By Toni Stevens, 16 November 2023
With the peak summer season fast approaching and international visitors returning to the Great Ocean Road, tourism operators are turning their attention to how they can provide the very best experience for those visiting our region.
Next week, storytelling expert Nicholas Bishop will be at Wildlife Wonders in Apollo Bay providing training to their nature guides, and they are extending the invitation to other local tour guides and operators to join in.
The sessions will cover; delivering an exceptional guest experience, generating engagement and connection, and creating memories that last.
“Supporting the tourism industry’s recovery is a collaborative effort,” says Lizzie Corke OAM, Founder of Wildlife Wonders and CEO of the Conservation Ecology Centre.
“We are fortunate enough to be able to bring Nic to our business and are delighted to be able to extend this opportunity to tour guides and businesses across the region.”
This training is part of Wildlife Wonders’ ongoing guide training and development program which aims to provide consistent excellence in storytelling and interpretation.
Nic has creatively collaborated with the Wildlife Wonders team from the beginning, supporting effective nature engagement using a unique learning approach called Storyvolution.
“The model supports the growth and development of tour guides into ‘Bio Bards’: nature storytellers that use positive, innovative and engaging in the neuroscience of story to meaningfully connect people with nature and inspire conservation action,” says Nic.
Nic has worked in the wildlife and conservation world for the past 25 years in Australia and overseas, with a keen focus on storytelling, behaviour, birds and free flight presentations.
These have blended with his background as an actor/singer to see him working internationally in the field of Nature Theatre, supported by academic pursuits in performance arts, applied ornithology and wildlife management.
The training is generously supported by Skypods, Cape Otway – https://www.skypods.com.au.
For more information about how to get involved contact Lizzie Corke lizzie@conservationecologycentre.org or call Wildlife Wonders on 0438132764.
