Aasna's Nature Interpretation Blog @asenvs3000w22 - Tumblr Blog

Myself as a Nature Interpreter

Taking care of the environment around you is a key ethic of mine in everything I do. The quote “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints” is one that I have always followed in life, and is one that I hope to bring into my future endeavours as a nature interpreter. This quote is often credited to either Sir Robert Baden-Powell or John Muir of the National Park Service. However, the actual source of the quote is unknown at this point in time. If I were to adjust this quote, I would encourage others to “take nothing but memories and knowledge, leave nothing but footprints and improvements”. I have always been taught to leave the world better than you found it, and I want to instill this idea in those I interact with.

Sir Robert Baden-Powell was the founder of Boy Scouts and the co-founder of Girl Scouts alongside his sister Agnes. Prior to this, he was a military man who fought in Africa. Upon his return, he found out that some of the handbooks he had designed for soldiers were being used to teach young men and boys about the wilderness, which became the roots of Scouting as it is known today.

John Muir was fascinated by the interconnectedness of nature. He had a passion for educating and inspiring others to care for nature as much as he did. As noted in the textbook, Muir was well-known for his sentiment that nature has intrinsic value, beyond the value it holds for humankind; this is a sentiment that I myself also share.

Personally, I feel that my views and values around sharing nature with others align with some of the perspectives of these individuals, which is part of why I love this quote so much. However, I want to make it clear that I do not view either of these individuals as role models – I could never look up to someone who has expressed homophobic or racist views towards others. In my opinion, regardless of the time period and of what was deemed ‘acceptable’ at the time, everyone should feel welcome to enjoy and explore nature – it should not be gatekept from those with unique identities. One cannot claim to care for nature and yet disrespect Indigenous people, who are the original caretakers of this land. If you truly care about preserving nature, then everyone’s attempts to do so should be welcomed and valued. Nature is not property – it belongs to everyone equally.

As an interpreter, I have the responsibility of teaching others that every action has a consequence, whether it be good or bad. This could be in reference to their own actions, to the actions of humans as a whole, or to the actions of nature itself. Predators pursuing prey, increases in global warming, pollution – everything impacts the balance of nature in some way. Some things can be rebalanced, like the population dynamics between predators and prey; others, like water pollution, are much harder to counteract and rebalance. This does not mean that I will discourage people from interacting with nature; I will simply help them to understand the impacts so they can make informed decisions about what they do.

My main belief when it comes to nature interpretation is that no one knows everything, but everyone knows something. As discussed throughout the textbook and this course, everyone comes from a unique background and has their own experiences; therefore, there is always room to learn from new perspectives. Learning from others makes me a better interpreter, and allows my audience to gain insights they did not previously have.

As a young female in STEM, I feel that my best approach to interpretation would involve treating others as equals. While I may posses knowledge that they do not, there is no other power dynamic that puts me above them. I aim to create an environment that is conducive to learning for all. My approach also involves being inclusive to all that enter my programs, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or ability. All of these aspects play a role in how my audience and I see the world, but they are not barriers. I like to think of them as different glasses a person wears. They alter your views and mindset but beauty is still seen, even if it is different than the person next to you.

In conclusion, my view on nature interpretation is that everyone is welcome and everyone has something to contribute. Learning from and protecting the environment are everyone’s responsibilities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53006178

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Stephenson-Smyth-Baden-Powell-1st-Baron-Baden-Powell

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sierra-club-muir-racism-board-vote_n_619548aae4b0f398aeff3677

https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/about-us/about-john-muir

https://yourmileagemayvary.net/2020/01/17/the-iconic-tourist-destination-that-youre-not-allowed-to-take-a-picture-of/

asenvs3000w22

Hey Amanda!

That was a great post!

First of all, I loved how you modified that quote, and changed it to “take nothing but memories and knowledge, leave nothing but footprints and improvements”, because it was always an important sentiment, but holds even greater importance now, as we face the repercussions of the damage we have wrecked on the environment, through climate change.

In one of your paragraphs, you mentioned that we shouldn't gate keep nature and that we cannot claim to care for nature yet not for the Indigenous people, who originally took care of this land. That sentence took me back to one of my blog posts where I talked about the dark history of national (and provincial) parks. These parks were once large swaths of land that belonged to various indigenous tribes, yet the government made them leave their homes to essentially create an empty shrine to nature. Now, many people who love nature and who love the existence of these parks are unaware of this dark history and that they were essentially stolen from these tribes. In an effort to not gate keep nature, I think we need to invite indigenous peoples back into these spaces, and allow them to share with us what they’ve learned from nature. The core of many native Canadian and/or Native American beliefs is an interconnectedness with nature, which is something akin to ecocentrism and missing from most of western culture in this day and age. Thus, we need to let these people back into the spaces we stole from them and give them the chance to instill in us an ecocentric worldview. Perhaps then we’ll take climate change seriously as a species, and actually do something meaningful about it.

The last thing I wanted to mention before I sign off, is that I love and totally agree with your approach to interpretation. You mentioned having an approach that is based on inclusivity and equality, and I love that, because many people, often minority groups, feel alienated from nature interpretation and feel like they cannot really take part in it for a variety of reasons and barriers.

robynwhaleyy

The End...

As this semester comes to end and so does my bachelor’s degree, I am able to look back to the beginning and appreciate all the technical and personal growth I have experienced. This course allowed me to recognize my importance as a student in biology in terms of communicating with others. I was also able to recognize my disconnect from nature I had been experiencing since the start of the pandemic. But having realized this disconnect I can mend my relationship with nature…

My personal ethics as I develop as a nature interpreter.

When explaining the term ethics, it is explained as the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity. However, this a very broad description therefore I wanted to describe both personal ethics and environmental ethics. Personal ethics is how an individual behaves in relation to others and situations in which they experience in everyday life. Whereas environmental ethics is the right and wrong way for humans to act toward the environment. Affecting us personally, but also the types of government policies we support and the sorts of actions or responses to environmental challenges we believe are necessary or reasonable. I believe in order to be an effective nature interpreter; your personal and environmental ethics need to overlap. I define a successful nature interpreter as an individual that is able to connect with others through a mutual interest in nature, while being able to discuss and educate one another through various means of learning about the environment. Therefore, some personal ethics I have and have aided my progress in becoming an effective nature interpreter is integrity, selflessness and honesty.

Integrity is the quality of having strong moral principles or moral uprightness. In terms of nature interpretation, I believe integrity is the ability and quality of holding healthy relationships with other people as well as the environment.

Selflessness is the concern more with the needs and wishes of others than with one’s own. I believe this important just as an environmentalist, putting the needs of the environment and others can be very important when discussing and making decisions regarding the future.

Honesty is the quality of upholding the truth. This important in terms of nature interpretation because discussing accurate information is essential when wanting to inspire and educate others about the environment.

