The Nature Blog

A skiers perspective on nature interpretation

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A little about me

Hello! 

Welcome to my nature interpretation blog. I created this page as a way to communicate my thoughts on the concepts I learn in ENVS*3000 at the University of Guelph. I thought I would introduce myself before the first official post. 

My name is Giuliana but I go by Giuli (pronounced ‘Julie’) and I’m a fourth year Biological Science major at the University of Guelph. I’m very excited to take this course as I feel it will give me some insight into pairing science with some of the aspects that are involved with business; which is ultimately what I would like to do as a future career.

On a personal level I’m an avid skier; I just started backcountry skiing so I’m very excited to dive more into this new aspect of the sport I love! However, in the summer I enjoy golfing and surfing when I have the time.  

I look forward to learning more about nature interpretation! 

Disclaimer:

This blog was created for ENVS* 3000, 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 Blog Post

It’s hard to believe that this blog post is the last of the semester. I’ve really liked working in this format and reading the insights of my peers in this course. Many of you have had really unique and inspiring experiences with nature! It’s motivating to be reminded of the scope of opportunities that are waiting to be explored.

One belief that I’ve developed throughout the semester is that everyone deserves access to nature. I believe that nature interpreters are in an ideal position to bring nature to people with barriers that prevent them from exploring outside. Everyone has the ability to appreciate the connections between culture and landscape in some capacity, but not everyone has the opportunity to do so. As a nature interpreter, I have a responsibility to tailor programming that focuses on including those whose access to nature is limited. Nature is a place where everyone belongs. As the textbook mentions, there are strategic ways to integrate programs for disabled and non-disabled people, providing unity rather than separation (Beck et al., p. 141, 2018). There are also non-traditional ways to increase access. Virtual resources can be appealing as they are generally less costly and can be viewed anytime. They also tend to have the option to be translated into other languages, slowed down, made louder, transcribed, or paused. A skilled nature interpreter should be able to provide a sense of immersion through virtual programs, recognizing that the reach of their interpretation will extend to a much more diverse audience. Virtual resources have the capacity to plant the seed of nature appreciation as effectively as other types of programs.

Another belief I have fostered is that quality interpreters don’t shy away from ‘humanness.’ The most effective teachers and interpreters I have engaged with have sought to build a connection with their audience. They don’t adopt an air of superiority, but instead they humbly share their knowledge and admit when they are unsure of something. Rather than robotically regurgitating information, these individuals strive to incorporate anecdotes and unique perspectives. Vulnerability is a key attribute of good interpretation. I find that I feel far more comfortable asking questions to someone who has made it clear that they are my friend. Since the goal of interpretation is to inspire a passion for conservation and regeneration, it’s imperative to allow your audience to feel comfortable and safe enough to engage with the concepts you share.

As an interpreter, I have a responsibility to the next generation. I find purpose in stewarding the Earth even if it won’t benefit me during my lifetime. I strongly believe that the decisions I make today should support the best interests of the future. I won’t be here forever, so as an extension of this responsibility, I should strive to prepare the next generation to serve their descendants. Acting sustainably makes me feel good, because I feel like I am doing my small part to protect nature. I want to pass this feeling on to others, too. It is critical to recognize that you can make a difference on an individual level, and that your choices do affect nature and people. This course has led me to learn about citizen science projects and the ways in which they bring people of all ages and education levels together in working towards a common goal: conservation. It can be really encouraging to know that you can do something good right where you are. 

And, even if my interpretive efforts do not cause my audience members to become instant stewards, I can still rest easy knowing that experiencing nature benefits creativity and health in the short and long term (Louv & Suzuki, 2012).

For me, the most suitable approaches to nature interpretation are at the intersection of art and nature. I find art to be such a rich way to interpret nature that extends beyond what words alone can accomplish. Whether its music, visual art, poetry or storytelling, art has the ability to affect each member of the audience deeply and differently. And, the same experience in nature can inspire very different artistic products. Consider these two paintings, both inspired by the Grand Canyon and composed within a couple of years of each other. One is a very literal, bright take on the scene, and the other is more abstract and looming. It’s clear that different things are important to these artists, but at least one commonality exists between them – their desire to immortalize the beauty of nature. It amazes me how making and seeing art can affect people diversely, and I would love to share that amazement with others.

Carol Nelson’s interpretation of the Grand Canyon, “Grand Canyon 2″

Randy Follis’ interpretation, “Grand Canyon”

References

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

DavidSuzukiFDN. (2012). David Suzuki and Richard Louv @Ago. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5DI1Ffdl6Y&t=272s.

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Hi,

I really enjoyed your post! Your ideas of making nature interpretation accessible to everyone is very interesting and I believe more nature interpreters need to include this in their programming. The more people we get in nature the more ideas there are about the environment and ultimately we can do more about climate change. I completely agree that humanness is a vital quality to have for anyone in any position of ‘power’. When I was teaching kids how to ski as a ski instructor I would try to get to know them on the chairlift by asking them questions and telling them a little about myself; I try my best to act like their equal and share my knowledge with them whilst keeping safety a priority. You mentioned that stewarding the earth is important when nature interpreting, however, I try to bring that to ski instructing too. I try and bring my love for skiing and the outdoors to my participants.    

The Nature Blog, 

Giuli

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Final Thought on Nature Interpretation

This is the final blog post of the semester, and I think that this is the one that really brings together all of the ideas we have discussed over the last few months. Today I am going to talk about how I personally would use all of the different techniques we have seen over this course, and why I think, for me, these are the most important..

I have put a lot of thought into this post, as we were asked to talk about our own personal beliefs and ethics that we would bring into our version of nature interpretation. If you are someone who has known me in my life, you would know I have extraordinarily strong beliefs and opinions on many things, but, when conveying my own information about things I do my absolute best to stay as neutral as possible, even if the opposing party is doing their best not do. I simply wish to share information I know about this topic, and allow others to interpret my own interpretations in their own way.

Ethics are described as ‘moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity’. In this case, I believe my ethics would be to allow people to see nature the way I do. To see the wonders in even the littlest of things within nature, and give them my same  for information and knowledge about nature. My moral principles state that nature is something to be loved and protected This is something many of us forget about during our day to day lives. My goal as a future nature interpreter is to provide people with the information they need in order to make choices based on the needs of nature, and be able to share their own newfound knowledge with the world around them! Let’s make everyone their own nature interpreters so that everyone can understand it the way we do!

The wonders of nature I have been grateful enough to see in my life, such as this tree which fell over but still continued to have life grow out of it, something awesome to learn about nature is how it continues to grow even with issues like this.

