A Place To Ponder

Ben Weir :-)

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My Values as a Nature Interpreter

As a nature interpreter, the way I approach everything in life in some way reflects my core values. One thing I truly value is honesty. Honesty is how friendships are formed and is the basis of what keeps relationships together. As long as you are not hurting another human being, I think it is important to always be as honest as possible. In my personal experience, a friend will appreciate the honest truth over a happy lie. I think honesty forms the basis of trust, which ultimately unifies communities. I also believe in equality and fairness. I want nature to be something everyone can enjoy, no matter who they are. With all the inequality that occurs on a global scale, I think it is important as an individual to try and promote equality. During times like these I always think of the famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. This quote has always resonated with me and inspired me to be the best human I can be, because at the end of the day, that’s all I can do. You can not control how others see you, but you can control how you treat this planet and all other walks of life you share it with. The more you treat others with respect and equality, the more likely they are to spread that same positivity and respect. Another one of my core values is selflessness. In a society that rewards selfish behaviours, I think it is imperative to try and be a selfless as possible. We will not see greater things until more human’s act beyond their own needs. To progress as a society, I think we need to promote caring about the wellbeing of strangers. You should not feel like you need compensation in return for doing a good deed. I want to motivate people to see that they should do good deeds for the sake of doing good deeds. This type of altruistic behaviour is what will separate us from previous generations of humanity. I think one way to promote these altruistic behaviours is by teaching the importance of empathy from a young age. Empathy is a unique human emotion that allows ones to consider how another human is feeling, given their unique life circumstances.

It is my duty as a nature interpreter, to share my passions with a wide audience. I do this by holding myself to standards which promote the things I value in life. I treat everyone with the same level of respect as I show a friend. Even if someone disrespects me, I try to understand what is making them act that way. A lot of the time the cause of their actions has nothing to do with me, completely beyond my control. If I were to react negatively, it only adds to this negative energy and only creates more trouble. When you respond with compassion and respect, one may realize the way they are acting is inappropriate and more often that not will immediately change the way they act.

One thing I try to share is the feeling you get when doing a selfless act. It truly feels good to help people. So many people are reluctant to help others because they see no value in it. They ask “What do I get in return?”. This is where I want to help teach people that the feeling you get when helping others is incomparable to any amount of material goods. There is something special about helping those in need that makes it worth it in every aspect. If more people stepped out of there comfort zone and tried something new that helped others they would understand what I mean. Every single day presents an opportunity to help others. It does not have to be a life changing act to have a big effect. If every single person on this planet were to do something little each day that benefitted another, I think we would start to solve a lot of humanities problems. Problems rooted in ego and selfishness. Problems that could be solved if we all worked together out of compassion for humanity.

World peace from: https://chasing42.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/the-best-idea-i-ever-forgot/

As an individual, I personally resonate with art and the raw human experience. Through art, human experience can be shared that otherwise would be lost in the medium of verbal communication. Art ascends verbal communication. Music is something special to me. Through music, you can unify people of every culture and nationality. Music has no borders. I truly believe it is the universal language of humanity. Something that bring everyone together and enjoy.

I also value authentic human interactions. This semester has proven difficult create genuine connections with fellow peers and like-minded individuals. These interactions are where I feel I truly shine. I love learning about other people and their unique characteristics. There are over seven billion people on this planet and each and every single one of us is unique in our own ways. This fascinates me because every new interaction presents an opportunity to learn. You may learn something new about that person, the world, or even yourself. The potential to learn is endless, its up to you to seek out that new knowledge. This passion for new knowledge and experience motivates me to step out of my comfort shell. Once you have the courage to leave your comfort shell, that is where your truly learn and grow as a human being. I think that is one of the most important things we should do as individuals, continually push to learn, create, and become a better person than we were yesterday.

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Industrial World vs Natural World

 FAfter taking time to reflect and to look at things from perspective, I wonder what I can apply from what I had learned from these classes to my day to day life and also relate it to past experiences I’ve had. Also what I can educate others on what I had learned from taking this course as a nature interpreter. 

This would all start back from loving animals as a young kid. There were certain animals I had found pretty fascinating growing up which includes elephants, whales, dolphins, and reptiles. So after seeing them at zoos so many times I had started to think of things from a deeper perspective such as their surroundings, behavior, ecology, interactions with other species their social life etc. So from that point on its important to know nature from a much wider perspective. So my passion for wildlife made me want to take this class as an elective for my major which is Wildlife Biology and Conservation. 

To be a nature interpreter I would apply what i learned in class which would be using different methods for different audiences as when it comes to children and adults. Talk to them about that how I realized to make a true animal lover its important to know about the natural world that way ones can help and conserve the animals that they love. Yet I feel not everyone yet has that sort of mindset yet because of how the world had become a civil society where basically known as industrialized. Industrialized in a sense where technology is becoming the main source, also lot of buildings, bridges, roads, transportation etc. This had taken people away from the natural world in a sense that this new world is what they rely on the most. Also yet its a shame that the younger generation isn’t getting enough education on the natural world because, now a days whenever seeing a group of young people, they’re always on their tablets like on their phones, playing portable video games etc. That is something that takes their mind off the natural world. They only seem to care about the material stuff. Awareness of environmental affects on the natural affects is now lacking because of how industrialized the world has become. 

As a nature interpreter i would take inspiration from learning about the cultures of the indigenous people and also some of these tribal people in Africa. Just a couple days ago I was watching this movie called “The Gods must be Crazy”. Its a movie that shows the lifestyle of one of these tribal people in Africa where they live within nature, they don’t pick up materialist culture, they rely strongly on their natural surroundings for survival and respect nature. Yet 600 miles south is a civilized society which is something they’re ignorant about. They don’t know anything about civilizations. So their lifestyle is something that i would take inspiration from as a nature interpreter to my audience. 

Also another important source of inspiration for the natural world is the indigenous community of Canada. A deep and genuine relationship with the earth has been a central tenet of First Nations worldview (First Nations Pedagogy, 2013). So to compare and contrast the indigenous community to the non-indigenous community, is that the indigenous community views that man co exists harmoniously with earth, as many non-indigenous people believe man rules over earth. The indigenous people always had worked together to understand the natural world and become more aware of it in all sorts of disciplines which includes, ecology, conservation, plant growth, and soil protection etc. So they don’t act as the dominant species as most western/colonials do. They hunt only for survival and not for human greed. They don’t let food go to waste. They don’t believe in polluting the lakes or rivers. So basically I feel non-indigenous people don’t see it form this perspective as yet to them corporate businesses are more important and also any form of technology without consideration of polluting the air and releasing carbon emissions. And also without the awareness it destroys natural habitats through deforestations. 

An example of how INDIGENOUS people see the world differently. 

