Delainey's Nature Interpretation Blog

Welcome to my blog for ENVS*3000 Nature Interpretation at University of Guelph! Here, I'll respond to prompts, explore my relationship with nature, interact with my fellow nature-loving peers, and share things I've learned about interpretation. Hope you enjoy!

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Unit 10

It has felt like this semester has gone by so incredibly fast, and I cannot believe that I am writing my last blog post already. I originally registered for this course for a few reasons. First, because it was offered as an online class, and throughout covid, I realized that I loved the added flexibility you have in online classes. Second, this was one of my restricted elective options and third, I love all things about nature and had been planning on taking this course since my first year. I am incredibly happy that it finally fit into my schedule during my last semester.

Throughout this course, I have learned a lot about interpretation as a whole and have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities I was given. For example, I found Tumblr blog posts to be much more enjoyable than regular discussion posts on courselink. Likewise, although we did generally have prompts, I loved the weeks when we could write about whatever came to our minds. As well, I loved reading other classmates’ blogs and enjoyed seeing the cool pictures that classmates shared. Additionally, the podcast assignment gave me the opportunity to try something completely different than I had before. It was my first time creating a podcast, and it was an enjoyable experience overall. I would love to hear your thoughts about the course in general and the assignments we were given!

Now, I would like to discuss the beliefs, ethics, and responsibilities that I may carry as a nature interpreter. To begin, I believe that every individual on this earth should have the right to see, enjoy, and immerse themselves in nature. Although this may not happen for every individual due to factors such as privilege, it is something that we should strive for. As a reminder, privilege can be defined as “a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favour” (“Privilege definition & meaning, n.d.). Personally, I would define privilege as an individual or group that has an advantage over another individual or group of people. Privilege is frequently associated with factors such as gender, health, race, and economic status; all these factors play a role in the opportunities provided to specific individuals. Like privilege, it is important to consider the barriers that some people face such as, economic, cultural, communication, lack of knowledge, and fear (Beck et al., 2018). Overall, there are many factors at play that affect what opportunities are given to which individuals, and I believe we should strive for a more even playing field or at the least give children the opportunity to see, enjoy, and immerse themselves in nature. For example, incorporating this into the curriculum and having field trips and activities that are based on the idea of allowing children to see and enjoy nature, regardless of family status. In addition, I believe in respect and kindness when it comes to interpretation. Trying new activities can be scary and intimidating; therefore, I believe that all individuals should be treated with kindness and respect and be given help and guidance when trying new activities in nature. For example, canoeing can be tricky for beginners as can backcountry camping. Throughout my summers living in Algonquin, I have seen many individuals go camping for the first time or try canoeing and oftentimes I watch people tip their boats right at the docks, or leave garbage behind in the backcountry, or something silly like not hanging their food and scented items correctly. It is easy for outsiders to laugh or joke about these beginners’ mistakes, or even be annoyed. But we must remember that it may be their first time and maybe they have no idea what they're supposed to do in the backcountry or how to even sit in a canoe. In these situations, kindness, respect, and a willingness to help and inform beginners could go a long way. This leads to my next belief, which is that I believe in sharing knowledge and experiences. Beck et al. (2018) explained that using a storyline approach while interpreting can be beneficial, as is using the resources and facilities accessible such as visitor centres. Having knowledge about a topic and being passionate about it, as well as having personal stories and experiences to share with an audience is essential.

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The last belief I would like to share is like the saying “do no harm”; specifically, I believe that we should not purposely harm the environment or participate in activities that we know will harm the environment. In other words, the environment should be treated with respect. A recent topic in the news is the Willow Project, which is essentially a huge and decade-long oil drilling venture in Alaska (Nilsen, 2023). Obviously, the Willow Project poses a huge threat to climate and will cause significant and detrimental harm to the environment locally and globally. Yet, it still got approved by the United States President; I believe if this happens it will be a huge mistake. I would like to relate this back to my first point, about my belief that every individual on this earth should have the right to see, enjoy, and immerse themselves in nature; specifically, incorporating field trips and environmental education would be beneficial for all of society. A study found that incorporating environmental education into the curriculum for young-school-aged children changed the emotions they had towards the environment; specifically, it showed an increased affinity or biophilia towards the environment (Cho & Lee, 2018). For example, in the study, children were allowed and instructed to observe and study various species of insects like bees and ants (Cho & Lee, 2018). Notably, after the study, the children showed a greater affinity towards nature; therefore, providing environmental education programs and interpretation to children will likely increase their affinity for nature and result in greater caring for conservation (Cho & Lee, 2018). Therefore, incorporating environmental education at a young age would have huge benefits for individuals and for the environment.

Finally, I will discuss what approach I would take as a nature interpreter, and which is most suitable for me. After completing the learning style quiz provided in the course content, I learned that I am a 15% auditory learner, 50% visual learner, and 35% tactile learner. This means that I learn best when provided with visuals such as pictures and diagrams. As well, things like colour-coding my notes and using quizlet are effective study strategies for me. As an environmental interpreter, I would be sure to incorporate all the learning styles including auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic. This will give me the greatest chance that most of my audience will understand the material being presented to them. For example, for the tactile/kinesthetic learners, I would incorporate hands-on activities such as a scavenger hunt (Hooykaas, 2023). Also, for the auditory learners, I would provide an interpretation beginning with a lecture-style talk and then provide diagrams and videos for the visual learners (Hooykaas, 2023). Following this general approach will likely result in an effective nature interpretation for a wide audience.

I would love to hear what everyone’s plans are after taking this course!

References

 Beck, L., T. T. Cable, and D. M. Knudson. 2018. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing, CHAMPAIGN, Illinois.

Cho, Y., & Lee, D. (2018). ‘Love honey, hate honey bees’: reviving biophilia of elementary school students through environmental education program. Environmental Education Research, 24(3), 445-460.

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

Nilsen, E. (2023, March 14). The willow project has been approved. here's what to know about the controversial oil-drilling venture | CNN politics. CNN. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/politics/willow-project-oil-alaska-explained-climate/index.html.

Privilege definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privilege.

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Hi Meghan,

You’re right, this semester really did fly by! It is interesting to hear about why you chose this course. I, like you, was interested in adding in an online course to balance my schedule, and this course does also contribute to my degree. Where we may differ is your last point – although I definitely do consider myself someone who loves nature, coming into this course, I wouldn’t say I loved all things nature. Heck, my first post started off with the quote “I hate nature!” as a reflection on my childhood self, who was anxious in outdoor spaces. I more so selected the course because I was interested in teaching and learning, and as a side quest was hoping to expand my love for nature. And I must say, I really have grown to appreciate all things nature! Nature interpretation enables one to see the natural world through a different lens, a lens of love and care. It sounds like you have that mastered. :)

Thank you for bringing up privilege once more – it is something we should keep in our minds in all the units we have explored. I think a future of interpretation can include dismantling differential privileges to nature. This can be on a small scale, such as providing free local or school programs to outdoor programs to children, or a large scale, such as systemic changes to where green spaces are placed in urban planning, with respect to marginalized communities.

