Did you do naturalist programs?
I did some naturalist programs late in the season. I’d even done that as a well, actually, when I was stationed in Cedar Grove in Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park. The seasonal naturalist there got me to do a few evening programs. I also did this a little in Glacier Bay when I was still a park ranger. At Joshua Tree I was involved in seasonal naturalist programs. I shouldn’t say “seasonal” naturalist, but “natural history” or “historical presentations” in Joshua Tree. I was also interested there, starting in Joshua Tree, with outdoor amphitheaters and rear screen projection. And I found that I could use rear screen projection during the day by setting up in my office with the projector and then I could be outside with people seated out in the open and show slides and talk about the natural history of the area. So, rear screen projection was just kind of getting off, it was in the pioneering stage, then. And when I went to Crater Lake I was still interested in something that was going on in Yosemite, too. So, eventually we went from a very primitive but effective, outdoor amphitheater with blocks to sit on and a plywood screen. Eventually we moved up from that to the current Mazama campground outdoor theater.
The blocks were the old rustic logs that had been cut, and would be situated in a kind of semi-circle.
That’s right. These were blocks that were just about seat height. Between that and the present amphitheater was some benches with backs to them so people could rest a little bit. We also used the old selector slides, which were shown on a specific type of side projector. A lot of money was spent on selector slides, but it seemed like a good thing.
Were they all the same location?
No. The earlier amphitheater was further south, in a location which is closer to Annie Springs.
