Interpreting Nature

Ashley Chong

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Blog #10: Reflecting on Nature Interpretation

Hi everyone, I hope you all are doing well with exam season just around the corner! It feels like just yesterday we were writing our first blog prompts on our relationship with nature – it really is crazy seeing just how fast the weeks have gone by! Alright, now let’s get to this last blog post!

My personal ethic

When I first enrolled in this course, truthfully, I was quite unsure of what to expect and wasn’t really sure of what nature interpretation actually was. It’s just interpreting nature right? I have learned that one goal of nature interpretation is that interpreters should seek to inspire their audiences so that they can better retain information, grasp important meaning, and adopt new values and behaviours as they are directly involved with authentic experiences (Beck et al., 2018). By encouraging those behaviours, interpreters hope to encourage the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broaden public support for protecting natural resources (Beck et al., 2018). So, in order to inspire others to develop their own personal ethic, I must first delve into my own!

Pictures I took In Florence, Italy off of the Amalfi coast during a guided nature hike through the towns of Cinque Terré (2018).

First, I think that it is important to acknowledge our history and its importance in environmental interpretation. History is able to make a space meaningful through the use of lived experiences and archival records or artifacts. Hearing about these lived experiences can be incredibly moving and they are so important for us to remember and pass down. The use of having physical records or artifacts can also be a powerful tool used to inspire. As we have learned, everyone learns differently, and visually seeing evidence of our past actions can be profound. As an example, fossils! The idea of fossils always fascinated me as being physical proof of what life was like millions of years ago! Our environment is constantly being changed through various anthropogenic factors and as interpreters, this is our opportunity to share the history and change our current trajectory to write our own future.

You don't have to go far to experience nature, even here in Guelph nature is beautiful! This was taken by the boathouse on Speed river! (2018).

Additionally, Beck et al., (2018) outlined 7 habits to develop for managers and leaders that promoted character ethics. One of these is to “seek first to understand and then to be understood” (Beck et al., 2018). I love this saying as it tells us to listen to others with the intent of understanding and not to reply. So often I catch myself in conversation, realizing I didn’t fully grasp what the other person was saying because I was too busy coming up with my own answer. Has this ever happened to you before? I believe that we should begin to truly listen to others and deepen our connection with the person both emotionally and intellectually in order to better understand where they are coming from. Another one of these 7 habits is to synergize. This means to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts and I believe this is extremely important when talking about how to improve the current state of nature. This was also brought up in the unit 10 video with David Suzuki where they mentioned that change starts with something small (Louv & Suzuki, 2012). Our individual actions can make a big difference, even if it is just within our own backyard. We cannot individually expect to change the world but if we all do our part then the future looks bright.

Some pictures of the beautiful beach sunsets my family and I saw last winter in Fort Myers and Estero, Florida (2021).

What responsibilities do I have?

As a nature interpreter, this role comes with many responsibilities. First, it is my responsibility to shine a light on our natural world. One of the very first pages in Beck et al., (2018) mentions the lighthouse metaphor which compares interpretation to being a lighthouse. Here, just as lighthouses provide authenticity in a complex world, interpretation can be a beacon of clarity and hope where people are able to ground themselves.

Additionally, I believe it is always important to communicate accurate information, even if it may be less of an exciting story, spreading the truth is something that should never be compromised. It is our responsibility to spread only accurate information in order to allow the public to ask questions and make their own conclusions (Beck et al., 2018).

Moreover, it is also my responsibility to incorporate inclusivity. As we have learned, there is a multitude of barriers that discourage minorities from coming to parks including economic barriers, cultural barriers, communication barriers, a lack of knowledge, and fear. This can be done by actively acting to reduce these barriers whether that be by incorporating signage in more languages, employing a more diverse group of interpreters, and personally inviting these marginalized groups. Inclusivity doesn’t just stop at including minority groups as we must also consider people with disabilities, the elderly community, and children.

During the summer of 2019, my family and I traveled to British Columbia, Canada and we were immediately surrounded by colossal mountains and crystal clear blue lakes like I've never seen! All of the pictures are from Banff National Park.

What approaches are most suitable for me as an individual?

One approach that is most suitable for me as an individual is interpreting nature through art. As I am primarily a visual learner, seeing a work of art can be very moving and inspirational. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. However, sometimes the landscapes that we see leave us in ‘awe’, in which case I believe that no words are necessary. I have always been drawn to the arts - whether that be making handmade Christmas cards, trying to “sell” my parents my drawings as a kid, or creating posters and infographics for school assignments, I love to create and I think this is a tool I can further use as a nature interpreter.

One other approach that is most suitable for me is interpreting nature through science. As I will be graduating in about a month in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, I would like to think that I have a good understanding of the complexities of science. It has been said that the best way to see if you understand a concept is to try and explain it to someone and by being a nature interpreter, this would also help me to reflect on any uncertainties that I may have. In unit 05, Wachira (2017) highlighted the promising aspect of implementing citizen science. I was introduced to iNaturalist, a citizen science database, in several of my courses and I fell in love with the idea that people from all over the world with different backgrounds can connect through their similar passion for nature. Not only that but this technology allows everyday citizens to contribute to something bigger than themselves and is a novel way of furthering research.

A photo I took in Montreal at the Royal Botanical Gardens! If you look closely, you can see one of the many signs around the garden describing the plants. To me, I look at this photo and see how pristine it has been kept, and it fills me with joy (2019).

Conclusion

As we conclude our discussion posts, I can say confidently that I have deepened my understanding of nature interpretation and my relationship with nature! Thank you all for being so kind and engaging. I hope by including some of my pictures and experiences with you, it can inspire you to get out and really enjoy our planet because it really is beautiful! It was a pleasure getting to read everyone’s discussion posts and I wish you all the best with your future endeavors!

Best,

Ashley Chong

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.

DavidSuzukiFDN. (2012). David Suzuki and Richard Louv @Ago. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5DI1Ffdl6Y&t=272s.

Wachira, W. (2017). For the love of birds. TEDGlobal 2017. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/washington_wachira_for_the_love_of_birds

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Blog 10: Reflecting as an interpreter

Throughout this course, it’s been amazing to read all the different backgrounds each person brings from all over the world, that each brought us here, writing these blogs. I think it goes to show how strongly nature can really bring people together. Whether you’re in a science major or not we all feel some sort of bond with the outdoors we’d like to extend to others. In a month I’ll be graduating with a degree in Environmental Biology and I’m excited to see where it will take me. I think the writing and personal reflecting I’ve done throughout this course will surely help me in the future. I believe that the ethics and beliefs a person carries with them constantly evolve throughout life the more you learn, which has happened even to me during this last semester.

First off, I really enjoyed watching the video of David Susuki and Richard Louv discussing the importance of connecting with nature. A takeaway from the video is that it’s important to remember that nature can be found even in the most urban areas. We don’t have to travel to national or provincial parks to believe we are more connected than other people, it all depends on your perception of what’s around you. They said to think of what you can do in your own yard and neighborhood to appreciate what’s there. This could be starting your own little garden or collecting indoor plants, putting out bird seed or attracting pollinators etc. Even in a concrete jungle there are always ways to connect.

This is a picture of the greenhouse thats actually on uog campus attached the the Bovey Building! I’ve gone here many times this semester just to take in the beauty of all the plants. Its open to anyone I highly recommend taking a look if you havent.

This is another spot affiliated with uog on college ave across from the arboretum. The trial gardens in the summer and early fall are a beautiful place to see the colours of nature. 

I believe that nature truly has healing abilities and that everyone should have access to it. Studies have shown that spending just 20 minutes outside in nature can decrease stress hormones (Loria, 2019). This can range from a variety of things like a walk to just tending to your garden or plants (I think this is why I accumulated so many house plants during covid lockdowns). Nature can heal both mentally and physically by improving sleep, reducing depression, cardiovascular disease and obesity (Loria, 2019). I’ve become aware though that not everyone has the privilege to access nature for many reasons. I am very grateful for the fact I grew up with easy access to fun outdoor experiences, but I will agree it created a sort of ignorance to those with the opposite. Thats why its important as an interpreter to consider this. Each person brings along a personal set of experiences, interests, knowledge, ability and personality (Beck et al., 2018). I think to be a successful interpreter this must be acknowledged on the job, and to treat everyone the same regardless of past experiences.

I also believe that we should leave nature just as pristine as when we found it.

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” -Robin Wall Kimmerer

I think this is also a responsibility we have as a nature interpreter. While nature is there for us to enjoy, it is also there for the next people. This is why many parks have the “leave no trace principle” when camping or being a tourist. Interpretation involves the individual seeing the beauty or understanding the significance of the resource (Beck et al., 2018). Understanding the significance of all nature’s resources means we must develop a sustainable relationship in order to properly respect them. From a consumer level in our lives this can mean only buying essentials at the grocery store to reduce extra waste, and living a less materialistic life. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned the importance of only buying what I really need, as everything requires energy and resources to produce. Being a good interpreter means practicing what you preach on or off the job.