Respect is a great personal ethic in interpretation. Not only is it important for interpreters to respect their visitors, but it is also important to demonstrate respect for the environment, in the hopes that the visitors adopt this ideology. Interpreters should lead by example, and respect goes hand in hand with conservation, environmentalism, and stewardship. In this way, interpreters are key actors in creating the future we wish to see. Intergenerational ethics can be passed down through effective programming, and the values of a generation in unity can be synergistic.

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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’m glad to hear this course pushed you outside of your comfort zone and encouraged you to try new things, with success it seems! I’m coming to realize that the way this course is structured is no coincidence – it is much like a nature interpretation program in the sense that it involves unique methods of teaching and learning, opportunities to learn about ourselves, options for paths to choose from, and collaboration for a common goal.

I was also pleasantly surprised with how well the podcast assignment went. I was so happy with my group, and constantly remarked on how glad everybody was to be there. I really do think this course attracts like-minded, passionate people who truly want to learn and grow to be better stewards of the natural world.

It is great to hear how your personal ethics as an interpreter have evolved. What you say is true – a lot of the interpretation ethics we carry likely are the ethics we hold as human beings. Interpreters are not supposed to be some robotic figure, insincerely delivering information. They are humans too, and will each have their own unique style that makes them personable and memorable.

Your speaking of wanting to accommodate different learning styles is great. I agree that providing different options for different learners is great for accessibility. Something I’ve considered is incorporating each option into one program, and encouraging everyone (regardless of their learning style) to at least try each option. That way, visual learners will have the chance to participate in a visual activity that suits them best, but may also healthily challenge themselves with a tactile activity, for example. Interpretation can sometimes be about respectfully pushing oneself to facilitate growth!

To answer your final question, I am not entirely sure how I will continue to be a nature interpreter beyond this course in the formal sense – it really depends on what career I decide to pursue. However, nature interpretation does not only have to be part of a formal job. It can come into play every day. I can share what I know with others when we spend time in nature, and push myself to remember what I’ve learned every time I step outside and make a choice on how to act.

Have a great rest of your semester!

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Unit 10: Nature Interpretation's Role in Environmental Sustainability

It is hard to believe that the end of the semester is approaching, let alone that this is the last required blog post for this course! I think we can all agree that in these past months, we learned a lot of new principles, techniques, methods, stories, and facts about nature interpretation. However, I also think a lot of things we learned this semester weren’t necessarily new ideas, but rather discovered ideas – ideas that came from looking within. Most times when answering these weekly prompts, there was no right answer. We just needed to wholeheartedly believe what we were saying, and convey our individual meanings to each other. Nature interpretation requires sincerity, honesty, self-reflectiveness, and intimacy.

When thinking about directions for this prompt – assessing my personal ethic as a nature interpreter – I'd like to go back in time to the first few readings we did for this course and pull out some of the guiding principles that resonated most with me. Of course, there is value in every principle we learned, but here are the beliefs that have stuck out to me since those first few weeks of class, in my own words:

Provide information, but make it interactive and personally inspiring

This belief is a combination of Mills’ formula “appeal to the imagination and the reason”, and Beck and Cable’s “gift of revelation”. I like that interpretation can be a dichotomy of prescribed and discretionary. Yes, information can take visitors a long way, but discovering deeper meanings and engaging with the information is a necessary journey after being equipped with knowledge.

Your role is to facilitate visitors in their self-guided journey of engagement  

This belief is a combination of Tilden’s principle “the chief aim of interpretation is not instruction, but provocation” and Beck and Cable’s “gift of provocation”. Interpreters provide a series of possible paths and launching pads for visitors, but it is up to the visitor to choose which they wish to take. This can extend beyond the face-to-face interaction that happens during interpretive programming. In fact, the best kinds of paths and launching pads are those that the visitors can continue to pursue once leaving the official programming.

The world is a living thing – appeal to empathy

This belief is a combination between Mills’ formula “make stories breathe to life into inanimate objects” and Beck and Cable’s “gift of personalizing the past”. I personally feel more inclined to care for things when I know details of their inner workings, history, and purpose. This is strengthened when paired with moral obligation. Giving elements of the natural world an ethos of sorts can be powerful in driving action.

In terms of interpretive approaches that suit me as an individual, I find I thrive in programs (whether I am leading or participating them) that have some sort of logical structure. So with that being said, Flow Learning is an approach we learned about in this course that really resonated with me. I could see myself structuring programs in this way:

Awaken Enthusiasm

I think it would be really fun to start off an interpretive program with an engaging activity that allows visitors to discover the theme of the day. Personally, I have always enjoyed activities like this. For example, in 8th grade, on the first day of school my teacher aimed to teach us that everybody was coming from a different place, so we should not judge each other for moving at different paces. But…he didn’t tell us this, he showed us this. He gave us each the task of building a paper airplane, but provided each student with a different set of instructions. Some were in a different language, some were just photos, some allowed students to work in groups, etc. By the end of the activity, we had all discovered his lesson, and that made us all the more enthused to be in his classroom and respect him as a leader. Obviously, in an environmental context, the activity would be quite different, but I like the idea of using an activity to get everyone engaged while unveiling the theme of the day.  

Focus Attention

After the theme is announced, this is a great opportunity to get into the details that support this theme. Information can be shared with visitors, and the delivery should aim to maximize up-taking and retaining the information, while not overwhelming visitors.

Direct Experience

This is a great point to allow visitors to put what they have learned into practice through some sort of activity. This could be an individual or group activity, and should open the door to learn new things through firsthand experience.

Share Inspiration

I would encourage visitors to reflect on what they have learned, their favourite parts of the program that day, and what they are hoping for moving forward. Maybe this would be in the form of a group discussion, worksheet, or silent sitting circle with relaxing music.

I’d like to finish off this post with something entirely personal. Though interpretation is truly for anyone, something that has come to the surface when discussing the future of the environment is the importance of interpreting to children. Children see the world through a lens many of us spend the rest of our lives trying to get back. So, I thought it would be interesting to look through my old photo archives, and see what elements of nature inspired me as a child. Elements I may neglect to see as beautiful, special, and deserving of protection these days. Perhaps there’s a lot I can learn from my younger self. Have a look with me through the eyes of a child...

June 2007. Green is a pretty colour.

June 2007. You can make your own little garden, and attract little butterflies and bees? Cool!

December 2007. Trees are so, so, so big.

March 2008. There’s so much snow this winter. Its fun to play in!

March 2008. It’s okay to get messy.

June 2008. I like going on hikes with my family. I bet my mom packed snacks!

October 2008. I love to watch the tree I planted in my very own front yard grow.

June 2009. This deer is a reoccurring visitor to our house on vacation! He seems comfortable here.

June 2009. This water is so clear and fresh, its sparkly.

February 2010. Is that a bird’s nest?!

June 2010. I think bird wanted to let us know he was here.

