Closer to Nature

Dana's ENVS*3000 Nature Interpretation Blog:)

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Unit 10: Final Blog

After ten weeks of studying various approaches and topics that aid in our integrity as nature interpreters, I believe that my personal ethic has shifted to a more environmentally conscious one. Prior to taking this course, I recognized to some extent the importance of our role in nature, but not to the depth I understand now. When the course first started, my background was solely science based, not so much of my knowledge came from other aspects such as technology, art and history. I will however like to mention that studying how nature intertwines with many different disciplines actually allowed me to draw comparisons to prior course work I have completed in my undergrad. For example, when I look back at a philosophy course I took, I remember touching base on how Greek ancestors viewed art and how it was based on their interpretation of their environment. They would recreate scenes or objects they found beautiful and used their art as a way of representing their meaning of beauty.

Moving forward, I want to encourage more of my life to understanding nature and why we learn about it from the moment our academic careers begin to when they end.  One of the most important things that I found about nature interpretation is the way that information is presented to an audience. Throughout course material, blog posts and even our podcasts, the use of many learning styles have been tackled.

Personally, I believe that it is significant that I answer the questions posed in relation to my personal ethic and what I bring to the table. To begin, I am a firm believer in everyone having the opportunity and right to an education. My family came from an ex-communist country and when they were growing up, education was free for those who wanted to learn and pursue their undergraduate, graduate and Ph. D’s. With this being said, I believe that children especially should be granted opportunities to learn and see what nature has to offer, no matter the gender, ethnicity and status. Even though certain aspects of nature interpretation are due to privileges, but there should be certain aspects that are available to all to some degree. Furthermore, I feel that I acquire a sense of responsibility to ensure that I am using my knowledge to inform and teach those around me. Whether it be as simple as having people tune out other noises and listen to the sound of birds or as difficult as having people learn about the impact our environment has on human health. Lastly, I have found that the most suitable approach for me is interpreting nature through science. I have always been a very logical person and prefer knowing exactly how and why something is occurring. I’ve never been extremely creative and prefer actual answers to phenomenon’s not miracles or magic. However, I do wish that I was able to be more open-minded when it came to certain topics as it keeps it fun and allows for many different answers.

If I could carry my knowledge and skills from this course and others that have similarly focused on the significance of nature, I would want to focus on the direct relationship between human health and nature. My audience would involve students and adults who are determined to stay healthy and build their relationship with nature due to the many positive health impacts it has. I believe that I am a personable person and am quite outgoing which would make it easier for me to attract a larger range of audience. I also find that my work experience, from a family clinic to an apple farm to bartending would allow me to use multiple learning styles to educate my audience (i.e. those who are willing to learn about nature and health). In addition, I have experience with many different age groups as I was a gymnastics coach for a number of years so understand how an array of age groups develop skills and learn.

Even though I do not see my future career in environmental sciences, or anything related, I do believe that the skills and knowledge I have developed in ENVS*3000 will be useful anywhere and everywhere. I truly believe that our role as nature interpretations is significant in creating a sustainable environment for generations to come. I think that if other students were grnated the opportunity to learn about their role as nature interpreters, the idea of our environment would be much different. In today’s society, the only topics that are brought up frequently are climate change and sometimes wildlife. We are taught that our actions have consequences are that we are all guilty of attaining to climate change. We have individuals who do not believe in it at all and others that are devoting their lives to improving sustainability for future generations. I think the most prominent example of this is the ban of single use plastics and the transfer to electric cars. One of the greatest issues though is the cost to become sustainable, whether it be buying cold cuts over grass-fed raised beef, filtration systems over water bottles, or whatever it may be. In Canada it is expensive to eat organic, drive an electric car, and have a life built around the idea of sustainability. Even though the benefits to this lifestyle are at large, many people do not care and simply cannot afford this. I believe that the future will provide more affordable opportunities for Canadians to improve their lifestyles and acquire one that is based on sustainability and positive ecological impacts. All in all, I am grateful for the privilege of being able to learn and discuss with classmates about the role of nature interpretation and how we will all carry this in our future.

How will you carry knowledge from this course into your future?

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Hi Ilda!

I really enjoyed your post! Until you mentioned it, I did not realize how blind I was to learning from different aspects like you mentioned, history, art, or even music! I too was solely trained in traditional science, rather than listening about and being in the world I as a researcher studied! It just goes to show that environmental education is so important (van Boeckel, 2015)! How can you be passionate about something when we are forced to learn about it by not experiencing it?!?!?! As you mentioned, the way that the audience learns about what we teach is super important! We want to build off of existing knowledge (constructionist approach) (113).

The right to learn is an amazing guiding principle! Learning, no matter your background or privilege (invisible knapsack) allows knowledge of how things work and what is currently happening and having the passion to protect our natural world! For example, if you don't know about the Willow Project in the USA, how can you know you need to stand up against it? How can you make a difference? I highly recommend you look up “#willowproject”! I not only look to educate others of any background but also look to inspire others to make that personal difference! Many individual actions make large impacts!

This course awakened something in me that is super environmentally conscious and passionate to use my new ‘tools’ (using music, connecting to my audience, art, learning styles, strategies for reaching different audiences and more!) from the course to share information and show people a connection to nature! I have re-thought all of my career choices, as I used to study cells and humans, but have switched recently to ENVS courses and conservation biology courses! We only have one earth! If I live by selflessness, I will do everything in my power to protect this earth that I value so much, as nature provides many benefits (42)! Nature is priceless, and I want others to see that too!

~Dana

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

Gallavan, N.P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks”. Multicultural Education, 13, 36. https://go-gale-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=guel77241&id=GALE|A137921591&v=2.1&it=r&sid=AONE&asid=9fe2f151

Van Boeckel, J. (2015). At the heart of art and earth: an exploration of practices in arts-based environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 21(5), 801-802.

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Final Blog - Week 10

Here we are, week 10 and I am now writing my last blog post of the semester! It is truly crazy to me how far I have come in this course and how much I have learned about nature. I have been able to delve out of my comfort zone and participate in assignments that are very new to me. For example, using Tumblr to post weekly informative posts rather than using the discussion forum on course link. I also enjoyed making the podcasts as it was a very different, yet fun way to learn about factors in nature. I think that the podcast has taught me that it is okay to try new things and that working with new people is not as scary as it seems. I am interested to know, how did you first feel when you heard that we had to create a podcast? Did it scare you or were you up for the challenge?

I want to start by saying that I took this course as it counts towards my minor in biology. Although I love nature and care much about nature, I did not expect to learn and be as engaged in the course as I was. During the first few weeks when we had to describe what it meant to be a nature interpreter, I honestly was very confused as to what was intended by this. I did a lot of research and based my response upon information I found and how I could start to pull my part as an interpreter.

I am happy as I feel that I have developed so much as an interpreter, mainly because of the podcast assignment. The podcast assignment has allowed me to aid as an interpreter as I was able to help my audiences, children and adults, acquire knowledge, skills, and a sense of belonging (Beck et al, 2018). In the podcast, I was able to engage listeners about the endangerment of the monarch butterfly in a fun and informative way.

