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Disclaimer
This blog was created for ENVS*3000 W24, University of Guelph.Â
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the University of Guelph.Â
The University of Guelph is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by this blog.
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Roots of Reflection: My Ethic as a Nature Interpreter
Looking back on what I've learned from our course I feel a connection to the beauty of interpreting nature. It's not about taking action; it's about listening to the whispers that stir our souls encouraging us to deeply engage with the world around us. This course has truly changed how I see things shaping my values to strike a balance between curiosity and caring for our environment.
From the start I've held a respect for nature. Through our discussions and readings in this course this respect has grown into a belief that nature isnot just a background but an essential part of who we are. Learning from Beck, Cable and Knudson (2018) has shown me the richness and complexity of the world that envelops us. Their insights emphasize how valuable nature is, echoing my belief in safeguarding and treasuring the environment.
The importance of hope in how we connect with nature as discussed by Jacob Rodenburg (2019) strengthens my determination more. His ideas on creating experiences through nature inspire me as I move forward. It serves as a motivation to ignite a spark of enthusiasm and duty towards our planet for those who will be inheriting its future.
Encounters with nature as envisioned by figures such as David Suzuki and Richard Louv highlight the critical need to reconnect humanity with the natural world. Their conversations, filled with wisdom and understanding have strengthened my dedication to bridging the gap between people and the environment. This mission resonates with my desire to connect with audiences on a level beyond knowledge sharing.
In taking on the role of a nature communicator I hold certain responsibilities dear. Fostering empathy and a sense of connection with the world is of utmost importance. Drawing inspiration from Hooykaas (n.d.) My goal is to craft narratives that not only inform but also captivate, leading individuals towards a deeper respect and care for nature.
Moreover, addressing the challenge of simplifying environmental issues in an understandable way as discussed by my colleagues is a barrier I am eager to tackle. Balancing accuracy with engaging storytelling is essential, in ensuring that environmental education resonates with a broad audience.
Looking ahead to what lies beyond my path forward is clear. Guided by values of respect, hope and accountability my dedication lies in advocating for the environment. Through methods and collaborative efforts I aim to actively contribute to the preservation of our natural surroundings.
This endeavor goes beyond observation of nature, it involves reshaping our bond with the world we inhabit. It entails creating a legacy of empathy, comprehension and proactive engagement that extends across generations. As I move forward I bring with me acquired wisdom and valuable insights prepared to play my part in building a sustainable and interconnected global community.
Ultimately my role as a nature interpreter is defined by a reverence for the environment, an unwavering belief in our ability to bring about positive change and a commitment to nurturing enduring connections, between individuals and their surroundings. It's an exploration marked by discovery, accountability and importantly optimism.
References:Â
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Publishing.Â
Boeckel, J. v. (2015). At the heart of art and earth: an exploration of practices in arts-based environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 21(5), 801-802. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2014.959474
Hooykaas, A. (2024). Unit 10: Nature Interpretationâs Role in Environmental Sustainability. University of Guelph.Â
Rodenburg, J. (2019). Why environmental educators shouldnât give up hope. CLEARING: Pacific Northwest Journal of Community-Based Environmental Literacy Education. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300
Hello, final fellow blogger!
As my last response and final post on my blog, I wish anyone reading this after the fact well, and I apologize in advance for any ranting. Your journey through the course reflects a beautiful transformation in your relationship with nature. The idea of listening to nature's whispers, rather than rushing into action, resonates deeply. It's about connecting with the world on a soul level. Your newfound balance between curiosity and environmental care is truly inspiring.
Taking on the role of a nature communicator, you and I now both understand the importance of storytelling that not only informs but also captivates and inspires empathy. The commitment to bridging the gap between people and nature is something I think all who have taken this course aspire to do. Looking forward, your dedication to advocating for the environment is rooted in values of respect, hope, and accountability. Your vision of building a sustainable global community founded on empathy and understanding is truly admirable. Your journey as a nature interpreter embodies a heartfelt reverence for the environment, a belief in positive change, and a commitment to fostering enduring connections with nature. It's a journey marked by discovery, accountability, and unwavering optimismâa journey I'm honoured to have witnessed.
I wish you luck, as I wish all who have read my blog. Go make a difference in the world. But also to make a difference for yourself. Reconnect with nature, find that spiritual resonance, and bask in its wonder and beauty.And with that, I bid Tumblr adieu!
My Personal Ethics and Nature Interpretation
I think this weekâs prompt is one that I have sort of been mentally working through all semester. Iâve taken quite a large variety of courses over the past four years and have thought about the ethics of the different fields, whether that be anthropology, writing or biology. I think it is very important to consider the impacts that we have on the world around us and the people and animals on it. The ethics that I bring into my role as a nature interpreter are shaped by both my own personal morals, and what I have learned since being here at school.
My own moral foundation tells me to be respectful of everything around me and the other people, plants and animals that I share the world with. They tell me to make every effort to understand where other people come from and their perspectives on a situation or life in general. When it comes to nature interpretation, my existing morals make sure that I consider how both the people that I am interacting with and teaching could feel and how my actions affect nature itself. I want to make sure that everything I do as a nature interpreter is accessible to as many people as possible, since not everyone has the same learning style, mobility levels, and ages. I want to make sure that no one feels left out when I interact with them since everyone deserves to have equal access to nature and to learning about nature. My existing morals also dictate how I interact with nature itself. I want to be respectful of any plants and animals that I might come across while out in nature and make sure that I leave no trace of my trip into nature. For the sake of both the environment and future people, I donât want my presence to harm nature. This also goes back to making sure everyone can access nature. If I, or anyone who goes into nature, damages it, that could jeopardize future interpreterâs opportunities with nature. Ultimately, though, I think the most important part is making sure that nature itself is unharmed. The balance that is struck in nature can be so delicate and I know I would feel horrible if I did anything to risk disrupting it.Â
On top of the morals that I grew up with, over my time in this course and university as a whole I have learned multiple things that have impacted my ethics. What I learned in my anthropology courses and ecology courses have taught me more about people and the world around me that has only strengthened my morals. The more I know about the world the more strongly I believe that it deserves nothing but our respect and protection. Especially with the state of climate change at the moment and the ways that my courses have focussed on it. This focus has made the importance of being educated about nature and the world around us incredibly apparent to me. This course has also taught me more about all the different ways that one can be a nature interpreter. This has added to my personal ethics by expanding on my empathy to the other ways that people learn and teach.Â
Out of all the ways that one can be a nature interpreter I think the one that now speaks to me the most is a role where I get to interact with the public and with animals. Following my ethics, this role would prioritize making nature accessible to everyone while also protecting it as much as possible from people. To me this means keeping my nature interpretation to areas that are relatively resilient and where my presence wonât cause any negative effects. To try and make my interpretations as accessible as possible I would turn to the internet where I can help connect people that donât have easy access to nature, with nature. I think that is one way that the internet can be incredibly positive.Â
The responsibilities I have as a nature interpreter include my responsibilities to nature, to the people I am teaching, and to myself. My responsibilities to nature are to make sure that I am not harming it and even further than that, that I am helping nature by educating people. My responsibilities to the people I teach are to make sure that the information I am teaching them is accurate, that they are not in danger, and that nature is accessible to as many people as possible. Itâs all well and good for me to teach people more about the environment but if no one can reasonably access what I am teaching, I might as well not even do it. Finally, I do have a responsibility to myself and that is one responsibility that often goes overlooked in my experience. For the sake of myself and my work, I have to make sure that I am not getting burned out or over committing myself. I want nothing more than to be able to do everything all the time for other people and the world around me, but that can sometimes come at the expense of my own mental and physical health. So I have to make sure that I prioritize my own health sometimes. With nature interpretation that might just look like taking time just to myself to go for a walk with my dog and relaxing in nature, instead of trying to constantly be in interpretation mode.Â
Itâs impossible to do anything in life without your personal ethics playing a role and these are a culmination of all your experiences, things you have learned and people that you surround yourself with. This course has opened my eyes to the field of nature interpretation, and it, like everything else, has impacted my personal ethics.
Hello fellow blogger!
Having taken the same course this semester, along with the likelihood of taking similar or perhaps even some of the same courses would likely lead to us having similar views on the morals and ethics of being a nature interpreter. I feel as if we have gotten similar things out of this course. For one, I agree that while working in nature, the foremost goal is to leave it unharmed or even better ( although what that means for one could differ for another). If we ruin or alter the accessible natural spaces we have available to us, it impacts the way future generations may see the world, which could lead to a totally different set of morals and values.Â
I also agree with the sentiment that we cannot help others if we do not help ourselves first. If we are burnt out, mentally or physically unwell, or any other barrier to a healthy experience, we need to know that it's okay to take time for ourselves. It's okay to take a moment and experience nature without any burden or teaching responsibility.Â
I wish you well in your studies, and in life! Congratulations on making it to the end of the course and good luck with your podcast!
Final Post, finally
For the last time, Hello fellow bloggers!
I know for most of us this has been a very long semester, so I hope you all get to finally relax soon and take a minute for yourself to just breathe. Maybe you can reconnect with nature again without the need to talk about it for class and just enjoy yourself.
Anyways, the prompt for this week asks us to merge the skills and insights we have accumulated throughout this course with our own personal beliefs and ethics. For me, my personal ethics in terms of nature interpretation lean heavily toward equality and equity in opportunity. I came from a less fortunate place financially, so growing up I may not have had as many opportunities to connect with nature as most, but living by the ocean was a privilege for me that I never took for granted. The point is, I want to ensure that every person I encounter on my nature interpretation journey has an opportunity to connect with nature. That will likely look different for most people. But that's my job as a nature interpreter: to identify how people perceive the world and provide a meaningful nature experience tailored to them. In an ideal world, I would work for a not-for-profit providing different experiences in a forested space, maybe by the coast. I don't want there to be an option to pay more money to get a better experience because that perpetuates the notion that connecting with nature is a privilege.Â
I bring the belief that everyone deserves to connect with nature and that I am there to help build the bridge to get there. I bring the belief that natural interpretation takes many different forms through many different media. I bring the belief that we need more natural space in urban areas. Not only to break up the concrete jungles but to provide enrichment to the people living there. I bring the belief that anyone can be a nature interpreter, all you have to do is look.Â
As a nature interpreter, I have certain responsibilities. First and foremost I have to find nature for myself. I personally find nature every time I walk out of my front door and am greeted by the squirrels and birds a plenty gathering around the various bird feeders in my front yard. I feel nature every time I take a walk down the edge of a river, lake, or ocean. I understand nature when I walk through a forest and see outcroppings of rocks telling me the stories of eons past. My responsibility to humanity is to ensure future and current generations are able to see, hear understand, and feel nature. It is my responsibility to do so in a safe manner, so as to not push anyone past their limits. It is my responsibility to give back to nature as nature gives to us. Not only must I respect trails, parks, and other natural settings as if it were my own home. I also feel the responsibility to transform my own space into a natural setting. I intend to plant wildflower gardens for native pollinators. I intend to have solar panels to limit my carbon footprint. I intend to live in a very small square footage house on a decent-sized property so as to limit my own personal impact on the land that provides for me. Aside from my own personal intentions and self-imposed responsibilities, I also feel responsible to empower and enlighten others to do the same. Not through the means of telling them this kind of life is for them but by providing the knowledge that allows them to make informed decisions themselves.Â
As an individual my means of impact are limited. The approaches I find most suitable for me include a face-to-face component. I would prefer to work in a park or conservation area which allows me to really individualize the experience for each guest. I'm not a big fan of posts on social media so this whole Tumblr nature blog will not be a thing I continue in the future, that's for sure. I also understand the appeal of a podcast or YouTube video style of nature interpretation, and while that's more accessible to people who find themselves far removed from nature, it just isn't my style at all. Even if I had to get a job in some other field where I'm not in nature for my day-to-day, I hope I will be able to at the very least become a scout leader and inspire youth as I was (briefly).Â
Thank you all for listening to my Tumblr rants this past semester, I can't say I'll miss doing this. However, it was nice to have the routine. Considering I only made this account for this course, and I've used my school email to create it, you all are part of the lucky few who got to read my thoughts on a public forum, congrats! I will never be doing this again. I continue to use what I've learned in this course, in person, to provide a sense of nature interpretation for my friends and family who I keep dragging on hikes. Good luck to all of you in finishing up your podcasts this week! I hope you all get amazing marks in this course! Good luck and goodbye!
Insect communication - an amazing natural feat!
Hi Friends!
Surprise! Itâs another post about insects. If youâve read any of my other blog posts youâll notice this emerging theme. To me, the most amazing thing has to be insect communication. Iâm super biased, but still they are able to effectively communicate in so many unique ways! Â
Imagine you're a small little insect living in the Arboretum on campus here in Guelph. You're tiny, you do not have bones and only an exoskeleton. You have no lungs to scream, no vocal cords to talk, and you're not nearly capable of thinking at the level of humans are. How would you communicate with members of your own species? Turns out you could do it in so many unique ways! I want to highlight 3 modalities of insect communication; sound, chemical, and visual.
While they donât have vocal cords like us or scream because they donât have vocal cords or respiratory systems like most mammals, insects still manage to produce sound. They do this mainly through a process known as stridulation. Stridulation is when you produce sound by rubbing 2 body parts together (The Amateur Entomologistsâ Society, n.d.). When you hear crickets making their distinct sound, theyâre actually doing stridulation! There are a number of body parts insects can rub together to perform stridulation but commonly crickets will rub their wings together, grasshoppers with rub legs together, or a leg and wing (Department of Entomology, n.d.). A good analogy would be sort of like a washboard; you rub your hands against the ridges to produce noise. Â
One really unique way insects communicate is through pheromones. Ants are a really great examples of insects that use this. Pheromones, which are a type of chemical signal, are used by aunts to coordinate a number of tasks, including foraging, nest defence and brood care (Chalissery et al., 2019). They can use these pheromones to give other colony mates an idea where to go for food, what the ants are feeling, and let them know whatâs going on in their environment. Because thereâs so much information ants can share through pheromone communication, there are many types of pheromones that they can produce (ScienceDirect, n.d.). I find that I often hear a lot of scientists compare the complexity of communication through pheromones to that of the complexity of a spoken language! Wow wow wow!
The last communication method I want to mention is visual communication, specifically through light communication. Lampyridae, or the fireflies are a type of beetle that use bioluminescence to communicate with others of that species. They can produce this light on demand by combining chemicals in their abdomens, producing efficient and almost completely heat free light (Marshall, 2017). That is an extremely impressive feat! They mainly use this communication for reproductive purpose, with the flash rate, duration, and number of flashes signalling the identity of these fireflies to females of the same species (Marshall, 2017). Â
It's one thing for me to write about all of this, but I think these ideas are a lot more easy to interpret them when you can see and hear them ( with pheromones you canât really do either but trust me, theyâre still really cool). Hereâs a link to a Nat Geo video showing fireflies glowing; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BOjTMkyfIA . Also check out this video of a bush cricket stridulating; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iar_zPTsAuw ( It also provides a pretty good visual of the process).Â
To me, it's amazing to think that these tiny little insects are capable of so much communication. I think a lot of times, we as a society tend to disregard insects and all their amazing feats based on perceptions of them as gross or uncomplex. In reality, these tiny creatures have evolved to have complex methods of communication that have allowed them to survive. To me, that is truly amazing.
References;
 Chalissery, J. M., Renyard, A., Gries, R., Hoefele, D., Alamsetti, S. K., & Gries, G. (2019). Ants sense, and follow, trail pheromones of ant community members. Insects, 10(11), 383. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10110383
Department of Entomology. (n.d.). Crickets and temperature. CRICKETS AND TEMPERATURE | Department of Entomology. https://entomology.unl.edu/k12/crickets/temperature.htm Â
Marshall, S. A. (2017). Insects Their Natural History and Diversity (2nd ed.). Firefly Books. Â
National Geographic. (2016, September 4). Watch: Fireflies glowing in sync to attract mates | national geographic. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BOjTMkyfIA Â Â Â
ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Trail Pheromone. Trail Pheromone - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/trail-pheromone#:~:text=Ants%20use%20trail%20pheromones%20to,predator%20is%20on%20the%20prowl
The Amateur Entomologistsâ Society. (n.d.). Stridulation. Stridulation - Entomologistsâ glossary - Amateur Entomologistsâ Society (AES). https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/stridulation/
unit_one. (2017, September 11). Bush cricket stridulation. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iar_zPTsAuw
Hello!
as a fellow insect enthusiast, I really enjoyed reading your post!
I would like to bring up a method of communication I think you'll find very interesting. As my readers may know, I'm an executive member of the apiculture club here on campus. so, logically I have a pretty deep interest in honey bees, and Hymenoptera as a whole. Honey bees, while they do communicate through pheromones like you mentioned, similar to ants. They also have an additional method of communication for specific information, DANCE! honey bees will perform three different types of dances called the sickle, waggle, and round dance. they do this to communicate distance/direction, quality, and quantity of nectar/flowers. imagine if instead of something like sign language we used dance as a method to communicate?
I've attached a YouTube video below which shows some of the dances they use.
ROCKS
Hello again fellow bloggers,
The most amazing thing about nature for me is the geology of an area. My main fixation in general is pollinators, as exemplified by my group's podcast, âWhat the Buzz?â and I love bees and ants and stuff like that. However, anytime I'm out hiking or just exploring, I can't help but get excited about rocks. The geology and topography of an area tell a story that goes back millions of years. For instance, down where I'm from in Nova Scotia there is a place called the Bay of Fundy, I'm sure you've all heard f it considering it is home to the world's highest tides. Down near a little village named Walton there is a shale beach with a massive cliff and folds in the rocks.Â
This cliff face tells the story of two landmasses colliding together to form what is now Nova Scotia. Initially happening long before the Atlantic formed. And then the Bay of Fundy itself formed from the rifting of North America from Africa and Europe. This caused the split in the mountain chain that now has pieces in Morocco, Scotland, the USA, Canada, and Norway!
(pictures taken by me, Walton Cliffs)
A little closer to campus there is a location in Hamilton called the Devil's Punchbowl. I've gone there twice now for class field trips. The Devil's Punchbowl tells a story of the ancient seas and streams that used to run through this area of southwest Ontario. The grains of sand that make up the sandstone tell stories of millions of years ago. The dolomitic capstone of the Niagara Escarpment tells another story, so long as you speak the language of rocks and sediment.Â
(another photo by me, Devils Punchbowl)
Another area of Nova Scotia I've hiked through is on the Cape Split Peninsula. This region of the province is located on basaltic bedrock which formed during the same event that formed the Bay of Fundy. Magma pours out of the earth to form the north mountain range which makes up the sea sideward side of the Annapolis valley. The cape is covered in rocks filled with copper ore speckled through basaltic rock. Based on the patterns and the lack of crystallization you can tell that this magma cools very quickly, likely due to a rushing in of seawater after the rifting event.Â
(another photo by me, Cape Split Point)
Further up the bay, there are a few islands, near Parrsboro, the indigenous peoples of the area, the Miâkmaq, called these the five islands. The five islands are part of the legends passed down by the Miâkmaq people. The story goes that Kluskap, or Glooscap as the settlers called him, who was a giant man, was fighting a giant beaver in the bay. During the fight, Kluskap hurled 5 large boulders at the beaver that formed the islands today, the beaver was said to have been trapped by the boulders and sticks causing him to turn into gold underground. Geologically these islands are exposed parts of the north mountain chain that I talked about earlier but it's neat learning about the indigenous peoplesâ folklore, especially when centered around how the landscape was formed.Â
Anyways, till next week bloggers!
Nature Interpretation through Music
Hi everyone!
This weekâs blog post prompt is âWhere is music in nature? Where is nature in music?â These sorts of questions are some of my favourites as someone with a background in the artsâI played the cello and clarinet in my high school orchestra for 4 years, which means that Iâve had to think about music a lot!
In my opinion, music is everywhere in nature. Music can be defined as âpatterns of sound varying in pitch and time produced for emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive purposesâ (Gray et al., 2001). From this description, I would say that all those beautiful sounds that you can hear outside like birdsong, toads croaking, squirrels chittering, and so on all combine to create the âmusicâ of nature. These sounds are all reflective of the ways that nature communicates with itself and others, and can also give humans an additional emotional benefit from listening to them and feeling relaxed.Â
As for where nature is in music, I think there are a few ways of thinking about it. One way to think about it is that nature can be in music when music is about nature. Some songs are written about specific places or species. This sort of music is important in that it can give people a better appreciation for nature and feel more connected to it. Music can also be about nature in a way that connects people to the cultural history of an area or species, helping them to understand how these things can be thought about from a different point of view. Nature can also be in music in simply the connections that people make between nature and music, like your favourite hiking playlist that keeps you going and allows you to appreciate your surroundings by putting you in the right mindset.Â
One song that takes me immediately back to a natural landscape is âShrikeâ by Hozier (clicking the song title should open a YouTube link if you'd like to give it a listen!). Part of what I love about this song is how it uses the metaphor of natureâparticularly the act of a shrike spearing its prey on the thorns of plants or barbed wireâto symbolize devotion. This song reminds me a lot of the long road trips to my cottage and sitting around the campfire, as there was one year that I forgot to download any music besides this album and listened to it nonstop. Every time I listen to this song a part of me is reminded of sitting in the hammock, watching my dog run around like crazy, and hearing the waves on the beach. These experiences are part of why I think music is so good for connecting people to nature and giving them a sense of place.
Iâm excited to hear what everyone else thinks about music and nature, and hopefully pick up some new song recommendations!Â
Literature Cited
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.
Hello fellow blogger!
I type this while listening to Shrike in the background, I love Hozier's music and this is as good an excuse as any to listen. I think this song is a very good representation of nature in music which airs well with your music in nature connections. Hozier's musical style is heavily influenced by Celtic song formation, which includes what my music teacher called, a Celtic flip. when many of these are done together, as Hozier did at the beginning of "Shrike", it can even sound like a cacophony of call and response bird calls, or at least that's how I interpret that.
Being from Nova Scotia I've grown up with Acadian and Celtic music most of my life, and I've always felt that this style of music has a much deeper connection to nature. The Celts themselves in fact believed that everything including things like rivers trees and whole forests had a type of spirit. I like to believe that the same line of thinking went into the music they made, taking the voice and spirit of nature and translating that into a beautiful melody.
Anyways I thank you for sending me down this rabbit hole, It always brings me joy to hear that kind of music again.
Nature in Music, Music in Nature
Hello again fellow bloggers!
This week our lecture material was based on a musical perspective on nature interpretation. I brought up Vivaldi's Four Seasons for the art and nature interpretation a few weeks ago post. So as an additional point for nature interpretation through music, I recommend scrolling down my blog a bit and checking out that post.Â
Today I went on a walk through Crane Park here in Guelph, it's one of my favourite spots in the city to clear my head and enjoy nature. It's a place where I get to enjoy the music of nature, the sound of the babbling brook, the birds chirping and the bullfrogs croaking. This music of nature soothes my soul in a way nothing else does. Because music is subjective, any combination of sounds could be musical so long as our brain interprets it as such. So when I sit on a granite boulder and listen to melodies of sea birds, whistles from the wind, and the rhythmic percussion of the waves hitting the shore, I bask in this natural symphony and enjoy life. It's quite therapeutic!Â
Now let's dive into the alternative view, where is nature in music? Well first, some back story first. I spent a fair number of years singing in a choir, it was a pretty major part of my life at the time. In that choir, we sang masterworks from the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, and Vivaldi, but we also sang some madrigals each Friday. In the madrigal choir, we sang songs where each voice part sang a different counter melody not any of us truly taking the full spotlight, but each putting together one whole song. A notable example is the silver swan, one of my favourites. The lyrics are as follows,Â
âThe silver Swan, who, living, had no Note, when Death approached, unlocked her silent throat. Leaning her breast against the reedy shore, thus sang her first and last, and sang no more: âFarewell, all joys! O Death, come close mine eyes! Â More Geese than Swans now live, more Fools than Wise.ââ
This song, while it was likely to have been written as a British social commentary at the time, always evokes a sense of nature when sung. I've linked a YouTube video down below so you can listen to this short song and hear for yourself what I mean.
Nature is used as inspiration for many musical works, many poems and later songs tell the story of some natural event put to song, whether it be a large catastrophic storm or the fight between a bear and a moose or something like that.Â
To answer the final question on our prompt, anytime I hear a Great Big Sea song or something with a little Irish/Scottish flare, I get reminded of home, on the rock shores, listening to the waves. That is my paradise that desperately want to return to.
Learning from Nature's History - Is it too Late?
Our task for this week was to analyze and discuss this quote by Edward Hyams from Chapter 7 of the text:
âThere 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. âŠ. 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.â
This was a very interesting and thought-provoking quote for me. At first, I got lost in the wording and took each word too seriously. But, by reading one sentence at a time and trying to mentally picture what Hyams was trying to convey, I was able to really connect with his thoughts. Here is my take on it allâŠ
Imagine walking through a forest, surrounded by tall twisting trees and the sounds of birds chirping in the background. Each tree, each leaf, each blade of grass has a story to tell. This story is a history that stretches back centuries.
But the literal age of a tree or the unique shape of a rock doesn't hold any inherent value in nature. The real value is in the integrity of the ecosystem as a whole. Just like the quote suggests, that integrity includes keeping all the individual parts of the whole (ecosystem) together. This is in line with nature interpretation as it involves recognizing the interconnectedness of all living things to appreciate and protect the natural beauty in our world.
But to do so, we must understand its history. Think of it like a train station - itâs more than just a spot for trains to stop, itâs a part of a larger story, filled with various other âstopsâ and factors. In the same way, a forest is more than just an area of trees. Over the course of thousands, if not millions of years, it has been shaped by the forces of nature, intertwining with other natural phenomena.
When we ignore the past, we only harm the present and future. Just like a train station continues to serve its purpose long after a train has left the station, a location's past influences its present and future. By using our knowledge of the past, we can enhance our understanding of current circumstances and better ensure a sustainable future for our planet.
Recently, my forest biodiversity class was talking about managed forest fires. One of the things that we talked about was how the First Nations used to practice this in order to keep their environment healthy and preserve biodiversity. I bring this up because nowadays, society and especially the media, view forest fires as more of a negative, ignoring the benefits. Due to this, and I'm sure many other things, we haven't been practicing frequent low-intensity fires. Meanwhile, the use of more frequent but controlled fires is what helps to limit the onset of large uncontrollable fires. Instead of listening to what the past has told us about successfully contributing to greater biodiversity, we have ignored the past and caused a mismanagement of our forests, leading to more severe and destructive wildfires.
It's an unfortunate cycle that only ends when we listen to the past and prioritize the well-being of our planet.
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For A Better World. Sagamore Publishing.
Hello fellow blogger!
I quite liked your analysis, the tree analogy was a very interesting take that I probably wouldn't have thought of on my own. I agree with your interpretation of the ecosystem but I like to think that instead of different physical parts of the ecosystem, it should be more of an interpretation of the different chronological aspects of a forest. The different successional patterns that allow this ecosystem to form over thousands of years, the shrubs that made way for the trees which can only survive due to the minerals running downstream from a different bedrock being weathering upstream. Or as you mention on a human time scale we must understand the different management practices that have occurred in a region such as the systemic burning of forests to ensure long-term ecosystem health by certain indigenous groups. History matters in terms of understanding the present.
week 6 - History
Hello fellow bloggers!
This week we were asked to unpack a quote by Edward Hyams, from chapter 7 of The Gifts of Interpretation. To start I'm going to break down each part of the quote and then end it off with my overall understanding of what it means. So let's get into it. The quote starts off with âThere is no peculiar merit in ancient thingsâ which I take to mean that there isn't merit in something just because it's old. It isn't by definition, important just due to how old something is. The quote then follows by saying âbut there is merit in integrityâ which I feel is pretty self-explanatory. The next part is âand 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.â I take this to mean, in context, that even though things and stories don't matter just because they're old, they do matter in the sense of keeping our continuous and chronological story together. Out of context, he is simply stating that different pieces of the same thing should be kept together in the name of integrity, whether that be the linear story of history or the pieces of a puzzle. The quote finishes off by saying âTo 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.â I take this as meaning that life doesn't just exist in the present but is a cumulative of all life before us and all life that will come after us. Humans tend to think in the moment and forget what has come before as the famous quote by George Santayana states, â Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.âÂ
To me, this quote is meant as a warning for us interpreters to never forget the history that came before. If we were to only tell the story of today, we would essentially be the passengers on a train who think the railway station only exists while it is in it. In order to tell a full story of an area, one must give context through history. Not only history from a Western way of thinking but also any indigenous tellings of the area.Â
History is an important consideration in nature interpretation which is often forgotten. Telling even half of the story is doing the area an injustice.
Week 5
Initially I was unsure of what I wanted to do with my discussion post as this week we are free to write about whatever we want. I settled on talking about plastic recycling using plastic eating bacteria. Last week I read an article on this and it inspired me to look into how they are using plastic eating bacteria and how they could be used in the future. I found out about that In 2021 a French Company called Carbios partnered with nestle and Pepsi when they began using a enzyme called PETase (PETase is one of a handful on enzymes that is capable to breakdown plastic) to assist in the Degradation of PET plastics (PET plastic is the most common form of plastic in water bottles and product packaging) to process about 250kg of PET plastic waste every day or 91 tonnes per year, breaking it down into its precursor molecules, Which then can be made into new clear plastic. Typically recycled plastic is not clear and has a more opaque look to it which companies often find undesirable. For example A recycled plastic bottle becomes a mottled bag, which becomes fibrous jacket insulation, which then becomes road filler, never to be recycled again. So having the ability to continuously recycle and remake clear plastic will massively reduce the amount of new plastic that is made.
Carbios is able to complete this recycling process by shredding the plastic and running it through a machine which freezes it and forces it through a tiny opening at great pressure. The plastic pops out as pellets about the size of corn kernels. At the microscopic level, it is much less dense than its original form. which gives the enzymes a larger surface area to attack allowing for increased degradation.Â
The plastic pellets are placed in a solution of water and PETase, inside a sealed steel tank. As time goes on, the plastic erodes away, and its components dissolve into the solution, leaving only a grayish liquid. The liquid now contains the two components ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid, which can be separated out and turned into new plastic. Fortunately, This technique scales easily. Two years ago the company was recycling a few kilos of plastic a day; now they do about 250kg a day. Next year, with the help of a new recycling plant carbios will be able to process 130 tonnes a day or almost 50 thousand tonnes a year.Â
Many scientists hope that PETase will be used in the future for microplastic clean up. Last year, a German group engineered PETase into marine algae, noting that someday it could be used to break down microplastic in the ocean. Microplastics are a huge issue and there are not many effective ways to do this and using GMO algae is a possibility that should be explored.Â
Another future use of PETase along with other chemical reactions is to produce hydrogen fuel from plastics. In Plastic on average the second most abundant element within is hydrogen, there are already a few research teams looking into the possibility of using terephthalic acid, one of the by-products of PETase, to make hydrogen fuel. terephthalic acid can also be used in perfumes and can be turned into Vanillin, the compound that creates the âvanilla tasteâ.Â
Overall, this biotechnology is very promising for the future of global plastic clean up and recycling. Hopefully this will help make the world a greener and healthier place. Do you think we should release this marine algae into the world's oceans to help clean up microplastics?
Article Link:
The long read: When a microbe was found munching on a plastic bottle in a rubbish dump, it promised a recycling revolution. Now scientists a
Hello again Isaac
Very interesting article and I like your breakdown of the different ways we can recycle and reuse plastics. Some of the bugs that I keep in my house to feed my gecko, as I discussed in my main blog post this week, actually have the ability to break down certain plastics due to a symbiotic relationship with some microbes in their gut. They're called orio worms or super worms, darkling beetle larvae, they aren't a great source of food for my gecko but he gets them as a treat. Anyway, I had heard that they could eat styrofoam through a YouTube video that I can't seem to locate to link here, but regardless of that, I decided to put it to the test. I had 50 morio worms and put them in a sealed container with air holes with some styrofoam. The idea is that they could eventually turn the styrofoam into a soil-like material through constant cycles of eating, digesting, and re-eating. To my surprise it worked, I did possibly forget about giving them a source of water, or nutrients after the first couple of weeks, so they did eventually die. Sorry guys. But along with a shell of styrofoam was a brown substrate (feces) with little to no traces of styrofoam left. In addition to that my recent batches of worms have been persistently trying to eat their way out of their container, which is rather annoying. But it seems they can eat through even harder plastics than I had originally thought.
Week 5 - Anything on my mind
This week with no prompt I'll admit it was hard to think of something for my weekly post. So I've decided to sit down and just write anything that comes to mind.Â
To start I have to say I was excited to see ânature interpretation through science as the topic of our lesson this week. I'm a little disappointed that the majority of the content was for the other assignments we were working on but it is what it is. Seeing as I want to work out in Canadian parks. Science, at least I figured, would've been the vast majority of what would've been used as a backbone for my excursions. Having gone through five weeks of this course's content it's evident I need to be more mindful of risk, privilege, and the differing skill levels of the guests. I've always assumed I would mix in the indigenous stories and mythos with the science talk to really paint a picture on nature walks. So Iâm a little surprised the science talk is a seemingly very small part of this course.Â
Something I had meant to mention in my initial post on this blog was that I live with a lizard. I felt that since this was a talk-about-anything kind of week this would be a good time to introduce him. His name is Echo, the leopard gecko. I love looking at Christmas lights and fingerpicking guitar. Because he only eats live insects I also have those guys living with me as well. Sometimes these little creatures, including Echo, are the only living beings other than my roommate I'll interact with in a day. So while they live with me, they are all wild creatures and it interesting observing how they go about life in a safe (relatively safe until they aren't in the case of the bugs) environment far from harm.
A thing that has bothered me, and please let me know if this bothers you all too, is that this course, ENVS 3000, a Distance education course, has components of the course that do not fit the format well. For instance, the synchronous meetings we must attend this week, which is only available for a few timeslots for different groups. This, in my case, had to be scheduled between five different group members to line up with the available time of the TA. I work part-time while taking a full course load, most of the time that isn't accounted for by classes, I'm working. The times given to us weren't released until after it was too late for me to book time off for this meeting. I think it's completely unreasonable for there to be any synchronous parts of a fully asynchronous class. Even the group work itself is on thin ice for me. What if a groupmate was taking this online class from a very different timezone? For the TLDR of that paragraph, the meetings are unreasonable and could've been an email chain with all groupmates ccâed.Â
Small aside as well, this whole Tumblr blog could've been on course link through the discussion posts like every other DE class, But I digress.Â
I didn't mean for this log to end up just being a complaint post, but I know some of you have been thinking the same thing.
Blog 4: The Artful Accessibility of Nature's Beauty
Artistic interpretation of nature is an intricate interaction between the interpreter, the audience, and the underlying beauty of the natural world. I see myself as a guide in my role as a nature interpreter, and I take inspiration from the ideas presented in the textbook's Chapter 5. This chapter places a strong emphasis on the role that interpretation plays in helping visitors form connections with their surroundings, especially when it comes to difficult concepts like climate change.
As an interpreter, I value the constructivist education theory because it recognizes that people create new knowledge by drawing on what they already know. By drawing connections between this theory and interpretative techniques, the focus moves from providing knowledge to helping guests engage in active learning. It involves leading them on an adventure where they can interact with nature directly and form their own opinions and experiences. I genuinely believe that anyone can use art to interpret nature because art is an inclusive form of expression. Compared to some media that require specialized understanding, art is appealing since it is available to everyone.
The chapter discusses Maria Montessori's philosophy, which aligns with the idea of letting people educate themselves. In the same way, interpreters should serve as facilitators rather than as authoritative figures, encouraging tourists to explore and learn. This supports the notion that interpretation is an interactive process in which viewers actively engage with the art, making interpretation a comprehensive and immersive experience.Â
Understanding "the gift of beauty" in the natural world is a complex process. It is exploring the intricate details of ecosystems and the fragile equilibrium of life, rather than just enjoying beautiful scenery on the surface. Discussing challenging topics, such as climate change, as part of interpretation is significant. This makes the beauty of nature a gift that requires care and consideration.
The beauty of natural landscapes is impacted by climate change, which is a major concern. An increasing temperature is causing changes in ecosystems, bloom patterns, and glacial retreats. As an interpreter, my job is to communicate these shifts while igniting action and hope rather than saddening people. As the chapter discusses, strategically framed discussions can be an effective means of conveying the complicated scientific implications related to climate change. Interpreters can make the problem accessible and inspire tourists to take up environmental stewardship by employing metaphors and locally relevant solutions.
In summary, I serve as a facilitator, a guide, and a catalyst for significant connections between people and the natural environment in my capacity as an interpreter of nature through art. The gift of beauty found in nature is more than just aesthetics; it is a call to action, an obligation to safeguard the delicate balance that keeps life on Earth alive.
The gift of beauty, after all, is a gift. A gift is not deserved, a gift is not required, and a gift is earned through the nurturing of relationships. The same goes for our planet. She does not owe us beautiful scenery with stunning biodiversity and awe-inspiring landscapes. We must nurture our relationship with the earth to earn this gift she provides to us. We used to have a fantastic relationship with our planet, then throughout history, we began to neglect her, treating her as a host that must care for our every need. We realized after a while that her resources are unlimited, sometimes the fish don't come back, and sometimes the soil and water can be forever ruined. What we can do as environmental scientists or nature interpreters is be the liaison of planet Earth. For she has no voice, yet we must have a conversation. As interpreters, it is our job to spread the word about the beauty of the earth, but we must also share how fleeting it is, especially in terms of climate change and habitat destruction. We are both interpreters and translators of nature and it is our duty to speak on behalf of the planet.Â
Week 4, Art and Nature
Who am I to interpret nature through art? Well, I am the observer, I am the audience. I am merely a student who yearns to see the world through the eyes of the artist. To interpret nature through art we are limited by what the artist chooses to show us. We can choose to go deeper and do a meta-analysis of the period the piece was made, and the socio-political views of the time. We can look into the prevalent scientific paradigms in that era, but ultimately we are only shown what the artist wants us, the audience, to see.Â
A piece of âartâ that immediately came to mind when reading this week's material was Vivaldiâs Four Seasons, likely due to my history with my old choir, which gave me the opportunity to perform a Vivaldi masterwork in Carnegie Hall, New York. Vivaldi wrote each piece in a way that, in my mind, perfectly construes the feeling of each of the seasons, with cold dissonance and harsh rhythms of winter, to the slow calm legato of summer. Even in Autumn, you can hear a mirroring of spring which comes directly after the last remnants of summer dissipate. While this may not be the usual view when asked how you interpret nature through art, I resonate with music more than paintings. The way a series of notes rhythms and volume levels can convey information and the feeling of a story being told by the composer is just fascinating to me. Lyrics or no lyrics, the message, meaning, or interpretation can still be understood.Â
As for the gift of beauty, discussed in the textbook, the principle reads, âInterpretation should instill in people the ability, and the desire, to sense the beauty in their surroundingsâto provide spiritual uplift and to encourage resource preservationâ. My interpretation of the gift of beauty is the ability to find oneself in a sense of awe just by viewing (or hearing) something you find beautiful. This obviously will vary from person to person, I personally find the ocean of great beauty, and I'll find myself watching the tides for hours just basking in its vastness, feeling at home. While others are terrified of the sea and want absolutely nothing to do with it. Some people find peace and tranquility deep in a forest, while others are filled with panic and dread. I guess ultimately beauty is all up for interpretation, and thatâs what makes it beautiful. There are no concrete criteria that make something beautiful, it changes depending on who you ask. But often for everyone, there will be some aspect of nature that fills you with a sense of beauty, and with that feeling comes another, one of protectiveness. A desire to preserve this beauty so that others can experience the same, may that be your friends or family, future or present.Â
I leave you with this, what do you find beauty in? And why? Don't just give me physical attributes, but tell me what it reminds you of, how it makes you feel.
Till next week o7
Privilege and the environment.
Hi everyone,
So far in this course, we've covered topics surrounding our future and aspirations in nature interpretation and what it means to us. I expected to continue this trend, exploring lighthearted topics and talking to my peers about why we all love nature. Opening this week's topic, I was surprised but excited to explore how privilege affects the interpretation of the world of nature. To me, privilege is the inherent advantages or disadvantages one receives from being born into a specific group; this could be their skin colour, gender, abled-bodied, or even the language one was brought up with.
With any interpretation role, being able to synthesize information for a wide variety of audiences is at the forefront of their responsibilities. Being fluent in English is a requirement for this job (In English-speaking countries) and can be a significant barrier to entry for an immigrant who lacks this ability. Additionally, being a nature interpreter in Canada often requires a post-secondary degree or at least a substantial amount of professional experience which can be often difficult to get without connections.
 Another role that privileges play is having access to the natural spaces required to foster that understanding of nature required to be an effective interpreter. Individuals who grow up in less privileged families and communities may not have access to these natural spaces. As a nature interpreter who was privileged enough to grow up in a household where exploring our natural spaces came easily and going to university was never a financial struggle, it's important to recognize that privilege so I can use the skills I've learned to combat that and make sure my services are accessible for everyone.
Privilege affects all aspects of our modern world; understanding your own privilege and how to use that to better the lives of those around you is crucial for not only nature interpretation but all stems of our lives.
While reading your post I was reminded of a very key thing I forget often, between the stress of assignments and work, I may be earning this degree for myself, but I'm getting this degree to help others. I am using the privilege I have of being able to go to university, to put myself in a position to help others who may not have been as privileged. I want to provide this information I've learned to people in a more targeted and accessible way. I recognize that even that sentiment is a want for me, but I intend to use what I learn in this course specifically to ensure communication in ways so that everyone can benefit without being pushed too far.
I welcome this sort of deeper more uncomfortable discussion because it forces us to step back and take a more critical look at ourselves and others. It's lessons like these where we may change our way of thinking a little. It's lessons like these that I hope most of us will keep with us in every aspect of our lives. Â
Another thing I started thinking about due to your post is the language of upbringing and how we take that for granted here in Canada. English is one of the world's trade languages. Many countries enforce learning English as a second language in their schools. But that's beside the point. For the most part, new immigrants must have at least functional English or French in order to immigrate, but that doesn't include refugees taking asylum here. My best friend came as a refugee from Syria, had his dad not already been working with an international graphic design company I'm sure their move here would have been a lot harder than it already was for them.
Anyways, thanks for the thought-provoking post!
week 3 - Privilege
This week's readings sparked many conversations between myself and friends, in this course and not, mostly about the invisible backpack idea and the $100 race video. I found myself realizing by talking with friends that I had what some would consider to be a rough upbringing, at least relative to them. Most of the details I'd rather not put out on the internet for anyone to see, and I don't want this to be a pity thing anyway. I bring it up because I had a realization; that I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I want to be clear that I know there are others who struggled much worse than I did growing up. I am a Canadian-born, white, cis-gendered man, and I recognize there is a privilege to that. I just wanted to talk about how the race imagery really resonated with me. We're all running the same race in university, and in life, but some have to run longer and faster to reach the same point, and that's just how it is. There's no reason to resent the people ahead of you in the race and there is no need to pity the people behind you. We are in this race, or more so a journey, together.
To me, privilege is relative to the situation, but in general, it is characteristic of someone who has an advantage over another in some aspect due to a specific characteristic or experience. A common example is white privilege, where not only does being white in a nation like Canada shield you from being racially discriminated against but the laws of this country were often written in a way that benefits white people in particular. One could have privilege relative to another in a financial aspect, and because of that may have had more opportunities to play sports, learn skills, do better in school, get a higher paying job, etc. As a nature interpreter, we must recognize not only our own privilege but the privilege or lack thereof of our audience, to ensure they benefit from the experience we provide. While in general people who choose to go on a hike with a nature interpreter may want to be there, there's no guarantee they may have the experience or skills we might assume them to have. Therefore we must be mindful of the areas we choose to go to. Perhaps we want to cross a river by walking across a fallen tree. We might assume that since the water is relatively calm, even if someone were to fall in, they should be able to swim across anyway. But maybe one of the people we are leading never learned how to swim, making that river crossing an extreme risk we didn't account for.Â
The point of the matter is, everyone deserves to be treated equitably in an interpreter-led excursion. Iâm curious to see if yâall have the same view as me, or maybe there's something you'd like to add.
Till next week
o7
My Ideal Environmental Interpreter
An interpreter is someone who can enlighten and teach others about a specific topic, in this case an environmental interpreter would be sharing perspective on their particular field of specialty in the natural world. To give it an alternative view, as according to Tilden's Principles, information alone is not interpretation. Therefore the ideal interpreter cannot simply be relaying their knowledge onto others, but showing others how this knowledge came to be and guiding them through making the same observations. If I were to go into nature completely unknown, I would hope that my interpreter allows me to make mistakes. It is a cornerstone of learning, making mistakes allows your mind to correct them and form stronger connections and memories. Interpretation should also tell a story, encapsulating the entire essence of the forest with people who can be related to and the audience can draw similarities from.
But what if that interpreter were me? I would dream of being able to interpret the trails of the Canadian Shield, particularly as they approach Niagara. This area is rich in history of native plants and animals returning following the last glacial movement, which also allowed for the creation of massive cliff faces and rock formations along the greenbelt. I would follow my own advice, allowing for audiences to take in the scenery as much as I could without bombarding them with information. However, my storytelling skills would definitely have to improve, as I tell the story from the time just after the retreating glacier. Where the ancestors of the same plants and animals they see today fought for their place in the landscape. I would hope to target children with this story, as it would give them a glimpse into the past of where they live, while also hoping to establish respect for nature. I would tell this story as we walk over the massive rocks and cliffs asking if they knew how the cliffs formed in the first place. These teaching moments wouldn't just be information dumps but laying the background to the stories told. I would hope to get across a theme with my interpretation, where the children feel as though this natural area is special and should not be disturbed by human encroachment. This could be done by comparing the land we stood on to their suburban and urban homes, which not so long ago looked like this.
In this ideal role, I would hope to make a change. However that isn't truly the role of an interpreter. It should be said that even if the message of the tour doesn't get across it is not a failure. Maybe they came up with a new interpretation themselves, and new perspective is something that interpreters are always trying to achieve.
Hello!
While reading your blog post this week I couldn't help but draw similarities between your ideal interpreter and one of my favourite shows growing up, Survivorman. It's a show starred in and produced by Les Stroud, a Canadian who travels the world and purposely puts himself in different survival situations for a week or more alone essentially to show the watcher what you could do if you find yourself in similar situations. Even though throughout the show he is actually in these survival situations, where he may be starving or lost, or freezing to death, he always finds the energy to film himself giving little lessons on the land. the whole show is his way of sharing knowledge on the land framed as a story that he is living through. this knowledge is often provided to him by the natives of the region before going out into the wilderness. and while he is a white Canadian man, he is one of the most respectful of indigenous cultures I've ever seen in TV media. he tells the stories of the land to the audience as he was told by his indigenous guides. he does his survival in the traditional way of the land, often explaining the different aspects of the land via the indigenous stories. Anyway, while he does not set out to be a nature interpreter, what he does in his shows is similar to how I view an ideal one to be. As you said, one who not only shares the knowledge, but tells how it came to be, the rich history behind it, and the future ahead.