So from reading about these topics and also putting an amount of effort in this class, I’ve seen this as an eye opening for myself where I realized I myself have been a bit too distracted with technology where even though I care so much about the natural world, I keep forgetting to take advantage to appreciate instead of spending too much time on my phone. So I believe as a nature interpreter I can share my personal experience on how I’ve been too distracted on my phone and not paying attention too the real world and then share about my change and what it is I’ve discovered. Like I would speak in metaphors to get the audience to kind of interpret on what it is I mean on what I’m saying about the natural world. 

As for the industrial world, I didn’t say completely end it, I just mean it needs to be reduced and also come up with some form of alternatives such as renewable energy, to reduce carbon emissions and also to not make corporations so important for human needs as they are right now. Visit Indigenous Communities and practice what they do. Learn how they try and help the environment. 

Sources:

https://firstnationspedagogy.com/earth.html

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Loved this post Amaar!

I can tell how passionate you are for animals. It definitely seems like you are in the right career path. It is that passion that will inspire the people around you. I know it has inspired me!

I couldn’t agree more with your thought that people are becoming too reliant on technology. I think technology definitely has its place in society as it offers so many benefits. However with that being said, I think many people (including myself) are too reliant on technology. It has become the norm to look at your phone or computer screen for almost your whole day. People would rather play a sport video game than go outside and actually play the sport with friends. I think as a society, we need to find a healthy balance between technology and nature. It has become our job as nature interpreters to instil a sense of passion and curiosity for nature in others. I think it is especially important to inspire children as they only know the world of mass technology and constant stimulation. It is important that they learn the magic and brilliance of nature.

I have also seen ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy”! Such an eye opening and interesting film. I think everyone should watch it. The world can learn so much from its indigenous communities. I know they have inspired me to be passionate about protecting the environment!

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My Personal Ethics, Beliefs, and Approaches Concerning Nature Interpretation.

Each and every person has their own ethics, beliefs, and approach to life, and these are just a few of mine when I think about nature interpretation.

My current personal ethic as a nature interpreter is that I believe the individual is just as important as the whole. By this I mean that even the smallest organisms in nature are as important and have equal intrinsic value as the largest organism. In my mind, if I stick with this outlook while leading interpretive tours people will find a new sense of importance in nature.

Based on my personal ethics explained in the previous paragraph I’m sure it comes to no surprise that my biggest belief when it comes to nature interpretation is that it should be more than just providing information to a group of people about their current environment (Beck et al., 2018). I believe that the point of nature interpretation is to provide your guests with an experience and leave them with the desire to learn more and provoke deeper thinking causing them to question nature around them for the rest of their life (Beck et al., 2018). By doing so, this may cause people to change certain habits, challenge social norms, and even support the fight for the environment (Beck et al., 2018). I think If you are able to evoke change in just one person through just one nature interpretation program, you have successfully fulfilled your purpose as a nature interpreter.

As nature interpreters we have many responsibilities. The first that comes to mind is education. We are responsible for teaching individuals both young and old about the environment around them while trying to instil (in a limited amount of time) that nature is much more than just forests, mountains, and animals. When it comes to education, I think the most important type of people we are responsible for is the educating of children. I am a strong believer that teaching young people the value and importance of nature early in life will truly benefit them in the long run. For one, nature provides countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, problem-solving, stimulating deeper thinking, improving cognitive development, as well as contributing to improved physical and mental health (Beck et al., 2018; Poppell & Monroe, 2018). Most importantly, the young children we teach today are the future and hopefully, these teachings will translate down to future generations and create change in the world.

A photo of a young children learning about nature…in nature. 

Outward Bound.  (2020). [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.outwardbound.org/blog/pursuing-career-outdoor-education-instructor/

I have found with my own personal experiences in the role of nature interpreter, that the approach that is most suitable for me is storytelling (Beck et al., 2018). While working in Costa Rica I taught people primarily about the local insects (mainly butterflies) and I found that on these tours I loved telling my own personal stories for a couple of reasons. I felt it made me appear like more of a friend rather than a teacher. This made my guests feel more comfortable with asking me questions which created a personal relationship between me and them. While writing this, the story that comes to mind that I used to tell was about the tarantula hawk wasp.

During our tours most interpreters would quickly speak about the tarantula hawk wasp being the second most painful insect sting in the world, and then move on to our golden orb weavers that had their webs above the heads of the guests. However, I usually spent a little extra time after explaining the lifecycle of the wasp to tell my guests about my first encounter with a tarantula hawk wasp. My story went a little like this;

“Earlier this year I was in the rainforest of Ecuador, 6 hours from the nearest city. It was my first morning at Yanayaku Biological Station, 2100 masl. I woke up early with the excitement of venturing deep into the rainforest that day to find some cool bugs. Trying not to disturb my sleeping roommate on the bunk beside me, I took my headlamp and began to dig through my backpack for a change of clothes when I saw something literally running toward me along the floorboard. I shined my headlamp at it and saw it was an iridescent insect with orange wings. Thinking it was just a simple wasp I left it alone, changed my clothes and went down the dining area. This is where I found my professor sitting on a chair in front of a dirt mound. Curious, I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was observing a tarantula hawk wasp burying its recently paralyzed tarantula. I then told him I had just seen one in my room. He then tells me that its sting is second to the bullet ant and that I needed to go find it quick! I ran up to my room to find my roommate awake and I told her what I saw and that we have to find this bug immediately! After searching for an hour, we gave up. We could not find the wasp and we just hoped it found its way out through a crack in the wall. I soon forgot about the hawk wasp but on the day we were packing up to leave, I picked up my backpack from off the floor and the hawk wasp fell out of my backpack strap!”

Me with the female tarantula hawk wasp I caught in Costa Rica.

The reason why I think this approach suits me is that I am very loud, excitable, and expressive (in person) and because my stories are not ones you hear every day. 

If you would like to learn more about the tarantula hawk wasp… here is a good link…https://www.aboutanimals.com/insect/tarantula-hawk/

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T., & Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore – Venture Publishing LLC.

Poppell, K. & Monroe, M. C. (2018).  Why is exposure to nature interpretation important in early childhood? University of florida. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr394

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Great post Victoria!

I love that you mention the importance of the smallest organisms in nature. Without them, nothing else would be able to exist. But too often are they both figuratively and literally, overlooked! I also think that is a great metaphor for life in general!

I also couldn’t agree more with the goal of nature interpretation. It is so much more than simply informing people. It is vital that as nature interpreters, we inspire others. This inspiration is where real change occurs. When we inspire people, they take that knowledge they learned and apply it to their daily lives. This may be something as simple as not littering. Inspiring someone to care about the environment is so much more effective than telling them “Litter = bad”. If we want to change the world we have to be willing to go beyond the normal expectations. Change truly starts with the individual, so the more people we can inspire, the more the entire world will benefit.

