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Final Blog

As we reach the end of the semester, and thus the end of our nature interpretation class we must look back and reflect upon our development as nature interpreters. The prompt for this week’s blog is to answer the following questions; describe your personal ethic as you develop as a nature interpreter. What beliefs do you bring? What responsibilities do you have? What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual? These are all complex and important questions. In order to answer these questions, I think we should take a step back and ask ourselves what is our goal as an interpreter?

What is my goal as an interpreter, this is a simple question with a complicated answer. Ultimately my goal is simple, I want to provide inspirational education. What I mean by this is I want to help create the next generation of naturalists, biologists, ecologists and interpreters. However I end up interpreting, I want the end result to be showing an interested audience that the natural world is amazing. I want to bring out the same passion for the natural world I discovered, to my audience. Chapter 1 discusses the goal of interpreters as inspiring resource stewardship, developing awareness of natural and cultural heritage and perpetuating the deepest values and traditions of special places (Beck et al., 2018). This summarizes my goal very well, resource stewardship is especially important in my personal goal as I want to ensure that the next generation understands the importance of preserving and conserving the natural world. As Ralph Emerson said in chapter 16 “nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm” (Beck et al., 2018).

The first question from this week’s prompt is describe your personal ethic as you develop as an interpreter. Chapter 5 discusses the guiding principles of interpretation, on of these principles was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori (Beck et al., 2018). She developed the beginnings of constructivism or allowing individuals to learn on their own (Beck et al., 2018). I would like my personal interpretational philosophy to follow this idea. The quote “a truly educated person continues learning long after the years in the classroom because motivation comes from by a natural curiosity and love for knowledge” (Beck et al., 2018). I want my personal ethics of interpretation to follow this philosophy of individually motivated learning. This style of interpretation will allow me to create a lifelong passion for the natural world and hopefully fulfill my goal of inspirational education.

“Only YOU can prevent forest fires”, this iconic quote from Smokey Bear highlights my first belief. That being that everyone can make a difference. I truly believe that if someone is passionate about something, they can make a positive change. I think Smokey exemplifies this belief perfectly. This simple quote puts the protection of forests from fires in the hands of everyone. Smokey Bear believes that everyone can and should make a difference and so do I. My second belief is that there is always more to learn about the natural world. This idea is discussed in chapter 6 with the idea of Vitamin N (nature) (Beck et al., 2018). This prescription for Vitamin N is daily and lifelong. No matter how much time you spend in nature, there is always more to learn. The idea that you cannot learn everything about the natural world is daunting, but if you get your daily Vitamin N you can learn something everyday and connect with the natural world.

The next question is what are your responsibilities as an interpreter? My responsibility ads an interpreter is simple, I need to ensure I provide accurate information to my audience. Providing accurate information to your audience is always important, however, it is especially important in science communication. Not everyone is directly involved in science, but science effects the lives of everyone (Fischhoff, 2013). Effective science communication provides the audience with the benefits, risks and all the important elements, to allow the audience to make their own informed decision (Fischhoff, 2013). This is especially important in nature interpretation, however we choose to interpret, ultimately we will be providing our audience with information about important topics. It is our job to ensure this information is accurate, to allow our audience to be informed about the natural world and all its wonder. My second responsibility is to encourage the passions of others.

The final question I will be answering is what interpretive approaches will work best for me as an individual. The approach that will work best for me to interpret effectively is roving interpretation. This technique is discussed in chapter 9 and entails an interpreter roaming about areas of high traffic and explaining important features to their audience (Beck et al., 2018). The reason I know this approach will work best for me is because I have a lot of experience with it. In grade ten I was part of the CELP program (Community, Environmental, Leadership, Program). The final project for this course was taking a group of grade four students on a nature walk and discussing habitat types and their importance. Roving interpretation worked exceptionally well in this scenario, the students followed a defined trail, and we were spread apart along the trail. This allowed us to deliver the form of interpretation we felt was most appropriate. I would ask the students if they wanted to play a game, learn some facts, or ask me some question. This allowed a more flexible, and personalized interpretive approach.

I would love to hear your personal goal for interpretation and how you plan to achieve it. I would also enjoy discussing the similarities and differences between our ethics, beliefs, responsibilities, and approaches. Nature interpretation is a powerful tool for making the difference we want to see in the world. I would like to end with a quote from Sam Ham “the primary emphasis of interpretation is that it is designed to make a difference on purpose”. I hope that myself, and all other in this class can go make a difference on purpose.

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

Fischhoff, B. (2013). The sciences of science communication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(Supplement 3), 14033-14039.

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Warren,

Great post this week! I’ve enjoyed reading all of your blogs this semester, and this one particularly stuck out to me. I agree with you that sharing the passion I have for nature is what I would love to be able to do as a nature interpreter. I’m not sure what my exact future is as a nature interpreter but that is what I do know. I have a hard time distinguishing between personal ethics and beliefs. Since personal ethics are specifically important to one person, I am not sure if there is a difference between personal ethics and beliefs. I think that responsibilities are how we choose to act on our personal ethics. I feel that as nature interpreters, who have a university education, that it is our responsibility to share what we know with the public to make our knowledge accessible. Like you say, providing accurate and accessible science communication is incredible important. It’s really cool that you have experience with roving interpretation and know that that is what you will use as an approach in your future as a nature interpreter. Now you have experience with this and know how you can move forward in the future.

Great post and best of luck in the future.

-Georgia

ksenvs3000w22

Who I Am as an Interpreter?

My name is Katie Schankula, and I am a 21-year-old girl who grew up in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. I am attending the University of Guelph because I have the privilege to do so. Because I grew up in a country that allows me to do so, with a family that supported me, and access to a high school education. I was able to go camping as a child, I had clean lakes to swim in, and Ontario Parks to hike through. That is my backpack, and I now see how much privilege it holds (Gallavan, 2005). I now more thoroughly understand the privilege I have and have an uttermost respect for the people who are underserved (Beck et al., 2018). I will not let my privilege of having access to an education and the ability to understand interpretation go to waste. That is my promise to my fellow classmates, my professors, and the people I interact with every day.

When Richard Louv suggested that no matter what your motivation is to do this job, you have a responsibility to future generations, this really sunk in for me. It emphasizes the idea that we may all come from different backgrounds as interpreters, we have different reasonings for taking this class, and different interests, but in the end, we share a common passion. And that passion runs so deep that it brings us all together and connects a diverse group of people with one common goal, to share our love of nature with others.

My responsibility as an interpreter is to do exactly that, to share my love of nature with others. Because I had the privilege to obtain a university degree from an environmental program that is well recognized, I have a role to share that knowledge with the public. Even if I do not obtain a career strictly as a nature interpreter or in that field, I have a responsibility to connect people to nature through the scientific education I have obtained. I now have the tools in my pocket to be able to take heavy material and create a fun and engaging program for all audiences. I recognize that some people do not have the access to provincial parks or the means of travel to attend a guided hike. For them, I will use communication and word of mouth to spread my stories. I will listen to other’s stories and help keep the art of storytelling alive. As Beck et al. (2018) mentions, storytelling is able to encapsulate entire cultures. It is inexpensive and just as effective, as even younger audiences can appreciate a good story.