When considering my personal ethic as a nature interpreter, I must also consider the personal ethics that I carry. I believe in acceptance, compassion, kindness, respect, loyalty, and equality. Each day, I strive to follow these values and aim to keep them in my life as an interpreter. To continue, when I first wrote about the type of interpreter I am, I talked about how I was an advocate for recycling. I still am indeed very interested in recycling and believe that it is a vital contribution to make the world a better place. Yet I have opened my eyes up to new factors I find interesting. I am also an advocate for animals and other species. I have a strong desire to learn as much as possible about animals in hopes of sharing them with rest of the world.

I believe that we as humans are responsible for creating a suitable environment for animals to thrive in. This means that I hope to ensure that we care for and preserve the environment we live in to allow for a safe and comforting place for animals as well. People must understand that nature is their home and everyone on earth including animals should have the opportunity to enjoy it. Ethically, I believe that people should not be allowed to harm nature. For example, deforestation is a negative process that chops down plenty of trees at a time (National Geographic, 2023). There are so many animals that live in these trees that are left with nowhere to go and may perish. People should think about how they would feel if their homes were destroyed without warning, and refrain from conducting deforestation.

Furthermore, as a nature interpreter, I must consider different learning styles to make my interpretation useful to each type of learner. I am a tactile/kinesthetic learner. Therefore, I learn best through hands-on experiences. I have always had a love for science experiments, especially in laboratory-based classes. One of my favourite things was in elementary school when scientists in the classroom would come and I was able to physically manipulate and complete experiments. It has always helped me learn and remember important things much easier.

In light of this, I believe that when spreading awareness about nature, I must consider how others will view it. I should ensure that it is accessible to everyone’s learning styles. For visual learners, I could provide a video or a movie about the message I want to get across and make sure to include some form of diagram or chart. For auditory learners, I could also provide a video but essentially make it more lecture or podcast based to catch their attention. Finally, for tactile learners, I could have them do an activity in nature such as exploring a certain region (Hooykaas, 2023). I think that following these steps will allow me to succeed as an interpreter and allow me to target specific audiences.

Finally, I wanted to conclude this reflection by answering the three questions that have been asked of me every week. Each week I take these questions and write out some notes to answer them in hopes that they will benefit me in the future.

Who am I as an interpreter? As a nature interpreter, I am someone who enjoys helping people understand the natural world. It is my passion to help people recognize how they can better benefit the world through recycling capabilities and how different factors come into play when considering animals rights.

Who is my audience? My audience is everyone. Specifically, those who love animals and want to do more to ensure their safety.

How can I make this experience meaningful? I can do so by ensuring that I make strong connections with others and teach them based on their specific learning styles and abilities. By following this I believe I will be an effective interpreter. 

Overall, I am very appreciative of this course. The values that I have learned will be carried with me throughout life. My journey as a nature interpreter is just beginning and I cannot wait to see where it will take me. A quick question I have for all of you is, how will you continue to be a nature interpreter beyond this course? What ethics will you follow to make that happen?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world – Chapter 1. (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.

Hooykaas, A. (2023). Unit 02: teaching learners. University of Guelph; Courselink.

National Geographic. (2023). Deforestation. Encyclopedia Entry. Retrieved March 12, 2023. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deforestation/

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 Hi Tiana!

I loved your post! I really connected with your beliefs in acceptance, compassion, kindness, respect, loyalty, and equality. I also often strive to think as few thoughts as I can that begin with “I”. As you said yourself, we are advocates for animals and other species! With society today, it is often about “how can I make money?”, which becomes problematic when trying to deal with overexploitation of nature that degrades our natural world. We see this first hand with the Willow Project, something I talked of in my post this week! I highly recommend you look up #willowproject as you continue to learn! 

You are absolutely right about using Tumblr as a unique way to post our blogs, as the reality is, many people not actively looking for information can be reached by social media! Those that don’t watch the news are likely on social media, therefore taking our interpretation to social media is a great way to expand our own current knowledge and spread it while also allowing us to expand the audience that we can reach!

You and I are very similar minded, thinking that humans should not be allowed to harm nature. I see nature as a place of peace and beauty but unfortunately some people see it as… money. This is why I chose my umbrella guiding principle to be “selflessness”, if there was no greed, nature would not be at risk of disappearing or degrading and it would be available for many generations to come.

Check out this video of my favorite interpreter! Prince Ea

I love that you have concluded that using what we have learned in class to complete your goals will bring you closer to real world nature interpretation. Learning styles, connecting with your audience, and making the activity fun and inclusive (invisible knapsack) are all things I will carry with me in my ‘tool kit’ when trying to make a difference and share my love for nature with others!

~Dana

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

Gallavan, N.P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks”. Multicultural Education, 13, 36. https://go-gale-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=guel77241&id=GALE|A137921591&v=2.1&it=r&sid=AONE&asid=9fe2f151

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Interpreting in the Real World, Guiding Principles

Ethic… the guiding principles that govern my behavior as to what I think is right and wrong. I often ponder about greed in the world and to live without greed is often one guiding principle I live by throughout my life and hope to bring with me in nature interpretation. I believe that everyone has the chance to make small changes which will compound to make a large difference, we just need to start! This will be hard to accomplish because even with individuals making small changes, a few big corporations often have all/most of the control. We can try to change what we consume and who we buy from, but affordability and convenience is very important to today’s consumers. For groceries, with rising food insecurity, it is very impractical to choose sustainable options (more expensive) or choose to shop locally. I often feel that the solution is out of my reach and far larger than myself, but if you can live greedless and afford to put the planet before convenience and affordability, I encourage you to do so! I often see greed in other places, especially when I see how grocery prices and taxes rise for consumers while large corporations are making record breaking profits. It is frustrating to see these profits going into a greedy person’s pocket instead of perhaps into conservation efforts. Just recently carbon taxes have gone up, gas prices went up to reflect this and the tax is being absorbed by the consumer. I ask what is this tax going towards, their reason for taxing gas is because it is ‘dirty’ so are they using this tax to clean up the ‘filth’ we must use in today’s society? There seems to be no transparency of where the extra money is going when prices rise for consumers, is anyone asking this question too? Yet we continue to exploit the planet without restoration.

I feel responsible to be the generation that actually does something about the world’s state, because after all, humans are the reason everything is happening. By acting, educating, carrying out plans I want to make the difference! Conservation plans are always made but failed to be carried out. For example, the UN Decade of Biodiversity (2011-2020) had a strategic plan, 20 biodiversity targets across 5 strategic goals but zero were successfully completed and only 6 were partially completed… Did I know about this? No. Once I knew, did I feel as though I could individually make a difference? Also no. I have grown up with older generations consistently passing the responsibility to younger people, or making plans and strategies but putting other selfish goals as their priority. I don’t want to be a part of the next generation that has a chance to conserve the beauty in nature that doesn't! Therefore another goal I have as I continue as a nature interpreter is educating others on what they can do individually and help them see that value of nature as something of beauty and solace instead of something we can exploit to make money.Perhaps another goal/responsibility I have as an interpreter is to inspire people to necessary small changes and encourage others to ask necessary questions large businesses don’t want us asking like the recent annihilation of plastic bags, then charging more for reusable bags. Are they using the profits made by selling bags for the environment or are they filling their pockets and continuing to act unsustainably (CTV Vancouver, 2018)?

