
• What is Negative Ecotourism?
• Education and Ecotourism
• Ecoutourist: A Profile
• Administrative Concerns: Value for Money, Permits, Public Liability Insurance
• Controlling participants in ecotour activities
• Guidelines for Wilderness Safety: Dos and Don’ts
• Water Activities
• Wild Animals
• Exposure to Weather and Natural Forces
• Interptretive Collection
• Plants
• Animal/Bird/Insect Sampling Options
• Some Different Ways You Might Find Specimins
• Collection Sheet Example

2  Interpretation Services in Ecotourism 

• Interpretation as a Key Element of Ecotourism
• Techniques of Interpretation in Parks: Personal Services, Non-Personal Services, Factors Influencing the Type of Interpretative Technique
• Sign Design: 1 Administrative Signs 2 Interpretive Signs
• Advantages of Signs
• Disadvantages of Signs
• Good Presentation Skills
• Terminology
• Clarification
• Topics and Themes
• Researching Material
• How to Remember Your Material
• Involving Your Audience
• Where Do You Go?
• Accessibility
• Routes
• What Makes a Good Route?
• What Makes a Good Stopping Point?
• How Far and How Long?
• Safety and Comfort
• Making Walk Accessible to All
• Walks for the Visually Impaired
• Environmental Trails: Why Trailing?

3  Ecology and Conservation

• Ecology: Commonly Used Terms
• The Ecosystem
• Ecological Concepts
• The Web of Life
• Habitat and Niche
• Humans in the Environment
• Land Environments
• Types of Plant Associations
• Examples of Plant Associations
• Conservation
• The Goals of Conservation
• Natural Resources
• Renewable Resources
• Non-renewable Resources

4  Plant and Animal Classification and Identification

• Classification of Organisms
• Classification of Animals
• Classification of Plants
• Viruses – The Odd One Out?
• Using Keys to Identify Organisms
• An Easy Key to Plant Groups
• Key to Lamiaceae
• Other Ways of Identifying
• Set Reading
• Animal Case Study: study animals relative to your country; for example, in Australia an Ecotourism case study would include  Kangaroos, Wallabies, Emus etc.

5  Geology/Geomorphology

• Introduction
• Tourism and Geology
• The Basics of Continental Drift
• Glaciers
• Earthquakes
• Earthquake Occurrence
• Volcanoes: e.g. Krakatoa, Mt St Helens, Mount Vesuvius, Mount Fuji
• Geology Basics: Minerals and Rocks, Classification of the Main Rock Forming Minerals
• Types of Rock: Igneous rocks, Sedimentary, Metamorphic
• Weathering and Erosion
• Mechanical Weathering
• Chemical Weathering
• Soils: Factors Affecting Soil Development, Parent Material, Time, Climate, Life forms, Slope, Soil Profile, Soil Classification and Description

6  Interpreting Aquatic Environments

• Marine Environments
• Freshwater Environments
• Fish
• Shells
• Crustaceans
• Aquatic Environmnets
• Aquatic Animals
• Sponges
• Corals
• Jellyfish
• Flatworms
• Molluscs
• Insects
• Sea urchins
• Star fish
• Chordates (Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, Mammals)
• Aquatic Plants
• Common Aquatic Plants Found in Ponds: Oxygenating Plants, Deep Water Aquatic Plants, Shallow Water Aquatic Plants
• Freshwater Ferns

7 Interpreting Land Environments

• Interpreting Processes
• Forces that might have shaped a local environment: Weathering, Mass Wasting, Erosion, Glaciers, Streams
• Rainforests
• Savannas
• Alpine Environments
• Deserts: Plant and Animal Adaptations to the Desert
• Archaelogical Sites: e.g. Egypt – Abu Simbel, South America – Machu Picchu
• Disaster Zones: e.g. Japan – Hiroshima
• Interpretation and Changing Attitudes
• Communicating Attitudes and Values