My beliefs and worldview

When I think of beliefs and belief systems I think of worldviews. Id assume everyone is familiar with the term worldviews but it is the set of commonly held beliefs, ideas, values and so forth about the world and our place in it. In the past the most common worldview was the westernized worldview. The western worldview entails the exploitation of nature so that we can continue to accumulate material wealth is right and that science and technology allows us to control nature for our purposes (nature is for economic purposes only) humans are separate from, and superior to, nature. John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher that was known for his westernized view on the environment. He described that any parcel of land/environment has no value until it eventually becomes property. The fact that the living tree provides a home to non-human species and plays a significant role in our climate and hydrological cycles is overlooked. Thankfully most of the population has moved past this problematic worldview by recognizing the importance and value nature has not just for our own needs. Therefore, I believe I hold an eco-centric worldview. This worldview is a set of beliefs and environmental ethics that put ecological concerns first; over human priorities. This viewpoint believes Earth’s ecology and ecosystems (including its atmosphere, water, land, and all life forms) have intrinsic value—meaning they should be protected and valued even if they can’t be used by humans as resources. The start of eco-centrism was from John Muir (1838-1914). He was naturalist and environmental philosopher, known as the ‘Father of the National Parks’. Muir believed that nature was full of wonder and held great spiritual value and should be protected/preserved from development.

The responsibilities I hold

I believe as a graduating student in wildlife biology and as a general environmentalist I have many responsibilities as an individual and as an educated person. Therefore, I have an environmental responsibility to protect and improve the environment. As an environmentally responsible individual I should regularly assesses my environmental sustainability and apply this knowledge to my future decision-making. Currently, there is an urgent need to take environmental responsibility very seriously within every type of business and sustain our environment for future generations. As an individual I am responsible for recognizing the impact I have on the environment and, when possible, minimize the damage I may do to the planet. But as an educated individual I believe I am responsible for inspiring and educating others about the environment.

Some approaches that are the most suitable as individuals

I believe that from this course we have developed the basis of becoming a successful nature interpreter. Therefore, I believe the most suitable approach as we continue to develop as nature interpreters is to continue the conversation. We should continue to communicate with others whether it be family and friends or strangers through this blog but continue to talk about the environment. Furthermore, I believe another suitable approach would be to continue taking environmental responsibility. There are many actions we can easily do today that will reduce our impact and environmental impact. This following website describes 30 actions to make your life more environmentally friendly.

· https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/06/17/climate-change-30-ways-to-make-your-life-more-environmentally-friendly/39366589/

Before I conclude my last blog post for this semester, I wanted you remind you that this Saturday (March 26th at 8:30pm) is earth hour. More than 180 countries will be participating in earth hour by diming their lights and reducing their electricity use. If you want to participate individually or with others, here are some activities you can do that do not require electricity: read a book, paint/draw/color a picture, play a board game, do some yoga, catch up on some household chores or homework or simply just relax!

Cheers!

Signing off… Robyn..

asenvs3000w22

Hey Robyn!

I really enjoyed reading your post. I like how you brought up John Locke's Westernized view of the environment, and juxtaposed it with the beliefs of ecocentrism. Likewise, I agree that more than ever before people are aware of things like climate change, and the importance of the environment and thus hold eco-centric worldviews. However, far too many individuals still hold very human centred beliefs that look at profit and self-benefit over the greater good. Instead of being eco-centric most of society is egocentric, with a collective sense of superiority that often clouds our judgment. I think this is the key to why we still haven't been able to meaningfully tackle climate change, because we think that as species we are able to transcend our material conditions, when in fact we cannot. Thus, i think an eco-centric approach is needed now more than ever, so that people can appreciate nature and develop a sense of urgency regarding climate change and other environmental issues.

You mentioned that you feel like one of your responsibilities is to protect and improve the environment, which I find admirable and something that we should all in fact be responsible for. Our generation and those that follow us will have to face some environmental crises in the coming decades, so it follows suit that we should be the ones to protect what we have left from further disaster.

Like you mentioned, this course has equipped us with the language and tools we can use to inspire and educate others about the environment, which is an important task now more than ever.

I will be sure to participate in this year's Earth Day, probably by just relaxing and reading a book. How about you? What are your plans?

Unit 10 Blog Post: Reaching the End

During the past three months, I have learned a lot about nature interpretation, and what I would personally bring to the table as a nature interpreter.

Going back to the blog post about privilege. I think privilege plays a big part in all of our experiences in life, and thus also should translate into the way we interpret nature. By recognizing our own innate privileges, we can develop programs of interpretation that are equal and fair for all.

Speaking of my own privileges, as a South Asian woman, I’m automatically part of two minority groups in western society. However, there are a variety of other factors that make me privileged and have thus impacted my experiences relating to nature interpretation. For example, I am proficient in English, able-bodied with no disabilities and health complications, of middle socioeconomic status, and have had the ability to get post-secondary education. As an interpreter, I would recognize these privileges and bring forward my personal (and what should be universal) ethics of equality and fairness, to develop a nature interpretation program that serves everyone including those with disabilities, low-income individuals, and those of minority groups.

“The Wheel of Privilege” From The CIHR Institute of Gender and Health

There is an innate need in all of us, to know our place and role in the natural world and in the story of human history and culture (Beck et al., 2019). Thus, as a nature interpreter it would be important for me to make sure that everyone is able to fulfill this innate need regardless of their race, religion or socioeconomic status.

This means not just focusing on the environment and its beauty and special features, but also recognizing their deeper importance in relation to the rights of indigenous peoples, civil rights, and other issues. It also means catering interpretive programming towards certain underserved populations. Part of this includes reducing the barriers individuals may experience when trying to access interpretive programming. This can include, lack of knowledge, economic barriers (lack of transport), language barriers and cultural barriers (Beck et al., 2019). Cultural barriers consist of the differences in participation, based on cultural preferences related to factors such as family structure, and values.

As an interpreter, my responsibility would be to make the interpretive experience more inclusive by trying to eliminate these barriers. For example, to tackle an economic barrier like the lack of transport, I could coordinate the scheduling of programs with the availability of public transportation (Beck et al., 2019). To reduce cultural barriers, minority populations can be personally invited and included in programming (Beck et al., 2019). This would require building trust and credibility within minority groups. To reduce language barriers, brochures, and information packages can be multilingual. As part of a minority group, I can appeal to those within my own community and help eliminate these language and cultural barriers. However, I would need help to appeal to other groups and their languages and cultures. Thus, I would need to gather tools like videos, brochures, and pamphlets in other languages. I could also ask a fellow nature interpreter of a minority group to act as a liaison for communication.

Other than integrating individuals of different cultures and backgrounds, it would also be important for me to integrate disabled individuals into interpretive programs, as part of my pledge to make interpretation fairer and more equal. This type of integration is better than special programs catered to individuals with disabilities as it focuses on their similarities with other people, rather than their inabilities (Beck et al., 2019). It can also give the audience of the interpretation an opportunity to build social skills and self-esteem as they interact with one another.

In my experience with interpreters, I often find that they only appeal to one of the three general learning domains. Typically, they appeal to the cognitive domain, which involves using the rational mind to process information (Beck et al., 2019). They do this by presenting individuals with written materials, talks, and exhibits. However, this domain might not appeal to the people that cant connect to the material via talks, brochures, or pamphlets. Thus, as an interpreter, I would try to appeal to other domains as well. This includes the affective domain which relates to one’s feelings and the kinaesthetic (or psychomotor) domain which involves motor skills (Beck et al., 2019). To appeal to the affective domain, interpreters can use discussion, photography, paintings, and music to elicit learning responses. On the other hand, interpreters can appeal to the kinesthetic domain, by incorporating learning through physical movement and participatory activities like hiking.

Thank you for reading!

Reference:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. Redshelf eBook. Sagamore Publishing. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/1948104/sp/245407251/mi/718086528?cfi=%2F4%2F4&menu=index.

tkpenvs3000w22

Math within Nature.