Old People Don’t Care About Climate Change

Subscribe now: https://www.youtube.com/c/funnyordie?sub_confirmation=1See more: http://bit.ly/FODLatestScrew it. They don’t care about clima

Another guiding principle I would use as an interpreter is emphasizing the quality of information I use in interpretation. I have the responsibility to listen to many points of view and obtain the highest quality of information for interpretations. I also must adapt when new information is found as soon as possible as having accurate information I think is the most important when trying to convey the message in nature. This would lead me to be up to date with information by always learning! It has been mentioned in our textbook that an interpreter always has the desire to continue to learn beyond the classroom which is why I would use this to guide me in Interpretation!

As for approaches…

As I develop as a nature interpreter, I want to bring these questions, solutions, inspirations to be selfless and quit exploiting nature. I do not want to see nature degrade but want to share my love for nature with others! This is my place where I feel at peace, especially the places where I share fond memories of family and I hope that we can conserve nature for many generations to come to have the chance to experience what I have been lucky to have done so.

I want to start my responsibility now… educating you on something called the Willow Project that is proposed to start in the next month or so. I know that this is happening in the US, but it impacts us all worldwide! It is the largest oil extraction proposed on federal lands in Alaska, and is estimated to add more than 250 million tons of CO2 to the atmosphere over the next 30 years (POW). Research at Stanford by Josie Carthwaite estimates that plants and soils together currently absorb an estimated 30% of the CO2 emitted by human activities each year (2021)! With this additional release by the Willow project, it's hard to imagine coming back from such a catastrophe and perhaps will push global warming to an all time high! No only does this impact us as we will likely see a short lived boom of the economy for immediate benefits, but soon after, it is likely that our earth will have no more to give after ecosystems are gone, global warming unstoppable, animals wiped out at an uncontrollable pace will all have long term impacts. Don’t let our immediate greed for money and energy jeopardize our earth, ecosystems, and other generations' chance to have nature, experience the joys I feel when in nature.

DONT GIVE UP. SAVE OUR EARTH. #stopwillow #stopwillowproject #stopthewillowproject #saveearth #saveearth🌍 #2023 #dontgiveup

why would you ever agree to that. #fyp #willowproject #boost #alaska #animal #viral #foryoupage #foryou #saveearth #famous #australia #trending #spreadlove

People are already speaking out, signing petitions, making videos, researching, trying to get the Willow Project to stop! Everyone joining together is making NOISE and not sitting back and letting people motivated by greed to do this to our planet! We all can make the difference! 

this is how you do it #stopwillow #houseofreps #activistofoptimism #americanpoliticsnews #vanlifedog

There is just too much information and tools I have learned in this course to name everything in just a short blog! Thank you everyone for the incredible information you shared and conversations and replies!

What was your most memorable blog you remember using nature interpretation?

Resources:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

Carthwaite, J. (2021). Soils or plants will absorb more CO2 as carbon levels rise- but not both, Stanford study finds. Stanford- News Service.https://news.stanford.edu/press/view/38728#:~:text=Plants%20and%20soils%20together%20currently,there%20for%20a%20long%20time. 

POW. (2022) The Willow Project. Date accessed: 2023, March 15. https://protectourwinters.org/campaign/willow/ 

Unknown. (2018) Plastic bag fees: Helping the environment or big profit for retailers?. CTV Vancouver. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/plastic-bag-fees-helping-the-environment-or-big-profit-for-retailers-1.4208398

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Fireflies

Since I was a child, there has always been one aspect of nature that never ceases to amaze me, and that is bioluminescence! One example of bioluminescence is fireflies. Fireflies are a type of beetle in the family Lampyridae, and are known for being able to emit light.

Fireflies regulate their light by controlling how much oxygen gets to their abdomen. This allows them to send out signals! These signals can be used to attract mates, as each species of firefly has a species-specific light code. It reminds me of morse code!

Fireflies and humans have a complex relationship of their own. While humans are always in awe of fireflies and their abilities to emit light, recent research suggests that this light could help humans in the way of medical research. The enzymes responsible for firefly light can be used to detect the presence of certain DNA, and has even allowed for the development of new antibiotic strains (Lewis, 2016).

Fireflies are also used to detect possible contamination in our food products. Common bacteria, such as salmonella, can be detected by the activation of Luciferase, the enzyme in fireflies (Andrews, 2012).

Another fascinating animal is the angler fish. I'm sure a lot of us remember this fish from Finding Nemo, and it's hard to believe it actually exists!

Like fireflies, these fish use the light to attract mates, but it is not the only use. Angler fish are predators, and use the light to attract prey in the darker areas of the ocean.

Are there any other examples of bioluminescence that you find fascinating? I would love to hear them!

Andrews, J. (2012, March 21). Pathogen Detection System takes a cue from Fireflies. Food Safety News. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/03/pathogen-detection-system-takes-a-cue-from-fireflies/ 

Lewis, S. (2016, July 21). How fireflies are beautiful - and useful. ideas.ted.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://ideas.ted.com/how-fireflies-are-beautiful-and-useful/ 

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Hi Lauren! 

Incredible post! It awoke some memories for me and even though when I think of nature I don’t necessarily think of bioluminescence, the Finding Nemo photo struck something in me that I had to reply to you! Finding Nemo was on repeat in my house when I was a child. I’m obsessed with fish aquariums and a cohesive part of that is that some species are able to bioluminesce! You were able to educate me using a piece of my childhood to capture my attention, and relate to me (128), and I can say that I definitely learned some new things! It just makes me want to watch Finding Nemo and Finding Dory all over again! Here’s my favorite clip of the film! “I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine!”. About 50% of Jellyfish also can bioluminesce (Anna Fusaro-CuriousSTEM Staff)! I find Jellyfish to be calming as they ‘go with the flow’!

Talking about how bioluminescence is used by humans and provides an ecosystem service reminded me of my blog! National Parks are also useful to humans in more ways than I could list! Most obvious that I pointed out was natural values which is what I think of first, economic value (profitable), social & cultural values (history and culture), and health & wellbeing (49). Although I see Killbear Park to be beautiful, other people must justify using land and protecting it! What would Killbear Park look like if it never became a National Park? Before it was a park it was a not-so-profitable farm, hotel, logging, and home for a lighthouse! If we had seen profit with other uses of the park, we would not have this beautiful land for people to enjoy and nature to take over! In all previous cases, it would’ve negatively impacted land and animals.

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

Friends of Killbear. N.d. http://www.friendsofkillbear.com/its-history

Fusaro, A. N.d. Did you know some jellyfish glow? CuriousSTEM. https://www.curioustem.org/stem-articles/did-you-know-some-jellyfish-glow#:~:text=It's%20true!,give%20them%20time%20to%20escape. 

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Killbear National Park!

I have many fond memories and continue to make them year by year in the surrounding areas. You see, Killbear park does not end at its boundaries, but the wildlife is protected in the boundaries. I enjoy interpreting nature because interpretation is management (459)! Surrounding cottages also work to protect any animals that might wander through their properties! Surrounding area is largely forested which allows for boundaries to be blurred for a more cohesive natural area! This is why I have become fond of the area!

Killbear National Park is somewhere close to my heart and is very close to my cottage on Rose Island as it's a 5-minute boat ride across! My family and I enjoy the surrounding nature on walks and swimming and cliff jumping which is a tradition for people to do when they visit the park! I am currently obsessed with the area for its beauty and for the protection of what I love! Seems to be the most untouched place by humans other than the campsites which are so well maintained! There is a tree on the peninsula of Killbear which happens to be the most photographed tree in Ontario which is a windswept pine often captured in front of the magnificent sunsets you will surely see if you visit!