The approaches that are most suitable to me as an interpreter would be through art or technology, since both of these can come in so many different forms. With digital advances, interpretation occurs via websites, blogs and social media among other technologies” (Beck et al., 2018), and has become a much easier way to interpret information across large scales. As I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, my favorite way of sharing nature is through photography, which is a combination of both technology and art. This is a way of sharing to people that may have physical, temporal or economic barriers that may prevent them from ever seeing what’s in the photos. I’ve learned and remembered more from watching online nature documentaries and photos than I have from what’s around me. Although, there is a dark side to technology that pulls us away from nature. As mentioned in the notes, children spend more time inside on their devices than they used to in the past. Richard Louv mentioned that the more high tech our lives become the more nature we need. Using technology to connect with each other and nature is a way we can utilize it in a positive way. As interpreters, we have the responsibility to use these tools in a way that is enthusiastic and engaging. Not only this, but we must consider that everyone learns different ways, so using these to adhere to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners creates the most successful approach.

Thanks to everyone I’ve connected with through these blogs!

-Reilly

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing

Loria, K. (2019). The Healing Power of Nature. Consumer Reports. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.consumerreports.org/health-wellness/healing-power-nature-outdoors/

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Hi Reilly, first off, thank you for such an insightful post.  It is evident that you have spent a good amount of tine reflecting on this course and your future as an interpreter!  

I resonated with the points you brought up about nature having healing abilities, and to come full circle, this is something that I mentioned in my first blog post about my relationship with nature.  Nature has provided me with an outlet – an escape from reality where I can be happy and calm my thoughts.  My highschool had a walking club where we would walk down out local trail and even doing this activity once a week after school is something that I found myself looking forward to.  I have definitely noticed that going for walks with my dog has improved my mental health and I am thankful that I have access to conservation areas and parks close to where I live.  Like you stated, not everyone is able to have this privilege of having access to these places.  I think this is also especially important when considering children as being young and having a positive relationship with nature can really shape their view of it in the future (Beck et al., 2018).  You also mentioned to recognize that everyone comes with their own unique relationship with nature and we as interpreter must not be so quick to judge/act based on any differences.  When we come across these differences in opinions, I think this presents itself as a great teaching opportunity where we can pin point the misconceptions and educate our visitors.  

My dog Oreo on one of our many walks to our local park! Getting fresh air outside while also being able to see gorgeous sunsets like these are never fails to put me in a better mood and excite my senses.  

You also brought up the idea of leaving nature just as pristine as when we found it.  But what if when we enter into an area and it’s not pristine but rather filled with trash?  Is it good enough to simply not contribute more towards the problem?  I think that we should not just leave it as it was found, but change that idea to “leave nature even better than when we found it”.  This leads into your next paragraph regarding considering future generations.  I really like how your brought up this point as so often we only consider ourselves and because we may not necessarily be here to experience the full effects of climate change, the common thought is that then we do not need to care as much about the repercussions of our actions.  You listed several day to day actions that can improve the state of our environment and although doing these things nay seem insignificant, our individual actions can have a massive overall collective impact in bettering our world.  

In 2017 as part of eco-club, we were tasked with picking up garbage at our local park (I couldn't help but to climb this tree while I was there!) .  Although filling up only a couple bags between me and my friends i remember thinking, is this really making a difference in the grand scheme of things?  But, when the rest of the team came together and we had all looked at how much garbage we collected, it really does reflect how our individual actions add up to make huge effects.  

It was lovely being able to read through your blog post and wishing you the best of luck after your graduation!

Cheers, 

Ashley

Reference Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.

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Wrapping Up

My Beliefs I Bring to Interpretation

In grade 10 civics and careers I can remember watching “The Cove.” The 2010 documentary had a profound impact on my perspective of the world and myself. In the movie, I specifically recall one person describing that you cannot be an activist if you are not actively doing something about the problem. This idea has stuck with me ever since then and forever changed the way I view environmental issues.

Scene clip from the "Cove" (2010). Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/100308-cove-movie-oscars-dolphin-hunts-japan

At times this outlook has benefitted me, but it has also been a detriment. As I have grown as an environmental scientist and activist, I have learned at times this mantra is not always useful. As pointed out in this unit, the list of environmental issues worldwide is daunting and nearly endless. To feel responsible for being the active change that will solve all these problems is therefore extremely consuming and disheartening. It is important to care for what you love which means taking care of the earth and others. However, as an interpreter, I hope to bring the belief that we each have an integral role within our communities. Rather than trying to solve the myriad of global issues, the most effective thing we can do is focus on what is within reach. If each of us paid greater attention to our surroundings, the cumulative impact would be extensive.

My Responsibilities as an Interpreter

At some point, most of the world’s population I feel has become completely disconnected from the world around us. What I see around me often seems to reflect the conqueror mindset that shaped the colonization of the world by Europeans. “If people lose knowledge, sympathy, and understanding of the natural world, they’re going to mistreat it and will not ask their politicians to care for it” (Attenborough 2009). By no longer experiencing nature a large portion of the population has lost touch with the natural world. As David Attenborough said, “No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced” (Attenborough 2009).

Community effort in nature. Source: http://dxchem.com.cn/environmental-care/

The best way for me to explain this is through the video below:

In Ethiopia, almost all old-growth forests have been lost to agricultural development. However, the strong spiritual connection people have to these forests through Churches has allowed some to survive. Humans are not removed from the forest but rather are an integral part of its survival. These Church Forests signify the strength that connection to nature can have in its conservation.

As an interpreter, I feel my role and responsibility is to heal people’s relationships with nature by instilling the ability and desire to sense the beauty around us (Beck et al., 2018). While I may not be able to solve every environmental issue, helping one more person form a connection to nature is a step forward.

Jane Goodall. Source: https://www.biography.com/news/jane-goodall-chimpanzees-college-degree

My Approach as an Interpreter

What I have learned throughout this course is everyone’s journey in their relationship with nature is different. The same methods or messages may not always work as a consequence. This has been obvious in the numerous ways we have learned to interpret outside of science such as through art, music, and technology. Personally, I am a very visual and tactile learner. My love for nature developed as I camped, hiked, and enjoyed the outdoors throughout my childhood. All these experiences I can attach to fond memories with family and friends which extended to how I view nature. This love solidified as I spent countless hours watching nature documentaries. I was inspired by the magnificent scenery and wildlife and prominent figures like David Attenborough and Jane Goodall.

However, I think my strength as an interpreter that would have the greatest impact on others is through speaking. Oral communication and engaging with others through speech are where I excel. While developing the podcast it became clear to me that situations, where I can speak to or with my audience, will be my most effective format of interpretation. Moving forward I intend to implement what I've learned about myself and communication regardless of if it pertains to nature.

Prompt

How do you think you’ll continue to interpret beyond this course?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.

Shariatmadari, H. (Director & Producer); Attenborough, D. (Presenter). (2009). Can the Earth cope? - Horizon: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? [Video file]. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zHcX9gGCHc&ab_channel=BBCStudios.

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Hi Rebecca, you made an incredible post this week with great connections with the course content!

I have not watched or even heard of “The Cove” but after reading how much it inspired you I am definitely excited to watch it!  The quote that you mentioned from the documentary about how you cannot call yourself an activist if you are note actively doing something about the problem has got me thinking: am I actively trying to solve our climate problem? Am I doing enough?  I am in the Wildlife Biology program and so I would like to think that I am trying to better myself by become educated but is that actively doing something about the problem?  When I first read that my immediate thoughts jumped to Greta Thunberg.  Greta is a 16 year old activist from Sweden who immediately became a recognizable face all over the world for her efforts in bringing attention to our global climate crisis.  At 16 years of age she sailed across the Atlantic ocean on a carbon-neutral boat for climate change summits, how inspiring is that (Baggs, 2019)?! When I think of her in comparison to my actions, they seem infinitesimally small.  However, I do recognize that like you stated later on in your post that small actions can have an extensive impact as a collective and that is something that I am appreciative of.  

Greta Thunberg sailing to speak at the United Nations in New York.  Image retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/nyregion/greta-thunberg-new-york.html

You brought up the quote by David Attenborough that “No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”, and I think that this is such an inspiring and eye-opening quote.  It shines a light on both our privilege and our ignorance that we have discussed in our previous units.  I am privileged enough to have travelled to beautiful international places and to have seen some of the beautiful features that nature has to offer.  I can imagine how hard it is to inspire others to protect something that they have not physically experienced.  Although technology is an amazing tool for interpretation, being present in an environment that elicits that “awe” feeling Beck et al., (2018) mentions can really captivate and motivate people to want change.  The last part of that quote can relate to our nature interpretation through history unit as I have not experienced significant historical events but that does not mean that I do not care about them.  Learning about our past – the holocaust, residential schools, oppression – although they are sensitive subjects, even though we have not experienced them does not mean that we can’t/shouldn’t care.  

