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.
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.
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.






