Unit 09 Blog

Though they may seem so different, math and nature intersect with a common ground rooted in symmetry, the natural constant, and Fibonacci’s sequence.

Symmetry can occur in three different ways: rotational symmetry, bilateral symmetry, and translational symmetry. Rotational symmetry can be described as when you rotate an object upon its own axis, its shape still looks the same. Rotational symmetry is replicated in nature very frequently in flowers, for example, but they are also an example of bilateral symmetry at the same time. Bilateral symmetry occurs when an image is inverted perpendicularly through the plane, this could also be considered reflection or mirror symmetry. Butterflies are a classic example of bilateral symmetry in nature, so are many other insects. Lastly, translational symmetry occurs when each point in a figure is moved the same distance in the same direction. This was certainly the one furthest from my mind, but upon further inspection, looking at many images of nature enlightened me to the fact that it the structures of crystals and honeycombs present in a beehive.

Have you noticed any other types of symmetry in nature? If not, do any particular examples of symmetry in nature fascinate you? Explain why. Personally, I quite enjoy bilateral symmetry as it reminds me of that form of art I would do as a child where I would fold a paper in half, open it and place paint on one side in a design, fold it closed along the already formed crease, and reopen it to a beautiful, bilaterally symmetrical, image. Moreover, I believe it is appealing to the human eye as we humans are, mostly, bilaterally symmetric and familiarity is comforting.

As for the natural constant, mathematically known as “e”, is something known as Euler’s number (Ping, 2016). Named after famous mathematician Leonhard Euler, Euler’s number is a constant that appears with exponential growth or decay (Ping, 2016). What is riveting about this mathematical constant is that it is easily found in the natural world within the growth of plants or ammonite shells (Ping, 2016). There are countless occurrences of it within the natural, but you may recognize it from logarithmic equations in math classes.

Lastly, I want to mention the Fibonacci sequence. If you are like me, you recall learning about this string of numbers in which each number that appears is a sum of the previous two numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc. (Carlson, 2019). What is unique about these numbers is that the ratio between any number and the one prior it follows a 1:1.618 ratio famously known as the golden ratio (Carlson, 2019). In nature, it can be observed in the shell of a snail, the petals of flowers, the pattern of sunflower seeds, or the spiral pattern of a pine cone (Carlson, 2019). In the media, you may have heard references to the golden ratio in related beauty: it is commonly held as the mathematical symmetry algorithm underlying what we perceive as attractive (Carlson, 2019). This related back to nature’s presence in our lives as a “gift of beauty” (Beck et al., 2018). All of this said, if math is in nature and nature is beautiful, then math can be beautiful. Do you agree? Can’t wait to hear what you think!

Can you think of any other examples of math in nature?

Talk to you soon fellow nature nerds!

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

Carlson, S. C. (2019). Golden ratio. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/golden-ratio

Ping, X. (2016). Why natural constant “e” is called “natural”. The University of Melbourne. https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2016/09/04/why-natural-constant-e-is-called-natural/

asenvs3000w22

Hey Taite!

That was a super interesting post, and you might have actually done the impossible and made me appreciate or even like math! Its really cool to see the ways in which math and nature are able to intersect. You mentioned the fibonacci sequence and the ways that it is present in nature (flower, pine cones, sun flower seeds), I also discovered that it is present within trees branches, with trees starting off with one trunk which splits into 2, and then one of the new branches stemming into 2 as this pattern continues. This is all pretty interesting, but I was wondering why this sequence is present in so many aspects of nature, so I did some research and found that the golden ratio is essentially natures way of storing or packing things in a way that is effective and energy-efficient way. For example, in the case of the sunflower, the head of sunflowers are arranged in a specific way so that the seeds are packed in an ideal manner, where there is no crowding in the center and no lack of seeds on the edges.

Anyways, thank you for teaching me something new and I hope to read more of your blog posts soon!

aeb-envs3000-w22

Hibernation: Nature's Nap

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word ‘hibernation’? For me, it used to be something along the lines of this cartoon:

(Rich, 2018)

To put it into words, it’s a bear taking a really long nap and waking up once spring arrives. I have some news for you – it’s so much more than that!

Hibernation, also known as multi-day torpor, is characterized by “pronounced temporal reductions in body temperature, energy expenditure, water loss, and other physiological functions and [is] the most effective means for energy conservation available to endotherms” (Geiser, 2013). But what does that even mean? In other words:

Hibernation is characterized by time-based decreases in body temperature, amount of energy being spent to survive, how much water is leaving the body, and what other functions the body is carrying out. It is the best way for ‘warm-blooded’ animals, or those who maintain a constant body temperature regardless of the environment, to save as much energy as possible (EB, 2018).

It is currently believed by scientists that hibernation in bears is triggered by environmental cues such as changes in the ambient temperature and the length of days based on hours of sunshine (Evans et al., 2016). As these cues begin to occur, the bears participate in hyperphagia, also known as a ‘food frenzy’ (Dybas, 2020). This begins in late summer and leads them to forage for up to 18 hours a day will consuming 15 to 20 thousand calories a day (Dybas, 2020). This leads to a build up of fat stores, allowing them to sustain themselves through months of hibernation without losing virtually any muscle of bone mass (Dybas, 2020). As spring approaches, physiological cues such as changes in body temperature and general discomfort lead to arousal and emergence of bears (Evans et al., 2016). Overall, the annual life cycle of a bear can be divided into five basic stages (NABC, 2022):

Hibernation: A state of continuous dormancy with evident decreases in heart rate and metabolic rate. Oxygen consumption and respiration rates also decreases, with individuals taking less than 4 breaths per minute.

Walking hibernation: The few weeks following hibernation during which metabolic processes slowly return to normal. During this stage, consumption and excretion are both lower than normal.

Normal activity: This stage typically spans from when plants begin to sprout in the spring until mid-summer or fall. They spend their days consuming up to 8000 calories per day. If they are denied access to water or food, they will become extremely ill, unlikely in winter when they hibernate instead.

Hyperphagia: The period of excessive eating and drinking in order to prepare for hibernation.

Fall transition: Process after hyperphagia, when metabolic processes begin to change in preparation for hibernation. Bears become extremely lethargic and will sleep for most of the day.

Now, I know I’ve talked about bears so far, but did you know that there are a lot of other species that also undergo torpor, or hibernation? Other hibernators include many amphibian, reptile and fish species (EB, 2021). Insects can even hibernate too (Richard, 2009)! One major example of this is monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), which migrate over 5000 kilometres to their overwintering sites, called ‘hibernacula’, before burying themselves to hibernate (Richard, 2009).

Did you learn anything new today about hibernation/torpor?

References:

Dybas, C. L. (2020). Into the den: Investigating hibernation. BioScience, 70(2), 129-135. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz145

Evans, A. L., Singh, N. J., Friebe, A., Arnemo, J. M., Laske, T. G., Fröbert, O., Swenson. J. E., & Blanc, S. (2016). Drivers of hibernation in the brown bear. Frontiers in Zoology, 13(7), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-016-0140-6

Geiser, F. (2013). Hibernation. Current Biology, 23(5), R188-R193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.01.062

North American Bear Center [NABC] (2022). 5 stages of activity and hibernation. North American Bear Center. https://bear.org/5-stages-of-activity-and-hibernation/

Rich, B. (2018). Hibernation’s End? [Cartoon]. Hedgeye. https://app.hedgeye.com/insights/66658-cartoon-of-the-day-hibernation-s-end?type=cartoons

Richard, E. L. Jr. (2009). Encyclopedia of insects (2nd ed.). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00127-2

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica [EB] (2018, November 15). Endotherm. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/endotherm

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica [EB] (2021, February 14). hibernation. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/hibernation

asenvs3000w22

Hey Amanda!