To answer your prompt, I hope to interpret nature both in my professional career and throughout my daily life.  When starting this course, I truthfully did not fully grasp what nature interpretation was about.  As we wrap up our blog posts, I understand that nature interpretation has been present all around me in various forms.  From the music I listen to, to the art hung up in museums I’ve visited years ago, to guided tours I went on during family vacations, or even the trails signs at my local park.  I can now recognize these features and know that the place I am in has meaning and has a story to tell.  As I will be graduating in almost a month, I hope that my job has purpose in making our world a better place and inspiring others to do the same.

Thank you for your post and it was a pleasure reading through your blog.

All the best, 
Ashley

Reference

Baggs, M. (2019). Greta Thunberg's Atlantic crossing: 'Why I wanted to help'. BBC News. Retrieved 27 March 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-50659318#:~:text=Greta%20wanted%20to%20sail%20because,how%20to%20live%20their%20life.%22.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.

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Week 09: Oh What a Wonder Nature Is

Hi everyone,

Seeing as this week’s blog prompt is about how amazing nature is, what could be more amazing than the 7 natural wonders of the world?! Nature has some of its own amazing features and in 1997, the Cable News Network (CNN) constructed a list of the most amazing creations of nature (Andrews, 2020).  I myself have yet to experience any of these natural wonders but someday I am hoping to cross them off my bucket list! Have you experienced any of these places? If so, where? Alright, now let’s get to it!

1) The Aurora Borealis – Northern Hemisphere Did you know that the aurora borealis (also known as northern lights) is named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek word for the north wind, boreas (Andrews, 2020).  This captivating display of dancing colours paints the sky in ripples of blues, greens, pinks, violets, and yellows (Andrews, 2020).  These mystifying lights have various meanings to different groups.  In medieval times, these lights were perceived as an indication of famine or war, however, the Inuit believed them to be spirits of the beluga whales, deer, salmon and seals they hunted for survival (Andrews, 2020).  

The Northern Lights. Image retrieved from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/09/northern-lights-aurora-borealis-visible-across-northern-us/3866912001/

2) The Grand Canyon – Arizona, United States This stunning natural wonder was formed by the natural erosion of rock and soil from the Colorado River over billions of years (Dodd,2021).  The Colorado Plateau was once the floor of a shallow sea and fossilized corals, shellfish, and snails from 20 million years ago can still be found today (Andrews, 2020). Known for its deep red rust, visible rock stratification, and most notably its size and depth (roughly 446 kilometers long, 29 kilometers wide, and 1.8 kilometers deep), this is truly a breath-taking wonder (Dodd,2021).  

The Grand Canyon. Image retrieved from: https://www.smartertravel.com/planning-a-trip-to-the-grand-canyon/

3) Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe and Zambia Despite not being the tallest or the widest fall on earth, with a combined height and width of 1,708 meters wide by 108 meters high, it does make it the largest (Dodd,2021).  This fall spills about 625 million liters of water every minute -  how incredible is that (Andrews, 2020)?!

Victoria Falls. Image Retrieved from: https://www.traveller.com.au/victoria-falls-zimbabwe-travel-guide-the-mustdo-highlights-h1kc5m

4) The Harbour of Rio De Janeiro - Brazil This bay Is considered the world’s largest natural bay based on volume (Dodd,2021).  This gorgeous harbour is encased by granite mountains and monoliths, which creates a striking visual appearance to all visitors (Law, 2020; Dodd,2021).  

Harbour of RIo de Janeiro. Image retrieved from: https://www.worldatlas.com/bays/guanabara-bay.html

5) Great Barrier Reef – Queensland Australia This spectacular feature includes over 900 islands, spanning over 344,400 square kilometers of the ocean (Law, 2020; Dodd,2021).  This makes it the largest coral reef system in the world and as a result, supports a plethora of life including 215 species of birds, 133 species of rays and sharks, and 30 species of dolphins (Dodd,2021; Andrews, 2020).  However, this natural wonder contains many endangered and endemic species and is currently being threatened by factors such as climate change and mass coral bleaching (Andrews, 2020)

Great Barrier Reef.  Image retrieved from: https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-04-21/the-great-barrier-reef-is-dying-says-new-report

6) Paricutin Volcano – Michoacan, Mexico Paricutin is a cinder cone shaped volcano which last erupted in 1952 (over a 9-year period) (Law, 2020).  It was deemed as a natural wonder given that mankind was able to witness its birth and rapidly growing formation (Law, 2022). This volcano has only existed as it has since 1943 when it first appeared from a relatively flat corn field, making it the youngest volcano in the Northern Hemisphere (Dodd,2021).

Paricutin Volcano.  Image retrieved from: https://www.worldatlas.com/volcanoes/paricutin-volcano.html

7) Mount Everest – China and Nepal Debatably the most famous mountain on planet earth – Mount Everest.  This massive formation has an approximate elevation of 29,029 feet (Law, 2020). Did you know that this actually isn’t the tallest mountain in the world?  That title belongs to Mauna Kea in Hawaii, however, most of it is underwater and so it does not have the tallest peak ‘above sea level’ (Dodd,2021).  

Mount Everest.  Image retrieved from: https://explorerspassage.com/chronicles/facts-mount-everest/

In the textbook reading from Beck et al. (2018), it mentions the emotional state of being in ‘awe’, where “fleeting and rare experiences of awe can change the course of a life in profound and permanent ways”.  I believe that being able to experience the totality of these natural wonders would definitely elicit this ‘awe’ feeling.  Being in this state has the ability to elicit curiosity, purpose, creativity, improve mood, and reduce stress (Beck et al. 2018).  Although I provided some facts and information on these places, being physically present in nature and soaking in the surrounding can be more than enough to understand the beauty of nature and no interpretation is required (Beck et al. 2018).  This can also increase the use of citizen science as by experiencing these places first hand, this will provide the visitor with an authentic experience and hopefully encourage them to participate in the evolving community science that serves to benefit these natural places (Beck et al. 2018).  

I realize this post was a bit of a long one but I hope you got to learn something and feel inspired along the way!

Thanks for reading,

Ashley

References

Andrews, C. (2020). See the Natural Wonders of the World in 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022, from https://www.nathab.com/blog/see-the-natural-wonders-of-the-world-in-2021/

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

Dodd, C. (2021). The 7 Natural Wonders Of The World. Retrieved 19 March 2022, from https://www.worldatlas.com/places/the-7-natural-wonders-of-the-world.html#h_51335814238881631701075573

Law, L. (2020). A Guide to the 7 Natural Wonders of the World | PlanetWare. Retrieved 19 March 2022, from https://www.planetware.com/magic-travel-a-guide-to-the-seven-natural-wonders-of-the-world.htm

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Hi everyone,

I feel as though this week is a great week to bring a little bit of my recent Hawaii trip to you all. I talked a little bit about it in my previous post but I am so in love with the ocean I figured I would take every chance I can to write about it. I’m a big fan of using all 5 senses in interpretation so I figured I would walk you all through my experiences with the ocean through my senses!

For those of you who haven’t seen the ocean in a while, I’m going to try and bring the ocean to you!

I think one of the first things you always experience when you start to get close to the ocean is the sound of it. Hawaii is known for it’s massive waves, but I was not prepared for what I experienced – and more specifically heard! We took a drive up to the Northshore of Oahu to see the waves at a beach called pipeline that is known for its surfing. On the walk from the car to the beach you could hear the waves roaring and smashing down on the sand. It was one of the loudest things I think I have ever heard -and I’ve been to a few rock concerts. The waves falling made it feel as though the entire earth was going to shake when they fell, but it didn’t. It was almost as though you could feel the weight of the water crashing down when they fell just from the sheer magnitude of noise they made. It really puts into perspective how forceful and unforgiving the ocean is. I included a video I took at pipeline of the surfers taking on these massive massive waves!! You can see probably 20 of them got scooped up by one of the waves, although it didn’t look like anyone got hurt. See-doos were out to help as well. 

The second thing that always hits me when I get close to the ocean in the smell of it. If you’ve been to the ocean you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about, but the ocean has one of the most distinct smells I think I’ve ever experienced. It’s not particularly pleasant if I’m being quite honest, but it’s one of those smells that is nostalgic enough to make you appreciate it and love it anyways. I had to look it up to understand exactly what I remember smelling and everything indicates that the smell is actually dimethyl sulphide (sulphur) that is produced by bacteria as they digest dead phytoplankton. Regardless of what it is (maybe seaweed or salt sometimes), it’s very strong and will let you know exactly where you are.

Actually getting to see the ocean is the next step. My favourite part about looking out at the ocean is being able to see the bend of the Earth at the end of the horizon, as it really just amplifies how significantly massive the ocean is. You can look forever and never see anything. You can fly over the ocean for hours and never see land. You can sail the ocean and not see land for years. One thing I got to see while I was in Hawaii was something called a green sun. A green sun or green “flash” as some people call it happens for a split second while the sun dips below the horizon on the ocean. I wasn’t able to photograph it as I really wasn’t prepared and had no idea it would happen, but I found a photo from online that shows what it looks like! Green flashes are considered quite rare and I feel so fortunate that I was able to experience one. I wasn’t sure how to combine a video post with photos, so I will include images in a secondary post. 

