Unit 10: My Ethics as an Intepreter
So here we are, finally rounding out the end of the semester, the last round of blog posts. This course has given me the opportunity to analyse and reflect on many different aspects of a topic I had a lot of intuitive understanding of, but one which I had not given much serious thought before now. I was also able to learn about several topics I had never considered before, and learn from a variety of different points of view through all of your posts. Of course, this week’s prompt is just as thought provoking as ever.
In considering my personal ethic as a natural interpreter, I was forced to analyse the ethical views I hold in all aspects of my life. As a human being interacting with other human beings in this thing we call a society, I value things like honesty, responsibility, integrity, empathy, and above all, respect. These are important character traits that I try my best to embody in my own life, and hope that others offer to me. They are also important traits when acting as a nature interpreter, both for my own interpretation and as a group interpreter.
As interpreters, we all bring certain biases into our interpretations. To be human is to be incapable of objectivity. Because of this, the next best thing is to be conscious of these personal biases, and let them affect my interpretation as little as possible. In a previous unit, we did a bit of reflection on our unconscious biases and unpacked our ‘invisible backpacks’ to get a better understanding of where each of us are at as we each come to the table as interpreters. This exercise was a good reminder of some of the parts of my identity as an interpreter which cloud my interpretation. No matter what, by virtue of the fact that we are all individuals with unique lived experiences, I will have inherently different points of view, which I have to make sure I am conscious of as I present various elements of nature and the world around us through an interpretive lens.
Some of the things which influence me whether I like it or not are things like the circumstances of my upbringing, my education, my gender and my ethnicity. These are things which play a role in how I view the stories I will be sharing as an interpreter, and they have the potential to alienate my audience, or help us connect. There are many other factors which will influence my effectiveness as an interpreter. For instance, I have a strong inclination toward enjoying the outdoors, and get a sense of fulfillment from being in nature and learning about the various processes which make up the world around me. I conduct my interpretation through a naturalist lens, informed by my study of biology and general interest in pretty much all aspects of science. This offers me many advantages in explaining certain concepts and offering an interpretation consistent with our modern understanding of the world, but it also has the potential to alienate or just plain bore some people.
Respect is, in my opinion, the most basic and important ethics and character trait to reflect on. Respect for the environment we are interpreting, respect for the people I am helping in interpretation, and their respect for both of us are crucial elements of effective interpretation. It almost goes without saying that without this basic respect, nothing really meaningful can come of any interpretation which is done. From this basic understanding, all the other ethics come fairly naturally.
Honesty comes with respect, and it is a vital part of building interpersonal relationships, and being an effective leader. Part of my role and duty as an interpreter is to be honest and truthful with my audience. A blog post that I began to write and which slowly morphed into a couple of thousand words’ worth of rambling focused on the HBO series Chernobyl. This 2019 miniseries focuses on the cost of lies and the value of the truth when disaster strikes and people’s lives are at risk. Eventually I may finish that essay (?), but at least I get to reference it here, along with the excellent show which inspired it.
Responsibility is another crucial element of being a good environmental interpreter. I feel an inherent responsibility to be a good steward of this Earth, and in my role as an interpreter, I have that same feeling of responsibility to instill that sense of stewardship through my interpretation and storytelling. I also feel it important to have a sense of responsibility towards those I am leading in interpretation, both in terms of their physical safety, and ensuring that they are receiving accurate, measured information, and hearing as many well reasoned points of view as possible.
Integrity goes hand in hand with honesty, but in my mind encompasses a general sense of not only being truthful, but also having that sense of responsibility and duty to what is true and what is right, even when no one is around to see. It means not being compromising in one’s ideals, while at the same time not being afraid to change one’s mind when new information is provided. This is, in my opinion, the trait which ties the rest together, and is especially important in education.
Empathy is, if you ask me, an underrated virtue. It invokes a sense of emotional vulnerability, but I find that it also aids one in understanding and being receptive to other people’s feelings, and one’s own. I think if more people were more empathetic, there would be far fewer problems in the world. I also think that when considering nature interpretation, or any kind of education, empathy is crucial to being a good teacher and understanding a student's needs.
As we close out the semester and look to the future, there is a lot to think about. With each passing day, I feel more and more that we now stand on the precipice of several monumental changes. Anyone reading this now has already lived through many of them, both good and bad. The 24 Hour news cycle, the Internet, climate change, social media, the pandemic… “we didn’t start the fire!”
It is not inconceivable that a person alive right now will set foot on another planet. It is extremely likely that they will be doing so in an effort to help our species find refuge from an increasingly inhospitable home. As nature interpreters, we must do our part, working in classrooms and board rooms and recording studios and maybe even in the stars, to work ethically, with respect, integrity, duty, honesty, and empathy, to offer truthful and meaningful lessons about the world around us.
Hi Ryan!
Thank you so much for such a wonderful final blog post.
I would like to say that I loved going through your whole blog site as I found it very engaging, and it exhibits your passion for the natural world.
Your layout for this post is what originally caught my attention. Each of the values you have listed resonate with me as they coincide with my own values as an individual and as a nature interpreter.
Respect – undoubtedly, I agree that this character trait is beyond essential. The bare minimum if you will. I had mentioned this in my original post and cannot stress it enough. Whether you’re interacting with your audience as a nature interpreter, working with your colleagues/peers on a project, standing next to a stranger at the grocery store, or visiting a national park – we should always consciously remember to treat others with the utmost respect. Specifically, the point you made regarding other ethics coming naturally from obtaining a basic understanding of respect stuck out to me. I could not agree more that respect comes into play with the following values; however, I would like to focus on the responsibility aspect that you had mentioned.
Responsibility – I believe that respect is a requirement for carrying out any type of responsibility. You must show respect to all who is involved, as well as yourself. One thing that helps me in committing to and staying consistent with my responsibilities is thinking of its purpose and why it is important. Like you said, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of this Earth by caring for it accordingly. I often actively reflect on why doing so is important and ways I can show my respect and appreciation. This ensures that I am held accountable for said responsibilities. In turn, by honouring your commitment to this earth you are portraying the other values. You are showing empathy to the living beings that are unable to advocate for themselves. You are displaying your strong morals; actions speak louder than words.
Overall, I found your perspective amiable and refreshing. Keep up the great work! I wish you the best of luck on the remainder of the semester and all your future endeavours.















