Interpretations

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Blog Disclaimer

This blog was created for ENVS3000, University of Guelph. 

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

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

[anenvs3000f23]

final blog post

My interest in nature interpretation stems from the same ethics that sparked my interest in studying the environment in the first place. I hold a strong belief that the current global focus should be on the preservation and conservation of the environment. It is with this belief that I found enjoyment in studying sociology, hence declaring it as my minor. As I continued my studies in biology and sociology, I found the two subjects to be more entwined than expected. Without going into much detail, a clear link can be drawn from the profit over people status quo to the blatant unwillingness of governments to take serious action against the climate crisis. With this, I believe that education can be one of the most important tools in popularizing a vested interest environmental conservation. I think nature interpretation, in its many forms, makes for an excellent substrate to do so. A staple of good nature interpretation is finding a way to make deeper connections with your audience rather than bombard them with facts. Doing so makes space for people to feel inspired by the knowledge they receive. As such, nature interpretation has the ability to inspire people to become stewards of their environment; whether that be localized to a pollinator garden in your front lawn or expanded to organizing whole communities as a united front against climate change. While I have strong beliefs on this front, I believe it is important to remain as neutral as possible while interpreting. All people, regardless of personal or political beliefs deserve quality nature interpretation. However, an important distinction should be made between catering to diverse audiences and skewing the truth for the sake of comfort of convenience.  

            Subsequently, the role of nature interpreter comes with some inherent responsibilities. I believe interpreters have a responsibility to ensure interpretive material is truthful. As educators, interpreters hold some level of power over their audiences in that their word is often taken as fact. As such, interpretation can become a powerful tool in the spread of misinformation. Hence, interpreters hold a responsibility to educate with evidence-backed information. Consequentially, I believe it is important to acknowledge when you, as an interpreter, are unsure of an answer. I believe a good interpreter will use a gap in their knowledge as an opportunity for learning. If there is information available, the interpreter could spend time finding the answer with their audience, encouraging good methods of research. Alternatively, if there is no way to immediately find an answer, a speculative answer can be deduced by using overarching concepts. In my experience as a nature interpreter, the ladder option is most well received by guests. It brings overarching biological concepts to the forefront of the conversation allowing them to be applied to other examples. Beyond this, a nature interpreter is also responsible for the safety of their audience. People from all different walks of life attend interpretive events. In the case of outdoor interpretation, this can elevate the amount of risk involved. Even a seemingly easy hike may become dangerous for some if they attend in improper footwear, for example. Taking this into account is the responsibility of the nature interpreter. Precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of all attendees. For the example given, reminders could be sent out about attire, backup footwear could be provided, or an interpretive program could be altered to suit the needs of the current audience.

            When I initially enrolled in this course I had already worked as a nature interpreter for about six months. As such, I was convinced I would already be knowledgeable in the concepts we have covered in this course. I was undoubtedly incorrect in that thought as I have learned a plethora of methods to improve my interpretation. As of current, I interpret at a butterfly conservatory that focuses on tropical species of butterflies as well as other tropical plants and animals. Here I can apply many of the concepts from this course, I have become more aware of the diverse audiences I interpret to an adjusted my material accordingly. I have dabbled in incorporating art into my interpretive materials, usually with illustrations or pictures pertaining to nature. However, this is not my ideal position as a nature interpreter; I have a deep, profound love for the native flora and fauna of Canada. As such, I wish to spark the same connection with nature in others. Furthermore, I enjoy being outside and in nature, even in our Canadian winters. I believe I would be best suited to an outdoor approach to nature interpretation where there is easy access to hands-on learning. I believe being able to see, touch, listen, or even taste the nature you are being interpreted to about will leave a longer lasting impression that may blossom into a lifelong passion.

            My experience in this course has taught me the importance of quality nature interpretation. The ability to spark interest in a subject that might otherwise be overlooked is a valuable skill and should be recognized as such. Nature interpretation reveals to people what was always there but went unnoticed. This could be something as large or as old as geological formations in bedrock, or as fleeting as an amalgamation of slime mould on a food source. As such nature interpretation provides a valuable public service that any interpreter should be proud to take part in.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Hello @anenvs3000f23,

You are the first blog which I have read that looks at a global focus.  I had not thought of this approach but I like it.  I think a benefit of this is that it is very inclusive and highlights that we are all in this together.  I think that your simple and direct phrasing that, “…the current global focus should be on the preservation and conservation of the environment”, meets your goal to build a connection with your audience as it provides an immediate foundation for your individual or community groups to develop their own ideas from.

I truly appreciate your comment about the difference between being considerate of audience members and reinterpreting information just to appease them.  I personally have had discomfort in one of my other courses where I see all nuance of a piece of subject matter ignored to avoid any potential cultural offense.  I find this very unfortunate because I think it can limit the amount of information which is shared and therefore limit an audience member’s ability to understand the issue and think critically about it for themselves.

And I love your idea to use the interpreter’s lack of knowledge on a topic as a research learning experience for the group.  That is so good!  I especially like that it could develop confidence in participants to do their own research.

I completely agree with you, this course has taught us many things which we can take away into future roles.  I am excited to apply them and I hope you continue to engage in nature interpretation!

