Castillo de San Marcos Visitor Experience and Community Study

C ASA Latinx/Hispanic ICR Draft Focus Group Discussion Guide

OMB Control Number 1024-0224

Introduction

“Thank you for participating in this discussion. The National Park Service staff at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas is interested in understanding how members of local Latinx/Hispanic communities connect with Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and Fort Matanzas National Monument, as well as future opportunities for these places to better serve local communities. Today’s discussion will help ensure that your perspectives are represented in interpretive messaging, programming, outreach efforts, and general planning for these places.

“This discussion should last no more than two hours. The questions we want to discuss were designed in collaboration with staff at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas, Latinx/Hispanic community leaders in the St. Augustine area, and consultants at RSG. The questions have also been approved by the Office of Management and Budget in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Office of Management and Budget control number is 1024 0224 and additional information about the Privacy and Paperwork Reduction Act are available at your request. As mentioned during previous outreach and recruitment efforts, we will be recording the discussion so that we can reference your comments and insights in order to write a report for the park, but that recording will not be shared or used for any other purposes. All your comments in this discussion are voluntary. Your names will not be included in the summary report, and your identity will not be linked in any way to your comments.

“We are interested in everything you want to share with us, but please speak one at a time so that everyone can be heard. There are no right or wrong answers, and it is okay to express differences of opinion and experiences. Everything you say will be helpful to Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas as they work to improve their interpretive and educational programs, outreach programs, and general planning. Does anyone have any questions before we start?

Topic Area 1, Respondent Characteristics

“Let’s go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves. Please share your first name and briefly tell us how long you’ve lived in the St. Augustine area, or Florida in general. I’ll start.” [Facilitator introduces herself.]

PAPERWORK REDUCTION and PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. We are authorized by the National Park Service Protection Interpretation and research in System (54 USC §100702) to collect this information. The routine uses of this information will be for the benefit of NPS Managers and Planning staff of Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas in future Initiatives to improve interpretive messaging, programming, outreach efforts, and general planning within the Parks. The data collected will be summarized to evaluate (Latinx/Hispanic) perspectives of current messaging and outreach at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas, as well as future opportunities for these places to better serve local (Latinx/Hispanic) communities. Your responses to this collection are completely voluntary and will remain anonymous. You can end the process at any time and will not be penalized in any way for choosing to do so. All paper versions of the information collected will be destroyed at the end of the collection period and no personal identifiable records will be maintained or stored for any purposes. Data collected will only be reported in aggregates and no individually identifiable responses will be reported. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number (1024-0224). We estimate that it will take about two hours to complete this interview. You may send comments concerning any aspect of this information collection to: Steven Roberts, Chief of Interpretation and Education – [email protected] (email); or Phadrea Ponds, NPS Information Collection Coordinator, Fort Collins, CO 80525, [email protected] (email).

Questions

Free Time Activities

Topic Area 5: Recreation History

1. Let’s start by taking the first few minutes to think about how you like to spend your free time. I’d like you to think of something you’ve done recently in your free time that you found to be particularly enjoyable. For example, [Facilitator provides personal example: I went fly fishing on the Waits River/to a music festival in New York City/to a Dartmouth soccer game/to the Hood Museum to view an exhibit on spiders/etc.]

Consider the following:

1. What was it you chose to do with your free time?

2. Where did you choose to spend this time?

3. Who did you choose to be with during this time?

4. How much time did you have?

5. How often do you get to spend your time this way?

[PAUSE for participant reflection]

Now I’d like to hear from you; who would like to share their thoughts about their free time?

Topic Area 5: Recreation History

2. What other things do you like to do during your free time?

Topic Area 4: Trip Characteristics; Topic Area 5: Recreation History; Topic Area 11: Constraints and Barriers for Non-visitors

3. Do you ever visit museums or other historic sites during your free time? If so, which sites?

   1. Do you typically enjoy those visits?

   2. Do you return to any of these places? Why or why not?

Experiences at CASA

Topic Area 7: Evaluation of Services and Programs; Topic Area 2: Trip Planning

4. What did you know about Castillo de San Marcos before using your free pass to visit?

   1. How did you learn [what was just shared] about Castillo de San Marcos?

   2. How else do you usually find information about local events or attractions in St. Augustine?

Topic Area 4: Trip Characteristics; Topic Area 11, Constraints and Barriers for Non-visitors

5. Had you ever visited Castillo de San Marcos before using your free pass? Why or why not? How often have you visited Castillo de San Marcos?