June 2010. Sprinkle a little love for nature everywhere you go.

June 2010. If you look closely, you can see the fish.

July 2010. There’s Mount Baker. They say Bigfoot might live there.

September 2010. The apples look fresh this year, and the orchard looks like it goes on forever.

September 2010. I think I made a friend. She’s behind a cage, though.

October 2010. These leaves were cool, so I took them home with me.

July 2012. Look quick – it’s a butterfly!

August 2012. A clear blue sky makes for great sunset.

January 2013. Nature’s regenerative cycle.   

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Until next time, Nature Interpreters!

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UNIT 09

This week’s blog post is quite an open ended question which I typically find daunting, especially when discussing the most amazing things I know about nature. I find so many aspects of nature amazing and it was very difficult to choose just one, however, for this post I am going to be talking about monarch butterflies! I have a feeling that a lot of people are aware of how awesome these butterflies are, but if you’re like me and never really knew how monarch butterflies migrate then I am excited to share and hopefully get you appreciating these little creatures a bit more. 

I was first introduced to this process in my first year biodiversity course, before this, I was never too aware of how insects migrated, and honestly, I never really considered them to be migratory species (excuse my ignorance). What’s pretty awesome about this process, is that there is one particular location in Central Mexico (4000 km away) called the Oyamel Fir Forests where they travel to from the U.S. and Canada, where they stay for the winter (Canada, 2019). 

The most interesting aspect of all this, is that when spring rolls around and it is time for the butterflies to come back to Canada and the U.S., it is not the same generation of butterflies that originally made the journey. By the time the monarchs come back, 4 generations have gone by, this process is called multi generational migration (Canada, 2019). Due to this, the monarch has become an international symbol of conservation and nature and is part of a shared natural heritage between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico (Canada, 2019).

Unfortunately, the monarch butterfly is endangered and is at high risk of becoming extinct. This is a problem, not only for the species itself, but for other species that rely on their pollination. Some ways that the general public can help these butterflies is to plant native milkweed in their gardens as this plant is the only one that monarchs will lay their eggs on and the only one that caterpillars will eat (Canada, 2019). In addition to that, citizen science plays a huge role in the protection of this species. There are programs such as Mission Monarch that call on butterfly enthusiasts and citizen scientists to go outside and search for monarch eggs, caterpillars and butterflies (Canada, 2019). You are able to report everything you see on the website and make a contribution to the safety and conservation of these butterflies. It is important to keep records on plant and animal species that are endangered or going to be extinct quickly (Beck et al., 2018 (pg. 463)). Citizen science is one of the main ways in which we are able to preserve the safety of this species.

As I have mentioned, I work at a garden centre in the summer and I have noticed that a lot of people have been coming in asking which plants attract birds and butterflies. It is as simple as this to create a garden that is pollinator friendly, and adding milkweed is a huge part of the conservation of monarch butterflies in particular. 

Work Cited

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

Canada, E. and C. C. (2019, August 29). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-education-centre/fact-sheets/monarch-butterfly.html#toc1

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Hi Victoria,

Great post this week!

Monarch butterflies are so cool, and their migration patterns really do amaze me. How do they know what to do?! We really underestimate our non-human fellow species…

I remember my first real memory of monarch butterflies comes from my early years of elementary school – I don’t remember exactly when. In class, we were tasked with writing a fable about a plant or animal that explains how they “came to be” in some way. I think I wrote about how they got their dots, and it had to do with their migration patterns (or vice versa – can’t remember!).

Your bringing up monarch butterflies, and the consequent memory that surfaced for me, reminds me how we learned in this course that storytelling can be a great way to interpret (especially to or by children)! When writing my fable in elementary school, I had to do (very minor) research…so in that way, interpretation was a great learning opportunity!

It is interesting to read the research you have done on monarch butterfly migration, which is much more specific and detailed than what I had researched as a kid. My ability to understand and be interested in the level of detail you are sharing compared to what I could handle as a kid makes me think about how we learned about lifelong learning this week. The textbook discusses how a future direction of interpretation should put greater emphasis on continuing nature education for adults.

The knowledge you’ve shared on these butterflies definitely inspires me to learn more, and take steps to help protect them. This process is key for endangered species, or threatened environmental spaces.

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Week 9: Making Sense of Interpretation

When assessing what one thing I find most amazing about nature, I feel it is also important to address the futures of interpretation we read about in the textbook this week. This is because the future could direct how my answer to this question may not stay static, but instead change as new elements of nature are revealed through emerging directions in interpretation.

For one, the textbook describes how lifelong learning in an environmental context will become key in the future. There is a need for interpretation centres to have more well-rounded programming for adults, to keep afire the childhood passion for discovering the world around oneself. I definitely agree that it is important for adults, too, to get their hands dirty in the mud of the Earth, literally and figuratively! Perhaps what many of us find amazing about nature today might be vestiges of our childhood interests. Perhaps we haven’t noticed many new amazing things through our newly developed adult point of view. Improving lifelong learning programming may help reveal features of nature we haven’t considered yet with years of wisdom under our belts.

The textbook also outlines how technology is becoming an increasingly important player in nature interpretation. In one way, can be a friend, in the form of accessibility, delivering interpretating during programs, or inspiring visitors before or after their involvement in a program. However, technology can also be a foe in the sense that our reliance on it in everyday life has killed our attention spans, and just the amount of attention we pay to the natural world around us. Moving forward, I think technology may reframe what we are able to perceive in nature. By this I mean, it may one day allow us to see nature on really really small scale, or really really large, in ways we haven’t been able to see yet. It may help us transcend not only space, but time, and reframe what we think to be the most amazing facts.

Somewhat tied to technology, another future direction of interpretation is community engagement − with nature, and with each other in the context of nature. This means sharing methods of interpretation, general inspiration, a passion about a natural space, or participating in community-sourced scientific knowledge. These can all help new amazing things be discovered!  

With that being said…being present in this moment…what is the most amazing thing I know about nature? Honestly, it is hard to say! I guess in a general sense, it really does blow my mind that each and every plant we see is an extremely complex organism, with leaves and stems made of tissues, and those tissues being made up of cells, and those cells being made up of cellular components like enzymes, organelles, water, sugars, membranes, pigments and metabolic processes. I know this small-scale talk is actually pretty general and non-specific, but I just find it so cool! Like photosynthesis…so cool!? This must be the biological science student in me talking…

For example, take the header for my blog as an example. These are hydrangeas from my late grandmother’s garden. My grandmother loved to garden, and these beauties were right at the front of her quaint little house in a cute geriatric neighbourhood in British Columbia. How are these flowers pink and blue and purple all at the same time?

I heard it has to do with miniscule changes in acidity (in other words, the pH, in other words, the concentration of free hydrogen ions). Hydrangea colour can also be tampered with through managing concentration of aluminum ions. Both these factors interact with the pigments, giving rise to the beautiful colour variations you see in my header photo.

