Nature Interpretation Blog

Brooke Barich - ENVS3000 W22

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#10 Final blog post

I have been trying to figure out how I can translate my own insights, personality, ethics, etc. to a larger audience. I never thought taking this course would allow me to advance and evolve my nature interpretation so greatly. It has pushed me to change my perspective on life and encouraged me to make my new nature interpretation habits a lifestyle. Connecting and interpreting with nature is calming, eye opening, creative, and motivates me to see the world through a different lens. 

Throughout this semester, I have learned so much and really got to understand my peers’ insights about nature interpretation. Having a weekly blog post assignment has not been something I have never experienced in other classes and I really enjoyed it. I think it is such a good idea to help students interact as well as get into nature interpretation in a fun and creative way! An important thing I have learned while reading blog posts the last couple weeks is that everyone’s interpretation of nature is so different and unique. Although I only interacted with a few posts, I did read many along the way. An element of individualism influences interpretations as everyone’s surroundings and ideas are different. 

I have always been fascinated by our world and how it connects within itself. It wasn’t until the last two years that I have really connected with nature and found peace within it. I appreciate the physical world collectively and all it has to offer. Animals, plants, the landscape and several other products and features of the earth are all incredible beauties of nature that human creations cannot compare to. I love visiting new places and exploring with my friends whenever I get the chance to.

To me, personal ethics are the moral principles that influence a person’s behaviour and which that person identifies with in respect to people and situations that they deal with day to day. This gives people the opportunity to internalize what is wrong and right based on personal understanding. To describe my personal ethics is difficult as there are so many factors and years that have influenced my ethics and made me who I am today. One thing I know has impacted my personal ethics the most is my family. I have grown up with 3 siblings all very close in age and two amazing parents. My nana has lived with me all my life which has also had a great impact on my life and how I interpret the world. Everyday I experience new situations and experiences that contribute to my personal ethics.

I bring many beliefs as a nature interpreter. I believe that the relationship people make with nature is so important. This is the foundation of all unique thoughts and feelings towards nature. I believe that connecting with nature has many physical and emotional benefits. Emotionally, nature reduces anger, anxiety and stress. Physically, it reduces blood pressure, heart rate and the tension of your muscles. It allows for less production of stress hormones. As a stressful person, this interested me as I found that I could possibly heal my mental health issues with nature. 

My responsibility/role as an interpreter is to always live in the moment and appreciate the natural world around me. I try and will continue to try influencing as many people around me to sense and take in the endless beauty around us. Nature is so important to me and I believe everyone needs to take time to interact with it as much as they can. Taking this course has encouraged me to learn more about nature interpretation and to continue doing more everyday to interact with it. 

The approaches most suitable for me as an individual would be to participate in activities that conserve the planet. I am very passionate about conserving the planet. It saddens me to know that so many negative circumstances are occurring within nature and our planet. Spreading awareness about what is going on in the world and being an activist is the best way that I personally can project my responsibilities as a nature interpreter. 

In this class we blogged about the role of an environmental interpreter, how privilege is played in nature interpretation, nature through art, music in nature and nature in music. All these topics helped me to understand more about who I am as a nature interpreter and all the factors that contribute to it. I feel so lucky to have been a part of this class and advance my understanding so much as a nature interpreter. Reading all my peers’ blog posts allowed me to understand nature through another set of eyes. 

Thank you everyone for sharing all your thoughts and insights throughout the course!

Lauren

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hey Lauren! Awesome last post, it was a pleasure reading it!

I too never really thought how much would I gain out of this course. I came into thinking I would learn how to guide someone through a park, it was so much more than that. I think I definitely learned a lot about how to effectively communicate scientific subjects to all ages. That was always something I have wanted to improve on when I would be talking to family members, I never could communicate what I learned properly enough for them to be as excited or interested in the topic as I was.

I can also relate to your beliefs. Connecting more with nature, especially over the pandemic, such as simply just taking my dogs for a walk in the forest has allowed me to really appreciate all that nature has to offer me. The relief it has given has motivated me to protect it even more. Nature makes deliberate decisions to sustain us by proving food for us to eat, lumber for our homes, and water for us to drink. Therefore, we must also make intentional actions and decisions to sustain it. In addition, we must remember that the natural world will go on without us, but we cannot go on without it.

I really enjoyed your post and can relate to all of your responsibilities and ethics, it’s refreshing to see others in this class think so alike. It gives me a little hope for the future with everyone’s blogs and passions.

Cheers,

Brooke

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What I’ve learned – Last Discussion Post

I enrolled in nature interpretation because I am a nature lover and am frequently outdoors, so the course description aligned with my interests. Also, ENVS 3000 counted as a restricted elective for my program, environmental science. I wasn’t sure what to expect regarding the materials we would be covering and the related assignments; I assumed it would consist of many readings, but other than that, I had no expectations. I learned a lot of new and interesting things about nature and myself. Each unit brought a new way to look at nature, which further enhanced my admiration and knowledge surrounding the outdoors. Because so many different topics have been covered over the last few months, I have decided that the best way to share my takeaways from the course would be to review each unit individually. This way, I can cover everything that I got out of each subject covered and do so in an organized way that should avoid any overlap or confusion. Unit 1 Unit one gave me my first introduction to nature interpretation as a discipline. Before, when I thought of nature interpretation, I just assumed it was something that everyone subconsciously did when outdoors; I now know there is much more to nature interpretation than that. I never before made the connection between education and interpretation, now two things I group together. Unit one explained what nature interpretation is, and what came as a surprise to me is how broad this discipline is. This point became increasingly evident throughout the course as we looked at nature interpretation and how it relates to many different topics, like music, history, and art. Unit 2 Unit 2 taught me about the different types of learners that exist. I discovered that I was 50% tactile learner, 30% auditory learner, and 20% visual learner. This did not come as a surprise to me. Growing up (and still today), I was very active and had high energy, and I always had to be doing something. I would skip the instructions and dive right in anything that required instructions—always learning by doing. Knowing the type of learner that I am is very useful. I can adjust my study strategies and learning environments to make them more conducive to focusing and absorbing information. Education is linked with nature interpretation, and as an interpreter, it is imperative to recognize and connect with people of all different learning styles. For example, it is important to be able to explain something visually equally well as provide a demonstration of what you just described. In chapter 5 of “Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For A Better World” Beck et al. (2018) explain that the primary job of an interpreter is to help people comprehend the world around them, cultures that exist(ed) alongside their own, and how their existence can influence how humans live in this world. This passage highlights the importance t=of an interpreter being able to communicate effectively with their audience. When it comes to my morals associated with nature, I hold the environment and wildlife in very high regard and do my best to make my lifestyle choices have as small an impact on the environment as possible. Something that has come up a few times throughout this course is environmental stewardship, a very important role today. Unit 3 Chapter 7 of “Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For A Better World”, Beck et al. (2018) go into detail about the many ways nature can be made more accessible to people. Something from this chapter that stood out to me was a review done by Pease (2015) on interpretation and underserved audiences. The review highlighted barriers faced by individuals which discouraged park visitation, such as:

- Economic barriers - Cultural barriers - Communication barriers - Lack of knowledge - Fear

Unit 3 also touched on privilege and access to outdoor recreation. My privilege can be demonstrated in my surprise to learn of the prevalence of all of these barriers. I was surprised to learn of this since these are barriers that I never had to face. All people should have equal and easy access to nature, and as I discussed in my unit 3 blog post, lots can be done to change this.