After seeing the ocean, of course you have to jump in it. Hawaii was blistering hot (really, I got burnt so bad I blistered all over), so the ocean was always refreshing and life-giving. Before this trip I had never swam in open ocean before, but I got the chance to snorkel out off one of the dive boats we had taken off the coast. I was a little concerned at first, because while I’m a good swimmer, I wasn’t exactly planning on just plopping myself in the middle of it and drowning in the massive waves while the currents whisk me out to sea to never return. But that’s what people do and that’s what the guide said to do, so I decided to try it. One thing that really stuck with me was when he told me to trust the ocean. So I did. And I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever felt more out of control but also free at the same time. You can’t fight the waves, you simply have to flow with them. I never had to worry once about treading or even swimming as somehow the buoyancy of the salt water was enough to let me just float and watch as stuff swam by. I’m not sure if there’s any experience in the world quite like giving your power away to the ocean and letting it just float you.

After you’ve been in the water, you’re going to undoubtedly consume more seawater than you think is probably healthy and let me tell you something I didn’t know until this trip – it BURNS. Salt water does not taste nice. Sulphury, fishy and questionably clean sea water does not taste nice. I’ve heard that you get used to it after quite some time, but that time frame is definitely longer than 10 days because every time I got out of the water after hours of swimming my ears, nose and throat would burn from the saltwater.

The main reason I think I love the ocean is that it is so mysterious, unforgiving and cruel. Not all of the experiences I had with the different senses were good, but that’s not what makes me appreciate them. All in combination, I am amazed by the ocean and will continue to gravitate towards it and learn more about it forever.

To bring in this week’s course content:

This is what I still wonder: What life exists in the ocean that we haven’t yet discovered? How many species we now think are extinct still exist? Are there phenomena we can’t even question the existence of because we’re so far away from finding it?

This is where I will find inspiration: Visiting the ocean, looking at photography, listening to waves

This is how I can get fired up: Watching documentaries!! I love learning visually about the ocean as I find it resonates its magnitude with me the best. Although seeing and hearing the ocean is different in person, I think auditory and visual senses are the only senses you can experience while not actually being there. That will have to do until I can find my way back to the ocean where I’ll happily let it burn my throat and sting my eyes.

Have you been to the ocean? Did you have similar experiences? What makes you appreciate the ocean the most?

I look forward to hearing from everybody!

Riley

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Hi Riley,

You had a really great post this week and it felt like I was transported right to Hawaii!  Hawaii is somewhere I dream of going to in the future.  My parents went there on their honeymoon and ever since then I have been living through their stories of the time that they went.  The video that you took of the waves is incredible, and I’m sure it was even better to experience it in person.

I loved that you incorporated all of the senses into your post.  I think it also ties into last week’s prompt about there being music in nature as I can definitely sense that the sounds of the waves violently crashing on the shore can act as a rhythmic bass. I also really liked the point you brought up about realizing how forceful and unforgiving the waves can be.  While it is obvious that nature has many beautiful aspects, it is important to remember that nature is also extremely powerful and can be unmerciful, especially with the ocean.  Throughout this course we have also talked about risk, and I think that it is very applicable in this instance where our calculation of risk can help is in determining how safe and prepared we need to be if we want to participate in natures activities.  For instance, I would say that as someone with no experience surfing, attempting to jump in those waves would be a huge risk, and so I would be very comfortable watching from the beach and leaving the surfing to the experts!  

Beck et al. (2018) also mentions that the future for nature interpretation is rich and with your post being about the ocean, this is very relevant.  Beck et al. (2018) explains several reasons why there is a future in nature interpretation and two of those reasons included the onset of climate change and the fact that oceans are the lifeblood of the planet, however, they are being taken advantage of and poorly protected.  Seeing how beautiful the ocean is and how much more we have to discover is all the more reason why educating and inspiring others on protecting it is of great importance.

Thank you for sharing and bringing me back to the ocean.

Best, Ashley

Reference

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

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Entering the largest cave in the world

Top of a stalagmite inside Son Doong. Photo from Oxalis, 2011.

Imagine:

It is December 10, 1990, you are a parent living in the rural areas of Vietnam, struggling to feed your family. What is the cheapest way to get enough food to feed everyone? You go out into the jungle to hunt and to find timber to sell. During your search for food, you notice a small opening from a limestone cliff. There seems to be clouds swirling out of this opening and you can hear what sounds like water rushing through. You feel drawn to this opening but would you attempt to go in or would you continue your hunt for food?

That was the story of a man named Ho Khanh who discovered the largest cave in the world.

What is the most amazing thing I know about nature?

I think that has to be how large the world truly is and how we think we know so much but there are things constantly being discovered. That is why I chose to talk about the largest cave in the world. This story hits close to home as the cave is actually located in Vietnam where my family is from. Much of what Khanh did can be applied to us now as nature interpreters.

Khanh actually decided to forget about this opening he found and focus on gathering food. However, skipping ahead to 2008, after being approached by the British Cave Research Association (BCRA), Khanh re-discovered the cave opening (Oxalis, 2011). In 2009 he led a team from the BCRA into the pure darkness of the cave (Oxalis, 2011). Due to 90m high barriers, it wasn’t until 2010 that the end of the cave was reached (Oxalis, 2011)! Now named Son Doong, it is the largest cave by both volume (38.5 million m3) and cross-section (Oxalis, 2011). It is large enough to fit a 40-story New York City skyscraper and even houses its own rainforest (Oxalis, 2011)! It is crazy how nature has created something so large and beautiful.

Looking back at the entrance you came through. Photo from Oxalis, 2011.

National Geographic provides a 360° tour of the Son Doong expedition. It is linked here if you want to get a feel for how big the cave is. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news-features/son-doong-cave/2/#s=pano37

Khanh used to be an illegal logger, searching for timber in the jungle to sell. He then became a farmer to support his family (Oxalis, 2011). After the discovery of Son Doong, he returned to his life on the farm (Oxalis, 2011). However, Son Doong became an attraction for people all over the world and they needed someone to lead the expeditions. Khanh has led almost every expedition! He is also recognized for turning many of his illegal logging companions towards a sustainable tourism business (Oxalis, 2011). In addition to being a cave/tour guide, Khanh runs this sustainable tourism business with his friends and family. I think this story is a great example of finding and sharing your passion with others through education. Beck et al. (2018) talks about how nature interpretation brings together a diverse group of people through storytelling and embracing the beauty of the Earth. Who better to share stories during the Son Doong expedition than the man who discovered the cave himself? Beck et al. (2018) also defines a good interpreter as someone who can evoke an emotional response by enhancing one’s ability to sense quality which Khanh achieves on his tours.

Exploring the 3 million year old Son Doong cave is a 4-day adventure with trekking, and climbing the 90m wall to the end of the cave (Oxalis, 2011). The adventure is rated at high difficulty so while I would love to see it for myself, I don’t think I’d be able to handle that- would you?

Fun fact: during Khanh and BCRA’s many attempts at locating Don Soong, they actually discovered 11 new caves, 2 were named after Khanh and his daughter.

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

Edström, M. (n.d.). Fly through a colossal cave: Son doong in 360°. National Geographic. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news-features/son-doong-cave/2/#s=pano37

Son doong cave. Oxalis. (2011). Retrieved March 14, 2022, from https://oxalisadventure.com/cave/son-doong-cave/

[acenvs3000w22]

Hi Vee,

I was very captured by your post this week as caves are something that I haven’t really spent much time thinking about.  I visited the link you provided to get a better feel of Son Doong and it truly looks like somewhere out of this world.  What also piqued my interest while on that link is that the site not only gave a virtual tour, allowing the online visitors to visually navigate their way through the cave, but also incorporated auditory sounds that matched with the environment.  Going back to last week’s unit, nature really does seem to be in music, and music in nature.  Additionally, Beck et al. (2018) mentions that there is an emergence of high-tech technologies and I think the link you provided definitely demonstrates that! It felt as if other than being there in real life, the virtual experience provided was the second-best thing.  

I got the opportunity to visit a couple caves throughout my life including the “scenic caves” at Blue Mountain in Collingwood, Ontario, and the Bellamar and Saturno caves in Varadero, Cuba.  Being in these caves truly felt surreal as I was surrounded by such a different atmosphere.  We were informed that the stalagmites and stalactites at the Bellamar caves had been forming for hundreds of years and in its own right is something that is truly awesome.  If you get a chance to go, I would highly recommend swimming in Saturno grotto! Although 15 year old me found it quite frightening, it was such a memorable experience.  I could not even imagine how enthralling it would be to experience being in a cave as big as Son Doong.  The different sights, sounds, and smells would be such a captivating experience and I hope one day I will be able to visit.  I wonder how many other caves there are that have yet to be explored.  To think, 2009 when Khan re-discovered the cave opening, that wasn’t even too long ago!

Bellamar Caves, Cuba.  Retrieved from: https://www.vintagecarstours.com/varadero-day-tour-bellamar-caves/

Saturno Cave, Cuba. Retrieved from: https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/saturno-cave-cuba.html

Thank you for your post this week! It truly did open my eyes to a whole new world.

