Describe your personal ethic as you develop as a nature interpreter. What beliefs do you bring? What responsibilities do you have? What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?
I can't believe weâve already reached the last post for this class, it feels like we had only just started.
For this week, we were asked to take a look into our personal ethics when it comes to nature interpretation. This was something I didn't really think much about until the start of this course, and going through the various blog prompts throughout the semester. I mean of course there were basic ethics that I knew were important, like to respect and appreciate the natural world. However, they were always in the back of my mind. I didnât really take the time to really delve deep into it.
This semester we were given the opportunity to view nature interpretation through different lenses such as art, music, science, history, etc. I feel as though this allowed me to develop a sense of what I enjoy. I feel it's important to understand what you enjoy first, as it can aid in forming an ethical stance, because you can create personal connections, which leads to a deeper appreciation for the natural world. From this you can feel more motivated to take action revolving around certain environmental issues and it can allow you to understand conservation efforts. Viewing interpretation through different forms helped me enhance my ethical perspective, as there are many ways to perceive the environment.
Let's take a look at some examples.
Science was one of the more obvious ones for me. I mean when I think of nature, I typically think of the environment in a scientific way. This may be due to the fact I'm studying environmental science. For that reason, I already had some beliefs formed. Most if not all of the courses I take often touch upon environmental issues, whether it be climate change, pollution, endangered species, etc. Even before university, it was already engraved in my mind that we have to be mindful of the planet and how we treat it. Generally, to do what we can to limit our environmental impacts (negative impacts of course). Nature interpretation to me seemed like a form of delivering information to others, where they would learn the science/biology behind different environments. Generally, I believed that scientific knowledge would form a sense of responsibility as it shows the importance of conservation and sustainable practices. While that can be the case, I've learned that there is much more to it as well.
Now, as for viewing nature interpretation through art. While I knew that art can portray many messages and meaning, I didn't really think of âartâ when I thought of nature interpretation. However, after going over previous readings and blog posts I learned to see a different perspective. Art allows us to form emotional connections with nature. It can evoke feelings of empathy and appreciation for the natural world. This is when I realized, paintings, photographs, music, etc. all play a crucial part when it comes to nature interpretation.
History was another form that I knew was crucial to learn about when it comes to nature interpretation, but I never really put much thought into it like I did with science. I believe now that in order to form beliefs surrounding nature I need to recognize and learn about the history first, as it provides context. History can show us both the positive and negative impacts humans have had on the environment. When we understand the consequences of past actions, we can form ethical decisions for the future.
Generally, I learned that nature interpretation doesn't have to follow a structured format. Instead there are various ways to view nature interpretation, which seems obvious to me now. I feel as though this wasn't so obvious when I first started this course because typically the courses I took prior (science based) followed fairly structured formats. Now, as a nature interpreter, I've learned that I'm responsible to consider multiple perspectives, but also provide differing perspectives to others. While I also enjoy the science side of interpretation, Iâve learned to enjoy and am open to other forms as well. I've learned that as a nature interpreter I am responsible to bridge the gap between people and nature in ways that are accessible, relatable and compelling. In this week's reading on courselink we were asked the question âwhat motivates you to do this work?â While my love and appreciation for nature keeps me motivated, I also think what I've learned through this course would have an effect on this. I've learned to recognize the significant effect nature interpretations can have on others by recognizing the forms of nature interpretation that have played a crucial role in my life in shaping what I want to do today. I think it was important to realize the effect that nature interpretation has had on me to realize I can have that same effect on others. Iâve learned to be mindful of how I both present and obtain information.
Overall, I'm grateful for what I have learned in the course, and will remember to carry on to this information for the rest of my nature interpretation journey.