New Interpretive Signage in the Tropical Pavilion

This report represents the results of a summative evaluation study of visitor response to new interpretive signage in Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Tropical Pavilion. The evaluation aims to reveal the extent to which the new signage succeeds in providing the outcomes for the visitor experience identified in the Garden's Interpretive Master Plan (IMP). The IMP's overarching goal is: to create interactions and experiences with visitors of all ages and backgrounds which are rich, enjoyable, personally relevant, and communicate the key message,Plants are essential to life. The following content goals were developed specifically for the Tropical Pavilion: Everything living in tropical areas is connected to each other and to you (Main theme) Things tropical rainforests provide for life in other areas of the world The importance of conserving a variety of plants in tropical areas How plants are used for food, medicine and shelter The role of plants in human cultures Brooklyn Botanic Garden's work with plants Overall, the new signage system succeeds in its goals: Visitors notice the signs, read them and remember content that they find engaging. Two thirds of respondents estimated that they had read at least half of the signs. Half of those respondents estimated that they had read almost all of them. Results suggest that each of the existing themes holds interest for a particular segment of visitors. The topic that interested visitors most was plants' use in food, medicine and shelter (36%). The new signs effectively communicate the primary Gardenwide theme, “Plants are essential to Life. o The two most frequently mentioned central messages were 1) global dependence on the tropics and 2) origin of products we use. The need for conservation was the third most frequently cited central message, however the related idea—the necessity to conserve plant diversity was not as strong for visitors. o Tropical plants' effect on daily life was a strong theme: more than 8 in 10 visitors (83%) said they saw information in the Pavilion about how tropical areas and their plants affect daily life. The success of this prototype suggests that the approach may be effective at other locations in the Garden. The interview instrument used in the study is included in the appendix of this report.