Killbear Windswept Pine, the most photographed tree in Ontario (Friends of Killbear)... Looks Picturesque don't you think?!

My cousins and I cliff jumping at Killbear Peninsula!

Killbear Park contains wetlands which are created by surrounding beavers and provide habitat for other organisms and a self-sustaining ecosystem! I find it so special that the area is not only created because of the wildlife instead of humans, but also maintained by itself too with no help from mankind. Wetlands are vital pieces of an ecosystem as they harbor many species of birds, amphibians, and insects by providing nursery areas (Friends of Killbear).

Where did Killbear’s name come from?! Bears are very common in the park as well as at my cottage! My family and I often find our wild blueberries depleted and our neighbor loves sleeping in a hammock outside during the summer and has spotted a few over the years, thankfully dodging any danger. In the spring we often find footprints in the mud double the size of our hands, which is crazy to imagine. Killbear had a history of logging before becoming a national park and protected area. There are stories of a logger killing a bear or vice versa, but the timeline does not line up (Friends of Killbear). Across the lake behind my cottage on rose island is Perry Island which is attached to the mainland by bridge. On Parry Island is a First Nations reserve Anishinabek (Ojibway) called the park which comes to a point ‘Mukwa Nayoshing’ which translates to bear point. To this day bears still swim back and forth, often making a pit stop on Rose Island, and the name is thought to be a mistranslation from Bear Point in Ojibway to Killbear Point in English!

Bear sighting at Killbear National Park (Friends of Killbear)

Killbear National Park is an incredible natural place that has many functions which allow it to sustain wildlife and...what is most important to most humans; to be profitable and provide ecosystem functions to us! I find the space incredibly peaceful, especially around the water which I am often most comfortable around!

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

http://www.friendsofkillbear.com/its-history Friends of Killbear

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Music Surrounds Us!

When searching “nature music” you will find hundreds of hours of videos and music of nature sounds that are often described as calming or relaxing as many people find solace in being in nature or listening to it at the very least!

I find music in nature as the sounds of nature help me to sleep, I especially enjoy thunderstorms as I find the sounds relaxing and reassuring. Music in nature often write themselves as I think of bird’s songs that allow them to find mates, I often think of the musical dancing bird from ‘Our Planet’ which performs for their mate! You can also find music in nature with the hums of bees, flapping of bird’s wings, splashing of ducks in a pond, and swishing of trees in the wind! Putting all of those sounds together may create an incredible piece of art through song!

Nature in music, I often think of people creating music that is inspired by nature or using music in interpretation to keep viewers interested (166). In the textbook they compare photos and videos. Photos capture one scene and can often communicate better than words (170), videos however contain sound which can make the scene so much more interesting (171) and immersive through technology in regards to interpretation using videos and songs. Nature in music could also tell stories and teach lessons, I personally think of campfire songs. Radio stations can also incorporate nature with music! They could play music to draw in viewers and then talk about nature in the breaks (175) or play music that contains nature lessons. Radios are great for some viewers which information is presented in 1–5-minute periods and a great way to reach different viewers in a format that they enjoy! Nature in music can occur as a tool as music will resonate with the visitor (12), help different people learn with different learning styles (105), and draw people towards an interpretive experience (200).

I think that music can take many forms in relation to nature. Many songs are often nature sounds solely, nature sounds incorporated, or based on /inspired by nature (animals, landscapes, abiotic features)! I found 15 songs related to nature in a pro-environment context in article by Anderson (2020). I’m sure that if you search up your favourite animal + song, you will find a song that at the very least mentions the animal. Perhaps it will teach you something or use the animal’s attributes within the song!

Some songs I think of from the top of my head of nature would be “Butterfly Fly Away” by Miley Cyrus, “Roar” by Katy Perry, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland and covered by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, “Little Rain” by Morgan Wallen, just to name a few! To unpack one, “Butterfly Fly Away” by Miley Cyrus my personal favourite from growing up contains a lesson that as you grow you should spread your wings AND contains a little bit of knowledge of the caterpillar becoming the butterfly! Growing up from under your parents care to going out to make dreams come true!

Are there any influential songs you grew up hearing or think of when prompted with the word “Nature”? What does it teach you!

Anderson, S. (2020). Earth day: 15 pro-environment songs. Rolling Stone. Date of Access: Feb 27, 2023. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/earth-day-songs-151780/

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

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Hi there! I loved your blog post, I really enjoyed how you mentioned the number of songs that are inspired by multiple species! I thought this was a great example of how nature inspires music, and to be honest with you it was not one that I initially thought of. 

You asked in your blog about songs that may trigger childhood experiences that represent nature. As soon as I read your question I thought of the Zoboomafoo theme song. Although this is a theme song, it brings tons of memories of the days of my childhood when I grew up watching this show. This show made me want to experience the same adventures the main characters did and it definitely contributed to my love for nature and wildlife. However, the theme song is an amazing example of nature interpretation through music and video. It highlights the example you also mentioned in your blog posts about the use of music in videos to enhance interpretation (Beck et al., 2018). The Zoboomafoo theme song is catchy and entertaining for its audience! The show also demonstrates the importance of understanding your audience when interpreting nature. As a small kid, I was able to learn through this show about so many different species and this was largely due to the way the producers aimed to communicate with their audience. This show is a perfect example of how interpretation requires the consideration of many different aspects to be effective in teaching!

Here's the link to an episode of Zoboomafoo! Maybe this will also bring up some memories for you!

Ale

References Cited

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage : for a better world. Sagamore Venture.

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Woah! You know when you see something that seems to be locked away in your memories and it memories get unlocked?! You did just that with this theme song! I remember staying home from school sick with chicken noodle soup and having this show come on! This theme song has a very positive memory correlated to it, and as it is upbeat, it captured my attention when I was small and made me feel better. It just goes to show that a video containing a catchy song related to nature can capture a certain age group's attention and unlock such memories to form connection and feelings with nature in interpretation! It also was great during that time of my life to capture me and teach me through song and video!

I also love that my question sparked a memory for you which is my goal to accomplish through this post relating music with nature! Thank you for responding Ale!

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Music & Nature

The first thing I think about when prompted by the connection between music and nature is whale songs. While I have never heard whale songs in person, listening to recordings of them underwater feel so surreal to me. In "The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music," they discuss whale songs. I learned that whale songs have similar aspects to human music, including rhythm, phrases, themes, and intervals. I didn't know there were so many commonalities between human music and whale songs, as whale songs can sound so distinct. If you're not sure what whale songs sound like, check out the YouTube video below from Oceania Project.

The article mentioned above makes an important point about the relationship of music in nature- it can give us clues to our own evolutionary history. The article states that the similarities between whale songs and our own music may indicate that we adapted whale "music" into our human lifestyles, and were not at all the inventors of it (Gray et al. 2001). This is a grounding reminder that humans are not the centre of the world, and that there is a lot we can learn from the animals we share this planet with.

Thinking about nature in music reminds me of the album cover for Supertramp's "Even in the Quietest Moments." The artwork, featuring a piano front and centre covered in snow, set on a wintery mountainside, intertwines nature in music in a compelling way.

Even In The Quietest Moments- Supertramp

I have already discussed the relationship of art and nature in other blog posts, and while I do want to admire this beautiful artwork, I want to ask you all to listen a song with me from this album.