I also agree with the importance of teaching children. Children have impressionable minds that can easily be influenced. It is our goal, as nature interpreters, to leave children with the knowledge that will help them become environmentally minded individuals. Children are truly the generation of tomorrow, so the more we can positively influence them now, the better chance we have to create the world of our dreams.

It is also so neat to learn about your work experience in Costa Rica! What an amazing adventure that sounds like! I would love to do something like that when the world opens up again!

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The Importance of Environmental Education

Dear board of directors,

I am sending you this letter today over the concern for the closure of Camp Kawartha, environmental education program because of insufficient funds. Students come across the province to attend this camp and are given the opportunity to learn about wildlife, environmental sustainability, green living, and renewable energy systems.  Thus, many people including me would like to express why this is a mistake.

Your mission was once to inspire environmental leaders and stewards of all ages using outdoor equipment, partnerships and programming (Camp Kawartha, 2020). Your vision was to be recognized as a leader in high quality inspiration by educating and promoting environmental sustainability to increase nature appreciation (Camp Kawartha, 2020). Without this program, who will be there to educate the children on why our natural environment is so important? As climate change continues to change our world and kill many wildlife species around us, we have now lost one more program to help inspire growing minds on this subject (Nunez, 2020). Thus, this is a major issue.

You may be thinking, “why shouldn’t I give up hope for environmental education?”. As there are many reasons to the importance of environmental education, I will tell you why. Jacob Rodenburg explains how already there are very few opportunities for children to be outside, as schools can manage the kids easier if they’re safe inside, in their line of sight. Children need to be inspired by the natural world (Rodenburg, 2019). They need experiences that show them bugs, mud, catching frogs or swimming, boating and playing in the trees and leaves can be rewarding and cool (Rodenburg, 2019)! Growing up I had the opportunity to have a cottage with my family. I was educated in the outdoors by my experiences, some of which listed above and through that I made memories. Those memories have stuck with me as I have grown up, and have made me love the environment and become a green, sustainable household, while pursuing a career in wildlife biology.  Saying this, you have the ability to offer children the chance to build these memories, as well as teach them about how climate change, pollution, species survival are very important current issues humans face this present day. It is so easy to inspire the young and developing mind (Rodenburg, 2019)! The discovery of a new creature, or nurturing a hurt animal till it can be released or playing with salamanders would reveal a beautiful wonder to them (Rodenburg, 2019). This would create a nature loved community where children and adults can treat the natural environment with equality and love so we can further reduce our ecological footprints, improving species survival (Rodenburg, 2019).

A paper written by Adina Merenlender and colleagues explain how environmental programs are the bridge between conservation and experience around the world. They conducted research and an experiment revealing how the participants in the study had increased ecological knowledge, scientific skills, and inspiration to tackle environmental issues after taking an environmental education program (Merenlender, Crall, Drill, Prysby, & Ballard, 2015). Knowledge and experience pay an important role in environmental stewardship (Merenlender et al., 2015).

Another study done by Wals, Brody, Dillon and Stevenson capture the partnership between science and environmental education. They further explain how to help minimize climate change, food scarcity, and the declining rate of biodiversity is to continue environmental education programs (Wals et al., 2014). With a higher attention on environmental education, it encourages the public of all ages to critically and creatively think about environmental sustainability (Wals et al., 2014). With this engagement, further solutions to sustainability can be created and addressed (Wals et al., 2014). The more minds involved would help ensure the survival of our planet (Wals et al., 2014). Also, many environmental views are dependent on religion, thus with the increase in environmental education programs, can allow people to see different perspectives (Wals et al., 2014).

Furthermore, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my letter. I hope you found inspiration in my words and can at least re-think the decision to close Camp Kawartha. It would be very sad for the wildlife, environment and people who depend upon these programs. Think of the future!

Kind regards,

Taylor

References:

 Merenlender, A.M., Crall, A.W., Drill, S., Prysby, M., and Ballard, H. (2015). Evaluating environmental education, citizen science, and stewardship through naturalist programs. Conservation Biology, 30(6): 1255-1265.

 Nunez, C. (2020). What is global warming, explained. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-overview/

 Rodenburg, J. (2019). Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give Up Hope. Retrieved from   https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300

 Wals, A.E., Brody, M., Dillon, J., and Stevenson, R. (2014). Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education. Science, 344: 583-584.

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Great post Taylor!

I think preserving outdoor camps is very important for our society. As our society continues to become more technologically advanced, kids are spending more and more time indoors playing video games or on their phones. While technology is not inherently bad, I think it is important for kids to spend quality time outdoors.

According to Lund (2018), playing outside makes kids physically healthier, improves cognition and social development, improves sensory skills, increases attention span, and improves children’s moods. Camp provides access to the outdoors that many children would have not otherwise had access too. Like you, I was fortunate enough to have a cottage growing up and recognize the impact that had on my childhood. I think camp provides provides the same fundamental experiences of a cottage and even more beneficial social skills.

Relating to the environment, I think camp is the perfect place for kids to learn about the outdoors. Camp provides kids with a fun and engaging way to learn about the environment. They get hands on experience with things they would otherwise never have access to. The passion for the environment kids learn at camp can stay with them for life. Passion for the environment is crucial for motivating people to actively protect it. It all starts as a kid having fun exploring the world around them at camp. You have my vote. Save Camp Kawartha!!!

References:

Lund, D. (2018, June 26). Top 5 benefits of children playing outside. Retrieved November 23, 2020, from https://news.sanfordhealth.org/childrens/play-outside/

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Environmental Education is crucial

Dear Board of Directors

I am writing to you on behalf of the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, which is a conservation area part of the Hamilton Conservation Authority. It is of upmost importance that the funding for our conservation area continues. Without it we will no longer be able to provide important services to our local community.

Dundas Valley Conservation Area (2020)

Here at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, we offer a unique way for the Hamilton community to learn about their local environment. Partnered with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, we educate primary and secondary school students about the local animals, habitat and environment. Here the children learn value information about the cool things their local area has to offer. The benefits our conservation area provides as a valuable teaching asset to the local school district is unmatched and an important tool which aids in environmental education (Beck et al., 2018).

Environmental education is incredibly important to teach our youth. It has been found that environmental education is crucial in creating environmentally conscious behaviours later in life (Boyes & Stanisstreet, 2012). It is so important to teach our youth the importance of the environment for the to develop awareness of climate change and to invoke a sense of urgency in protecting the environment. If we want to protect the Earth from the potential devastating effects of climate change, it all starts with educating our youth. Here at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, we provide the knowledge and environment to educate and inspire children.

The positive changes we want to see happen in protecting our environment start with the individual. It has been shown that the accumulation of environmentally conscious behaviour at the individual level has the capacity to produce largescale beneficial environmental effects (Jensen & Schnack, 2006). Our environmental education program is where this change starts.