With that being said, it is important to note that I chose this photo for my blog header for a reason. Not only does it just so happen that these hydrangea colour variations are my favourite colours, but nature can also hold memories. For me, every time I see hydrangeas, I think of my grandmother. For other people, sometimes going to a specific park may bring back memories of a time in their lives, or a person. Nature is a time capsule, a physical representation of something you feel or remember within. It is unique to each person who experiences it. And maybe, that might actually take the cake for what I find most amazing about nature!

I’d like to hear, what parts of nature bring back memories for you?

[deaenvs3000w23]

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 Dana,

I appreciate you bringing up how the sounds of nature can be calming. I relate to this – lately, I have been having a hard time focusing when doing homework if there is noise around me, or if my mind is racing with stressful thoughts. As a solution, I recently discovered brown noise, which is a frequency of sound that is supposed to mimic things in nature like the roar of a river current or strong wind. To me, it sounds like Niagara Falls from a distance, and it is SO CALMING. Here is my favourite one from YouTube. I would be interested to hear what parts of nature it sounds like to you!

It is really cool how a mere frequency of noise, pretty indistinct (unlike a characteristic and sharp bird call, for example), can do something to our brains that makes them calm down. That is the power of nature…I feel this is just more evidence that we are truly meant to be surrounded by it, for our wellbeing!

I also like how you brought up that different little pieces of music in nature can come together, almost like an orchestra. This is something our article this week “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music” discusses – the idea that each ecosystem has its own unique “orchestra.” I wonder if there has been any research done on characterising ecosystems based on their sounds…that would be a really interesting study!

I love that you referenced “Butterfly Fly Away”. This is one of my favourite songs by Miley – so nostalgic, emotional, and just plain good! The entire song compares growing up to a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. This makes me think about how humans quite often reference pieces of nature in our lives, as metaphors. Be it plant or animals, in music or otherwise, we are always looking to our natural surroundings for inspiration, or for a way to describe how we feel. This, I feel, is one goal of using music in nature interpretation!

Great post this week!

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Unit 7: Nature Interpretation Through Music

The main question posed this week is: “Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?” After doing the readings this week, I had the thought that maybe music is nature, and nature is music – or at least, these things can co-shape each other simultaneously. Let me explain what I mean by referencing an article from this week, “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music”, specifically examining the case of birds.

Nature shapes music

This face of my idea is fairly easy to grasp. There are plenty of examples where occurrences in nature shape the human concept of music. For example, when Chopin was composing the Revolutionary Etude, it is possible inspiration for the cascade down the scale could have been drawn from his (maybe subliminal) memory of hearing and enjoying birdcalls like the canyon wren? As well, the article speaks about human affinity for the melodic cannon – a call and response pattern commonly found in our music. Are we inclined to like this pattern because we hear it often in the birds like the Socorro mockingbird of Mexico?

I think it is important to note that, as touched on in the article, humans most likely did not invent music. Instead, it is possible that there is some sort of “universal music” innate to all living things simply waiting to be discovered. This would support the idea that nature, in this case a “natural” set of musical preferences, can shape human’s musical creations.

Music shapes nature

This idea is a little harder to grasp. There are just a few interesting examples of how the human concept of music possibly influenced behaviours in the natural world. In the article, it is described how “some birds pitch their songs to the same scale as Western music, one possible reason for human attraction to these sounds.” Why would the birds choose scales that we just so happen to like, despite them being able to sing in so many other octaves? It might seem as though our preference for certain tones has shaped a natural bird call. Perhaps the thousands (?) of years that humans have interacted with birds, and birds grew more accustomed to our presence, they picked up on what brought us to them: our natural desire for certain notes and rhythms.

On one hand, I think it is a little human-exceptionalist for us to think that birds really alter their songs to suit our taste. But on the other hand, if this truly is the case, it may actually emphasize the opposite idea that we have the ability to shape nature because we, too, are a part of it.  

Can you think of any more examples outside of this article, where music is nature or nature is music?

In terms of a song that reminds me of a natural landscape, what first comes to mind is a song that reminds me of being outside, in general. The song is “Robin In The Rain” by Raffi – a song I listened to a lot as a kid, as Raffi is an artist that makes music for children. Whenever my mom and I would get caught outside in the rain (walking home after school, for example), she would always sing this song. When I listen to it, it immediately takes me to a natural setting where I can feel the cool rain, smell the fresh mud, and imagine a robin happily hopping around in the puddles.

I also think it is really important that this song doesn’t speak about the rain in a negative light. It instead speaks about it as a positive thing, as it allows the robin to skip along searching for its dinner (a worm!). It is key for children to see elements of nature that may be commonly seen as an inconvenience/unpleasant, as positive.

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Nature Interpretation Through History

Unpacking this quote is not an easy task. Hyams packs a lot meaning between words and uses metaphors that may be interpreted differently depending on your background. In a way, this alone encompasses the true meaning of interpretation. My understanding of this quote is likely very different to that of someone with very different life experiences to me.

Hyams defines integrity by keeping together the parts of whole, and by the effort to do so when the parts are not blatantly obvious or accessible. This often relates to “ancient things” or stories of history. The only way to learn and adjust our interpretation of today’s world is by learning from the ancient things. My mind immediately goes to an environmental disaster that occurred in Ukraine in 1986, known as the Chernobyl Disaster. At the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat, Ukraine, a nuclear reactor malfunctioned, causing explosions that took the lives of at least 4,000 people in the Soviet Union, including my Great Aunt. There is no merit in this event. It is a disaster whose effects are still being felt by people and the environment today. There is merit, however, in the mercy that the world showed Ukraine during the immediate aftermath of the event. There is merit in the relief efforts and there is beauty in the way that nature can fight toxic events like Chernobyl. To combat the radiation in the soil and ponds that were killing all life forms, sunflowers were planted due to their ecological ability to remove the harmful elements.

This event affected my interpretation of nature and of life. I think the sunflowers represent finding light in the darkest times. I also cannot help but think about my family. This disaster occurred in 1986, and my parents immigrated to Israel in the late 1970’s, after years of trying. If this had just taken them a few more years, they would have had endure the radiation poisoning that affected their entire town. It adds perspective to my life and makes this quote even more meaningful to me. I think Hyams would classify the teachings of Chernobyl as brave acts to maintain integrity.

The second part of this Hyams’s quote struck a chord in me. Perhaps it was the subject of the metaphor being a railway, but I can’t help but think of another ancient thing that effected my family and millions of others, the Holocaust. “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.”. This is so incredibly powerful. If we collectively leave the past in the past, we will have no idea where we are going in the future. Furthermore, we leave nothing for the next generation to learn from. If the railway stops existing when our train gets off it, what about the incoming trains? What will guide their path? This reminds me of a quote by George Santayana which states “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”. this is a quote that has been spoken by figures throughout history such as Winston Churchill and author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. We must acknowledge to past as we move forward to help us navigate this world. We cannot maintain integrity without holding onto the parts of the whole.