Over reading week, I was fortunate to go skiing out west with my family. This class has made me even more aware of my privilege and I was very grateful to have this opportunity. Unit 4 Unit 4 focused on risks associated with nature. My biggest takeaway from this unit is the importance of planning ahead. So many problems can be avoided by proper planning and preparation. Unit 4 mentions that accidents that happen outdoors are usually caused by a chain of decisions and events, all building up to one significant fallout. I would consider myself a risk-averse person; I plan for things and rarely leave something to the last minute, especially when it concerns a situation with big consequences. Unit 5 I see nature through a scientific lens because of my academic background in environmental science. Wals et al. (2014) talk about the importance of allowing people to develop their own ability to think critically, creatively, and ethically when evaluating environmental situations, make sound decisions pertaining to those situations, and build the capacity and commitment to act individually and collectively for environmental sustainability (source). This point speaks to the importance and prevalence of science in nature interpretation, specifically, valuing ecosystems to ensure they function well.

Here’s a picture of a twig I took as part of a tree-identification project. This demonstrates how education is often combined with nature interpretation.

Unit 6 The primary takeaway from unit 6 was how much value there is in history. As covered in unit 6’s blog post, all of our knowledge today stems from the past. Therefore, to better understand where we came from and how we evolved, the interpretation of ancient things is crucial.

Unit 7 Every nature interpreter is unique. Their interpretation style is influenced by their upbringing, surroundings, and more. Music provides a platform to express people’s ideas through art. A lot of music draws inspiration from nature in sounds, motifs, and lyrics. However, there is also music made by nature. This is in the form of wind, rain, animals and more. Something I learned from this unit is just how closely the two subjects, nature and music, where and how music is a great way to experience nature. Unit 8 My main takeaway from unit 8 is that both pros and cons come along with the advancement of technology as it relates to nature interpretation. Technology can be advantageous because it allows people to enhance their exposure to nature through music, podcasts, etc. However, it also creates a disconnect between society and the natural world. Before technology, kids would resort to the outdoors for entertainment. This time spent outdoors had health benefits (exercise, creativity, social…). Today, it is easier to turn on the tv or scroll through social media with technology. The lesser time people spend outside, the bigger the gap between nature and society becomes. And this can lead to people undervaluing nature. Unit 9 Something that I still wonder is how much other people value nature. It would be inaccurate to assume that everyone feels the same way as I do because people have opinions of their own that extrinsic factors have shaped. However, I can use tactics learned in this course to promote nature appreciation to encourage people’s appreciation for the outdoors.

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). In Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For A Better World. Sagamore Venture.

Pease,  J.  L.  (2015).  Parks  and  underserved  audiences:  An  annotated  literature  review.  Journal of Interpretation Research, 20(1),11–56.

Wals, A. E., Brody, M., Dillon, J., & Stevenson, R. B. (2014). Convergence between science and environmental education. Science, 344(6184), 583-584.

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi Sara! Excellent post it was a pleasure to read your last one!

I really enjoyed how you laid out your post reflecting on each unit throughout the semester. I also enrolled in this course because of my passion for the outdoors and protecting it such the course outline aligned with my values and interests.

Unit one also gave me a lot of insight into what nature interpreters do, I came into this course really only thinking that they just did guided tours, but it is so much more than that. We learned that they are the voices for the individuals without a voice. You and I probably already have an admiration for the environment and animals along with all they do, but we learn that not everyone might and through nature interpretation we can display and show how wonderful the natural world is. In unit 5 we touched on nature interpretation through a scientific lens, and I think this is critically important to us. As we continue our education in the natural sciences we need to reflect on that not everyone will have the same background and knowledge as us. In order to engage our audiences we must be able to convey interesting science in a digestible manner so they do not feel overwhelmed but yet enjoy it.

Again, amazing post and reflection on each unit!

Cheers!

[bbenvs3000w22]

Cheers to nature interpretation

I truly cannot believe I am writing my last blog post. I’ll admit these were pretty hard to write at first and I still do struggle as I try to make them meaningful or have some sort of impact. Yet, it has been a pleasure reading other folks’ posts and engaging with content I enjoy. Similar to how it feels like I can still recall my first camping trip, it feels as though I was just writing about it in my first post. In addition, reflecting on this course, I have gained so much knowledge on nature interpretation, previously I just thought of it as someone guiding another through a park, but it is so much more than that. “Interpretation is diverse and complex. It can occur in different venues from arboretums to zoos” (Beck et al. 2018). Nature interpretation is the gift of learning something beautiful in nature and being able to relay that information to others in a meaningful way.

Ultimately the learning outcome for me personally is to gain environmental interpretation skills in order to advocate for sustainability practices in the public and private sectors. It is one thing to have a passion for a subject but it is a whole other skill set to take what we are so inspired about, synthesize it, and then educate others to develop the same enthusiasm we have.

I am sure all of us can reflect and remember to any point in our education here at Guelph, where we had a professor who was clearly well educated in a particular topic. Yet regardless of their qualifications, communicating their knowledge and making it consumable for the students and audience was lacking, thus you either remembered nothing or had a hard time grasping the subject.

That is something I would want to avoid when it comes to nature interpretation. Especially as I continue my education in science, I think it is important to remember how lucky I am to have access to this knowledge. Not everyone we will come across in nature interpretation presentations will have the same knowledge, therefore making material accessible and digestible for everyone while still maintaining a certain lesson or theme is a difficult and seasoned task.

These are skills that we have now learn and can also apply to not just nature interpretation but communicating in general, whether its in an interview and you are trying to sell yourself as an applicant or explaining to your grandparents that climate change is real, communicating will be a skillset that will extend past whatever we wish to do with nature interpretation.

That brings me to my next issue, ethics. Assuming we are all very environmentally friendly or strive our best to be we run into moral conflicts all the time. For instance, this summer I have been on the job hunt for placement in some sort of environmental capacity. Yet, I have been at a crossroads with accepting a job that pays very well but is in the natural gasoline sector. As we progress through our careers we will probably run into more of these issues as nature interpreters and related jobs tend to pay less while we might have access to more money in jobs that harm the environment. I cannot remember what chapter, but the textbook mentions how most interpreter positions were volunteer or low paying jobs, and it was their passion for environmental activism that allowed these people to pursue it (Beck et al. 2018). Here I hope that my passion for climate change advocacy and the environment can sustain me in a career where I can be proud of my job and live relatively comfortably.

Since this is my last post and we will not have a post for next week I wanted to share some job opportunities that encompass the learning outcomes of this course. If it inspired you as much as it inspired me, Ontario Parks is hiring folks like us for their Discovery team! What is that you ask? Nature interpreters! They hire over 300 staff members across Ontario to aid in engaging park visitors with the stories and heritage of the land. Live near an Ontario park? Check out their job listing: https://www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/apply-discovery-program/

Now thinking of what approaches and practices are most suitable for me, I actually first read the prompt as “sustainable for me”, which is also related to what is truly suitable for me.

As a person who sort of struggled through elementary school with paying attention or just simply learning different topics, I would stress the inclusivity of different approaches. Immersing oneself into nature can be a daunting task if one has no previous experience or knowledge. Therefore perhaps an online version of some sort may aid them in slowly becoming comfortable with it. In addition, when also reflecting on our podcast, my group and I really wanted to include as many sounds as we could to help engage the listeners and give them a taste of nature in hopes that it would help inspire them to protect the animals they were listening to. Lastly in the podcast, we wanted to include humour and have it be entertaining throughout. Learning and being lectured on a topic, especially if one is not previously interested in it can cause listeners to not be engaged, yet humour has a way of pulling the audience in. Doomsday approaches to climate change can push skeptics away further and lighting up a topic will be appreciated by the audience and allow them to feel more comfortable.

