Learning Through Place

Every day, visitors learn through the places they visit. 

Whether it's understanding local wildlife, connecting with cultural heritage, exploring history, or gaining a deeper appreciation for a region's landscape, tourism experiences can be powerful learning opportunities.

Sometimes that learning comes through a guided tour, an interpretive display, or a conversation with a passionate local. 

Other times, it comes simply from standing somewhere remarkable and seeing the world from a different perspective.

In Capes Conversations, host Kellie Tannock looks at the importance of tourism in helping people to learn about a place, including how formal education programmes are creating ambassadors in the younger generations. 

Thanks for listening and if you've enjoyed this podcast, please share with your family and friends. It will help us to keep this show going if you leave us a review.

For more inspiration on visiting the Margaret River Region follow @margaretriver on Instagram or explore www.margaretriver.com.

This show was recorded at RMR 101.9FM, Margaret River Region.

Transcript

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Kellie Tannock 0:01

Welcome to Cape's Conversations, sharing the stories that make the Margaret River region a truly special place to live and visit. Hello, I'm Kellie Tannock. Today on Capes Conversations, we're exploring a different side of tourism, how we learn through place. Whether it's about caves, wildlife, cultural heritage, conservation, history, or local communities, tourism experiences are learning tools, and sometimes through a guided tour, it might be through interpretive signage, or it might be just standing somewhere remarkable and saying it differently later in the show. We'll explore one very hands-on example of tourism education through Capes Foundation school programs. If you're not familiar with the Capes Foundation, it manages some of the region's key attractions, and we'll talk a lot more about those later. I'll be chatting with Capes Foundation Education Officer Barry Lequaietermaine and the principal of St. Bridget's School in Collie, Rob La Roche. But joining me first is Holly Winkle. Holly is the interpretation and experiences manager with Capes Foundation. Hi Holly. Hi Kelly. Holly, when people think about tourism, I suppose they're usually thinking about holidays and sightseeing, but you see learning as an intrinsic part of the visitor experience. How does tourism create learning opportunities and why is that important?

Holly Winkle 1:17

The opportunity to learn is part of so many tourism experiences, even when people may not consciously think about it in that way. What makes tourism particularly valuable is that learning often happens through direct experience. So people encounter a place or a subject while they're learning about it and connecting that information to where they are, what's happening around them, and the experience that they're having. We are very fortunate at CADE Foundation to be able to create those experiences across a really diverse range of places and subjects. So a visitor might come to explore a cave that have to be like they spend time in nature, but while they're there, they might begin to understand more about the natural processes, history, culture, or stories connected to that place. That direct experience can make it easier to understand and more likely to stay with someone. It can also raise questions or interest that they may not have considered before. The people working in tourism are also such an important part of that learning as well. Guides and especially the staff build real expertise in the places and subjects that they work with, and they often become incredibly passionate about sharing that knowledge. And that enthusiasm can really draw people in and help them notice things, ask questions, and connect more deeply with the experience. Now, I I will just say people will take away different things, but tourism can turn a visit into an opportunity to understand a place with more context and certainly more curiosity.

Kellie Tannock 2:55

Yeah, that's a great thing. Your role covers interpretation and visitor experiences. So, first of all, what is interpretation and what does a good example look like?

Holly Winkle 3:05

Well, interpretation helps people make sense what they're experiencing and help them understand why why it matters. I guess good interpretation can be a bit subjective, but effective interpretation is always perfect. So it's not about giving people as much information as possible, it's about identifying what's most relevant to that place and that moment and finding a way to help people notice something, understand it more clearly, or see it from a different perspective. Now it can happen in a multitude of different ways. So it might happen through a conversation with a guide, a story, a sign, audio, or even through the way that the overall experience has been designed. The approach needs to suit the subject, the setting, and the people taking part, but it also needs to be accurately accessible and informed by the right knowledge holders and protected. I think at its best, interpretation gives people enough context to form their own connection with a place or with the subject, and when people understand why something matters, that can provide a strong basis for appreciation, respect, and thoughtful engagement moving forward.