What does this mean for nature interpretation? Our generation is living through a climate crisis. The time to act on it is now, and we must look to the past to guide us but think about the future in doing so. We must represent nature through literature, music and art so that the parts of the present can be preserved for the future.

Beck, L, Cable, Ted T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Natural & Cultural Heritage. Sagamore-Venture Publishing. 2018

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Hi there,

Wow! What a hard-hitting opening to your post – fantastic point made. It is so true that as interpreters, we should always be conscious of how different audiences or individuals may receive the same message, no matter how carefully crafted it is. This idea wasn’t at the forefront of my mind this week while learning about interpreting through history…but the integration of course content is key, so I am so glad you brought this up. From this point alone I can already tell you know what it means to be a good interpreter!

I like how you brought up the historical example of Chernobyl to relate to the importance of keeping the integrity of ancient things, or more broadly ancient memories. This example makes me think about the impact of preserving this specific historical memory. Most people have an image, feeling, or set of facts come to mind when someone says “Chernobyl” – that is, most people remember the history. I wonder, what specific efforts were made to preserve this memory, and how has it been passed on to be so widespread? The usage of books and textbooks, incorporating examples into education, word of mouth, or the ever-wide reach of media are all possible tools. Do you have an opinion on which of these tools is most useful for passing on memories in terms of nature interpretation?

Your diving deep on Hyams’ metaphor about the train in the train station is very enlightening. It is true, it is not just about our train, or just the history of the railway. It is about trains that will come through in the future. Of course we want to know what we can learn for ourselves in our own lives, but it is also about what we can learn to pass onto others, to shape the future.

Thank you for the fantastic post!

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Unit 6: Nature Interpretation Through 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

Maintaining and sharing memories attached to a natural space is an important duty weighing on the shoulders of nature interpreters. The Earth can change - in an instant or over a millennium - for a number of natural or anthropogenic reasons, but memories don’t have to. So long as they are told authentically and accurately, as the textbook stresses, they can be conserved.

What does Hyams mean when he says the quote attached at the start of this post? To unpack this, I present to you another quote that I feel is relevant in the discussion of nature interpretation through history.

The textbook brings up the concept of a place of memory, and provides a definition from ICOMOS: a place of memory is “a property or site vested with historical significance due to the nature of historic events that occurred there. What differentiates places of memory from other categories of heritage is the relation between the material and non-material components of the site. In ‘places of memory’, the nonmaterial component is of far greater importance than the material one.”

With this quote in mind, let’s unpack Hyams' quote. I take his words to mean that what is tangible and material is what we know as the present day and everything it contains within. What we see, hear, and feel now are easy for most people to grasp. But, what has equal or even greater importance is the intangible, nonmaterial past. Sure, it is very easy for us to look around ourselves in a natural setting and see the importance of or feel a connection with what is right in front of us – and don’t get me wrong, this is absolutely key to interpretation. But, what interpreters should do, by interpreting through history, is extend that meaning and connection to something that isn’t right in front of our eyes.

The past still has a very real impact on why the space is the way it is today. Perhaps the difference between the past and present of a natural space could be the physical shape of the landform, the political tensions that existed around it, or the plants, animals, and human populations that once inhabited it in a different composition than they do now. These stories must be told too! But why? To me, I believe nature was here before us, and it will (hopefully) be here after us in some shape or form. Keeping its history in mind helps to not only give it meaning, but it gives us a sense of duty when interacting it.

We must keep in mind that how we interact with the land now will one day be another part of its history. It is my hope that we can make this history positive.

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A Rainy Day...

Before I start, let me paint the picture of what I am doing at this point in time. So here I am, sitting at my desk at the time I have allotted to complete this blog post. I am on my computer staring at a blank word document for what feels like forever. It's raining outside, so I feel comfortable and a bit more reluctant to complete this task. Cars are passing by, but I haven't heard a single soul outside yet, which is strange because it's 1pm. I am reflecting on the fact that throughout the entire day, I always have what feels like 1000 different thoughts in my head at once that don't let me have a moment of silence. But right now. With all the power in the world to talk about anything I wish, my mind is blank and quiet.

It's amusing to me that no boundaries were set for this week, and I have the chance to be creative, but I am at a loss. When I really think about it, I am a bit fearful! Why can't I decide on one thing? Am I too reliant on others or my phone? Can I not think for myself? But then I take a step back and remind myself that we are in a challenging part of the semester. I have assignments like no other, midterms coming up, and my body has been wrapped in stress for far too long. So? It's okay that I couldn't think of something right away. I'm tired, and school has been a lot.

So instead of talking about things that stimulate the brain, let's talk about how powerful weather, seasons and conditions are to us. Because as I look outside on this cold rainy day, all I want to do is stay inside, close my school work and watch a movie. The act of leaving my apartment right now feels like the largest chore. It is so funny because yesterday it was 6 degrees Celsius and sunny, and I was so upbeat and wanted to stay out the whole day.

However, today, my day started completely different because I woke up to the sound of rain. I think that's pretty powerful, don't you think?

I don't know about you, but when the sun started setting at 4:30pm in late November to December, I was struggling. As someone who likes to get things done during the day, trying to get work done when it is dark felt impossible. My roommates and I found each other getting ready for bed at 6pm and would only realize once we checked the time. We felt so tired, and it ultimately affected all of our work patterns and mental states. Seasonal depression is so real. It's hard to stay so upbeat when the day ends so early. Nowadays, the sun is setting at 5:30pm, and things are starting to feel much better. Although I am still anxiously waiting for the warmth of summer and those long summer months when the day doesn't end until 9pm.

I guess I am trying to say is that sometimes you must take a step back to see how often we are affected by nature. It's okay if you wake up feeling down on a cold rainy day with no intention to move. Seasons and weather are so powerful! It subconsciously affects us every day without us even knowing sometimes.

Here is a picture that was taken at 9:07pm in June.

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Hi Alexia!

Thank you for your lovely and genuine post this week! Your feelings about a rainy day versus the first sunny and slightly warm day of winter, and further, looking forward to those longer summer days, are my thoughts exactly. Especially at this time of year, when that is just around the corner but feels so far away.

This idea of the weather matching your mood made me think of a literary term I remember from high school English class: pathetic fallacy. Using a quick Google to help me out here, Wikepedia defines pathetic fallacy as “a literary term for the attribution of human emotion and conduct to things found in nature that are not human.” Think, a thunderstorm so fittingly taking place during the climactic conflict between characters in a book.  

It surely is interesting to me that there is a term for personifying nature and giving it human-like agency, when in reality I think it really does have a personality of its own. I can think of so many times where I have received a “sign” from nature, or felt the weather reflected my mood, or the occurrence of a natural phenomena/process fit the moment so perfectly. This brings me back to something I discuss in my own post this week. I talk a bit about how, in many ways, we ourselves are an element of nature, and it may be improper to try and tease apart what is human as opposed to nature.

All of this to say is that I agree with you. I think we should accept that nature can influence our mood…we should stay in tune with our natural surroundings. In more ways than not, I think nature is a foundational part of who we are!