Take care, Ashley

Reference

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

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Blog Post 7 - Music and Nature

Music exists everywhere in nature and not just in the chirping of birds or the singing of whales. Music itself is a system of patterns that incorporates elements like pitch, timbre, melody, bass, and evocation of emotion. While I doubt you will find an entire orchestra or Iron Maiden concert while on a hike in the woods, you can certainly find facets of what makes the music we know today. In my mind, the grooves in the wall of a fjord or the desolate feeling from an underwater cave can produce ideas or sounds in the minds of those who truly try to listen. Even the scale of something can create music in the most unlikely of places. For example, in a lot of nature documentaries an imposing cliff face is often accompanied by swelling brass or a tense chase between a lion and an antelope is accompanied by high strings and a thrashing tempo. Of course, the many sounds produced by nature are music in their own right. The hooting of an owl or an oak tree dropping acorns are music for all who enjoy the natural world and all it has to offer. Music is an art and as such it is abstract, it is up to those who listen to find the entertainment that surrounds them.

Just as music is everywhere in nature, nature is everywhere in music. There are countless stories of composers struggling to come up with a riff or bassline until they step outside, and it finally hits them. There are examples of literal sounds of nature being sampled into songs which can be used effectively to drum up emotions, but I also think it can be more nuanced than that. My favourite use of nature in music is that in lyrics or song titles. Before you even hear the solo in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird you just know from the title alone it’s going to be liberating. The artists call on the audience’s understanding of birds to create an idea of what the music will sound like before they hear it. Gordon Lightfoot’s Summer Side of Life cleverly uses descriptive words to relate things in the summer like “ripe” or “green” to the somber subject matter of the song. Nature in music can also be used to convey a message. Roger Payne famously made an album of whale sounds in hope to promote conservation efforts. Everyone likes to say that “there are no original ideas” and I also think that applies to music as there has been an extreme amount of inspiration and sampling from nature in songs we listen to today.

The song that immediately takes me back to a natural landscape is Black Water by The Doobie Brothers. The song paints a detailed picture of a Southern vista and lifestyle both through the lyrics and instrumentation. The song has a very laid-back feeling to it and effectively immerses me into the song. I also listened to it a lot over the summer when driving to my job out in the boondocks, so I have personal connection with the song and nature.

To answer the debate in the material this week, Rocky Mountain High is John Denver’s best song.

[acenvs3000w22]

Hi there,

I thought you had a great post this week! I agree with you in that music exists everywhere in nature, though, I will be honest and say that the chirping of birds and singing of whales were almost immediately the two first things that I heard of music and nature. I didn’t realize that there was such a pattern of intertwining the specific instruments to elicit a given emotion during that scene in nature documentaries - but you are 100% right! In that case would you consider that music in nature or nature in music? I really like that you also mentioned how music is an art and can be considered abstract. Like with our previous unit on art and nature, we discussed how art lies within the eyes of the beholder and I think that also applies to music in nature. To some people, the drop of an acorn or the hoot of an owl will remain simply just that, nothing more.

In terms of nature in music, I find it fascinating how artists can draw from inspiration all over our environment. I think that is just a testament to how connected we are to the earth and how being in nature makes us truly feel and get in touch with our emotions. Just like how in nature interpretation the goal is to move and inspire the visitor into action, that is also what musicians strive to do with their music. I really like your example of how nature in music can be used to convey a message. Another song that comes to mind whose goals were to convey a message is “Earth” by lil’ Dicky. In 2019 when this song came out, the topic of climate change was a subject of much discussion amongst nations. This song was released that included many of the top artists and the money made from the song went directly to combat climate change.

Thank you for sharing those songs with us! I have never heard of the ones you mentioned and so I’m excited to take a listen.

Cheers,

Ashley

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Music in Nature

Where is music in nature?

TLDR; its everywhere! From songbirds, to the sounds of crunching leaves in the fall, trees creaking in the forest, bugs chirping, the sounds of animals communicating surrounds us in nature. A great memory is the feeling when you wake up in a tent, to the sounds of birds chirping and squirrels squeaking, singing their wake up song just for you!

Where is nature in music?

When I read this question, the first thing that popped into my mind is the song Blackbird by The Beatles. The first time I heard this song, the introduction of the bird chirping at the end of the song was just the cherry on top of such a beautiful song! With a calm beat and a soft guitar, the songbird’s song really suits the vibe of the song and always makes me smile. Hearing this song always puts me into a calm state, just as I feel when I am surrounded by nature listening to the birds sing!

Another way that nature is used in music is in indigenous cultures. The drum represents the heartbeat of mother earth, as drums are made by stretching animal hide over a wooden frame. Using animal hide to create a drum is a great example of how nature can be found in music.

Songs that take me back to nature are camp songs! As the youngest in my family, I always enjoyed trying to get my cousins and brother to sing along with my nonsense. My favourite camp song is one that my mom taught me, its about being chased by a bear! I often forget the words so I am thankful that she spent many years attending and working at a summer camp so the songs are stuck in her head. I always make sure we sing all our camp songs atleast once a year at a campfire. 

I have another memory with the song Forest by Twenty One Pilots. A few years back in Killarney, I brought my ukulele to my favourite rock, and played the song quietly while looking out onto the lake. Although I don’t play much ukulele anymore, anytime I hear that song it transports me back to my rock, watching the sunset and playing my song.

[acenvs3000w22]

Hello Grace,

I thought you did a really great job in this week’s blog post bridging the gap between nature and music. I also thought that music is everywhere in nature and you gave many great examples! I too think that there is nothing better than waking up in a tent to the sounds of nature being present all around you. Although I would not consider myself a morning person, for some odd reason when camping I find myself the happiest waking up in the wee hours of the morning to the sounds of birds chirping and rustling leaves.

I had heard the song “Blackbird” by the Beatles before but listened to it again in an attempt to really listen to the sound of the birds. I totally can see how that song has such a calming effect! I was curious as to the inspiration behind the song and was surprised to find out that McCartney wasn’t singing about the actual bird, but rather about racial discrimination in the 1960s. McCartney stated that “This was really a song from me to a black woman, experiencing these problems in the States…” (Blackstone 2017). His goal of the song was to spread hope to these women to look towards a brighter future of freedom (Blackstone, 2017). I found that this truly emphasizes how nature and music can be used in interpretation in such a meaningful way. The blackbird represents black women and their racial struggles, urging us to learn about historical events such as the civil rights struggles that African Americans faced. It’s all coming full circle! I wonder how many other songs that are out there have a deeper meaning that we might not even think twice about.

It was a pleasure reading through your post!

Cheers,

Ashley

Reference

Blackstone, E., 2017. What the Beatles Song 'Blackbird' Was Really About. [online] Audubon. Available at: <https://www.audubon.org/news/what-beatles-song-blackbird-was-really-about> [Accessed 3 March 2022].

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Blog #7: Nature and Music

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great reading week.

Gray et al., (2001) highlights that every known human culture has music. How cool is that? What I love about music is that it does not discriminate. It does not matter what your age, race, sexual orientation etc. is, everyone can relate to and enjoy music. It’s not surprising in that case that most of the top viewed YouTube videos are music related. We can all find our own meaning in music. Do you find yourself relating more to the music itself or the lyrics? A mix of both? Music affects our learning in the affective domain as it relates to our feelings so that we can learn on an emotional level (Beck et al., 2018).

Music is all around us in nature; from the crackling staccato of a campfire to the whistling of the wind through a forest. These ambient sounds present a calming effect and is something that we should take time to focus on when out in nature. It was very interesting to be reading about how similar the songs of whales and birds are to us humans. According to Gray et al., (2001), whale songs use rhythms similar to our own music, are roughly the same length of performance, and even contain repeating refrains that form rhymes! Additionally, there have been similar relationships regarding bird songs and humans. This includes using the same rhythmic variations, pitch relationships, and combinations of notes.

The sound of a campfire cracking is one that I personally love to hear! I can already smell the burnt marshmallows and bug spray that somehow always seem to go along with it!

The sound of running water and nature calls might sound familiar to you! Does it remind you of any memories you have in the outdoors? I took this video in the spring of 2019 at the Meadowvale Conservation Area in Mississauga, Ontario, and vividly remember wanting to capture the sound of the water because it brought me a sense of calm. If anyone is able to identify the bird call in the video let me know!

Conversely, nature is also present in music. This can be seen in the “Wildlife DJ” mentioned in this week’s unit. Additionally, artists use lyrics relating to nature in their songs either directly or indirectly. For example, in “What a Wonderful World” (truly a classic!) Louis Armstrong describes our physical beautiful world – the green trees, red roses, the breathtaking colours of a rainbow. Indirectly, nature can be used in songs to allude to emotions like love, hate, or chaos. An example of this would be in “Love the way you Lie” by Rihanna featuring Eminem when a line in the song refers to how the relationship is as if a tornado and volcano collided. Even in Post Malone and Swae Lee’s song “Sunflower”, nature is used as a reference. Sunflowers can be considered course plants with delicate petals that need plenty of sunlight and fertile soil, but will tolerate drier conditions (Janes, 2020). Thus, the lyrics could allude to a relationship deemed in the “its complicated” status (Janes, 2020).