Kellie Tannock 4:19

Do you find it's tricky to sort of it's sort of a one size fits all, you're trying to catch people operating on all sorts of different levels? Is that a tricky part of your role? Definitely.

Holly Winkle 4:30

It's a good question. So uh people arrive with different interests, experiences, levels of knowledge every day. So we we can't assume that everyone will engage with a subject or an experience in the same way. I could probably use an example with something like cave formation. There are many different directions that we could take with communicating how caves form, but it's often more effective for us to focus on the ideas that are most relevant to what the visitors are experiencing in that moment and connect them to something that they can notice or understand for themselves. Now, this might mean drawing attention to something around them, using a familiar comparison or sharing a story that makes an unfamiliar process easier to follow. We can also we can also layer information, there can be a clear central idea for people who want a broad understanding and also allow opportunities for others to explore the subject in greater depth. I will say as well that the approach can change considerably depending on the type of experience. In a fully guided experience, the guide can respond to the group, answer questions, and adjust the level of detail. In something like a self-guided experience, the information needs to be structured so people can engage with it at their own pace and choose how deeply they want to explore it. But ultimately, it's about making complex or potentially unfamiliar subjects approachable without oversimplifying them or losing the accuracy and detail that matters as well.

Kellie Tannock 6:09

Sure. Sounds like a great uh argument for tour guides as well. They're not having to that you have that opportunity. We often talk about tourism's economic value. Is there a broader value in helping people understand and relate to the places that they're visiting?

Holly Winkle 6:24

Definitely. I think the capacity to change how people understand and relate to place is an important part of tourism's broader value. Uh, visit experience can help people recognize that a place is more than what they first notice. There may be layers of history, cultural meaning, uh, natural relationships and ongoing care that are not immediately visible. When people understand more about those connections, they may also better understand why a place is cared for or managed in a particular way. Uh, that added context can also influence what people value, how they behave, and the level of respect they bring to the experience or the place. So the broader value is not simply that someone has enjoyed visiting a place, it is that they leave with an understanding it differently or or recognizing why it matters.

Kellie Tannock 7:18

So many people are passing through quickly, trying to tick a lot of things off their list, uh see a lot in a short space of time. Can a short tourism experience genuinely change the way that someone sees a place?

Holly Winkle 7:29

Absolutely, I believe so. I think uh a short experience may not give someone a complete understanding of a place, but it can still shift the way they see it or potentially spark an interest that dazes them. I think something that may first seem simply beautiful, interesting, or impressive can take on much more meaning once someone creates a memory there or feels a personal connection or learns more about the serious stories or natural processes connected to the place. I could probably use an example. I remember visiting Capes Raptor Center in Margaret River as a child when it was called Eagles Heritage, and I had my very first film camera with me, and I still have some very fairly ordinary photos from that visit, but it was a fairly short visit as a child, but that experience has stayed with me and was one of many early experiences that has helped shape my interest in the environment places and the way people connect with them. So, of course, that's just one personal example, but experiences like that, no matter how long or short they are, with can can stay with people at any age, whether they deepen an existing interest, create a lasting memory, change the way someone sees a place, or influence how they engage with or care for nature. But I'm sure Barry and Rob will speak more about that through the experiences of students and school groups.

Kellie Tannock 8:57

I'm sure they will, Holly. That is a lovely story from you, and I hope that that is replicated right across the region every day with the wonderful operators that we have here. My thanks to Holly Winkle, interpretation and experience manager with Capes Foundation. Thanks for joining me on Capes Conversations. One of the best marriages of tourism and education happens with school groups who visit the region in huge numbers every year after the breakup. We'll look at how caves, lighthouses, and nature-based experiences are becoming outdoor classrooms for thousands of young people. But now this is local band Blue Child Collective with Wake Up to the Sound. RMR 101.9. That was Blue Child Collective, and I'm Kelly Tannock. We've been discussing tourism's role in education with Holly Winkle from Capes Foundation. Now we'll look at that concept in action. Joining me now are Barry Lequadermain, Education Officer with Capes Foundation, and Rob La Roche, Principal of St. Bridget's School in Collie. Now, Barry, for listeners who may not realise the scale of these programmes, give us an overview of what's happening across the caves, the lighthouses and the nature-based sites.

