Blog Post 10
I've never been someone who felt super connected to nature. As I’ve shared in so many of my posts, I didn’t grow up with much exposure to it, and it wasn’t a major part of my life. All I knew about it was that once a year my family and I would leave our city life behind to spend time at the cottage. Those trips sparked my curiosity, but I didn’t get the chance to really explore it until now, through this course.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy this class as much as I have. Doing the work felt less like an assignment and more like something I looked forward to each week. I couldn’t wait to see what blog prompt we’d get next! I loved having the chance to talk about my experiences and connect them with the readings and course material. This course has taught me a lot about myself, in ways I didn’t see coming. There were parts of my life I didn’t think had anything to do with nature that, surprisingly, connected deeply.
For instance, I never would have thought the color pink, a color I associate with my sister’s late friend, Jordy, could have anything to do with nature. But through Blog 4, I learned that nature can serve as a kind of memory keeper. Those pink sunsets have become a comforting reminder of her. I also learned about the privilege of experiencing nature (Knudson et al., 2018). While I hadn’t thought about it much before, being able to go to the cottage each year is a privilege, one that’s given me opportunities to connect with nature that not everyone has. Blog Post 3 really opened my eyes to this, deepening my appreciation for those moments.
I didn’t realize that nature could be a part of my favorite songs either. In Blog 7, I explored how music connects me to the natural world through different sounds and patterns (Knudson et al., 2018). But one of the biggest things I’ve learned, and something that came up in nearly every blog post, is that a connection to nature isn’t based on location; it’s built through experiences. I live in Niagara Falls, with one of the world’s natural wonders right in my backyard, yet that doesn’t feel like “nature” to me. Nature for me is the experience of being at the cottage with my family.
Reflecting on all these moments with the help of course readings has helped me realize that nature isn’t just part of my annual trips up north, it is actually one of the most prevalent aspects in my life and prevalent throughout so many of my experiences.
As I spent the first half of the blog mainly talking about what I learned from this assignment, I now would like to answer the assigned blog prompt.
From taking this class, and as I start to develop my own style as a nature interpreter, I’m realizing it’s not just about listing facts about nature, or just lecturing to people the scientific explanation behind it. In my eyes, it's more about helping people feel a connection. My personal experiences showed me that nature can actually bring comfort and hold meaning. This personal side of nature is what I want to bring into my approach to interpreting it for others.
One of my primary responsibilities is to make nature accessible and inclusive for people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. This involves recognizing my privilege. I now know I've been lucky to have access to nature since I was young, and I want to help make these kinds of experiences meaningful for everyone. I want people, especially those like me, who may not feel a strong connection to nature, to see that it’s something they can discover at any point in their lives, and is actually more relevant than they may realize.
In the article “Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give Up Hope,” Jacob Rodenburg highlights how important it is to teach in a way that brings joy and wonder to kids, without jumping straight into big issues like climate change. Instead, he suggests helping kids fall in love with nature first, something I only got to experience once a year as a kid (Rodenburg, 2019). I see my role the same way; building connections first and saving the technical stuff for later. I really like Rodenburg’s idea of bringing people back to “magic” places so they can create their own stories and feel a sense of belonging in nature. For me, that’s the cottage, it’s my own “magic place.” This approach makes learning personal and memorable.
In my approach, I want to be a storyteller. I think bringing curiosity and excitement into learning about nature would greatly impact the connections made with the people learning about it. Working on the children’s podcast showed me how important this is. My job as the narrator was to take the science facts and tell them in a way that kept kids interested, making sure they could actually enjoy and follow along with what we were saying. I really like how Rodenburg talks about the students’ connection to the killdeer bird; by telling its story, he helped them feel invested in it, like they had a role in its life. That’s exactly what I’d love to do, help people feel connected to the nature around them.
Ultimately, my goal as an interpreter is to help make nature feel meaningful and accessible to everyone. Through simple, shared experiences, I want to show that nature isn’t just a place to visit; it’s something that can become part of who you are. I hope to help people find their own “magic places” and show that even small things, a sunset, a song, or a quiet walk, can bring them closer to nature. For me, it’s about encouraging these moments of connection, and helping people see that nature, even in little ways, is something they can take with them wherever they go. By bringing together what I’ve learned in this course with my own experiences, I want to make nature feel just as relevant to others as it’s starting to feel for me.
Knudson, Larry Beck, Ted T. Cable, Douglas M. Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Available from: Sagamore Publishing LLC, Sagamore Publishing LLC, 2018.
Rodenburg, J. (2019, June 17). Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give Up Hope. Clearning Magazine. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300
Hi Milana,
Your post is so honest and relatable, and I loved reading about how your relationship with nature has grown throughout this course! I can feel the excitement in your words, like each blog assignment opened up something new for you. It’s amazing when a class ends up becoming something you look forward to each week. Your blog is a reminder that sometimes, the things we least expect can surprise us and help us grow in unexpected ways.
Your story about the color pink and sunsets as a reminder of Jordy is beautiful. It’s amazing how nature can unexpectedly hold memories, emotions, and connections to loved ones. I think a lot of people might overlook these kinds of connections, assuming nature has to involve things like hiking or forests, but your story shows how personal and meaningful nature can be. Everyday experiences in nature, like sunsets, can be just as significant and comforting as larger, more “traditional” experiences like camping or hiking. These personal connections to nature can be very grounding and, as you described, even bring a sense of calm and comfort.
I also found your reflection on privilege to be very powerful. Realizing that annual trips to the cottage are a privilege and understanding what those trips have given you is such an important insight. Not everyone has the chance to escape to a place that feels so connected to nature, and your awareness of this privilege reflects how much thought you’re putting into the accessibility of nature for others. Recognizing that not everyone has had the same opportunities to experience nature as you did can open the door to making nature feel accessible and welcoming for people of all backgrounds and experiences.
Your comment about living in Niagara Falls but not seeing it as “nature” really made me think. It’s interesting how, even when surrounded by famous natural landmarks, it’s the small, personal experiences, like those cottage trips with family, that feel more meaningful. This goes to show that nature doesn’t need to be grand or far away to be significant; it can be found in the places and moments that are close to our hearts.
The way you want to create “magic places” for others and bring people back to simple, joyful experiences with nature is inspiring. Your work on the children’s podcast, using storytelling to make science enjoyable and memorable, shows just how much of an impact you can have. Taking complex ideas and turning them into engaging stories for kids is no easy task, but it’s such an important way to help others connect to the natural world. This approach, focused on curiosity and discovery, will help people feel that nature is accessible, relatable, and something they can be a part of.
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful blog, Milana. It’s been a joy to read about how this course has helped shape your unique relationship with nature. You’ve given me a lot to think about, and I’m curious… how has your newfound connection to nature changed the way you think about your everyday environment, like the city or places you pass by daily?
























