Unit 10 Blog- My Personal Ethic As A Nature Interpreter!
As we wrap up the semester and our blogs come to a close, I have been reflecting on all the aspects of interpretation learned throughout this course. Throughout this blog, I'm going to explain the personal ethic I have developed as a nature interpreter through the exploration of my beliefs, responsibilities, and approaches to the topic. Nature interpretation is very special to me, as I have had the wonderful opportunity to work as a nature interpreter. With all my new profound knowledge, I am excited to be able to apply my newly defined personal ethic to my future career, which I hope includes a large portion of interpretation in it.
To begin, I truly believe that everyone has their own personal connection to nature. These connections may look different for each person, shaped by their experiences, culture, and environment, but they are all equally important. From reading all the amazing blogs throughout this Semester, it is very evident that all of us have our own deep connection with the natural world. I believe that the root of our connections with the natural world stem from my belief that we are deeply interconnected with it. This interconnected relationship is both physical and spiritual. In the physical realm, humans rely on nature for essential resources like clean air, fresh water, food, and materials for shelter. Ecosystems regulate the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and pollinate the crops that feed us. These systems well-being is strongly related to human survival and health, demonstrating how deeply our lives interconnect with nature. On the other hand, humans are also deeply spiritually connected to nature. Spending time in nature gives many of us a strong sense of peace, wonder and belonging. I know that I feel whole when spending time in nature, as well as a strong sense of wonder for the world around me. Whether it’s the awe of standing beneath a star-filled sky , the joy of watching a golden sunrise, these experiences often evoke feelings that are hard to put into words or the sense of accomplishment when we get to the top of a hike. They remind us that we live in a world much larger than just ourselves. I truly believe that every one of us has our own connection with nature, and recognizing and nurturing this connection deepens our appreciation for the planet and helps us be better stewards of the environment.
The top of the The cRack Trail at Killarney Provincial Park, one of my favorite hikes and a reminder of the beautiful views of nature!
Lastly, I truly believe there is a huge importance in fostering a love for nature and the natural world, especially in younger generations. Reading Jacob Rodenburg’s article “Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give Up Hope” really resonated with me. I am also a strong believer that children do not get outside enough these days (Rodenburg, 2019). There is too much unnecessary technology involved, and school systems do not foster outdoor time and nature education. This is especially apparent in urban cities. I say this with experience as I grew up in a very populated urban city, and there were close to no classes about the environment and the natural world in my high school. While friends who grew up in rural places had upper high school environmental science and geography classes that included field trips up north and fostered a love and appreciation for the environment. I think this needs to be a requirement in all school systems for all ages. I very heavily agree with Rodenburg’s statement that children have a right to experience the outdoor world and the joy of the natural world (Rodenburg, 2019). Allowing children to experience this has become viewed as a burden or danger, and I do not agree with this at all (Rodenburg, 2019). If we want any chance of saving our planet and creating an environmentally healthy world, we need to foster a love of nature in children (Rodenburg, 2019). They are the future of the world, and by keeping them locked inside, the natural world is in danger. This belief drives my feeling of responsibility to contribute to our education and interpretation to support the next generation of learners.
I feel many obligations to the environment and the profession of nature interpretation. The main responsibility I feel is education and educating as many people as I possibly can in my personal and professional life and career. This obligation has become clearer and stronger throughout my time learning in this course. As I’ve gained more knowledge about the natural world and how interconnected everything is, I’ve come to realize the power of education in shaping how people view and interact with the environment. Nature interpretation, to me, is more than just sharing facts; it’s about fostering a deeper connection between people and the natural world. As we have learned throughout this course, helping others understand the importance of ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustainable practices, we can inspire them to take action and become stewards of the planet (Merenlender et al., 2016).