Our goal is to inspire an entire generation of kids to become passionate about protecting their environment. Providing a space where kids can not only learn but gain hands on experience with their local environment is crucial. This provides children with real world experience instead of just reading about their local environment or watching a video. The experience our program provides shows kids that their actions can affect their environment. We help teach children the importance of protecting the environment.

In order to protect the world for future generations, we have to educate and inspire. That is our goal here at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area. With your help, we can accomplish our goals of educating the youth and by doing so helping to create a better world for generations to come.

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

Boyes, E., & Stanisstreet, M. (2012). Environmental Education for Behaviour Change: Which actions should be targeted? International Journal of Science Education, 34(10), 1591–1614. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2011.584079

Jensen, B. B., & Schnack, K. (2006). The action competence approach in environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 12(3–4), 471–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620600943053

Dundas Valley Conservation Valley - Spring Creek Trail - Part 2 [Video file]. (2020, July 30). Retrieved 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAL545IdZMk

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My Role as a Nature Interpreter

Nature interpretation is a never ending learning experience. With each day brings new things to learn, places to explore, and perspectives to consider. An open mind and keenness to learn are crucial to becoming the best interpreter possible.

I know for certain that interpretation is a unique opinion that every person has. Each person may perceive something in a different way. That is why it is so important to listen and be open to what others have the say. Everyone can offer a new perspective on a situation and give insight on different ways of thinking.

I wonder ways I can improve as an interpreter. My goal as an interpreter is to be inclusive as possible so that everyone can learn and feel included in what I say. I wonder what ways I can make my interpretation as interesting as possible to make people feel the same passion I feel for nature and the environment. It is that feeling that creates a lasting impression on people and makes them more willing to learn more or become further involved.

Inspiration is a limitless tool that can be found in almost everything, depending on the viewer. I feel mostly inspired by the people and things that make me feel emotionally connected. One of the first people to do this in my life was Steve Irwin. Steve Irwin was a famous Australian wildlife expert and conservationist. I think he is a great example of a nature interpreter who really inspired a whole generation of people. His profound knowledge and expertise taught me so much growing up about the fascinating wildlife we share our planet with. Steve’s display of kindness and empathy to all creatures inspired me to treat animals and humans alike with compassion and respect. Lastly, his charismatic charm is truly what made him such a great interpreter. You could sense the passion pouring out of him whenever he talked. He truly cared about conservation and protecting the environment. Seeing this passion is what led me to develop that same passion for the planet.

Steve Irwin (Facebook: Australia Zoo)

I can ignite this same feeling of passion that Steve Irwin ignited in me by being an effective communicator. Empathy is an innate tool humans use to learn and connect with the world around them, and a great way to ignite inspiration in others. With well rounded communication skills, I can portray my passions to people in a way that will move them. The more emotions I can make one feel, whether it be sad or happy, the more effective I will be at getting my message across. Emotions are what motivate people to act. The more passionately people feel able nature and conservation, the more they may be willing to actively help. The passion that Steve ignited in myself has stuck with me my whole life and made a goal of mine to share that passion with the world.

References:

“Steve Irwin.” Australia Zoo, www.facebook.com/AustraliaZoo/photos/a.10152195951672432/10156366584422432/?type=3&theater.

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Being a Nature Interpreter

Throughout this course, we covered many aspects of how nature can be interpreted. Having such a close relationship with nature, I thought I was so connected and aware of how it can be interpreted, but this course has opened my eyes to the many ways that nature can be explained. Through various ways such as music, art and history, there are ways that nature can connect to an individual. Everyone comes from their own background which shapes them to who they are. Past memories play a big role on how individuals view specific things. 

One specific thing I know for certain is that no individual has the same interpretation on nature as another. There are so many different components that alter and impacts someones view. The past is something that I think really impacts how someone views things in the present and what makes everyones interpretation different. For instance I associate sunsets to being back in Temagami so its something that I cherish. Being able to relate to different components in peoples lives makes more of an impact on them. In our course material we learned that its effective to relate to our audience. With our podcasts it was a key tactic to make connections between the content and the audience. And I think this circles back to how we interpret different things in nature, but by being the audience we are making up our own connections. 

Living where I do I am constantly embraced by the outdoors which is the reason I feel like I have such a close relationship with nature. Being exposed to what Temagami has to offer at such a young age has inspired me to further my education in preserving the environment. Since I have such an appreciation of the beauty of Temagami, I feel like I have the motivation to make a difference and maintain the earth’s natural beauty. As this course suggests exploring happiness involves pleasure, engagement and meaning (Lecture Notes, 2020). When I think of these three words, I know that nature absolutely fulfills my happiness and that is why I have such a strong passion for its wellbeing.

My nature interpreting sidekick. 

There are many ways to ignite my nature interpretation. Many of these were made aware during this course through music, art, history, science etc. There are so many resources out there that apply to everyone and its just a matter of finding what relates best to you. Whats your favorite method of interpreting nature?

Resources

Lecture Notes, 2020. 

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Great thought-provoking post!

It’s so true that everyone has a unique way of nature interpretation. You make a great point of explaining how an individual’s past may shape their present experience. I have never considered how someone’s past may influence how they interpret the world. Two people looking at the same sunset may have very different thoughts and feelings.

That is why I think it is so important to not judge people and to listen with an open mind of what they have to say It is only with an open mind do we allow ourselves to learn from others. If we judge others before we listen, we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn new things from a different perspective.

I think one of the great things about nature interpretation is that you can learn something new from each person. Everyone has their own past and unique passions that inspire them. The more perspectives you learn from, the more of a broadened understanding you develop. With a more complete understanding you develop the ability to share what you know with a larger variety of people. In nature interpretation, one of my goals is to influence as many people as possible. The more opinions I have considered, the more effective I will be at sharing my own passions.

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Monarch Butterfly Podcast

The Monarch Butterfly podcast was a very interesting listen. The introduction music was a great selection as it almost immediately placed me in a rainforest, and that must have been great for the child audience. The first thirty seconds were incredible. The music, mixed with the attitude and enthusiasm of the presenters really triggered my imagination, and for kids I would think that would be a great experience as well. 

The podcast offered many lessons. One of the first lessons  picked up, was about the life of Canadian born Monarch butterflies. Monarchs born here spend a little time here only during the warmer months but when it gets cold they migrate to Mexico. The journey from Canada to Mexico is extremely long, so this idea of these tiny butterflies flying from Canada, over the United States and then finally into Mexico is incredible. It’s even more interesting because not a lot of insects migrate. Next, I learned of how climate change is also impacting butterflies. Like for example, the pollution in the air makes the milkweed poisonous, so depleting butterflies of their food source. The loss of these plants was resulting in the decrease in Monarchs. Their migration route has also gotten longer as a result and Mexico is also losing forest habitats due to the cutting down of trees. Another, interesting lesson I learned thanks to the Professor, was that not a single Monarch that makes its way down to Mexico has ever seen Mexico before. The Professor explains as the summer progresses, Monarch’s make their way up North by mating and laying eggs. So by late summer time, we have Monarchs here in Southern Ontario. Now, by the time we get to September, the Monarchs we have here are the Monarchs that will be travelling down to Mexico. Since they have only been travelling up North, there is no Monarch that makes it from beginning of the Summer to the end, and so it’s only the ones born late that will migrate to Mexico, so they have never seen Mexico. Before the podcast, I didn’t even know butterflies migrated let alone all the way to Mexico, so this was extremely interesting to hear. 

