Me, Myself and Nature Interpretation:
For my last blog prompt of the semester, I am excited to describe and talk about my personal ethic as I develop as a nature interpreter. However, it is only fair to first start this post off by defining what ethics means to me; ethics are principles that follow a specified assortment of morals, more specifically I think that ethics is knowing the difference between what is nobly right and what is nobly wrong and then basing your actions accordingly. Some of the qualities that a nature interpreter can possess include hope, passion and beauty. These qualities are very important to me as an individual as they encompass my personal code of ethics and beliefs that I carry with me and will continue to carry with me into the future. Over the past couple of weeks, thanks to this course, I have learned and obtained various skills and tools and while on this journey of interpretation, learning and growth, I began to realize that I have already possessed some of these skills prior without noticing. In this final blog post, I will discuss (in detail) my personal ethics, values and beliefs. I will also aim to describe how I believe that we as nature interpreters have an immense power to make positive futuristic changes. Lastly, I will share different approaches that Iāve used in different situations that have helped shape my abilities as a nature interpreter.
Looking back at my first ever blog post, I reflected on how my first experience with the spark of nature or in other words my first āsense of placeā as Beck et al. describes; it was when I was younger. I reflected on different memorable camping trips that I had experienced with my family and cousins during the summer. Thinking back on this first blog post, I realize that to me a spark is really my first memorable experience with nature. It can happen at any age or stage in a personās life; mine happened when I was young. My initial spark of spending time outdoors with close family led me to further observe and experience my natural surroundings, which in turn allowed me to further appreciate nature and all that it can do for me. Referring back to the course textbook, effective interpretation allows for the trigger of brain paths and stimuli and for the information to be processed and stored for later use. I think this is important to address because it is initially the first step that anyone has to take in order to become a nature interpreter and was a step that I now realize I had taken unknowingly when I was younger through my camping experience.
Heres a photo of me fishing while camping near Lake Simcoe, ON when I was younger. Fishing was something that I really enjoyed doing as it made me feel very relaxed and at peace.
The main value and belief that I bring to my interpretations is that everything in nature matters, this means respecting everything that nature has to offer while appreciating the land. Anyone can say that everything in nature matters, but do they really mean it? Well thatās a matter of perspective and opinion. I really do care about nature and its future as this was something that was passed along to me through my dad who is the biggest nature advocate that I know. So, put simply, yes, everything in nature matters and has a purpose. That being said, there are many other beliefs that I have that I feel should be addressed in relation to nature interpretation. Another important belief that I possess is knowledge, and more specifically sharing the things you learn with others. This is important as knowledge spreads awareness and with awareness comes change. I say this because we are currently in an environmental crisis and there are many problems at hand that the average person may or may not be aware of. I took Climate Change Biology (ENVS*3010) last semester and learned, in depth, of the many issues we are currently facing when it comes to climate change and our environment. Being able to share this information with some of my friends (who didnāt take the course) and some family members made me feel good in the sense that I was doing something to initiate a change (no matter how small). Throughout that course, I was able to comprehend the impacts that climate change has on human health, safety, the economy, our natural resources and our ecosystems. I could talk about this issue for hours on end, but for the sake of the word count all I can say is: Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution and it needs to be talked about more.Ā
This is a photo I took off of @recycleseas instagram page. This page advocates for change and attempts to spread everyday awareness about the issues our planet is currently facing. I think about this picture often and wanted to share it with you guys.Ā
The main responsibility that I believe I have is the responsibility of using my knowledge to advocate for changes when it comes to different environmental issues. I feel as though this goes hand in hand with my previous talk about beliefs. Being privileged enough to go to university and learn first-hand about issues we face as a society I feel as though it is my responsibility to relay these issues to other people and make conversation. This doesnāt just go for issue-based knowledge, it applies to interpretational knowledge as well. This course has helped me understand the journey of a nature interpreter by peeling back the layers of the environment, appreciating them and understanding them. Once you have the knowledge of a nature interpreter you have such a rich understanding of the world that you want to protect it. Because of my passion towards nature, I find it is my duty and responsibility to share this passion with other people, so they too start their journey in becoming a nature interpreter.
As for approaches, I think some of the approaches that are most suitable for me include factual and practical approaches. I find that facts really stick with me and I can remember them really well, which would be useful to add to my interpretations. Additionally, practical approaches like learning how to identify thing works for me as well. I find that my go-to combo is based on factual and practical approaches; I like to identify things, research them (background information, history, etc.), and discuss them with others. I think this is a great way to develop identification skills, because it allows different perspectives to shine through during the discussion aspect of the approach.
To conclude, Iād like to end my final blog post by emphasizing how much I really enjoyed this course and how eye opening it has been to me as an individual interpreter. I loved being able to interact with my classmates and learn about their different perspectives as well. Overall this has been a great experience and it has me considering future career options in nature interpretation.
Thank you for reading!
Best,
Balsam
Reference:
Beck, L., Cable, T., & Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore ā Venture Publishing LLC
Hi Balsam!
I really love your reflection back on your first post in the course. Thinking back to that point is amazing if we consider all of the knowledge we have gained since then. I also enjoy how you've reevaluated your first spark with your connection with nature, truly thinking back on your first views as anĀ āamateur nature interpreterā. When I think back on my first interactions with nature with the knowledge and information I have now, it makes me happy as I still have a love for what I initially did. I am now able to understand the impact that being able to play and learn from nature really shapes your view of the world and your ability to interpret nature as an adult. While I was writing my post I remembered how I took a recording of the waves hitting the shore at the beach near my house before I went away to university in first year. I took that recording to use as a calming and grounding mechanism for when I felt stressed out or homesick. Little did I know I was allowing myself to interpret nature in a form other than physically being in it. In my opinion this is one of the first steps to becoming a nature interpreter. To be able to understand the different ways that it can be interpreted is a valuable skill that I truly only grasped after starting this course.Ā
Thank you for sharing this post Balsam! I really enjoyed reading how your reflected on this past semester
All the best!
CaitlynĀ




