I also think is very important  for me to share  and discuss why I fell in love with nature,  allowing readers to develop their own ideas and ways they too can fall in love with nature. In one of our first blog posts we  explained our own relationship with nature, and how it kindled. I found for many of us it was something that came about when we were children, and something that many of us have always known. My goal is to allow people of all ages to fall in love with nature, and give them that sense of ‘awe’ discussed in our textbook that most of the time only children allow themselves to feel (Beck et al. Chapter 21, 2018).

Even getting older, I have always found wonder in nature, such as these caves in the Bruce Peninsula 

As someone with the privilege have been fortunate enough to have in my life, I need to ensure I am grateful enough to extend this privilege to others  as well. This is a key factor in being a nature interpreter. Something else we have  discussed previously within our  blog posts,  is privilege. Privilege is  something that impedes many people exploring nature, or even learning from a nature interpreter about our planet. My dream in life is to get everyone who has any barriers, such as language, location, cost etc.  out into nature, or hopefully at some point bring nature to them. Giving  those who have never been given  the opportunity to  learn the joys of nature. I think so many people are missing out just because of simple lack of chance  to learn this information (Beck et al. Chapter 7,  2018). Perhaps I can open a small nature information center in a big urban city center, such as Toronto, where people can come for free learning about nature, with immersive videos and even options for transport to one of our many beautiful national parks to become even more immersed in our own nature. This would be wonderful, as maybe even smaller public schools in these city centers can take field trips to these centers, allowing  those who may not have had the opportunity to learn and love nature at home from family are given the chance.  Allowing their fellow classmates and teachers that inspire them to learn  themselves.

A picture of me an friends in Grade 8, learning about the natural world around us in a conservation area in Quebec

When we were asked about our dream job within the second week of school, I discovered that for me, active learning is the best way  to learn. I said previously that this is the way I would prefer to do my own nature interpretation, as it is the way I learn  best, so I do not see why it would not be the way I teach best (Beck et al. Chapter 6 2018). I would use many different immersive and hands on activities, allowing children and adults alike to find their own wonder in nature, and to discover all its beauties on their own. The reading this week showed us that no one should think that teaching people about nature is a lost art, or that our planet is too far gone for anyone to care, because as they said, when you allow children, and in my own experience, even adults to see and love nature in their own way, and to explore their very own findings, it may ignite that spark if there is any gas there to start it (Rodenburg, 2019). They also talk about safety, I think a simple way to do this is to make sure that groups are smaller, and that all children, adults and in between know the dangers of the areas around them, using this approach I can also ensure that I am available to give every single person answers to any and all questions they may have.

Throughout this course we learned about many different tools you can use while interpreting nature; written word, art, music, spoken word and so many more. All of these are wonderful tools, but trying to use all at once would definitely make things more confusing. I believe that using the tools you are most comfortable with, while still being open to other ways of learning and teaching, would suit me best when going on to be a nature interpreter.

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. and Knudson, D.M. Chapter 6: How People Learn. Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Venture Publishing. 2018, pp 105-126

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. and Knudson, D.M. Chapter 7: Serving Diverse Audiences . Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Venture Publishing. 2018, pp 127-162

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. and Knudson, D.M. Chapter 21:. Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Venture Publishing. 2018, pp 457-478

Rodenburg, J .Why environmental educators shouldn’t give up hope https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300

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Hi,

I really enjoyed your post and I appreciated how much effort you put into it! I completely agree with you that its important to be impartial when doing nature interpretation because it’s vital participants make their own conclusions on the information they are given. I believe this leads to more understanding and a better conversation between the nature interpreter and participants as new ideas could be shared. I also think it’s very important to create that sense of ‘awe’ for people who are having their first experience in nature, like you said. I believe that without this people won’t have that strong connection to nature and therefore won’t continue in venturing out in nature as much as they would if they had the moment of ‘awe’. I also found it very heartwarming that you want to get anyone and everyone out and enjoying nature. I too want to do that with skiing, as I hope to get everyone out and enjoying the sport I love. One of my aunts has down syndrome and she’s not a fan of walking/hiking out in nature but we try to get her out as much as possible, so we’ve modified her time in nature to sitting and enjoying the scenery or watching an animal, such as whale watching.

I really enjoyed reading your post, as I felt I could relate to a lot of what you were saying.    

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My Final Blog Post

Hi everyone,

I can’t believe the semester is coming to an end! This course was not what I expected, it was very different from anything I’ve ever taken. However, it has been my favourite course thus far! I really enjoyed the blog posts as I believe it made me convey what I have learned in a different way, it also forced me to look back at my experiences and relate them to what I’ve done in my university career. Through this course I have come to know that nature interpretation is important in all aspects of science, especially when it comes to getting people interested in being outdoors and learning about what they see. I believe nature interpretation has a lot to do with experiential learning and we should incorporate more of this into our daily lives.

My personal ethic I will bring to nature interpretation is empathy towards those I interact with in the nature interpretation setting and the natural environment. I believe empathy is something we need more of in this world, whether it be for others or for the environment. I hope to empathize with people who are new to nature interpretation, they may be intimidated or feel out of place because it’s a new experience. However, I want to be able to develop the personal ethic of empathy towards how new-comers may feel. I want to give them a space to feel comfortable in enough to ask questions and to come back again. I would also want to show them to have empathy for their environment by, showing participants the beauty of nature and how fragile it can be.  

I believe that as a nature interpreter everyone needs to be treated equally and participants need to understand that there are no bad questions. In addition, I believe that participants should feel uncomfortable, as I am a big believer that we grow when we’re uncomfortable. Whether that be stepping outside of their comfort zone in a physical activity or doing public speaking when their asking a question or explaining something. In the end they will grow as a person and come out the other side as a better version of themselves. In the course I personally agreed with the view of St. John’s School of Ontario, it reminds me a lot of the values Outward Bound Canada holds. I want to bring a sense of resilience and strength to nature interpretation. Nature is unpredictable and can make us feel small but I believe that is when we are able to appreciate its beauty the most. I would like to bring this feeling and experience to the participants of nature interpretation programs.

Ultimately I would love to use nature interpretation in ski guiding as I believe it plays a big part in the entire experience. Because your already out in nature doing a physical activity it will be easy to add nature interpretation to this as we could discuss things on breaks or before we ascend/descend a mountain.

The Nature Blog,

Giuli          

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Nature is Amazing

The most amazing thing about nature, is exactly what we do not know. And how nature, no matter what we do always seems to surprise us.  

*Fair warning, this post is gonna be all over the place.

We think we know everything about the world beyond our streets, but we are still discovering new species every day! We haven’t even explored all the world has to offer yet! We still have no idea what’s going on along the ocean floor, not to mention what lurks down there.