That was such an interesting post. I felt like I really learned a lot about hibernation. Prior to reading your post I knew very little about bears and hibernation, and I’m fascinated to learn that part of the process includes forgaing for up to 18 hours a day in the late summer and consuming thousands (15-20) of calories a day. Thats an insane number, but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised since they’re VERY large animals. To me its depressing that we’re currently disrupting this natural process of hibernation by contributing to climate change which has lead to bears leaving hibernation early. This has caused them to come into close proximity to humans which often leads to violent confrontations where the bears are killed. Recently a picture of a very large and overweight bear dubbed “Hank the TanK” went viral, as he was roaming the streets near Lake Tahoe, during a time when most black bears are usually in hibernation. He isnt the only one, since most black bears in that area and around the world, are feeling the effects of climate change and failing to go into hibernation or coming out of the process to quickly. I don’t know when we as a society will get the wakeup call to actually do something about climate change, but these unusual bear encounters should serve as a warning for whats yet to come.

Nature + Mental Wellbeing

I think we all have had times where we’ve felt a little stressed or down and have used nature as an escape. This was especially true during the height of the pandemic, where many of us tried to escape the endless lockdowns by stepping out in nature and taking walks, hikes or strolls through the park. Nature and its sights, smells and sounds often have a calming and peaceful quality that can help ease the mind. This phenomenon and much more, is investigated in a branch of psychology known as “environmental psychology”, which is the study of human wellbeing in connection to the environment (Chowdhury, 2022). Environmental psychology emerged following research conducted by environmental psychologist Harold Proshansky and his colleagues on person-place interactions in the 1970s (Chowdhury, 2022).

The basic tennats of environmental psychology are as follows:

1. Human contact with natural light is therapeutic and has the ability to elicit positive effects on the body via reduced stress, blood pressure, and a stronger immune system.

2. Humans are able to change thier social identities and adapt base on the environment around them.

3. Strong connections to the environment enhance the person-space idea and increase environmental perception.

From: https://positivepsychology.com/

Stress and Nature:

As part of this branch of psychology, research was conducted to determine how nature can influence stress. This was done through a large-scale experiment consisting of 120 subjects, whereby each participant observed visuals of either a natural landscape or an urban environment. Stress levels were then measured through factors like heart rate, and cognitive function.The data obtained from this research revealed that participants who looked at the picture of natural setting scored lower on stress scales compared to those who viewed the picture of urban settings (Robbins, 2020).

Nature and overall wellbeing;

Another study of 20,000 people, conducted in 2019 by Mathew White and his team at the European Centre for Environment & Human Health, found that individuals that spent at least two hours a week in spaces of nature (ex. parks or other natural environments), were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who did’t. This was true for people from all different walks of life and occupations (White et al., 2019).

These studies are interesting and shed light on how nature truly is beneficial to our wellbeing. However, they don’t suggest that nature has some magical, elusive power towards improving mental and physical health, because there are some hypotheses as to why it contributes to improving health.

Here are a few :

1. Being close to green, open spaces like farms, parks and field increases the chances of engaging in outdoor activities like walking, gardening, farming, and playing, which can improve mental and physical health.

2. Settings in nature can be used to carry out interpersonal activities and create social connections which can foster positive well being. 3. Contact with nature can enhance a persons spiritual health through providing them with a deeper insight into life.

I hope you found this weeks blog interesting and please let me know how nature has helped you improve your mental and/or physical health. Thanks for reading!

References:

Chowdhury, M. R. (2022). The positive effects of nature on your mental wellbeing. PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://positivepsychology.com/positive-effects-of-nature/#:~:text=Nature%20improves%20psychological%20wellbeing,%2C%20%26%20Kaplan%2C%202008).

Robbins, J. (2020). Ecopsychology: How immersion in nature benefits your health. Yale Environment 360. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health

White, M. P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J., Wheeler, B. W., Hartig, T., Warber, S. L., Bone, A., Depledge, M. H., & Fleming, L. E. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and Wellbeing. Scientific Reports, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3

gvhenvs3000w22

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.

asenvs3000w22

Hey Grace,

Great post! You mentioned the song Blackbird by The Beetles as being your favourite nature-related song and I must say I that I totally forgot about that song when I was writing my post! as well as other songs by the Beetles that relate to nature. But you reminded me of the song “Mother Nature’s Son” by the Beetles. It has a calm, folksy vibe with lyrics like “Sit beside a mountain stream, see her waters rise, listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies ” (referring to mother nature).It takes me back to times when I would go hiking amongst the trees.

I loved your fact about music in indigenous cultures and what the drum represents in their culture. In my research for this blog post, I found that indigenous cultures have been conveying important ecological information for centuries through their music and that academics have only now begun to see the significance of their songs and the knowledge they carry, leading to them to work with Indigenous communities to unlock their teachings. Its an art that has sadly been diminshed through colonization, but hopefully it can now make a comeback and be preserved with this renewed academic interest.

I look forward to reading more from you!

amenvs3000w22

Blog post 7 - The sound of music (in nature)

Music is everywhere, even in nature. Music is the wind whistling through grasses and trees, the buzz and hum of insects, busy collecting pollen or building homes. Music is the wings of hummingbirds, whizzing through the air, the calls of cheerful songbirds, and the splash of fish, swimming through clear calm waters. Individually, all of these components are just sounds, but similar to how bands are composed of multiple parts (guitar, piano, drums, vocals, etc.), when the sounds are all put together, they make a whole; a song. People can identify organisms by the sounds they make, connecting them to nature and allowing them to feel as though they are not alone. When I was in high school, I used to be a camp counselor, and one thing I would do while taking young campers on nature hikes was to have them close their eyes, cup their hands around their ears (making ‘deer ears’ as I would tell them) and listen to what they could hear. Although this was such a simple gesture, it always amazed these young kids. From this activity, they were able to recognize how great the biodiversity of the forest was, even though they couldn’t see all of it.

This is a picture taken of me in 2018 as a camp counselor. I was instructing campers on how to canoe before taking them on a nature hike through trails in the Heart Lake Conservation Area in Brampton, Ontario.

As for where nature is in music, nature can be utilized and interpreted in many songs through the lyrics, or even in samples created from the sounds of nature. How many songs do you know that have birds singing, rain falling, or bees buzzing in them? Apart from a lot of instrumentals, there are quite a few modern artists that utilize samples like these to paint a better picture for their work, and tie their songs to have multiple meanings (example: a love song using sounds or lyrics inspired by nature could have a direct meaning of love, and an indirect meaning that to be in nature is to be in love). Music and nature both play a huge part in my life, but rarely do I reflect on how they are connected in so many ways. My personal favorite nature-related song is called “Bloom” by The Paper Kites. A love song with lyrics such as “Can I take it to a morning Where the fields are painted gold And the trees are filled with memories Of the feelings never told?” relates the singer’s best memories with their lover to time spent outdoors. The song is entirely acoustic, and is very warm-sounding, making me feel like I am walking through a sunny flower-filled meadow every time I listen to it. It is not directly written about nature, but the inclusion of nature themes helps listeners to picture the song and also interprets the wonders of nature. Songs such as this, and “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver, showcase the calming experiences nature provides and indirectly advises listeners to spend time outdoors.

asenvs3000w22

Hey Ally!