One tool they used was imagery. They were really great in creating images, and forcing you to use your imagination. I noticed this especially during their introduction. The introduction music immediately placed me in some sort of rain forest, and all the little sounds made the rainforest feel even realer to me. Next, introducing Miss. Monarch was another great idea. Since I was already using my imagination, it wasn’t hard to picture an actual butterfly sitting in the studio, so I’d imagine that the child audience would have loved that too. I will definitely be incorporating more imagery and imagination into my next podcast, because it just made the podcast more fun. Overall, I really enjoyed the podcast. It was a great listen!

Here’s a Monarch butterfly for you, incase you forget how beautiful they were because I most definitely did!

References: 

Criss, D. (2019, January 07). The monarch butterfly population in California has plummeted 86% in one year. Retrieved November 08, 2020, from https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/07/us/monarch-butterflies-decline-trnd/index.html

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Great description of the podcast!! I think many people underestimate the power music has in setting tones for situations, whether in movies, podcasts or in general. Good introductory music plays such a key role in gaining the initial attention of the listener and by offering the listener an expectation of what’s to come!

I also find it truly fascinating that Monarch butterflies migrate all the way to Mexico. It blows my mind that these small insects have the capacity to make such a long journey. Thinking about this long flight made me curious as to how they do it. I was able to find that Monarch butterflies have a biological clock which allows them to know what time it is and to use this along with the sun to know which direction they are headed (Montpetit, 2017). It is truly amazing to learn about the incredible creatures that we share our planet with. Learning that pollution is making milkweeds toxic to Monarchs is devastating. I wonder if there is anything we can do help with this problem.

I also agree with how useful imagery can be in a podcast setting. Children thrive with their imagination so any time they get to use it, the more involved they are and the more they can take away from the lesson. That is definitely something I will be looking to ad to my next podcast as well.

References:

Montpetit, D. L. (2017, October 19). How do monarchs find their way? Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.mission-monarch.org/how-do-monarchs-find-their-way/

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Snapping Turtle Podcast

The Snapping Turtle podcast was a great listen. I enjoyed the introduction music which I thought was fitting for a child audience. The topic of snapping turtles is a great idea as I think turtles are a common interest of many children. The guest speaker Matt seems like the perfect guest lecturer with lots of turtle related knowledge.

This podcast offered several important lessons about the nature of snapping turtles. The first lesson I learned from this podcast is the diet of snapping turtles. Before this podcast I had assumed they were had a mostly carnivorous diet. However, I learned that they also eat a variety of fruits and vegetables which I thought was an interesting fact. Another lesson learned from this podcast is the incredible strength of the snapping turtle shell which can hold over one hundred pounds of force. I found this to be a neat fact because I had always assumed turtle shells were strong, but not that strong. One more interesting lesson I learned from this podcast was the natural predators of snapping turtles. Prior to the podcast I did not think snapping turtles had any natural predators, so it was cool to find out that river otters were natural predators.

 Figure 1: The North American River Otter

These lessons were explained by the guest speaker Matt. The simple explanation of relevant snapping turtle facts was an effective way to teach children about snapping turtles. I think these cool, easy to remember facts about turtles were great for child listeners because they offer something simple that children can take away from the podcast. I think that is important for a children’s podcast because if the lessons are too complex the child will not be able to take anything meaningful away from the podcast. Children need interesting, yet easy to comprehend facts that they can share with friends or family. I thought the podcast did a great job of doing just that.

One technique this podcast used which I found to be effective was the interviewer taking things the guest speaker had said and put them into their own words. This technique simplified what the guest speaker had said and turned it in to an interesting story. I thought this was a great technique because it seemed to break the podcast in to different sections which helps the podcast retain the listener’s interest throughout the podcast. Instead of a simple conversation between interviewer and interviewee taking up the majority of the podcast they were able to break the conversation in to different sections. This seemed to be an effective way of keeping the listener more actively engaged in the podcast throughout its entirety.

Overall, I enjoyed listening to this podcast. I thought the topic of snapping turtles was one of relevance to the interests of children. I thought the guest interviewee was a great choice who had a friendly voice which appeals to children. The topics were not too complex which again is ideal for a young audience. Well done!

References:

Figure 1:

“North American River Otter.” The National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/north-american-river-otter.

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Moonlight might really be magical

The general understanding of the word nature today translates to mean the “natural environment”, we often imagine forests, animals, oceans, and maybe even rocks. I like to think of nature as the entire physical world, ranging from the subatomic to the cosmic, and in that regard my favourite thing about nature is the moon. The moon is the only place humans have set foot on beyond Earth, and as much as it may seem “outside” of Earth, it has a large influence on what happens here. The moon enables our planet to be livable by moderating Earth’s wobble on its axis which leads to a more stable climate.

“moon 03-10-2009” by moosejaw00 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

One of the most popular effects of the moon on Earth are the tides. Tides are pretty much all about gravity and are caused by the moon’s gravitational pull causing something called a tidal force. This tidal force causes Earth, together with its water, to bulge out on the side closest to the moon, as well as the side furthest from the moon causing what we know as high tides. When you’re not in either of the bulges, you experience a low tide. A cycle of two high tides and two low tides occurs on most days and on most coastlines around the world.

High tide (left) and low tide (right) in the Bay of Fundy in Canada. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, Tttrung. Photo by Samuel Wantman.

The moon has some more subtle and quirky influences on earth beyond the tides. In the same way circadian rhythms are influenced by the day and night rhythms of the Earth orbiting around the sun, there exists circalunar rhythms tied to lunar cycles. The mass spawning of coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef is triggered by the moon and interestingly always happens between October and December and always right after a full moon. Of course corals also rely on other environmental signals such as water temperature and length of day before they spawn but the presence of the moon seems crucial. Interestingly, if it’s too cloudy and moonlight is blocked, corals will not spawn and could even wait until the next full moon.

          If you’re interested in seeing what coral spawning looks like!

Still not intrigued? Moonlight has also led to some interesting nocturnal adaptations by organisms. A plant commonly called the joint pine or mormon tea (Ephedra foeminea) is an ancient flowerless plant that relies on insects for pollination. In order to attract pollinators, its little cones produce a fluid that sparkles under moonlight, and helps stick pollen to the nocturnal insects it attracts. 