In the end, I am excited to see where the future of nature interpretation goes. I believe there are many more avenues one can take than simply being a park ranger and it will be interesting to see where it can be implemented. Cheers for now.

- Brooke

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Nature and its Amazing Fungi

Okay, so this week’s post is about what I find most amazing about nature. That’s a difficult one because there are so many amazing choices to choose from! Nature is amazing in so many ways such as how species communicate through song, colors and movements. It is amazing through its ability to combat human alterations to the planet and its ability to create spaces where life flourishes at every level but also for its ability to cause catastrophic disasters in seconds. We are truly at the will of nature, no matter how hard we try to tame it we will never have control over this planet. This week I watched a documentary called “Fantastic Fungi” and I found it a bit mind-boggling, so I want to talk about the amazing world of fungi this week! 

Fungi is incredible, it is both born in death and the begining of new life! It turns old life into new materials for other life to use as a source of food and nutrients. Fungi has an extensive amount of uses such as creating food and drinks we love such as bread and wine, it is nature’s recycler of organic material, it has antibiotic properties that we use to produce life saving drugs, it can provide mental health benefits and is also utilized by the forest for communication among plant species! 

One cool fact about fungi that I love is that plants use fungi to communicate with one another! Mycorrhizal fungi act like the telephone networks of the forest, hidden from the human eye but bursting with life and activity below the soil. When neighboring plants are linked through mycorrhizal fungi networks they can communicate with each other and ignite behavioral changes such as nutrient transfers from healthy plants to weaker ones, increase the rate of photosynthesis, increased carbon transfer, it can prompt defense responses in plants against pathogens and pests, and can improve plant survival under environmental stress such as droughts (Gorzelak et al. 2015). 

Mushrooms and fungi are beloved around the world for their culinary purposes but also have been used for their medicinal properties and are still being researched today for potential medicinal uses as well. Some medicinal benefits of fungi include antiviral, immunomodulatory, antitumor, antioxidant, radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, antihypercholesterolemic, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic effects (Qin & Han, 2014). Cordyceps sinensi is a fungi that has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years and studies have found that it can regulate insulin sensitivity and can lower cholesterol levels  (Qin & Han, 2014). Agaricus blazei Murill commonly known as the “Sun mushroom” is widely used for its medicinal properties in many cultures for the prevention of different types of diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and dermatitis (Qin & Han, 2014).

Some species of mushrooms have been found to contain properties that help stimulate the growth of brain cells, leading many researchers to believe they can be used for the prevention and or treatment of many neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and Dementia (Valverdeet al. 2015). A particular mushroom commonly known as “Lions Maine” for its lion mane-like appearance contains two compounds that help stimulate brain cell growth called hericenones and erinacines. When tested on mice it reduced symptoms of memory loss and prevented brain damage caused by amyloid-beta plaques, which build up in human brains that have Alzheimer’s disease. The ability for this mushroom to promote nerve growth and protect the brain from neurological diseases proves that there may be a promising future for increased uses of medicinal fungi. So that is what I find amazing about nature. Its ability to bring new life from death, how it connects all things in forests and for its capacity to heal humans all in the form of fungi! 

-Jaclyn

Gorzelak, Asay, A. K., Pickles, B. J., & Simard, S. W. (2015). Inter-plant communication through mycorrhizal networks mediates complex adaptive behaviour in plant communities. AoB Plants, 7, plv050–. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv050

Qin, & Han, C. (2014). Medicinal and Edible Fungi as an Alternative Medicine for Treating Age-Related Disease. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014, 638561–638562. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/638561

Valverde, Hernández-Pérez, T., & Paredes-López, O. (2015). Edible Mushrooms: Improving Human Health and Promoting Quality Life. International Journal of Microbiology, 2015, 376387–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/376387

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi Jaclyn!

I also had a little bit of a hard time trying to pinpoint what I think is the most amazing thing in nature, since there are just simply so many fascinating species and processes! I guess that is also what I love about the environment and this course, in particular, is that we have these opportunities to learn about them, and also learn how to communicate what we learn to others. I think you did a great job with that because I really enjoyed your post!

I have always wanted to watch Fantastic Fungi on Netflix but just had never gotten around to it, but now I have to! I really liked how you said it is “born in death and the beginning of new life,” it almost sounds like a riddle and really captured me into your blog post.

Mycorrhizal fungi, in particular, is also super interesting, in a plant health class I took last semester I remember learning that they have a symbiotic relationship with certain plants but are only in a mutualistic relationship when the plant is in a low nutrient environment. Yet if it is in a high nutrient environment the plant doesn’t really need the fungi and therefore the fungi turns into a parasite sucking the plant’s nutrients with nothing for the plant in return.

Super interesting points about the advancements in human health that they made; I definitely think mushrooms have a huge untapped potential in the medical field in the future!

Thanks again for your amazing post!

- Brooke

[bbenvs3000w22]

The coolest thing about us in nature

I believe as we grow older, we start to separate ourselves from nature and not think about how we are a part of it. We define nature as something that is outside, or a natural place separate from where we are. Although it is true, western culture has almost pretty distinct borders from a nature park, I think we should take a step back and look at where we came from. We are also natural beings in the environment.

Now, this isn’t a blog post on how we came to be – that is a topic for another day. But I will talk a little bit about evolution that can currently be observed in a particularly isolated group of humans.

The Bajau people.

Humans are not static, adaptation and natural selection are drivers that work on us and not just animals. These people have practiced marine hunting and gathering for thousands of years and have developed extraordinary breath-holding abilities.

They are considered to be the first known humans to “evolve a life in water.” The Bajau people can be found in South Asia and are also sometimes referred to as sea nomads. They spend most of their day in the ocean diving for daily resources. Most hunters will purposely puncture their eardrums to help deal with the underwater pressure, and many can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes at a depth of 200 ft (Ilardo et al. 2018).

So how can they do this you ask? They have a genetic mutation and natural selection has been selected for this. A mutation of the PDE10A gene causes their spleens to become 50% larger than the average (Ilardo et al. 2018). This allows for more oxygen to circulate in their bloodstream – pretty much acting as their own biological scuba tank. Even children that have not gone diving yet have this trait, therefore, proving that people with this genetic trait have higher fitness at being able to hunt and gather fish better in the ocean thus passing down the trait down to the next generation (Ilardo et al. 2018).

This can also be observed in other marine mammals such as whales having up to 14 spleens.

This can be considered a founder effect or genetic drift – which is a type of evolution where only a few individuals inhabit an area and one’s with the highest fitness (here would be fishing and gathering) would pass on their genes and become highly isolated from the mainland.

Lastly, Chapter 21 touches on the future of nature interpretation and how new emerging technologies have allowed us to learn new things like the Bajau people and spread this information with others. Yet it also touches upon how “climate change looms as a threat” and how we must spread messages to help protect these magnificent areas and find solutions to our problems (Beck et al. 2018). Climate change poses a massive threat to the Bajau people for a few reasons. They mainly live on houses with stilts, therefore rising sea levels can cause major displacement within the population. In addition, with the disappearance of fish populations from rising temperatures, the Bajau people will lose their main food source

If you are still curious about their lives and their stories, I encourage you all to watch the documentary “Jago: A Life Underwater” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEuh4-s7TjU

References

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

Ilardo, Moltke, I., Korneliussen, T. S., Cheng, J., Stern, A. J., Racimo, F., de Barros Damgaard, P., Sikora, M., Seguin-Orlando, A., Rasmussen, S., van den Munckhof, I. C. ., ter Horst, R., Joosten, L. A. ., Netea, M. G., Salingkat, S., Nielsen, R., & Willerslev, E. (2018). Physiological and Genetic Adaptations to Diving in Sea Nomads. Cell, 173(3), 569–580.e15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.054

[kpmbenvs3000w22]

Nature and Music

Music is all around us, we are lucky enough to be able to experience the place in which true music has originated, which is the lovely music we can listen to in nature. From the birds calling, to the wind blowing through the trees, and so on! These parts of nature have always been my favourite, from listening to a certain bird call and learning what each call means, and just enjoying them call to and from, but I do have to say for me, when a big gust of wind hits a tree just the right way so all the leaves dance and make that’s lovely ‘woosh’ sound has got to be the best part of natures song. 