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Unit 5: Nature Interpretation through Science

In one of the readings this week, “Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education”, we learned that science education and environmental education are often separated. For example, while science may dive in on teaching fundamental knowledge and skills, it may neglect to touch on the importance of certain values and behaviours that environmental education emphasises. Science may look at the small-scale intricacies and inner workings of a process, while environment looks at big picture approaches and broad factors that span place and time.  

The important takeaway of this article is that, despite these different approaches, there is no reason why these different forms of education can’t overlap or even merge at once. This idea is of special interest to me, largely because I am a student who is majoring in Biological Science and minoring in Anthropology; the merging of different disciplinary fields is the very focal point of my interest! It is a fundamental part of my belief system that when passing on knowledge to a receiver, different perspectives should be incorporated to allow the receiver to acknowledge many faces of one topic. This can include incorporating natural sciences with social sciences, Western knowledge systems with Indigenous knowledge systems…the list goes on.

With that being said, one main dichotomous debate is that over nature versus culture, in other words, non-human animals and the environment versus humans. Many believe that humans are undoubtedly situated above other species and fundamentally different due to our emotions, brain capacity, abilities, and practices. This idea is generally referred to as human exceptionalism, and was a core belief of many philosophers, scientists, and anthropologists alike for hundreds of years. While it is true that humans have some pretty cool characteristics, discourse in modern day is leaning towards the notion that not much separates us from nature, which we for so long have othered ourselves from. In other words, we are animals and a piece of the natural world too!

This post-humanist perspective is one I urge you to ponder on. Can it really be said that animals don’t have culture, the supposed defining characteristic of humanity? Take the TED Talk we watched in this week’s content as an example. Birds, like us, build houses. They love and date and even kiss each other. Are these not things we may consider cultural practices, or human-like characteristics? What really separates us from them? Is it language? Have you ever thought that bird calls could just as well serve as language?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this whole debate – comment down below or reblog with your ideas!

So, how does this all relate to interpretation?

Firstly, interpretive programs should make a conscious effort to incorporate different educational styles, disciplines, or systems. As we are constantly reminded in this course, interpretation is not forcing one strict perspective on visitors – it is allowing them to be provided with opportunities and prompts to bring themselves on a journey of learning and feeling in a natural setting.

Secondly, we should evaluate where we think we stand relative to nature, and be open to the idea of being an element of it. Once we are aware of our positionality relative to (or within!) nature, we can better reflect on our interaction with it, and what we can do to coexist with it and even help it flourish.

If nature is happy and healthy, and we are a part of nature, shouldn’t that make us happy and healthy too?  

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Art and Nature Interpretation

The most frequent way that I interpret nature through art is through music. This tends to be through descriptive lyrics painting a scene. One of my favourites is from the song Cowboy Take Me Away by the Chicks which says “I said, I wanna touch the earth / I wanna break it in my hands / I wanna grow something wild and unruly / I wanna sleep on the hard ground (The Chicks, 1999).” These lyrics evoke the scene of a field of wildflowers, and I can picture myself lying in the middle of the field crumbling dirt in my hands. I find that by interpreting nature through music, I can be transported to places I have never been. 

As mentioned in the textbook, art evokes emotion, and the best interpreters can get into the hearts of their audience (Beck et al., 2018). As such, interpreting nature through art can be an important experience for anyone seeking to participate in a nature interpretation program or looking to connect with nature. When you interpret art, you are seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, through their interpretation. This can aid in connecting with or interpreting nature as the artist may have connected with a small aspect of nature that the audience would have typically overlooked. 

Art forms such as theatre, dancing, and music can be beneficial for interpretation for children and adults with attention deficit disorders as it provides a more engaging or interesting method of education (Beck et al., 2018). The engaging nature of these arts can help prevent individuals from getting bored, which can be beneficial as it makes nature interpretation more accessible for individuals that would struggle to learn through other methods. 

There is no correct way to view a piece of art; how one views it depends on how one interprets the piece. As well, art is accessible to everyone, from paintings to more engaging forms like dance and theatre. As such, art should be open to everyone to interpret nature through, you do not have to be an experienced nature interpreter to use art to interpret nature. 

The “gift of beauty” is a principle of interpretation that encourages interpretation to open the audience’s eyes to the beauty of nature around them, lead to the experience of a spiritual effect, and encourage preservation (Beck et al., 2018). Art is an excellent way to connect with nature in this way. Since there are so many different forms of art, there is something for almost everyone. In my own life, I interpret the gift of beauty as the feeling I get when I feel the desire to photograph a location so that I can look back on the photo and show others. When I feel compelled to take a photo, I feel a connection to the location and hope that it will be preserved for others to see in the future. I have attached one of these photos that I took many years ago in the Kawartha Lakes area! The I was inspired by the beauty of the leaves beginning to change.

My favourite ways to interpret nature are through music and photographs. What about you?

Sources

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

The Chicks. (1999). Cowboy take me away [Song]. On Fly [Album]. Monument.

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Hi Maya!

Great post this week. I took a chance to listen to the song “Cowboy Take Me Away” that you referenced. They also sing “I wanna look at the horizon / And not see a building standing tall / I wanna be the only one / For miles and miles.” Though this may not be the intention of the song as a whole, these select lines make me think about industrialization and the reduction of green space that we have been seeing a lot of in recent decades.

So, in the same way that art can communicate an image to a listener/viewer/enjoyer and evoke “the gift of beauty”, it can also be a medium through which the artist expresses their stance on a particular subject, which in turn urges the enjoyer to assess their own stance as well. Take this song for example: “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. This song was written about civil rights disturbances in the US and quickly became an anti-war and protest anthem in the 60’s. This piece of art became a part of the history of the region and time period!

In this way, art can be used as an influential tool – a cause for self-reflection on one’s position on a subject. I imagine this can become important in interpretation, for example, when considering talking about conservation in an interpretive program. It is not the interpreter’s job to indoctrinate visitors, but instead provide the opportunity for them to have a moment of individual contemplation and inspiration to take action.

Which of Beck and Cable’s “gifts” do you think using art as an influential tool falls under?

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Unit 4: Nature Interpretation through Art and Planning for “All” Scenarios

Throughout essentially all of the course materials so far, it has been reiterated that the interpreter is supposed to be an inspiration and aid, not indoctrinator, for visitors to look within themselves and appreciate nature in ways that are meaningful to them. Using art would simply be a tool to help me accomplish this. I do not need to be an artist or art critic by any means, only able to carefully employ a piece of art as a component of the message I am trying to convey.

Of course, both the message and the medium will differ depending on what I may know about the audience. For example, when describing the history of the land, a group of children might benefit from a puppet show where the takeaway message is the feelings of a character (e.g., a tree wishing not to be cut down). On the same land, a group of adults may benefit from a historical re-enactment, where the message is the political history intertwined with the region.

