Transparent guiding: contributions to theory of nature guide practice

ABSTRACT The professional nature guiding industry has become increasingly interested in the term “transparent guiding.” However, the interpretation of the term in practical guide work is basically experiential and lacks a theoretical foundation. The concept carries the potential to describe the complex competencies needed for a nature guide to succeed. Through analytic and reflexive autoethnography based on decades of guide experience and supplemented by a focus group interview with guides, this paper discusses best practices for transparent guiding. The findings have implications for the development of guide theory, as well as for the practical education of nature guides.