I get this feeling even in preservation park, an area of greenery surrounded by an urban landscape. Even though I feel I have done my share of exploring in the park, spending endless hours off the well-worn path, there are places where I still feel “lost”. That idea of wow, I have never been in this area before is so refreshing to me. It lets me know end in a space as small as preservation park there are still unknowns. So, if I scale that up to the size of entire forests, there are hundreds of these areas which remain unexplored. I guess that’s for the best, leaving these little sanctuaries free from people. But the sad reality is, people don’t have to be physically in an area to affect its inhabitants.

I am always going to turn back to the vastness of the oceans to depict that there’s so much we do not know about our planet. It is the one place on Earth that we still have infinite questions about. I think that is obvious when we look at all the mythology around the open ocean and what might lurk underneath the waves. As humans I think it is in our nature to craze organizing things into groups that we understand. So, we will go to great lengths to being order to our otherwise “chaotic” world. I think that’s why we have put so much effort into areas such as taxonomy, so we can understand how and why things are the way they are. However, nature doesn’t think like this, it reacts, adapts, and thrives in whatever way possible. We are constantly trying to keep up with nature in this way. But oceans add a new dimension of being an almost “alien” ecosystem. Where it is hard to effectively group things because of how vast and unacceptable majority of it is.

I like that idea. The idea of the unknown. It kinda puts us humans back into our place. We have made massive leaps in technology, created urban jungles, etc. However, what if that all goes away? And we are forced to face nature head on, without the comforts of society. We don’t’ stand a chance. That’s also what is awesome. No matter how advanced we become as a society, nature will still humble us. So, no matter how advanced our human civilization becomes, we will always need a way to connect to nature. Connect to nature in a way that is pure and real.

Thank you for taking the time to read my mess of a post!

Kiran 

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Hi Kiran!

I really enjoyed your post, it made me do some thinking about what humans have explored and what we haven’t. When I was in Canmore on a hike through a canyon on a frozen river, I saw some pretty cool cave paintings. It was special because you could get really close to them and you would only be able to see them in the winter because the river is very fast moving in the summer due to a waterfall that is close by. I asked a local about it and they said that the drawings used to be more defined than they are now because of people constantly touching and breathing on them. This makes me think that maybe it’s a good thing that we leave artifacts undiscovered. This is because sometimes when humans discover something of historical or scientific value or importance, we perform invasive procedures to try to understand them better. This often leads to some of the artifact being destroyed in some way or other people hear about a new discovery and want to take it for themselves. This can be seen from Museums, they take historical objects for people to learn about and observe. I believe at some point we need to come to terms with not everything could be understood and that’s ok.    

My friend took this picture of the cave painting. If anyone has any thoughts as to what it could be or the message its trying to portray I would really like to know. 

The Nature Blog, 

Giuli

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Nature can make us feel so small-Blog 9

The most amazing thing I know about nature is that the environment is very unexpected. You can prepare for an expedition, a big kayak crossing or a ski tour route and everything can go wrong. You are at the complete mercy of nature. The tide can change, currents can suddenly get stronger, accidents can happen, or the wind slab layer of snow can suddenly break causing an avalanche. These all could happen; however, we try our best to plan or use certain tools to avoid them. Although, nature has its own mind, and we can try our best but ultimately, we are at the mercy of the natural environment. I find this a very calming aspect of being out in nature, I feel like I can fully surrender to the will of the natural environment which is a feeling I can’t really get anywhere else. I was recently in Banff, skiing at Mt. Norquay, while I was skiing on resort, I was eyeing a path to a black diamond run, but everyone I asked about it says they haven’t done it because it was difficult terrain. I asked ski patrol what they thought of it, and they said it’s a fun run but there’s some avalanche debris from that morning. I wanted to try it out so I boot packed to the run, once I got there, I set my skis down to get a look where I should drop in from and slipped and fell down the mountain, I was by myself and didn’t have my avalanche gear. I was falling for what felt like a long time, on the way down I was screaming and freaking out that another avalanche would break. But suddenly, I stopped crying cleared my head and focused on what I needed to do. So, I dug my ski boots into the snow, and I slowed down and eventually stopped. I climbed back up and took that fall as a sign that I shouldn’t ski down, so I made my way back to the lodge on an easier trail. I was so shaken from the experience, but I appreciated and recognized that I was lucky to come out of that relatively unharmed.

My Dad had a similar experience when he was open water diving with dolphins. He had come across a pod of dolphins in the Caribbean and followed them away from the boat. He was having one of the best experiences ever when the dolphins suddenly bolted. He freaked out because usually when dolphins leave an area abruptly it’s because they sense danger. He immediately went to the water’s surface to see where he was, and the boat was nowhere to be found. He looked all around him multiple times and didn’t see a thing. But he saw in the distance that a black dot was moving up and down in the waves and started swimming towards the boat and screaming for them to notice him. He made it back safely and has a rad story to tell!

Safe to say both me and my Dad really enjoy the adrenaline and the feeling of how small nature can make us feel.

The Nature Blog, 

Giuli

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Nature and Music

When most people think about music in nature, I’m sure the first thing that comes to mind are morning song birds you hear outside your window in the summer, or while going for a walk through a forest. Me on the other hand, I grew up on the shore of Lake Erie, so I fell asleep and woke up to the sounds of the waves gently (or not so gently) crashing against the shore. The melodic crashes lulled me to sleep for as long as I can remember, and it’s the thing I miss most when I am away at school. Similar effects come from the rain. I have always been a lover of thunderstorms and some of my fondest memories growing up go back to the nights my parents would let me stay up past my bedtime to watch the lightning strike across the lake. What I’m trying to say is that music in nature doesn’t necessarily need to be songs from birds, but can be natural weather events around us. Storms are like music in the way that all the different sounds layering on top of each other mirror how producers would layer different instruments and backing vocals on a soundtrack. The thunder as the drums, the wind as backing vocals, and the rain as a gnarly guitar riff (or whatever the storm sounds like to you).

Music has always been a huge part of my life, my dad is very musical so I grew up playing the drums and piano, and have taken up guitar over the last 2 years. We always had music playing at home, whether it was my dad or myself playing an instrument or just the radio, there was always something. To this day, I use music as an outlet and therapy because it brings me such comfort due to all the great memories I have surrounding music from living at home. Crashing waves and thunderstorms bring me this same comfort. One of my favourite feelings is getting cozy in bed with a mug of hot chocolate and a book, or a New Girl binge session when there is a storm outside! It is calming to me to know I can be at such peace inside while nature is reflecting the exact opposite; spitty and swirling anger around me. This is just one way I like to connect nature and music, through comfort.

My Dad likes to bring his spare Snare drum out to our backyard and drum along to songs while we sit out by the water fishing and watching the sunset; here, he is playing "Can't You See" by the Marshall Tucker Band (Personal Video, 2021).