8  Planning an Ecotour

• Introduction
• Destination
• Guidelines for Ecotourists
• Safety
• Transportation
• Accommodation
• Leadership Concepts For Ecotour Guides
• Qualities of a Professional Recreational Leader
• Leadership Communication
• Leadership Responsibilities
• What is Recreation?
• The Environment: Quality of the Environment, Recreational impacts on the environment

9  Ecotour Displays

• Zoo Design Concepts: Walk Through Enclosure, Open Range Exhibits, Nocturnal and Diurnal Displays, Systematic Theme, Zoogeographic Theme, Bioclimatic Theme
• Other Options

10 Leading an Ecotour 

• Preliminary Research
• Open and Closed Plant Communities
• Semi-natural vegetation
• Dominant Species
• Competition
• Environmental Stress
• Succession of Plant Communities
• Edge effects
• Preliminary Visit
• Assessing Risks
• Advertising
• Initial Preparation of the Tour Group: Preparing For Responsible Behaviour
• Preparing Material
• Types of Audiences
• What You Need to Know About Your Audience
• What Can They Do?
• Why Do They Want to Come?
• When Do You Do It?
• Introductory Talk

Learning Goals:  Ecotourism Tour Guide Course BTR301

• Provide a basic grounding in the administrative matters behind an ecotourism venture, including safety, legal considerations and profitability
• Understand and discuss the importance of interpretive services in ecotourism
• Understand the basics of ecosystem function and conservation
• Become familiar with the basic ways in which plants and animals can be classified and identified
• Identify geological and geomorphological factors of interest to ecotourists
• Develop innovative concepts in interpretation for a selected aquatic ecotourism activity
• Develop innovative concepts in interpretation for a selected ecotourism activity in a land environment
• Plan an ecotour
• Develop a display with an ecotourism theme
• Lead an interpretive tour with an ecotourism theme

Practical: Ecotourism Tour Guide Course BTR301

• An ability to analyse the structure of interpretive ecotourism in your country.
• To recognise factors of the environment and their significance to ecotourism.
• To plan an ecotour.
• Create/develop interpretation aids for a selected ecotourism activity.
• Develop a display with an ecotourism theme.
• Determine the specific name of a range of natural features in a selected wilderness area including:
  • Birds
  • Fish
  • Shells
  • Other animals
  • Plants
• Lead an interpretive tour with an ecotourism theme.
• Develop innovative concepts in interpretation for a selected aquatic ecotourism activity.
• Develop innovative concepts in interpretation for a selected ecotourism activity in a land environment.
• Determine the specific name of a range of natural features in a selected wilderness area including, where appropriate:
  • Fossils
  • Rocks
  • Land formations
  • Soil types
  • Geothermal features

• With each assignment you will be required to prepare identification sheets, containing a preserved specimen, a photograph or a drawing; together with a description of the species/type of organism.
  This collection is designed to be the embryo of a resource which you may use as an ongoing aid when designing and conducting interpretive activities.
• You will research the legal and administrative background required to set up an ecotourism venture in your area. You will also look at the marketing and advertising possibilities for this venture.
• Visit a number of interpretive ecotourism facilities.
• Prepare an interpretive activities sheet for an ecotourism group.
• Visit a natural area and classify organisms sighted in a set time period.
• Identify points of interest in a natural area for an ecotourism group.
• Research the lifecycles of a number of plants and animals.
• Design a range of ecotours for ecotourists interested in various natural phenomena.
• Visit an aquatic environment and make observations on the organisms there and any pollution present.
• Identify potential ecotourism activities for a marine area.
• Develop interpretive techniques for minimal environmental impact.
• Attend an ecotour to assess the quantity and quality of information provided.
• Plan an ecotour including the destination, accommodation, transport, catering.
• Construct an ecotour display.
• Plan and lead an ecotour to a group of ecotourists or acquaintances.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.