[secenvs3000w23]

Final Blog Post

To me, ethics are used in every aspect of my life whether it be with school, work, life at home and more and it all involves being an overall good person or at least attempting to try to be. I’ve really thought about putting forth the most effort and integrity I could especially now that as I’m an adult, this is the type of person I would like to be. I definitely would want a world filled with more people that at least try to be good human beings. Since the start of my degree in September 2019, I’ve always tried to put school first by always doing assignments and tests with academic integrity. Acting with integrity makes me feel like a good person and to me that is the most important thing. With work, I always do my very best and it like to think that I am trying to be the best person I can be when I am serving guests. At home, I like to always try to stay on top of chores because I know that there’s more than just me living in this house and I feel that others would appreciate a clean environment. I like to do my chores once, and I do them right, so I do not have to fix or do it over again a second time. So, in total, I like to think that in the most of my everyday life, I like to think that I have a great moral compass and ethic.

 I also think I consciously use my ethics in everyday life to be the best person and that makes me happy. I think I am trying to do my part for the environment, even though I think it’s just a drop in the bucket. I like to do my best to recycle everything. I do use a compost bin even though it gets really gross and I always want to throw it out, but I feel like I’m really doing something. I did look into getting an electric car, but I was told that if I were to even buy a new car and sell my old one, it wouldn’t make sense because of all the fossil fuels that have been used into the creation of the new car anyways. I believe that I bring my best efforts for others and for the environment and especially for future generations, I feel that as a person I do my very best while trying to get others on board even with paper straws. I do feel like that everyone is capable of doing their very best to save the environment and reduce greenhouse gases, but I also believe everyone has their own views and values, and that should be looked at as a perspective as well (as much as I do not agree). I feel like it’s everyone’s responsibility to at least try to do their part because we all live together in one world. I think that I am going to take my own ethics and urge of responsibility for my future career in conservation. I think that I would be a person that would feel fulfilled by pursuing a career in trying to protect endangered species and protect their well-being and longevity for the future. I think that because I have taken conservation, biology and environmental based courses will really give me the tools I’ll need for the future. I think that more people should be interested in giving the best Earth for the future generations because what kind of world would anyone want to live in if the quality is so poor? Like what is it going to take? Like how sad. I sometimes get really frustrated when people don’t have the same views as I do unfortunately. It definitely takes more than one person to save the world. I remember going to “grade 5 camp” for 3 days a long time ago and one day we took a hike and were placed in different areas to journal about whatever we wanted to talk about. I remember thinking about nature and how quiet and peaceful it was and feeling really connected to the world around me. That memory makes me think about how people can walk through such a beautiful forest and not think about wanting to protect it and preserve the life within it and how the creatures big or small deserve to live in world they did not disturb?

To be clear, the beliefs that I bring is I believe that we as a species are capable of creating a future that looks healthy and has potential to thrive for future generations. I think that it starts with government. I believe that the government has the most power to implement laws and regulations. I would like to think that the government is really trying to make all cars electric by the year 2050 but I wonder what else is going to affect the environment within that time frame? Is making all cars electric by the year 2050 worth it or too far in the future? I wish that trash disposal was more accessible for the public. For example, driving to my parent’s house in a neighborhood for over 20 years, I see piles of discarded garbage and mattresses on the side of the country roads makes me so angry about pollution. I called the city, but they have no plan to fix this reoccurring issue! They just said someone will get back to me and never did. I think we could be doing better but as one person I don’t know how to fix it on my own. I never see by-law or any law enforcement reinforcing any preventative dumping laws. I think my responsibilities include doing my part of not polluting, reducing my carbon footprint if possible, recycling, composting and reporting any concerns I see to someone with greater power while trying not to overly push my beliefs onto others is doing my part! I hope one day we could all agree that the world needs our help today and that we need to start putting in more effort to combat climate change and create a world where people can go out into nature and appreciate and enjoy the environment around them.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

 Hi @secenvs3000w23,

I appreciate your focus on integrity.  It sounds like this focus drives you to a few additional outcomes primarily consideration for others as well as leading by example.

I see your consideration for others when you refer to doing your household chores as well as in working to reduce your environmental impact on future generations.

I was interested that you also see your efforts as leading by example.  I really love this mentality for two reasons.  First, it shows that you are taking action.  Thank you.  Second, I think this helps to normalise behaviours for others who are not yet doing them, making it more likely they will try.

I really like learning about your interest for your future career.  Wildlife conservation sounds so interesting and important.  One of the things which I really appreciate about wildlife conservation work, is that a large part of it is interpreting the experience of the protected species to the public. 

Also, I can completely relate to feeling frustrated when people have different views about our responsibility to the environment.  I think that your approach of trying to respect other perspectives and focus on your own actions is a very healthy one.  It can be very defeating to try to change other people because no matter how hard we try, we may have no discernable impact.  We can only change our own actions.

Thanks again for taking action.  I really appreciate that you have reached out to your municipality to try and make change.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 10

Blog Prompt: 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?

Well, this has been the hardest blogpost to write.  I have tried writing it multiple times and it never feels right because I cannot find a way to capture all the reasons why this topic matters to me.  So the below is a selection of ideas which, I hope, at least flow well together.

Through nature interpretation, I hope to expose others to new perspectives both of the world around them and how they themselves fit into the world around them.  My personal ethos is that we absorb learning and are able to develop new perspectives when we are active in the learning process.

We often think about nature interpretation starting with the natural world, whether that is by going directly into a natural habitat and observing what we see; or by presenting information about the natural world within a classroom type context.  I want to start the journey in the world in which my participants live.  I want to start with common direct experiences; consider the immediate results of these; and then how species and habitats are impacted by these consequences.  

For example, many people purchase a coffee each morning in a disposable cup; we can consider the garden soil, explore one of the key ingredients, peat, in terms of where it comes from; and then learn about species impacted by it being removed.  I am interested in this approach because I think that by tying what is happing in other habitats to our daily actions we are more likely to develop a sense of personal connection to those habitats and the species in them.