The title track "Even In The Quietest Moments" starts with 20 seconds of bird songs, before the instruments even begin to play. Even once the birdsong fades away and the instruments become prominent, the mix of guitar, saxophone, oboe, and other instruments leaves the listener with such a peaceful and natural sounding melody. While the birdsong is a more obvious integration of nature into music, I think that skilled musicians can create pieces of music that connect us to nature through their instruments, and "Even In The Quietest Moments" is one of those songs.

My parents are big fans of Van Morrison. Their first dance song at their wedding was "Someone Like You". Growing up, I have clear memories from my childhood of waking up Saturday mornings at our cottage on Lake Muskoka to the sound of Van Morrison's album "Moondance" playing on the CD player downstairs. That album, combined with the birds chirping outside my window and the sound of water from the lake lapping against the shore, became an instrumental part of my childhood. I'm now 23, and we don't have our cottage anymore, but we still have that CD player and that album.

One song in particular has stuck with me throughout my life, and is a continual reminder of how lucky I was to spend my childhood summers with my parents at that cottage. I feel like I grew up on Lake Muskoka, and I will always feel a special connection to the natural landscape of that area. It's where I learned how to fully appreciate nature and it's importance to my life, and I haven't forgotten those lessons. "Into the Mystic" will always transport me back to those summers, and I keep a copy of this CD in my car for those days where I want to feel just a bit nostalgic.

Gray, P. Krause, B. Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C. & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science. 291. 52-54.

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Hi Lauren!

Whale songs are such a cool thing to share! I loved the video! It really resonated with me when you said, “This is a grounding reminder that humans are not the centre of the world, and that there is a lot we can learn from the animals we share this planet with”. This is something that can be a theme conveyed by interpreters through music or accompanied by music and is something I am guilty of needing reminding of occasionally, as I’m sure others do too!

I also love your connection to particular songs that make you think of a memory and/or feel a certain way! This is something I thought of with nature interpretation! In nature interpretation, music can be used to tell us something about how we should feel or expect to feel and bring groups together onto the same page (Gray et al., 2001). Song from AShamaluevMusic makes me feel solemn, not the time to be silly but respectful. Song from Happy Music is uplifting and makes me feel like we may have some fun in this interpretation session and happy and grateful for a beautiful day today! Song by Relax Music Channel makes me feel intrigued of what might happen next! Song by The Vault of Ambience with the typewriter makes me feel/think that something mysterious is going to happen, like in a murder mystery. There are also certain songs age groups (audience) will know and bring memories for a certain age group! It just goes to show you that music (background or centered) can be a powerful tool in nature interpretation!

Gray, P. Krause, B. Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C. & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science. 291. 52-54.

***Note, all of the youtube videos are linked on the station words above if you want to check them out and let me know what you think and how they make you feel!

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Music Surrounds Us!

When searching “nature music” you will find hundreds of hours of videos and music of nature sounds that are often described as calming or relaxing as many people find solace in being in nature or listening to it at the very least!

I find music in nature as the sounds of nature help me to sleep, I especially enjoy thunderstorms as I find the sounds relaxing and reassuring. Music in nature often write themselves as I think of bird’s songs that allow them to find mates, I often think of the musical dancing bird from ‘Our Planet’ which performs for their mate! You can also find music in nature with the hums of bees, flapping of bird’s wings, splashing of ducks in a pond, and swishing of trees in the wind! Putting all of those sounds together may create an incredible piece of art through song!

Nature in music, I often think of people creating music that is inspired by nature or using music in interpretation to keep viewers interested (166). In the textbook they compare photos and videos. Photos capture one scene and can often communicate better than words (170), videos however contain sound which can make the scene so much more interesting (171) and immersive through technology in regards to interpretation using videos and songs. Nature in music could also tell stories and teach lessons, I personally think of campfire songs. Radio stations can also incorporate nature with music! They could play music to draw in viewers and then talk about nature in the breaks (175) or play music that contains nature lessons. Radios are great for some viewers which information is presented in 1–5-minute periods and a great way to reach different viewers in a format that they enjoy! Nature in music can occur as a tool as music will resonate with the visitor (12), help different people learn with different learning styles (105), and draw people towards an interpretive experience (200).

I think that music can take many forms in relation to nature. Many songs are often nature sounds solely, nature sounds incorporated, or based on /inspired by nature (animals, landscapes, abiotic features)! I found 15 songs related to nature in a pro-environment context in article by Anderson (2020). I’m sure that if you search up your favourite animal + song, you will find a song that at the very least mentions the animal. Perhaps it will teach you something or use the animal’s attributes within the song!

Some songs I think of from the top of my head of nature would be “Butterfly Fly Away” by Miley Cyrus, “Roar” by Katy Perry, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland and covered by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, “Little Rain” by Morgan Wallen, just to name a few! To unpack one, “Butterfly Fly Away” by Miley Cyrus my personal favourite from growing up contains a lesson that as you grow you should spread your wings AND contains a little bit of knowledge of the caterpillar becoming the butterfly! Growing up from under your parents care to going out to make dreams come true!

Are there any influential songs you grew up hearing or think of when prompted with the word “Nature”? What does it teach you!

Anderson, S. (2020). Earth day: 15 pro-environment songs. Rolling Stone. Date of Access: Feb 27, 2023. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/earth-day-songs-151780/

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

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Nature Interpretation Through History

Hyams uses this quote as a way of underlining the true importance of history and in which ways we should interpret it. To be specific, when he mentions “believing that a railway station through which our train has passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it”. Prior to your individual experience, somebody else was in the same position and experienced the situation either the same or in a completely different way. As mentioned in the textbook, the reason we interpret history is so that we can remember. What we deem to be important and worth remembering is personal, yet a combination of many other factors. For example, the term “place of memory” is used to describe a site or property that is protected due to a historic event taking place there. We see these places all around the globe, whether the significance be recognized by everyone around the globe or just a specific country. Furthermore, Hyams mentions the term integrity throughout this quote in relation to “keeping together of the parts of any whole”. This idea is evident through many parts of history, but I want to draw on the fact that even the many parts play a significant role in understanding the whole. For example, when bones are found, it is very rare that the entirety of the artifact are found, but that little piece will tell you where it comes from and what whole it belongs to.

In order to fully understand any object, place, or thing, it is important that we remember and learn about their history. We need to remember that everything in nature has a history and every piece of history has natural resources. The true beauty in nature comes to be when all components are understood and appreciated. I feel as though this is more complex to do than we think, truly because we tend to oversee the historical context of nature. Rarely do I find myself looking at a waterfall or mountain and questioning how it got there or when. I live near a conservation area and I recall for school trips going and studying its different components and what made it unique in comparison to that of other conservation areas.

Lastly, I want to touch on tying together all the nature interpretation aspects we have touched on thus far in the course.  When we interpret things in nature, we get the best interpretation when many aspects are brought together. Whether that be including interpreting nature through science, art, history and personal experiences. I personally believe that all components are highlighted to bring their own importance to their interpretation, and I do not believe that one component is more important than the other. I do however believe that people are more comfortable and prefer using one of the interpretation methods over the other. I was curious if you guys think that one of the interpretation methods is more important than the other? If so, which one and why?

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I found your idea about interpretation in nature works best when many aspects are brought together interesting! I think that this allows for more connections and various opinions being brought up in interpretation which is always an underlying goal. It sparks people to want to participate and allows them to feel as though they can contribute because they were able to relate to it! I like your connection to fully understand something to learn about it as a whole! It reminds me of having many sides to stories! I showed in my blog that partial stories ‘snip’ a photo which does not allow you to see or appreciate the whole picture, because it may not tell the same story.