When I think of nature in music on the other hand, I think of songs like “Smooth” by Florida Georgia Line opening the country tune with crickets chirping and frogs croaking, setting the scene that the listener is out in the bush somewhere; or “Outer Space / Carry On” by 5 Seconds of Summer, using the sound of rain as a way to fade from Outer Space into Carry On, representing the repeating line throughout the song “Nothing like the rain when you’re in outer space”. The use of these nature sounds helps set the scene of a song or to further demonstrate/add to the main theme of it.

Note: going back to this week’s CourseLink readings, the best John Denver song has to be “Leaving, On a Jet Plane” for sure! “Take Me Home (Country Roads)” is obviously a classic and most fun song, but “Leaving, On a Jet Plane” is just so sweet and holds a special place in my heart.

John Denver - Leaving On A Jet Plane (Audio)

Florida Georgia Line Smooth

Outer Space / Carry On

[gienvs3000w22]

I really like how you mentioned that you use music as a therapy and an outlet for when things are very chaotic. There is a sort of comfort, like you said, when you can escape from the way things are into a calming place through music. I feel this whenever I read The Hobbit, listen to Vance Joy or look at pictures or videos from past adventures. It brings me back to a place when I felt so very happy.

I believe that bringing music to the nature interpretation setting will be very helpful for the people that are new to exploring nature as it helps create a relationship to a song they already know and a new experience between that song and nature. It could create a memory that they return to from time to time when they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed so that they can feel calm when listening to the song again. In addition, it could help them be more open to the new ideas of nature interpretation. Also, bringing in musicians that can provide live music using instruments from nature such as bongos can create a new experience for visitors. Inviting Indigenous people to come and perform various songs from their heritage about the surroundings and environment provides a new level of understanding and respect for the environment to the participants of the nature interpretation program.          

The Nature Blog, 

Giuli

[gienvs3000w22]

Music and Nature-Blog 7

Music is all around us especially in nature, I remember when I was a kid whenever I went camping or at sleep away camp music was always a big part of the expedition, whether its playing a guitar, ukulele or singing camp songs around the fire. I remember the guides would tell us to sing while we hiked because it alerted other animals that we were in their environment and that they should stay away. In addition, when I was backcountry skiing a guide said that as we are skiing down our line together everyone in the group should sing because it alerts everyone in the group where we are at on the mountain. Music has so many practical uses in nature but also brings a lot of happiness and comradery.

Nature is also in music, as many musicians use different things found in nature in their lyrics, for example, mountains, stream, sunrise, forests, trees. These words can be found in the song Shake the Frost by Tyler Childers, it uses nature to explain the way he feels about someone he loves. It is one of my favourite songs, give it a listen if you have time!

The song that immediately takes me back to a natural landscape is Riptide by Vance Joy. When I was younger my family and I were on Vancouver Island, surfing and hiking, and while driving around we heard this song for the first time and it would always play on the radio whenever we were in the car. It was special because it was such a great trip filled with being out in nature in the forest or in the water and it was such a great time that now I associate this song with all the fun things we did when we were there.

A funny story: when I was on another trip on Vancouver Island sea kayaking and surfing I didn’t have my phone for 21 days so I got the song Big Pimpin’ by JAY-Z stuck in my head for the entire trip and I remember humming it so much that my tentmates got very annoyed by it, and by the end I wanted so bad to listen to something else.

I very much love how music can take us back to times in our life where we were so enthralled with nature it’s so special and important because it brings up happy emotions and we remember why we love nature so much.

On another note, this doesn’t have anything to do with music but rather a book. When I was on my sea kayaking trip we were only allowed to bring a book with us for ‘entertainment’ so I brought The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book is very special to me because I felt that the main character and I were very similar, we were both doing something out of our comfort zones and trying to make the best of it. I felt that I had someone there who knew exactly how I was feeling sometimes, scared, alone, tired, hungry or sore. I highly recommend this book!

[cjenvs3000w22]

Nature Interpretation through History

The first thing that came to mind when I read this quote by Edward Hyams was the expression “if there is no one around to hear a tree fall in a forest, will it still make a noise?” - specifically the line “(...) believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it”. Things simply do not happen just when we are around to witness or experience it; one cannot be present for every moment, of every day, of every person’s life just to verify that an event truly occurred. This is the same with historic events, just because someone today wasn’t there to experience them doesn’t make them unimportant or untrue. To me, this quote reflects the importance of history, and how it’s important for us to learn about it and understand it now to avoid history repeating itself. From a nature perspective, to me this quote represents appreciating the past, but also learning from it to serve the purpose of preserving and protecting our environment for future generations.

The first half of this quote, to me, refers not just to history, but like I previously stated, it’s importance. As someone who wasn’t the biggest fan of History in school, I still understood the importance of events even though it wasn’t something I had interest in. Although I wasn’t there, I still respected and valued the stories I was being told about the history of my country. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, a common theme throughout this post is not being present for the historical events we learn about today, so the pessimist in me is saying that I should mention how because we weren’t there, who is to say the tales of these events are true? These stories have been told for years, from generation to generation, there is bound to be some exaggerated details, right? This made me think of the game “Telephone” I used to play as a kid around the campfire. If in one short round of Telephone the sentence can get changed, it’s almost inevitable that historical events have bent from the truth.

To wrap up this post, what this quote says to me is that it is important to have faith in the history we know to be true; despite if there has been an ongoing game of Telephone being played throughout time.

[gienvs3000w22]

Hi,  

Your blog post was very well thought out and written. I totally agree with you that the quote is similar to the saying “if there is no one around to hear a tree fall in a forest, will it still make a noise”. 

This quote explains how it is vital that history has ‘ancient things’ not for integrity purposes but for the purpose of understanding the meaning behind them in the future. I am therefore, a little unsure as to why the quote by Edward Hyams states that there is no merit in ancient things. As without ancient things there would be no integrity to understand. to this point. I agree that as stories or ancient things are passed down from generation to generation the true merit of them could diminish and therefore we should question the integrity of them. I believe that we should question all historic events to fully understand our present and future.  

The Nature Blog, 

Giuli

[gienvs3000w22]

History and Indigenous Communities-Blog 6

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

This quote is very important as it explains that history is essential as it explains our present and our future. This quote reminds me of the saying 

History has a tendency to repeat itself

-Unknown

as when a train comes to a railway station it leaves and returns again along the same track, it might be facing a different way or look a little different than when it first arrived but it is nonetheless the same. 

I also believe this quote explains that we need to constantly remind ourselves of important events in history, when we put the events together we will see that these have merit and we can learn from our mistakes. 

