Emily’s ENVS*3000 Blog

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Interpreting my journey

Learning about nature interpretation this semester has taught me a lot and I’m incredibly appreciative of not just the space for some self-expression, but also the incentive to attach meaning to everything I have done. It has allowed me to learn not just about the field, but many things that I can apply to different aspects of my life. This blog was a little difficult to write and I had to think a lot, but it is in many ways a stream of consciousness as I reflect on everything I have learnt. 

                          Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

As I continue to develop as an interpreter, my guiding principles are to foster understanding and appreciation, while recognizing that we all engage with the world differently. I think one of the most valuable things that I’ve learned this semester is first understanding myself and what I wish to contribute to the world, and how that influences my role as an interpreter. This has allowed me to recognize the beliefs that I bring to my interpretation such as the importance of communicating science in a way that is relevant and meaningful to a larger audience. 

I think that in terms of trying to raise awareness about environmental issues such as habitat destruction, species extinction, climate change etc., it is essential to increase the sense of wonder people have towards natural world. Sharing the very simple things about the natural world has the ability to completely transform someone’s perspective or feeling towards something. I remember as a kid I was quite terrified of bugs and would not hesitate to ask someone to kill them for me, and then one day my dad told me that some bugs actually have pretty short lifespans (in their adult form), and killing them meant they get even less time to spend in the world. Since then I somehow learnt to co-exist with bugs, I’m still not their biggest fan but I can never seem to forget how learning something so simple changed my entire perspective to the extent that I would always wonder how insects perceived the world, which led me down the rabbit of hole of learning how different organisms perceive time differently from humans. Learning such things ignited my curiosity of the natural world which I think led me to be an empathetic person. And so with all this said, I believe interpretation is something that can deeply inspire people and change lives in ways I don’t even think I can begin to imagine.

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper ― W.B. Yeats

                        Image by Frank Winkler from Pixabay 

In the day and age we live in, I think it can be very easy for humans to view ourselves as separate from the natural world especially when our lives are dominated by technology. I think that in trying to reconnect humans with nature, it is important for us to understand our place in it and that we are a part of the whole, rather than apart from it. And this brings me to my approach as an individual, and I have to stop and ask myself not just how I would like to share my message but also what my end goal is, what feelings and understanding am I trying to impart and invoke? In many ways it is trying to emulate to some capacity what I have observed from other interpreters that has stuck with me over time. I think that there is always something incredible to be experienced when you witness someone talking about something they love, and one step beyond that I feel is when they share that with other people. My experiences of interpretation that have stuck with me have always been when the interpreter is kind, respectful, passionate and when they have created a space for the audience to attach their own meaning to the experience. These are qualities I would like to bring to my own interpretation.  

Through this course I’ve really come to appreciate the diversity of the ways in which information can be shared, and I’m exploring how I can incorporate some of those practices into my own work. Words have always been my preferred form of expression, in more ways than I think we realize, we are always weaving some sort of story through our words. Something that I want to explore more of is the different ways of sharing messages through words, going beyond essays and blogs and opinion pieces. There’s so many different things I have been exposed to through this course that have really transformed my thinking and have inspired me to step outside of the box. The one that sticks with me the most is a poetry book mentioned in the textbook by Jidi Maija called I, Snow Leopard. The speaker in the poem is an endangered snow leopard and I couldn’t help but think how much more powerful the message of human violence towards animals is communicated, by giving a voice to the animal itself. I still don’t know what my approach as an interpreter is quite yet, but I look forward to experimenting with mixing different mediums such as storytelling, music and videography.  

                         Image by TeeFarm from Pixabay 

As I continue on thins journey, my responsibility is to retain integrity in everything I do, to be as true as I can to the information I share, to make it accessible, and to always remember that it is not about sharing my perception of the world, but the wonder, and creating space for others to experience that wonder.

 When I signed up for this course it was kind of like taking a shot in the dark, and I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m glad I took the chance. I have enjoyed reading and learning about the experiences others have had not just in the natural world, but in their personal lives as well. I’m kind of glad I’ve had this opportunity to reflect on this course and all the different things I have learnt because it has enabled me to see the growth in myself and in my thinking over the past few months. I don’t really know how else to end this other than to wish everyone the best of luck in all their future endeavours!

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Hi!

Awesome post, I really enjoyed reading your different perspectives and beliefs surrounding nature interpretation, and how they have evolved throughout the semester! I was pretty relieved to find that you also found the post this week a bit challenging, as I also struggled to sum up my own personal ethic, the developments I have made throughout this course and how I can put it all together in the future. I also share the belief and understanding that we all engage with the world in our own way, this being said, there needs to be more inclusion of this in nature interpretation everywhere if it aims to be accessible to all. I found that I was able to, similarly, discover more about myself and how I want to contribute to the world of nature interpretation and education throughout this course. I believe that I found that I feel most at ease and comfortable actually being in nature and that I learn best about nature and interpret nature best when being immersed in it. This has led me to believe that I personally want to contribute to this field by giving others the opportunity to experience nature in such a way, while also giving them the resources to do so. It really is, as you mentioned, so incredibly easy to view ourselves as completely separate entities from nature, especially those of us who do not live surrounded by it or have the chance to experience it on a regular basis. I agree that technology also contributes to this; by trying to make us all feel more connected, it ends up often creating such a disconnect with the physical natural world.

 I also wholeheartedly agree that this course allowed me to recognize and understand that nature interpretation is far from one dimensional and the ways in which this information can be communicated and displayed come in all forms and mediums. I found that I never really thought of art as a way of interpreting nature before, at least much beyond a painting or a drawing so when I learned about theatre, poetry, music and storytelling, I was actually quite surprised. Now it is quite obvious to me how these can all be forms of nature interpretation, but I think that is quite telling of how much I have learned and developed my understanding throughout this course. Personally, I prefer to use my words to tell my own stories and personal experiences when acting as a nature interpreter, much like you. But I am also quite intrigued by the idea of using music as I have always enjoyed writing music and singing, so perhaps one day I will try that out. I definitely agree that I am so glad I signed up for this course, best of luck to you as well!

-Emily

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Personal Ethics, Approach and Reflection on Nature Interpretation

Personal ethics are quite an interesting topic to me. I understand it as the ability of an individual to recognize what is morally right and wrong, the reasoning as to why a certain decision is right or wrong however is completely dependent on individual in question. This is what makes it so unique between individuals and differentiates it from other fields of ethics such as business ethics and legal ethics. I believe making these decisions as to what is morally proper is based upon one’s own past experiences, their ability to understanding how it may affect others and their ability to analyse the situation and all its potential outcomes. Whether we recognise it or not, we make these decisions on a daily basis, many times with little reflection and consideration.

But what relevance does all this have with nature interpretation? The field of nature interpretation seems to be filled with many kind-hearted individuals, many of whom have different beliefs and understandings. I have numerous different beliefs concerning nature interpretation, many of which I’ve acquired through the experiences that I have been privileged enough to have lived. One of these beliefs is that everyone should have a chance to experience nature in a manner suitable for themselves. While the world may seem more connected than ever before thanks to the internet and cellphones, some of the more natural connections to our surrounding environments has been lost by many. Some perhaps never had the opportunity to create these connections and I know that when I interpret, I especially enjoy interpreting in an attempt to create that connection and light the spark. There are many things I’ve learned to appreciate in the natural world around me; the melodious songs of a warblers at dawn, the seemingly endless diversity of local plants and the many interactions between species within a community. Although I may be interested in spending hours at a time admiring trees, others will surely be far more interested in a different aspect of the environment. So, I try to recognize my preferences before creating an interpretive activity in an effort to focus on what would be the most memorable experience for the participants. It may be easier to interpret in ways that I would enjoy experiencing the activity, but it’s far more important to make that connection and encourage the curiosity of the audience.

I often try to present something cool to get the attention of the audience, such as this Attacus atlas, one of the largest moths in the world!

Another belief I have is that nature interpretation is our most efficient tool in not only creating those connections but also in educating a wide audience and changing their behaviour, particularly concerning environmental issues. As many people might expect, increasing the feeling of connectedness to nature using environmental education through nature interpretation has been shown to positively influence the way people act towards the environment (Otto and Pensini, 2017). Encouraging individuals to act in a sustainable manner to lessen their own impact on the environment may help in dealing with pressing environmental issues such as climate change and habitat loss. Large corporations are also greatly at fault but being able to recognize that our choices at the grocery store and at the ballot box can also impact their ability to contribute to these problems is also a step forward. I believe even nature interpretation in its simplest form can at the very least encourage some to take a step in the right direction.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m in continuous awe of the natural world, mainly from a science-oriented view as that is what has been available to me throughout education. This is why I primarily enjoy interpreting in the form of nature walks and interactive activities, as I attempt to express how amazing the environment is with the use of what scientific information is available. I’m very fond of this method for the most part as our scientific understanding of most things is the result of the combined theories and hypotheses that attempt to make sense of this expansive world we live in. I feel as though this idea of coming together to discover with a solution that everyone can agree upon is something we should apply more often outside of science. In any case, it seems to be great way to communicate as it feels like you’re presenting something that many people would be able to understand and hopefully relate to.

As I’ve reflected upon my past nature interpretation experiences within the past few months, I’ve come to appreciate other forms of interpretation that I had previously not taken into too much consideration before. Interpretation of indigenous cultures through the stories they told and the art they created is one I hope many Canadians can relate to. The depictions of these wild spaces and the creatures that inhabit them is truly an incredible way of interpreting the connection that the indigenous people of an area had in a time long past and hopefully still do, and is without a doubt worth preserving and experiencing. Participants involved in this form of interpretation have even been shown to develop a greater “care of place” (Walker and Moscardo, 2016) which I believe is beneficial for everyone.

One of the amazing Nuu-chah-nulth totem poles I had the fortune of seeing during my time at Pacific Rim National Park, BC. Retrieved from: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/11470174024694423/

Nature interpretation has played an immense role in my life, both as a participant and as a presenter. Perhaps it has had a more significance than I can even recall at this moment. I surely cannot tell where I’ll be within 10, 5 or even a year from now, not for certain, in any case. Despite this uncertainty, there is one thing that I am certain of; I wish to further explore nature interpretation as a means to understand more about nature, how others perceive the world around them and how I can potentially better others and myself through nature interpretation.

References

Otto, S., & Pensini, P. (2017). Nature-based environmental education of children: Environmental knowledge and connectedness to nature, together, are related to ecological behaviour. Global Environmental Change, 47, 88-94.

Walker, K., & Moscardo, G. (2016). Moving beyond sense of place to care of place: the role of Indigenous values and interpretation in promoting transformative change in tourists’ place images and personal values. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 24(8-9), 1243-1261.

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Hi Joseph!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week, I think it was extremely well thought out and you raised some really good points and ideas. The overview you gave of your understanding of personal ethics and what you defined it as was really helpful. Personally, that was my hardest part of creating the post for this week and what took me the longest to come up with. I agree that it surrounds our moral beliefs as human beings and that we can see these beliefs reflected in our everyday life and the choices we make. These ethics allow us to make judgements on what we see as being morally right and wrong, a lot of which comes from our own experiences. I found that reflecting on myself and how I could sum up this ethic to be quite difficult.

           I think that everyone having a chance to participate in nature interpretation in their own way or a manner suitable for them is a really important part of nature interpretation and it is something that needs to be widely accepted and believed in. Personally, as I wrote in my own post, I believe in inclusive education surrounding nature interpretation as well. I find that everyone interprets, learns and experiences things in their own ways and that having only one way to teach or allow people to experience something means that so much of the population feels polarized or uninterested. I know growing up I loved nature, the outdoors and the environment; however I often found that in school it was taught it ways they were not very engaging to me – while looking at photos and videos of it were nice - I truly yearned to actually be immersed in nature to experience and learn about it. The greatest memories I have from elementary and middle school are times spent at nature centres and conservation areas with school; where we were actually given the opportunity to learn in nature.

           I love that you also brought up technology. While I think that it does allow for people to be more aware and educated and gives them the opportunity to experience nature interpretation virtually in countless ways – it can also lead to serious disconnect. There truly are so many people living in big cities and extremely urbanized areas who do not get opportunities to experience nature interpretation at a conservation area, park and outdoors in nature in general. I also believe that nature interpretation can be our greatest tool in educating a wide audience. I choose to mostly focus my own post on children and younger generations due to the fact that they are often excited to learn and spread word to everyone around and that they are the generations that will one day lead the world and have the opportunity to make such large impacts. However, I think this tool needs to be made available to all, especially those who do not have as many opportunities.

-  Emily

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My Personal Development as a Nature Interpreter

This course has not only helped me develop my skills and understanding of nature interpretation but also pushed me to really reflect upon this development through its entirety. I think my personal ethic as I develop as a nature interpreter is surrounding inclusive interpretation, specifically concerning our youngest generations. My ethic believes specifically in inclusive nature education for all, as this goes hand in hand with nature interpretation. I believe this is for a large part due to the experiences I have had working with children in an educational and outdoor environment, and the way this course has made me revaluate these experiences and what I should pursue going forward. This course has actually pushed me to really think about these experiences I have had and allowed me to delve even deeper into what I learned from them and what they now allow me to bring to the table.

Photo of Children Participating in Nature Interpretation (source: Barber, 2019)

I have always thought that children are an extremely important part of protecting our environment as they are curious, willing and excited to learn and then also share their new knowledge with their friends, family and more. This idea was further solidified through the readings and units in this course, most well put by Beck et al. “Our most important audiences might be our smallest and youngest ones. These groups are the future stewards of our natural resources and cultural heritage. They are our hope for the future. At this young age is their most impressionable as they form beliefs attitudes and emotional responses to their environments that may last a lifetime. (Beck et al. 2019, p. 144). I’ve seen such stark differences in the youngest population and those that have opportunities to truly be immersed in nature and experience nature interpretation regularly and those who do not. In my final years of high school and up until the summer of 2019, I ran a camp at an indoor trampoline park. Generally, the children that were sent to this camp were relatively privileged and their families were well off; to put this in perspective the camp was easily a couple of hundred dollars more a week than anything else offered in the area. As part of the daily schedule, I took the campers outside almost every single day, whether to the park, for a walk or to play games in a large field; unfortunately no matter what was done it was a constant battle and more often than not the kids would sit on their devices and refuse to participate. If I tried to get them interested in nature through scavenger hunts, or learning activities many of the kids did not want to participate – when issues were brought up to parents it was simply stated that they came to the camp to jump on trampolines – they could go for a hike, to the zoo or to a nature centre with their families or to a camp at one of those places if they wanted to.

Photos I took while working at the Trampoline Camp

In contrast, working at an Outdoor Education Centre with the Toronto District School Board, the students showed up so excited to learn and be outside. The visiting schools were usually from extremely urbanized and relatively low-income families in the city and had usually never experienced anything of the sort before. However, I also noted that many of the children I have had the opportunity to work with are afraid of nature; well put by Beck et al (2018, p. 54) “urban children who grow up terrified of real and imagined things out in the unknown woods could someday destroy those unfamiliar haunts of perceived danger”. Looking at the gaps in opportunities children in today’s society have really saddens me – on one end of the spectrum you have those who take nature for granted and then you have those who are often scared or afraid of it due to never being able to truly experience it. I therefore believe that it is so important for children to have the opportunities to experience nature whenever possible and it is my responsibility to try and foster this in them; as we need to have a younger generation with a true appreciation for nature to truly protect our planet and all it has to offer.

A bunch of photos I took while working at the Outdoor Education Centre

Finally, I believe education and interpretation of nature also go hand in hand and I have a responsibility to play in this. For me the approaches to nature interpretation that I find suit me best is to try and understand the audience that I am speaking to, find ways to engage them specifically and then also integrate my own personal experiences. Furthermore, I think it is very important to target nature interpretation not only to specific groups, but also to individuals within said group. People have all different learning styles; personally, I am more of a hands-on learner, however I know there are so many out there who are visual or auditory learners as well. Therefore, I believe I have a responsibility if I choose to act as a nature interpreter to try and include aspects of all of these as well as many others to accommodate whatever needs of the group of individuals, I have in front of me. In terms of my own experiences in nature I feel that small stories or anecdotes of my own are important to translating my insights and ethics to a larger audience. They make the audience feel like they know a bit more about you, and show more of your personality, they make the experience unique and memorable. This helps me as I find that I speak more naturally and sound more passionate about the subject when I do this. To finish off, I honestly believe this course has allowed me to realize that educating the public and society on nature and the environment is something I am truly passionate about, and even if it is not something I do as a full time job in the future it is definitely something I want to pursue.

References

Barber, G. (2019, September 25). Fun Outdoor Learning Activities for Young Children with Special Educational Needs. Retrieved from https://www.thestablecompany.com/blog/fun-outdoor-learning-activities-for-young-children-with-special-educational-needs

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

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An Attempt to Conserve the High Park Nature Centre

Dear Board of Directors,

I am writing to you in regard to the closing of the High Park Nature Centre due to insufficient funding in an attempt for reconsideration. We believe that our programs of nature interpretation are a vital asset to both the community and the relevance of environmental education, and therefore, the conservation of our earth.

The High Park Nature Centre is truly monumental; not only is it home to one of North America’s most endangered habitats (the Black Oak Savannah), but it has educated numerous visitors on the importance of environmental conservation (High Park Nature, 2018). Through this interactive landscape, people are given a practical experience that stays with them indefinitely.

Nature interpretation has countless benefits that are beyond students inheriting facts, as it allows for a deeper connection to nature via the mind, body and soul (Beck et al., 2018). Our programs allow for untraditional teaching methods, thus acknowledging that each person is unique and learns differently, making each experience completely personal and memorable (Beck et al., 2018). As much as I believe there is a time and place for traditional, in-class learning, I have found that I have much more memorable learning experiences through firsthand-learning. There is a reason that children get excited to go outside, and there is also a reason that people of old age remember things that were taught to them many years ago. It is because when we experience something and learn the significance behind it, we are more inclined to actually care.

While we teach many difficult and complex concepts, they are made more feasible through nature interpretation and the various medias we portray such as dramatic arts and music (Beck et al., 2018). Using such teaching methods has been used as a way of communicating urgent environmental issues to audiences of all ages and can be seen as a bridge between the public and the scientific community (Merenlender, 2015; Wals et al., 2014). The use of multi-media is perhaps already an underused teaching strategy, so by combining it with nature makes for an even more enriching experience.

In closing this center, a unique method of teaching would be lost along with the particular experiences and teachings that it offers. Closing this center would also be arguably unbeneficial economically, environmentally and socially due to tourism, lack of environmental conservation tactics, and decline in interactive experiences for the community.

In summation, the closing of the High Park Nature Centre would be to lose an incredibly innovative and unique community experience that connects people of all ages with nature. In an area as urban as Toronto, it is vital that people are able to use nature as an escape for their mental and physical well-being.

We hope that these points will sway your decision.

Best regards,

The High Park Nature Centre

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For a better world. Urbana: Sagamore Publishing.

High Park Nature. (2018). High Park Nature. Retrieved from https://highparknature.org/

Merenlender, A. M., Crall, A. W., Drill, S., Prysby, M., & Ballard, H. (2016). Evaluating environmental education, citizen science, and stewardship through naturalist programs. Conservation Biology, 30(6), 1255-1265. doi:10.1111/cobi.12737

Wals, A. E., Brody, M., Dillon, J., & Stevenson, R. B. (2014). Convergence between science and environmental education. Science, 344(6184), 583-584. doi:10.1126/science.1250515

[ehenvs3000-20]

Hi!

I really enjoyed reading your letter concerning the conservation of The High Park Nature Centre. I think you did an awesome job making a succinct and well thought out argument, that gives readers plenty of context to determine that your argument is valid, and this nature centre is worthy of preserving. I definitely agree that hands on learning, especially in nature, is so incredibly important and stays with you so much longer. As a child I remember most vividly the memories I have from visiting different nature centres and outdoor education centres; such as my visits to Mansfield Outdoor Education centre in both grades 5 & 6. While there I remember learning all about natural predators and prey in the area and this complex balance. As well as from my own first-hand experience working at a centre, I saw the awe students and children visiting experienced and how excited they were to go home and tell their friends and family about it. As many researchers have shown those that participate in environmental education (based in nature) generally have better ecological behaviour due to their greater environmental knowledge which results in them feeling more connected to nature (Otto and Pensini, 2017). Finally, this centre seems like it allows for something extremely important in education and life in general, it allows visitors be able to have experiences in nature – to get their ‘Vitamin N’, something many people in cities and urban areas do not get enough of (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018). Overall, I would definitely support the preservation of this great nature centre and all that it seems to do for the population that visits.

-Emily

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

Otto, S., & Pensini, P. (2017). Nature-based environmental education of children: Environmental            knowledge and connectedness to nature, together, are related to ecological behaviour. Global Environmental Change.

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For Your Consideration - Don’t Close The Speed River Outdoor Education Centre

Dear Board of Directors,

I am writing to you on behalf of The Speed River Outdoor Education Centre concerning its potential closure due to insufficient funding. This centre has 15 full time staff as well as 7 part time staff, who by closing this centre would be losing their job and their passion. This centre, nestled on a large conservation area surrounded by nature and wilderness, sees thousands of elementary and middle school students every year who visit during the school year and stay overnight for two nights. Multiple large groups visit every single week of the school year. That means by closing this extremely important centre you will be taking this opportunity away from thousands of future students. As someone who has worked at one of these centres and seen the truly remarkable and once in a lifetime experiences the students have when visiting, I ask you to seriously reconsider. They have countless outdoor experiences  (i.e. nature interpretation hikes, animal print identification, skiing, survival lessons and more) that they often don’t otherwise get when home in the cities they are from.

Skiing at an Outdoor Education Centre (Source: my own photos working at a centre)

           So why is this centre so important? The programs run at this centre do an awesome job of teaching students an integration of science education and environmental education, by giving them great challenges and outdoor activities as well as sustainability challenges to take home. For example, while at the centre they participate in an Eco-challenge which looks at the water usage, food waste and lights usage and then makes it a competition between all visiting schools and gives them further challenges to take back to their own school. This is something they do not regularly receive in their classrooms; “science education (SE), which focuses primarily on teaching knowledge and  skills,  and  environmental  education  (EE),  which also stresses  the incorporation of values and changing behaviours, have become increasingly distant” (Wals et al. 2016). Next, this centre allows students from any background and social class to visit, as it is mainly funded through the education board and sponsors, which means often students, if anything, only pay $30 to visit for a couple of nights – which includes food, accommodation, transportation and all the activities while there. Economic barriers such as transportation, entrance fees, lodging and food are a huge issue in environmental education and nature interpretation; as they make these kinds of experiences inaccessible to many minorities in our population (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018, p. 133). Therefore, this program is extremely important in lowering these barriers and making this kind of education more widely accessible.

Fire building during a survival program at an Outdoor Education Centre (Source: my own photos working at a centre)

Our youngest generations are also the most impressionable and therefore it is so important to try and include children in environmental education and make sure they are well educated on this topic that so direly effects their future (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018, p.144). Studies such as that by Otto and Pensini (2017) have actually shown that students participation in environmental education (based in nature) leads to better ecological behaviour as they have greater environmental knowledge and feel more connected to nature. Finally, researchers and studies have always indicated how important it is for children to be able to have experiences in nature – to get their ‘Vitamin N’ (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018, p. 120). This Outdoor Education centre truly allows for these students who visit, who often come from low income and extremely urbanized cities, to experience nature in a way they otherwise do not get to. I ask you to please reconsider closing this centre as the educational loss to the children in the area would be immense.

-       Emily & The Speed River Outdoor Education Centre

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

Otto, S., & Pensini, P. (2017). Nature-based environmental education of children: Environmental knowledge and connectedness to nature, together, are related to ecological behaviour. Global Environmental Change. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.09.009

Wals, A. E. J., Brody, M., Dillon, J., & Stevenson, R. B. (2014). Convergence between science and environmental education. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250515

[mhenvs3000-20]

Certainty. Wonder. Inspiration. Ignition.

The title sounds like the slogan for a new tech company based out of Silicon Valley. Alas, it is not.

I loved this week’s course content particularly because of the assigned TED talk Dr. Amanda assigned, which I will dive into later during this post. Learning about nature interpretation this semester has been a breath of fresh air because I had no prior exposure to this field. Thus, it serves me well to reflect on my experience since reflection allows for greater growth.

I know for certain that nature interpretation can serve a purpose to all age groups. That purpose may be different for different demographics and different scenarios, but it can serve a purpose nonetheless. For example, interpretive messages delivered to youth groups resulted in less littering along trails of Shiloh National Military Park (Vander Stoep and Gramann, 1987). On a completely unrelated note, interpretation has successfully been used for safety by protecting people from bees, bears, bison, and everything in between (Beck et al., 2018). 

Photo of hikers reading interpretive messages on a trail. Nature interpretation can be in various forms (such as this visual sign) and can be used for various purposes. Retrieved from here.

What I still wonder is how technology will impact interpretive industries in the future. I don’t just mean directly, either. Technology has impacted our entire lives in ways that could not have been imagined just 10 years ago. Surely, it will impact everyone involved with nature interpretation, but in what way? We’ve already seen apps that can identify plants, apps that teach you about the different species in the area you’re visiting, and more. What’s next?

Photo of an interpretive phone application that can be used to enhance experiences in nature without a traditional interpreter. Retrieved from here.

I find inspiration whenever I am in the flow state that Dr. Amanda talked about this week in lecture. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described the flow state as being in a state of ecstasy, where you forget your problems and existence. Csikszentmihalyi put into words what I have always felt, but never intellectually explored. I enter the flow state often during my athletic pursuits and university courses. Everything melts away when I’m flying through a downhill trail on my mountain bike while being completely immersed in nature. This brings me inspiration because it demonstrates to me I am capable of much more than I consciously think I am capable of. In terms of nature interpretation, it means I have to be genuine with what I know, what I want to know, and where I’m at. This will help bring me inspiration when I am taking on tasks related to nature interpretation.

I can ignite by setting up my environment to make the flow state a possibility in almost everything I do. Csikszentmihalyi stated that if something is too difficult, it’ll result in anxiety. If something is too easy, it’ll result in boredom. The middle ground is where the magic occurs. I can ignite by doing what’s in my power to achieve that middle ground. In university, this means picking courses I am passionate about at a difficulty level relevant to my skill level. In nature interpretation, this means undertaking a project that is relevant to my skill level. I can follow the rule of “relevant to my skill level” in all my pursuits by being honest with myself about where I currently stand. This will take me to the next level by allowing myself to be engaged on a sincere level.

I’m curious what you think about Csikszentmihalyi’s TED talk on flow that was assigned this week. It certainly had left a lasting impression on me for the reasons stated above. Let me know what you think.

Mo

References

Beck, L., Cable, T., and Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore – Venture Publishing LLC.

Vander Stoep, G. A., and Gramann, J. H. (1987). The effect of verbal appeals and incentives on depreciative behaviour among youthful park visitors. Journal of Leisure Research, 9(2), 69-83.

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Hi Mo!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week and hearing the different ways what we have learned in this course have changed your understanding and perspective on nature interpretation. Similarly, to you, I had not really learned much about nature interpretation and what it actually was before this course. The most I knew about this topic was from when I went on a “Nature Interpretation and Mindfulness Hike” as part of a training exercise in one of my previous jobs. I also agree that I know for certain that nature interpretation can be used by all age groups and all demographics. As we learned in our readings the way nature interpretation should be delivered to these different groups definitely changes depending on the group. I really want to spend more time after this course and in the future, however, finding ways to get nature interpretation across and made more accessible to everyone, especially those that do not regularly (or even ever) have access to it. I like that you next brought up technology, as perhaps this can be further used as a tool for those who do not get to experience nature interpretation in person and physically in the field/nature. As the world is forever evolving into using more and more technology in every aspect of our everyday life, and as it is becoming more accessible to most people in our population, I truly think this has great potential. Finally, I was very inspired by Csikszentmihalyi’s TED talk it - truly did put into words, something I often cannot, that finding that perfect flow state in my life, the middle ground, is truly where I can be ignited, passionate and at my most productive.

- Emily

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Unpacking Nature Interpretation and My Role as a Nature Interpreter

I can fully admit that going into this course I was really unaware of the intricacies and details of nature interpretation and what it truly means. I went in thinking that nature interpretation was something that solely happened in areas ‘dedicated to this’; such as zoos, nature interpretation centres, conservation areas and national parks. Now, however, I can say that I know for certain that there are countless ways both I and the people around me can act as nature interpreters. Nature interpretation is truly everywhere. We can see artists participate in this through their art - from plays to poetry, organizations and people using technology to interpret nature and spread their message worldwide, scientists and researchers spreading the knowledge and important things they know and so much more (Beck et al. 2019). I also know for certain that I am very privileged in the world of nature and nature interpretation, I have had many opportunities that much of the world will never have the chance to experience. Therefore, I know that I must use this privilege to try and educate those around me and the public as best as I can using the knowledge and resources that I have and have expanded upon within this course.  

I still wonder however, the proportion of the population does in fact have the opportunity to experience nature interpretation on any level at all. As I have mentioned in my past blog posts, while working at an outdoor education centre, I truly saw this lacking in so many of our younger elementary students. Both through a study I conducted myself on plant knowledge as well as through the general topics of discussion. I also wonder how, therefore, I can actually act as a nature interpreter to a larger part of the population and make a large impact.

I find inspiration often, from reading stories and about the work of those nature interpreters who have made such large impacts in nature and environmental education. I often find that in the nature interpretation field those that are publicly celebrated and well known are largely male. For example, David Suzuki, David Attenborough, Steve Irwin. A simple search of ‘famous naturalists’ in Google will further add to my point. However, looking at the stories of the somewhat lesser known female naturalists and interpreters, such as Beatrix Potter and Rachel Carson, really give me inspiration to try and find a way to be even a small fraction as impactful. Beatrix Potter was someone I read the stories of as a child and who tried to truly ignite passion about nature in the youngest generations, as well as did research and published papers on many topics including fungi (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020).

Beatrix Potter, a well known children's author and naturalist (Source:The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020)

Finally, what ignites me is being able to share my knowledge with those around me and taking others along with me to experience nature and acting as a nature interpreter myself. Whether it be family, friends or for work this is truly something that makes me passionate and feel ignited about nature interpretation. Taking my friends and family along with me when I go hiking somewhere they have never been before, or doing something like camping that they have never done before and seeing their reactions and the way they feel about these experiences is truly amazing. Looking back at it now, even working at an outdoor education centre and seeing the looks of wonder and amazement on the faces of the children who I was teaching about nature was awesome and really ignited a feeling of wanting to be able to do that more often.

A photo I took while hiking at Hilton Falls in Milton with friends

A photo I took while taking on hike in Niagara Glen with family

References

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020). Beatrix Potter. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Beatrix-Potter

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

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Snapping Turtle Podcast

The Snapping Turtle podcast was a great listen. I enjoyed the introduction music which I thought was fitting for a child audience. The topic of snapping turtles is a great idea as I think turtles are a common interest of many children. The guest speaker Matt seems like the perfect guest lecturer with lots of turtle related knowledge.

This podcast offered several important lessons about the nature of snapping turtles. The first lesson I learned from this podcast is the diet of snapping turtles. Before this podcast I had assumed they were had a mostly carnivorous diet. However, I learned that they also eat a variety of fruits and vegetables which I thought was an interesting fact. Another lesson learned from this podcast is the incredible strength of the snapping turtle shell which can hold over one hundred pounds of force. I found this to be a neat fact because I had always assumed turtle shells were strong, but not that strong. One more interesting lesson I learned from this podcast was the natural predators of snapping turtles. Prior to the podcast I did not think snapping turtles had any natural predators, so it was cool to find out that river otters were natural predators.

 Figure 1: The North American River Otter

These lessons were explained by the guest speaker Matt. The simple explanation of relevant snapping turtle facts was an effective way to teach children about snapping turtles. I think these cool, easy to remember facts about turtles were great for child listeners because they offer something simple that children can take away from the podcast. I think that is important for a children’s podcast because if the lessons are too complex the child will not be able to take anything meaningful away from the podcast. Children need interesting, yet easy to comprehend facts that they can share with friends or family. I thought the podcast did a great job of doing just that.

One technique this podcast used which I found to be effective was the interviewer taking things the guest speaker had said and put them into their own words. This technique simplified what the guest speaker had said and turned it in to an interesting story. I thought this was a great technique because it seemed to break the podcast in to different sections which helps the podcast retain the listener’s interest throughout the podcast. Instead of a simple conversation between interviewer and interviewee taking up the majority of the podcast they were able to break the conversation in to different sections. This seemed to be an effective way of keeping the listener more actively engaged in the podcast throughout its entirety.

Overall, I enjoyed listening to this podcast. I thought the topic of snapping turtles was one of relevance to the interests of children. I thought the guest interviewee was a great choice who had a friendly voice which appeals to children. The topics were not too complex which again is ideal for a young audience. Well done!

References:

Figure 1:

“North American River Otter.” The National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/north-american-river-otter.

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Hi!

I also chose to listen to the snapping turtle podcast. I agree that I definitely learned a lot from their podcast and the great number of details and facts they went over regarding snapping turtles. I similarly thought it was very interesting that snapping turtles eat so many different fruits and vegetables, I was definitely under the impression that they ate mainly fish. The guest speaker was clearly very knowledgeable, and I loved the way the conversation just flowed so easily. I also mentioned how I really liked that the narrators would stop and simplify what the guest speaker would say and often added their own experiences. Like when the narrator compared his dog to the weight that could be held by the turtles’ shells. This allowed the listener to better understand a relatively difficult topic and then also be able to relate it to their own lives or things they are more familiar with. I do, however, think at times there were a lot of facts and content being discussed and perhaps not many breaks in between them. This would have just allowed the listener to not feel quite so overwhelmed by the amount of information being given and also allowed the podcast to flow better while breaking up the topics of discussion. They did somewhat break it up, as you mentioned, with the explanations of topics the interviewee had mentioned but perhaps some other sound effects or music would have helped here as well. I do also agree that none of the topics were too complex for children, but there were at points in time words or phrases that were brought up that were a bit more complicated for children, and then there was no definition or explanation given. Overall I strongly agree that the podcast was well suited for children, very interesting and the interviewee was a great choice.

- Emily

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Snapping Turtles Podcast

The podcast I chose to listen to was the “Snapping Turtle Podcast”. My first impression was they did a good job of starting off by making the podcast “kid friendly” there was music and the narrators were very enthusiastic and engaging. I like that they get right into the interview as it brought a professional perspective right off the bat however, it did seem that there was a lot of big words and information being brought out right at the beginning. This could be overwhelming for children and even some adults, and in the future, they could start by providing some simpler information about snapping turtles that gives the listener a better knowledge base.

Photo of a Snapping Turtle In Ontario (Source: Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, 2020)

The first thing I learned was all about the shell of snapping turtles, and that it is made mostly of bone and keratin and can handle about 100 to 150 pounds, which was a surprising amount to me. I think this lesson would translate to kids as the interviewer explained how the shell is made of both bone and keratin and explained that keratin is what is found in our nails and hair. As well the narrator made the comparison of 100 or so pounds to his golden retriever, and as we learned in our readings “, "to spark interest, the interpreters must relate the subject to the lives of people in the audience" (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018, p. 85). Next, I learned that river otters are occasionally a predator to snapping turtles but otherwise they do not have many predators in Ontario, however, the biggest threat to snapping turtles is vehicles. This was not surprising to me as I had seen turtle crossing signs on roads and occasionally had seen a turtle on the side of the road. I do think that this will be an effective lesson to children as they will now keep an eye out for these while in the car. As we learned in chapter 7 of our readings, giving children activities, adventures and ways to explore nature are a good way to get them involved (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018). The final lesson I took away from this podcast was that snapping turtles use their tail to help with buoyancy when swimming. This was given as a fun fact and something the interviewee really likes about working with snapping turtles. I do not know if a fact such as this would resonate well with students due to the fact that buoyancy is a relatively complex word and was just mentioned in passing.

Turtle Crossing sign as I have commonly seen on roads in Ontario (Source: Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, 2020)

Overall, I think this group did a great job and creating an informative and educational podcast on a subject that was incredibly interesting, while incorporating an extremely knowledgeable interviewee. I really liked that this group incorporated the interview in a sort of “conversation”. This made the interview flow very naturally and there seemed to be a lot of back and forth between the narrator(s) and the person being interviewed. This is something I would be interested in incorporating in my second podcast with it being geared towards adults, as this flow of conversation is very easy to listen to. I do think, however, that this may have been somewhat difficult for children to listen to as it was quite lengthy and content heavy. In the next podcast I would recommend adding music and sound effects in between parts just like at the beginning. 

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. (2020). Snapping Turtle - Chelydra s. serpentina. Retrieved from https://ontarioturtle.ca/turtles/snapping/

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Aurora Borealis: The North’s Natural Wonder

It’s an autumn night in northern Ontario, people are sitting by the lakefront with their heads leaned back towards the stars, as they are captivated by the vivid array of colours dancing across the sky. Colours of green, yellow, red, blue and purple shift between many forms and provide a stark contrast of light to their inky backdrop of the northern night sky.

Photo: Colourbox.com/ Stock Image

These lights are known as Aurora borealis, or more commonly the northern lights. Although I have never had the opportunity to experience the northern lights, I hope to witness its painted colours at least once in my lifetime. Personally, the lights not only serve as a reminder of the vast beauty within Canada but the astonishing capabilities of mother nature. This display is a natural phenomenon that results in the magnetic field surrounding the north pole, which is why they can best be spotted in places of higher latitude, such as Canada and Alaska. To get more technical, the northern lights are created by the release of gas from the suns’ solar activity that then collides with Earth’s magnetic field. This collision disturbs the magnetic field and produces charged particles that follow the path of magnetic forces into the Polar region. The charged particles then collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, resulting in the light show we observe (Library of Congress, n.d.).

Beyond the aesthetics and science of the northern lights, one thing that amazes me is the rich spiritual significance they represent within different communities. As far back as the times of Galileo, the northern lights have awed many people and symbolized several cultural meanings (Library of Congress, n.d.). For example, the Cree First Nations see the northern lights as a symbol of the life cycle and believe that passed loved one’s souls are communicating with them through the lights (Aurora Zone, n.d.).

Many efforts to capture the essence of the lights have been made in various art mediums, such as painting, poetry, and photography. One famous interpretation of the lights is a painting done in 1865 by Frederic Edwin Church called Aurora borealis. It is hung in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is said to be reflective of its time, as this interpretation of the northern lights represented the belief that God was upset with the confederate slavery during the American Civil war, and the lights were a sign of His displeasure. The story of these signs from God inspired Union soldiers to remember the weight of what they were fighting for (Albany Museum of Arts, 2020).

Frederic Edwin Church. Aurora Borealis (1865). Oil on canvas. 56 in x 83.5 in. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.

As time has continued, the aesthetic, scientific, and spiritual fascination with this natural phenomenon has not faded. Today, viewing the northern lights is still a well sought-after experience and people travel from all over the to do so. I personally hope to travel to northern Canada to catch a glimpse of the ‘moving and mystical’ lights that have been explained as visually and emotionally indescribable (Redal, n.d.). For those who prefer the comfort of their own home, the lights can also be viewed on video livestreams. No matter what way people choose to view the northern lights, the unearthly beauty of this natural phenomenon rarely fails to amaze its spectators.

References

Albany Museum of Arts. (2020). Dancing lights in the sky. Retrieved from http://www.albanymuseum.com/kids-staying-inspired/dancing-lights-in-the-sky

Aurora Zone. (n.d.). Mythology of the northern lights. Retrieved from https://www.theaurorazone.com/about-the-aurora/aurora-legends

Library of Congress. (n.d.). What are the northern lights? Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/what-are-the-northern-lights/

Redal, W. (n.d.). Northern lights: nature’s winter magic. Retrieved from https://www.nathab.com/articles/alaska-and-northern/churchill-northern-lights/natures-winter-magic/

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Hi!

I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week. The northern lights or Aurora borealis truly are such a beautiful and amazing wonder on our planet. Before the pandemic this summer I was  supposed to be working in the Manitoulin Islands at a nature Interpretation campground where they are often able to see the northern lights a few weekends every year. From what I had been told the site was extremely busy every year when this amazing phenomenon occurred, and part of my job was going to be telling visitors all about these amazing lights and their rich history. Unfortunately, I did not get this opportunity, but I really do hope to be able to see them someday. I was unaware of the truly rich spiritual history of northern lights and all the legends and stories that surround them. The most interesting one I found was that the Vikings believed they were a manifestation of their gods, and if they came down low enough it was because they were a bad omen and bad spirits were trying to to take you away (Barton, 2019). I really like how you brought up how important art is in interpreting this side of nature because the only way I have ever been able to view them is through art whether it be photography or paintings. I also realized that I truly did not know much about the northern lights, at least this was not something I had learned about in school, rather something I sought to learn about on my own. I wonder if other people have had similar experiences, or whether they had nature interpreters who taught them about this wonderful phenomenon?

Work Cited

Barton, K. (2019). Legends of the northern lights: From superpowers to chopping off heads.        Retrieved from https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/legends-of-the-northern-lights

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The Oceans – A Beautiful Mystery

          The ocean is one of the most amazing, diverse and mysterious systems within nature on Earth. There are so many wonderful things that the oceans provide us with, and we often overlook their huge important to us as humans. For one our oceans cover more than 70% of earth’s surface, with this being said it can be quite clear how they are so mysterious because we still have so much of them left to explore. In fact, we have only explored about 5% of the world’s oceans, just think of how much more there is left to discover. It is also therefore not surprising that 95% of earths species live in the oceans, with currently over 200,00 registered marine species in these oceans; which means there are still likely so many more to discover (Nunez, 2019). What I think is one of the most amazing things about the ocean, however, is that it provides over 70 per cent of our planet’s oxygen (Nunez, 2019). We often think that most of our oxygen on earth comes from trees in forests such as the boreal forests and rain forests but in fact, it is actually produced by marine plants; the majority of which are marine algae’s.

A photo I took a while ago of the sunsetting on the Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic Ocean.

           There are also some of the most obscure and unique creatures within our oceans. One of my personal favourites is the Frogfish. These fish belongs to the anglerfish family and they are found in relatively shallow waters and do not get much bigger than 30cm (Spencer, 2020). This spectacular fish is also probably one of the strangest, they have modified fins that resemble legs, so they are able to ‘walk’ along the ocean floor (Spencer, 2020). They are also able to camouflage with their surroundings by changing colour to match different coral and rocks around them (Spencer, 2020). Their camouflaging abilities along with them having a lure which resembles a worm, small fish or shrimp cause them to be a pro predator, as they can then lure prey in super close (Spencer, 2020).

The frogfish - a very odd looking fish (source: Spencer 2020, ©RICHARD CAREY/FOTOLIA)

           Another one of my favourite sea creatures is the Glaucus Atlanticus also called the blue dragon. They are an absolutely beautiful blue sea slug found throughout the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans (Oceana, 2018). The most interesting thing about this species, in my opinion, is that it incorporates stinging cells from its prey into its own body (Oceana, 2018). This is because they prey on Portuguese man o’wars a toxic species and store the stinging nematocysts that are created by the prey’s venomous tentacles. This slug can then use this venom later and it is much more effective and dangerous than it ever was in the man o’war (Oceana, 2018).

The beautiful Blue Dragon (Source: Oceana, 2018)

           I think the knowledge I have about oceans is truly the most amazing thing I know about nature. Unfortunately, the oceans are also one of the most affected systems on earth as a result of climate change and pollution; coral reefs are dying, species are going extinct, the water is full of garbage etc. There are many efforts out there to educate and promote protecting these waters, as well as many conservation efforts. Even if we don’t have access to an ocean ourselves (as in Ontario), we can learn about them through all different forms of art and through the use of technology.

Works Cited

Nunez, C. (2019). Find out about the world's ocean habitats and more. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/ocean/

Oceana. (2018). Blue Glaucus. Retrieved from https://oceana.org/marine-life/corals-and-other-invertebrates/blue-glaucus

Spencer, E. (2020). The Frogfish: Weird-Looking and Wonderful. Retrieved from https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/08/05/frogfish/

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Interpreting Nature Through Art:

This week’s discussion really had me thinking… Who am I to interpret nature through art and how do I do it? I had never thought of consciously grouping nature and art in the same category before but when I stopped to think about this for a while, I realized something. I have never been an “artsy” person. I was actually the kid who avoided art classes at all costs in high school, but I was also the kid who loved taking pictures. I’d take pictures everywhere I went of everything around me; whether it was photos of my friends in front of a scenic background, me in front of pretty flowers or even just the pretty flowers by themselves. Going back to my original point, the thing I realized is that this in itself is a form of interpreting nature through art because photography is a form of art.

Here is a photo I took this summer of the beautiful sunset while boating on Lake Ontario. 

The textbook helped me wrap my head around this idea because it presented multiple ways in which nature can be interpreted through art. The textbook stated that art can be experienced through music festivals, art museums, nature photography, expressive sculptures and even theatre performances (Beck et al., 2018). This notion was eye opening to me as I had never thought of associating most of those things directly to nature, however now I can link such activities and use them as a tool of nature interpretation in my day to day life. For example, I can now be more aware of the prevalence of nature in media platforms such as TV shows, movies, podcasts and even music videos.

Last weekend while home for thanksgiving, I watched a very thought-provoking documentary by David Attenborough called A Life on Our Planet. Essentially this documentary talked about our history of life on earth and how we are slowly killing our planet, species, and ecosystems or in other words “nature”. The reason I am mentioning this particular documentary is because it had a very specific way of offering a vision for our environments predicted future through nature and various scenic videos. I now realize that this itself is a form of art. The documentary effectively and efficiently connects our generation directly to the current natural world through our television screens, and to me, that is phenomenal. Our textbook expressed that nowadays younger generations have a loss of interest in nature in comparison to previous generations, as a result of a disconnect from the natural world (Beck et al., 2018). That is very unfortunate to hear, but I felt as though this documentary in a small but significant way through art, helps to fill this gap and I’m sure there are lots and lots of other similar films that do the same!

I now realize that we all individually and in our own unique ways interpret nature through art. For me it’s through my passion and desire of capturing every moment and especially the moments with beautiful scenery (my favourite is sunsets). For other people it may be through their music, art museums, etc. These unique ways in which we interpret nature through art help us mold our individual thoughts on nature.

This is a photo of me and my best friend surfing in San Diego, CA in 2019. The scenery was so incredible we had to stop and take a photo! 

Thanks for reading! If you have any documentary suggestions that pertain to the ideas, I shared I’d love to add them to my “to watch” list.

Cheers.

Reference:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

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Hi! I really enjoyed reading your post and the viewpoint you brought to the table concerning this topic. Similarly to you, I do not consider myself artsy at all, and therefore also stayed away from all arts classes in high school. Thinking about art as a way to interpret nature was quite eye opening for me as there was actually a lot more to it than what I first imagined. I love that you brought up photography because it really is a great way to use art to interpret nature, and it is also relatively easy way as most people have access to a camera of some kind. When I was in middle school, I remember saving up for a year to buy a really nice camera because I wanted to take beautiful pictures of nature and animals. Looking back on it now I can see that this was using art to interpret nature as I was taking those photos of nature to be able to capture moments I saw in the outdoors that I thought were beautiful or important to share with others so they could also experience . When working with elementary school students a couple of years ago, we also ran a program where we would send the kids out to take photos outdoors. We would tell them to take photos of different things they saw in nature and them bring them all back inside so they could present their photos to the entire class and explain what they saw and why they chose to take a picture of it. I like that you mentioned that the documentary you were watching brought up how there is a loss of interest in nature in todays younger generations in comparison to previous generations as I really have noticed this when working with younger students. What other ways do you think this interest can be brought back through art?

This is one of the photos I took as soon as I purchased that camera.

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Using Art to Interpret Nature

I do not consider myself to by very “artsy” in the traditional sense, so the thought of trying to think about how to interpret nature through art was slightly daunting to me.  I soon realized, however, that art does not simply mean a painting or drawing, there are so many different ways nature can be interpreted through art: we can see it in theater, music, dance, poetry and more.

I’ve always loved theater and spent many hours at different plays and musicals in Toronto and Stratford, however until this week’s reading opened my eyes to how this is actually used as a tool of nature interpretation, I never thought of it this way. Outdoor dramas seem like the perfect way to demonstrate how art can be used to interpret nature as the real natural surroundings can be used to explore the history of that area (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018). I have experienced this sort of theater production on a very small-scale level when visiting a campsite. The particular memory for me comes from visiting the Pinery Provincial Park as a child with my family for a week of camping, the staff there held all different events and one of them was a play to do with the animals and the history of that unique natural area. I still remember them using theater to tell stories about how the natural sand dunes in the area are believed to have developed.

The dunes at Pinery Provincial Park taken while visiting with family this past summer

Poetry is another art form that was mentioned in the readings as a way of nature interpretation, in fact they mentioned how the original folk tradition in Canada developed from Native Americans (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018). From my own experiences working in outdoor education we used to recite an Anishinabe story called Manabozho and the Maple Trees while going to a sugar shack with students. This particular form of art was so important to the students as it gave them a completely different interpretation of nature and allowed them to appreciate from the perspective of  those who were on this land first.

An Anishinabe Story I used to tell students while working at an Outdoor Education Centre (Ness, 2015)

Something else that really touched me when thinking of using art for nature interpretation was music. I have long been an avid music lover and singer, being a part of many concerts, singing in choirs and playing in coffee shops and open mics. As the reading discussed music can easily get long-lasting messages across due to how easily a song can get stuck in our heads. A song I think about that has a pretty strong message regarding nature and the environment is Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi, with lines like “farmer put away that DDT now” and “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”. I actually remember using this song in elementary school for an assignment where we had to pick apart the main message, with us concluding it was to respect the environment and stop such large-scale development. Here is a link to this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bdMSCdw20. Overall it was very eye opening to see how many amazing ways we can interpret nature through art.

Works Cited

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-865-2

Ness, (2015). Keepers of the Earth Native American Stories. Retrieved from https://www.nesshistory.org/keepers-of-the-earth-native-american-stories.html

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Young Students Developing Relationships with Nature Today

My own experience with nature interpretation in schools and even learning about the environment was not very expansive. I only had a few opportunities to learn outdoors and at nature interpretation centres. My hope is that students today have many more opportunities to learn about nature and all of its intricacies, especially those who don’t have the opportunity to do so at home. Nature interpretation allows students and children to truly appreciate nature more in depth, which goes hand in hand with respecting it and working to combat climate change.

As I briefly discussed in my first blog post, in my second year for my coop I worked as an intern at an outdoor education centre as part of the Toronto District School Board. We had 2 schools come to visit every week for a couple of nights, usually in elementary or middle school. We spent the small amount of time the students were at the centre teaching them all about the outdoors, nature and the environment. The hope was to incorporate different parts of their regular curriculum into outdoor activities to give them a better understanding and appreciation of nature. It was shocking to see how many of these students had never had an opportunity like this before and had never heard of different kinds of animals and plants that I see on a regular basis. In fact, as part of a research project I ran while I was there, I studied the plant knowledge of the visiting groups. I simply asked them to identify common plants such as Maple Trees, Pine Trees, Trilliums etc. The results I ended up with showed that on average the students were only able to identify about 1 plant.

Building Snow Structures with the Students

Skiing Throughout the Centre with Students

I therefore think centres like these are so important to young students’ relationship with nature as they create the curiosity and knowledge of the outdoors that these students otherwise wouldn’t have, as they are not a part of the curriculum. Unfortunately, in recent years with many education cuts in Ontario, these sorts of centres are constantly at risk of shutting down or closing because much of the country does not see these as being important as outdoor education isn’t math or hard science. Without these centres however, many children would be at risk of not being exposed to nature. An article published by CBC last year shows that 4 of the 10 Outdoor Education Centers in Toronto are looking at being shut down, in fact the Etobicoke Outdoor Education Center where I worked is one of the four at risk. Like the article states it is often low-income students who would be hit hardest by these cuts, as without these centers they don’t have these opportunities at home (CBC, 2019). To me this experience was so eye opening, and it is something that I do not think much of the population knows about, however we all need to fight harder for this education to exist in young students lives.

Building Campfires at Night For Nighttime Programs

Works Cited

CBC. (2019, May 23). Low-income students to be hardest hit as TDSB looks to trim outdoor education programs, some warn | CBC News. Retrieved from           https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tdsb-outdoor-education-budget-1.5145523

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Hello!

Your post was very engaging. I really enjoyed reading about how you had the opportunity to coop at a nature center and educate children on nature. I myself, had a similar opportunity when I worked at a Daycare the past three years, every summer our main focus was taking the children on trips to nature centers. We used games and fort building activities as way to educate about nature and the wildlife in that area. When we did creative exercises, the children would use wildlife, lakes, trees and rainbows as a way of expressing what nature means to them. I thought this was pretty interesting because their perception of nature was always true to how they enjoy the outdoors. How you interpret nature to communicate can create discussions about biodiversity and conservation. 

As these centers continue to close, what is one way you think families can do to ensure their children get outdoor experiences? It is very sad not having access to these experiences because when I was a kid, my favorite school trips or hobbies were connected to nature in some way. Without those opportunities I may have not been influenced to study wildlife biology here at Guelph. 

I also am very impressed with how tall your snowman was! That looks so fun!

[ehenvs3000-20]

Hi!

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I think it is really awesome how you were able to incorporate different outdoor activities and field trips to nature interpretation centres while working at a Daycare. I wish more people and educators thought like this and had the ability/opportunities to do this! I think the best way for families to ensure that their children continue to have outdoor experiences is to simply try to get their kids outdoors and try to encourage this as an alternative to being on devices. Simple things like going on hikes through the woods are not expensive, and are a great way to get children outside and experience the beauty of nature. Of course, also taking kids to different nature interpretation centres, zoos, conservation areas, camping etc. are also great ways to learn directly from nature interpreters, however these are not always financially feasible for a lot of families, which is why cuts like these are so harmful because they may be ‘a once in a lifetime opportunity’. Like you mentioned, I do not think that I would be an Environmental Science student right now without all the opportunities I had as a young child, and I really hope todays children also have these opportunities.

[anenvs3000-20]

The Private Ownership of Big Cats

So during the time of this pandemic, one of the greatest hits on Netflix was the Tiger King Series: Murder, Mayhem, Mystery and Madness. It talked about Joe Exotic and his roadside zoo and ownership with big cats on how it all started and the trade of it, where big cats were being sold across USA and kept as household pets by some individuals. So this has created a big debate about the ethics of owning a big cat as a private owner. 

According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, there’s an estimate of about 32,000 to 35,000 remaining in the wild and an estimate of 5,000 in captivity. Yet statistics show only a small percentage of the captive population live in zoos that are accredited by AZA in North America, as the rest are usually found in either non accreddited zoos that could be licensed or non-licensed, but also just private owners like in apartments or houses, trailers etc. 

Joe Exotic known as the Infamous Tiger King. 

Joe Exotic who is now to be the most famous of big cat owners has gained a big controversy. So from watching the series and learning more about it from other sources, it shows that many of these private owners from roadside zoos or other forms of private ownership, have inadequate care and proper facility, where they’re just kept in concrete cages, or inside peoples homes without anything that makes their facility look natural to their wild counterpart which is something that is essential in most zoos that are accredited. Like its not easy work as owning a household cat or a dog. So large exotic animals in the hands of non experts isn’t good for the welfare, yet some of these private owners are licensed so there must be something they’re following which could be in some ways but also hard to apply them in all situations. Like even though Joe Exotic’s zoo might’ve been regulated he still continued supplying them to unlicensed private owners and other private roadside zoos that had faced numerous USDA violations. 

Mike Tyson was once a big cat owner and had to give his tigers away cause he couldn’t afford all the resources to take care of them. 

So these non experts, allow breeding to happen unregulated where they breed too many cats and breed them with other cats they’re related to which is something that can be harmful for the offspring and is a violation against the endangered species act. Yet accredited zoos regulate their breeding of their big cats. Yet even Joe Exotic allowed incest breeding and would separate tiger cubs at birth too use them for his spotlight where it then shows that sometimes these private owners just own these animals just for the ego other than being compassionate about their animals. 

So in conclusion theres a huge debate, if the private ownership of big cats should be illegal or allowed to continue. So from looking at both sides, there is too much to discuss. What it is to discuss is that as mentioning above that when it comes to private ownership, some may not be as regulated as they should like any individual owner without any knowledge or experience will be allowed to have a big cat and not know what to do to make it have a quality of life. Like its a lot more work than having a regular household cat or a dog. Also it becomes dangerous too because of how ferocious these animals are. Also many of these non-accredited roadside zoos hire inexperienced staff to look after these animals where as big zoos that are accredited higher people who tend to be wildlife experts in fields like this. But also then going to the other end of banning private ownership of big cats might also stir up controversy where others would argue that they’re licensed to look after them and keep them and that they’re experts. Like can’t look at it from a biased perspective. But it definitely isn’t easy. So it’ll continue to remain controversial. 

References: 

Hannaford, Alex. “The Tiger next Door: America’s Backyard Big Cats.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 10 Nov. 2019, www.theguardian.com/global/2019/nov/10/the-tiger-next-door-americas-backyard-big-cats.

“America’s Tigers Spend Their Lives in Cages, Bred for Profit with Little Oversight.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 July 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/captive-tigers-america/.

[ehenvs3000-20]

Hi Amaar!

I really enjoyed reading your post and thought you did a good job of highlighting the two sides there are to this debate regarding the private ownership of big cats in the US. I definitely remember all of the media and public attention there was on this topic after Tiger King was released on Netflix. Personally, I think that Tiger King did a lot to glorify the ownership of big cats, even though it did at times try to explain how harmful private ownership of these cats can be in America as well as how dangerous. I find myself more pushing towards no ownership of large cats by private groups therefore having it be illegal. I do not think however, that this ownership will be banned anytime soon, as there are so many thousands of cats privately owned in America and a big proportion of the population agrees that it should be legal. Therefore, I think at the moment the laws and regulations surrounding the private ownership of these cats are much too relaxed. The American government should at least make those who privately own cats, prove they are capable of owning them, both financially and through understanding how to properly raise, breed, feed etc. these animals. I think there should also be much more “checking in” on these animals by government agencies to ensure they are being properly taken care of. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this!

Best,

Emily

[ehenvs3000-20]

Young Students Developing Relationships with Nature Today

My own experience with nature interpretation in schools and even learning about the environment was not very expansive. I only had a few opportunities to learn outdoors and at nature interpretation centres. My hope is that students today have many more opportunities to learn about nature and all of its intricacies, especially those who don’t have the opportunity to do so at home. Nature interpretation allows students and children to truly appreciate nature more in depth, which goes hand in hand with respecting it and working to combat climate change.

As I briefly discussed in my first blog post, in my second year for my coop I worked as an intern at an outdoor education centre as part of the Toronto District School Board. We had 2 schools come to visit every week for a couple of nights, usually in elementary or middle school. We spent the small amount of time the students were at the centre teaching them all about the outdoors, nature and the environment. The hope was to incorporate different parts of their regular curriculum into outdoor activities to give them a better understanding and appreciation of nature. It was shocking to see how many of these students had never had an opportunity like this before and had never heard of different kinds of animals and plants that I see on a regular basis. In fact, as part of a research project I ran while I was there, I studied the plant knowledge of the visiting groups. I simply asked them to identify common plants such as Maple Trees, Pine Trees, Trilliums etc. The results I ended up with showed that on average the students were only able to identify about 1 plant.

Building Snow Structures with the Students

Skiing Throughout the Centre with Students

I therefore think centres like these are so important to young students’ relationship with nature as they create the curiosity and knowledge of the outdoors that these students otherwise wouldn’t have, as they are not a part of the curriculum. Unfortunately, in recent years with many education cuts in Ontario, these sorts of centres are constantly at risk of shutting down or closing because much of the country does not see these as being important as outdoor education isn’t math or hard science. Without these centres however, many children would be at risk of not being exposed to nature. An article published by CBC last year shows that 4 of the 10 Outdoor Education Centers in Toronto are looking at being shut down, in fact the Etobicoke Outdoor Education Center where I worked is one of the four at risk. Like the article states it is often low-income students who would be hit hardest by these cuts, as without these centers they don’t have these opportunities at home (CBC, 2019). To me this experience was so eye opening, and it is something that I do not think much of the population knows about, however we all need to fight harder for this education to exist in young students lives.

Building Campfires at Night For Nighttime Programs

Works Cited

CBC. (2019, May 23). Low-income students to be hardest hit as TDSB looks to trim outdoor education programs, some warn | CBC News. Retrieved from           https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tdsb-outdoor-education-budget-1.5145523

[joenvs3000-20-deactivated202104]

The Privilege of Things

When considering the role privilege plays in nature interpretation, there are many different avenues this post could explore. Privilege is a factor interwoven into every aspect of society. My working definition of privilege would be a benefit or exclusion from added hardships only afforded to a particular group of people and created by social constructs and human history.

To unpack this further, a very prominent example of privilege for a specific group of people, created by humans and social constructs, is the privilege exclusively afforded to white people. Additionally, this privilege is not afforded to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour), who, throughout history and still today, experience prejudice and discrimination that white people do not.

When thinking about white privilege and nature, something stands out to me in relation to climate action. In the day’s climate action movements and media coverage, those with white privilege are often afforded the centre stage of media coverage to speak on their concerns about climate change and share their interpretations of the impacts it has on nature.

One stark example of this was when Ugandan youth climate activist, Vanessa Nakate, was cropped out of a photo by a news outlet that originally pictured her and several white peers, including Greta Thunberg. In response to what happened, Vanessa Nakate called out the racist photo editing and very powerfully said, “we don’t deserve this. Africa is the least emitter of carbons, but we are the most affected by the climate crisis…You erasing our voices won’t change anything. You erasing our stories won’t change anything” (BBC News, 2020).

Instances such as this point out that the opportunity to speak about what threatens our relationships with the environment is impacted by privilege and racism. The media chooses which activists to cover, who gets the opportunity to share their interpretation of nature and climate, and who many of us listen to. This limits our knowledge of the full impact of climate change and restricts the narratives many of us hear to only those coming from white activists. So, it is up to us to educate ourselves and listen to those the media is neglecting to cover.

Instances like this occur in Canada as well. Media attention is rarely focused on the impacts of climate change on Inuit communities, despite the severity of its impacts on Inuit culture, traditions, knowledge, and life. Instead, the narrative the media shows largely comes from young white activists and their interpretation of nature, climate, and how and why we should take action. The media, therefore, ignores a plethora of other dialogues and meaningful interpretations of nature.

I’d like to end this post by recommending a few sources to check out if you’d like to learn more about different perspectives and relationships with the environment as well as climate activism.

Check out: Indigenous Climate Action https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/

This David Suzuki article: “Tackling climate change means purging privilege from politics” https://davidsuzuki.org/story/tackling-climate-change-means-purging-privilege-from-politics/

If you want a good book to read: “The Right to be Cold: One Women’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet” by Sheila Watt-Cloutier

References:

BBC News. (2020). “Vanessa Nakate: Climate activist hits out at ‘racist’ photo crop”. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51242972  

[ehenvs3000-20]

Hey! I really enjoyed reading your post, you discussed some very important topics concerning privilege in nature interpretation. I had never actually heard about the instance you described with Vanessa Namath being cropped out of the photo, however I am glad you brought this up as it allowed me to read about this further. This instance is one of many similar cases I have heard of, and it is definitely something that needs to be more widely addressed and discussed. White privilege is extremely prevalent in nature, like you had mentioned people of colour and racial minorities are extremely disproportionately affected by climate change. This is due to the fact that many of these groups do not have the same resources and things they direly need to combat climate change (i.e. they do not have cars to escape floods and wildfires) (Baird, 2008). While this may not be directly related to nature interpretation, these groups also see a decline in their availability to education, something that is crucial in nature interpretation for many more privileged groups. Additionally, without access to proper transportation or the financial means to go to different places to seek nature interpreters these groups often find themselves at a great disadvantage. Vacations, visiting zoos, national parks and even school field trips are opportunities many of us have had to experience nature interpretation, and many of us take these things for granted, however they are clearly a privilege much of the world is unable to experience.

Best

Emily

Works Cited

Baird, R. (2008). The Impact of Climate Change on Minorities and Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/old-site-downloads/download-524-The-Impact-of-Climate-Change-on-Minorities-and-Indigenous-Peoples.pdf