Close-up of cones from a joint pine (Ephedra foeminea) © Gideon Pisanty via Wikimedia Commons (licensed under CC BY 3.0)

Unfortunately I could not find a picture of it at night, but here’s what it looks like!

Dung beetles also rely on moonlight to travel in a straight line and navigate their way at night.

Dung beetle astride a dung ball © Michael Mayer via Flickr (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

If you’re interested in learning more about how the moon influences nature’s rhythms, check out this great article by the Smithsonian. And if you’re curious to know whether life on earth would exist without the moon check out this intriguing article.

References:

NASA. Earth’s Moon. Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/overview/

Dorminey, B. (2009). Without the Moon, Would There Be Life on Earth? Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/moon-life-tides/

How Moonlight Sets Nature’s Rhythms. (2017). Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-moonlight-sets-nature-rhythms-180963778/

What Causes Tides? (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://scijinks.gov/tides/

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Great post Ilham! I also am fascinated by the moon. The full moon yesterday on Halloween was such a treat. Something about the moon I love is it how it has always been able to make me feel incredibly grounded. No matter how far away from home I may be, I can look up in the night sky and see the same moon, every single night. It makes me feel like anywhere on the planet I find myself is home.

Tides have always blown me away. The moons ability to have such a strong effect on water amazes me. It makes me wonder if the moon may have an effect on us, as over half our body weight is water. NASA just recently discovered water on the sunlit side of the moon which is so crazy to think about. That makes me ponder on the moon’s origins. Was it originally part of the earth that? How else would water have gotten there? So cool to think about and makes me excited to what scientists will discover next about the moon?

I was not previously aware of all the organisms that rely on the moon to function. It’s so interesting to learn how animals have adapted to benefit from the moon. Dung beetles having the intellect to utilize the moon is such a cool fact, thanks for sharing. I thought I was smart for using the moon in my night travels, nice to know I’m not the only one!

 References:

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-sofia-discovers-water-on-sunlit-surface-of-moon/

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Reap the Mental Benefits of Nature

Nature has so many incredible gifts to offer us. All it asks of us is that we embrace nature with open hearts and open minds with a willingness to discover the unknown. The thing that fascinates me the most about nature is its ability to alter our perceptions and mood by simply being encompassed in it.

A study conducted by Barton and Pretty (2015) found that leisure exercise in nature improved self reported self esteem and mood! These are two things that so many people all around the world struggle with daily. A completely natural and free source of relief from moods associated with mental illness. In fact it was found that people who suffered from mental illness reported the biggest increase in self esteem after exercising in nature (Barton & Pretty, 2015). Another interesting thing learned from the Barton and Pretty (2015) study is that the presence of water made people report even more positive results of increased self esteem and mood. How neat it is that the presence of water can have substantial effects! It’s truly amazing the effects nature can have on the human psyche by simply going for a walk in a natural area.

Clearing my mind on a hike in Austria.

I personally have benefited greatly from exercising in nature. Whenever I am not in a good mood, I know I am just a walk away from escaping that mood for a while, if not completely. There are some things I find that helps me get the most from my experience in nature. The most important thing for me to reap the benefits of nature is being completely present in the moment while in nature. This means no phones!!! The text messages to friends can wait, the social media scrolling can wait, the point is to escape those things that we are constantly stimulated by in our urban environments. With being said I’ll always bring my phone with me for safety reasons or if I find a cool animal, plant, or landscape I want to take a picture of. Another important thing for me is no music! I am an avid music lover and listen to it whenever I can throughout the day, but the point of being out in nature is to be present with nature through every sense. Use your ears to hear all the small noises you would otherwise not notice like the birds chirping or the rustling of wind through different trees. A mindful ear is my favourite sense to feel in nature. Use your eyes to see and appreciate the beauty nature offers all around you. Smell the subtle yet beautiful scents that nature has to offer. Feel the light breeze move through your shirt. So many people live their lives only living through vision when the other senses have so much to offer. In order to truly be present with their senses in nature, one must quiet their mind. This means no worrying about the paper you have to write after or what you’re having for dinner later that evening. One way I do this is by actively focusing my attention to my breath, or to my physical senses that I have described. Only with a quiet mind are we able to truly reap all the benefits nature has to offer.

References:

Barton, P. (2010). What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(10), 3947–3955. https://doi.org/10.1021/es903183r

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Music and Nature Interpretation

NAs whenever it comes to the interpretation of nature, art tends to be a useful tool to help the audience interpret nature in many different forms, as there are different forms of art that appeal to different types of audience members. Yet music is a form of art so there’s no doubt that it can be used as a tool for interpreting nature. 

So in the context of music being a tool for nature interpretation, its been common to use lyrical themes about the environment to raise awareness. Also the indigenous doing their own camp fire songs and music to represent their land. Also using music in the background when giving nature presentations to make it connect with the picture slides and the music background. But one thing that I believe is the most important is the natural sounds that nature plays itself. 

So what i mean by this is sounds you hear when you’re outside like you might be by the river and hear the sounds of the waves and start focusing on it like a way of meditating and learning to appreciate the beautiful sounds of it. This can also apply to the sounds of trees from the wind and also other animals speaking in their own language. So what can be ideal is that going to some like forest or nature trail and finding a spot by the waterfalls and sitting down on a rock nearby and meditating by listening to the sounds of the waves of the waterfalls and feeling connected to it and feeling the beauty, this is music. 

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Ideal location for meditation to appreciate the natre of music. 

So with this type of practice and exercise, this can help others appreciate the beauty and and gift and interpret the meaning of it. That way ones can grow up to respect nature and interpret why we need it. 

Good way to get others to get a head start on it is by playing recordings of this music in powerpoint presentation to an audience before going out to a location so one knows what they want to discover. 

So in conclusion, I’d say that music and nature coexist in harmony. The whole world is made up of sounds and vibrations (Natural Musicians, 2020). 

References:

Interpreting-Cultural-and-Natural-Heritage-For-a-Better-World-PROTECTED.pdf

https://www.naturalmusicians.co.uk/why-make-music-and-connect-with-nature/

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Great post Amaar! I really relate music as a great way of expressing nature. You make a great point that the sounds in nature could be considered music itself. The sounds in nature do what great music does, makes the listener appreciate the present moment. Nature is art! 

You made great examples that paint the picture clearly. Sounds in nature are what I often notice the most in all of my senses. The feelings of calmness and wonder that these sounds invoke are so unique. It makes me so incredibly thankful to be able to hear these sounds.

I feel like at times nature can almost be too stimulating with so much information coming in from all the senses to the point where they all just get blended together so nothing in particular gets singled and and enjoyed by the observer. I like your idea of going to a specific spot in nature and mindfully listening to the sounds. It really is like meditation. If more people were to do that every time they are out in nature, I am almost sure they would recognize the beauty all around them which could help attract the people who normally aren’t inspired by nature. This is a great idea to get more people involved in nature and environmental conservation!