One of the many forest with the best leaves to hear the wind through

 My mom has been feeding the birds that live behind my house for years now, and her favourite (its up there for me as well, has got to be the Baltimore Oriole. They have some of the most beautiful colouring you will ever see but they also have such a lovely song. Learning that our music has a lot of parallels to the songs of a bird makes a lot of sense, because that would be the place a lot of us heard it first (especially in the past) and with how much rhythm there is to a birds song (Gray et al. 2001.)

Baltimore Oriole in my Backyard

 I think that there is a lot of nature within the music we write as well. I know there are many different people who actually go out into nature and record their own sounds of nature to incorporate into their own music (Courselink 2022). A lot of classical music was either inspired by bird songs, they would copy the notes they heard the birds sing and integrate them within their music, using them for melodies and certain harmonies as well (Gray et al) There are also many different musicians who use the power of nature to inspire their own songs as well, sitting in the middle of the forest, listening to waves etc to strike inspiration. Something else I think is awesome with the music in nature is how diverse it is. The bird species here in North America may have very different songs than those in Europe, the wind in the trees may even sounds different due to the difference in trees. All of these things are amazing and wonderful all on their own, but thankfully due to technology, many of us have been able to listen to our musical nature from around the world without ever needing to leave the country (Beck 2018). This is something that has brought us so much opportunity, as now I can listen to the sounds of the waves from anywhere in the world even when nowhere close to an ocean, but it will never be able to replace the real thing. We have many ways to dupe you into thinking what you are hearing or seeing is real, which is amazing, but it is still a virtual reality, and nowhere near what sounds and songs you can hear nature make in real reality (Beck 2018).

A song I would say brings me back to nature is Mr. Brightside by The Killers, it is a song that reminds me of camping with my friends or even driving/riding through the forest, it brings me to a time of peace and tranquility I love to be in.

References

Beck, L., Cable, T., & Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage. Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

Courselink (2022)  Nature Interpretation through History, ENVS*3000

Gray, Patricia M., et al. “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music.” Science, vol. 291, no. 5501, 5 Jan. 2001, p. 52. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A69270354/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fb9366a8. Accessed 6 Mar. 2022.

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi Katherine!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week! We had pretty similar thoughts, you and I both talked about enjoying the whistling noises from trees and how they can produce these interesting harmonies. I too love listening to birds chirping, especially in the spring because it means warmer weather is coming. I really liked how you included a photo of the Baltimore Oriole, I don’t think I have ever seen one in person but their colours are amazing and I bet their tweets and chirps are as well!

Super cool note on how classical composers would use bird sounds for melodies, I did not know that! I also like your take on how we can utilize technology to share experiences of music in nature with others around the world. This is an amazing tool that will allow nature interpreters to capitalize on reaching larger audiences while enabling listeners to still have a fully immersive experience. That reminds me of how I use a sleeping app that plays wave sounds, which allows me to fall asleep peacefully.

Lastly, I love that Mr. Brightside reminds you of camping, I too have a few songs that remind me of hanging out around the campfire.

Nice post!

- Brooke

[bbenvs3000w22]

Nature in music and vice versa.

Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?

Trying to answer and brainstorm for this blog prompt led to me going for a walk today.

And I just simply listened.

The gusts of winds had me thinking of how they can produce music themselves. Either with breezes passing through a windchime clinking the small metal beams together to produce a tune or when gusts of wind encounter tight crevasses between trees and their branches creating harmonies and whistles.

Going on the walk allowed me to reconnect with nature almost again as I go through a cycle of perhaps not experiencing its full beauty during all of the seasons.

Yet as the days go by and the snow melts, I find myself waking up to the birds chirping outside my window – which is a way better alarm than the one on my phone.

It is almost like nature is warming up its lungs from the frost and singing to tell us spring is coming.

I especially enjoyed the video of how Ben Mirin was able to take clips of creeks and cracks from nature that may sometimes go unnoticed or underpraised and made it into something beautiful that we can all enjoy. It makes you sit back and reflect on how amazing nature is and the sounds and enjoyment we can gain from it.

Back in grade 8, I remember how our music teacher would make us listen to songs. Our heads down, eyes closed, lights off, and just simply listen and think about how it made us feel or imagine. This one particular piece by Rimsky Korsakov called the “Flight of the Bumblebee” stuck out to me. Not just because it is an amazing piece of art and I cannot wrap my head around how the orchestra can play it so fast.

But because when listening I was envisioning these little bumblebees busy working in a radiant field of flowers passing on pollen to the next lucky blossom. This piece had a way of making me appreciate the tireless work of their colonies buzzing around, supporting our ecosystem.

So with that, thank you bees and thank you Rimsky.

When thinking of songs that bring me back to nature landscapes, I think of my outdoor education trip and the video my teacher made us for at the end of the semester. It was filled with little snippets of us canoeing, hiking, and laughing around the campfire. The song in the montage was “Sleep on the floor” by the Lumineers. It brings this feeling of simplicity and how we can just enjoy ourselves in the little things like laying under the stars, where there is no light to pollute the sky.

In the video, it cut to all of us around the fire singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. A classic tune that talks about the beauty of the landscapes that we pass, and the places that we belong to.

That’s all from me for today, what are your favourite campfire songs to sing or play?

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The Past is our Future

I’ll admit, it took me a few rereads of this quote to even digest it. However, after finishing this week's reading, not only did the quote make more sense to me, but I also gained a better appreciation of how important it is to accurately and respectfully present history. Indeed, as the quote implies, a historical representation can only maintain its integrity if every aspect of the story is told. It is vital that in relaying history, that its telling remain neutral and accurate by combining as many perspectives and thoughts as possible. Prejudice and bias can be found in many fields of academia, including science and the humanities, and nature interpretation is a combination of these two disciplines, thus, bias must be carefully assessed and considered before accepting any interpreted material.

Bias in Science | https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/confirmation-bias/

If at all feasible, history can and should be communicated in a respectful, informative, and relevant manner by including the varied opinions and narratives of each group involved. In the framework of nature interpretation, the perspectives of everyone involved, present and past, in the evolving landscape of a place, must be taken into account so that natural areas can be better understood and conserved. Scientific, historical, and indigenous groups' historical information must be thoroughly studied AND integrated so that no person, place, or object is overlooked in management planning and decision-making. It is critical to continue to communicate and bring awareness to diverse historical accounts.

Canada’s National Parks are Colonial Crime Scenes | https://thewalrus.ca/canadas-national-parks-are-colonial-crime-scenes/

As well, this week’s readings examined the concept of "memory locations," arguing that "the nonmaterial component is significantly more important than the material component" (Beck et al., 2019).To be relevant both historically and today, intellectual and emotional connections must be established and maintained between historical material, whether it be an item, a person, or a location. Historical artifacts have the ability to elicit emotions such as pride and respect, as well as hold cultural value. Historical artifacts represent something; they have meaning; nevertheless, without interpretation or consideration for their historical relevance, they are fundamentally worthless.

