Throughout this blog I will be discussing and developing my overall ethics within nature interpretation. I will connect my points with different sources and discussions that we have touched upon throughout this course as they intersect appropriately. I will discuss the beliefs I bring to nature interpretation, the responsibilities I have within this field, the approaches that are most suitable for me as an individual and how I would translate all of this through interpretation in order to have a successful and rewarding career in this field.
The first major belief I bring into my interpretation is the power of education within interpretation. Interpretation should be an entertaining and enjoyable experience that people choose to participate in. Most people are looking for a leisurely experience when they are signing up for interpretation, however the way their experience becomes meaningful and allows them to form a deeper connection to the nature they were inherently curious about is because nature interpreters are educators. Education as a baseline for interpretation and the benefit of this is discussed within chapter 4 of the course textbook. Visiting a natural environment can be a great experience for people, but when the audience gets to dive deep into the history of a natural location and be educated on it, this creates space for a much deeper and more meaningful connection to the location and the experience which they will walk away with (Beck et al., 2018). This meaningful experience through education also makes the audience more inclined to care for the environment more than they did previously, provoking them to feel responsible for the protection of these areas and the natural environment.
Another belief I bring to interpretation is the interconnectedness of all life, humans, wildlife, and nature. In week 7, the article “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music” resonated with these beliefs. This article gave a perfect representation of the interconnectedness of life. It represented music as universally experienced and enjoyed by describing the ways animals create music and humans create music, and the similarities between these processes (Gray et al., 2001). Plants and other environmental forces can also be included in this because of the sounds they make that resemble songs, like the rustling trees in the wind. I found this article beautiful, and viewed it as an example of the interconnectedness of life, the fact that humans, and animals of all forms, from all corners of the world are not as different as it might seem on the surface. The way that we all connect in our cultures, communication, pure amusement and connect emotionally to music shows how much more similar we are than different, and why it is so important to interpret and learn about the nature we share this earth with (Gray et al., 2001).
(Photo from: European Ranger Federation)
Now I will discuss the responsibilities I have and believe are part of my duty as an interpreter. The first responsibility I have is to understand the needs and learning levels of my target audience, specifically the age group of each audience. This is discussed throughout chapter 7 of the textbook titled “Serving Diverse Audience.” This chapter talks about the necessity of getting to know your audience as an interpreter, saying “to effectively serve and relate to audiences, you must know them (Beck et al., 2018).” Basing this on different audience age groups can provide a deeper connection between the audience and the interpreter, as well as the audience and the nature being interpreted. Doing research on how children learn, what their specific age groups have prior knowledge of in school and what keeps them engaged will elevate their interpretation experience exponentially. They will be more excited to participate and find passion in the information being taught, if the interpreter takes the time to make the information digestible, understandable and exciting. This can be said for teenagers, young adults versus older adults and elderly people. Tailoring an interpretation to your audience shows the care you have for the information you want to sharee, and your audience's experience.
(Photo from: European Ranger Federation)
(Photo from: Parenting Science)
The second responsibility I have is to respect the recreational benefits of interpretation. In chapter 3 of the textbook “Values to Individuals and Society,” the author discusses the importance of people's leisure time (Beck et al., 2018). This section mentions how people often do not want to spend their leisure time in a learning environment. This is why I feel it would be my responsibility as an interpreter to put the recreational and fun aspects of my interpretation as a priority. Making an interpretation educational, while still making it feel like a fun recreational experience is crucial because “pleasant experiences seem necessary to maintain a high quality of life (Beck et al., 2018).”
Another responsibility I feel is important and what I would bring to my interpretation would be to acknowledge my own experience and privilege as an educated white woman. I feel this is especially important when in a space where I would be interacting with people from all cultures, race, socioeconomic status and all different walks of life. An article that speaks to the importance of recognizing privilege is titled “Helping teachers unpack their invisible knapsacks” by Gallavan, 2005. Chapter 7 in the textbook that I mentioned previously also speaks to this when it discusses the importance of including and reaching diverse audiences from all backgrounds, as well as the importance of including people who are disabled. By unpacking my own privilege, I become a more self aware individual. This improves my ability to advocate for marginalized individuals and communities, which is essential when given a platform where people listen to your voice that reaches so many people with so much range in privilege.
Finally, I will discuss what approaches within interpretation would be most suitable to me as an individual. Chapter 6 of the course textbook outlines the different ways people learn and how they are all valuable in their own right. The 3 main learning types that are discussed within this section are cognitive domain learners, affective domain learners, and kinesthetic domain learners (Beck et al., 2018). Personally, I reside in the affective domain through what I prioritize in my learning and how I learn best, meaning this is the domain that would be the strongest within my interpretations. Effective learners prioritize the attitude and feeling that comes through learning (Beck et al., 2018). To learn is to provoke meaning and connection. I would bring this to my interpretations by putting strong emphasis on the feeling my interpretations bring to the audience, I want them to feel excited about what I am teaching them, to be engaged in the material and to feel like they are having fun and getting a meaningful experience out of their time rather than enduring a time of ingesting facts that they do not connect to and cannot understand. In order to optimize my interpreting career and make my work as accessible to as many people as possible, I would choose to do in person interpretations at specific nature sites that I am passionate about, talking about issues that I am passionate about as well. I would like to lead interpretive walks through these areas, giving the audience a chance to explore the area first hand, interacting physically while learning audibly. I would also like to make my interpretations available online, through a website, or even a youtube channel posting videos of my walks. This way, people who cannot afford to participate in interpretive experiences, or people who are not located near my in person interpretations can learn about the areas I interpret and can get as close to the in person experience as possible.