Barry Lequaietermaine 13:29

Yeah, absolutely. Nice to be here too, Kellie. Well, we've got eight um experiences, two lighthouses, uh Cape Lewin Lighthouse and Augusta. We run a Keepers and Heritage School program there. Then we've got the Shipwrecks and Settlers program at Cape Naturalist, which is uh out of Dunsborough. Uh four caves in our region. Look, all the caves cover similar information. They look at the history of that particular cave. Uh, we look at the um the formations in all the caves. Uh the guides talk about that, but of course, they talk about things specifically uh to those caves. Um Jewel Cave, that's the biggest of the um caves that's open to the public in Western Australia. Uh Lake Cave is well known for the suspended table, and it's the most actively dripping cave. The Mammoth Cave, was home to the ancient fossil remains of long extinct Australian megafauna. Yeah, there are also two other programs that we run uh tied in with the megafauna, and we run these at uh Mammoth Cave and Lake Cave. One is the Megafauna Nightstalk, it's where we do a tour of Mammoth Cave at night time. And also we do megafauna workshops, and that's run at Lake Cave, where we have an area set aside where the students go in and they can look at fossil cars, marsupial skulls, bone digs, and then they also get to tour Mammoth Cave. Ngilgi Cave, which is up near Yallingup, you get to wander through the ancient land experience, which is an above-ground walkway through the native bushland, followed by a fully guided tour with one of our guides. And um it's also got a series of interactive installations along that ancient land experience. Moving along, we've got the Capes Raptor Centre down near Margaret River. It's an exciting and educational journey of one of Australia's largest birds of prey sanctuaries, Forest Adventures near Bustelton. And this is probably where the majority of our schools visit. It's got a high ropes park there, two and a half hour session uh playing up in the trees. And we also run team building and archery activities there. Now, also all of these activities are linked into the school curriculum. So for the caves and lighthouses, ties in with the humanities and school sciences, uh the sciences also at the at the caves. Capes Raptor Park, again, humanities and social science and science, and Forest Adventures ties in perfectly with health and physical education. And we get a lot of outdoor education classes come there as well.

Kellie Tannock 16:00

Barry, how many young people are visiting each year and what sort of groups are coming?

Barry Lequaietermaine 16:04

Yeah, so last year we had over 10,000 students uh visit in the year. Pretty amazing numbers. And um majority of those groups are school groups. But I also deal a lot with um, especially in the holiday periods, uh, scout groups, uh, cadet groups, uh sporting groups, daycare groups, and holiday program groups who are looking for activities for their students during those school holidays.

Kellie Tannock 16:26

Let's go to Rob, our principal in Collie. Now, what does a place like a cave or a lighthouse offer some of these students that uh the classrooms can't?

Rob La Roche 16:34

Well ultimately we know that that for most students, um majority of students the best learning comes from from experiences. Um I think if you think back to your time in schools, it's it's probably the experiences more so than the words that that we learn from. So actually being at these sites and and learning through seeing and doing and and being part of those environments, it really sticks with the children. Um and when we have those conversations back at school post-camps and post-excursions, the knowledge that they pick up and and what each child takes away is quite exceptional, quite amazing. Um and it's different for every child. Some of them it's it's about the the actual knowledge and information that's provided for others, it's the experience. Uh some of them we do the roads course it's in stepping out of their paradigm. So each child takes away something unique, but definitely actually being on site and and being involved and hands-on with it makes it makes a huge difference to what they take away.

Kellie Tannock 17:26

So, with all these new experiences and new challenges, especially for your students who are from outside this region, do you see some who might not necessarily thrive in school really step up and and shine in these situations?