That was a great post. I agree that music really is everywhere and in everything. The use of music for communication and bonding purposes predates the use of traditional language. You mentioned the song “Bloom” by The Paper Kites as being your favourite nature-related song. I have to agree with you! Its a beautiful song and really does have a warm, inviting, sound that makes you think of the serenity of nature and how it feels to walk amongst trees or a meadow.

In my research for this blog post, I discovered that a thing called “Bio music” exists, and its exactly what it sounds like. It consists of the use of sounds created by animals or naturally within nature to create or compose a piece of music. In relation to the activites you would have to do as a camp counsellor to teach kids about nature, I was wondering if “bio-music” could be incorporated into these activites as a way to teach kids about different animals sounds. For example, children can be presented with a variety of different animal sounds or calls that they can then use to create a song or a piece of music. Perhaps this could be a tool for nature interpretation.

I look forward to reading more of your posts!

Nature and Music

As stated by Gray et al. (2001) music has always been a part of human culture. In fact it is said to have evolved before the development of actual language due to the relationship music creates between symbolism, and body movement that makes it a unique form of communication. Our ancestors used this form of communication early on and it has evolved into what we now know as modern contemporary music. Nowadays, music isn’t as overtly communicative but it does have a way to connect people and impart certain messages.

Nature has always been within music and music has always been within nature. Something as simple as rocks and sticks have been used to make music for centuries. In Aboriginal Australia, two sticks struck together known as “Bilma” form a beat that can accompany the didgeridoo and are used as part of singing, dancing and celebrations.

Picture of a Bilma

In Hawaii, special smooth river rocks called ‘ili’ili, are part of the hula tradition. These rocks are typically held in a dancer’s hand and tapped together for a percussion sound. These primitive instruments show that we have been using the natural elements for centuries to create music.

Hula Dancers Using River Rocks ( ‘ili’ili)

Other than using the elements, humans have also been known to be influenced by the sounds of animals and the music that it creates. For example, the Hutu and Tutsi tribes of East Africa have been able to incorporate the communications of elephants into their music. On the other hand, in North America, first nation tribes have used the sounds of whales and incorporated that into their music. This interpretation of nature through music has been a constant theme throughout history.

Music that reminds me of nature:

There are several songs that take me back to a natural landscape. However, what has stuck with me the most (as incredibly nerdy as it sounds), is the soundtrack of the Lord of the Rings movies. The soundtrack just reminds me of the landscape of New Zealand and what it means to entangle yourself in the beauty of nature. This of course comes from the movies and the strong theme of environmentalism that runs through them. In the movies (and books) the hobbits are known to have a strong propensity towards restoring the natural environment. Other species shown in the films also have a deep entanglement with nature and are shown to be committed to its preservation. Thus, in my mind when I listen to a song like “concerning hobbits” from the soundtrack, my mind immediately goes to thinking about rolling hills and grassy green landscapes.

Youtube: The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack

References:

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

The Smithsonian . (n.d.). Instruments. Smithsonian National Museum of NaturalHistory.Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/mineral-sciences/research-support-facilities/instruments

fleurcareil

#6: The merit of integrity in historical interpretation

There are two forests close to my home where I like to go for a hike; the Arboretum of the Royal Botanical Gardens and Dundas Valley Conservation Area. Both have interpretative programming consisting amongst others of map brochures and trail signage, which provide information to visitors on its natural and cultural history. On a recent hike at the Arboretum I walked along their Indigenous Trail, which explores the native plants used by the Anishinaabe peoples and their significance for Indigenous medicine, culture and history (Royal Botanical Gardens, n.d.). By listening to a “plant teaching” from an audio device at one of the Cootes Paradise overlooks (see picture below of the lake from the water), I learned from an Elder how cattail starch flour was used to reduce bowel inflammation such as Crohn's disease (which one of my friends suffers from). It was a very soothing experience to learn about history while taking in the beautiful environment.

Only when considering this week’s assignment on the merit of maintaining historical integrity, I realised that the programming at Dundas Valley hardly includes any reference to this important part of the land’s history. Not only is there no dedicated Indigenous trail or trail signage, even the trail map brochure only includes a tiny line; “It is also thought that nomadic aboriginals used this route as part of their network of trails.” (Hamilton Conservation Authority, 2020). As you can see in the picture below, the brochure does include more information on settlers and post-slavery history, Hermitage ruins as well as the natural heritage. Similarly, the Wikipedia page on the conservation area describes the history of a sulphur springs hotel and the railway track, without any mention of the local Indigenous history (Wikipedia, 2021). Absolutely shocking!

As the quote in Chapter 7 of the coursebook (Beck et al., 2018) describes, if any parts of a place are scattered throughout time, it is imperative that the entirety of its history is kept alive in the memories of the audience, especially if it concerns such a troubled past as how Indigenous have been treated in colonial Canada. By brushing over in a single sentence how the area has been used by Indigenous peoples (even I know as an immigrant that the word aboriginal is no longer preferred), these survivors are withheld the opportunity to share their stories and therefore risk being forgotten (Hooykaas, 2022). It implies that the Indigenous history was not important in how Dundas Valley was used by humans whereas it was likely that these peoples created the trails before the settlers arrived. The lack of attention to this part of the cultural heritage indicates a privileged approach by the Hamilton Conservation Authority, which may then also be reflected in the interpretive programming at their other sites. These organizations should play a prominent role in educating the public about the history of the land it aims to protect for future generations of ALL Canadians.

Interpretive writing is goal-directed and should be intended to connect people with the past so that history can enrich and caution visitors (Beck et al., 2018). By involving members of the Indigenous community to develop culture-appropriate interpretive programming at Dundas Valley, whether it’s an Indigenous trail or a more inclusive brochure/website, an opportunity for reconciliation is created by which historical interpretation is done with integrity.

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

Hamilton Conservation Authority. (2020). Dundas Valley Trail Map. https://conservationhamilton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Dundas-Valley-Brochure-2020-for-web.pdf

Hooykaas, A. (2022). ENVS*3000 Nature Interpretation course manual. University of Guelph.

Royal Botanical Gardens. (n.d.). Indigenous trail. https://www.rbg.ca/gardens-trails/by-attraction/trails/indigenous-trail/

Wikipedia. (2021, January 16). Dundas Valley Conservation Area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dundas_Valley_Conservation_Area

asenvs3000w22

Hey Fleur!

That was a great post! I totally agree with the point you made regarding the fact that members of the Indigenous community should be involved in the development of culture-appropriate interpretive programming at Dundas Valley. I think this is true of most national and provincial parks as well. By not touching on the history of indigenous peoples, these parks are showing a lack of integrity as described in the quote by Hyams. It is also a missed oppurtunity for visitors who would gain a better understanding of a place like Dundas Valley and its tangible elements, through the intangible elements of love, fear, and strength that would be shown in the history and stories of indigenous peoples.

This has been done in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a national park in Michigan. First of all, the name of the park comes from the Anishinaabek story of Sleeping Bear, in which a mother waits for her cubs by the shores of Lake Michigan. This area is rich in history, with artifacts dating back to the Archaic period, from 8,000 to 600 B.C. Today, the park works with Anishinaabek partners to expand the storytelling about the area’s landscape and the people who once lived there. Visitors of the park can explore these stories and more through the park’s programming. More of this needs to be done here in Canada.