In Beck and Cable’s The Gifts of Interpretation, they describe the gift of beauty as such: “interpretation should instill in people the ability, and the desire, to sense the beauty in their surroundings – to provide spiritual uplift and encourage resource preservation.” To me, this means an interpreter must draw attention to an element of nature that they find beautiful, and guide the visitors to see it as beautiful as well, whether by the same definition of beauty or their own. Once seeing this element as beautiful, visitors will feel a stronger sense of attachment and duty to preserve it through conservation.

I can think of one specific “gift of beauty” that I have appreciated since I was young, that I may wish to pass onto an interpretation group of children.

Growing up, and even still now, I felt the most beautiful days outside were the ones where the sky was so clear and so blue that if you looked up at it, without seeing anything on the ground, it kind of looked like a big expansive ocean. If there were a few clouds, to me, I imagined those as tiny, frothy waves crashing on the shore.

While leading the children, I would encourage them to take a moment and see this themselves. I’d have to employ childlike imagination – perhaps I would bring towels and ask them all to lay on their backs, and look up at the sky. Then, I might speak to them in a poem, or teach them a song we can sing together as we do this activity. For example, see below for a fun poem I just wrote to demonstrate how art can be used in interpretation, and a picture of the beauty I am referring to.

I’m no Shakespeare; though I felt a little silly writing that poem, that is exactly my point – you do not need to be an expert to employ art in interpretation. It is just a vehicle for your message. In this case, my message is to appreciate healthy air, or a healthy ocean, and feel inspired to keep it that way through conservation. After this activity, perhaps I would discuss with the children how this can be done in ways that are realistic to them.

Nature can be so beautiful through the eyes of a child. What elements of nature did you find beautiful when you were younger?

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Risk vs. Reward (Unit 03)

My current working "definition" of privilege resembles that of the one provided by Gallavan (2005). Privilege to me, is an unearned advantage provided to an individual that inequitably tips the scale of success in favour of those who are baselessly associated with superiority, dominance, and power.

With that being said, I am going to "unpack my invisible backpack" as explained by Gallavan (2005) as a means of self reflection and acknowledgement of my privilege. By doing so, I aim to connect further with my audience by opening the conversation (regardless of similarity), and provide to me as a nature interpreter the chance to understand and experience the setting from a different perspective (Beck et al., 2018).

My backpack: I am a straight white male, middle class, highly educated, speak both English and French, able to pay for university, played multiple competitive sports outside of school, possess a Canadian passport and have travelled outside of the country, and even though I do not practice under any religious affiliation; work and school schedules reflect my observed holidays.

If you feel comfortable doing so, I would love to hear about your life and unpack our backpacks together further in the comments!

Pertaining to risk and reward in relation to this section, this unit raised multiple forms of associated risk in both physical and situational risk in pursuit of the rewards of strong interpretation and communicating to diverse audiences (Beck et al., 2018). Physical risk as exemplified by the St. Johns School: Tragedy in Temiskaming, is an important category to cover as both the terrain, weather, audience and wildlife can all pose physical risk to you and your audience while interpreting. The situational risks associated pose a different kind of risk, where as the interpreter your audience can become polarized by the lack of connectivity for numerous reasons under the spectrum of privilege or something as simple as your attitude towards the job. Both of these associated risks that a role as an interpreter faces promote the use of the precautionary principle, where the most valuable approach you can take in risk management is to provide your audience prudent information and action in response to uncertain interactions.

Activity: Using the precautionary principle, what risk would you advise your travelling group to be wary of from this picture alone?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing.

Gallavan, Nancy P. "Helping teachers unpack their 'invisible knapsacks'." Multicultural Education, vol. 13, no. 1, fall 2005, p. 36. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A137921591/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=9fe2f151. Accessed 27 Jan. 2023.

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Hi Cameron!

Well-written post! It is definitely important in all discussions of privilege to unpack our own invisible backpacks. I think the “tools” we find within inform our everyday choices and actions, and likely play a role in our thoughts about privilege itself. I was also able to unpack my backpack this week in my post, and it was a very revealing and reflective activity that everybody should take the time to do - especially interpreters!

It's great that you brought up and defined the difference between physical and situational risk. These both must be carefully considered by an interpreter when creating or delivering interpretative programming. I wonder, perhaps there is one more type of risk: emotional. During interpretive programming, it is probable that visitors may be asked to do or merely think about something that is uncomfortable, daunting, or overwhelming for them. Though it is good for interpretive programming to provide an opportunity to challenge oneself, it should always be encouraged with respect of boundaries and limits.

Can you or anyone else reading this post think of ways that interpreters can minimize emotional risk? I definitely think getting to know the visitors individually can help, but I would love to hear other examples.    

Thanks for giving us an activity in your post to further open discussion! From that picture, I can think of a few things I may advise my group of to avert some risk. Most significantly, the water could be a potential hazard, so I would advise visitors to be careful when walking near the water, and perhaps request barricades to be put up on the trail to reinforce safety. I may even ask which visitors are and are not able to swim, just in case of an accident. This risk ties in interestingly to ideas about privilege, as we know that swimming lessons are a privilege not all people have.

Thanks for your post!

[dmenvs3000w23]

Unit 3: Risk versus Reward in Interpretation

The content this week regarding privilege was extremely important to learn. How I understand it, privilege includes tangible and intangible advantages that a person did not earn, but instead were handed due to their innate positionality. These can include material things like finances, opportunities, health, or place of residence, but can also be subtle, like connections, skills, values, abilities, or mindsets that one holds based on how they were born or raised.

A lot of the time, privilege can go unnoticed by others, and many people are unaware of their own privilege. This is why the term “invisible backpack” that we learned this week is an apt description of privilege.

It is important in my discussion of privilege to unpack my own invisible backpack. I am a white woman who grew up with a loving, middle-class family. I grew up in a safe and well-kept community, in a city with lots of opportunities (Toronto), in a country that is safe, comfortable, and familiar for someone like me (Canada). I am healthy, and educated. These things inform everything I think, say, or do, whether I realize it or not.

My first memory of becoming aware of my own privilege was in kindergarten. I brought to school my Hannah Montana lip gloss I had gotten as a gift from my parents - a piece of merchandise from one of my favourite television shows. I showed it to my friend, and she was perplexed. She did not find my item cool, and had many questions. “What is lip gloss?” “Who is Hannah Montana?”

I wondered why she did not see this object the same as me. Perhaps her parents could not afford gifts like makeup sets. Perhaps she was not allowed to watch television, thus feeling left out on conversations her peers had about these shows during recess. This is a very small-scale example of privilege, but it was my first exposure, and left a lasting impact.

Regarding nature interpretation, I see that privilege plays a role in two ways.

In the first way, the interpreter must recognize all visitors will have a range of privileges. Even if the interpreter is aware the people coming to their program are all part of one group (e.g., all within a certain age group), they must recognize the group is still heterogenous. Accommodating different intentions with the program, ability to progress through the program comfortably and with dignity, or ability to receive and process the information presented must all be considered.