It’s interesting as I don’t look at nature and think of the past either! I never was an enthusiast of history in school, but I can see why nature interpreters use it and history interpreters vice versa. Although you may not need to know the history to see its beauty, you may come to find a deeper connection (rather than just loving nature) when learning to form everlasting connections to a particular location! You may find some heritage in the story that your interpreter shares, you may feel for the people that lived in that time, or you may see similarities between the past and present (343).

I think I learned from the quote that there is meaning to nature if you look past the beauty into the history of the site it can bring you meaning, feelings, and maybe even motivation!

You may not think about the history and may see beauty, I see my grandparents house where I spent summer growing to love nature. This place has history to me!

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Lessons In Our History

There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it. (Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

First, I think that it is important to acknowledge that not everyone is going to interpret this quote in the same was as we all have different pasts, privileges (invisible backpacks), and knowledge bases that are our toolkits of how we all will interpret this quote. Interpreters also will perhaps use this quote to get people thinking and talking about what this means to their audience and might reveal a theme message for the audience.

Starting with the first sentence, merit means to have the quality of being good or worthy. There is good/worth in integrity (keeping together parts of any whole)-telling the whole story without leaving parts out. I feel that a lot of people take parts of history, little snippets, and use them to achieve a goal. It is important for interpreters to not do this but to share the whole story.

This reminds me of a photo I’ve seen before where from up close you think you know what is happening but then it zooms out and something else is happening. Therefore, looking at the whole picture can teach us a lot more about the past than a snippet does.

Photo Found at: https://thecircular.org/media-depiction-of-major-events-in-society/

I feel as though the media writes stories that viewers want to see, but also snips findings into pieces that often skew the story in an untrue direction. For example, the headline “scientists remain puzzled by mass of dead birds along West Coast”, they imply that humans are doing something wrong while, in reality, scientists concluded that natural overpopulation was the most probable explanation which is a natural response (Hays, 2015). Conservation can be difficult with inexact media twisting science so one way that interpreters can help is by sharing the whole story!

The analogy to think, feel, or act as though the past is done with to the train in the train station tells us that we should not ignore the past but instead be influenced by and learn from the past. There are so many lessons in history, from discrimination, atrocities, and ethnic conflicts (326). These lessons we can learn from the past can promote better understanding of present challenges that can help people navigate these challenges (343), and help people learn and comprehend the factors that make an atrocity possible so people can prevent it from being repeated in the future, and to cultivate peace (327). Interpreters can help people see how history relates to their own lives by teaching them in exciting educational stories (326).

How does history relate to nature interpretation. This is a question I wondered as well… The textbook said that nature often occurs in nature and vice versa. One can have learning about history draw them to nature or have nature draw them to learn about the surrounding history through interpreters. It also was suggested taking about nature through history to see that changes we have made. Conservation efforts and interpreters with a conservation goal /theme could reveal how much humans have changed the landscape and contrast the past and present as we see declines in biodiversity. This could be due to some species’ inability to move at these high rates of change and thus may gradually die out as climatic conditions become increasingly unsuitable (Malcom & Pitelka, 2001).

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture

Hays, B. (2015). Scientists remain puzzled by mass of dead birds along West Coast. UPI. https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/01/07/Scientists-remain-puzzled-by-mass-of-dead-birds-along-West-Coast/6531420656581/

Malcolm, J.R., & Pitelka, L.F. (2001). Ecosystems and global change. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. https://www.c2es.org/document/ecosystems-and-global-climate-change/

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The Role Interpreters Play in Combating Climate Change

For this week’s blog, I would like to write about climate change, people’s beliefs about climate change, and how interpreters can help improve small-scale action against climate change. First, I would like to present some statistics about current thoughts about climate change in North America. The first prompt is, “people believe the world is getting warmer,” the national average in the United States is 72% agree, and in Canada, 83% agree (Marlon et al., 2022, Mildenberger et al., 2019). The next prompt is “people believe that climate change is caused by human activity,” in the United States the national average is 57% agree, and in Canada, 60% agree. (Marlon et al., 2022, Mildenberger et al., 2019). Are you surprised by these statistics? I can say that I’m a little surprised, I thought the United States “the world is getting warmer” statistic would be lower and the “caused by human activity” statistic for Canada would be higher. Even though people don’t believe it, it has been proven by scientists that climate change and the rapid rate of change is being caused by human activity (Trenberth, 2018).

Although people believe in climate change they do not believe that it is caused by humans, it is good that people are acknowledging there is a problem but because people don’t think it is being caused by humans they believe they don’t have a responsibility to “fix it.” This mindset can be changed by interpreters when interacting with their audiences. Interpreters will not be able to create big changes but can create small-scale changes in their communities and within families by talking about conservation and small lifestyle changes that people can make. When doing nature tours, for example, as guides are moving through the landscape they can pose questions about what people like in the environment and use these as jumping-off points to talk about conservation. Let's go over a simple example of how this would play out, for example, one person mentions how much they love the native flowers of the area. The guide can affirm these beliefs that native flowers are beautiful, then talk about the important role they play in the native ecosystem, and how they help pollinators and are a food source for other animals. But because of changing temperatures their reproductive cycles could be negatively affected or they could be out-competed by nonnative species that have been introduced. Hearing about the uncertain future native flowers will face guides can talk about ways people can help like helping with non-native species removals and walking and riding their bikes more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is a very simple example of the impact interpreters can have on their audiences, because of the hands-on experiences they provide they can make the effects of climate change hit closer to home giving people the opportunity to understand the negative effects climate change will have on their lives. Even if changes will not be as significant in certain parts of North America as in others or other countries, people will still see changes and need to understand how to decrease the impact climate change will have on the local, regional, national, and global environments. 

Trenberth, K. E. (2018). Climate change caused by human activities is happening and it already has major consequences. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law, 36(4), 463-481. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02646811.2018.1450895

Marlon, J., Neyens, L., Jefferson, M., Howe, P., Mildenberger, M., & Leiserowitz, A. (2022, February 23). Yale climate opinion maps 2021. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/  

Mildenberger, M., Howe, P., Lachapelle, E., Marlon, J., Leiserowitz, A., Stokes, L., & Wang, X. (2019, November 21). Canadian Climate Opinion Maps 2018. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Retrieved from https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ccom/

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Hi there!

I really enjoyed learning more about climate change with the new information you provided in your blog! I love your connection on how interpreters can help improve at a small-scale action against climate change!

I wrote my blog this week based on how traditional education has often failed many of us and this new form of education can help us in our journey of becoming well-rounded citizens! I did not however contemplate interpreters’ roles in this form of education. They are like a medium of knowledge that encourage people to have their own thoughts to strike conversation. This can be critical to conservation efforts because if they teach someone, they can also reach their hearts and inspire change within that person. Doing this many times actually does cause large-scale changes through the collection of many small changes!

Interpreters can also inspire people to talk to others about conservation and perhaps cause change of others too! Talking is the first step to finding solutions to the earth warming, biodiversity loss, and land-use changes which all affect the human population as much as we negatively affect them. I believe that our school system does not do a good enough job in parts other than information regurgitation or ‘science education’ which makes nature interpreters’ jobs so much more important. They allow emotion in learning and teach a more well-rounded picture of the natural world. Integration of the many “Educations” will allow for a larger broadband of solutions to global crisis’ and get more people involved in the process of conserving that natural world as you don’t have to be good at “science education” to contribute

Thank you for your post this week!