Nature Interpretation through History

“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 me, Hyams' quote speaks of the importance of interpretation in keeping the merit of ancient things or history as a whole alive. In essence, he is saying that ancient artefacts and places on their own hold no unusual merit, but it is the interpretation of these things that holds true merit. His railway station analogy also reiterates the importance of acknowledging the whole of history and not just the small part that we encompass.

Over the decades, and even centuries we have developed various tools and techniques for interpreting histroy. For example, chronological thinking is at the heart of historical interpretation. This type of thinking has allowed for the interpretation of data presented in timelines, in order to create new timelines that allow us to explain historical continuity and change. Archaeologists use tangible elements of a place (natural surroudning, artefacts) to advance the intangible meanings associate them. This association between intangible and tangible things can allow for the full spirit of a place, event, or object to emerge (Beck et al. 2019). This is because many of the intangibles reflect on feelings that everyone can relate to (suffering, triumph, love, generosity) these may be referred to as universal concepts" (Beck et al., 2019).

In terms of this relating to nature interpretation, I think that nature interpreters such as those that work in national parks can further use these universal concepts to explain the Genius Loci of a place to visitors (Beck et al., 2019). However, as I have mentioned in previous posts, this will require the acknowledgment of indigenous peoples and the fact that many national parks and sites were once home to indigenous peoples. Inviting indigenous people back into these spaces and allowing them to share their stories of love, suffering and triumph will make the distinctive nature (genius) of these locations (loci) all the more apparent.

Reference:

jmenvs3000w22

Week 5!

This week, I wanted to start a discussion on the communication of information and how it is interpreted.

In Washington’s “For the love of birds podcast”, he explained the uniqueness and power of birds through their evolutionary paths as well as their ecosystem services and anthropogenic benefit. Yet he tailored this to his audience and explained the topic without a load of scientific jargon; this can help the public understand scientific information in a way that makes sense. And that is the ultimate reward right there: to convey important information from the scientific world, translate it and communicate it so everyone can understand, and so ultimately everyone can make a difference!

A risk of this however is misinformation.

At one point in the TedTalk, Washington said that certain countries in Africa hosted the highest numbers of species diversity. While this can be true, diversity is such a vague term that is tossed around in our society, and people really don’t know what that means. In conservation biology (and a class I am taking right now), we are learning that there are so many meticulous definitions of diversity: alpha, beta, gamma, structural, functional and so on. Numbers of species refer to alpha diversity, but people don’t know this and therefore they can interpret the information they receive very differently! So what is the balance? Should we bother with the picky terminology with our audience or not? As important as it is to know the differences between all these forms of diversity, I think what is more important is the message and getting your audience to care.

Scientists conducting research and publishing articles of their important findings are great; but the accessibility, both of the paper and the writing itself, are scarce. It is sad that the scientific language is closed off to the rest of society; but a lot of papers are only accessible through whatever institution your associated with, and even so once you try to read these papers, they’re near impossible to understand unless you have years of education trying to understand them (what I have been doing the past 3 years). And that closes a lot of doors to people, and these important things will ultimately be lost, and what’s the point of that then?

We know that change lies in the hands of policy, but politicians are far from being scientists. So if not policy makers, it’s up to civilian action and the good old case of supply and demand. If people want something and believe in it and make choices to buy something for a cause, that will increase demand, and therein lies the change. But if we don’t communicate, and the scientists of the world keep to themselves in their science bubble, nothing really is going to change.

What are solutions to this issue?

fdenvs3000w22

Hi Jill,

I am so glad that you brought this discussion topic up this week. Great post! As a biological science student, I can understand the frustration behind reading scientific articles that address the most crucial environmental issues worldwide but using scientific jargon that the general public cannot understand. And most importantly, they wouldn’t even be permitted to view most of these articles without an academic institution account, as you mentioned. Sometimes I feel so privileged to have free access to these articles, but honestly, it’s always just for the sake of completing assignments, and I would never want to go and read more unless I was a scientist myself. I remember the first time I had to read a scientific article. I was so overwhelmed that I almost felt like it wasn’t written in English because I had such a hard time breaking down the information and making sense of it. Although, I would not have been aware of what needs to be worked on in our environment if it wasn’t for the courses that I took in my program.

I absolutely agree with your point that the change lies in the hands of policymakers, but politicians are far from being scientists, so then we’re left with civilian actions. At the same time, individuals in today’s society have been convinced that they can solve major societal problems such as global warming by making small changes in their lives. However, while individual responsibility may be necessary, individual actions on their own are futile. Achieving zero emissions or reducing fuel consumption requires a structural shift by an established industrial revolution, making global warming a problem that only governments can fix, not individuals. The climate crisis requires actions taken by the political institutions in implementing sufficient fair share, net-zero, climate finance, land use, and forestry policies.

The only solution that I can think of to prevent this science bubble is the One Health approach which consists of 3 components: Healthy people, healthy animals and a healthy environment. This approach supports beneficial global security by improving communication, coordination and collaboration between individuals of different fields and departments in our shared environments. Similarly, in nature interpretation, I firmly believe that it is based on science, and thereby, science is the key to nature. I have always been passionate about 3D art installations in public that raise awareness regarding a particular environmental issue. Environmental artists and nature interpreters can collaborate to create artworks for an ecological cause that bring people together and enhance their respect and relationship with the natural world around them. These installations don’t require excessive scientific knowledge but would only be designed to familiarize the public with what needs to be worked on so everyone can play their role.

I wanted to share this example of an art installation that I saw a few semesters back at the University Centre regarding the plastic pollution issue! The UC is the one place where students and faculty from all programs are together and visit at least once a week, allowing everyone to become a part of this awareness.

Thank you for sharing! i look forward to reading your next post:)

Farheen D.

asenvs3000w22

Hey Jill!

Your post is really intriguing and highly relevant to current times. The misrepresentation of scientific information, has been used throughout this pandemic to tout “cures” for covid-19 or misinformation relating to vaccines.

As you mentioned, this problem is two fold. In an effort to disseminate scientific information to the massess, in a matter that is easy to understand, scientists may dumb down certain pieces of information which has the potential to result in misinformation. On the other hand, people without the adequate educational background required to analyse scientific papers may pick and choose certain pieces of information they find and tout that as “fact” due to a lack of understanding of the paper as a whole. I don’t know if there really is a “solution” to this. However, I think that the general public as well as students (us) need to be taught how to critically evaluate scientific papers or any sort of information that is presented in a scientific capacity. This doesn’t mean having an overwhelming amount of skepticism, but there are certain things to look out for in studies or articles that can help people evaluate its validity. For example, yu can do simple things like asking yourself “is this sample size big enough?”, “are there any limitations to this study?”, and “do these limitations discount the study as a whole?”.

To communicate difficult scientific concepts to the general public in a more effective manner, scientists can team up with writers or journalists to write or create videos for the massess. These can then be verified or “peer-reviewed” like a paper would be in a journal. Scientists can also cater the way they present information based on their target audience and their level of education, since using a blanket approach to communicate information, often isolates certain groups of people.

cjenvs3000w22

What I've been thinking about - Growing up

When I saw this week’s blog didn’t have a prompt, my first instinct was to text my roommate to complain about it; “how am I supposed to know what to write about if there is no guidance!?” But before I hit send, I realized that’s what I will write about this week - Growing up and the absence of guidance as we enter adulthood.