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Interpreting Nature Through Art

According to (Beck et al., 2018) art attracts the unconverted, those who are not typically passionate about the environment. With respect to nature, art can be an extremely useful tool in engaging people in important environmental topics. Art is so effective in teaching people because it uses a mix of emotional and intellectual approaches to communicate its message (Beck et al., 2018).

I am someone who can interpret nature through art as I consider myself conscious to nature and important environmental issues. In order to be successful in interpreting nature through art, one must be truly aware of what it is your trying to teach. If one does not feel moved by nature, they will not be successful in helping others feels moved. Nature makes me feel incredible things which I am moved by. The way I connect with nature on a personal level makes me extremely passionate to act as a conservationist and an educator on important environmental issues. These internal feelings provoke a sense within me to initiate that same feeling in other people. Initiating that powerful internal feeling in others is the best way to stimulate concern for environmental issues in others. A person can have all the facts on a certain environmental issue but if they do not have that internal passion for conservation, the knowledge becomes useless. Unless people are moved by nature, they will probably not be willing to act in order to protect it, which is what the world needs right now. The world needs environmentally conscious people now more than ever before. We are reaching a tipping point where action needs to happen if we want to save our planet.

The sounds of nature have always been a major inspiration for me. The rushing sounds of water in an Austrian River invoked an internal sense of peace and calmness which inspires my own art.

As an environmentally conscious individual, I want others to feel as moved by nature as I am. Art is an extremely effective way at invoking that feeling. I choose to interpret nature through music. Music paints a picture of imagination (Beck et al., 2018), which I find to be the most effective at invoking a sense of wonder in nature.  When alone in nature, which is the time I gain that sense of wonder the most, there is no one there telling me how or what to think. It’s the sounds of nature, the birds chirping, the rushing water in a river, the wind passing through leaves in a tree, that really inspire me. These melodic sounds I try to replicate in my own art in hopes of inspiring others. All those feelings are based on yourself and your imagination invoking a sense of wonder. Music is a magical form of communication as it crosses all boundaries and limitations of language. The sense of wonder and passion I gain from the being in nature is the same feeling I try to convey with my own music. Art drives individual passion which is crucial for the environmentally unconscious to become conscious of nature and important environmental issues.

 References:

 Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

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Cottage Living: A Privilege Not Available to All

In my blog last week, I talked about how spending time at the cottage in the summer helped fuel the passion that I have for the natural world. One of the things that I am keenly aware of is that not everyone, or even most, have had the privileges that I had to fuel that passion.

A privilege is basically any advantage that is granted to some but not others. Privileges include, but are not limited to, gender, sexual orientation, skin colour, country of origin, and income.

Two big privileges that I have experienced firsthand and are applicable to almost every way to interpret nature is time and money. I had the privilege of growing up with a stay at home mum. This gave us a two month long window between school years where (most of) our family could go up to the cottage and spend the entire time there. If my mum was working, we would only have the weekends, minus the time it took to travel up and back. Another way this privilege manifested was that I had all day to experience the natural world around me. If both my parents were working, not only would I not have been able to spend my days at the cottage, I would have been spending the majority of the day in a daycare, and the amount of time I would be in nature would be greatly diminished.

This privilege of time and money extend into many ways we experience and interpret nature. Do we have enough vacation time at work to be able to take a two week long trip across the country, and can we afford the airfare? Do we have time to go hiking on local trails on weekends, or do we need to work on a side hustle? What is nearby if we don’t have access to a more expensive mode of transportation? A city park within bus range provides a very different experience than Algonquin Park, a number of hours away, does. Even doing the blog as part of a university course contains a certain amount of privilege. I have the luxury of being able to afford tuition at a post-secondary institution. Not everyone can. Spending thousands of dollars, even on a good investment, is not something that everyone can afford.

So the idea that the natural world is just right there and can be experienced by everyone at any time is a nice sentiment, but one that is just not true. It takes time and money to experience what the world has to offer, and the unfortunate reality is that those that have an abundance of time and money are have greater opportunities to take advantage of.

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I too, benefitted from growing up with a cottage. Looking back I feel so thankful for the childhood I had, as I am sure you do as well. It must have been an amazing time, getting to spend so much time during the summer with your mum. I am sure you do and will continue to cherish the memories you made those summers with family. It is important to remember how privileged we are. Not only fortunate with money to be able to have a cottage, time with family is a privilege in its own right, something that can not be bought with any amount of money. Going to University is a great example of privilege I too overlooked so I thank you for bringing it up. How lucky are we that we can afford an education. So many people around the world would do anything to be in our shoes. That thought alone makes me want to work hard and not waste the opportunity we have been given. Education is something I believe should be a right and not a privilege. I believe if any person in our country is able and willing to attend university, that should be a readily accessible for all, not only those who qualify financially.

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Fight For the Future

         Thomas Hobbes was a famous English philosopher in the 17th century, who once stated that by nature, humans are very selfish and that we are willing to hurt one another if we think it will help us. You don’t have to look very far for examples of people competing against one another in pursuit of their own personal gains, especially in cases where financial gains are available. It is not uncommon for people to focus on their own personal pursuit of success and not always thoroughly consider how their actions may be impacting the lives of others, but when in comes to environmental conservation, not considering how our current actions will influence the state of the earth for future generations is completely unacceptable.

               Humans have been destroying the earth for years. Highly developed nations such as Canada and the United States are driven by capitalism, which I believe unintentionally promotes the of use of natural resources as a way for people to make their own personal financial gains. Industrial development has been rapid in the 21st century, introducing an extensive list of  industries consuming high levels of natural resources, such as coal and oil as fuel, or steel and lumber used to create housing to support the ever expanding population (Sweezy, PM. 2004). Capitalism allows for private sectors to control natural resource industries and trade, and because of this I believe capitalism can greatly influence a person’s interpretation of the environment. In my opinion, the companies that are at the top of resource industries, such as forestry or natural gasses, interpret the environment as nothing more than a source of income, competing with one another to gain access to natural resources across the world in order to expose them for profits. I believe that as long as capitalistic ideology is in place, people will continue to overuse natural resources for profits, despite the detrimental impacts this mind set can have on future generations.

               According to NASA, in the past 100 years the average surface temperature of earth has increased by roughly 1 degree Celsius, which they say has been largely driven by human population expansion and increased levels of human-made carbon dioxide emissions (www.climate.nasa.gov). There is an extensive list of environmental impacts that can be caused by these rising average temperatures, including increased droughts, changes in annual precipitation patterns, reduced crop yields, and health impacts in cities related to heat (www.climate.nasa.gov).