To deliver this format of nature interpretation, I need a couple of foci in my delivery.  One is to actively engage participants through questioning.  What do you see?  What do you think is happening here?  What do you like about this?  What do you dislike?  How do you think this impacts your daily life?  How do you feel about this situation? 

Responding to a question demands that we consider what we have been told; what we have observed; our existing knowledge and beliefs; or all of these things together.

Second, and foundational to the first, is through promoting and enabling a ‘safe’ environment for learning.  To do this, I need to put the responsibility on myself.  I do and will continue to need to educate myself on communication skills and learning methods; as well as be open to feedback; and awareness of my non-verbal messaging through tone and body language.  I do not believe that I can create a safe space for others to be vulnerable – ask questions and share ideas – unless I can do the same in a way that is still professional.

I would like to deliver nature interpretation personally to an individual or small group as well as through a focused website with related social media. 

This plan will demand practicing many learnings from this course.  The one that scares me the most, “Don’t be Boring” a lesson for social media interpretation from our textbook on p.169.  I think this is where I will feel the most overwhelmed because I don’t use social media in my personal life. 

The part which I am really looking forward to is writing material for verbal delivery whether I decide to do it as a podcast (😉), youtube video or presentation.  I have particularly liked working on our podcase project because it has been great practise for what I am working toward.  We discuss a living species, bumblebees, which is presented in even highly urbanised settings.  We include discussion of our observations of bumblebees in our daily lives; we introduce science to increase understanding of bumblebees and how we know about them; and we share what people can do to support bumblebee populations which conversely can also communicate some of our detrimental impacts on them. 

I love how this brings science and environmental studies together.  I will return to the article by Wels.

I also love the feeling of empowerment that we can receive through learning.  I do not want to focus on disposable coffee cups or astroterfing gardens to guilt anyone.  Our climate crisis is real and scary.  Our convenience culture is ingrained in us to the point of being an assumption of what we want rather than a considered choice. 

I hope that by delivering nature interpretation in an engaging way helps participants to develop observational skills, critical thinking skills, knowledge and a sense of connection to the world around them.  I believe that a lack of empowerment on this topic is detrimental to our mental health, confidence, self-worth, and thus can leave us paralysed.  I want to be a part of a cultural change where we move to defining ourselves by our thoughts, values and experiences rather than by what we own or our aesthetics.

To this end, I really appreciate the quote by Mike Watson in the textbook, “interpretation is management” (Beck, 2018, p. 459).  From my work experience, I agree with the greater concept – through successes and many failures – that planning, objective setting and openness to new and creative ideas is essentially to meeting delivery goals (Beck, 2018, p. 459).  If I am to deliver what I hope both in regards to content, experience and take-aways, then I need to do all this work so that my participants can benefit from it rather than try to figure out what I am trying to do.

I have not done well on the blogpost element of this course.  I would like to confirm that this is not due to a lack of interest in the course, it has been an unfortunate result of personal priorities.  I am not writing this for extra credit, I am writing it to give recognition where it is due and highlight the most important thing I need to bring to this endeavour.  The feedback and willingness to share and support that our instructors have shown is evidence that they genuinely want us to learn from this course.  They want us to leave with more skills and understanding than we came to them with.  In addition to the obvious learning from our projects and readings, I have learned through their modelling.  I want to continue learning and developing past this course and I hope that participants I may have, leave my programming with the same interest.  My intent is genuine and any success I have with others, relies on that.

Thank you instructors and fellow developing nature interpreters 😊

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 9

Week 9

Blog prompt:

Interpret (through this blog) the most amazing thing you know about nature – get us excited. This is your blog – you audience isn’t out in the field with you so bring the field to your armchair reader.

So far, this is the most challenging blog prompt for me to respond to.  How do I choose one thing as the most amazing?  Trees communicate with each other through fungal networks.  The echidna is a mammal that lays eggs (and it’s adorable).

So what can I choose?  If I am led by emotion, then I would choose the wonder of nature.  There is no one species or process that I can select because they are all fascinating.   If you doubt me, then you should know that I find the rock cycle fascinating.  That two simple factors of pressure and heat can change a flat landscape into a mountain range, or granite into sand is awesome.  But, to be honest, sand doesn’t really get me going.

A habitat.  The mash-up of different plants and animals, microbes and soil composition, oxygen content and pH, which all together form a dependently functioning a space of life and activity is magical.  My wonder and amazement are sparked when I see the interactivity of so many factors within these environments.

So I will dive deeper and focus on the habitat of the bog.  This habitat is new to me and captivates me because in the area of a bog we can walk through hundreds, if not thousands, of years of history.

Bogs, as defined in my Ecology textbook, are “peat-forming wetlands with precipitation being the source of water entering the system” (Molles, 2020).  This definition is accurate but not very interesting.  So let’s dig in.  Bogs develop from open, contained water sources, starting with invasion by sedges, mosses and shrubs which create a vegetative mat expanding as they grow on the surface of the water.  Over time, these plant material die, fall and build up.  The water in bogs has little to no oxygen content which limits flora to only a small number of species adapted to grow there.  The low oxygen also severely restricts decay because the microorganisms which cause decay cannot survive in the environment.  So slowly, as the vegetative debris builds up, certain trees like tamarack and black spruce begin to grow.  And eventually we have forests where there were once ponds. (Strickland, 2022). 

Bogs are home to many carnivorous plants as well as equally well adapted birds such as the spruce grouse, known for being one of the few species that can live on evergreen needles. 