The Oldest Artifacts in History | https://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=14141

“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”. To me, this means that the past is always significant as it has, ultimately, influenced the future. Without the information and experiences learnt humankind has learnt over time, we would not be where we are today. History provides a reference point as we continue to adapt to our ever-changing planet, ensuring that we learn from our mistakes and do not repeat them. History has influenced everyone; events happened and things exist, regardless if we have had a personal experience with them. Through developing cultural values, memories, traditions, and lifestyles, history has had an impact in every sense of the way.

Swastikas and other symbols of hate displayed at Ottawa protest aren’t just offensive—they’re dangerous, says Andrea Freedman, CEO of Ottawa’s Jewish Federation | https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/swastikas-and-other-symbols-of-hate-displayed-at-ottawa-protest-arent-just-offensive-but-dangerous-says-andrea-freedman-ceo-of-ottawas-jewish-federation/

This quote reminds me of this excerpt from the reading; “Interpretation breathes life in and meaning into past events, architecture, and artifacts.” (Beck et al., 2019). Providing opportunities for the public to interact with historical artifacts in conjunction with an accurate story, can help to foster compassion, understanding, and a sense of belonging, all of which are key components of nature interpretation. This week’s blog prompt has inspired me to reflect on the times I have personally interacted with historical components, both natural and man-made. Without considering every piece of the story, as stated above, it’s difficult to completely appreciate the significance of a time and place. It also makes me question what viewpoints were left out in my experiences with nature interpretation or even in my lessons at school. We can learn a lot by reconnecting with the past, and we must remember the lessons of history as we strive to "cultivat(e) a culture of peace" (Beck et al., 2019).

Me at the British Museum with the Elgin Marbles

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. Redshelf eBook. Sagamore Publishing. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/1948104/sp/245407251/mi/718086528?cfi=%2F4%2F4&menu=index.

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi There!

I too was a bit wary of trying to unpack this quote this week, which is probably why I let my post sit for a few days. Yet I love reading everyone’s posts because they interpret not just quotes but nature so differently. Depending on our backgrounds and history we can perceive and understand things in our own unique ways!

We must ensure the integrity of these stories are upheld and presented in a way that is respectful and still informative, this can be challenging thing especially when we have wide audiences.

I liked how you included the article “Canada’s National Parks are Colonial Crime Scenes,” super interesting to think about. On one hand, you are trying to preserve this piece of land, yet on the other it was already protected by indigenous groups and was taken over by settlers, and perhaps now the most common visitor is a white person ignorant to what was originally here. They came to learn about this particular landscape, but the landscape was stolen for this purpose.

In addition to the sights of swastikas in Ottawa, this is extremely dangerous. Viewing these symbols of hate demonstrates that we must continue to learn from the past and educate each others. Teaching about these events and stories are our strongest tool we can use in order prevent things like this from repeating.

Great post! I really enjoyed reading it!:)

Brooke

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History repeating

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.

- Edwards Hyams (Beck, Chapter 7)

This quote from Edward Hymans I found quite thought-provoking and allows us to reflect on our history and the importance of understanding the past.

For me at least, I have always found the subject of history to be something unattainable or was for experts only. That I did not have the knowledge or the expertise, which has restricted me to even learning about certain events. As we navigate our way through academia in certain niches, other topics should not be disregarded. This is where we must allow ourselves to explore in order to understand our world completely. History is for all of us, and we must learn that things parts and pieces that we know of can add to the bigger picture of our understanding of the present. Taking a more integrated approach to learning and researching can allow us to progress as humans.

In the first part of the quote, he states that these artifacts do not hold value because of their age in time but because of the stories they uphold the lessons we can gain from them. There is something to say about the age of something, and that might influence one to want to preserve it more but there must be some sort of significance behind it in order to inspire others to preserve as well.

There is a quote from Leon Brown that states that “history repeats itself endlessly for those who are unwilling to learn from the past” (Tew, 2014). This is a common theme that many of us can probably remember from our grade 10 history classes, but it is an important one. We have to acknowledge that everything from the past has brought us to where we are to today, from wars, immigration, industrial and medical advancements and family history. Everyone and everything has a story behind it or them that has led us here, and understanding such can allow us to apply our knowledge to future possibilities.

Using historical context in nature interpretation can allow the audience to capture the full picture and beauty of the landscape. They can acknowledge that a particular area has been altered and changed by anthropogenic and natural forces, and that it is our job to preserve them at this state. With our ever-increasing human population, perhaps we can use these stories to demonstrate the importance of protecting them. With a diverse population comes with different views and not everyone might perceive a space of land with the same importance. Some might notice that southern Ontario has become essentially a series of islands for species due to habitat fragmentation from housing developments. Yet we can use historical interpretation to demonstrate that an area for example near my home, certain paths, foot bridges, and waterways were used to power mills and supply to village with food and water in the 1800s (Heritage advisory committee, 2013). These committees can be used to consolidate planners and educate the public, and the audience can then draw their own conclusions from the past and relate them to present. They will be able to understand the importance of preserving what remains from what they see now and now know.

In conclusion, this quote had a lot to offer about the importance of history, how it has led us here, and what we can do about it in the future. We must understand that everything relates to each other.

Beck, L. Cable, T.  Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural  Heritage For a Better World. Sagamore- Venture Publishing LLC. ISBN 978-1-57167-865-2.

Town of Ajax Heritage Advisory Committee. (2013). Heritage Conservation District Properties. https://www.ajax.ca/en/play-and-discover/resources/History-Heritage-Archives/Heritage-Conservation-District-Properties.pdf

Robert Tew. (2014). Live Life Happy. https://livelifehappy.com/life-quotes/history-repeats-itself/

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Science and Nature

I am not sure how I feel about science. When I was a child, science seemed like the only thing for me. It could satisfy my curiosity about the natural wonders of this world and get me an animal related job in the future. That was it then. It was decided. I was going to become a veterinarian and learn as much as I could about helping animals. By the way, I made this decision when I was in grade 2 with a very naïve version of the world in mind. When you get older, you start to see the world for how it really is. Science is relentless, becoming a veterinarian takes at least 8-10 more years of schooling after high school, and your degree has had very little relevance to nature or animals so far. Just the concepts and ideas of animals. That is what angers me the most. I got into science to help animals and so far, all I have learned is how scientists perceive animals when running experiments on them.

Learning proper scientific methods for discovering new things in this world is a rigorous and timely thing. The proper protocol is to come up with a question regarding the natural order of this world, for instance, “Will increasing urbanization in Southern Ontario effect the mortality rate of local coyote populations to the point of extinction?”. To answer this question, you must invent a possible explanation and prediction for why and how it occurs, ex. “Increasing urbanization will increase mortality rates in coyote populations” with the prediction, “increasing urbanization will increase the number of human-coyote interactions which will result in more conflicts. This will lead to large community-based culls and the extinction of the species.” Then, you need to gather data. This requires entering their habitat, their home, to systematically find the distribution of the species, finding the number of dens located near communities, running tests on the diets of this population to find out how much human garbage the population consumes, the tests can go on and on forever. Finding every single detail out about the community.

However, do these types of studies need that much human involvement within the habitats of these animals? The stomach contents of animals can be analysed in a lab using several methods but how accurate is it? Would is not be much easier to set up trail cameras from every perspective you could possibly need? Wouldn’t you be able to observe and measure exactly how much they are eating of that one exact thing you are seeing on the screen? If we didn’t have the technology we have today, this would all need to be done just through personal observation alone. That’s what the indigenous people did and what some of us still do today. Some people still live off of the land and most of their time is spent observing nature such as hunters. Wouldn’t it be easier to ask these experts for specific information on the species they have been living with and observing their whole lives? Rather than rushing to find information in a cruel and gruesome way, why not observe slowly and have a more in-depth personal observation technique? This could be another crucial way to bring nature back into people’s live’s. By teaching our young scientists to have a more hands-off, personal, and in-depth observational perspective.