               I believe that this evidence showing increased average temperatures, as well as the associated environmental impacts of climate change, paint a clear picture that people need to stop interpreting the environment as a source of income and consider the impacts that their actions will have on future generations. In an article published by BBC news, it states that if we wish to keep the global temperature increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius this century, 45% of human carbon dioxide emissions must be cut by 2030. Time is running out, and if our generation wishes to leave the world in a condition that will allow our children and grandchildren to thrive, drastic changes must be made on both an economic and societal level, opening up people’s interpretation of the environment as a precious source of life for all generations, and not as a way to get as rich as possible during your time here.

Sources:

McGrath, M. (2019, July 24). Climate change: 12 years to save the planet? Make that 18 months. Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48964736

Paul M. Sweezy (Oct 01, 2. (2014, June 30). Capitalism and the Environment. Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://monthlyreview.org/2004/10/01/capitalism-and-the-environment/

The Effects of Climate Change. (2020, August 21). Retrieved October 02, 2020, from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

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You bring to light a conversation many people are not ready for, but it is one that clearly can not be delayed anymore. Greed is indeed a natural human quality that will never be removed from our society. However it is true, we live in a society that rewards greed with money and status. I am not one who despises capitalism but I certainly agree changes need to be made. In my opinion that change may start in the way we raise our children. Children should be taught compassion, and rewarded for behaviours that encourage it. I believe we can find a balance in society if we could teach an entire generation that greed is not the answer. You bring valid examples of corporations assaulting our natural resources in the name of profit. I think our government needs to do more to limit what these companies can do within Canada, and on a global scale pressure other governments to do the same. We can no longer sit back and watch as our Earth is destroyed. I believe Canada needs to move away from fossil fuels for good and invest in renewable energy sources. It may be expensive now but as you mention the impact climate change is having on our environment will be of far greater cost, both economically and in loss of human life. We must act now to cut carbon dioxide emissions. If Canada as a nation is as progressive as we think we are, it is time to prove it. A strong stance on climate change may inspire other countries to follow. Our time is running out.

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Finding My Path

For much of my life as a young adult, I struggled to find happiness and purpose in life. For me, this all stemmed back high school. I felt the pressure of teachers and peers to choose a lifelong career path when weeks prior I still had to ask if I was allowed to use the washroom. That’s something that has bugged me about our society ever since. How can we expect teens who are still struggling to find who they are, and what interests them in life, to somehow know with certainty what they want to do for the rest of their lives? I know too many people who either dropped out or finished their undergrad only to realize that their field doesn’t even interest them. Of course, after thousands of dollars and valuable young years of life wasted. Our society seems to be so rigidly aimed at getting our young people in to the work force as quickly as possible, without any care for the well being of these people. Society values money more than it does happiness. I fell victim to this. I graduated from the University of Guelph a year ago with a Bachelorette of Science in psychology, which is still a field that interests me, but career wise… not so much. I graduated university feeling more lost than ever, and the pressure was building for me to start my career.

Determined to overcome this obstacle of disorientation in life, I started to focus on the things I knew I enjoyed. Things that made me feel alive. To me, that was music and nature. They were my escapes from my anxious world. They both allow me to be entirely present in the moment, no thoughts, just mindfully aware.

I spend a lot of my spare time encompassed in nature. It helps quiet my mind from the noises of society.

 My music tastes evolved to enjoying slower, melodic electronic music, which reflects that mindful state. I invite you to listen to ‘G Jones – Everything All At Once’ and ‘Boards of Canada – Corsair’ to gather a sense of what I mean. Another artist who inspires me deeply is Dominik Eulberg, a German electronic music producer and avid ornithologist. Dominik’s music reflects his appreciation of nature, often naming songs after the organisms he studies. A magical song of his called ‘Goldene Acht’ (which is a butterfly) is one of his most beautiful transcending pieces of art. It’s almost as though when listening to this song, you can picture a butterfly floating through a luscious field. Inspired by Dominik, I started to produce music. Just as he does, I look to nature for inspiration, which is an endless source of creativity. 

Inspiration in nature is not hard to find if you know how to look (hygrocybe cantharellus).

I’m currently working on a project I hope to be done by the end of the semester and will share with everyone! Continuing my search, I was reminded daily of the horrors of our collapsing environment and world which made me think of what I could do to help. This ignited a fire within me of wanting to do my part in protecting the Earth. Finding this passion naturally lead me to where I am now, continuing my education in environmental science, with a lifelong goal of protecting the world I draw so much inspiration from. I took the time to let my passions evolve, find my path, and haven’t looked back since.

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Privilege in Nature Interpretation

I’ll admit, privilege in nature interpretation is not something I had greatly considered in the past. Privilege in general, is something I view as an advantage in opportunity that a certain group has over another. With regards to nature interpretation, I define the notion of privilege to be that certain groups have easier access to nature, and nature related activities, than others. This idea of privilege in nature sparked some serious introspection as to what privileges I have personally benefitted from. I am a physically healthy individual who grew up in a financially stable environment with easy access to anything nature related. Growing up, I was blissfully ignorant to how fortunate I was to have these opportunities. As an adult, it is important to reflect and understand the privileges I have been gifted and what steps I can take to make nature something everyone has access to and can enjoy.

The first things that come to mind that I interpret as privileges for access to nature are: physical and socioeconomic factors. Physical disabilities often limit the access someone may have to a full nature experience. People who have impairments in their sense reception, whether it be sight, hearing, smell, or touch are limited in their ability to experience and/or comprehend certain aspects of nature. Another example is people with certain physical conditions who may not be able to participate in nature walks. I, as an individual with good physical health, gave little thought of these situations. Socioeconomic factors are also a major area of privilege that exists in nature interpretation. People with lower financial income often live in urban city centres where there is often limited access to nature or at least the broader scope of nature. Parks in urban areas may be the only access to nature available and these urban city parks are often nothing more than grass strips. They may also not have the financial resources to easily partake in outdoor activities such as camping or skiing as examples, outside of their immediate neighbourhood or city. Many outdoor activities are often expensive, and this greatly limits who can participate in them. As someone who grew up in a financially stable home, my access to these types of activities was not really limited. Growing up I was able to go on ski trips, camping, visit my cottage etc. These are outings in nature that I have come realize were possible due to privilege. I am incredibly grateful for my upbringing.

My cottage, a place I was incredibly privileged to have growing up.

As a nature interpreter, it is important to look for ways to make nature more inclusive. Perhaps programs could be initiated that focused on people with certain disabilities. This way accommodations could be made to ensure everyone has access to exploring and learning about nature firsthand. In situations where this may not be possible, the use of more descriptive language in media and other communication channels, could broaden the understanding of nature to those whose access is limited. I also believe more programs should be initiated to give more inner-city youth easy access to nature. An obvious way to do that is for content about nature, the environment, and conservation, to be included in mainstream educational curriculum that could include the use of virtual reality. Other means of expanding education and exposure could include school, government, or charity, funded day trips, camps, or outdoor activities. These types of initiatives could introduce a sense of place to these youth who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience it.