One song that immediately brings me back to a natural landscape is “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. My friend and I made a playlist over the summer of songs that we felt gave off a sunrise, adventure, carefree type of feel to them and so whenever we would go on hikes, or camping, or drives to watch the sunrise – this is the playlist we would listen to, with “Home” being one of those songs. We are always open to suggestions if you have any song recommendations!

An exercise! Could you guess what season Vivaldi is trying to convey just by listening to the classical music?

Thanks for reading and I’m excited to read your posts for this week.

Ashley

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science, 291(5501), 52. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A69270354/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fb9366a8

Janes, D. (2020). The Meaning Behind Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” Is Complicated. Oprah Daily. Retrieved 23 February 2022, from https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a30654494/post-malone-sunflower-lyrics-meaning/.

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Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it (George Santayana, 1905)

Why do we want to know as much as we can about our ancestors? Why do we care about the past? Why is history important? In the following blog post, I will analyze a quote split into two parts about the meaning of the past.

Part One

The importance of memories

There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things.

(Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

In the first part of this quote, the author states that integrity (wholeness, completeness) is what matters and that is why history matters. Think about it this way: Who would you be without your past? If you were to wake up tomorrow with no memories, would you feel whole?

The importance of ancient things

The idea of memories is just one part of the quote, Hyams says that integrity gives ancient things meaning. I remember going to the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany and a part of the exhibit was pairs of shoes from Jewish people that were killed in the Holocaust. The sign next to the shoes described who they belonged to and told me their story.

Without any interpretation, I would have fully ignored those shoes. The interpretation gave it meaning, provided integrity and made the shoes more than just shoes. This museum also had a cinema where they told the story of the concentration camps. This provided me with a personal authenticity experience (Beck et al. 2019). My parents thought they lost me in the museum because I spent two hours just exploring.

The Berlin Holocaust Memorial.

The importance of knowledge

In the 1880s, the Canadian government and multiple churches opened residential schools. I will never fully understand the horrors that indigenous people have gone through. If they survived the schools, the children weren’t even able to communicate with their own families because they were taught to forget their language and culture. Knowledge matters for integrity, for indigenous people and for us Canadians. If we ignore the past, how can they ever forgive us?

Part 2

Trains and Time

To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it.

(Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

The second part of the quote by Hyams uses a metaphor to illustrate why ignoring the past is wrong. The author compares the past to the train station that a train has just left. If we ignore the past, we refuse to take notice of the train station’s existence.

Do you care about the train station?

The reality is that most of us are more concerned with where the train goes to than where it was. I spend most of my time planning future events such as when I will complete my blog post for next week. In a way, we don't ignore the existence of the station; it just is not important at the moment.

The past is important. I grew up in Germany and we spent multiple years in school studying the two world wars my nation has caused. It took me a while to grasp the importance of learning this in so much detail. It is just as George Santayana says: If we don't remember the past, it is condemned to repeat itself.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage. Van Haren Publishing.

[acenvs3000w22]

Hi Verena, I thought you brought up a lot of really good points in your blog post and loved that you were able to draw from your own experiences!

First, I would just like to start off by acknowledging the title of your blog post as I used a derivation of that quote said by Winston Churchill in my own post; "those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

In your first part on the importance of memories, I agree with you that memories are a huge part of who we are today. For me, memories hold a special place in my heart and I constantly find myself looking through m camera roll and reminiscing on the moments surrounding that photos. I can confidently say that the events in my past have shaped who I am now and the person that I've become.

The display of shoes that you described from the Jewish Museum in Berlin seems surreal. I think this emphasizes just how important "integrity" and interpretation are. In plain sight, it could be seen as just a pile of shoes. however, when you bring in interpretation, this adds a layer of depth. Beck et al. (2018) states that an important part of interpreting history is being able to tell a compelling story, relate to the audience, focus on a theme, and provoke a thought or action - and I believe your experience at the museum checks all of those boxes.

Having the cinema as part of the museum could also be a way of employing the "living history" strategy when interpreting history. This is by immersing the audience into that time period using various sights and sounds in order to interpret the lives of the people - thus, focusing on human emotions (Beck et al., 2018).

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts!

Cheers,

Ashley

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.

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The Power of the Past

While unpacking the quote written by Edward Hymas, the first thing I did was google the definitions of some key words and according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, this is what I found:

Merit: Refers to having a good quality or feature that deserves to be praised.

Integrity: To be honest and fair.

This is a very powerful quote with multiple layers to be dissected. The first part of this quote recognizes the fact that there is no distinctive goodness in ancient things unless we give them meaning. As mentioned in the textbook, “Without  interpretation,  artifacts  are  merely  old  things,  historic  buildings  are  just  old  buildings,  and  ceremonies  and  festivals  are  merely  entertainment” (Beck et al., 2019). However, through honesty and transparency we can keep track of meaningful changes in landscapes and artifacts over time and as mentioned in the quote by Edward Hymas, this requires a knowledge and memory of ancient things. This is where integrity plays a crucial role in the preservation of historical events. Since changes occur over time, we must be able to maintain integrity in our knowledge and memory of these changes in order to determine their true meaning. The railway station analogy given in this quote is a powerful way the author has conveyed their message. By recognizing that there is more to life than what just you and I have experienced, we can appreciate the history that shaped the way we live our lives. Acknowledging the fact that there was life before us and life will continue on after us, we can begin to appreciate the past and find meaning in its events. The past is never done with, in fact it shapes our very existence today from the way we eat, play, sleep, work to the traditions we practice, and values we hold. Our knowledge of past events has shaped the way we see the future. Through patterns, physical evidence, data, and research conducted over time we are able to make predictions about what the future might look like based on the past. This again amplifies the importance of integrity when sharing our knowledge and memories of the past, as they ultimately shape our future. Keeping these memories alive, whether they be good or bad, is a key part of historical interpretation as we can find inspiration in the stories of survivors and use them as agents of change (Beck et al., 2019). 

References: Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage. Van Haren Publishing.

[acenvs3000w22]

Hi there,

It was interesting to get to read your thoughts while dissecting the quote for this week’s prompt. I like that you were able to provide us with a definition of “merit” and “integrity” in the context of this quote as I was also unsure of what was meant by these words. I find it fascinating how with this one quote, we could all have our own interpretations of what it means! What I gathered from your explanation is that “integrity” is the accuracy and trueness, as knowledge and memory change over time. In comparison, I thought of integrity as more similar to structural integrity where knowledge and memory are key pillars that make up the whole.

I also really liked how you phrased how there is more to life than just what we have experienced; I couldn’t have said it better myself! I completely agree with you that our past experiences shape who we are. Even considering things like the butterfly effect, if any small event did not occur from my past, I may not be where I am today. This could also relate back to our relationship with nature in that much of our current relationship with nature has stemmed from our childhood growing up playing in the outdoors, swimming in lakes, exploring the natural world!

You mentioned patterns, physical evidence, data, and research and I thought of fossils as evidence of history. In particular, this one story struck a chord with me regarding two dinosaurs whose fossils were found together in a burrow using high-energy x-rays. In an article by Black (2014), it was determined that “in the cool and the dark, the Triassic neighbors dozed together, died together, and became fossilized together.” It’s crazy to me how much information could be derived from their fossils and the story that they could tell us about how these animals shared their last moments together. I would recommend reading the article if you have time!

Thanks for sharing your post,

Ashley

Black, R. (2014). A Triassic Cuddle Set in Stone. Science. Retrieved 21 February 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/a-triassic-cuddle-set-in-stone.

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Blog #6: Interpreting Nature Through History

Hello everyone, hope you all are keeping well. In this week’s blog I will attempt to unpack the following quote:

“There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it”

(Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

To begin to unpack the first part of the quote, “there is no peculiar merit in ancient things…”, I think that this refers to the fact that objects only have meaning because we assign meaning to them - they have history, they have a story to tell. I think that is what is meant by “…but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole…”. The whole refers to not just having all the physical parts of the object but the story that it carries with it.

I took these pictures during a guided tour of the colosseum my family and I went on in Rome, Italy (2020). The colosseum is known to have so much history and significance it would be hard to grasp without the information. One could simply think of it as "just another old building" but it really is so much more.

I really resonate with the last part of the quote as it brings to light how naïve it sounds when we only live in the present without recognizing the past and future. In the analogy, it is obvious that the train station existed before the train arrived and would still be present after the train has left. Thus, only acknowledging the existence of the station when we have interacted with it is self-centered and dismisses a huge chunk of context from the past.