In the second way, the interpreter themselves must reflect on their own privilege and positionality, and wonder about how messages coming from them might be received by a diverse audience. In what ways can they ensure their messages are self-aware, well-received, and free from bias?

One beautiful thing about nature interpretation is that it can serve as an opportunity to interact with people with different invisible backpacks, and learn from each other. That’s not to say we should put the emotional load on those with less in their backpacks, by forcing them to ask for accommodations and teach the rest of us about privilege – it is instead to say the more we interact with different people, the more we become aware of ourselves and what we can do with our position to ensure everybody has a positive experience.

[etenvs3000w23]

Unit 02: Teaching Learners

When I think of what makes a good environmental interpreter, a few people come to mind. The most recent example was a tour guide I had while on vacation in the Dominican, named Angel, who made our bus ride to our excursion not just a boring ride, but an incredibly engaging interactive talk on the history of the Dominican Republic. He spoke of how proud and happy his people were to be Dominican despite how impoverished the majority of his country was, how they lived, what they prioritised, and how their natural resources shaped their culture. He discussed how annual hurricanes affect their overall crop yields, their housing situations, and how important the ecotourism of their country was to maintaining their economy after such hard times. He not only demonstrated the beauty of their landscape by pointing out to us recognizable plants, crops, and mountains, but even stopped the bus to grab a bundle off of a plant so we could smell the sweet and fragrant scent of the coffee bean flowers in bloom. As the textbook describes, he made this talk engaging to the audience by connecting the intangible knowledge with the tangible. 

Comparatively, if I had to think back to my earliest memory of an environmental interpreter, it would have to be when I was in the fourth grade, when a guide showed us around the Holland Marsh. Similar to the Dominican, this tour guide showed us the intangible importance of wetlands by demonstrating tangible examples, such as recreations of historical indigenous structures, animal exhibits within their wildlife centre (snakes and turtles), and even a marsh invertebrate identification activity in which we caught live invertebrates with nets and identified them using what I now know is a dichotomous key. Even though it’s been over ten years since that tour, I still remember the joy at finding something completely new and unique in the water compared to my classmates and the fascination I had with just how diverse and important something like a wetland, which I thought was just gross scummy water, actually was.  

Taking these two experiences into account, I think the ideal role of an environmental interpreter is someone who can expand on someone’s preconceived notions of a place in an interactive and interesting way. Angel knew the tourists on the bus were enclosed in their resorts and saw the world through rose-tinted glasses, and expanded on it by demonstrating how their presence in his country was a result of the natural beauty and resources and was incredibly influential to their economy which is devastated by hurricane disasters every few years. The guide at the Holland Marsh knew that kids my age are what the textbook describes as “nature deficient” and needed some of Richard Louv’s Vitamin N. Therefore, they engaged us through charismatic examples of things we were familiar with, such as snakes, turtles, and games, to ensure we learned about an initially gross and foreign area in a fun and active way. 

I have always been someone who learns best through direct experience, the third step in Cornell’s (1998) stages of flow learning, which involves learning through personal discovery. But the previous steps in flow learning are: 1) Awaken Enthusiasm and 2) Focus Attention. I believe the best interpreters are people with the skills to engage people through anecdotes, charisma, or sheer people skills, as using these they can begin the first two steps of learning and guide their listeners into an absorption state of self discovery. If I was an interpreter, these would be the skills I would work hardest on, so I would not just know the knowledge, but know how to connect the tangible with the intangible in ways that keep the audience engaged.

[dmenvs3000w23]

Hi Emily!

It was so great to hear about your memories of interpretation, and what skills are most important to you.

It sounds like Angel, your tour guide, took interpretation to the next level through personal connection to the region. This, in turn, created personal connection for you, the visitor, likely directed towards both to him and to the Dominican Republic at large. What a valuable and impressive skill!

It also sounds like Angel understood that interpretation is more than just information delivery – as the textbook describes, programming should aim to reach the whole person. Your fond memory of him stopping the bus to quite literally ‘smell the roses’ demonstrates the impact it can have when an interpreter cares about what they are trying to convey to the visitors. The ability to facilitate an all-encompassing experience is a skill I would love to have as an interpreter.  

Further, it is great to hear that you have an early memory of nature interpretation, regarding your experience at the Holland Marsh. You speaking about your joy and transformed perception of wetlands reminds me of some of the goals of interpretation we have learned: to inspire, to encourage further learning, and to be an agent of change. With that being said, if you were to lead a nature interpretation program yourself, would you ever like to do so at some place like the Holland Marsh, such as a wetland? I think that would be a pretty sweet full circle moment. 😊

Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future!

[dmenvs3000w23]

Unit 2: Teaching Learners

When thinking about my ideal role as an interpreter, I was reminded of Freeman Tilden’s ideas of interpretation, as described in the textbook. The most fundamental ingredient for an interpreter to have, according to Tilden, is love for the place and love for the visitors. With that in mind, I began to think about the places I already know and love when envisioning the place of my ideal role. Immediately, my choice came to mind: The Guild Inn, in Scarborough Ontario.

The Guild Inn is best described as a menagerie of history, culture, nature, art, and community. Though their website is largely aimed at advertising it as a wedding venue (it is much more than that!) feel free to take a look here.

I grew up very close to the Guild Inn. Take my high school experience as context; the statues scattered throughout the park were not only the subject of photographs for my grade 11 photography class, but also the seats of students during lunch hour! Throughout my childhood, my family and I attended markets and showcases that employed this site as a venue, and took walks down the wooded area towards the rocky Lake Ontario entry point. I’ve included photos below to bring colour to my story.

I would pick this location to interpret because I care about it, and already have a good foundation on its history. Even now, I can think of a few fun facts I would use to get certain audiences engaged…for example, did you know Drake filmed a music video here?😊

Regarding what my interpretive program would entail, I imagine I would take visitors through the different parts of the area (statues, buildings, forest, lake), detailing the history as we go. Though, interpretive programs should not just be a regurgitation of information. They must also include activities, strategic silence, purposeful selection of locations, encouragement of provocation, and development of a theme that underlies the entire program.

I would be sure incorporate a variety of activities that are engaging for different types of learners. For example, I may have a kinesthetic activity that is most appropriate for kinesthetic learners, but a healthy challenge for auditory learners. In an activity that follows, perhaps it would be most appropriate for auditory learners, but a healthy challenge for kinesthetic learners. What is best for me may not be best for others, and what is best for one visitor in the group may not be best for the rest – what matters is that there is something for everyone, and that if comfort zones are pushed, it is gentle, intentional, respectful, and mindful.

Another important skill I would like to possess is adaptability. Rather than following a strict script, I would get to know the visitors as we move along and accommodate their intentions. As the constructivist approach tells us, each visitor brings unique constructs of knowledge and values to a program, and new information gets incorporated into these like flies into a spider’s web. It would be my goal to sense visitors’ constructs, and deliver my program in a way that is meaningful to each individual.

And through that, I would then not only have love for the place, but grow love for the visitors as well.