As nature interpreters there is a certain emphasis they must place on history because in order to understand our current environment we must first understand its history. I believe that nature interpreters must acknowledge the history of the land and in order to do this we must give respect to the indigenous people of the land the program is taking place on. 

More and more people are giving this respect by stating a land acknowledgement in ceremonies and events. This is a great start as it acknowledges the history of the land and keeps the history’s integrity. However, as interpreters we must do more when explaining and acknowledging the history of the land. I believe we need to include indigenous people when discussing the history of the land we are hosting the program on. They have more knowledge about the land and it is indeed their story to tell. It would also ensure that those in the program get the best information and experience possible. This also offers them a different way to reflect on this event and ask specific questions that the interpreter might not be able to answer. We need to work together with local indigenous communities to provide a full experience to the clients. 

When we include indigenous communities, we restore the integrity in the land as well as their history. They may be able to explain the medicinal properties of plants in the area as well as how we should treat the environment or give their perspective on climate change. They have a different perspective on nature and I believe many people could learn from what they have to say.

The Nature Blog,

Giuli

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Blog #5 - Just a one way ticket

“Travel. Because money returns, time doesn’t” is one of my favourite quotes. Travelling the world has been my ultimate bucket list dream. I want to travel the world to enrich and gain a broader and better view of our world while simultaneously gaining insight into our planet’s different cultures, roots, and beautiful landscapes. In addition to travelling the world, I have smaller bucket list goals that I hope to complete and experience during my Europe trip.

I have found various resources, guides, YouTube videos, blog posts and traveller advice regarding the best locations to visit. I have gathered a list of places around Europe that I will visit once I can travel. Throughout this trip itinerary, you will see that I hope to visit significant cities filled with beautiful chaos while also staying in places filled with greenery, mountains, and beautiful landscapes with almost no mundane infrastructures.

My trip around Europe consists of over 20 locations, but I will only highlight 3 as I can write for hours about this trip :) 

1.     Amalfi Coast and Rome

Starting the trip off strong Rome and Amalfi Coast provides some of the most beautiful experiences. In Rome, I want to be the most tourist-like individual possible! Consuming delicious foods such as pasta and pizza topping it off with a creamy Italian gelato sounds like an absolute dream! After spending time in Rome, I want to head south to the Amalfi Coast, relaxing by the beach, driving on the coast, and getting some colour!

Things to do in Rome:

-       Ride on a vespa (especially during the night!)

-       Visit all historical sites

o   The Colosseum

o   Arch of Constantine

o   Vatican City

o   Roman Forum

o   Palatine Hill

o   Trevi Fountain

-       Visit multiple museums in Rome

o   Capitoline Museum

o   Galleria Borghese

o   Palazzo Colonna- Galleria Colonna

Things to do in the Amalfi Coast: 

-       Take a day tour of Pompeii

-       Drink loads and loads of delicious Italian Coffee

-       Visit the Arsenale della Repubblica museum

-       Wander the Via dei Mercantini (the market)

-       Spend the day by the beach

-       Eat, eat, and eat some more!

2.     Interlaken and Lucerne, Switzerland

Where do I even begin! Switzerland has got to be the #1 natural beauty of our planet. From previous blogs, I had mentioned that I feel most at home in the city, but I feel most at peace in the natural world filled with greenery, mountains, and countryside views, thanks to my grandpa, who provides me with “my sense of place.” Interlaken is one of my dream locations, particularly my dream location to go skydiving! Skydive Interlaken offers guests the opportunity to jump from 14’000ft “between the glacier lakes with the best view of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.” Before your jump, you experience a beautiful helicopter ride filled with scenic panoramic views of Interlaken, glacier lakes, and the beautiful swiss alps.

I mean, just look at this view! How could anyone not want to jump out of a plane!!!

*I included a short 2-minute video posted by Skydive Interlaken of a skydiving experience!  https://youtu.be/yKQenILe11I  

Unfortunately, not many people are willing to sign their life away to experience a short rush of adrenaline which is entirely understandable! The list below highlights some amazing things anyone can do when visiting Interlaken and Lucerne, Switzerland.

Things to do in Interlaken:

-       You can make your way up as high as 730 meter using a ten-minute funicular to a mountain called Harder Kulm

-       Hop on the Interlaken Ost Railway train ride

-       St Beatus Caves

-       Escape the tourist areas and take a beautiful hike in the Weissenau Nature Reserve

Things to do in Lucerne:

-       Explore Old Town (very low on traffic)

-       Attend the Swiss Museum of Transport

-       Cross the Chapel Bridge

-       Visit the Glacier Garden

-       Hike up a mountain to see the breathtaking views, capturing the Musegg Wall (Lucerne’s city defence wall)

3.     Croatia + Montenegro

This destination is how I would want to end my 20+ European cities/countries tour. I will get into more detail in a few minutes about why this would be my final stop. To start off the destination, a Balkan country known as Montenegro is filled with beautiful mountains, small medieval villages, and coastline beaches. This location is the perfect mix of beautiful landscapes and incredible history that captivates many individuals such as me.

Things to do in Montenegro:

-       Visit the Kotor Town and Bay of Kotor

-       Enjoy the day in Budva Riviera (this place is an actual paradise)

-       Blue Grotto (snorkelling is a must in this cave)

-       Visit the town of Cetinje (was the Capital of Montenegro during the late 19th and 20th century)

-       Explore the beautiful Durmitor National Park

After enjoying some time in beautiful Montenegro, the trip’s final stop concludes in Croatia. Now, in my opinion, this is one of the best ways to end a fantastic trip. Yacht week Croatia has been a lifelong bucket list goal since I was as young as 14 years old. This is an 8-day trip, where you live on a yacht/boat filled with 2-3 other cabins occupied by individuals from different locations around the world. Every day, you port to a different town and have the day to explore the beautiful country of Croatia. I honestly believe that no words can express my love for this trip, nor could they do a good enough job describing it. I have linked a YouTube video that shows the beautiful 8-day Original Route, and I 1000000% recommend you give it a glance.

https://youtu.be/5JBwGUqp1Jg 

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Hi Shelly,

I really liked your blog post. It reminded me of The Blonde Abroad blog. I really liked how you mentioned that you wanted to gain insight into different cultures while travelling because I believe that’s so important to grow as a person and really gain the most from your travels.

I’ve been to the Almafi Coast and its one of the most beautiful places to travel to. The beaches there are so amazing and the restaurants and shopping are top tier. Some movie stars even have places there, so that was pretty cool to see. Pompeii was also an amazing day tour. I’ve always heard about the historical event but I have never really put the faces to it, so looking at the people buried under volcanic ash was very real and saddening. But nonetheless, it was still amazing to see how they lived and what they were able to accomplish.