We should be teaching our students to spend hours and hours outside observing nature to find the answers that satisfy their curiosity. Our modern students do not get the ability to develop their own minds and create their own world, as they are only taught to work off of the progress of our history and to keep our society functioning the same way it always has. Well I personally don’t care for a lot of our actions in the past, and I feel that our students should be able to have the opportunity to make their own way in this world, as our ancestors were once able to. And that starts with the scientist’s. Scientists propel the world’s education forward and set the pace for the world’s development. Since it is with our knowledge, that development is able to progress. But it also goes the other way. With our knowledge, we can also have real environmental progress. If we were able to slow down and teach our successors the value of personal observation, that would be the first step in the right direction.

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi Davana,

Wow, I would just like to say how authentic and raw your post was. When I was a little girl I also wanted to be a vet, I mean I think it was almost very girls dream to be a veterinarian. Yet very a few of those girls go on to not only pursue but make it. The process can be ruthless and the career itself is not as glorified as we perceived it to be when we were kids.

It’s interesting to note that we originally want to care for pets and animals in nature but the path to take to get there is so disconnected from that. I really like your point on how although these researchers might have their intention to protect animals and their habitats, yet to get data to prove their predictions might not be best for the animals.

Before taking this course I never really thought of the notion of “hands-off” research being as effective? Yet now it has so many other valuable tools such as observing animals’ life traits and habits. For example, setting up cameras to monitor a species can demonstrate how far their range can be or go. Whereas invading their habitat and interacting can possibly cause more harm.

Great post!

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Citizen Science

Environmental education and science education were formally two separate topics. Now the trend is to try to converge them in order to try to tackle large world problems such as climate change and food scarcity. With the increased interest, citizen science has become quite popular.

When I first came to Guelph, I don’t think I have ever heard of citizen science. It wasn’t until I took a first-year seminar elective called – citizen science, I thought to myself, I’m a science student, this could be cool. In that class, we explored what it meant to be a citizen scientist and we also looked at different projects. These projects ranged from iNaturalist, which some of you might have heard of, to more anthropogenic causes such as the Flint water project. By the end of the semester, we had to plan and present to the class a project that we came up with and why they should join. My group and I were super passionate about climate change and decided to do a project where members could document changes in their neighbourhood from the impacts of rising sea levels.

Here is a snapshot of the fake website we made. From this class it has inspired me to show others that you don’t need to have a certain scientific background to participate in these projects, you just have to want to!

The new way of research can harbour the attention of the community help solve issues by using what people already care about or like. We can do this via participatory action. Citizen science defined in the article “is community-based local monitoring of changes in the environment using simple data acquisition devices and communication tools” (Wals et al. 2014). It utilizes the internet, social media, and other crowd-sourcing methods to collect data. Citizen science is a conduit of connecting research, education and the environment, and it allows for every party to benefit. Community members can gain fulfilment and enjoyment out of participating in these projects and feel like they are contributing to something greater than them. While researchers and educators are receiving data on not just their study but also community engagement.

Yet there can also be some critiques. Many of these programs require a time commitment and access to the internet which not everyone has. For example, a young worker may not have time to participate in these projects as they need to spend their time working so they can purchase groceries. In the other article they mention how most participants are over 50, therefore are retired and have the time to participate (Merenlender et al. 2016). This demonstrates the knowledge gap that younger people may not be as aware of some issues since they do not have the time to participate in their projects. Citizen science projects must be equitable if they want them to be successful. One way I think they can help it is by having passive participation. For instance, a water testing project should just need to be set up and then a project volunteer can come to pick up the kit once it is done. This allows the participants to still engage with the project while not having to make any sacrifices. If any are having to be made, the less likely people are willing to participate.

Have any of you guys participated in any citizen projects or would like to? If so which ones!

Merenlender, A.E.J., Brody, M., Crall, A. W., Drill, S., Prysby, M., & Ballard, H. (2016). Evaluating environmental education, citizen science, and stewardship through naturalist programs. Conservation Biology, 30(6), 1255–1265. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12737

Wals, A.E.J., Brody, M., Dillion, J., & Stevenson, R.B. (2014). Covergence between science and environmental education. Science, 344(6184), 583-584. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250515

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Blog 4: Interpreting Nature Through Art

There are many different ways one can interpret nature. I personally interpret nature through many different art styles. Whether that is through photos, painting, sculptures, etc.. In the book, Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage, Larry Beck, Ted T. Cable, and Douglas M. Knudson describes an interpreter as someone that “helps people to gain some understanding of the unusual and curious places of the land and the people that inhibit[ed] it, trying to part a sense of wonder in the mind of the perceiver. On the one hand the interpreter helps people to gain new perspective on the common place and new understandings of the world around them” (Beck 2018). However, I believe that this accurately describes how art helps to depicted nature. For example, through photography Eliot Poter said, “that we usually notice flowers, autumn foliage, mountains landscapes, and other summits of nature’s displays.” This describes how photography is able to grab the essence of nature to share with others. As we become better interpreters we start to notice more and more of nature. The little details are what make an experience and as we gain more of these experience’s we become more well-rounded and increase our ability to share with others.

Additionally, photography is a great way that we can become better nature interpreters, by allowing the less fortunate or unable to experience natures beauty. Incorporating more art would allow for the community to interpreted nature in a more effective way. Environmental interpreters should utilize art more often when trying to effetely demonstrate the beauty of nature by engaging audiences in more of a hands-on experience. Since more people are more of a hands-on learner, art would allow for more people to interpret nature more effectivity. Art gives one the ability to associate photos, painting, and sculptures,  to a place, a feeling, a location, etc.

The book, Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage, also describes the gift of beauty as, “interpretation should instill in people the ability, and the desire, to sense the beauty in their surroundings-to provide spiritual uplift and to encourage resource preservation” (Beck 2018). I believe this represents the role nature plays in everyone’s lives and how important nature is to our everyday life. Everyone interprets nature differently and that is also the “gift of beauty” that nature instill in us.

The one key risk with interpreting nature through art, is that the very art you are interpreting is biased by the artist.  As Neil Forkey describes in Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty-First Century, there are differing views on nature, the “utilitarian conservation” approach where nature is something where humans should interact with, and the “romantic preservation” approach which view nature as something that should be maintained in is wild state without interaction and interference by nature (Forkey 2012). These differing perspectives will ultimately come through in the artist’s work, which can influence and ultimately alter one’s interpretation of nature through art that art.

What do you think the book, Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage, was meaning when describing the gift of beauty? I look forward to reading everyone else’s responses.

- Noah Higginson

References:

Beck, L. et al. Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. 2018. Sagamore Publishing.

Forkey, Neil. Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty-First Century. 2012. University of Toronto Press.

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi Noah, great post!

I liked how you included from the textbook that interpreters can offer new insight and perspectives for visitors. I think it is quite common that visitors that are unfamiliar with the landscape will be drawn to eye-catching species and structures like a bright flower. But with the knowledge gained from interpreters, people will be able to find beauty in everything including the grasses and the rocks around a watershed.

Super interesting point on how we can use photography as a means to connect with the community. It is an amazing way we can allow others to also enjoy these areas although they might not have a means of ways to access the locations. I think you did a great job of integrating the topic from last week on disability and accessibility.