You can, with patience, quiet and binoculars, see these species but also see habitat history as you walk through a bog area because the changes occur soooooooo slowly.  Walking to the centre of a bog from established forest is like walking back in time.

If you go on one adventure to learn something new, please consider the Spruce Bog Boardwalk Trail in Algonquin.  I loved this trail which was a shock because it is an easy walk rather than a demanding hike.  But I had the chance to walk through history.  And thanks to the beavers, the centre of this bog will likely stay at the early stage of development for as long as they are there. The trail also has such great information – or should I say nature interpretation – which engages throughout.

For other bog walks in southern Ontario, check out https://ontarionaturetrails.com/trail-features/bog/.

Citations

Molles, M. C., & Laursen, A. (2020). Ecology : concepts and applications (Fifth Canadian Edition.). McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Strickland, D. (2022).  Spruce Bog Boardwalk: Algonquin Spruce Bog Ecology. Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

[mnenvs3000fa23]

Blog #7 Nature Interpretation through Music

Blog Prompt:

Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music? What song takes you immediately back to a natural landscape? 

👇🏼

Music is everywhere in nature. The sounds of Crickets, Wildlife calls in the middle of the night, the sounds of rain etc. it’s a never-ending list. As I was studying this week’s content i came across Tilden’s third principle of interpretation, which goes:” Interpretation is an art, which combines many arts…” This quote prompted me to think the idea that it is up to us to interpret whatever is in front of us, and it truly is an art to dive deeply into these interpretations and uncover connections. 

There is no box that can describe music. Music essentially, is a sound that nourishes the soul. when a stream of water meets the edge of a stone, it creates a rhythm with drops falling one after another. The flow of tides is a rhythm that has been blessing earth’s ears since the dawn of time. 

Through my research about this topic i came across a term called “Biomusic”. As you might assume, Biomusic is simply the music that is created by nature. these sounds can be as simple as a waterfall or more complicated like “Plant Waves” a technology that transforms plant biorhythms into music. Below i have attached a link to a video of the Music that mushrooms can make. 

If you have spent a night in the woods camping, you have definitely experienced and know that there is always natural music playing;  Sometimes near dawn sorrows sing along with the crickets and all of a sudden the wind blows and leaves start to rustle and fill the experince with a beautiful background ambient sound.  Below I have attached a personal video which I think is the perfect example of music in nature.

if you ask me where is nature in music? I would ask you if you have ever heard the music of indigenous people. According to Ethnomusicology, indigenous people employ music as a way to show their appreciation of wildlife and the environment. Music did not develop overnight and musical instruments are some of the most fascinating things to look at when we are looking for signs from nature. The oldest musical instrument found has been made out of a bird’s skeleton and is about 70,000 years old. Nowadays, we still depend on nature to create instruments such as xylophones and drums. The idea of creating flutes has been influenced by the. sound of birds. As a result, nature is to be found everywhere in music both as an influence and physically.

I agree with this week’s content about the fact that we have learnt that music is either entertainment t or educational and this was an opportunity for me to take a look more deeply and combine these two. It depends on our perspective as to what to interpret.

The song “Whale” By Iday takes me back to this scenery where i see a vast ocean in winter, I can imagine myself looking at the ocean from a cabin and hearing all the wildlife calls. It takes me back to winter because despite the fact that the land is hibernating, the life inside the ocean is lively and the whales are singing.

This song does not have any lyrics and is a Biomusic that has used the sound of whales to create a masterpiece that human lyrics could never.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Hi Morvarid,

Thank you for your post. I had never thought of music in some of the ways you describe.

We both mention whale music in our posts and I imagine that this is one of the examples which many people can relate to as it is one of the most similar natural sounds to the sounds we humans make with instruments, including our own voices.

I also really like how you mention instruments being created from objects of nature as well as being created to emulate nature. I think the connection between what we think of as music and the sounds of nature can be a stretch for many people. But when you refer to flutes being created to mimic the sounds of birds, I think this is a great place to start making sense of that connection. There are so many different notes, tones, tempos and dynamics in bird calls and birdsong. The dripping of water or rain as you videoed is a great place to introduce percussion in nature.

I will admit that I am on the fence about biomusic, so I particularly appreciate your discussion on this. My question is always, if we cannot hear it, is it music? If we need to add technology to make it audible, is it really the species making the "music" or is it us?

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 7 - Hear the music

Blog Prompt: Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?

One of the most powerful songs I have heard which connected me to nature, and specifically the imbalanced power dynamic of humans and the natural world, is Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi.  It broke my heart that a beautiful, natural space would be covered in concrete.  While there is more to the song, the image that sits in my mind is of a massive parking lot, in the middle of beautiful fields, desolate of people and cars.  It is an image of thoughtlessness and entitlement.

I think that the power of music is how it can give us new ideas while also engaging our with our own experiences and imaginations.

Another consideration for the importance of music in any type of interpretation is that we often listen to music simply for the type of sound.  We usually pick music to listen to based on a genre and the lyrics are secondary.

I used to (and still do) love listening to the song Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil because it sounded so ‘hard-core’ (I was young) and therefore cool.  But I mostly listened to it as background and only sang along with the main chorus; I didn’t fully understand all the lyrics.  I only became consciously aware of the true intention of the song when I saw an interview with the band discussing their early engagement with the climate crisis – the song was released in 1987.  I realised that while I did not fully understand the lyrics until then, I did have a sense of the intention: acknowledgement of our cost to the planet, our responsibility to nature and our apparent inability to escape a cycle of denial.