When your in Italy I would recommend trying ‘espresso freddo’ which is Italian for cold espresso. It’s almost like a slushy or sometimes you can get vanilla gelato in your espresso. It tastes amazing. The Via dei Mercantini is so beautiful, there are plenty of stores and vendors in the area with beautiful handmade bags and hats.

I have always wanted to go to Switzerland it looks so beautiful in the summer and winter, although it would be ideal for me to go in the winter because I could go skiing but skydiving in the summer would be amazing. If your ever in Switzerland I’ve heard Alia Bay surf ranch is really cool to surf, it’s a surf pool in the mountains.

The Nature Blog,

Giuli

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A thank you to Guides-Blog 5

Since this there is no blog prompt this week I thought I would use this time to talk about some photos from some adventures I’ve been on.  

This is a photo I took in Tofino, BC. This was day 14 (I think) of a 21 day sea kayaking trip with Outward Bound Canada. We had no cell phones for the entire trip and kayaked over 150 km. We stayed at this beach for 3 days because we did some surfing on the other side of the mountain (not pictured). This was the first time I surfed and it was so much fun! Pro Surfer Kalum Bruhwiler Temple and his Mum taught us how to surf and I learned so much. If your ever in Tofino give them a shout, they would be so happy to teach you or help you get better! On another note, I had the best nap ever right next to this kayak while crows picked at our food supplies :/ The guides were not very happy.

This was my FAVOURITE spot out of the entire trip. After this photo was taken (by me :)) I saw a black bear in the tree line, right across from where I was standing, sniffing around and at the same time a gray wolf was just 100 ft down the shoreline from the bear! No I’m not kidding. This actually happened, It was insane. They were minding their own business and didn't notice each other, It happened so quick but it was amazing to witness. I didn't capture it on my camera because it felt too special to find the right angle and such so I just let it be and enjoy that moment. It amazed me that two apex predators were able to live in harmony and balance for that one moment. This spot was also the first time I saw the Milky Way and the northern lights; it doesn’t look like much but this spot is everything. 

The crew kayaking on a calm very early and rainy morning. I’m pretty sure this was after 2 days at a camp site which was very nice, since it was the first people we had seen beyond our group for 10 days. They also had a nice pool table; so many luxuries aha. I learned so many new skills from this trip for example, how to do a variety of knots, build a tarp shelter, use nautical navigation techniques and proper kayak technique (photo taken by one of the guides).

This photo was taken by me from a 10 day dog sledding trip in Algonquin for the Canadian Conservation Corps. with Outward Bound Canada. This was the last day dogsledding, making our way to the trail head across the frozen lake. It was such an incredible trip, nothing like I've ever experienced. Dog sledding is way more work than I expected, I also learned so much from this trip, such as, how to take care of the dogs, how to chop a tree down and how to keep warm in a smart way.  

I hope you enjoyed this weeks blog post, it was very fun to write! None of these trips would have been possible without the support and knowledge from the guides of Outward Bound Canada. 

The Nature Blog, 

Giuli

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Art and Nature-Blog 4

Art has a big part to play in nature interpretation, when I was a kid my parents would often take me to museums and art exhibits that were attached to nature preservations, such as the McMicheal Art Gallery. A lot of the art was based on the local nature environment. My Mum is also a big art collector, she enjoys collecting paintings from Canadian artists resembling the Rockies or different Muskoka bays our family has had many memories on. I know of many artists that are also heavily involved in various activities done in nature. My tour guide for my AST1 is also an artist, she often paints designs based on the mountains she’s skied and has done many art pieces for various companies such as BUFF Canada, POW and J skis. Also, Chris Benchetler, a professional skier and artist, creates and designs skis for Atomic. His art is a little more abstract in the way he interprets nature, but it is nonetheless amazing.

Photos curtesy of Jessa Gilbert-a beautiful piece of art of a summer summit in the Bugaboos.

The 2021 Atomic Bent Chetler 120 skis-a piece of art that ties Old Man Winter, Mother Nature and animals.

I believe art has a big role to play in nature interpretation, I believe as nature interpreters we should incorporate it more into programs. For example, after a nature walk participants could paint/draw how nature made them feel or just whatever comes to their mind after the activity. I think a creative output is necessary for a complete experience of what they just witnessed, as it allows for a way to express their thoughts and feelings about the program in a passive way. I have noticed that nature interpreters do this for children however, it disappears in the program for teens and adults. I think it’s important that we bring art into the program for all ages to enjoy so that we may install the Gift of Beauty in everyone.

The Gift of Beauty refers to the ability to instill interpretation in people and the desire to sense the beauty in their surroundings-to provide spiritual uplift and to encourage resource preservation. I interpret the gift of beauty to be found when we are in nature, for example, when I visited Curaçao I was taken aback by the beauty of the Caribbean, I felt so lucky to be able to see the reef and the amazing animals that lived in the ocean. However, I was disappointed to find a lot of garbage on the beaches and in the ocean, it saddened me to see this destroy the beautiful natural environment, so I made sure to clean up every beach we visited. It might not have made much of an impact but I hope to do more of these types of clean-ups in the future.

Do you think we should put more art activities in nature interpretation programs for adults and teens?

Dr. Amanada Hooykaas. ENVS* 3000 Nature Interpretation Course Notes (2022). February 2, 2022. 

The Nature Blog,

Giuli

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Hey Giuli!

I loved reading your post! It brings up many interesting points about using art through nature interpretation, not to mention, it’s very aesthetically pleasing! All the white, blues and greys in the photos you used really accentuate your story and message. But anyway, back to the important stuff.

Honestly, I have never considered using art activities as a form of nature interpretation. Art has never been my way of expressing emotion and feelings; I led my creative output down other avenues. I think that may be the same with many different people. If people were told to express their feelings through art, many people would struggle to take the activity seriously. They’ll put up the excuse “I’m no artist” or say “I don’t know what to do,” with no real focus on the true objective of the activity. People can barely express their feelings independently, let alone express them through art. However, with the right environment and some encouragement, art can be a great avenue for nature interpretation. For example, I think an ideal nature interpretation activity for adults would be a “Wine and Paint” workshop. This is where they would go out into nature (waterfall, forest, etc.) and paint whatever is around them (with some liquid encouragement, of course). Creating a safe environment where everyone feels welcomed and has a sense of comfort makes creating a connection through art easier. Even if painting doesn’t garner a positive relationship with nature, spending time outside with others will. But as an overall answer to your prompt, I think art should be integrated more into nature interpretation; however, some guidance is needed.

Anyways, I can’t wait to read more of your posts!