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Set Your Mind Free

Most of the time when I think about conservation efforts, climate change, or biodiversity loss… I feel hopeless! In the reading this week “convergence between science and environmental education” they mention the importance of addressing the issues in many formats that allow many different people to interpret and learn about these urgent issues that require the human population to change the way they live. They talk about the need for Environmental Education and Science Education to work together to teach citizens to adequately respond to the complex nature of sustainability challenges.

I found the reading interesting as Environmental Education was never something I had thought about! As children we are often told to sit our desks, put our hand up to speak, and answer pre-defined questions that are determined to be right or wrong. We are not raising children to be curious anymore, who are good listeners or have empathy. Environmental education aims to i) develop capacity to think critically, ethically, and creatively ii) make informed decisions about these situations iii) develop the capacity and commitment to act individually and collectively in ways that sustain and enhance the environment (Wals et al, 2014). These goals to education allow for people to solve complex problems and develop possible solutions to the complex interdisciplinary problems our world faces daily.

Personally, I have become accustomed to filling in the neat boxes on questions and when I am forced to engage with the material I FLOP! I often cannot fathom being asked a question that might not have a right answer and I find myself guessing what my teacher wants to hear instead of coming up with new solutions even if that eventually is proved to not be a solution or is not agreed to by my teacher. Therefore, I think that Environmental Education is an amazing idea for our school system as it encourages originality and integrated solutions for our future. It also encourages adults to ditch the “there’s only one right answer” mindset for interdisciplinary problems!

This week’s readings remind me of the YouTube video “I Sued the School System” by Prince Ea which brings up a lot of points on how our school operates which can destroy confidence and ideas that are outside of the box! Outside the box thinkers are now needed more than ever with our global crisis’s that have few real solutions that have the intended effects when carried out in the real world. He goes on to argue that “we do not need to make robot zombies. The world has progressed and now we need people who think creatively, innovatively, critically, independently with the ability to connect” and that we need to reach the core of every heart in the class as this is where real change comes from. Passion is so important in finding solutions to modern day problems, perhaps this Environmental Education can help us do that!

References:

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

I Sued the School System By Prince Ea on YouTube link

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The Many Art Forms of Nature

Being able to interpret nature through art (whether it be music, a painting, a book, or movies/ photographs) is such a special attribute. It can be easy to form connections to nature when your body is physically in it, but forming this connection through an art form can be more difficult.

Growing up, my parents filled the walls of our house with nature-inspired artwork. Whether it was a scene of wolves running through the forest, or a horse-drawn carriage traveling through a town around Christmastime, being surrounded by these images helped me develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between art and nature. A few years ago, I travelled to Victoria B.C. to visit family, and while I was there I went to the Robert Bateman Gallery. I can't quite describe it, but viewing his artistic interpretations of nature always left me with such a deep gratitude for the natural world and for artists like Robert Bateman who capture it so perfectly. Below is an image of one of my favourite paintings. My parents have it hanging in their house, and I love showing it to friends when they visit and seeing how long it takes them to realize this is not just a painting of grass.

Eyes in the Grass- Robert Bateman (painting)

I recently watched the movie "The Banshees of Inisherin," and felt quite moved by the cinematography and setting. My grandparents immigrated from Ireland, and I still have a lot of family there that I am lucky to have visited in the past. I have always found the rugged coasts and rolling fields of Ireland to be so beautiful, and this movie did such a special job of capturing the beauty. It left me with feelings of sadness and longing to go back to Ireland, but also with feelings of gratitude. Even though I'm not in Ireland now, seeing its landscapes portrayed in film left me feeling peaceful just knowing that they're there, and that they'll still be there when I get the opportunity to return.

A scene from "The Banshees of Inisherin"

I mentioned before that it can be easy to feel connected to nature when you're physically present in it. Don't get me wrong, this is still such a special feeling and is one I hope everyone can experience in their lifetime. But being able to connect with nature through art can allow you to experience a deeper level of connection with places you may have never physically been. It is inspiring and hopeful to feel connected to a place you are not physically in, and I think it creates a certain sense of longing to travel and experience these things first hand. Just knowing that the Irish landscapes are out there waiting for my return sparks such an excitement in me, and I feel lucky to have this feeling.

The beauty of nature is subjective. One person could look at a landscape and see nothing special, while the next person that comes along could think it was the most beautiful thing they have ever seen. The subjectiveness of nature interpretation is especially relevant when it comes to art, and it is so special that each person can experience the beauty of art differently.

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You mentioned that forming a connection through art can be more difficult and I find that it is often perceived that way! I think it often comes from the misunderstanding that only certain people can interpret art, where art became an exclusive thing (page 228). But the fact is, because art forms are all subjective, there is no right or wrong way to interpret it, therefore it is for everyone! What you may see in an art form may be different from the next because the way you interpret is based on your feelings, opinions, and experiences of the past! Any thoughts you have when looking at the art you have can be considered interpreting though art.

I agree that it is easy for people to feel connected when present in nature due to the submersive feeling you experience when nature is surrounding you! You hear the birds, you feel the wind, you see the old oak tree, you touch the moss on the base of that tree. Your senses are all being met to ensure you develop a connection. I think this is the goal for interpreters when they create art to serve their communities, though it can be difficult to accomplish! I understand that if you have not been to Ireland while watching “The Banshees of Inisherin” you might not have the special connection as you do with the nature portrayed but perhaps the gift of beauty allows you to appreciate the landscape without ever having been there!

Although I have never been to Scotland myself, I have Scottish heritage and this photo is from my mom and grandma's trip! I feel connections with this because of its beauty and my relation to the photo through my heritage!

Thank you for your insightful post!

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture.

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Interpreters are Artists!

Anyone can interpret nature through art! It is an interdisciplinary way to reach many audiences with different means by peaking different interests in art (music, dance, theatre, visual art)! They often encourage viewers to interpret in their own way and not to think about what the composer meant for them to learn (page 228).

There are many arts in interpretation: theatre, storytelling and poetry, music, dance, and visual arts. In the past I never thought to interpret art during my science journey, but I have since learned that art can integrate biological and social sciences, and emotion and intuition, for effective communication (page 218). I always expressed love for nature through visual art but never thought that my photography could be shared to help people learn and interpret to have meaning, they always were something personal and meaningful just to me.

Yes this owl is beautiful, but it mainly means something to ME as a symbol of my passed Grandpa. What could it mean to someone else? I hadn't thought of that...

“The gift of beauty” to me means that we should not allow others to destroy nature for their own profits at the expense of others (page 41). Nature is a gift that sustains life, provides humans with sustenance, and helps with individual growth as a person (page 46-47). Being able to see the beauty in everyday life ensures good mental and spiritual well-being and allows feelings of love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization (page 47). Interpreters help people develop an ethical sense of place and role in their world (page 54) which allows their audiences to appreciate the landscape and nature. This gift allows us to be well-rounded people and allows for health in many sectors of your life. The gift of beauty allows people to exercise in these spaces (physical), relax or get inspired (mental), and gather with friends (social). The gift that nature is allows us to flourish in all aspects of our lives because of the beauty it provides. If the space was not beautiful, it may not attract a wide variety of people and thus the beauty that draws people in allows us to directly benefit in various aspects of life.