When I think of nature and music, I think of human-made music with lyrics about nature, such as the examples above.  I do not think of the sounds of nature as suggested by the reading “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music”.  I appreciate this article because it reminded me of a film I watched in elementary school: Tadpole and the Whale (La grenouille et la baleine).  The main character, a young girl, could hear the whales when she floated in the water.  I thought this was amazing and I was in love with the idea.  I will admit that I have yet to build up the nerve to submerge myself in the Gulf of St Lawrence to try and hear them too.

But I am reminded by all of this that one of my favourite sounds – pieces of music? – to listen to is the wind in the leaves.  I rarely sit and do nothing except listen to music.  If it is on then I am doing something else as well; reading, writing, cooking, singing along and dancing, but never just listening.  The wind in the leaves on the other hand, I make time and space to do nothing but listen to.

I really like the idea of engaging people in nature interpretation with their sense of hearing.  Whether it is recommending music so that someone can have a ‘soft’ introduction to a nature concept or giving guests a different opportunity to connect with the natural world around them.  Music or sound is a unique way of engaging which does not rely on delivery of facts or visual observation, it can simply be an experience.

[mcenvs3000f23]

Nature In Mexico- Blog 5

I had the opportunity to experience Cancun, Mexico's distinctive natural beauty over the Thanksgiving holiday. Along the hotel strip, my family and I stayed at a resort with a breathtaking ocean view. Throughout my visit, I came across unusual species along the beaches, which piqued my curiosity because the biodiversity in Mexico differs greatly from that in Ontario.

The resort where we were staying had a turtle reserve on the beach to guarantee the safety of the turtle eggs hatching. Cancun's authorities became aware of the turtles' vulnerabilities and launched conservation efforts to watch over and safeguard their nests.  In Mexico, the beaches are full of sandy shorelines that make the ideal nesting grounds for the many turtle species. To safeguard the regions of the beaches where turtles lay their eggs, some of them were gated off.  You can approach the fence's side and look at the turtles' nests there. Each nest included a sign identifying the species, the number of eggs, the day the eggs were set, and the anticipated hatching date. Even though I missed the nesting process, I learned about it while I was there. The tradition of female turtles going back to the beaches where they were hatched to lay eggs is preserved by their excellent sense of navigation. Then they create enormous holes, lay their eggs within, and then cover the openings to conceal the nest. When the turtles hatch, they come out of the nest and head for the ocean, following the moonlight as they do so. This family excursion was made even more memorable by learning that the hotel district in Cancun serves as a haven for these amazing aquatic creatures. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to take part in this unique natural activity. 

I also studied the intricate and intriguing subject of palm tree reproduction during this holiday. The reproduction of palm trees varies depending on the species, but in Cancun, there are male and female varieties. The majority of these palm trees go through a flowering period during which the male palm trees produce tiny flowers that release pollen, which is then carried to the female palm trees by the wind. The female trees are the ones that generate coconuts; palm tree seeds found in coconuts are what allow the trees to reproduce. Additionally, the hard outer shell of the coconut makes it possible for people to disperse them along many different shores, which explains the widespread distribution of palm trees.

 During my time in Mexico, I was fortunate to see a wide range of natural phenomena. Like sea turtles, palm trees in Mexico are a component of a stunning ecosystem that I recently had the pleasure of visiting. My curiosity about nature was further piqued by seeing the turtle sanctuary and admiring the trees that lined the lovely beach.  Experiencing this time in Mexico made me realize how fortunate we are to have such a diverse range of wildlife in the world and how much more there is to see outside of our region. 

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your experience of another part of the world!  Your post reminds me of how great it is that we can take our nature appreciation and curiosity anywhere we are.

It is really good hear that conservation efforts are being practiced in a tourist area which is often used for various types of recreation.  When I think about natural space and recreation in Canada, I typically think of hiking where we are restricted by where the trails lead.  I had not thought of practicing conservation in such an open recreational area like a beach.  It is interesting to hear how they make this possible.

I was very curious to read your statement “that the hotel district in Cancun serves as a haven for” the turtles.  I would be interested to better understand how this works.  Do they support the conservation efforts?  Does the presence of the resorts protect the beach from other types of development or usage?

I was just in Algonquin and while I also missed the ‘season’ for seeing some of the more active aspects of the wildlife, they provided lots of text and visual information for me to learn from.  I like how the course content has flowed and that it fits in with both of our experiences.  As we just finish unit 6 to learn about methods of using writing to communicate nature interpretation.

I am very glad you had such a good experience on your vacation and I hope you will share more about the approaches to conservation which you observed.  It is so helpful to learn about different perspectives and approaches.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 6 - What don't we remember?

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)

This quote is speaking my language.  As soon as I reached the word integrity, I was in.

My dad has always messaged the importance of integrity to us and others.  This always meant being a constant person, constant in how you treat people and set standards but in reading this quote I recognise that he translated this to how we treated things as well.  He still polishes his shoes and maintains his very first baseball glove from 1952(ish). 

The allusion in this quote to both how easy and ridiculous it is to forget history also resonates with me.  I will never forget all the news on the challenges the U.S. and allied military were facing after 9-11 when they went into Afghanistan and my Classics professor said, “if they had only read the histories of Alexander the Great, they would have known what they were in for.”  We are arrogant to think we are ever the first.

While this quote resonated strongly with me on first reading, it was not until I made these reflections that I could see connection with Nature Interpretation and human impact on the environment.

For many of us who are interested in environmental studies, we are also trying to take daily action in our lives to reduce our environmental impact.  In doing this we are often trying to live up to ever moving standards as our ideas of how to live this lifestyle are quickly and constantly changing.  We run head-first into the quagmire of personal integrity.  We are constantly learning new ways to reduce our impacts but also still living in our current society and infrastructure.  It can often feel that we are trying to make it up as we go.  I think this is where a lack of knowledge of historical daily life might be lacking.

My parents were both born in the 1940’s and I think I was lucky enough to grow up with many of their practices.  They did not buy cleaning clothes, they used old clothes.  They did not buy new when something broke, they repaired it.  They did not buy ready meals, they cooked from scratch (less packaging).  We did not get rid of imperfect fruit, we made jam and applesauce.  These practices are my normal but our “convenience culture” has pushed many of them out of common memory.

The text says that, “…we also interpret history and preserve memories so that by looking at the past, people will be called to seek a better future…”, (Beck, 2018, p327).  This has been my experience with the interpretive and personal experiences I have had.  This is why interpretation excites me.  Because if can communicate my knowledge of our history and our natural world, then maybe someone will be inspired and set on an optimistic journey to discover more and make changes in their daily life.

I leave you with a recommendation for an historic (and many times nature) interpretive/documentary series from the BBC: The Green Valley, Edwardian Farm, Victorian Farm, Wartime Farm, Tudor Monastery Farm (all available on YouTube).  Archaeologists and historians experience farming and farmlands in the U.K. in various time periods.  I found Wartime Farm particularly interesting because it looks at a time when many modern practices were introduced and learnings from that experience which have already been forgotten.

[jmenvs3000f23]

Nature is art and we, (yes you!) are nature 🖼️🌷🫂(U4)

I was never necessarily interested in going to art galleries as a kid, but man, did I beg to go to the museum. A building with a collection of natures finest treasures and cryptic oddities sounded like a fun place the second I learned what it was, but I guess the beautiful art of paintings and sculptures didn’t quite do it for me. Even now, I much prefer museums to galleries (incoming likely an extremely controversial take🚨🚨🚨), with my personal trips to the Toronto ROMs natural history exhibit and my experience of seeing the Mona Lisa and other works in Paris’ Louvre being almost equally as exciting. (I will accept any science nerd comments with dignity, I know my truth.)

Thinking about who I am to interpret both nature through art and the gift of beauty, I’ve learned to notice that my perspective in nature interpretation sits on the intersection of science and art. In my opinion, it’s crucial to recognize that when interpreting, you don’t have to pick one or the other since they often compliment each other tremendously. In this week’s readings, I thought the quote “Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty,” is a perfect summary of how I feel I was initially drawn to nature; but I suspect my strong personal preference to the living art comes from the many why’s and how’s to be asked of it. While the answer “because the artist thought so” is perfectly acceptable to me in most cases when inquiring about a painting or something, the questions begging to be asked by nature- like where it comes from or why it does something- inspire me to take part on a much deeper level. Furthermore, with an ongoing education in zoology, concepts like evolutionary theory sort of promote the “everything has happened for a reason” ideology in a sense , since the evolution of a trait had to have been advantageous to persist, making everything so much more incredible. To be so in love with nature is of course to understand not everyone is on the same page, as I could spend my whole life trying to convince others that the gift of beauty is in everything outdoors, but I’ll stick to just you guys for now 😊

To me, the gift of beauty that’s to be found in nature is so much more than aesthetic appreciation, and I’ll try my best to explain using the lens of ecological interconnectedness. If you immerse ourselves in the natural world to truly appreciate its beauty, you begin to grasp the intricate web of life that surrounds you and unveil the many interdependencies between species, ecosystems, and the environment as a whole. The beauty within a vibrant rainforest or a flourishing coral reef isn’t just about the “ooooooh so pretty” but is a reflection of an immeasurable amount of ecological relationships at play. For example, the relationship between pollinators and flowers where the bright colours and variety of shapes have evolved to attract specific bees, butterflies, bats, or birds. The beauty in this relationship is not solely for our visual pleasure, but a testament to the natural worlds dedication to live!

I really do think there's beauty in everything in nature, from the mundane to the exotic, whether common or rare almost simply for existing and so I wonder if there's a word in a language somewhere for this specific appreciation that I'm talking about?

Till next time!

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Hi,

I really like how you have introduced another aspect of beauty in your post.  My immediate thought from the unit 4 blog prompt asking about beauty was to consider from the perspective of personal pleasure; I did not think about the practical applications of beauty.  I really like that you bring in the importance of what we see as beauty in flowers for pollination.  I now wonder if the pollinating species experience seeing something as beautiful or if the colours and shapes which we consider beautiful are simple indicators of a food source to them.

I also really like that you loved natural history museums.  I don’t think I appreciated these very much because I was more into activities than learning.  Now that I am learning more about the environment, you have inspired me to go find collections of natural history to explore.  I have learned to find the beauty in how things work, similar, I think to you as you mention you are initially engaged by the whys and hows.  I think there is truth to the quote you reference in that ‘pretty’ things can draw immediate attention and get us engaged but I do not agree with it as a rule.  Show me something beige and scaly surviving in an environment that appears desolate to me and I am fascinated.  For me, it is more about awe than beauty.

I wonder if we are the odd ones out or if this is a more common perspective than we think?  Perhaps these interests are part of what leads us into environmental education?

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 5

The environment has always been a magical and mysterious place for me.  I can easily sit in awe of flowers or earthworms and even earth, if I’m being honest, for hours.

I think there is an idea we sometimes have that if we learn about the science of something, then we are removing the mystery from it.  My experience is the opposite.  The more I learn about the science of something, the more I am in awe of it.  I have a new awareness of how much more there is to discover!  I have more questions and this is engaging for me.

In nature interpretation I hope that I can find a way to speak scientifically and introduce scientific information to an audience without overwhelming them.  I want the science education to allow the audience members to help them develop confidence on the subject and engage with their curiosity. 

The article Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education discusses that critical thinking is a key tool to engagement with and behavioural change related to the environment.  I agree.  We see so often the continuation of the practice to ‘buy ourselves out of a problem’ without a follow-up question such as, ‘what is the environmental impact of the solution I buy?’.   We are destined to remain in our current cycle of consumption and resource use without shifting our thinking to a more critical mindset.

But this can be difficult.  Thinking critically about every decision that we make can be exhausting, especially when the decision is related to a topic with which we are not well-informed.  On the flip-side, decisions we make on a daily basis rarely feel tiring because they are habits; such as our reflex to buy ourselves out of our problems.  This is a great opportunity to engage an audience by providing information not only about environmental science but also through introducing learning from another discipline, psychology.

There is a large amount of writing and research in the area of habit building and habit breaking.  I think that we can simultaneously engage an audience with learning more about nature and their impact on it with an example like the one below:

A nature interpreter in Nova Scotia takes a group onto a beach highlighting some local species such as crabs, seagulls and periwinkles.  They can provide information about the “natural” environment in which these creatures live such as the type of sand and rock but expand this to the man-made environmental component, plastic.  Guests can be asked to look for plastic on the beach.  The interpreter can educate them on microplastic, near invisible, including that is in the sand, water and food chain of these species.  This brings us to audience engagement using the topic of single use water bottles.  What ideas does the group have for alternatives?  Do they use an alternative?  Someone will likely say that they try but always forget.  Now habit building can be introduced.  One method of habit building is habit stacking.  This is where one uses a habit they already have and attach another activity to it; essentially using something easy to trigger something hard.  Have the habit of putting the dog’s leash away before heading out to work, for example, then try keeping your water bottle and the leash in the same spot.

I think that engaging on this personal level which appreciates that change is a challenge allows a person to percolate on how their daily activities impact the physical world and in turn  the lives of other creatures.

What habits would you stack?

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 4

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

The prompt this week is very interesting to me as I have a degree in Art History and I used to work in art insurance.  The question, “who are you to interpret nature through art?” reminds me of many conversations I had with gallerists when discussing art interpretation.  The answer was always that anyone could interpret it.  One did not need special education or a private collection to bring their own perspective to what they were looking at.  But (yes, there is a but) learning about the artist’s intent, the genre of art or the subject matter would always be helpful in broadening or deepening a person’s interpretation and allowing for greater engagement with the work.

The text this week discussed the challenge of balancing recreation/entertainment and education (p45).  I agree this is a challenge as it is a moving target depending on the audience and thus a constant process of trial and error through a single session and throughout one’s career.  What I loved about gaining an education in art history was that it allowed me to more greatly enjoy art.  I even made games of finding common symbols to churches or genres, which I still play today… 15 years post degree.

In my art insurance role, I delivered our sponsorship activities with an art fair.  For the last fair on which I worked, we partnered with an artist on a special project bringing together insurance, art and the environment.  The request was to consider climate change and art.  At my company, we genuinely cared about art as cultural heritage.  Insurance could pay to repair certain damage but many works are fragile and some damage cannot be mended and that work is gone forever.  The artist on the sponsorship project considered this fragility to be the same for nature.  It was a great experience to see three, apparently disparate topics brought together through a creative process and perspective.  The works were able to inspire many conversations and engage individuals who may not have stopped to discuss climate change.

For a similar experience of finding one interest through another, I would recommend a visit to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.  It is home to one of the largest collections of Group of Seven works and it is also located on a multi-acre property which connects with other grounds.  The property has a sculpture garden, multiple trails, and an audio tour for the outdoors.  I think this is a great space for connecting two different interests: art and nature.  It is a great example of how we can piggyback one interest off of another.  A person might not normally enjoy getting out onto a trail but a gallery visitor would be interested to see more art.

What I also like about this museum that it gives the potential to see the artwork of the Group of Seven in a more authentic context.  We normally see them on postcards or in galleries in urban environments which is far from the wilderness in which they were painted and are capturing.  I think that this place where the viewer can be more connected with the real natural world of depicted in the paintings gives a better chance to achieve “the gentle awakening of the unconscious good people” described by John Muir.

[aehenvs3000f23]

Week 2

I think my ideal role as an environmental interpreter would be working with kids and have a strong focus on the botanical aspect of nature rather than the zoological aspects. Working with kids would be ideal for me because I would like to help spark kids interest in science and the environment. Every summer growing up I went to summer camp but the year that was most memorable to me was when I went to a science camp at McMaster University. At this camp we learned about anatomy, hydraulics, geology, chemistry and more. Learning advanced concepts at such a young age really sparked my interest in science. This is the reason that my ideal role as a nature interpreter would involve working with kids. I am my own evidence of the impact that I could have on kids. Thus, I would really like to give kids the opportunity to explore their interest in nature, the same way that camp allowed me to explore my interest in science.

As I briefly mentioned in my previous blog post, I am minoring in plant science, which is why my focus as a nature interpreter would be heavily centered around the botanical aspects of nature. I would love to educate others on the identification, anatomy, and roles that plants play in nature. Ideally, someone with a focus in zoology would be working by my side in this position to ensure the kids would be getting educated on all aspects of nature and the interactions that occur. I think that this job could take place at a conservation area, possibly working with kids on school or camp field trips, and hosting events for the general public. A skill that I would need for this job would be the ability to simplify information. All of my knowledge is at a university level, so I would need to find ways to take what I have learned and make it easily digestible for the audience. On top of this, I would need to simplify it to different levels depending on the age of the group I am working with.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Hi Ashley,

Thank you for sharing your goal to engage children's interest in the natural world through nature interpretation.