I also agree that when viewing nature through other pieces of art, leads to it being through that artist’s perspective. Yet, I also think that each individual as they become more comfortable interpreting nature through art will start to create their own meanings and understandings of it. I think the gift of beauty that nature provides us allows individuals to be fully immersed and make connections giving us the ability to have some sort of escapism and enjoyment in it.

Excited for your next post!

Cheers

[bbenvs3000w22]

Nature, art, and Bob Ross

When reading the blog prompt asking “who are you to interpret nature through art” it almost took me back for a second. The first ideas that pop into my head, and maybe other folks reading it, find negative connotations. For example, “I guess maybe I do not have the qualifications to do so?” or “I do not know, who am I to even attempt to interpret nature through art.”

The one thing to acknowledge is that there is no certificate to do so, there is no test that one must pass in order to interpret art through a natural lens. There also is not a right answer when it comes to interpreting and finding meaning or a connection to nature through art. Nature itself is a beautiful masterpiece that is able to sustain itself and us and we can all find different ways of connecting with it.

Switching gears a little now, I actually want to talk about Bob Ross and his paintings. Bob Ross can be associated with his soft-spoken voice and creative humour, but he was a massive nature interpreter. Even with his death being in 1995 his videos have been appreciated by our generations and other folks for years. When he was first starting out, he was in the military, based in Alaska he would sell his paintings of the nearby landscape to tourists visiting. His art captured the natural beauty and was authentic to the scenery. With his raw talent and character, he was able to draw people in and allow them to appreciate what his paintings depicted. The show Joy of Painting ran for 11 years in which hosted a soothing and loveable persona in a one-on-one painting class. Although the art he was creating not everyone could recreate the show was still successful because the interpreting skills he had allowed him to capture the audience and make them have an emotional connection to the nature piece. There is a valuable lesson we can all learn from him as we set off to be nature interpreters ourselves.

We can actually learn a lot from him and I have a few quotes which are important and relevant to nature and its beauty. He states that “it’s the imperfections that make something beautiful that’s what makes it different and unique from everything else.” Here he is describing how when creating art it does not need to be perfect. I think a lot of people associate art with prestige and perfection which might be a reason why people avoid taking an attempt at it. Allowing ourselves to interpret art in nature and not be correct all the time can form a sense of belonging and safety with not only art with nature as well. He is also quoted saying “look around. Look at what we have. Beauty is everywhere – you only have to look to see it.” From this we can understand interpreting art does not need to be difficult and just simply enjoying the “gift of beauty” that nature has to offer us can provide us with all we need. Although I have really just focused on paintings as a medium, art can take many forms. From what we learned in the textbook, different forms can bring us different lessons that we can learn. For example a play or dance on indigenous songs and practices, or just listening to music.

Anyways I could go on for days about this topic but that’s all for me for now!

If you’re replying to my post, add your favourite bob ross painting!

Here's mine!

Brooks, K. Here are 50 Bob Ross quotes that will make today better. Huffpost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bob-ross-quotes_n_563138b3e4b00aa54a4c9271

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Privilege in Nature

When I think of the word privilege, I think of something that benefits a specific person or group. This privilege could be earned, or you may simply be born with it. While unpacking my invisible backpack, I have privileges that I was born with, as well as some that I have earned.

I was born into a white, middle-class, english-speaking family. I am able-bodied and cisgender. I am lucky enough to have two parents who attended post-secondary education, who now work full time jobs who can help me pay for university, and I do not have to worry about money. I was also lucky that my parents encouraged me to join extra-curricular activities when I was younger, and they paid for me to join the rowing team for my high school and the club team all 4 years of school.

For privileges I have earned, I attended French immersion from grades 5-12, and I am fluent in French. Because of this privilege, I may be able to apply to a wider variety of jobs, as speaking two languages means I can cater to a larger audience. Another privilege I have earned is that I have a good connection with my past employer at Ontario Parks. In the job world, I believe it is very important to form connections with employers, or to “know a guy” especially if you are looking to move up in a certain field. Since I worked hard at my old job, my past employer acts as a great reference for when I am applying to other jobs in a similar realm.

When I think of privilege in terms of nature interpretation, I think of accessibility. For example, information about nature may not be accessible for those without internet, some people may not be able to afford the education they want to learn more about nature, and even guided hikes or walks are not necessarily accessible to those who are disabled. I was reading a blog on trailspace that said “Just because a place is public, does not make it welcoming or accessible. Barriers exist like access and proximity, the cost of gear, and transportation. And once out there, some groups may not feel safe or included”. This reminded me of a time this past summer at work, there were many new visitors coming to our park who were newer to camping, what some people call “covid campers”. These visitors were still trying to get the hang of setting up their tents, or starting a fire, and many other park visitors were making fun of them. They were just trying to do something new, and needed a little bit of guidance, but some of the experienced campers felt the need to discourage them. As a nature interpreter, I’d like to make all spaces in nature welcome to everyone, no matter your race, sexuality, religion, social class etc.

(Here’s a link to the blog I mentioned earlier, it’s a good read!)

https://www.trailspace.com/blog/2020/06/03/diversity-inclusion-being-an-outdoor-ally.html  

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi Grace!

Loved reading your post and thought it was super insightful and raw.

It can sometimes be hard to acknowledge our privilege, but I thought you did an amazing job recognizing it and how you can aid others.

Similar to you, I too have white privilege, and I am also able-bodied, but not everyone can say the same. We have life pretty easy, but we can use that advantage to help others.

For instance, I think its super cool that you are bilingual, on top of using that to get a career, you can use it to make others in your community with French as their first language more comfortable in an unfamiliar setting like your Ontario parks placement!

From reading the blog you linked they stated that leisure time activities usually require expensive gear, yet others need to allocate money to higher needs like rent, and food. In addition, these people usually do not have leisure time since they need to spend long hours making this money.

Reflecting on this, I do sprint canoe so I can recognize that rowing is also a pretty hefty penny. We have been granted things not for anything we did but simply because of our privilege.

To conclude, the blog states, “being silently well-intentioned isn’t the answer. It’s a privileged cop-out.” We must continue to educate ourselves and learn how to share diverse voices and experiences and I think you did a great job at unpacking your advantages.

Thanks for the great read and blog suggestion! Well done!

Brooke

[bbenvs3000w22]

A life of privilege

My working definition of privilege is something that cannot equitably be had by everyone equally, it is an advantage. I like how the teacher said in the race to $100 video that it is not something that one did wrong to not get or have it.

Unpacking my invisible backpack, I am a white female who grew up in an upper-middle-class neighbourhood with both parents in the home.

Sure, I had my struggles with school, or friends, or sports, but I am extremely lucky and can acknowledge that I have been granted things that not everyone has.

I think there can also be a hard balance between trying to acknowledge one’s privilege and being thankful while still being conscious and aware of how others might feel at not getting the same opportunities; because no one deserves to have less or more than another.

Next, I wanted to focus mainly on my experience in the outdoor education class I took in high school as a credit.

I was able to enroll in this class because my parents paid the $800 fee it came with. I was comfortable engaging in the material because I have canoed and camped before.

Both of these examples are how my privilege has given me an advantage in just this class.

Now to touch on abilities, there was a special needs person in my classroom which originally I thought was amazing, since it is our responsibility to treat everyone the same and equal. They are allowed to have just as much fulfilment and opportunities as I am, and not just in this course, but with everything, I can also access.