~Nicole

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Hi Nicole,

Your reply was very well put and you brought up many good points. I agree that some adults may be a bit uncomfortable about the idea of expressing their feelings through art because like you said they would struggle to take the activity seriously. This made me think that art comes in many forms such as music and poetry. Some adults may not want to create paintings or drawings, but they may feel more comfortable creating poetry or if they’re musically inclined they might recall a song that they thought of while on their nature walk in the program. The goal is to not only go in one direction with art but to use all forms so that people feel comfortable in expressing their thoughts. I also believe, it could be therapeutic in a way for people to use art and nature to express themselves as it is a time when we truly reflect on our experiences.

I thought it was a good idea that you mentioned doing a “wine and paint night”, as I’ve heard many organizations doing that for corporate events. I think making art a game in a way makes it less daunting for people and allows them to relax and truly get the full experience. I really appreciated your response as it made me think more about the nature and art experience and how it would actually play out with an older crowd of people.

The Nature Blog,

Giuli

[gienvs3000w22]

Art and Nature-Blog 4

Art has a big part to play in nature interpretation, when I was a kid my parents would often take me to museums and art exhibits that were attached to nature preservations, such as the McMicheal Art Gallery. A lot of the art was based on the local nature environment. My Mum is also a big art collector, she enjoys collecting paintings from Canadian artists resembling the Rockies or different Muskoka bays our family has had many memories on. I know of many artists that are also heavily involved in various activities done in nature. My tour guide for my AST1 is also an artist, she often paints designs based on the mountains she’s skied and has done many art pieces for various companies such as BUFF Canada, POW and J skis. Also, Chris Benchetler, a professional skier and artist, creates and designs skis for Atomic. His art is a little more abstract in the way he interprets nature, but it is nonetheless amazing.

Photos curtesy of Jessa Gilbert-a beautiful piece of art of a summer summit in the Bugaboos.

The 2021 Atomic Bent Chetler 120 skis-a piece of art that ties Old Man Winter, Mother Nature and animals.

I believe art has a big role to play in nature interpretation, I believe as nature interpreters we should incorporate it more into programs. For example, after a nature walk participants could paint/draw how nature made them feel or just whatever comes to their mind after the activity. I think a creative output is necessary for a complete experience of what they just witnessed, as it allows for a way to express their thoughts and feelings about the program in a passive way. I have noticed that nature interpreters do this for children however, it disappears in the program for teens and adults. I think it’s important that we bring art into the program for all ages to enjoy so that we may install the Gift of Beauty in everyone.

The Gift of Beauty refers to the ability to instill interpretation in people and the desire to sense the beauty in their surroundings-to provide spiritual uplift and to encourage resource preservation. I interpret the gift of beauty to be found when we are in nature, for example, when I visited Curaçao I was taken aback by the beauty of the Caribbean, I felt so lucky to be able to see the reef and the amazing animals that lived in the ocean. However, I was disappointed to find a lot of garbage on the beaches and in the ocean, it saddened me to see this destroy the beautiful natural environment, so I made sure to clean up every beach we visited. It might not have made much of an impact but I hope to do more of these types of clean-ups in the future.

Do you think we should put more art activities in nature interpretation programs for adults and teens?

Dr. Amanada Hooykaas. ENVS* 3000 Nature Interpretation Course Notes (2022). February 2, 2022. 

The Nature Blog,

Giuli

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Privilege

I began to prepare for writing this post by first examining my invisible backpack. There is no doubt that my entire life has been helped along by my vast amounts of privileges. While I am a queer woman, the fact that I am white, middle-class, and well-educated has given me enough of a level of privilege and security that it continues to benefit me to this day. It is this security that allows us white people to stay comfortably unaware of the disadvantages that others around us face. This is why my personal definition for privilege is the advantages given to you solely for your membership within a group as well the ability to not see these advantages.

Privilege is often invisible to those who possess it, which makes fighting for social change an often insurmountable task. In the case of racial injustice, many white people remain oblivious to how deeply intertwined they are, it’s no longer just a case of “not being racist”. I myself only really became aware of how deeply systemized racism was during the Black Lives Matter movement (this ignorance is in itself a privilege).

When it comes to nature interpretation, there are countless ways in which privilege and ignorance come into play especially when considering racial injustice. When reading chapter 7 of our textbook by Beck et al. (2018), the authors highlighted many fantastic ideas for promoting inclusivity such as:

1. Reducing economic barriers by providing transportation to those unable to travel to natural history sites

2. Reducing cultural barriers by “inviting, including, involving” minorities

3. Reducing communication barriers through strategic communication using varied languages and media

While all of these suggestions are absolutely amazing and do have the potential to help make nature interpretation accessible to all, the authors fail to mention the main root of the issue. Much of the book refers back to the national parks service, yet there is no real mention about the racial issues within this agency. When I was reading through the chapter, it was honestly of no surprise when I read that the majority of national park visitors were white, yet I found myself asking “what about the national park service itself?”. I was forced to do my own research, and found that the NPS is actually one of the least diverse agencies in the United States, with 83% of the total workforce being white (this number is assumed to be even higher within its seasonal employees). How can we expect POC to feel comfortable walking through these parks and taking advantage of the wonderful programs being offered when there is such a clear racial bias. By having 80% of the NPS superintendents being white, there is a slim chance that black, hispanic, indigenous and asian voices are being considered when making changes to park programs.

Research conducted by the Center for American Progress found that less than 25% of park sites focused on the cultures of minorities and underrepresented groups. And when these areas are supposed to be a place where the country’s history is being showcased, so many communities are being erased from this history, which is both morally and factually wrong.

As a nature interpreter it is very important to be aware of the systemic racism that is prevalent within all systems of our country, even those we cherish such as the National and Provincial parks. All of this leads me to wonder how we, as relatively new nature interpreters who have yet to be doing this as a career, can make a difference? I would love to hear your thoughts as I often get quite frustrated when thinking about such a large and seemingly insurmountable issue.

[gienvs3000w22]

Hi Marie-France,

I really enjoyed your blog post about privilege. Your definition of privilege was very different from the one I had created. I think people who have privilege aren’t always invisible to those who possess it, their advantages are not unbeknownst to them as I am well aware of my privileges. I am a white, middle-class, well-educated woman who has had many advantages in life, such as, the opportunity to join the Canadian Conservation Corps. I was able to take a semester off of school to do conservation work with a subsidiary of Environment Canada in Calgary. This was made available to me because my parents were able to support me while I was there, providing me with the funds so that I am able to do my internship without working another job, so that I can put all my energy into my internship. I am aware that not everyone had this opportunity let alone the opportunity for their parents to fund this internship, and I am very grateful for that. However, this is not to say that many people don’t realize they have many advantages in life due to the world they were born into; some don’t recognize this. However, I believe that due to recent social events it is more often than not that people are recognizing what privileges they have which is crucial to fighting for social change.