The textbook further delves into the reason why we need to interpret history and that is to remember. I think that we tend to focus on the positive stories, however, despite how controversial and how hard it is to talk about some topics are, it would be ignorant to ignore our history as human beings on this planet as it is scattered with tragedy, war, atrocities, and discrimination. By recounting these events and finding inspiration in these stories of survivors, people will be more inclined to seek a better future and hopefully be able to relate to their own lives. My dad introduced me to the quote: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” by Winston Churchill – and it is something that has stuck with me. How are we expected to grow as individuals, as humans, as a society - if we keep don’t recognize our failures and learn from them? This could also be related back to the Temiskaming Tragedy mentioned in the previous units. Because we have reflected on that event, we can learn from our mistakes and be more cautious when there is a lot of risks involved.

When reading chapter 15 in the textbook, one thing that surprised me was that when interpreting history, the existence of a lack of accuracy. I thought accuracy would be the number one priority and so I was surprised when it was being influenced so heavily by the tourism sector. One quote that stood out to me was when Beck et al. 2018 stated that “the goal should be to make the truth more entertaining than the myth”. I like this quote as one reason why myths are so intriguing is that they elicit a sense of wonder and curiosity through storytelling that seems almost impossible. People will often fib the truth to make their story more interesting, however, if the truth can be delivered in an engaging yet meaningful manner, I believe that should always be the standard.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog this week, let's learn from our past mistakes so that we can create a better future!

Best,

Ashley

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.

[acenvs3000w22]

Blog #5: Why I love Nature

When trying to come up with my own blog prompt this week, I wasn’t exactly sure where to begin. “free-write on what you are thinking about” – well, what AM I thinking about? I’m sure like many others in this course, my mind has recently been fully occupied by what feels like a never-ending influx of schoolwork, on top of trying to juggle other commitments. As much as I love being in nature and as much as I know it would make me feel better, being isolated from nature is just where I’ve been recently.

With Valentine’s day in a couple of days and a recent absence from nature, I thought it would be fitting to share some reminders about why I love nature.

First, nature is somehow able to slow downtime and provide us with a sense of calm. We live in a world that is extremely caught up in social media and technology and are increasingly becoming disengaged with the natural world. Out in nature without the internet and truly being present allows us to get in touch with our senses; stopping to listen to the crashing of waves on the beach, smelling fresh pine or cedar, feeling morning dew on blades of grass. These are all things that can help us regain focus, stimulate our creativity, and help ground us in such a busy world.

With the pandemic and stresses of everyday life, my friend and I found a sense of comfort and escape while driving to watch the sunrise. Pictured on the left is in Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, Caledon (6:35am, 2021); pictured on the right is in Meadowvale Conservation Area, Mississauga (6:06am, 2021).

Further, being in nature promotes curiosity and wonder! Nature is able to provide us with a fascination for what we don’t know. Science is all about asking questions, generating hypotheses, testing predications. It is okay to admit that we don’t have the answers to everything, and we probably never will, but isn’t that amazing? Knowing that there is so much complexity and diversity that allows for someone to wonder and learn until their hearts content.

Nature brings people together. Whether that be family, friends, or strangers, there is no doubt that our love for natures weaves us together. As an example – this course! I’m sure everyone here has some sort of passion and appreciation for nature that has led us to taking this course. Completing these blogs at the beginning of the semester seemed like a mundane task at first. The typical “write an original post and respond to a couple of your peers”, but as we are progressing into week 6, I genuinely look forward to reading everyone’s different experiences and thoughts and love our little ENVS 3000 Tumblr community we have

In 2019 my friends and I decided to rent a cottage in Kawartha for a couple days, just so that we could all get away and be in the outdoors. We even stayed up to watch the sunrise (pictured left) and went strawberry picking (pictured right). Surprisingly enough, we all started off as co-workers and so this trip was a huge bonding experience that brought us all even closer together and is something we still reminisce on today.

Finally, wild animals are simply fascinating! Of course, zoos and aquariums offer the experience of seeing animals that they normally would not get a chance to see, but, there is something so special about seeing an animal in its natural habitat that is hard to describe. When encountering an animal, we are reminded that we share a space and they depend on that land to survive and reproduce. As such, we must be stewards of this amazing Earth to work towards making this world a better place.

I took this video in 2019 when my family and I traveled to BC. We were driving through the picturesque mountains when we noticed other vehicles slowing down and pulling over, and to our astonishment - there was a grizzly bear and cub. This is one moment where I truly could not grasp its surrealness.

What are some reasons why you love nature?

Thanks for reading,

Ashley

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Blog Post 5- What have I been thinking about lately? Animal Tracks!

Hi everyone, 

As a Zoology major, I’m always thinking about animals and hoping to share my love with others. Therefore, for this week’s open topic blog post, I would like to share my love for animal tracks! 

Animal tracks are an amazing insight into the natural world around us. You might be thinking “but it’s winter and I haven’t seen an animal in months, aren’t they all sleeping?” The answer is, no! There are animals all around us, they are just very sneaky to avoid human interaction! But, we know something that they don’t - walking through the snow (or mud) leaves a trail that we can use to identify who was there and what they were doing!

By matching the track to a field guide of tracks (or Internet photos) using the number of toes, where the feet are placed, and size of the tracks we can determine what animal it is. We can understand the direction of travel by determining which way the toes are pointed or where the feet are placed.

Although I would love to provide a complete guide to the animal tracks of the world, I’ll just focus on the two most common species and one fun species whose tracks can be found now in Guelph, ON!

Squirrel: By far the most common winter animal (especially at the University of Guelph campus), squirrels leave a “bounding” track with their larger back feet “in front” of their front feet.

A set of squirrel tracks with student card for size. This squirrel is traveling towards the top of the screen (”up”).

Cottontail Rabbit: Another common winter mammal, rabbits leave a “bounding” track with their back feet in front and their front feet behind. This is similar to the squirrel, but tracks are larger and the front feet are offset (one in front of the other). 

Cottontail rabbit track. Usually for a rabbit in-motion the front feet will be further behind the back feet but I think this cottontail might’ve been standing still. This rabbit is travelling towards the top of the screen (”up”).

Porcupine: Although not as common as squirrels and rabbits, porcupines can be found in Guelph in the winter (especially up high in trees in the Arboretum). Their track in the snow creates a cool “tire track” pattern from their feet and their tail dragging.

Porcupine track. Not sure which direction of travel. Image taken from https://northernbushcraft.com/animalTracks/porcupine/notes.htm

I encourage anyone interested to keep an eye on the snow for these 3 neat tracks or any others you find!

Thanks for reading :)

[acenvs3000w22]

Hi Aurora, you provided a very interesting and informational blog post this week!

I’ve always been fascinated by animal tracks however my knowledge of being able to identify any of them is beyond me, and so I’m glad your post could provide me with a mini introductory lesson! I found the set of squirrel tracks from your pictures to be especially cute with their little toes! It amazes me how we can know so much about an animal including what species it is, what direction it was moving, and what it was doing - all just by the tracks it leaves!

It’s interesting to think about how although we may not be able to physically see wildlife, having these animal tracks can still connect us to them. It raises the point that we are more connected with nature than it may appear. Encountering these tracks is a sign that we are living in a shared space with other creatures and so we must remember to always leave the environment as it was before we got there.

In this week’s unit we also got to come along with Kitty and Jenny on their interpretive walk where we got to see different animal signs in Guelph’s arboretum. This included tree holes made by pileated woodpeckers, bark outlines made by beetle larva tunnels, and golden rod ball galls made from golden rod gall flies.

The above pictures are of my dog, Oreo, on a walk in Guelph's Arboretum (2018). It wasn't snowy or muddy enough for her to leave any visible tracks but nonetheless, we still had a great time exploring!

Looking forward to applying your lesson on identifying these animal tracks when I am on campus!

Cheers,

Ashley

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As an introvert: blog post 5

When I saw that this week’s blog post was to be unprompted, at first I was really excited! “This should be pretty easy” I thought. What perfect timing as I’ve got such a busy week of schoolwork, this blog post should take me no time at all to finish since all I have to do is write about literally anything. However, once I actually started trying to write about anything, I seemed to be stuck. I never realized before how much I rely on prompts, not in just this blogging assignment but in pretty much every aspect of my life. I like to think of myself as an outgoing and spontaneous person, but in all reality, I have always been shy and reserved as I have struggled with social anxiety my entire life. I often find myself lost with what to do when there are no specific instructions or “prompts” given to me. While I know that this is just simply a part of who I am, that there is nothing inherently wrong with being a shy and quiet person, I can’t help but think how this will affect me in a career of nature interpretation or science communication.

As stated in our Unit 5 content, “you already know much of what you need to know, scientifically, and the rest is about approach”. Yes, I am very comfortable in my scientific knowledge, but what happens if I’m lacking in the approach? This topic has especially been on my mind this week as I just hosted my first live lesson for my science communication internship at Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants. Since it was my first time, all I needed to do was introduce the guest speaker (which happened to be the Board Chair of the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, Carolyn Farqhuar) and welcome in all the classrooms tuning in from around the world. This took 40 seconds max, but I was SO nervous and was shaking so fiercely by the time it came to start the broadcast. I rewatched the livestream afterwards once it was posted to YouTube, and you could visibly see the fear in my face and hear every gulp and stutter. This upset me, because I doubt that listening to any kind of interpretation from someone who is shaking and stuttering the whole time would make for a memorable experience.