I had the privilege of obtaining many certifications such as white-water canoe training, basic canoe training, wilderness first aid, basic CPR and first aid, and a pleasure craft operators’ card. I know the trade-offs between risk and reward, and I am responsible to ensure that I am encouraging safe behaviour in the environment for both the person and the ecosystem (Beck et al., 2018).

What do I believe? I believe that no matter the age, no matter the ethnicity, beliefs, or background, everyone has the right to enjoy nature. I think people are quick to picture children as enjoying nature, playing in a puddle, or getting covered in the mud. But why shouldn’t and adult be able to do that too? I want to create an atmosphere around interpretation that makes everyone feel comfortable being themselves and connecting to nature in whatever way that makes them happiest. I want to provide people with the tools to do so. That could be helping someone identify a bird call, or simply pointing out where to look for dragonflies.

I am an able-bodied person who is passionate about the outdoors and has worked as a nature interpreter in the past at Marten River Provincial Park. When I approach nature interpretation, I think I would personally be better suited in an outdoor setting. I don’t necessarily mean in a structured sit-down lesson, or a pre-determined game. This could be as simple as suggesting going for a hike with a friend when I am bored. I have learnt that interpretation can be found in everything. There are people that are better at engaging groups in more of a classroom setting, and people that are better at creating podcasts, but I am better suited outside being exposed to the sounds and beauty around me. I am sure lots of people feel this way, and I would be capable of running a program indoors or online, but my element is outside. And there is nothing wrong with accepting where your strengths lie.

If there is one thing I could work on as an interpreter, it is supporting fellow interpreters. Attending interpretation events at the university, or seeking community held events. Although interpreters are trying to create a sense of community with the public, I think it is also important to create that sense of community with each other. Because as I mentioned, as well as Richard Louv, we all have the same responsibility and together, we can create an even larger community.

I want to take a moment to thank the teaching staff at the University of Guelph and for the ENVS*3000 “Nature Interpretation” course for providing me with the tools and the education to spread my knowledge to others. And thank you to my classmates who interacted with my posts and started creating that sense of community between interpreters. To have the ability to interact with so many other people with the same passions as me has been awesome and I have learnt so much from you all! I hope to keep spreading your stories and inspiring others to do the same!

Best of luck moving forward to you all!

- Katie Schankula

One last photo of my trip to Hawaii! Go explore what Earth has to offer!

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage. Van Haren Publishing.

Gallavan, N. P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks.” Multicultural Education (San Francisco, Calif.), 13(1), 36–36. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A137921591/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=9fe2f151

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Katie,

Great post this week! I’ve really enjoyed reading your blogs over this semester, and this one was probably my favourite of yours. It is evident by reading this week’s blog posts that the privilege unit stuck out to a lot of us. I think part of the reason for that is that we all have the privilege of attending university, many of us studying something nature related. I also think that moving forward I want to share my love of nature with people. I think that acknowledging our privilege is an important step to take when sharing nature with the people around us, because everyone’s experience is different. I agree with you that it is our responsibility to share nature even if it is not directly our career. Sharing scientific knowledge with the general public is something that is really important that doesn’t happen enough. As climate change progresses, it is even more important. Having everyone understand the beauty and importance that nature has to offer can help create policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change in the future.

Great blogs this semester and good luck in the future.

-Georgia

Final Blog

Reflecting on what I’ve learned in this course over the semester has been really interesting. I have enjoyed looking back on my past blog posts to see what I have learned. I will be graduating with my degree in environmental sciences in December, so I will be taking these skills into the “real world” fairly soon.

I started this semester off reflecting on my relationship with nature. This set up how I wrote and thought about my answers to my future blogs. While I was writing my first blog, I was thinking a lot about my time working in British Columbia last summer and my drive back from there to Guelph. This was a trip that really made me love nature even more and allowed me to explore it on my own, as I drove back alone. Now, I know that I will be going back to British Columbia this summer for a co-op job on Vancouver Island. So, I am once again thinking about my trip out there, and the nature that I will be exploring this summer.

I then reflected on how I see my future as a nature interpreter. This was hard for me as I still do not know what I want to do with my life. But what I do know is that I love nature and I love sharing it with people.

Our third blog topic was about privilege in nature interpretation. This one really made me reflect on my own privilege and how much there is inherently in nature interpretation. This is definitely something that I will carry in my personal ethic as a nature interpreter in the near future. By this, I mean that I will always acknowledge that I have been privileged to have explored nature like I have and that I will understand that not everyone has the same experiences as me in nature. Nature can be viewed in many different ways depending on someone’s upbringing and past experiences. Understanding that and using that is important to me.

My personal ethics also include being a responsible explorer of nature. Leaving no trace when I am in nature is something that is important to me, as well as when I am with others. Being responsible around wildlife is also something that is important. I think that bear safety is very important when people are outside in areas where there are bears. In my future as nature interpreter, this would be important to ensure that everyone understands. Not disturbing other wildlife is also important. Humans are not the only living beings on the planet and respecting habitats of wildlife while enjoying nature is important.

Grizzly bear on side of Trans Canada Highway near Banff National Park, April, 2021.

In my sixth blog, I reflected on the role that history plays in nature interpretation, and the importance of recognizing the knowledge that Indigenous Peoples bring to nature. Western science often disregards the generations of knowledge that has been past down. I believe it is important to include this. For me as a nature interpreter, including this knowledge would be important to mention. For example, when talking about the process of making maple syrup, acknowledging that the Indigenous Peoples of Canada were the first to develop this process. Or the traditional uses of birch bark for canoes.

The podcast assignment was also an interesting opportunity to try a new way of interpreting nature. It was difficult to figure out the best way to explain complex things to an audience composed of children. But overall, I learned a lot about how to communicate things about nature in an engaging way.

Overall, I learned a lot in this course about interpreting nature. I learned new ways to interpret nature, through art, music, and experiences. As I look to the future, I will be driving to Vancouver Island with my dad in about a month. As we explore the nature along the Trans-Canada Highway, I will have things learned in this course in the back of my mind. I will have new things to show him, and I really look forward to that opportunity.

acenvs3000w22

Week 09: Oh What a Wonder Nature Is

Hi everyone,

Seeing as this week’s blog prompt is about how amazing nature is, what could be more amazing than the 7 natural wonders of the world?! Nature has some of its own amazing features and in 1997, the Cable News Network (CNN) constructed a list of the most amazing creations of nature (Andrews, 2020). I myself have yet to experience any of these natural wonders but someday I am hoping to cross them off my bucket list! Have you experienced any of these places? If so, where? Alright, now let’s get to it!

1) The Aurora Borealis – Northern Hemisphere Did you know that the aurora borealis (also known as northern lights) is named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek word for the north wind, boreas (Andrews, 2020). This captivating display of dancing colours paints the sky in ripples of blues, greens, pinks, violets, and yellows (Andrews, 2020). These mystifying lights have various meanings to different groups. In medieval times, these lights were perceived as an indication of famine or war, however, the Inuit believed them to be spirits of the beluga whales, deer, salmon and seals they hunted for survival (Andrews, 2020).

The Northern Lights. Image retrieved from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/09/northern-lights-aurora-borealis-visible-across-northern-us/3866912001/

2) The Grand Canyon – Arizona, United States This stunning natural wonder was formed by the natural erosion of rock and soil from the Colorado River over billions of years (Dodd,2021). The Colorado Plateau was once the floor of a shallow sea and fossilized corals, shellfish, and snails from 20 million years ago can still be found today (Andrews, 2020). Known for its deep red rust, visible rock stratification, and most notably its size and depth (roughly 446 kilometers long, 29 kilometers wide, and 1.8 kilometers deep), this is truly a breath-taking wonder (Dodd,2021).

The Grand Canyon. Image retrieved from: https://www.smartertravel.com/planning-a-trip-to-the-grand-canyon/

3) Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe and Zambia Despite not being the tallest or the widest fall on earth, with a combined height and width of 1,708 meters wide by 108 meters high, it does make it the largest (Dodd,2021). This fall spills about 625 million liters of water every minute - how incredible is that (Andrews, 2020)?!

Victoria Falls. Image Retrieved from: https://www.traveller.com.au/victoria-falls-zimbabwe-travel-guide-the-mustdo-highlights-h1kc5m

4) The Harbour of Rio De Janeiro - Brazil This bay Is considered the world’s largest natural bay based on volume (Dodd,2021). This gorgeous harbour is encased by granite mountains and monoliths, which creates a striking visual appearance to all visitors (Law, 2020; Dodd,2021).

Harbour of RIo de Janeiro. Image retrieved from: https://www.worldatlas.com/bays/guanabara-bay.html

5) Great Barrier Reef – Queensland Australia This spectacular feature includes over 900 islands, spanning over 344,400 square kilometers of the ocean (Law, 2020; Dodd,2021). This makes it the largest coral reef system in the world and as a result, supports a plethora of life including 215 species of birds, 133 species of rays and sharks, and 30 species of dolphins (Dodd,2021; Andrews, 2020). However, this natural wonder contains many endangered and endemic species and is currently being threatened by factors such as climate change and mass coral bleaching (Andrews, 2020)

Great Barrier Reef. Image retrieved from: https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-04-21/the-great-barrier-reef-is-dying-says-new-report

6) Paricutin Volcano – Michoacan, Mexico Paricutin is a cinder cone shaped volcano which last erupted in 1952 (over a 9-year period) (Law, 2020). It was deemed as a natural wonder given that mankind was able to witness its birth and rapidly growing formation (Law, 2022). This volcano has only existed as it has since 1943 when it first appeared from a relatively flat corn field, making it the youngest volcano in the Northern Hemisphere (Dodd,2021).

Paricutin Volcano. Image retrieved from: https://www.worldatlas.com/volcanoes/paricutin-volcano.html

7) Mount Everest – China and Nepal Debatably the most famous mountain on planet earth – Mount Everest. This massive formation has an approximate elevation of 29,029 feet (Law, 2020). Did you know that this actually isn’t the tallest mountain in the world? That title belongs to Mauna Kea in Hawaii, however, most of it is underwater and so it does not have the tallest peak ‘above sea level’ (Dodd,2021).

Mount Everest. Image retrieved from: https://explorerspassage.com/chronicles/facts-mount-everest/

In the textbook reading from Beck et al. (2018), it mentions the emotional state of being in ‘awe’, where “fleeting and rare experiences of awe can change the course of a life in profound and permanent ways”. I believe that being able to experience the totality of these natural wonders would definitely elicit this ‘awe’ feeling. Being in this state has the ability to elicit curiosity, purpose, creativity, improve mood, and reduce stress (Beck et al. 2018). Although I provided some facts and information on these places, being physically present in nature and soaking in the surrounding can be more than enough to understand the beauty of nature and no interpretation is required (Beck et al. 2018). This can also increase the use of citizen science as by experiencing these places first hand, this will provide the visitor with an authentic experience and hopefully encourage them to participate in the evolving community science that serves to benefit these natural places (Beck et al. 2018).

I realize this post was a bit of a long one but I hope you got to learn something and feel inspired along the way!

Thanks for reading,

Ashley

References

Andrews, C. (2020). See the Natural Wonders of the World in 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022, from https://www.nathab.com/blog/see-the-natural-wonders-of-the-world-in-2021/

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

Dodd, C. (2021). The 7 Natural Wonders Of The World. Retrieved 19 March 2022, from https://www.worldatlas.com/places/the-7-natural-wonders-of-the-world.html#h_51335814238881631701075573

Law, L. (2020). A Guide to the 7 Natural Wonders of the World | PlanetWare. Retrieved 19 March 2022, from https://www.planetware.com/magic-travel-a-guide-to-the-seven-natural-wonders-of-the-world.htm

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Ashley,

Great blog this week. I really enjoyed reading about the seven wonders of the world and hearing your perspective on the importance of these places for people. I think that every person, whether they are into the outdoors or not would love to have the opportunity to visit one of these places. They are places that are universally agreed upon of being some of the most beautiful places and things on earth. I think that these places are on a lot of peoples’ bucket lists because of the way people who have visited them describe them. I also think that these places are ways of getting people to care about nature. When someone experiences this beauty first hand, like you say, it doesn’t require interpretation.

I visited the Grand Canyon in 2018 and hiked to the bottom and back up. It is one of my favourite things I’ve ever experienced, and it’s really hard to describe without being there in person.

However, I think that the issue with the seven wonders is the number of visitors they get and the damage that it can do to the surrounding environment. It is a difficult scenario because I think that people should experience some of these places, but it can be really damaging. And limiting the number of people who can visit, can lead to only people who have the privilege to afford to go. I still do think that these places are incredible and I hope to visit more in the future.

Great post!

-Georgia

Trying to think of the most amazing thing I know about nature was difficult. So, I decided to think of something that I had heard about recently, volcanoes, specifically volcanic lightning. When we think of volcanoes, we mainly think of spewing, hot lava. But did you know that volcanoes can also produce lightning?

Volcanic lightning is typically formed from ash plumes emitted in a volcanic explosion, so you won’t often see it in fluid ejecting volcanoes in areas like Hawaii. During a volcanic eruption that is rich in ash, interactions of magma fracturing and ash particles generates an electric charge (Smith et al., 2021). The plume emissions form a cloud with similar electric properties as thunderstorm clouds. This creates an incredible display of the combination of lighting and lava that appears photoshopped but is actually a real phenomenon. Volcanic lightning accompanied the eruptions of Mt. St Helens as well as Vesuvius (Patel, 2009).

(National Geographic, 2015)

Another thing about volcanic lightning, is that it could lead to a better eruption warning system. The eruptions themselves also contribute to the size of charge being created, not only the ash. By using sensors which record the time and magnitude of the impulses that the lightning creates, a mapping system can be created to determine whether an eruption has begun (Patel, 2009). Another way that lightning can be used to predict eruptions is by monitoring ash clouds. A tool can detect when the lightning strikes to alert of a possible eruption occurring (Baissac et al., 2021). In regions where volcanic eruptions are a major risk to communities, this could be a very useful tool.

Even more, volcanic lightning could reveal the secrets about the geological past of the Earth. Volcanoes hold ammonia, methane, water, and hydrogen which are the right ingredient to life. With volcanic lightning, this could have provided the spark to convert these molecules into amino acids, building blocks of proteins (Patel, 2009).

I find this phenomenon really cool because until recently I had no idea that lightning developed from volcanoes as well. I also find it interesting because there is still so much research that can be done using volcanic lightning. From developing better eruption warning systems, to finding the secret to life.

References

Baissac, D. M., Nicora, M. G., Bali, L. J., Badi, G. A., & Ávila, E. E. (2021). Volcanic alert system by lightning detection using the WWLLN - Ash Cloud Monitor. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 108, 103234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103234

National Geographic Society. (2015, August 31). Volcanic lightning. National Geographic Society. Retrieved March 19, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/volcanic-lightning-wbt/

Patel, P. (2009). Engineers Map Volcanic Lightning. IEEE Spectrum, 46(4), 15–15. https://doi.org/10.1109/mspec.2009.4808376

Smith, C. M., Gaudin, D., Van Eaton, A. R., Behnke, S. A., Reader, S., Thomas, R. J., Edens, H., McNutt, S. R., & Cimarelli, C. (2021). Impulsive volcanic plumes generate volcanic lightning and vent discharges: A statistical analysis of sakurajima volcano in 2015. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(11). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl092323

igbenvs3000w22-deactivated20220

Music and Nature

This was a difficult blog prompt for me because I have never really associated nature with music. The only way I used to think about this was bird songs but as I thought more about this prompt I realized that music and nature are more intertwined than I had previously thought. Birds use calls and songs to both communicate with each other and to attract a mate. Birds are not the only animals to do this, whales, frogs and crickets all do the same. Many birds have their own distinctive calls by which other birds can distinguish them. Whales do the same thing but their frequency also changes between the species of whales, and then within species, many individuals also have their own calls. Another thing I realized was that the rattles of rattlesnakes sound very similar to some percussion instruments like maracas. These rattlesnakes shake their tails to ward off predators or attract and distract prey. A cool fact that I learned the other day is that movie producers use loon calls in their scenes to create an eerie feeling through the sound, loons are not native in any of these environments but are used for their chilling call.

When I think of nature in music, my mind goes straight to whistle notes. Whistle notes are extremely high-pitched notes that artists like Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande use in their music. These high notes always remind me of bird calls because the pitches are very similar. I also think of spa music in which nature sounds like rain or waterfalls are incorporated with piano playing. This type of music invokes a sense of relaxation and happiness. Most instruments are made with natural materials and music has been around for an extremely long time. There were flutes made from bones or wood pipes, percussion instruments were a favourite of prehistoric music instruments because any two things hit together that makes a sound can be called a percussion instrument. Natural materials are still used for instruments today, like wood for violins or animal skins to create a hand drum.

When I think of songs that remind me of nature, I think of two different songs; “rainbow connection” and “what a wonderful world”. Rainbow connection is a song from the muppets, it is sung by Kermit the frog. My grandpa introduced me to this song as well as introducing me to nature, we would always listen to this song while we sat on the porch watching the sunset at the cottage. The song also reminds me of a beautiful swamp/marshland as this is the background behind Kermit when he sings this song. “What a Wonderful World” is a song by Louis Armstrong and is from the late 1960s. This song is extremely popular and is featured in a bunch of movies, one of them having Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson singing the song. This beautiful song describes scenes in nature such as “trees of green, and red roses too”.

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Isabelle,

I really enjoyed reading your post this week. I agree with you, I never used to associate music with nature. It wasn’t until the pandemic began that I started to realize their connection. I began to spend a lot more time doing two things: listening to music and going outside. The release of the album “folklore” by Taylor Swift was a catalyst for me. I listened to this album a lot while I was out in nature, and I realized how connected they were. The lyrics in many of the songs use nature to create feeling in the listener. Like starting the song “august” off with the words “salt air” or “please picture me in the trees” on the song “seven.” This made me associate music with nature a lot more, and I began creating playlists for what scenery I would be around while I drove to BC this summer.

I also find it really interesting how many animals use music, but most people wouldn’t consider it that. There is even a group of birds that are called songbirds and bird calls are often called their songs. I like how you pointed out rattlesnakes, whales, frogs, and crickets too. I honestly didn’t think of those while writing my blog post this week. I think the sound of nature is something that’s always been calming to people. Whenever I go on a hike, I don’t like to have headphones in because I want to hear the sounds of nature. Even when I type the word “nature” into my Spotify search bar, all the top playlists that come up involve calming sounds.

Great post this week!

Nature and Music

I was very excited to hear that this week’s topic was about music. I’ve always loved listening to music and have definitely found a relation to it and nature. I am not musically talented at all but love listening to it and singing along none the less.

When I first saw the question “where is music in nature?” I had to think of what music is. As defined in the unit this week, music is patterns of sound produced for emotional, social, and cognitive purposes (Gray et al., 2001). Using this definition, I thought about the places you can find music in nature. Bird songs were the first that came to my mind. Birds use their calls to communicate with each other. They use a variety of patterns and pitches to communicate different things. For birds, these songs serve social and cognitive purposes. To the human ear, it sounds like a musical instrument and serves an emotional purpose. I also thought of wind. The rustling of leaves and wind on water create calming sounds to humans. Humans also often use windchimes to capture music from wind. I think that music is everywhere in nature, and humans often seek it out for its relaxing qualities.

The question “where is nature in music?” is actually fairly different from the first question. I think that nature is used in music a lot. Often it is used in lyrics to create imagery that everyone can identify with. It is a powerful tool to provoke emotion in a listener. For example, describing the weather or the surrounding trees transports the listener to the same place as the song writer at the time they wrote it.

As a Taylor Swift fan, I can think of many times when she has used nature in her song writing. For example, in the song “the lakes” she describes wanting to escape the The Lakes district in England. She describes how she wants to watch “wisteria grow” and “bathe in cliff side pools”. In “All Too Well” she uses the imagery of “autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place” to describe where she is in her relationship. I think that these are good examples of how nature is used in music to create imagery and invoke emotion from the listener.

A song that takes me immediately back to a natural landscape is “Barrett’s Privateers” by Stan Rogers. This is a song that we would always sing while canoe camping. One of the dads on the trip was from Nova Scotia and would lead the song as we canoed through Algonquin Park. Now whenever I hear it, I am transported to a canoe in the middle of a lake in Algonquin.

I find that I associate a lot of music with natural landscapes. I think this has to do with nature being in so much music as well as my experience on road trips and other activities that music was involved in.

“the lakes” by Taylor Swift:

https://youtu.be/tOHcAc3r2kw

“All Too Well” by Taylor Swift:

https://youtu.be/9OQBDdNHmXo

“Barrett’s Privateers” by Stan Rogers:

https://youtu.be/ZIwzRkjn86w

Gray, P. Krause, B. Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C. & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science. 291. 52-54.

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Interpretation Through History

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, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

I had to read this quote over a few times to really try and understand the underlying meaning behind it. To me, this quote is primarily addressing the past and its significance to placing the pieces together for how things are today. The past may have come and gone and although I don’t believe it is wise to get too stuck in the past, dwelling on it, I do believe it is important to recognize how the past has shaped the way things are today and how it plays an important role in telling a story about a particular person/place/thing. While time is not stagnant and history is more than just a moment in time, I don’t think it should be treated as more than guidance for the decisions we make in the present and future. I believe this ties in to how interpreters use history as a way to really articulate the value and beauty of what they are interpreting. I believe an audience is much more engaged and likely to show interest when they are learning about the past behind what they are witnessing and how it was valued, connecting it to it’s value presently. As seen also in our readings, even kids can take an interest in history when it has a lot of history and stories that have been passed down about it and that have been preserved well into the present. With this being said the value of something has a lot less to do with its age or how long it’s been a part of history, but rather how others interacted with it in the past and how it was influenced over time.

History, as I have previously stated, should not be dwelled upon, however, it can serve as a lesson that we can learn from in order to refrain from making the same mistakes and inspire a better future. However, I don’t believe history is always kind to those within it. Perspective is a major part of interpretation and when it comes to history there can be a lot of different points of view and most of the time it is impossible to know what is really the truth. I believe that when history is being shared, it is crucial to remain as unbiased as possible and ensure that only the known facts are being stated, without trying to pin any one specific person or side as ‘hero’ or ‘villain.’ This is my only real issue with history, as it can be cruel to the memory and/or names of those who are no longer around to share their sides of the story. For this reason, I believe history can only be ‘taken with a grain of salt’ (as the saying goes), meaning it shouldn’t be taken too literally nor should it’s stories be considered fact or ‘set in stone’. While history is very important to understanding how we’ve come to get where we are today, it has little to do with the present and how our future must turn out to be. The readings share the example of Christopher Columbus who has been shared and credited throughout history as the first person to discover the Americas. Except overtime, people slowly started to pick apart this idea and spread the truth that the indigenous people were there and had their own lives years before his arrival. Christopher Columbus actually colonized the Americas and caused a lot of suffering for the indiginous people there before him. Thus, for Columbus to have been painted as a hero and the first to discover this land is both a lie and offensive to the inidigenous people today whose ancestors suffered under his hand.

Thus, history is a great tool for interpreters to use to help their audiences gain a deeper understanding and connection to what they are interpreting, however, history should be used in a cautionary way, knowing how information can be falsely spread and therefore damaging to some. When sharing stories and ideas of the past, interpreters help their audience to understand from stories of personal experience or stories that were passed down to them. However, this once again can be dangerous because although personal experience can be valuable and relatable, making it easier to understand, it is usually also extremely biased.

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Catarina,

Great post this week! I also had to read this quote over quite a few times to understand completely what the author was saying. I agree with you that we shouldn’t dwell too much on the past. Nor should we look at it with rose coloured glasses and think it was all a perfect time. Like you mention, Christopher Columbus was painted as a hero and is still celebrated by many today even though he caused a great amount of suffering to indigenous people. This is why I think it is important not to celebrate the past too much and make people out to be heroes who could do no wrong. I think it is most important to learn from history, not to dwell on it too much, and not to celebrate it too much either. I really like how you put it, that history should be used in a cautionary way. It can be harmful both to celebrate it or to dwell on it. It should be used to educate and learn from. I also think that knowledge learned throughout history is important to maintain so that we can continue to learn, especially as we try to mitigate climate change.

How History is Important in Nature 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, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

I find this to be a very interesting quote from Edward Hyams. I think it shows an opinion on what ancient things really are. When I first read it, I wasn’t sure if I agreed with the quote because my initial reaction is that there is value in ancient things. Then, I read over it a couple more times and started to interpret what Hyams is saying in a different way. I think that what Hyams is trying to say is that it isn’t the things that hold the value it is the lessons learned from their time. Without the history behind these items, they hold little value. It is when we learn about where they came from and the history behind them that there is value in the item. So, there is no value in the item, only value in its memory, integrity, and history. I think that this is true. For example, art work is always more expensive after the artist has died. It is the history of the art and its creator that make an item valuable.

The second part of this quote is also very interesting to me. Hyams is saying that we can not forget about the past because it would be acting as if the Earth’s only purpose is to serve as at this moment. History is something that is important when it comes to many things, including science and technology development, architecture, and nature, among many other things. In relation to interpreting nature, history is something that often gets forgotten. For example, western science often doesn’t acknowledge the knowledge of indigenous people from generations on the land they are studying. It is often something that gets overlooked when making policies such as forestry and fisheries, as well as in ecological research. This history is something that is important to consider when making major decisions about the land that indigenous people have lived on for generations. This knowledge, along with knowledge from the history of nature interpretation is extremely important to consider when making decisions. It also helps in the professional and public understanding of nature.

Like what was mentioned in this unit, sharing these stories and this knowledge can help protect landscapes. With climate change and human development, areas are not going to look like they used to. So, acknowledging the history can help in protecting areas.

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How the Pandemic Has Changed Our Relationship With Nature

Before the pandemic started, most of us already knew about the importance of spending time outside, since modern technology (gaming, social media, internet) has impacted the way younger generations will see the outdoors. Once COVID-19 hit, the entire world was stuck in quarantine and this started the sudden fear to go outside. I remember during the first lockdown, I started loosing my mind because I was bored and there was nothing for me to do at home. Once spring arrived and the weather got warmer, I took the initiative to do more activities outside, since there was nothing else to do inside. I began running, exercising, walking, planning picnics, and going on long bike rides along the lakeshore in Toronto. I started to absolutely love going outside. It would improve my mood, reduce anxiety, and reduce stress levels.

I realized that my solution for lockdown was to go outside. Not long after, everyone started doing it. Families were going on family walks, people began buying more dogs and brought them on walks, parks were busier than ever, and it seemed like all people wanted to do was to go out and explore nature. Research shows that being out in nature can tackle depressing feelings and the body responds physiologically to the natural world (Richardson, 2021). I strongly believe that humans have a deeper connection than we think with nature and we are all connected. People need purpose and a place. Right now, people can not properly connect with each other and nature can provide us with the need to be a part of something.

Now being two years living through the pandemic, mental health has become a very concerning issue with our society and nature can help us. We have seen that nature can improve our lives and this pandemic has unlocked a new way in which people will view the environment. Climate Change is all I hear about nowadays and there is more talk around being sustainable and having net zero carbon emissions. I think the pandemic provided us with a wake up call to stop harming the environment and to start appreciating it more.

I believe that the future can look very optimistic if we stick to new rules to become a more sustainable society. Buildings being made with gardens on the balconies, electric cars, and global companies aiming to be completely sustainable are all examples of the new innovative projects that have come from providing solutions to global warming. The pandemic has provided us with a wake up call and has made people more aware of the environmental issues that we face. Not only are people starting to love the outdoors more than ever before, but the outcome from this pandemic has sparked a new generation of nature-loving innovators that will shape our future for the better and save our planet.

Reference

Richardson, M. (2021). How the pandemic has changed our relationship with nature. How the pandemic changed our relationship with nature - Issue 13 - University of Derby. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://www.derby.ac.uk/magazine/issue-13/how-the-pandemic-changed-our-relationship-with-nature/

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Erminio,

I loved reading your blog post this week! I completely agree that the pandemic has changed people’s relationship with nature. A lot of people didn’t have much time to go outside before the pandemic started. But, after the pandemic started in March and the weather started to improved, a lot of people added nature to their regular routine. I think this made a lot of people value nature more once they realized how it can have a positive impact on their mental health. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was in Gatineau, Quebec. The decision was made at the beginning to close Gatineau Park where many people go to hike, run, mountain bike, and get out in nature to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Quickly the decision was reversed when mental health officials insisted that this would do more harm than good.

I hope you’re right that the pandemic has provided a wake up call for mitigating climate change. I think a lot of people have made major lifestyle changes since this pandemic started almost 2 years ago. A lot of people have added getting out in nature to their regular routine. Hopefully, this means that people care more to protect it as well. Gardening is also something many people have taken up over the past two years. Hopefully, people will keep up these habits even after the pandemic and a real difference could be made.

Great post this week!

- Georgia

What I’ve Been Thinking About: Winter

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about winter, since it is winter in Guelph at the moment. A lot of people I know hate the cold and snow, but I’ve always loved it. I always try to get outside as much as I can during the winter. I try to go skating, cross country skiing, and winter hiking when I’m not doing my work for school. Getting outside in the winter makes me think about how animals and plants have adapted to living in these harsh conditions.

For example, mice, voles, and shrews use a network of tunnels under the snow to move around which keeps them warm and hidden from predators. This is called the subnivean layer meaning “under snow.” But conditions need to be perfect for this to occur. There needs to be a thick enough layer of snow and there can’t be too much ice. So, in Guelph currently, it appears that the conditions would be pretty good. However, there have been years where we haven’t had enough snow or have had a lot of freezing rain. I wonder what these animals do when conditions are like that. I suppose that they would have to find shelter and stay warm in other ways.

Birds also have different ways of dealing with winter conditions. Some birds like robins and many songbirds migrate to warmer climates before winter begins. Other birds like cardinals and chickadees do not migrate and have strategies for keeping warm during the winter. Some of them huddle together and find shelter from wind to stay warm, while others can puff up their feathers to trap warm air.

One of my favourite animal strategies to handling winter is the wood frog. These animals produce a natural antifreeze to keep the inside of their bodies from freezing, but on the outside they are frozen. The inner parts of their body are able to stay unfrozen because they are high in sugar, which raises the freezing point of these parts. Their heart completely stops, and they have no brain activity during this period of time. Usually, they find shelter before freezing under leaves and logs which keeps them safe from predators. In the spring, once temperatures are high enough, they thaw out completely and begin search for food and mates. I find this to be an incredible adaptation. I can remember learning about this for the first time in high school and being amazed. It just goes to show how many different ways there are to handle the harsh winter.

These adaptations also make me wonder about the future and how some of these animals will be able to adapt to climate change. Will mouse, vole, and shrew populations decrease as there is less snow cover and they become more vulnerable to the elements and predators? How will the wood frog be able to stay frozen if temperatures remain warm for too long? Will there be more birds who don’t migrate because conditions are milder? Or will their migration timing change? There are so many questions regarding climate change, and the winter makes me think of these in particular.

scvenvs3000semester

Blog 4: Interpreting Nature Through Art

I think that humans have always drawn towards different types of art to admire the gift of beauty as well as interpret nature more deeply while making it last beyond the real time view. There are many types of art that can be used to interpret nature, like drawings, paintings, photography, and sculpting’s to name a few. When we are out in nature, we very much appreciate and interpret it as the most beautiful thing in the world that we wish we could make last longer than just with your eyes. I think this is the reason humans love nature art so much, because it allows the beauty of the landscape to last beyond being at the location. The artist can spin the art in whatever way they interpreted it, which makes every piece of nature art from every artist different.

This is a picture that my grandmother painted, her way of interpreting the beauty of a bull moose that she once observed for up to an hour. She often paints scenery around beautiful Muskoka and sends it to her friends who live in the city. This allows her to share a connection with her friends in the city and gives her friend the chance to interpret the beauty of Muskoka from my grandmother’s point of view.

I think it is very valuable to make art out of nature, because it allows people to see into how others interpret the gift of beauty, something that is impossible to express to someone unless it is through art. This is a landscape painting of a local lake on a cloudy day, with real rocks from the location on the painting, popping out as if they were there.

My personal favorite way of representing nature through art is photography. Some would argue that photography isn’t truly art because its just a picture of what was seen in the moment. I would disagree with those people, because some photography catches the perfect moment at the right time, that can never be replicated again. That is true art in my opinion, that gives everyone an opportunity to interpret a beautiful moment their way, and they can then share that connection with others who see the same photos.

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Sam,

Great post! I really liked that you shared how both you and your grandmother interpret nature through art. I think that staying connected with people is incredibly important and can be difficult to do when you don’t live near each other. I think it’s amazing how your grandma shares her art with her friends to stay connected with them. She is sharing a moment in her life and how she is interpreting what she sees in nature. This is a beautiful way to communicate with your long distance friends. I also agree with you, photography is my go to. choice for representing nature. I’ve never been much of a painter or artist in that traditional sense. But I find that by sharing photos from my adventures in nature, I am able to stay connected with people. I also think that this should be considered art. Like discussed in this week’s unit, art can be considered a moment in time. Photography can perfectly capture the beauty of what you are seeing at a specific time. It can transport people to that moment in time where the photographer was and what they were experiencing and what they found beautiful about the experience. Overall, I really enjoyed your blog post this week and I look forward to reading your future blogs.

- Georgia

Nature and Art

I’ve never been a very artistic person in the traditional drawing and painting sense. I always struggled in art class in school because I’m not very good at it. It also hasn’t been something that I’ve spent much of my free time on. But after exploring how nature can be interpreted through art in this week’s unit, I think that I have been experiencing art without realizing it. This unit talked about how art can be thought of as a simply a moment in time. I do a lot of outdoor activities and always capture these moments with photos. By sharing these photos with people, I am sharing this moment in time which could be considered art. I think that’s a really interesting way of looking at art. I’ve always loved sharing my experiences of nature and looking back on these moments in time. Nature interpretation is about sharing the beauty of nature and sharing these moments in time.

As a kid, my family and I would often go on camping trips in Algonquin Park. This is a common area for Group Seven scenery. My dad would always talk about the Group of Seven while we were camping and I have seen many paintings by them in the past. I never thought about how this impacted my interpretation of nature but it definitely did. Seeing this scenery depicted in beautiful paintings made me see nature as beautiful. Also understanding that this group was so committed to depicting nature in this way made it feel different. While I was driving on the Trans Canada Highway along the north shore of Lake Superior this summer, there were signs all along the highway that said Group of Seven. This made me want to look at all the scenery because I associate the art of the Group of Seven with beauty.

The gift of beauty is about having people find beauty in their surroundings and to want to preserve this. I have been lucky enough to have experienced and seen many beautiful, natural places in my life. I think I have always experienced a desire to protect these beautiful areas, since learning about the threats nature faces due to human impact. I think that art can play a big role in the gift of beauty. When someone sees nature depicted as art, it is seen differently. I think for many people in Ontario, they have experienced this through the Group of Seven. But, like discussed in our last unit, this also comes from privilege, which is something that can often be overlooked in experiencing nature.

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Privilege in nature interpretation

I would define privilege as something you get, not earn and is specific to a particular group of people; it is discriminatory. You do not work to words getting privilege because it cannot be achieved. Privilege is a black and white concept in that it either benefits you or doesn’t, and the deciding factor for what side of you fall on is out of your control.

Privilege plays a massive role in nature interpretation. The textbook does an excellent job of detailing how privilege influences people’s access, knowledge, understanding, and overall experience with nature. In Canada, the two national languages are English and French. However, many other languages are used within the country, not to mention the millions of tourists that Canadian national parks receive every year. Unfortunately, there is a poor representation of languages other than French and English on park signs, brochures, and other informational resources. This limitation makes it very difficult for visitors that speak other languages to access nature sites and plan activities. This language privilege extends beyond signs and information. Not many parks offer guided tours in foreign languages, preventing non-native speakers from enjoying nature in Canada. Roberts (2001) suggests that parks should have a park ranger acting as a liaison for foreign language speakers.

The reading also brings up a point about fear, in that minority groups have increased fear surrounding outdoor activities because of discrimination or getting lost and being unable to read signs or communicate with other people. This fear is something I, a white, middle-class, English-speaking person, would not need to think twice about and goes to show how privilege works as an invisible backpack, providing me tools that others may not receive.

Many outdoor activities are expensive and not accessible to everyone economically—especially activities like skiing or guided tours with additional expenses beyond access to the site. Skiing requires a vehicle, equipment (both gear and warm clothing), lift passes and those are just the basics. Guided tours are expensive as well because you must pay for park access as well as a guide, that in some cases, may not even speak your language. Exploring nature can become very expensive. Living in Guelph, with lots of public parks and conservation areas, is a privilege that not all cities provide.

The reading talks about privilege in a physical sense, a privilege that I have taken for granted. For example, many national parks are not accessible to people of different abilities. On the other hand, it is a huge privilege to easily participate in activities like hiking or rock climbing because not everyone has the physical ability to do so.

Overall, privilege plays a massive role in nature interpretation in many different ways. I think that a lot can be done to improve outdoor activities to make them more accessible to people and ensure that all people, regardless of background, feel included and safe. Nature should spark excitement and adventure in people rather than fear. If national parks could better represent different cultures on signs, offer a better selection of languages for guided tours, and have a variety of adventures available to suit different physical abilities, it would improve the accessibility of nature interpretation.

Chapter 7: Serving Diverse Audiences. In Beck, L. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. (pp. 127-158). J. J. Bannon & P. Bannon.

Roberts, N. S. (2001). Attitudes, perceptions, experiences across cultures: Case study of Rocky Mountain National Park. In Proceedings National Interpreters Workshop,NAI,Des Moines, IA

gmenvs3000w22

Hi Sara,

I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week. In particular, I liked how you talked about different ways privilege can show up in relation to nature interpretation, using Canada’s national parks as examples. Language is a big privilege that many of us forget about. My first language is also English, and until now, I never really thought about how that has played a role in my experience of nature interpretation. I think that having park rangers that act as a liaison for foreign language speakers is a really interesting idea. This would increase the accessibility of Canada’s beautiful parks and allow people who speak foreign languages to take in all the park has to offer like those of us privileged with speaking English. I also think that fear some people in minority groups experience about the outdoors is something that often gets overlooked. Since I grew up with the opportunity to go on outdoor trips, I never really think of that. But it’s completely understandable if you’ve never done anything like that before. I think that it is up to nature interpreters to ease some of that fear and educate people about outdoor safety. It’s extremely important for us to address the privilege we have as nature interpreters and acknowledge that not everyone has the same opportunities. Great post! I look forward to reading more of your blog posts.

Privilege and Nature Interpretation

I have many privileges in my invisible backpack that have provided me with opportunities involving nature that others don’t have as easily accessible to them. For example, I grew up in a white middle class family with parents who were willing to take me on various outdoor trips. This allowed me to discover my love of nature and some of my favourite activities like hiking and cross-country skiing. Without my family being able to take me to these places, it would have been much harder to discover my love for nature. I was also able to afford to go to University through money from my grandmother which led to me getting outdoor co-op placements and the opportunity to explore nature further. These jobs allowed me to buy myself a car, which allowed me to explore further. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities that I’ve gotten and recognize that my privilege has put me in the position I am in today. My working definition of privilege is when someone has an advantage over others for opportunities without having to work for this advantage.

I think that privilege plays a big role in nature interpretation. Being able to experience nature interpretation is often a privilege. Often nature interpreters work in parks in the wilderness which are farther from urban centres meaning not every person is able to get there. Generally, families with more money are the ones able to learn from nature interpreters such as wilderness guides. I also think that people from different levels of privilege come into nature differently. For example, someone from a family like mine knows camping basics and general safety in the outdoors, and overall feels relatively safe. Whereas someone who didn’t have the same opportunities as me growing up may not feel as safe in the outdoors simply because they haven’t had the same opportunities.

One of my own experiences comes to mind when thinking about privilege and nature interpretation. I went on a backpacking trip with two of my friends in the Adirondacks. I have had plenty of experience hiking the Adirondack Mountains, but this was the first time either of my friends had been. They both grew up experiencing the outdoors in middle class families but were both from Toronto and had never experienced hiking up mountains. Myself being from Ottawa, I lived closer and therefore had that opportunity many times. I did not think about how they would do on the hikes, because I simply assumed they knew what it would be like. But, once we started, I realized that this was a first for them. We were all fine, but it was probably the first time I thought about how your upbringing can impact your relationship with nature. At the time, I didn’t think about calling it privilege but I suppose it is. Privilege isn’t just about money, but there are so many other factors, like location. My friends had other advantages from growing up in Toronto, but on this trip, growing up where I did was my privilege.

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The Visual Interpreter

Welcome back to my blog!

The question this week is what kind of interpreter do I want to be? I want to be the kind of interpreter to show the beauty of the world in a natural form and how to complement it whenever I design it. I take information from an open approach and try to take in and question as much as possible. I always think about how information can work together and the different perspectives that can be understood. I utilize art to show how people can interact with the environment or a perspective they could potentially be living in. My ideal role would be continuing to pursue that method of teaching working with a Landscape Architecture firm. This is important because you cannot provide a tactile format for things that do not exist yet and this is the closest medium to achieving that. To accurately show images I would require extensive knowledge in various different fields of study. These can range from anthropology to ecology. My personal learning style requires visuals so it is a forum I am very comfortable communicating through. However, people understand visuals better with supporting information. Overall, interpreting nature in this format requires people to be a respectful visitor in a space larger than themselves and being able to appreciate that fact. I just hope I can design to serve that perspective.

Bench Design/Tamia Noel (2021)

Skills that are important to interpreting in this manner are effective communication skills in both a verbal, written and visual form. If designs don’t make sense people will disengage. Communicating is a skill we constantly reinforce, mostly displayed from a visual stand point but the verbal standpoint is just as important to sell the visual aspect. Visual skills are also important in order to bring natural features to people. People cannot always travel to a site to look around. Therefore it is my job to set the stage and give them something to look forward to or at the very least experience. Through my craft I will hopefully be able immerse people into a natural or designed landscape.

Restoration Design Plan/Tamia Noel (2021)

So how will I be able to appeal to different people? Well it is difficult since my practice works a lot with hypotheticals and creating a vision. Not everyone can picture a seating mound composed of grass. Did you try it when I mentioned it? Maybe you reread it to see if I was even making sense. It’s a bit of a challenge if you don’t know the field or have any information about it. My experience that will support this outcome comes from my experience as a gardener for my town. People physically walk into nature to appeal to their senses and often they go to appeal to a visual sense. The interest of a person becomes peaked by the look of the garden and then they ask for information. They are then able to effectively associate the information to the feature. From my experience the visual aspect is so important for interpreting nature and people respond to it positively as well as the auditory aspects. In this case a the tactile piece is what solidifies information. Although I may not be able to have a physical space to show people when designing I can appreciate how important this aspect is, especially for tactile learners. If I asked you to picture a space where trees line a path, it will look very different to everyone. Some people are alright with inferring further information but some people can’t picture it without understanding each individual tree there and being able to feel it and take it all in. Through 3D modelling and photo-realistic renderings I would hope to appeal to these types of learners in some capacity. Providing samples of the plant life can also be a useful addition, even though it is quite uncommon.

Forest at Dog Park/Tamia Noel (2020)

gmenvs3000w22

Hi!

I loved reading your blog post this week. I thought it was really interesting how you chose working landscape architecture and connected that to your future as a nature interpreter. I’ve never thought about it that way before, but it makes total sense. Landscape architecture can create a beautiful environment for people to experience and makes spending time in and absorbing nature more accessible to people. Creating these designs is an indirect way of showing people nature, particularly visually. I agree with you that visuals are a big part of experiencing nature. I also think that touch and sense of smell are important senses for experiencing nature, which can also be activated with landscape architecture. I also worked as a gardener one summer. I found creating beautiful flower beds and gardens to be an incredibly rewarding experience when I saw the final outcome and saw others appreciating the work. I took this experience and continued to garden at my parents’ houses and showed them what you can do even with a small space. I also took the opportunity to tell them about some of the benefits of maintaining a garden for pollinators and what some of the best plants are for this purpose. For myself, I’m a tactile learner so that is how I like to teach as well, but I find that visuals and tactile things go hand in hand when it comes to nature. Overall great post and I look forward to reading what else you write this semester.

My Future as a Nature Interpreter

I still do not know what my dream job would be. What I do know is that I want to work outdoors and that I love to see children learn about nature. As I mentioned in my previous blog, at one of my co-op work terms I was an outdoor education intern and an outdoor education centre north of Toronto. Many of the students who came to the centre had never left the city before and were experiencing being in nature for the first time. We took them cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and taught them while doing these activities. It was incredible to watch their eyes open as they learned about the outdoors while experiencing them at the same time. These types of trips were always my favourite while I was in grade school as well and I found I learned the most while experiencing nature.

All this being said, I am a relatively quiet person and do not love speaking in front of big groups. While on this work term, I learned that I do better and enjoy it more when there is a group of around 5-10 people where I can interact more. I also really want to do field research. Putting these things together, I think my dream job would involve ecological monitoring in a park (provincial, national, or other) where I could still interact with groups of visitors and educate them about what they are exploring.

I think it is incredibly important to educate the public about the importance of conserving biodiversity. More often people just hear “save biodiversity” without an explanation of why it’s so important. I think that I would do well in a position of getting people to care about biodiversity by having them see it first-hand. While I don’t do well speaking in front of large groups, I do well with small groups. So, explaining to visitors what I am working on and why as they pass by would be a really rewarding job for me.

I love forests and am really passionate about trees. One of my favourite things to explain to friends when I’m hiking is the “perched birch.” This is when the beginning of the roots of a birch tree are above ground making the trunk to appear perched above the ground. This happens because birch seeds are not always heavy enough to get through the layer of fallen leaves on the forest floor, so the seed lands on a decaying log and begins to grow. The log decays over time and you are left with a perched birch tree. I love learning about adaptations like this on that trees have to survive, and I love talking about them. When I get to show them first-hand, it’s a really rewarding experience. I also find that they often look at trees and appreciate them in a different way after this.

So, I’m still not totally sure how I see myself in the future as a nature interpreter, but I know that something like what I’ve described would be a dream and that I love to do it for fun with friends.

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