In your post you mentioned that the NPS is one of the most non-diverse agencies in the United States. I believe the agency needs to start doing workshops to make their community more diverse because including POC would change the NPS for the better, allowing for more ideas about environmental protection and conservation.

The Nature Blog,

Giuli

[gienvs3000w22]

Privilege- Blog 3

When I unpack my invisible backpack, I see that I have had the privilege many others have not had in accessing opportunities that have led me to where I am today. For example, growing up skiing my parents were able to drive me and my friends to the ski hill every weekend and pay for gear that I used. In the summers, my family often drove up to Northern Ontario so that my sister and I could go biking, swimming or paddleboarding at the lake. My parents often had the time and resources to provide the us with fun outdoor activities and expeditions, which I am very grateful for. In my opinion privilege means having a better opportunity to have access to certain freedoms. That being said, I have a different interpretation of nature than someone who hasn’t had the same experiences as me, that being said that doesn’t mean one of our interpretations is better than the others. We have the opportunity to learn from one another in our different interpretations.  

I have noticed that many people carry different backpacks, for example being a ski instructor I have come to notice that kids come from different families and different experiences in the sport. One of the participants often skied at Chamonix Ski Resort with his family compared to another child in the class that has only skied at the local ski hill. These children have very different opportunities and therefore different skiing abilities.

In nature interpretation, privilege often affects peoples experience, for example if someone hasn’t had much experience in nature, they are more likely to have more questions than someone who has spent a lot of time in nature. In addition, their time in nature might be more meaningful to them more so than someone who spends all their time in nature. I believe in order to truly understand a participant’s invisible backpack the nature interpreter must ask questions to get to know the audience so that they can understand the audiences’ beliefs, values and motivations. This allows the interpreter to tailor the program so that they can relate the information to their experiences and interests. This is also very important for the participants because once the interpreter gets to know them on a deeper level than they feel they can trust the interpreter and ask questions about the program or what they see around them.

I believe there is a stigma around spending time outdoors, many think that its only for those that have the privilege to spend money to get a park membership or the proper gear. However, this is not the case, anyone can spend time in the outdoors, it doesn’t need to be anything complicated. I also believe the outdoors has a ‘male stigma’ around it, as I have personally felt that being a women in the ski industry has its challenges, some people often don’t have the open-mindedness to allow women to ski in the backcountry. I feel that the nature community should be more open to people who are new to the outdoors and offer workshops to those that don’t know where to start. Being in a community where everyone is welcomed with questions is something we need to work towards.  

On another note:

The video, “The Last Place” A song about the 1978 Temiskaming Tragedy, really resonated with me, as on my expeditions I often felt that I had to “reach into my bag of possibles” however, I often times couldn’t find what I needed to get through the circumstance. Therefore, I had to find the strength to get through it. I once had to get through 72 hours in the Vancouver Island backcountry with no contact and a makeshift shelter. It was a very difficult experience to get through, I was often scared about the wildlife that would visit me at night such as, wolves, snakes, and mice. Outward Bound Canada spent weeks prior to that preparing us for that experience, however nothing could prepare me for how difficult the mental part of the expedition would be. Having done a backcountry ski trip as well as an AST1 (Avalanche Safety Training) course I have come to know that no matter how much you prepare, anything can go wrong. This was/still is a difficult idea for me to swallow as I am a firm believer in preparation and execution. I very much enjoyed this unit, as it made me reflect on some past experiences and I have realized how far I’ve come; I very much look forward to the rest of the course.  

Dr. Amanada Hooykaas. ENVS* 3000 Nature Interpretation Course Notes (2022). January 26, 2022. 

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Blog 2: Environmental Interpreter

When I try to think of myself as an environmental interpreter, many different ideas come to mind. I can’t say I’m someone who knows exactly what I wanna do and which path to take. I’m at the point in my life where I’m hitting the end of a road and have to choose what the next one will be, which is daunting since I have so many I’m interested in, it’s hard to pick just one.

I think other environmental interpreters throughout my life have had a huge influence on my interests and hobbies by introducing all aspects of nature in different and fun ways, and to pass on that impact to the next generation would ultimately be paying it forward. While I’m not someone who enjoys public speaking, I think I could find comfort in small groups especially if it’s something I’m passionate about. I could see myself working at a conservation area or a provincial/national park anywhere in North America learning about and sharing the plant species found within it. I could also see myself working in a large scale greenhouse educating customers of the pros and cons of different ornamental plant species.

I personally am a visual learner, so I love to see the things I hear and read about. Although in order to be a successful interpreter, it’s important to incorporate all learning styles. To adhere to auditory learners, I would initiate a discussion so people could hear the opinions and stories of others, or do a podcast like the one in this course. To include tactile learners, I would take them on an explorative and self-discovery walk to find the species I’d be talking about. I haven’t had any experience being an environmental interpreter, so it would really be a learning experience for me as well.

From looking at the class’s collaborative word cloud I noticed that the most popular needs for learning were examples and some form of visual aids, which are very important when teaching anything about nature. How can we learn about a plant, animal or insect without knowing what it looks like in the real world? In the environmental department, I think we’ve all had a lack of in person examples during covid, with most our labs and seminars turning online. Tactile learners and some visual ones like me probably find it difficult to retain information about a course once its over when all you’ve had is online lectures to sit and listen too. I’ve had some pretty interesting interactive based courses over the past couple years that turned into listening, memorising and then regurgitating the information online. It saddens me that I don’t remember as much as I could about them, and highlights the importance of including all learning styles to deliver information.

Thanks for reading!

[gienvs3000w22]

Hi there! I very much enjoyed reading your post as I too have so many different and changing ideas about the path I want to take. There is so much I want to do it’s hard to pick just one.

For example, I thought about being an ACMG ski guide and incorporating nature interpretation into that so the group I lead out into the backcountry can learn a little bit more about their environment. I believe this is the ultimate nature interpretation experience as it incorporates most of the aspects of this field, such as, open ended opportunities, demonstrations, tours and one-on-one interaction (Beck et al., 2018). I think doing something that you have a passion for really makes it easier to do the difficult aspects of the job.

In uncertain times like these, during Covid-19, I believe tactical and visual learners don’t have to suffer because of the online environment I think nature interpreters need to be creative in the way they accommodate other learners. For example, nature interpreters could provide a task for tactical learners to do, in which they ask them to go into their neighbourhood and find certain things that pertain to the talk and ask them reflective questions that they could think about while on their walk. For example, how does it affect the other living beings in the surrounding environment? It is essential to include these types of learners in the group because they need to be able to grasp the material to be able to reflect on what they learned and have a deeper understanding.

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

The Nature Blog,

Giuli