Rob La Roche 17:38

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And and look, it's an interesting one. We currently in Collie bring down our year fives, and it's the first camp that these children go on. So they're they're 10 and 11 years old. So lots of them, it's their first night away from home. So they're already out of their comfort zone. So I I guess what really helps with this is the quality of the the activities and the instructors and and the people that that actually facilitate it. Barry himself, but also the people that work with Barry. You know, I I love going to the teachers of the caves and and and different environments and the and the lighthouse each year because it seems every year I take away something new that I learned. So, you know, these kids for some of them they're they're feeling nervous and uncomfortable with to to have that sort of encouragement and also just that safe environment, they really love it. And for some kids, you know, sitting in a classroom from from nine till three isn't isn't their idea of fun, as much as we want to try and keep it engaging. So these opportunities to be out in nature and experiencing different things for those sorts of kids is a great circuit breaker and a and a really good way for them to actually demonstrate their capabilities as well in a different environment, different opportunities.

Kellie Tannock 18:43

That sounds really positive. This is Capes Conversations. I'm Kellie Tannock. Let's take a short break now for a song, but stay with me. I have more questions for our guests. This is Ocean Blue Eyes by Perth-based Red Jezebel.

Kellie Tannock 21:23

I'm back with Cape's Foundation Education Officer Barry Lequaietermaine and Rob La Roche, who's the principal of St. Bridget's School in Collie. Barry, these programmes often involve partners beyond the tourism sector. How important is collaboration in creating meaningful education experiences?

Barry Lequaietermaine 21:40

Very important. We get feedback from schools and we tweak things so we can adapt the tours to suit what people are after. We also do work a lot with people in the tourism industry. We work with people who provide cultural tours, work specifically with a couple of organisations at Nilwigi Cave and Mammoth Cave. Um, we get schools that are looking for something to. Time with the environment, the tree planting, and we've had schools and we've set them up with our conservation department, and they go down and help uh plant trees. We get schools just wanting to volunteer their time. We put them in touch with people like the Cape Cape Walk group and they go out and you know do rubbish collecting and things like that.

Kellie Tannock 22:18

I think that leads into a final question for you, Rob LaRoche. Can these programs help some of your students discover future career paths?

Rob La Roche 22:25

Yeah, I think they definitely do. Look, it's a really interesting time at the moment in education because as we know, the job landscape that we're preparing our children for is a bit of an unknown in the future and constantly changing. And but I think it's probably some constant that these lend themselves to uh environment conservation and connection, which are things that we're trying to find into in our school and in all schools. But this really gives them that opportunity to see something hands-on to be exposed to things, see the sciences in action, see conservation in action, have that connection with people, have that connection with land. Um and it really does open up their eyes. I'm taking primary school age children, but they're coming towards the end of their primary journey as they transition into high school and they start to think about where they want to specialise and where they want to take their educational journey. So it's an optimal time, and I think they're fantastic experiences uh exposing them to those things.

Kellie Tannock 23:15

It sounds as though these learning opportunities provide benefit on all sides. Uh, Barry, is this helping to develop the next generation of caretakers and advocates for places like our caves and coastlines and lighthouses?

Barry Lequaietermaine 23:26

Absolutely. Look, we want to show off this wonderful region through a blend of science, history, culture, wildlife, and adventure. And uh by immersing the students in informative and fun activities in beautiful natural settings, we hope to instil a healthy respect and caring attitude towards nature so it can be looked after into the future.

Kellie Tannock 23:45

Barry and Rob, thank you so much for your time on Capes Conversations today. We've heard how tourism does far more than entertain visitors, how it helps people learn how to connect and have a better sense of place, whether by interpretation, storytelling, or hands-on school programs, tourism experiences are subtly educating thousands of people every year. And whether they're visitors and students or locals, and people are sharing a deeper appreciation for this region and the responsibility that we all have and to care for it. I'm Kellie Tannock, and this is Cape's Conversations, and sponsored by the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association. And what better way to finish today's programme is Crosby Stills Nash and Young with Teach Your Children.