As we were gearing up for our 3-day hike and camping trip, one of our tasks was to prepare our own meals and everything we needed including our sleeping gear in our backpacks. This was a challenge for me and I am not sure where the planning went wrong, and I do not want to blame my teacher for this but the student that needed more aid was not adequately prepared like the rest of were, and this was quickly noticed by everyone on the trip.

On our hike to the campsite, she could not climb up these rocks because she had knee and joint issues. On the second day, I realized that she also only had snacks for all of her food.

Reflecting on this experience, I makes me quite sad, I was not able to see these signs that she was not set up properly and she became very discouraged over the trip. Subsequently, she did not go on the next.

I wish my school had better designed this program for all abilities to enjoy it to the fullest extent.

To change the tone, one field trip I remember from elementary school was going to a place called Windreach Farm. Some of you may know it if you are from the Durham region, but they provide programs and services for all ages and abilities. Their website notes how they enrich the lives of disabled and special needs persons through farming, nature, and outdoor recreation.

This is just one example and I encourage you to look at their website. What I am getting at here is we must acknowledge our privilege and our abilities so we can empower others.

My story from high school and that girl is something I do not want to ever experience again; I am not sure how I could change that program in particular but I wish my teacher I had the knowledge then to adapt it. In conclusion, it is so important to continually educate ourselves on these topics or issues even if it makes us uncomfortable or “feel bad.” We must understand the impacts of our actions while introducing environmental opportunities to everyone.

[swenvs30002022]

Blog 2: My ideal role of environmental interpreter

An ideal environmental interpreter makes the experience enjoyable and educational for their audience. I am still debating on my future career but I know that nature will always be a part of my life. As a kid one of my favourite shows to watch was Zoboomafoo. The Kratt brothers portrayed the qualities that a good environmental interpreter should have. Martin and Chris Kratt appeared to be confident, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the subject they were talking about, and they were able to connect well with nature and their audience, being the viewers of the show. This show played a big part in my enthusiasm about nature and they were able to inspire me. The show was interactive and they attempted to build a relationship with the viewers and make them feel involved which helped pique my interest in what they were talking about.

I am an introvert and it is hard for me to address large groups of people but I find interacting with children to be much easier. Talking in front of them and teaching them is always a delight. When I volunteered in a summer camp I found that I was confident talking in front of the kids and was not nervous like I am when talking to a crowd of adults. The kids found me approachable and I was able to connect with them. We would often take the kids on walks and hiking and I would get a chance to point out various trees and classify the sounds of the different insects we hear. I found that the kids really retained information while they were in a fun environment and not stuck indoors in a classroom. My dream career as a nature interpreter would be where I am given the chance to transfer my knowledge and inspire kids similar to how the Kratt brothers inspired me. A job where I get to spend most of my day outside exploring and teaching would be ideal. I am not sure of an exact career but ultimately I would like to be a Nature-based educator.

In this unit we discussed the necessary skills required to be a good nature interpreter. I think that being able to collaborate well with others and being able to work well as a team with your colleagues is a crucial skill. You also need to be able to cater to you audience as everyone has a different learning style. Whether your audience includes auditory, visual or tactile learners it is important to be able to keep your audience engaged (Beck 2018). I would like to provide the kids with lessons and workbooks for individuals who learn best by listening and writing stuff down as well as take them outside to explore, conduct experiments and do fun projects for the tactile learners.

It is important to teach youth to love nature so that they carry these lessons with them throughout their life. Environmental education is a way that allows people to learn about environmental issues, solve problems, and take steps to improve the environment. By implementing various teaching methods I want to be able to inspire kids to explore, discover how and why things happen, and create their own opinions on complicated problems instead of just being told information. An environmental educator can encourage children to develop critical and creative thinking abilities, which will encourage them to become more involved in the community. Teaching children about the importance of the environment promotes them to develop sustainable habits, providing them with the tools they need to live environmentally conscious and sustainable lives.

Work Cited:

Beck, L., Cable, T., & Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage. Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

[bbenvs3000w22]

Hi Simrah,

I just wanted to say I loved your post and how your favourite show growing up was Zoboomafoo. I was more of a Sesame Street kid, but both are great examples of enjoyable educational television shows for children. These shows are able to keep children engaged while still passively teaching kids important and vital lessons; for instance, recycling and caring about the environment. I also do not remember a time when I went to the zoo, saw the lemurs, and did not say “Zoboomafoo!” I included a photo from 2018 where I probably got too excited to see them.

As we are about to start preparing for our podcast for children, I will definitely have these types of shows in mind since they had such an impact on our generation.

I also used to be a summer camp counsellor at my canoe club, and it was probably one of my favourite jobs. Being able to work outside all day on the water teaching kids how to canoe, kayak, and just let them play outside was amazing. When I think about nature interpretation, I usually just think about guided tours, but summer camps for children have a massive nature interpretation aspect to them. Camp counsellors have the power to take advantage of this and educate children on fascinating things in the environment.

I remember one summer the town blocked a part of the bay off so that the lily pads there could grow back to the density they once were. My role as a counsellor then was to explain to the children that we could not paddle there because it was a protected area, and how lily pads provide essential habitat for many fish, insects and other species on the bay.

Lastly, I totally agree with you on how we must focus on educating the younger generation in order to improve the environment and ensure that it will still be here for years to come.

[bbenvs3000w22]

My role as an environmental interpreter

As an environmental interpreter, my ideal role would be to somehow integrate my passions and interests in the environment and to communicate the benefits of it to others. I think the overall goal of interpreters is to demonstrate the importance of these landscapes but also illustrate to the listeners what nature can also provide to them. Humans are a selfish species, and some may think that “if this does not affect me, then why should I care?” The problem we have to solve as interpreters is to show that it can impact them.

Yet communicating this can be hard, and the delivery should be emotional to connect with the audience but still somehow be informative. Relatability is a huge factor, if someone cannot relate to you or the topic they might become less interested. In addition, another element that we must acknowledge is how people learn, for example, you and I might not learn the same way.

After taking a quiz I learned I am 45% an auditory learner, which means I learn and remember the best from listening and hearing things. This has actually changed from before where I learned the best from being fully integrated into learning materials, a kinesthetic learner.

Therefore, since my own learning style has evolved, I will try to take all different types of learners into consideration while interpreting and presenting to others.

When thinking about how can I make this experience meaningful, or even who am I as an environmental interpreter, I get a little stuck. I think the beginning stages of nature interpretation can stem from just sharing your knowledge on smaller things and build from there.  For example, over this pandemic, I have become increasingly interested in plants. Two summers ago I planted more native plants in my garden to help restore the nature that would be found in my area. After which, this summer I planted more native species at my grandma’s house and communicated to her the importance of them and how they can also help the native pollinators in the area.

Perhaps this summer I can expand my interpretation skills with the job I hope to get. I hope to work for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the branch of Plant Health and Protection sector. If I get it, I will be collecting and preparing plant and insect samples, and visually assessing plants for signs of pests and diseases. With this role and the knowledge I will gain on particular pests, I can communicate this with community members by sharing tips online about identification and proper handling. Aaron Fairweather states how he uses social media platforms like Instagram to communicate science. Social media is a way we can share information to others in a more equitable way. Since some folks may not have the privilege or funds to travel to places, for instance, to Europe to learn about its natural history, social media and technology like our cell phones can bridge that gap. There are actually 5.3 billion cell phone users, and 10.4 billion mobile phones. The future of nature interpretation must continue to evolve and in order to keep community members engaged and technology might have the capacity to do so.

As such, where might my nature interpretation take place? Various locations! Accessible to anyone with an internet connection!

Digital around the world - datareportal – global digital insights. DataReportal. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://datareportal.com/global-digital-overview