People say that moving away for university is when you are truly on your own for the first time; you don’t live with your parents (finally haha), you are in charge of your own meals and health, your school work is all on you because no one is nagging you to do it all the time, and frankly if you don’t no one is checking up on you to see why you didn’t submit an assignment on time. As a third year student, I have lived away from home for the majority of the last 3 years, and it definitely has its pros and cons. Pro number one, I have my own room while I’m in Guelph and don’t have anyone telling me that I need to go to bed (I share a room with my sister at home and this is a regular occurrence). Con number one on the other hand, I miss home cooked meals. My specialties in the kitchen include grilled cheese and peanut butter toast, that’s about it! Being an adult on my own now though, it is important that I am fueling my body with good nutrients to keep my brain sharp in school and my body healthy to fight off unwanted…viruses, for example…, but as a person who is a picky eater, I don’t eat as many vegetables as I probably should, which my mom would tell me all the time if I were home.

Moving away from my horrendous eating habits, another thing that has been on my mind related to growing up is stress. With midterms coming up and graduation starting to come into view, I have found myself in a constant state of stress. I am fortunate though to have roommates that can help me through the dark when I see no light, and my mom just a FaceTime call away when I need her. Not everyone is this fortunate and have to work through the dark times on their own. If I ever feel like I am going through something alone, or am simply not ready to talk about it out loud yet, here are a some ways I get through it:

Going for a walk - this is a great way to free my mind and get myself out of my room. Oxygen is also great for your brain after a long “grind session” during midterm season

Cry - although it sounds counterintuitive, I find putting on a sad movie and crying everything out can be a good release, maybe not the most healthy way to deal with it, but it works for me

Take a shower - I know personally when I get in a depressive mood, I tend to stay in bed for as long as days at a time, so jumping in the shower just to rejuvenate myself and cleanse not only my body, but my mind is a way out of the dark

Music - sometimes the most simple things can cheer you up, so for me it is music; whether it is listening to my vinyls, or pulling my guitar out, music is something that has always spoken to me in a way that nothing or no one else ever could.

Reading/self care - I have one spot in my room dedicated to reading, it’s just cozy and warm and a great place to get lost in a good book. Self-care, in any form, is important for your mental health. This can include any of the above listed things, as well as doing your skincare routine, doing your makeup/hair, or even just getting dressed and out of your pjs can be positive actions taken to improve your days

Left: my vinyl set up, with some of my favourites from my collection on display; Right: my cozy reading nook

When it comes to stress and anxiety, I am no expert, but part of growing up is being able to work through the hard times on your own. This post kind of got a little out of control, but I’ll end by saying, once we are on our own, every decision we make (or don’t make) without guidance from parents or teachers or friends has set us on the path we’re on now, and although the journey may be hard, the final destination will be worth it.

This magazine-book type thing helped me through a lot, great tips and tricks for improving mental health inside

Cheers!

ssenvs3000w22

Hey Chloe!

Thanks for sharing :) I really enjoyed reading your post this week, it was very real and honest. I feel like adulthood can at times be glamourized but in reality, it is terrifying. Everything is up to you, and although this is part of growing up and becoming independent, a lot of stress comes along with it.

I am now in my fourth year and have lived away from home for all but 1 year (stupid covid) of that time. I can definitely relate to being grateful for a support system. Tough times are always made easier with support. Further, what helps me stay out of low moods is keeping busy. Having friends to do activities with keeps my mood high. I play a number of sports, one of which being ringette (it’s kind of like hockey but with more rules) and when covid first hit, that was taken away from me. Now, being back in Guelph and able to participate in sports, my well being has been much more consistent and happy. Im not sure where I’d be today without my friends or teammates.

Walks have become a part of my daily routine, it is so important to take study breaks throughout the day, and what better way to do that then put on some good tunes or a podcast and go explore nature! I have made a habit out of getting completely lost in preservation park (I am very directionally challenged).

I love your little reading nook in your room, it looks super cozy! What are some of your favourite books/music?

~ Sara

asenvs3000w22

Hey Chloe!

I really enjoyed reading your post and found it quite relatable! The thought of growing up and reaching “adulthood” really has hit me in the past few months, as I come closer to graduating. Applying to what seems like every post-grad program in the province, has been my way of coping with this, because truly I dont know what I’m doing with my life and throwing myself into another program seems like the best idea. You mentioned using music as a coping mechanism, and I can totally relate to that as well. What type of music are you into? what usually calms you in times of stress? (by the way I love your vinyl setup).

You mentioned crying as one of your coping mechanisms and said that it was counterintuitive. However, I think that crying is actually very intuitive and healthy. Sometimes crying can get rid of all that pent up stress and grief that you’re holding within you. I myself enjoy a good cry every now and then, usually listening to sad music does it for me. Have you heard of laughter therapy? Instead of that I think cry therapy should be practiced. That might be a real thing but I’m not sure...

Since this course is about nature interpretation, do you think nature is a stress reliever for you? I find that taking walks or hikes and just observing the natural environment around me, has the effect of taking myself out of my own head and helps me focus on things outside of myself. Its a very grounding experience and makes you realize how small some of your problems may be, in light of the grand scheme of things. Do you feel the same?

The Dark History of National Parks In Canada

Hello everyone!

Today I’ve decided to look into the history of national parks in Canada. Nowadays, national parks are seen as a positive thing due to their role in helping preserve wildlife and the natural environment. However, the obvious benefits of national parks are marred by its dark past.

Highlands national park on Cape Breton Island, 1947. Toronto Star —Getty Images

In 1885, the federal government set aside an area of about 26 km2 in Alberta, for public use (Finkelstein, 2015). This area was the beginning of what is now known as Banff National Park and was the start of the Canadian National Parks System (Finkelstein, 2015). Before the arrival of colonists, the first nations peoples had been using the hot springs in that area (Finkelstein, 2015). However, this would come to an end with the creation of Banff, as all indigenous people were banned from national parks. Park authorities viewed them as “stragglers” that were best suited to be confined to neighbouring reserves in the area (Hamilton, 2017).

Chiefs on horseback at Indian Grounds, Banff Indian Days. 1950. - RMOtoday.com

As more areas of land were “set aside” by the federal government, and granted the status of “national park”, more indigenous peoples would lose their homes or areas they had frequented before (Hamilton, 2017). In 1936, members of the Keeseekoowenin Ojibwe band, were banished from the inhabiting the area of Riding Mountain National Park , and as they left park wardens set fire to their homes (Finkelstein, 2015). These aren’t isolated incidents and similar things have occurred even after the establishment of provincial parks (Finkelstein, 2015).

It is important that we acknowledge this history and ensure that moving forward, we give back to the first nations peoples by integrating them into these national parks and conservation efforts in a manner that is not exploitative. Parks Canada does now have agreements with Indigenous peoples in the management of most national parks, however I think even more can be done.

Parks Canada tourism agreement with Indigenous Peoples - ITAC.ca

Park rangers and those responsible for the management of parks can make a conscious effort to reintegrate into those lands, with their rights recognized, and give them the ability to provide input into how these areas can be protected and managed. This will create employment opportunities and it will be an educational experience for those visiting the parks.