“The gift of beauty” could also be interpreted as that you see beyond selfishness and are able to see that nature is beautiful. There is no doubt that some people will exploit nature for their own profits at the expense of everyone else (page 41) but some people can see past their greed and have the gift to see the beauty that nature is and all it has to offer as it stands! It allows the ignition of the participants’ fascination and curiosity surrounding the natural world (van Boeckel, 2015). See beauty can move people in many ways and can strike on emotions and empathy which can help with change of how we currently live to more sustainable because we do not want to see this beauty disappear!

This is beautiful and perhaps you just see a waterfall, but to some you feel peace when you see this! How could someone tear this out and build housing here? If there was a motion to develop this area, and this photo was shown, how would society react? It may be controversial to tear this out if this is the photo that they are sharing of the space to develop. Might get public uproar and may to too controversial to continue because of the power of its beauty!

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture.

Van Boeckel, J. (2015). At the heart of art and earth: an exploration of practices in arts-based environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 21(5), 801-802.

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Unit 03: Risk and Reward

My working definition of privilege involves the unearned reception of certain advantages to a group of people, or individual. These privileges are often passed down through generations and typically revolves around identities such as race, ability, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and level of education (Mcintosh in Noel, 2000 p. 115). While many people who live a privileged life are afraid to recognize it, it is an important topic to discuss in order to fully understand the power imbalances that result from it.

Privilege is just as important of a concept within nature interpretation as it is in everyday life. One of the ways I recognize that I am privileged in terms of my relationship with nature, is through having parents that placed values on our natural environment. Not everyone has the same opportunity to grow up in a family that has an appreciation for nature as I did. I am able to recognize this as a privilege as it is not something that everybody grows up with, and not something I ever worked to earn. I was simply born into a family that happened to share the same love of nature as I did, and this ultimately shaped the course of my life. One way this privilege unfolded as I grew up was through travelling. I have been fortunate enough to have parents that understand the value that comes with travelling and can set aside enough money for our family to go on trips. This has benefitted by relationship with nature greatly as it has allowed me to learn firsthand about different environmental topics such as ecology and conservation in other countries. This has bettered my ability as a nature interpreter as I’m able to spread the knowledge I’ve learned on trips with the people around me.

This privilege has benefitted me throughout the course of my time as a student, which even furthered my privilege. A specific example I can remember of travelling benefitting my performance in school was in grade 10. In my biology class we were learning about different interactions within nature, specifically symbiotic relationships. During the Christmas break of that year, my family travelled to the Amazon for an adventure. We were on a hike with a guide who was informing us of the natural history and interactions that occur within the rainforest. One topic he mentioned was the relationship between capybaras and cleaner bird species. He explained how certain birds will land on capybaras and eat ticks and parasites off of them and how this benefits both animals. It was a perfect example of a type of symbiotic relationship, specifically a mutualistic one, and I was able to reinforce what I had previously learned in class with a real-life example. When I returned to school, the information I had learned over the break stuck with me and ended up benefitting me in class. I was able to recognize that this was a unique experience that I was able to participate in and that it was a privilege resulting from my parents.

Privilege is an important topic to discuss, within the field of nature interpretation but also in everyday life. Continuing the conversation is one way to recognize your privileges and understand the power imbalances it creates.

Gallavan, N.P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their ‘invisible knapsacks.’ Multicultural Education, 13(1), 36.

Noel, J. (2000). Notable selections in multicultural education. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.

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When you said that many people who live a privileged life are afraid to recognize it, it really resonated with me because I completely agree! Although maybe people are afraid to recognize it, perhaps they don’t see their privilege in some cases since they have never had to experience that barrier during that activity. It could be also due to the rarity they are asked to reflect on their privilege thus it goes individually unnoticed. Therefore, the practice of unpacking your invisible backpack can help you become more aware of the advantages you have! Barriers certainly can be INVISIBLE out outsiders.

 You and I both had the privilege growing up with to access nature without barriers to enjoyment and having families that placed importance around loving nature! They gave us opportunities to go to nature growing up. I always had a cottage to spend summers at, some people could not experience this. I think that you don’t know how lucky you are until you don’t have that experience anymore. For a lot of people, this experience never occurred to begin with.

The cottage I was fortunate to spend summers at as a child.

I agree that privilege is important to discuss and teach one another! If we don’t teach it, or at the very least acknowledge the advantages we experience over other people, I think that we will leave out a significant portion of the population interpretation. Interpreters have wide audiences, and their services are not just for certain people. Acknowledging privilege can help interpreters better service their audiences and perhaps modify or bring their services to audiences that have barriers preventing them from accessing nature experiences!

References:

Gallavan, N.P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks”. Multicultural Education, 13, 36. https://go-gale-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=guel77241&id=GALE|A137921591&v=2.1&it=r&sid=AONE&asid=9fe2f151

[nature-hiking]

Star filled skies over the mountains 13/? - Alpine Haute Route, July 2021

photo by: nature-hiking

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Barriers Invisible to the Privileged

What is privilege? Many people do not recognize they may have privilege over another simply because we are too close to ourselves or have not faced a barrier that has truly impacted your experience. I often think of someone having privilege as those who get to experience opportunities without barriers to access or enjoyment of the experience. Privilege is having less barriers than the next person. Barriers can take on different figures including, physical, mental, class, etc. Populations that often experience barriers are underserved regarding serving by interpreters (page 132).

I truly am someone who does not reflect on their privilege as often as I do, because unless we are faced with a barrier or have experienced that barrier, we can never truly understand what it would be like to have that barrier. Think of a stuffed nose. You don’t realize how nice it is to breathe without one until you have recently experienced a stuffed nose. Another one is getting out to nature! You don’t appreciate how beautiful it is and that you want to go back until you cannot go, but you want to. To enlighten what it might be like to have barriers, it can be described as “a world surrounded by walls and a CLOSED door” (page 138).

The role that privilege plays in nature interpretation is that once we evaluate what privilege is needed to be a part of the experience, there will be less of an underserved population and the audience that an interpreter is able to communicate to becomes larger! We can also remove barriers for some people or adapt activities to overcome barriers for others. For example, in the textbook (page 133), they talk about economic, cultural, communication barriers. People may not have a vehicle or be able to afford the costs associated with accessing sites, urban minorities may associate sleeping in a tent with being homeless, or language may be a barrier to getting access to interpreters in nature. Acknowledging these barriers help interpreters modify programs they provide and provide programs like transportation or camps for people who cannot afford programs regularly to prevent experiencing nature interpretation as a privilege. The ADA states that “everyone, regardless of disability, should have full enjoyment and equal opportunity of public services, facilities, employment, and goods” (page 139) and I believe this to be true! Disabilities are also barriers, but I read more into this statement. I would modify this to “everyone, regardless of barriers experienced, should […]” because it should not be a privilege to experience nature interpretation. By understanding the reasons for non-participation, interpreters can strive to eliminate physical, physiological, and social barriers (page 129)

This week’s readings reminded me of the podcast I listened to and posted briefly about last week, “Too Poor to Dream?” by Out There! They talk about privilege in the lens of affordability but can be applied to other barriers people experience as well and I think that everyone should check it out, it is a great (short) listen that will open your eyes to your own privilege.

References:

“Too Poor to Dream?” by Out There Link

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture