Evan's Nature Interpretation Blog

Hey Everyone, my name is Evan Joakim and I am in my last semester at the University of Guelph taking Landscape Architecture. I'm excited to see how this series of blogs will change my perspective towards interpreting nature for others.

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Disclaimer

This blog was created for ENVS*3000 W24, University of Guelph. 

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the University of Guelph. 

The University of Guelph is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by this blog.

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Final Post: How My Personal Ethics Will Guide Me Moving Forward

Looking back at my earlier blog posts about my own experiences in nature has really shown me how quickly perspectives can change in a matter of months. I came into this class having just completed my program in Landscape Architecture, which revolved around developing concepts and programs within a landscape that enhance experiences for both humans and nature; designing environments that function with purpose and are consciously connected to the ecological processes of its surrounding community. One thing I struggled with when creating concepts or themes, was estimating how people would interpret what I’ve created; whether they see and use my concept for its intended purpose or walk right past it without a thought. 

As the semester comes to an end and I look back at how my personal ethics have guided my development into becoming a more mindful nature interpreter, I realize where I fell short when developing themes in my program. I was too focused on what the theme might teach people and how they could learn from it, and didn’t put enough thought into how the theme would make the visitors feel at that moment, and why they should even care about it in the first place. Sam Ham, a Professor at University of Idaho made me realize this. Furthermore, (Ham, 2013) reiterates the importance that a theme's sole purpose is to stimulate thinking…a theme is a platform for individual discovery of one's own desires and interests. Meaning a theme should invoke something within a person, to want to engage and learn more; to broaden their horizons (Beck & Cable, 2011). 

I am so fortunate and privileged to be educated, and because of this, I think one of my responsibilities is inspiring people to become more consciously self-aware of the interconnected processes of their environment. To show them that what they think they know, is actually part of a larger network of factors that allows for life to flourish. In this way, I think we can learn to reconnect with nature on a deeper level. David Suzuki is a prominent believer in this approach, as he states, in order for one to reconnect with nature, they must acknowledge the “interconnectedness of everything…to show that whatever we do has consequences” that affect another thing (Suzuki & Louv, 2012). 

This is the approach I feel most responsible to highlight and educate people about. Taking inspiration from Silene, 2021, I believe, when in nature, you must feel before you think. Consciously stop the part of your brain that goes “oh look over there!”, and simply just breathe and take in your surroundings. I practice a lot of breathing exercises to deal with anxiety, which is on the opposite spectrum of emotions that one would think about when being in nature. However, just as breathing can help with anxiety, it can also help ground you in an exact moment in time. One of the main ethics I have developed as a nature interpreter is appreciating the power of feeling your surroundings, then thinking when in nature (Silene, 2021); to create a pause in time where certain factors of your environment start to become more apparent. Being able to create this moment in time for others, to allow them to pause and absorb, or as Freeman Tilden describes as “judicious silence”, is what I think distinguishes a novice environmental educator to a mindful nature interpreter (Tilden, 1957; Beck et al., 2018). 

If I were talking about random things and wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, I would've never heard this lake trout splashes their way to their spawning grounds. A prime example of using "judicious silence in nature:)

I've realized I enjoy educating others, but not in the way of spitting facts in their face about interesting facts. What I strive for is to spark some type of curiosity within a visitor, to allude to certain ecological processes and then have the visitor connect the dots to understand (Beck & Cable, 2011). Seeing that “light bulb” moment when everything finally clicks and they understand how something works, is such a rewarding feeling. If you couple that ambition to my current profession, I think the two tie very well together, and can allow me to explore new ways of educating and interpreting the wonders of nature without explicitly saying what one should be looking for. 

Canadian Yorke Edwards, a pioneer of interpretation, describes the main goal of interpretation as “opening the minds of people so they can receive…the interesting signals that the world is constantly sending out…and when those signals are added up, paint a picture of what the world is all about” (Beck et al., 2018). I really like this definition and think it describes how I want to approach interpreting nature for others. My take on what Edwards is trying to convey is that you won’t fully understand how something works until you understand what its purpose is meant for. Let's say you are unaware that trees and fungi have a symbiotic relationship that transfer nutrients for each to thrive. Just because you are unaware of this process, doesn’t mean this process never existed, it just never existed within your current capacity of consciousness. I think my responsibility as a growing nature interpreter is to invoke and inspire this new consciousness within people, to start seeing the world in a new lens where everything starts to make a little more sense. 

What I love about my profession is that it is multifaceted and can be approached in many different ways. Keeping in theme of my personal ethics and the importance of mindfulness in nature, I really like how Rodenburg (2019) emphasizes the importance of creating nature-rich communities for children, to “experience the joy of discovering the…complexity and diversity of life. Being self-aware means having the ability to make mistakes, and learn from them. I am a huge believer that play and risk are vital components of early childhood development. If kids do not grow up in an environment where they could twist an ankle running, get a splinter climbing a tree, or acquire many, many scars from falling, they will not understand how their body works, what their capabilities are, and how they can push themselves further than they thought. 

This is a really great documentary that shows the importance of risk and play for children!

I always used to say growing up and still to this day, scars are memories, and memories are lessons. At one point in your life, I’m sure someone has asked you “where’d you get that scar”, and what follows is typically a story from childhood (not always of course), of a time you were playing around and got hurt. I’m sure in the moment it wasn’t the best experience, but I am also just as sure afterwards, you made multiple conscious efforts to not repeat that experience and get hurt again. That right there is the essence of learning and developing a deeper awareness of your body to mind connection. Having that inner voice inside of you say “woah hold up, last time we did this we got hurt…what other options are available for me”. Being this self-aware of your thoughts and actions brings you one step closer to being able to cast your ego aside, to forget about what you think you know, and just experience an experience for what it is. 

My personal ethics towards nature revolves around the idea of conscious self awareness of where you are in the present moment, how certain factors make you feel in the moment, and overall simply feeling before thinking. This is how I will approach interpreting nature for others as I grow and learn more about the amazing wonders that life offers us. 

References: 

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

Beck, L., & Cable, T. (2011). The gifts of interpretation: Fifteen guiding principles for in-terpreting nature and culture (3rded.). Urbana, IL: Sagamore.

Rodenburg, J. (2019). Why Environmental Educators Shouldn't Give up Hope. Environmental Literacy. ClearingMagazine.org.

Silene, A. (2021, February 20). Spiritual values of protected areas of Europe: Workshop proceedings. [pages 129-132] https://www.silene.ong/en/documentation-centre/spiritual-values-of-protected-areas-of-europe-workshop-proceedings#Proceedings_Spiritual%20Values_PAs_Europe.pd

Suzuki , D., & Louv, R. (2012, July 20). David Suzuki and Richard Louv @AGO. YouTube. https://youtu.be/F5DI1Ffdl6Y

Tilden, F. (1957). Interpreting our heritage. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Caro-lina Press.

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The World of Volcanoes

For this week’s post we were asked to share what we thought was the most amazing thing about nature. So, this week I am going to be talking about the fascinating world of Volcanoes. 

My interest with volcanoes began to simmer during a volcanic hazard and risk assessments class I took last semester. The course delved into the intricate mechanisms of volcanic activity, from the formation of magma chambers to the eruption dynamics that shape landscapes and lives. Each lesson unfolded like a page from a thrilling novel, revealing the intricate dance of geological forces that govern our planet. Not only did I really enjoy the professor teaching the course but I also enjoyed the content and activities we did. Some of the fun labs we did were observing real magma and rocks from volcanic eruptions and volcanic wine tasting! Although this class taught me a lot about volcanoes I had never really seen one in person. That quickly changed over this reading week. As I got the chance to visit Volcan Ceboruco located in Nayarit, Mexico while visited family there. 

Picture of Volcan Ceboruco I took

It wasn't until I set foot at the bottom of Volcan Ceboruco that my fascination erupted into full-blown awe (like a volcano). Towering over the surrounding landscape, Ceboruco stands as a silent sentinel, a testament to the raw power lurking beneath the Earth's surface. As I walked through the rugged terrain, I couldn't help but marvel at the sheer magnitude of the volcano's last impactful eruption, which occurred in 1870. 

The eruption of Volcan Ceboruco in 1870 was a cataclysmic event that reshaped the surrounding landscape and left a lasting impact on the region. The volcano unleashed a cascade of viscous dacitic lava, which flowed down its slopes like molten rivers of fire, consuming everything in its path. Villages were engulfed, forests decimated, and the very earth trembled beneath the force of nature's fury (Granyia, 2019).

Today, the scars of that eruption are still visible, preserved in the hardened lava flows and leftover magma nearby. You don’t even have to be near the volcano to grasp the seriousness of the eruption and the extent of its impact. As you can see leftover rocks and magma from the eruption along the highway. CHECK IT OUT! As I explored the remains of the eruption, I couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for the power of nature – a power that is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Video I took on the highway near Volcan Ceboruco

Standing among the remains of Volcan Ceboruco's last eruption, I was reminded of the fragility of our existence and the amazing forces that shape our world. It is a humbling experience, one that fills me with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of our planet, the things we cannot see in nature. 

As I reflect on my journey into the heart of Volcan Ceboruco, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to witness nature's beauty up close. It is a reminder that, despite our advances in science and technology, there is still so much we have yet to learn about the world around us. And perhaps, in that lies the greatest wonder of all – the endless pursuit of knowledge and understanding in the face of the unknown.

What do you think of volcanoes? Would you ever visit one? How about an active volcano?

Granyia. (2019, December 12). Sent ash around the world – volcán CEBORUCO, Mexico. volcanohotspot.wordpress.com. https://volcanohotspot.wordpress.com/2019/12/12/sent-ash-around-the-world-volcan-ceboruco-mexico/

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Hey Lainey, 

Throughout my undergraduate I have taken many courses that have expanded my knowledge about our planet, its geological processes, and the subsequent natural disasters in association. I am completely in awe and fascinated learning about the inner workings of Earth, whether that be understanding the causes and effects of plate tectonics, glacial and coastal deposition and erosion or the geological and astrological forces that allow for us as humans to flourish on this finite planet. 

The course you described and attended sounds amazing! Never heard of volcanic wine tasting before but I bet you can cross that off your bucket list! Additionally, the picture and video you took of the leftover volcanic rocks was as you put, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Examples of cataclysmic natural disasters such as the one you mentioned really does prove how we as a species are merely occupants of this land, and could be taken out without warning in a matter of days. 

I’ve been lucky enough to visit a dormant volcano myself. Along with my brother, we hiked up (begrudgingly on a paved trail) up the Diamond Head Crater along Waikiki’s coastline in Hawaii. The last known eruption occurred during the Pleistocene epoch, roughly 300,000 years ago (Mat, 2023).  I'm sure you already know this from studying volcanoes, but just because it’s classified as being dormant doesn’t mean it won’t ever erupt again, dormant just means it hasn’t erupted in at least the last 100 years or so (I think I’m remembering that correctly, if not please let me know lol). Below is a link describing how this crater was formed if you're interested:)

It’s very gratifying learning about these processes, but also can humble you and make you realize how small and lucky we are to have gone this long without encountering any major natural disasters; which is a direct acknowledgment to the privilege we have being located in Eastern North America. 

Really enjoy reading your post and hearing about your experiences!

References:

MAT, M. (2023, August 8). The diamond head, USA: Geology, formation. Geology Science. https://geologyscience.com/gallery/geological-wonders/the-diamond-head-usa/#:~:text=Diamond%20Head%20is%20currently%20considered%20dormant%2C%20which%20means%20there%20have,ago%2C%20during%20the%20Pleistocene%20epoch.

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The Amazing Wonders of Ice Ages!!

Welcome back everyone:) Join me as I dive deep into one of the most amazing things I know about nature, ice ages and the geologic timescale! Buckle up and get ready, because today my aim is to expand your perspective of Earth's history and take you back in time where the ground you're currently standing on reading this blog was buried in more than 3000 feet of solid ice! (if you're reading this in the Northern Hemisphere). Today, we are going down the rabbit hole of ancient glaciation and discussing the significance of the last major ice age (referred to as The Younger Dryas) that started around 12,900 and ended around 11,600 years ago (NCEI, 2021).

Scrat is me when I hear someone talking about ice ages lol. Photo taken from: https://blog.indiegala.com/ice-age-scrat-probably-one-of-the-best-characters-ever/

When interpreting the intricacies of nature's history, I strive to examine the processes that led to the formation of natural environments, rather than focusing on their products (i.e. oceans, mountains, deserts, etc.). In this way, learning about nature's history can inform and educate us...and breathe life and meaning into Earth's past and present events (Hooykaas, A. 2024). In order to understand the significance of Earth's last ice age, you must first understand how to perceive time; as understanding time versus acknowledging time are two very different things.

At present, we are currently in the year 2024 CE (common era), and the only modern examples of land-based glaciers on Earth are found in Greenland and Antarctica, as seen on the left of the image above (Brown, 2024). Now, if I were to say prior to 11,600 years ago majority of the northern hemisphere was covered in a massive continental glacier (as seen in the image on the right), how does your brain try to understand when/what that means? The geological timescale is confusing, but can be thought of the same way we read the numbers on a thermometer.

The "0" which acts as an indicator between postive and negative, is similar to how we can perceive when our common era begun, and anything prior to this point, is termed BCE (before common era). The confusing part is that 11,600 years ago from 2024 CE would not be considered "11,600 BCE", it would be written as 9576 BCE, as this is the amount of years it took to reach our current CE, and then we would add however many years afterwards (9576 BCE + 2024 BC) to calculate an exact point in time, which for this case, is 11,600 years ago.

So why is this point in time so important? Why would I considered ancient glaciers and ice ages to be one of the most amazing things I know about nature? Well, the Younger Dryas marks a clear distinction between Earth's last epoch (a distinctive period in time), called the Pleistocene to our current epoch, the Holocene (Hennings et al., 2020). The Pleistocene was roughly a 2.6 million year long ice age that ended around 11,600 years ago, at the end of the Younger Dryas (Hennings et al., 2020).

Something occurred at 11,600 years ago and caused a massive, abrupt spike in global temperatures; estimates say this spike only took about 40-50 years total, which is freaking MIND MELTING!!! (Hennings et al., 2020). Some experts suggest a massive amount of cold freshwater was dumped into the oceans and disrupted the oceans-current circulation system, which is responsible for distributing heat around the globe (Hennings et al., 2020). Others suggest a meteorite impact affecting the global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, which subsequently increases Earth's temperatures. Whatever it was, whatever caused Earth's temperatures to rise at the end of the Younger Dryas, has enabled our species as humans to evolve from hunter gathers, to grow and thrive over the next 11,600 years instead of living in a modern day ice age (Hennings et al., 2020). This is why I think learning about past climates and ice ages is so important for understanding and appreciating the wonders of nature. There is so much more I would love to discuss and talk about with you all, but I have already exceeded my word limit, sorry not sorry lol.

It is my hope that these historical facts have inspired you to broaden your own horizons of the complexities of Earth's past and present climate; or as Beck et al., (2011) would say, I present to you the gift of provocation. Happy researching ;)

Sources:

Beck, L., & Cable, T. (2011). The gifts of interpretation: Fifteen guiding principles for in-terpreting nature and culture (3rd ed.). Urbana, IL: Sagamore. 

Brown, A. (2024). Unit 08: Glacial Geology. ENVS*1060 Discovering Planet Earth, University of Guelph. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/858124/viewContent/3640664/View

Hennings, J., & Lynch, H. (2020, November 27). Platinum Record for the Ice Age. EarthDate. https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/platinum-record-for-the-ice-age

Hooykaas, A. (2024). Unit 06: Nature Interpretation through History. ENVS*3000 Nature Interpretation. University of Guelph. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/858004/viewContent/3640020/View

NCEI, (2021, November). The younger Dryas. National Centers for Environmental Information. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/3 The Younger Dryas -FINAL NOV (1).pdf

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Blog 7: Planting musical roots

I believe music in nature is very easy to find. Birds are found on every continent and sea birds such as the Albatross spend most of their life at sea or near water. One could even say that it is very difficult to find a location where birds have not colonized. One of the unique aspects of birds is their mating rituals, which involve multiple dance routines, plumage colors, structures such as nests, and, most importantly, songs.

Male Bowerbird decorating its nest with bright objects to attract a potential mate.

Bird songs and calls are perhaps the most recognizable characteristics of birds apart from their wings and beaks. Many bird species identification books and keys use bird songs and calls to identify the species since you cannot always see a bird, but you can definitely hear it. Characterizing bird songs as music, as defined by humans, tends to be controversial. Musicians, composers, scientists, researchers, and bird experts cannot agree that bird songs are music. One of this week’s assigned papers, ‘The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music’ by Gray et al. (2001) supports that bird songs are music but articles over the years from (2012) and (2023) still showcase that the discussion is ongoing and will likely not reach a concrete conclusion any time soon.

Nature in music is, in my opinion, vague. Can you call a song describing a couple’s divorce, written after the author went on a nature hike as being inspired by nature? Does the song have to mention or explicitly revolve around nature to be considered as a song inspired by nature? I do not know, to be honest, but that’s the beauty of music as an art form, it's subjective, so you can define nature in music however you want.

Plant Wave in progress, where electric singnals from the plant are being converted to music.

Regarding nature in music, I want to talk about a specific type of music or phone application; Plant Wave. Plant Wave is a phone application that converts electrical signals produced by plants into music that plays through the app by using a sensor that is hooked up to the plant. The creator of Plant Wave, Joe Patitucci, has released some songs he has made using plants. I personally find this fascinating since you do not think about plants when it comes to music but Joe Patitucci did, and he has opened a gateway for people to enjoy nature even more through Plant Wave.

My story revolving plant wave is funny as I found one of Joe’s songs on Spotify while listening to a playlist about space themed synthwave music (think about the interstellar movie theme). I found this rather amusing because while looking for music relating to the vastness of space, I ended up back on Earth listening to a plant’s electronic signals instead. This scenario showcases how the reach of nature can be further expanded using media as described by this week’s assigned textbook chapter reading. If Joe had not decided to share his nature experience with the public, I would have never gone down the rabbit hole that was plant wave.

C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song being performed live in public for the first time

As for a song that takes me back to natural landscape, I think about the CAMPFIRE song song (yes it is song song, not a typo) from SpongeBob Squarepants. The whole episode revolves around how camping can be fun and dangerous. Nowadays, whenever I hear camping or campfire, that song immediately comes to my mind, especially the sear bear scene (if you have watched the episode, you know the sea bear scene).

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Hey there, thanks for sharing your thoughts on music's relationship with nature.

When I first read Gray et al. (2001) perspective that animal callings such as bird or whale songs were the same kind of music that humans produce I wasn’t immediately sold. I couldn’t help but think that in order to classify sounds from animals as music, we in some way have are personifying those sounds to fit nicely with what humans have already created. My stance on this, even though it has been shown that birds or whales can mimic rhythms or movements of a symphony (Gray et al., 2001), is that this is just another example of nature's pure coincidental nature. In nature we can find perfect spheres, 90 degree angles or in this case sounds that appear to be similar to music, but as we’ve all learnt in environmental sciences, correlation does not mean causation. 

I think finding nature in music is quite subjective, as you mentioned. I think it takes a certain kind of self awareness of your surroundings to tap into sounds that are normally lost in translation. I don’t think a song has to reference being in nature or revolve around it in any way to find nature in music. The bigger idea is how that song makes you feel, what emotions it develops, and if those emotions are similar to the ones you experience in nature.

Interesting that you referenced PlantWave, because I recently stumbled upon this not too long ago myself. Such a cool way of interpreting music through nature, and forces us to think about how all living things, sentient or not, have frequencies or stories waiting to be told.

This was the first video I saw of PlantWave, and it immediately changed my perspective on how we can interpret music through nature.

I enjoyed reading your thoughts, cheers!

Sources:

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science, 291(5501), 52. https://link-gale-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/apps/doc/A69270354/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fb9366a8

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Finding Music in Nature

Hey everyone, welcome back:) This week I am going to dive into analyzing nature interpretation through music.

Where is music in nature? I think in order to answer this question we must first understand what defines music to be considered music. The Oxford dictionary defines music as “the art of combining various sounds to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion” and this ties nicely with Gray, P. et al (2001) definition; music can evoke “emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive responses from patterns of sound varying in pitch and time”. I think the main takeaway from these two definitions shows how music is simply any form of frequency loud enough to be heard, that in some way or not elicits some type of emotional response. This thought can be backed up from the thoughts of Silene (2021), who states, “when we hear music we first get a feeling and then thoughts''. When I first read that quote, it made me realize how true it was and how many times that happens to me when I’m in nature. And so, I think music in nature is found in any audible frequencies whether that be leaves blowing in the wind, the sound of rain hitting the floor, or the abundance of wildlife calling throughout the night, that makes you conscious take time out of your day to pause and listen; to feel before you think. 

A well-timed hike and bright sunshine = listening to the amazing sounds of lake trout splashing their way up stream

Where is nature in music? Similar to many factors of life, I believe nature is a precursor for the creation of music. The latter can not be perceived until the former creates tangible vessels for which the latter can be heard from. This thought can be explained from a more literal standpoint to a subjective one, i.e., music without words could not have been created without the tangible resources of nature (literally). While subjectively, nature provides inspiration of sounds that can be translated through an instrument or voice. Gray, P. et al (2001) references how closely tied a modern-day orchestra is to the ambient sounds of an environment; “the voice of each creature (or flora) has its own frequency, amplitude and duration…to which occupies a unique niche among other musicians”. I think this quote sums up nicely how nature is found in music, each organism is its own unique instrument, some can be grouped together but have different pitches and forms, similar to the plethora of brass instruments producing different pitches and sounds, such as baritones and trumpets.

While speaking of nature and music, I can’t help but think of times when music has enhanced my own experience with nature. One song that immediately pops into my mind when I think of being immersed in nature is “Pure Imagination” sung by Gene Wilder. At first glance, the song does not necessarily reference nature, but it is the context of where I listened to it that matters. It was on a warm summer's night, accompanied by four of my closest friends, lying down under a flowering crabapple tree at 2am in the morning. The combination of my environment just transformed my experience listening to this song. Feelings of nostalgia, being a kid again, not having a worry in the world but focusing on the warm summer air and the fragrant perfumes of the crabapple flowers. I will forever remember that feeling of pure bliss as the music and ground coarse through my body. 

References:

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science, 291(5501), 52. https://link-gale-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/apps/doc/A69270354/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fb9366a8

Hooykaas, A. (2024). Unit 7: Nature interpretation through music. University of Guelph. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/858004/viewContent/3640021/View

Oxford languages and google - english. Oxford Languages. (n.d.). https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

Silene, A. (2021, February 20). Spiritual values of protected areas of Europe: Workshop proceedings. [pages 129-132] https://www.silene.ong/en/documentation-centre/spiritual-values-of-protected-areas-of-europe-workshop-proceedings#Proceedings_Spiritual%20Values_PAs_Europe.pdf

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The Importance of Interpreting Nature Through History

Hey everyone, welcome back. This week I will be dissecting a quote from Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation:

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

Hyams wrote an inspiring and thought provoking quote that challenges our ingrained views of past events, knowledge, and teachings of our natural landscape. Hyams starts by saying there is no particularly merit in ancient things, and how I interpret this is that the tangible elements of “ancient things” is what really has no merit, but the reason these things still stand and hold value after tens of thousands of years is what one could call, as Eward Hyams refers to, integrity. I think what he is alluding to is the relevance between integrity and perseverance. If something is persevered, whether tangible or intangible, it holds memories, and those memories can then be passed down and taught through multiple generations, increasing its integrity. This thought can be backed up from our textbook as well, Beck & Cable, 2011 allude that one of the main goals in interpreting nature’s history is the act of remembering; as keeping memories alive is the true meaning of interpreting history (Beck et al., 2011). This is what I believe Edward Hyams references, how physical ancient things serve no other purpose than to pass down knowledge (integrity) to the next generation. 

The second part of his first sentence then talks about the importance of parts of a whole, where I think he aims to highlight the importance between interconnected processes, whether that being the simplest example of sunlight = food for green plants or a more personal example for us humans, food = survival. The latter cannot be achieved prior to the existence of the former, and the same could be said for appreciating the integrity of ancient things; one cannot appreciate said things if they were not preserved and cared for in the first place.

He finishes the quote by challenging our moral views and obligations to consciously integrate the knowledge we’ve gained from our past to better ourselves in the future; to keep our stories alive (Hooykaas, 2024). For a more modern example, take fossil fuels; we can acknowledge that our advancement in technologies would not have advanced without the utilization and processing of fossil fuels, but within the same breathe, we must understand that we have new technologies such as solar, nuclear, or geothermal energies that can perform just as or even more efficient than fossil fuels, and at half the price of our environment. In keeping with Hyam's thoughts, we must not forget where we came from, but we must also acknowledge the destruction it took for us as humans to get us to where we are today. We must find integrity through the inspiration and preservation of the stories and lives of past survivors, whether that be humans, ecosystems, or flora and fauna.

References:

Beck, L., & Ted T. Cable. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world - ebook. Sagamore. https://sagamorepub.com/products/interpreting-cultural-and-natural-heritage-for-a-better-world-2

Hooykaas, A. (2024). Unit 06: Nature Interpretation through History. [Lecture notes]. ENVS*3000 Nature Interpretation. University of Guelph.

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Warmer Winters Ahead

This week, we’ve experienced some fantastic weather in the Guelph area, and it has been enjoyed by many. The sun has been out, there are no buckets of snow being dumped on us, the birds are chirping, and even some bugs are reappearing. Personally, I enjoy being able to open up the windows in my apartment to air everything out, letting the fresh air in without turning the space into a walk-in freezer. It feels as if we are already deep into April given the weather being so springlike, however we aren’t even halfway into February. Normally, I would be the biggest supporter of warm weather, as snow is not my biggest fan, nor am I a fan of it. However, between this class ENVS*3000 (Nature Interpretation), and a course I took last term ENVS*3010 (Climate Change Biology), it has impacted my way of thinking dramatically, and I am growing more concerned about the world around us and how nature will change due to the effects of climate change. 

In 2023, it was determined we would experience El Nino, which brings forth warmer, wet weather that could also bring more extreme weather patterns with it (ICL 2023). Its opposite, La Nina, does not commonly impact this part of North America, however the two tend to swing back and forth (ICL 2023). Together, they interrupt the natural atmospheric weather patterns and seem to only become more aggressive as the effects of climate change continue to grow more apparent (ICL 2023). 

While all these changes in weather and temperature are explainable through science, the impacts it will have on our environment are still unknown, which makes me very fearful of what our natural spaces will look like in the future. For us to have such a green winter this year, it makes one curious about how this will impact the health and survival of all of those found within our green spaces. How does this type of weather disrupt their mating season? Will the species of plants still blossom and sprout when needed? Would they be able to survive the cold fronts that unexpectedly appear? 

While this seems like an odd thing to think about, I am concerned about what nature will look like in just 10 or 20 years from now. What native species will no longer be able to live here? What will the forests look like years from now if events such as drought or wildfires become the new normal? Will we still have winters with the buckets of snow that we all loved as kids? As aspiring nature interpreters, I think it is our due diligence to be asking the big questions about the nature we find around us. I think it is important to live in the present, and enjoy what we have, but also look to the future and protect the environment for generations of nature interpreters to come.

[ICL]  Imperial College London. (2023). What is El Niño and how is it influenced by climate change? Accessed February 10, 2024. .https://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/publications/climate-change-faqs/what-is-el-nino/

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Hey Denise, 

Your thoughts and perspective resonate a lot with me. Talking about climate change was my second option I was going to talk about for this prompt. Last year I took ENVS*2270 (Impacts of Climate Change), and this course completely changed my outlook on life, as you alluded ENVS*3010 did for you. I highly recommend taking this course if you haven’t, it dives into the science and logic of interpreting climate change through various environmental, social, and economic factors, as well as gives thorough updated data from primary sources such as the IPCC. Once I saw the climate proxy models, called RCP pathways, I started to understand how far we have dug ourselves into a finite hole of exploiting resources with no acknowledgement for restoration. The IPCC has projected that if we stay on our current path of exploitation, we will see a rise of 2 degrees or more above pre-industrial temperature (the temperatures prior to industrial revolution) (IPCC, 2024). This is projected to hit by 2050, and although a 2 degree difference doesn’t sound dramatic, this is the difference between having snow in February versus the spring weather we currently have; this is the difference between being able to estimate weather patterns for ideal crop growth versus dealing with sporadic extreme rain, wind, and snow events that will dramatically change and influence the ways in which we currently provide food for millions of people. Just as you mentioned, this 2 degree increase will dramatically impact our local environments, whether that be native flora and fauna or the indigenous and native tribes that live up north and depend on their traditional way of life of ice fishing and hunting. So many factors to calculate it makes your head hurt, and I can see why people tend to brush climate change off like its nothing, because it is scary to think about and can consume how you go about living. I think this topic is so important and people like us need to spread as much awareness as possible, before it's too late. If you want to learn more about the different projected climate pathways, follow the link below:), cheers!

Topic 2: Future changes, risks and impacts

IPCC 5th Assessment Synthesis Report

References:

Topic 2: Future changes, risks and impacts. IPCC 5th Assessment Synthesis Report. (2024). https://ar5-syr.ipcc.ch/topic_futurechanges.php 

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How to create Citizen Scientists As a Landscape Designer 

This week, I thought I’d give you guys a better understanding and perspective of the role landscape designers can have in environmental education. Over the past four years, I have become increasingly interested in how I can incorporate the knowledge and research I’ve gained about environmental science into my future profession. My plan is to dive into factors that I think are valuable as well as show an amazing real world example that we will explore at the end of this discussion.

For some context, taken from the Article: Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education, it identifies the important linkage between science and environmental education, where science based knowledge, in this context, is typically tailored towards understanding how ecological processes function, whereas the latter focuses more on holistic application of those processes; how certain “circumstances and behaviors” cause certain outcomes to occur (Arjen E. J. Wals et al, 2014). When I first read that last sentence, it immediately made me think of how similar that approach is to the mindset of a landscape designer; how applying environmental education through designs is not about getting the visitor to identify certain pollutants, invasive species, or the past significance of a land, but to acknowledge why they are present, how it came to be, and how certain materials and programs are chosen to invoke deeper exploration of one’s self in a particular environment (Arjen E. J. Wals et al, 2014). 

So how does a landscape designer create citizen scientists? Well first, we must understand who and what citizen scientists (CS) are. They are the children walking to school buses in the morning, joggers going on their daily run, or the 9-5 worker who takes the same route to work everyday. CS consciously or not, engage in “community-based local monitoring of changes in the environment, using some type of data collection device” (Arjen E. J. Wals et al, 2014). Additionally, CS can explore new environments from ICT devices (Information Communication Technology) and this is where the role of a landscape designer comes into play (Arjen E. J. Wals et al, 2014). 

A recent, and beautiful example of how a landscape architect can incorporate ICT devices to encourage a type of citizen science comes from one of my past assistant professors Afshin Ashari, who is a practicing landscape architect. Along with other colleagues from the University of Guelph, this team called WE[AR] came together in 2023 to design and engineer the first ever interactive augmented reality installations at the Winter Stations Public Art Exhibition located at Woodbine Beach, Toronto. The project's goal was to create an “interactive virtual installation that considered the local and regional contexts in which it is shown to present social issues and exemplify the power of unity” (Ashari, 2023). They wanted to create an outdoor interactive experience for visitors, while also highlighting important social issues found in Toronto; some being women’s right, LGBTQ2S+ rights, racial discrimination, sexual violence and much more (Ashari, 2023). Now although this project hasn’t taken a scientific approach, it is my hope that you could see how applicable a project like this could be to educating different groups of people on the socioeconomic and/or socioecological issues of a given location. By simply scanning a QR code, your environment is transported into an educational virtual reality that encourages visitors to explore the installation and engage and converse with other visitors present, sharing and spreading knowledge of their experiences, similar to how citizen scientists can share and monitor changes in their environment to aid in scientific data collection. 

Whether participating in scientific research through ICT-supported CS, or by learning about the social issues of one’s location through an interactive virtual medium, there is an immense potential for understanding how to deepen the environmental experience and education of a physical place to which people are a part of (Arjen E. J. Wals et al, 2014). I hope you guys enjoyed this weeks topic, if you want to learn about this project, you can follow the link below. Cheers:)

Afshin Ashari on LinkedIn: 𝗪𝗘[𝗔𝗥] has officially come to life on Monday, February 20th. On the…

𝗪𝗘[𝗔𝗥] has officially come to life on Monday, February 20th. On the opening day, 𝟯𝟮𝟵 visitors downloaded the 𝗪𝗘[𝗔𝗥] app, and the immersive…

References:

Arjen E. J. Wals et al, Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education.Science 344,583-584 (2014).DOI:10.1126/science.1250515

Ashari , A. (2023). We[Ar]. Winter Stations WE[AR] Comments. https://winterstations.com/archive/wear/

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Art and Nature Interpretation

When thinking about who I am in regards to interpretation of nature through art, I think of both what my skills and understandings of the field are, and what types of interpretation I personally enjoy. I enjoy viewing and creating art in general, but I especially like art that incorporates nature in some way. I have a moderate understanding the decision-making process in art and how people convey meaning through their works. Much of this understanding of art comes from my partner who is finishing up a studio art degree and is a very talented artist. They mostly create art that includes some sort of nature interpretation and often discuss the reasonings behind their process and decision making with me, which is where most of my knowledge comes from.

Untitled Generator 1, 2023 by my partner Maddy Cohen (@madsc_arts on Instagram)

I also think I have a good understanding of nature interpretation through music. I have enjoyed playing music for most of my life, and I really enjoy learning about songwriting and composition which allows me to understand how people use music to interpret whatever they are interested in conveying. Every small decision made, melody used, or style of production can give insight into what specific message an artist is trying to interpret. Especially more experienced or skilled artists can accurately translate their feelings or understanding of nature through their music in a way that is both easily consumed and understood while also implying deeper meanings. Most of my favorite music includes some sort of nature interpretation. For example, my favourite band Ween has an album based on their time living by the sea and how they interpret the feelings elicited by the coast and the ocean. I also create a lot of my own music, and regularly try translating my understanding of nature or feeling of connection to nature through music.

The Mollusk by Ween

One of my favorite forms of nature interpretation through art is the use of nature documentaries. I find that these give an intimate look into aspects of nature that I would probably never witness personally. Documentaries tend to provide really eye-catching and inspiring visuals, while also weaving together a narrative about what is being shown to deepen the ease of understanding and messaging conveyed in their work.

A picture I drew of how I envision nature on a strange planet

Well-made art is designed to convey some sort of feeling or message, and one really common form of this is interpreting beauty. I tend to think of beauty as a reflection of the appealing aspects of nature, and the things that I see as beautiful are generally heavily inspired by nature or are natural themselves. I definitely agree with the sentiment that interpretation should focus on translating the beauty of nature to an audience (Beck et al., 2018). Showing people how to perceive the beauty around them is a great way to provide people with the gift of beauty (Beck et al., 2018). For example, my partner is quite obsessed with finding cool mushrooms, and whenever we go hiking, they will constantly point out cool ones to me and tell me some interesting things about that mushroom. This has developed into me becoming quite fond of mushrooms too, and now whenever I walk outside, I am constantly noticing all the cool mushrooms around me and feeling excited to find them. Before meeting my partner, I had never really noticed or appreciated this aspect of nature’s beauty, but I now have a great appreciation for it. This shows how passion for a subject and an ability to interpret that to others can provide the gift of beauty to another person.

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

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Hey Daniel, 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the really amazing drawings from you and your partner. When reading your post, I couldn't help but notice how different our abilities were in creating art, as I have never been good at conveying what I’m feeling or even seeing through pen and paper. I found it quite interesting how you interpret nature in art through physical mediums as I, on the other hand, opt for more tangible visual mediums, meaning visually experiencing them first-hand. The cool part is how in the end, we both develop some sort of feeling or message evoked from nature’s beauty, but just through different mediums. It’s a bit hard for me to describe what I mean by visual mediums, because obviously that is what everyone experiences too. I think the way I interpret nature through art is what our textbook refers to as the “science of chaos” (Beck et al., 2018). Identifying the subtle, intricate patterns and rhythms that appear in the tangible elements of nature (Beck et al., 2018). Where you can provide spiritual uplift through your works of art, physically recreating that sense of beauty, I think I do the same, but mainly in my head; which sounds weird but that’s the only way I can put it. I love to interpret tangible elements such as mushrooms, plants, rocks or even water, which only after learning from our textbook taught me how I am looking for the intangible meanings associated with these physical objects (Beck et al., 2018).

I really like when you mentioned how your partner opened your eyes to perceiving new aspects of nature’s beauty through mushrooms, because that is exactly how I feel whenever I see a unique pattern in nature; it creates a new lens for me to look through, perceiving patterns that may seem disorderly to others, but in reality it opens the doors for me to be grounded in the beauty of my surroundings (Beck et al., 2018). I think this shows how nuanced interpreting nature through art really is, how there isn’t one right way to do things, and how art is truly a vessel for interpreting messages or emotions. 

I took this picture on a hike one morning when I used to live in Guelph. To some, this is just another picture of a forest, showing the canopies of mixed deciduous trees. For me however, this is what I meant by seeing things through a different lens, because what is depicted here is a really cool phenomenon that all tree species do; its known as "Crown shyness". This phenomenon isn't really understood, but some theories suggest that the trees are trying to reduce the spread of diseases or to maximize photosynthesis by allowing sunlight to reach lower branches (Kitsmediatech, 2023). Whatever the reason is, a beautiful pattern in created in the sky, and this is a really cool example of how I perceive "the gift of beauty".

References:

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

Kitsmediatech. (2023, October 17). Crown shyness. Arbutus Tree Service. https://www.arbutustree.ca/crown-shyness/#:~:text=A%20natural%20phenomenon%20called%20%E2%80%9Ccrown,the%20wind%2C%20or%20maximize%20photosynthesis.

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Nature is Art, and Art is Nature

Who are you to interpret nature through art? How do you interpret “the gift of beauty”?

I found this question a bit challenging to answer at the start, as it is a multifaceted one with no right or wrong answer. In Chapter 10, it spoke about how there are cases where people lack the “proper background” to appreciate art, and this resonated a lot with me as I’ve worked my way through my education. My program is landscape architecture, and from a first glance one would think it is all about sketching and drawing accurate depictions of beautiful landscapes. I feared I wasn’t going to do well because my aesthetic ability to draw was quite poor. What I soon came to realize was that artistic ability was not solely defined based on aesthetics, but that art is another form of language; it's communication without spoken words, it strives to elicit emotions and provoke curiosity (Beck et al., 2018, Griffiths, 2013). 

I still find it challenging to come up with an answer to this question, and so I tried to break it down into pieces and start from there. Who am I? Well I am a 5th year student taking landscape architecture, who has always been surrounded by nature my whole life. How can someone like me interpret nature through art? Well I think that interpretation comes from one's definition of what art is. I really liked the way art was defined in our lecture notes; “Art (whether a painting, photograph, or a sculpture) often captures but a moment in time—and if that art is shared, the story continues” (Hooykaas, 2024). This made me think about how interpreting art through nature doesn’t have to involve the “proper background” of knowledge in the arts, but that art is simply a vessel which guides emotions and feelings (Beck et al., 2018). When in nature, our attention is often grabbed by bright, colorful shapes and patterns that allow us to be grounded, taking in the beauty of a naturalized moment. Taken from Chapter 5, Eliot Porter's take on finding the beauty in nature really resonated with me. He said, “how much is missed if we only have the eyes for bright colors…the essence of the Earth’s beauty lies in disorder” (Porter & Gleick, 1990). This quote made me think of a picture I took one winter’s day as I was walking home and happened to look up into the chaotic branches of a red pine covered in snow. The picture below is how I can describe how I interpret nature through art; the endless lines, shapes, colors that all mesh together, invoking feelings of chaotic disorder but also a certain calmness that makes you want to stop and take a deep breathe of the icy air.

I think the feelings I get from this picture work quite well with how “The Gift of Beauty” is defined in Chapter 5; how interpretation intends to instill in people the conscious ability and desire to take in the beauty of their surroundings (Beck et al., 2018). I interpret this gift of beauty as being grounded in the present moment, having no other intrusive thoughts present other than what lies in front of you; or for my case from this picture, what lied above me. I think this is a very powerful way of interpreting nature because it throws away the idea of what's right and wrong, and focuses on how certain moments in time can evoke powerful emotions not obtainable through spoken words. 

References:

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

Griffiths, J. (2013). The exile of the arts. Orion, 30(5), 10–11.

Hooykaas, A (2024) Unit 4: Nature Interpretation Through Art and Planning for "All" Scenarios. ENVS*3000. University of Guelph

Porter, E., & Gleick, J. (1990). Nature’s chaos. New York, NY: The Viking Press.

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Privilege

Privilege refers to the advantages and opportunities given to only a particular individual or group of individuals. I think that there are various ways in which privilege can play a role in nature interpretation. This is because there are various different types of privilege. 

The key role that privilege can play in nature interpretation is impacting an individual’s access to and participation in natural spaces. This can be due to educational privilege, cultural privilege, economic privilege, or even time privilege, among others.

Those with educational privilege may approach nature interpretation with a more informed foundation, resulting in a better, well-informed understanding. Their more knowledgeable understanding can make it easier for them to engage in interpretation in a meaningful way, making the experience more rewarding all around.

Similarly, cultural privilege could influence people's views and relationships to the cultural aspects of nature interpretation by shaping their perceptions and connections to their heritage or culture. However, this factor may also introduce potential biases and assumptions rooted in the individual's specific cultural understanding, providing the ‘advantage’ to those with different cultural ties to the specific area.

Those with economic privilege may have greater access to parks, reserves, or other natural locations. Additionally, this privilege could lead to greater educational privilege in turn due to the greater opportunities that those of higher economic privilege can often attain.

Lastly, time privilege refers to the advantage that individuals with more free time or flexible schedules have over those who have less time. This could be due to various commitments such as a job, caregiving responsibilities, or any other time-consuming obligations. In nature interpretation, time privilege can influence how individuals participate in and benefit from interpretive programs and activities. 

Privilege can also influence an individual's level of environmental awareness and advocacy. Individuals who have the luxury of time and funds may become more involved in conservation activities, environmental advocacy, and/or sustainability practices. In contrast, individuals facing economic hardships may be distracted by urgent worries, making it difficult to prioritize environmental issues. This could also be apparent in regards to education. Those with greater education would likely be more inclined to advocate for environmental stewardship as they may better grasp the science behind it. 

However, it should be addressed that this post uses a lot of assumptions which may not be the case in every situation. Where something may seem like an obvious privilege to one person, it may be the opposite for another. I think that there are so many ways in which we can interpret everything and, because of that, it can be really hard to give definitive answers to such complex questions.

In summary, privilege, whether educational, cultural, economic, or time-related, has significant effects on an individual's experiences and interactions with nature interpretation. While having any of these privileges is not something to be embarrassed about or regret, recognizing them and their dynamics in nature interpretation is critical to producing inclusive and accessible programs that appeal to a varying audience. This helps to establish a more fair and lasting relationship between individuals and the natural world.

[ejenvs3000w24]

Hey Michela, 

I really liked the way you broke up the different components of privilege, and how they individually contribute to one’s access and participation in nature. I think it’s easy for Canadian's to forget how lucky we are to live in a country with the third most forested land in the world, yet very little danger from the elements and wildlife (Canada, 2023). I think the components of cultural or economic barriers are more thought to be involved in privilege, which they most definitely are, however, another important aspect I think a lot of Westerners forget is that we typically aren’t afraid to go into nature. We don’t have any fear of encountering wildlife unless you live in a mountainous region or far up north, where a significantly less amount of Canada’s population resides. We don’t have to worry about getting lost because we can read signs, nor have to worry about other factors of fear regarding not feeling welcomed or treated poorly just because we don’t speak the same language (Beck, 2018). As you alluded to, our “basic” knowledge of our land puts us in an advantageous position to pursue spaces in nature that others can’t or aren’t comfortable with. 

Our textbook states that each visitor brings along with them a personal set of experiences, abilities, and knowledge when interpreting nature, or as Tilden (1977) says, “the visitor ultimately is seeing things through their own eyes” (Beck, 2018). This is a true statement, but what I think is missing from this assessment is what you called “time privilege”. Yes, every visitor will experience nature in a different way based on their life experiences, whether that's through financial freedom, educational status, etc. But that statement is only valid under the assumption that individuals have the spare time to enjoy nature. If you have always had food on the table, education and a car to drive, you now have the opportunities to spend your time in other areas, because your basic needs are already met. Whereas, as you’ve mentioned, underserved individuals or groups don’t have as much time to spend in nature because they haven’t covered all of their basic needs yet. Does this mean that minorities don’t enjoy going into nature, and so they don’t prioritize it? No, it's the exact opposite. At our primitive, human core, everyone loves to explore and learn about our natural environment, but it’s the educational, cultural, economic or time-related barriers that allow certain people over others to engage in those desires, not because the underserved aren’t entitled, but due to biased socio-economic norms that put others ahead.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts:)

References:

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

Canada, N. R. (2023, February 2). How much forest does Canada have?. Natural Resources Canada. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/forests/state-canadas-forests-report/how-much-forest-does-canada-have/17601

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How Privilege Shapes our Relationship with Nature

My working definition of privilege goes as follows; the disproportionate, unwarranted opportunities given to an individual, not based on the merit of a person’s character, but one in which a person is born into, that consciously or not, receives and takes advantage of benefits not available to others; not because the latter is undeserving, but because the former has unique socio-economic traits that give them an advantage in life based off traditional, biased, societal norms (Beck et al., 2018, Gallavan, 2005)

Growing up, I was not taught about my privilege, it was only until I started to see with my own eyes the differences in my life to my friends. Peggy McIntosh is correct when she says individuals born into privilege are taught that their lives are morally neutral; because that is what I thought as a younger kid (Gallavan, 2005). I was born into a middle class household, white, male, put into Catholic school, was able to participate in after school sports; I was given every opportunity to be able to freely explore my surrounding environments without worrying about costs, food, or being discriminated against because of my race or gender, whereas for my friends, they cannot say the same.

I have unfortunately encountered many privileged white men in my life where they seem to think just because they’ve experienced heartaches growing up, that this puts them in the same class as other minorities. That is like comparing going on a hike with a perfectly paved path with designated lookouts and pit stops, versus being kicked off that path, having to work much, much harder than the former to end up in the exact same destination.

The role privilege plays in nature interpretation extends from, but not limited to, economic, cultural, communicative or discriminatory barriers (Beck et al., 2018). These are the contents in which I believe McIntosh refers to as our “invisible backpacks”. Some people’s bags are empty, some maybe only have one or two things, and others have so much in their bags that they don’t even feel the weight anymore (Gallavan, 2005). What I mean by this is, if you are born with privilege, you are most likely unaware of the compounded benefits (weight of the bag) that you receive, because that’s all you’ve ever experienced. If your bag is always 50lbs, eventually that weight will feel lighter and lighter. Similarly, if you’ve always had access to higher education, food, speaking English or having a Canadian passport, you won’t realize how ahead in the game you really are. 

One thing that really stood out to me in the chapter 7 readings was the differences in perspectives of going camping between the privileged and underserved. To middle-class individuals, camping is seen as an escape from the city, where you choose to sleep in tents and cook hotdogs over the fire because that is an a-typical experience which seems “new” and “refreshing”. Alternatively, if you come from a lower economic status, can’t speak much English in an English speaking country, or simply don’t have the transportation to get to and from locations, these factors limit one's ability to interact with nature. Additionally, the textbook raised another very important aspect which I admittedly hadn’t given much thought about until now, and that's how minorities potentially view camping as a “rich white person activity” where they typically associate sleeping outside in a tent with being poor or homeless (Beck et al., 2018). When you look at it from this perspective, it is really eye opening to think about how privileged individuals have gotten so used to their lifestyles, that for fun, they choose to sleep outside in tents, under the elements, without a worry of being stuck in this situation, because they have a car or trailer on stand-by, and a warm 3-story home waiting for them. 

The minimal concerns privileged individuals have for not having to worry about transportation, food, wasting time when you could be making money or being a victim of discrimination when visiting a National Park is one of the highest forms of privilege. Based on our readings and from my own life experience regarding privilege in nature, if your skin is white, you speak English, you have a Canadian passport, were raised middle-class, always had food on the table, and didn’t have to worry about being discriminated against, you had the opportunities to interact in nature where others could not; in short, you were undoubtedly, privileged. From the words of Peggy McIntosh, you were born with an infinite amount of unearned assets at your disposal, that could be used at any given time to put yourself in an advantageous position relative to others. Where you might have a theoretical backpack full of privileged opportunities, based on your unearned socio-economic status, others barely have enough space in the palm of their hands (Gallavan, 2005). 

References:

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

Gallavan, N. P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their "invisible knapsacks". Multicultural Education, 13(1), 36. https://link-gale-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/apps/doc/A137921591/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=9fe2f151

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02: Discussing my Dream Job

When considering my ideal role as an environmental interpreter, the first aspect that comes to mind is my preference for doing ‘behind the scenes’ work. As interpreters, one objective is to describe our knowledge to the audience while making it fun and exciting. As someone who is not very good at public speaking, I would ideally let someone else take the lead, especially when the communication is verbal. That said, much more goes into environmental interpretation than just the final delivery.

There are a few roles I would take within environmental interpretation, one of them being conducting field work. I would love to be able to go out into a space of nature and understand the different parts that make up the ecosystem. I would seek information that answers the following questions: What are the prominent tree species? What allows them to grow their best? What organisms are vital to the growth of the specific ecosystem? How might the climate crisis effect this space? Through collecting this information, I would be able to put together a cohesive interpretation of the biological aspects of the ecosystem. Furthermore, I would want to select for the higher quality and more powerful information I gathered to share with the audience, or as described in our textbook, I would try and use ‘The Gift of Precision’ (Beck et al., 2018).

Conducting field work that is accurate and that is of high quality requires a well-rounded set of skills. While there are endless skills that would be beneficial to this role, the ones that stick out to me the most are attention to detail and critical thinking. One would need to have a good eye for the intricate details that come together to form what we call nature. This could include correctly identifying species that look similar, such as the Austrian pine and the red pine. Attention to detail may also include accurately observing animal behaviours, such as not confusing two squirrels for fighting when they are just playing. With the information gathered from having good attention to detail, the next step is to analyze the data and draw conclusions. Using critical thinking skills, one would need to synthesize all the knowledge into a cohesive piece that could subsequently be shared with others. What other skills do you think would be essential to this role?

On the left is an Austrian pine tree needle, and on the right is a red pine tree needle. While there are several ways to distinguish the two trees, bending the needles is common. The Austrian pine will bend, and the red pine will snap.

Ideally, I would begin my endeavours as an environmental interpreter in a space I am familiar with, such as Etobicoke. Once I have mastered the foundational skills, I would be interested in expanding my knowledge to other places around the world. It would be incredible not only to see but also to research areas like Iceland, Australia, Indonesia, and more.

Thank you for reading this week’s post and see you next week,

Kiera

References

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

[ejenvs3000w24]

Hey Kiera, 

The position you’re trying to pursue does sound like a dream job! Although different from the career I intend to pursue, I found that we shared very similar outlooks to interpreting nature for others. I too am not the biggest fan of public speaking, but that is something I’m working on. Thankfully, I find I speak better to others when I’m passionate about the topic. 

For context, I just finished my program in landscape architecture, and so, my ideal role is tailored to interpreting how the natural environment and the built environment can be mended through thoughtful, sustainable designs. I found it quite interesting how applicable the questions you asked could be suited for so many different careers, including mine; of course, careers that use some form of interpretation as communication. I too have to ask myself: What are the prominent species on this particular site? What opportunities or challenges do I initially see that would benefit or harm newly added species? 

You mentioned how you would prefer to interpret nature through conducting field work; which made me think about how similar that is to one of the first stages of designing any landscape. This phase is known as the “inventory and analysis” phase, and it is essentially what you have described, seeking important, hidden details that allow one to understand the environment they’re working with. To my understanding, this is what our textbook refers to as “Genius loci”; “how distinct an environment (genius) is, illustrates the significance of that place (loci) (Beck et al., 2018). 

I think as an environmental interpreter, this is such an important aspect of knowledge to gain/learn prior to engaging with visitors. As you mentioned, it does take time to get the "eye" for seeing important details; details that could provoke deeper thinking and appreciation, but are lost to visitors passing by because they lack the foundational knowledge to understand the interconnected systems at play. Thanks for sharing, see you next week:)

Side note: Admittingly, I didn't know about that I.D trick for distinguishing Austrian vs Red pine, thank you lol! I won't forget that.

References:

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

[ejenvs3000w24]

What is My Ideal Role of Environmental Interpretation?

Describe your ideal role of environmental interpreter.

An ideal role of environmental interpretation that I could see myself pursuing is not necessarily a career being a nature interpreter, but one where I apply what I’ve learnt to effectively interpret nature to clients as a landscape designer. Although pursuing a career as a conversation tour guide would be amazing, which I may still do in the future, I would love to be able to learn how to think like an environmental interpreter and use that knowledge to interpret the landscape I will eventually be partaking in designing. I think any field that involves some sort of design aspects, whether that's creating a management plan, interpretive tour guide, or piece of art, includes important aspects of interpretation. One of Freeman Tilden’s six principles of interpretation states, “interpretation is an art…through different scientific, historical, or architectural mediums” (Tilden, 1957). The medium I wish to explore is the symbiotic relationship between the natural environment and the built environment. 

What might this entail? 

Well it's a combination of so many factors playing together; it's purposely choosing certain materials or plants that “best” fit certain environments, whether they are placed in urban plazas or a children's playground. These “best fits” are often propelled by favorable environmental conditions, as well as the site's past, present, and future history (Beck & Cable, 2011). Being able to interpret this kind of information to unsuspecting visitors can be quite challenging. This is due to different concepts and theories often being overlooked by the public, because what they see, for example, is just another combination of dirt, cement, grass and trees—but what you see is a rich history which paints a picture for how this landscape use to function, and the footsteps which paved the way. This is what Beck & Cable, 2011 call “the gift of personalizing the past”; and this is one of the goals I wish to invoke when interpreting environments to others. 

Where might it be? 

Ideally, this type of interpretation would take place on the site “to-be”. It would involve the site itself, its surrounding environment, and the landscapes which surround that. I have had many experiences in my program where we would go to a site we are planning to design, and our professor would explain the context and importance, and why we should care about designing this piece of land. It’s only until now that I see what they were doing was interpreting the environment to us, instilling the desire to care about creating experiences for others (Beck & Cable, 2011). Conversely, since the end of 2019, this form of interpretation took place online, via zoom, teams, google earth, and other software's that allowed students to gain some type of bond to a landscape we couldn’t touch.    

What skills might you need? 

The skills I thought I would need to invoke this sort of experience are the ones gained from my program, but soon after reading our textbook, specifically in chapter 5, I realize I am not as educated or prepared as I thought I was. I am used to understanding and gaining knowledge of the past history of a particular site, and using that as an aid to implement certain materials or programs. I have even explored ideas of estimating how visitors will experience a site; how will a parent with a stroller versus a college student or a senior be able to have a meaningful experience in the short or long amount of time that they are on the site. What is a curveball for me, which I learnt from our textbook, is the importance and application of thematic communication. Sam Ham argues that a theme’s purpose isn’t to be remembered by an audience, nor to tell an audience what matters most; “its singular purpose is to stimulate thinking about and around the theme” (Ham, 2013). This is something I can tell I’m going to struggle with a bit, as I've spent the past four years taking landscape architecture, and one of the main goals for designing is to choose materials with a purpose, and that purpose always should relate to one's theme or concept. Now as I am learning about thematic communication, I realize I’m going to have to consciously stop my brain from thinking too much into how the theme will cohesively connect, to thinking about feelings or reactions the theme will elicit from others (Beck, 2011).

Beck, L., & Cable, T. (2011). The gifts of interpretation: Fifteen guiding principles for interpreting nature and culture (3rd ed.). Urbana, IL: Sagamore.

Ham, S. (2013). Interpretation: Making a difference on purpose. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing.

Tilden, F. (1957). Interpreting our heritage. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Caro-lina Press.

[did-you-know]

Mushrooms are more closely related to humans than they are to plants. 

Source Source 2 Source 3

[ejenvs3000w24]

Humans take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide, and so do mushrooms! Such a cool fact:)

[ppenvs3000w24]

Blog 1: First of Many

Hello! My name is Pratik, and I am a 5th-year Zoology Major and Plant Science Minor. This is the first of hopefully many blog posts that I will be writing weekly for at least the next 3 months.

My current relationship with Nature is deeply rooted in my heritage and culture. I was born in Nepal where I spent the first 12 years of my life before immigrating to Canada with my family. Nepal is a country that focuses on agriculture and tourism and houses the tallest Mountain on Earth, Mt. Everest. Most of the people I knew grew up as farmers and villagers who deeply cared about their land and natural resources. This allowed me to grow up intertwined with nature where I both respected and feared the jungles of Nepal as they are home to Bengal tigers, Indochinese rhesus macaques, leopards, wild boars, and the Big Four snakes.

Kathmandu, Nepal where I grew up.

When I first started exploring the parks and conservation areas of Canada, I found it interesting how visitors did not fear the wildlife. This baffled me at first as I assumed Grizzly bears, cougars, and wolves roamed most of Canada and frequently clashed with the local populations like in Nepal. After doing some more research, I realized that none of the 3 animals roamed the parks near my place, and I, too, had nothing to fear like the local visitors. After 10 years in Canada, my fear of nature has eroded away, and nowadays, I frequently find myself exploring off-the-path trails and making my own path when exploring Nature. However, my respect for Nature persists as Nature, when disrespected, can be very unforgiving based on the countless tales I have heard from park naturalists, guides, and locals.  

As it stands now, my relationship with Nature is built on respect and a tiny bit of fear where I plan to center my future career around Nature and Academia, hoping to make them more accessible to the public.

Holding a Garter Snake for my Field Course Paper in Algonquin Park

The two people that offered me a sense of place in Nature were Steve Irwin and Jeremy Wade. Steve Irwin was my introduction to wildlife outside of Nepal, and he taught me that wild animals, specifically snakes, are not evil by nature. They are, instead, misunderstood due to their appearance, causing humans to cull them from their local range. In Ontario, the Timber Rattlesnake was extirpated by hunters due to the snake being venomous even though conflicts were rarer than perceived. Steve Irwin showed me that wildlife does not like to be bothered, and their actions against humans are often justified (hunger, young protection, habitat loss).

Jeremy Wade was a professional angler who hosted the TV show known as River Monsters. He traveled the world, searching for freshwater-inhabiting creatures mentioned in local folklore. I remember vividly that his show was one of the first to showcase Nepal outside of the Himalayas. He showed me that the local population is more than often the most educated regarding wildlife inhabiting their lands. Jeremy would always listen to the stories of the local population and explore any leads they provided no matter how fictional they sounded. He taught me that working with the local population is the best way of studying Nature in a new environment and their opinions should not be ignored.

Remic Rapids Park, Oattawa

[ejenvs3000w24]

Hey Pratik, amazing to hear your story and the insights you bring to interpreting nature. You have made me realize, from the experiences that have shaped your perspective towards nature, how privileged Canadians are in being able to even pursue a career in interpreting nature. The fact that I wasn’t afraid as a kid to go out into a forest alone, and you were, out of fear for your own well-being, showcases a unique, and somewhat underrepresented topic for many people living in Canada. Unless you're in the northern parts or mountainous areas, it's very unlikely to encounter a dangerous animal in Canada, let alone one that isn’t afraid of you. I have always known that in a way, but admittedly, I am guilty of having this privilege towards nature as well. I think it is easy for Canadians to forget how lucky we are to be able to enjoy and roam mostly freely around our environments with little fear of animals. Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights, they are inspiring to a person like me who hasn’t had the same experiences but wants to be actively grateful for the environment I live in. Thanks for sharing, see you on the next blog:)