Topic Area 4: Trip Characteristics; Topic Area 9: Natural/Cultural Resources Management

6. Have you ever visited Fort Matanzas National Monument? Did you know that Fort Matanzas National Monument is affiliated with Castillo de San Marcos National Monument?

Topic Area 11: Constraints and Barriers for Non-visitors

7. What could Castillo de San Marcos offer that would make you visit more often?

Topic Area 7: Evaluation of Services and Programs; Topic Area 11: Constraints and Barriers for Non-visitors

8. Please take a moment to reflect on any time you have spent at Castillo de San Marcos. Perhaps you have visited with a school group or your family, or perhaps your first visit was very recently. Using paper provided, please write down words or phrases on lines provided that describe your impressions of Castillo de San Marcos. There are no wrong words or phrases to write down here.

[PAUSE for participant reflection and writing…]

1. Let’s go around and describe what we wrote. I’ll start… [facilitator describes, and identifies the most important word or phrase on their paper]. Who would like to go next?

[Ask each participant to describe what they wrote and ask them to identify their most important word or phrase]

2. Does anyone see any patterns in the words or phrases we used to describe our impressions of Castillo de San Marcos?

Connection to CASA

The National Park Service is motivated to think about Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas as an opportunity to build connections with the local Latinx/Hispanic communities. Everyone has a different idea of what makes a community. For example… [Facilitator provides personal examples: neighborhood, coworkers, church group, “the people I fish with,” etc.]

Topic Area 1: Respondent Characteristics

9. Please take the next moments to think about how you define your communities.

Consider the following:

1. Who makes up your communities?

2. What do you do with the people in your communities?

3. Are there things you particularly like to do with the people in your communities?

4. Where do you spend time with your communities?

[PAUSE for participant reflection]

Who would like to share their thoughts about their communities?

Topic Area 8: Human Dimensions of Natural Resources; Topic Area 11: Constraints and Barriers for Non-visitors

10. Think about how you would describe the roles that Castillo de San Marcos plays for you and your communities today. The Castillo is a landmark in the St. Augustine area and a National Park Service site. Castillo de San Marcos also hosts many events, including a free Veterans Day event with informal activities to highlight citizen soldiers in the St. Augustine community.

[PAUSE for participant reflection]

1. Who would like to share what they thought about?

2. What thoughts do you have to share about the roles that Fort Matanzas plays for you and your communities today?

Topic Area 1: Respondent Characteristics; Topic Area 6: Visitor Experience; Topic Area 7: Evaluation of Services and Programs; Topic Area 9: Natural/Cultural Resources Management; Topic Area 11: Constraints and Barriers for Non-visitors

11. Think about the possible roles that Castillo de San Marcos could play for you and your communities in the future?

    1. Who would like to share what they thought about?

    2. What are some specific areas for improvement at Castillo de San Marcos, particularly improvements that would better serve you and your communities?

    3. What are some important ways in which Castillo de San Marcos could be more involved in your communities?

    4. What do you think is the ideal role for Castillo de San Marcos to play in serving you and your communities?

    5. What do you think is the most important change Castillo de San Marcos could make to strengthen a connection with your communities?

    6. What thoughts do you have to share about the possible roles that Fort Matanzas could play for you and your communities in the future?

Closing

[Facilitator provides a short 1-2 minute summary of the discussion]

12. How well does that summary capture today’s discussion?

13. Is there anything else we should have talked about today, but didn’t?

14. Do you have any advice for how we can improve these discussions?

Topic Area 9: Natural/Cultural Resources Management

15. Is there anything else you would like to add to today’s discussion about how you spend your free time, your experience with Castillo de San Marcos or Fort Matanzas, and the ways the Castillo does and/or could serve your communities?

4