I often wonder whether this is a skill that can be improved, or if it is just an inherent trait that people have; where public speaking and engagement comes naturally. The most frustrating part is that I truly do enjoy forming connections with people by educating them about the natural world that surrounds us, but my lack of confidence has always held me back.

While this course has already helped me navigate the world of nature interpretation and given me a bit more confidence through the different assignments (such as this especially vulnerable blog post), I’d love to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences to me. Whether you are a “reformed” shy person, or still struggle with confident public speaking, how do you navigate the incredibly up-close and personal world of nature interpretation? And are there ways to still have a successful “approach” to interpretation without having a naturally energetic and magnetic personality?

[acenvs3000w22]

Hi Marie,

First, thank you for being vulnerable in your post and I would just like to say that you are most definitely not alone in feeling this way. I for one relate to many aspects of your post. Similar to you, give me a prompt and I will be able to write about it, but when you open the floor to any possibilities I falter and somehow cannot think of anything to say.

I too would consider myself a shy and reserved person. Things like speaking up and taking charge just don’t come naturally to me. This has also led me to be worried regarding obtaining a job as a nature interpreter. Thinking back to the blog prompt of what qualities are important in a nature interpreter, even I said that confidence was an essential component; ironic seeing as that is also something that I am struggling with. Even thinking about really any job can be daunting as being in an interview environment is something that induces shear dread.

Your internship at Exploring By the Seat Of Your Pants sounds like a very cool experience. I think it’s also important to remember to congratulate yourself on the little wins and not be too critical of yourself. You did the best that you could, and it is only a failure if you do not learn from your past . As someone who is not innately outgoing (I’ve kind of accepted that this is just who I am), it can be more of an obstacle when put in these situations but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. I think one of the most important characteristics in a nature interpreter is someone that is passionate and cares about what they do, and it is obvious that you do!

It was a pleasure to know that we share similar experiences and I hope I was able to answer some of your questions.

All the best,

Ashley

[nbenvs3000w22]

Nature Through Art

Ok, so I will be honest. As soon as I read the blog prompt for this week, I was a bit worried. I am no artist or art interpreter, no matter how much I tell myself I can "see the deeper meaning" in a painting. My boyfriend, who is very artistically inclined, always tries to explain to me that art needs to have emotion and personality, which I struggle to understand while doing anything artistic. So trying to interpret nature through art may be a bit of a struggle for me, but I will try my best to navigate through this prompt!

Who are you to interpret nature through art? For starters, I am a student learning about all the different aspects of nature. Through university, I have learned the ins and outs of different animals, plants and ecosystems that are in our world today. From a micro to a macro scale, I'd like to say I am pretty knowledgeable in anything ecology-based. But to dig deeper, I have always found a sense of peace within nature - it's almost like my second home. Whenever I am stressed or feeling down, I walk to my local park and listen to the sounds of the stream and the wind in the branches of the tree. I have always felt happy exploring different areas and checking out the views, etc. - however, happy never fully encapsulated how I felt. There are so many other emotions attached to various features of nature; it's hard to pinpoint an exact feeling.

So, due to the nature of this blog post, I decided to google "nature art." As I scrolled through the images, there were a lot of stunning pieces, but I only connected to some. I tried to interpret the feelings and emotions behind each image. However, I only seemed to connect to a few. However, this made me realize - everyone has their own interpretations of art and nature. No one person shares the same feelings towards a particular part of nature; everyone expresses it differently. That's why no art piece is the same; "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." So in regards to the question, I am not qualified to interpret nature through art (for obvious reasons). Not one single person is - there are no qualifications that can make a person truly understand the purpose behind an art piece. I believe the interpretation lies in the "eye of the beholder." No one person is right or wrong about what an art piece is trying to convey. All that matters is that the interpretation is meaningful to you.

Now, like myself and many others, sometimes it's hard to see the beauty in some aspects of our world. For myself, it's art, but for others, it may be nature. As nature interpreters, it's our job to help people understand the beauty of nature. That comes from "the gift of beauty," which can help others connect within nature. Through my interpretation, "the gift of beauty" is assisting people in getting that "Aha!" moment, where they realize a forest isn't just a bunch of trees. This "Aha!" moment happened to me while driving to Florida with my family. As a child, I used to H A T E doing road trips, mainly because it took forever to get to the final destination. My parents would drive through the mountains in Virginia and North Carolina, typically stopping to enjoy the view. As a child, I couldn't care less - they're just mountains. However, about four years ago, I decided to do the dreaded drive with my parents. However, it was different this time around. When we stopped, the view was breathtaking; I had no clue why I complained. This was my "Aha!" moment, which was very important to me. So hopefully, as a nature interpreter, I plan to teach people nature's sense of beauty so they can get their "Aha!" moment too.

Here was my exact "Aha!" moment while driving down to Florida. The video doesn't really do it justice.

~Nicole

[acenvs3000w22]

Hi Nicole,

Great job on this week’s blog post despite the challenge of the prompt!

You brought up how being in nature is a source of happiness for you and I can relate to this as going for walks or looking at the sunset makes me feel at peace with myself.  This idea of happiness relates to the video titled “Flow: The Secret to Happiness” which brought up the question: “where in our everyday life do we really feel happy?”.  I think for many people in this class, being in the natural world is also one source of happiness.  It gives us a feeling of being in “ecstasy” where one is able to forget about their problems at home, feelings of hunger or sadness, and their existence is temporarily suspended.  

I like how you mentioned the idea that everyone has their own interpretation of art and nature. I think it’s important to recognize that even though we could be looking at (for example) the same sunset, that sunset could mean something different for each individual person – isn’t that something so beautiful?!  If beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, do you think that museums should have the so called “meaning” that the artist intended on display, or just the title of the piece, artist, and the year or period?  

I loved reading about your “AHA!” moment and it was so nice that you were able to share it with us in the video!  I wonder what in us clicks that gives us that moment.  My brother as an example, we had travelled to a garden in Rome to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city when he said, “it’s just trees”. This made me confused and a little annoyed because I was as content as ever and had a great appreciation for the trees.  I guess it goes back to “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.    

Looking forward to your future posts,

Ashley

[acenvs3000w22]

Blog #4: Nature and Art

When thinking about how I would answer this week’s blog prompt of “Who are you to interpret nature through art?” I found myself struggling to answer this question.  I thought about this question as “do I have the qualifications to interpret nature through art?”  Nature is beyond beautiful and to have someone like myself with hardly any professional training in the arts attempt to capture and share it with others - would I be doing a disservice to nature and professionals? I am by no means a Picasso, or Mozart, or Lee Stetson, but I would like to think that I would be able to inspire others through art.

Some paintings my friend and I have done for fun throughout the years! Painting is something that has offered me a sense of relaxation and allowed me to express my creativity. My friend and I always talk about how although we are looking at the same reference picture with the same set of supplies, our paintings never look the exact same as we interpret what we are painting differently. I painted the last picture with my friend as well, however, due to covid it was over zoom and we were unable to have our canvases side by side :)

As nature interpreters, we are storytellers – speaking on behalf of nature, culture, and history.  This chapter in the textbook opened my eyes as when I initially thought of nature and art, I zoned in on the aspect of the visual arts while neglecting the other forms such as theater, dance, poetry, and music.  As the textbook states, you are really only limited by your own imagination as to how creative you can be when seeking new and engaging methods of interpretation.  These other forms of the arts can have a huge impact on eliciting emotion, which in my opinion is one of the most important goals as it allows for the audience to feel inspired.  For example, the video in our previous unit included Dr. James Raffan singing a song called “The Last Place” about the 1978 Temiskaming Tragedy.  Beck et al. (2018) states that songs work to 1) get the facts to stick in the minds of listeners, 2) paint a picture in the imagination, and 3) reach the emotions of the listener” – all of which was conveyed through his song.  When Dr. Raffan was speaking of the story, the knowledge about the situation was received, however like he stated, words on a paper would not be able to convey the grief and anguish of the situation.

A gift: “a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present” (Oxford Languages, 2022).  When thinking of “the gift of beauty”, I am so appreciative that we can live in such a beautiful world and (by definition) aren’t expected to repay nature.  However, by interpreting nature and wanting to inspire others to work towards resource preservation, using nature’s beauty can be one tool to achieve this.  Additionally, beauty can look different to many people as we all come with different backgrounds and lived experiences.  For example, a swamp may not appear to be “beautiful”, however, someone who studies ecosystems for a living may appreciate it that much more knowing the value it provides in terms of its ecosystem functions and services.

Paintings by The Group of Seven in the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) that I took in 2018.

I personally love and am fascinated by how as diverse as people are, we can still find common ground in acknowledging the beauty of nature and how ubiquitous it is.  Even things as little as the first snowfall or daily sunsets, we find meaning and beauty in everyday life.

Quick question: do you think art imitates life, or does life imitate art?

Until next time,

Ashley

References:

Oxford Languages. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.