Image from: https://www.npca.org/

This is already happening on a small scale in the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, where Parks Canada are working with the Coast Salish peoples to create “clam gardens” by re-introducing the traditional practice of building rock walls at the low tide mark to trap sand and clams (Hamilton, 2017). However other things have been more difficult to implement. For example, one park adopted the Indigenous practice of a controlled burn, which was aimed at regenerating species of medicinal plants (Hamilton, 2017). However, a few nearby residents complained about the smoke and the fact that it impacted their view (Hamilton, 2017).

Building a Clam garden wall at Russell Island in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. National Post - Parks Canada

As interpreters of nature and people who may have a future working in the field of conservation and park management, we need to know this history and be able to recognize that there is an innate privilege in being able to visit national parks.

References:

Finkelstein, M. (2015). Riding Mountain National Park. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/riding-mountain-national-park

Hamilton, G. (2017, August 25). The shady past of parks canada: Forced out, indigenous people are forging a comeback. nationalpost. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-shady-past-of-parks-canada-forced-out-indigenous-people-are-forging-a-comeback

ssenvs3000w22

Art and Nature

Welcome back to my blog! This week, we’re discussing how nature is interpreted through art and exploring what the gift of beauty means to me.

Art is in the eye of the beholder, much like nature, so although I may not be an artistic person the way of drawing or painting, I perform art, in a sense, each time I am out in nature and take the time to observe my surroundings. The textbook speaks of art in a literal sense. It talks of how storytelling can portray historical information about nature or how music can help listeners remember past experiences or share their own experiences with the audience. Although I may not actively perform art to an audience, art finds other ways to apply to me as it relates to nature interpretation. Beck (2018) states that “interpretation is an art, using artistic forms and methods while drawing on all of science” (p. 223). This quote relates to me because it illustrates that you do not need to create something physical to interpret nature through art. There are many ways that I interpret nature through art without even realizing it. Reading, watching a show, or listening to music are all forms of art from which you can interpret nature. Getting lost in a story where a character is wandering through the woods allows you to enter that world and experience, second hand, what the character is experiencing. Art and nature share a few commonalities in how they are interpreted; both are subjective. No two people will have the same thoughts when looking at the same thing, be that a mountainscape or renaissance architecture. This is because their own experiences and thoughts dictate how they interpret what they see. Using art to enhance people’s experience and understanding of nature is impactful because art exists in so many forms and reaches people in various ways. Although I may not physically create art, I interpret nature through art regularly which increases my appreciation for nature. The gift of beauty is felt differently from person to person. I interpret and experience the gift of beauty every time I am out in nature. Seeing how an ecosystem functions, with its many interconnections and processes, shows me the value of preserving it to uphold its function. I am happiest in nature, and because of this, it encourages me to preserve it so that I and others can continue to enjoy its beauty into the future. The feelings that people experience when in nature motivate them to explore further and see the value in preservation. Therefore, the gift of beauty provides people with a reason to preserve nature. Overall, I would say that the main way that I interpret nature from art and experience its gift of beauty is through seeing plants and the other parts of nature as art itself. However, to better match the definition of art, I would say that I primarily experience the gift of beauty through reading and vicariously living through the stories that people tell. One can argue that nature is art, and if millions of dollars go into preserving historical artwork, why shouldn’t the same (or way more) effort go into preserving the art that is alive?

asenvs3000w22

Hey Sara!

I enjoyed reading your post. I liked the point you made that we interpret nature through art without even realizing it. You mentioned reading, watching a show or listening to music as art forms through which we can interpret nature. I never really considered that, but it makes sense that we interpret art through these various mediums. I remember watching the Lord of the Rings films as a child and being amazed by the scenery and landscape as it was filmed in New Zealand. I’ve wanted to visit New Zealand ever since, because I was inadvertently interpreting and appreciating nature through this art form (a movie). What tv show, movie, piece of music, book or any other art form in particular brought you closer to nature and gave you the “gift of beauty” through interpretation?

I loved the point you made about preserving nature due to the gift of beauty. You also reiterated this point later on when you equated nature with art and called for its preservation. I totally agree with this sentiment, because I feel like the reason some people aren’t really that connected to the issue of climate change and other issues related to the environment, is because they don't find any value in preserving nature. Some people are just so disconnected from their surroundings and the natural environment, that they dont realise the implications of not preserving what we have. Interpreters of nature have an important task in promoting an appreciation of nature through various forms of media, art and tangible experiences. A great example of an individual who does this is David Attenborough, an English broadcaster who has made countless documentaries capturing the beauty and even horrors of nature. Through his documentary series Planet Earth, he’s given many individuals a new appreciation for nature. If you love nature and haven’t watched it already, I would recommended that you watch this series, I think its on netflix and perhaps even youtube.

~ Aasna

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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

asenvs3000w22

Hey Nicole!

I really enjoyed reading your post. I can totally relate to you feeling worried when you first read the prompt for this blog. I felt a similar thing and was in fact a little taken aback by the question “who are you to interpret nature through art?”, however I soon realized that you don’t really have to be anyone in particular to interpret nature through art. People have been doing it for centuries and in various cultures by creating paintings, sculptures, and music that relates to nature. In native american culture, nature plays a central theme in their customs, beliefs and practices. Thus, the indigenous people have been interpreting nature for centuries through their art, music, stories and rituals.

Mother Earth by First Nations Ojibwe artist Jackie Traverse

Towards the end of your post you mentioned hating roadtrips as a child but now have learned to enjoy them as you appreciate the beauty of nature and your surroudings, as you drive through the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. I can relate to that as well, in the sense that only recently as I've aged have I begun to truly appreciate nature for what it is. Its like I've been granted the gift of beauty (as it relates to nature) only very recently. This happened to me during the pandemic when we had the time and were even encouraged to spend some time outdoors during lockdown. It was in nature that I found a sense of peace amongst all the chaos and uncertainty at the start of the pandemic. I hope it doesn’t take a pandemic for others to find this beauty in nature, and I encourage others to find their own ways to interpret nature if you can’t venture ouside too often. This can be through social media, blog posts (as we’re doing here) or videos.

The Beauty of Nature

The question "who are you to interpret nature through art?", is interesting because I don’t think anyone needs to be qualified or even have a certain set of skills in order to interpret nature through art. People have been interpreting nature through art for centuries, as nature has always been present in European art, American art, Korean art, or art from any other culture.

Towards the end of the 18th century in Europe, there was a movement known as Romanticism. Romanticism was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement, that had an emphasis on imagination and emotion. I'm bringing up the topic of romanticism because during this period, nature was often a theme present in romantic art. The work of artists during this time was based on either emphasizing the connection and sense of "oneness" that people had with nature or portraying the power and unpredictability of nature to evoke a feeling of awe mixed with terror.

From: eh-resources.com

This image is of one of the most famous paintings of the romantic period by Caspar David Friedrich called "Wanderer above a Sea of Fog". This is a perfect example of a painting that illustrates the sublime otherwise known as a feeling of awe mixed with terror. It also shows how grand and glorious nature can be with its vast stretches of land consisting of jagged mountain peaks and rolling hills.

From: CultureTrip.com

This image is of a painting created during the romantic era by John Constable, called "Dedham Vale". Constable drew inspiration directly from nature, rather than painting an idealized, emotional portrayal of it. Thus, he strived to paint the landscape or sky with the greatest accuracy and would often spend hours studying a single element, such as the clouds in the sky in order to accurately paint them.

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