I not only want to educate individuals, but be able to help them strengthen their own personal connection to the natural world. My connection to the natural world is something that I value so deeply, and it has changed my perspective and sense of purpose throughout my life. I want to be able to spark interest in young children and be able to provide the same sense of wonder for the world I had when I was young. I don't believe many schools systems nurture this in childhood education, therefore I hope to be able to provide opportunities for children in my career. I also want to be able to give people of all ages these same opportunities. Many people have not had the same opportunities as me to explore and learn about the natural world, to take week-long trips camping, or to go hiking all weekend. If I can provide even a small portion of that amazing feeling I have when I spend time in nature and hopefully open them up to more opportunities through interpretation, I have succeeded in my goals.
I truly feel a sense of responsibility in outdoor education and interpretation and have a strong passion and drive to achieve these goals in my future career. This course has provided me with many different approaches best fit to be able to put my responsibilities into action.
First off, learning about the different approaches of learning through interpretations was extremely helpful. Everyone learns in different ways and incorporating multiple senses in the delivery of interpretation can enhance the learning experience (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018). For example, leading nature walks where participants can observe wildlife, touch different textures in nature, and listen to birdsongs adds much more to a program than just relaying verbal information (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018). Secondly, a big part of my responsibility turns towards educating children, therefore I will ensure that I employ tactics to best fit the learning styles of young individuals. Our textbook often highlights how using storytelling in interpretation is a valuable tool (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018). I love telling stories, so I will definitely use this to my advantage. Young children respond well and connect best to places through stories and faces (Rodenburg, 2019). Therefore, I will utilize the amazing stories so many places hold in my interpretation to enhance the experience for all individuals. Rodenburg’s article highlights how important it is to teach children to love the natural world first, so that later they may use their connection to the world to become stewards of the planet and care for our natural spaces (Rodenburg, 2019). With this, I will focus on engaging children with the natural world, nurturing their natural sense of wonder, and engaging them with hands-on activities such as planting trees or pollinator gardens in programs to give them a sense of their own accomplishment. This will allow me to connect my interpretation and teaching to the local environmental challenges, making learning more relevant and meaningful to participants. This can further empower individuals to take action in their communities, making them part of the solution to fight environmental issues (Merenlender et al., 2016). With this I will promote citizen science, encouraging individuals to actively participate in projects that contribute to environmental research and conservation through apps like iNaturalist. Citizen science not only helps the environment but also teaches people more about the challenges we face and how they can help (Merenlender et al., 2016). It builds a sense of community as people work together on local issues while contributing to bigger projects (Merenlender et al., 2016). Through this, I hope to inspire others to see themselves as part of protecting nature. I will use apps like iNaturalist within programs and encourage people to go out on their own and use these platforms to continue to discover the natural world while contributing to scientific research. Within my work in Ontario Parks, I incorporated these platforms in my programs, and it was a great way to engage individuals in the program. Finally, I will utilize technology to my advantage. Not everyone has the time to make it out to programs due to life responsibilities, but in the world, we live in today, technology provides us with the advantage of reaching people virtually. Chapter 8 in our course textbook explains how technology is a great platform to be able to provide interpretation to the masses (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018). I want to be able to reach as many people as possible and therefore I am committed to creating virtual programs, tours, and even podcasts to be able to give everyone a chance to experience interpretation and learn about the natural world.
To wrap up my final blog, I would like to say thank you for all the amazing interactions had and blogs I've read this semester. You all have provided such amazing insights and knowledge, and I'm very grateful to have been able to learn a bit from all of you, so thank you. I believe we all are set to be amazing interpreters one day. As I move forward in my career, I am committed to using the knowledge and approaches I have gained in this course to foster deeper connections between people and nature. I see education as a powerful tool for inspiring action, and I am excited to continue learning and growing as an interpreter. I believe that together we can all create a more sustainable future for the planet.
This is a picture of a program I developed for children working as a interpreter for Ontario Park. It was a fun, interactive way to connect and teach children and is definitely something I would use again in interpretation going forward!
These are some of my favorite nature finds I wanted to share! Some amazing fungi that are super beautiful and a Red Backed Salamander. That was the first salamander i had ever found in the wild while camping.
Rodenburg, J. (2019, June 17). Why environmental educators shouldn’t give up hope. CLEARING. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.
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. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12737