You made a few points which I really appreciate.

A stand out is that you considered with whom you would want to work to best achieve your goal. Coordinating with a zoologist is a great idea and think you are correct that youth would find it really interesting how plants and animals work together.

I also appreciated, from recent experience, how we have to be very thoughtful about how we are comfortable communicating certain information and that our audience might not be in the same place. I think this is valid both for audiences of different ages but also different cultural and experiential backgrounds. Imagine talking to someone about poison ivy when they don't know what it is. They might try to pick it!

As for opportunities to do this work before graduation, would you consider birthday parties? I have a niece and nephew love science and apparently, experiential parties are all the rage. Perhaps you could teach them about different ways which plants reproduce and then they could do a fun activity of putting a seed in a cup with damp paper towel (I still remember that one from elementary school).

Another thought, what about taking youth on winter nature walks? Maybe it could finally be a way to enjoy the weather :)

I will be very interested to continue following your blog and learning more about botany through your passion for it.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 3

Blog prompt: What role does “privilege” play in nature interpretation? Please include your working definition of privilege.

Well this question feels too big for 500 words.  I find it really hard to recognise privilege without a variety of other perspectives; it almost feels like trying to see oneself without a mirror.

My definition of privilege is simply having access to or ability to be able to do something which others might not have because of a lack in financial, cultural, geographical or educational resources or opportunities.  My personal definition is a bit messy because I am actively trying to keep it fluid.  I fear that if I commit to a particular definition, then I will not be as open-minded to what could constitute privilege and when there are examples of it.  I would like to always question if I do truly understand privilege as I think this increases my consistency of watching for it.

In regards to what role privilege may play in nature interpretation, I am going to take this opportunity to consider how my own privilege could influence my approach.

I always felt that I belonged in cottage country, on hiking trails, at the zoo, in parks and gardens, front yards and backyards because I grew up going to these places.  To me, these spaces have always been accessible to anyone who is interested, which I now know is not the case.

I was raised in a home which put education on a pedestal and made sure we were financially supported to engage with it.  I was always told that an undergraduate degree was there to teach one how to think and types of conversation we have in my family regularly practices critical thinking.

We always had food, shelter, heat and clothing and we did not experience any natural disasters or any other type of threat from the natural world.

My privilege has led me to view nature through a Romantic lens because I have never had to see it from any other perspective.  This is overly simplistic but Romanticism is a significant part of my way of seeing the natural world.

Because of my privilege I think I might be insensitive to a person’s ability or comfort level to access certain natural spaces.  I might assume my participants have a certain level of knowledge about the water cycle, for example, because of the education which I received.  I might expect that someone can follow my train of thought because I am accustomed to being surrounded by individuals who think similarly.  I could easily make a comment denigrating people damage a space which we are viewing perhaps by taking wood from forests, without considering that this might feel judgemental to a guest who has to take the wood to keep their home warm. Privilege creates bias and blind spots in every aspect of our lives including how we think about the natural world.  These are reasons why I hope that as I engage in nature interpretation, I appreciate the opportunity it presents to learn about the people with whom I am communicating and reflect on my own biases as I communicate with them.

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 2

As an environmental interpreter I want to stimulate self-reflection among the individuals with whom I engage to help them find places of empowerment in regards to their impact on the planet and thus relationship with nature. 

Engaging with people on a direct personal level energises me and gives me the opportunity to better understand my listener/participant so that I can tailor my communication to their personality.  This is why my ideal delivery method would be direct, in person communication.  Other delivery methods of information that I would be interested to use as supports would be a YouTube channel, documents and resource lists online.  Using video as a method of connecting with individuals or groups does offer a more accessible means of connection while still allowing for tone of voice, body language and visuals.  I think that having documents such as checklists or key information as well as resource links are very helpful in reducing the friction one may sometimes feel when engaging in a new activity or topic.

I see nature in every aspect of my life.  Where did my kitchen cupboards come from?  How did the food I am eating grow?  Why do squirrels appear to sunbathe on my parents’ backyard fence?  What is the impact of anyone of my actions on another part of the world?  Because of this, I would look to connect the spaces in which we live with natural locations based on theme.  If I meet a group in a community centre and start in the kitchens, can we walk to a community garden where food is being grown.  If I consult with a family in their home, can we discuss water usage by going to a local ravine.  For a group in cottage country, can we look at the buildings in which they are staying and find the tree types used to build them in the forest.  

I grew up with a mother who was a Social Worker.  She focused on clinical work in family therapy and one thing she always said was that the work cannot only be done “in the room” if it is going to make a difference in a person’s life.  What she meant was that if we isolate the expectations and experience of learning to a single physical space  we do not get the practice to use or maybe even think about that learning elsewhere.  If each of us could consider the connection of the objects and natural resources in our daily lives with their original sources and how they fit into natural systems, then we have the opportunity for nature interpretation to impact actions.

The mandate which I would have for myself as a Nature Interpreter would be:

To create a safe, non-judgmental space for participants to share opinions and ask questions; and

To provide education of the natural world including how it is impacted by human activity; and

To share existing solutions to sustainability issues or connect individuals to develop such ideas.

My overall goal is empowerment.  I do not mean power over nature but empowerment for each of us to find ways to work with and appreciate our natural world.  We are in a scary place and lack of information and support are two things which can make anyone feel helpless.  But the more we learn, the more we can find that we are not helpless, and neither is nature.