Kate B

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Disclaimer

This blog was created for Kate Beatty, University of Guelph. 

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

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

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Unit 10 - Final Blog Post

Prompt: Describe your ethics 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?  

Introduction

As this is mine and our class's final blog post week, I would like to start by saying I've learned so much through not only the course but all of my peers! Reading the weekly blogs was so fun and presented a different way of learning new things, especially with the freedom of the prompts it was always so fascinating to see what directions people took it in. That being said let’s get into this week's prompt!

My Ethics

When starting this course, I was not sure what kind of interpreter I wanted to be or what that truly meant. However, now I can confidently say I'm starting to find my way in this new skill of environmental interpretation, learning as I go, of course! I find ethics such a complex and interesting topic as comes from a philosophy minor it is something often discussed. What I believe is important and what I bring to interpretation is trying to open our eyes past what we are currently seeing in the media and focus on our planet! The current political state of North America is very messy, and with a potential upcoming spring federal election for Canada approaching it is now time to speak up about our climate goals. The Green Party in Canada only holds two seats, one in BC and one here in Ontario. Smaller parties are often overshadowed and with everything currently happening… who is surprised? That is why I think we as interpreters need to ensure to represent the overshadowed topics and unrepresented parties who stand with the environment because it often feels like these topics are left in the rearview mirror.

*Feel free to read up about what the Green Party supports!

                Plans – Green Party Of Canada

In Chapter 5 of the textbook, there is a section called “promoting perception”. In this section, they discuss how in the end interpreters are helping people perceive the world that surrounds them more realistically and truthfully (Beck, Cable and Knudson, 2018). This relates to my ethics well because I believe so strongly we are often taking nature for granted due to the lack of discussion surrounding important environmental topics.

TED Talk

Bjorn Lomborg: Global priorities bigger than climate change | TED Talk

                This TED Talk is titled “Global Priorities Bigger than Climate Change”, the video is about 17 minutes but it is just a good way to show, and help understand how complicated decision-making is and just shows how complex ethics is because we all may have different ‘priorities’. The overall point of the talk is to show how much goes into decision-making and outweighs the pros and cons. People do not know this, and it allows for a false understanding of how the world truly runs. If you have time, I suggest watching it because it presents a transparent and honest message of some of the hard realities.

                *Also an interesting note on the video is it was made in 2005, but even 20 years later now in 2025 the same ideas still apply and we still see this in our everyday world.

My approaches

Chousing just a certain number of approaches can be so difficult because as we have seen all semester throughout the course the multiple different ways we can interpret nature! However, I find education a great way to share my interpretations of nature with others. Education feels most effective to me as it can be modified to best suit different age levels, understanding levels and so much more. Another important factor of education that must not be forgotten is the accessibility of this education; therefore education should not be limited to school settings, bringing it into public settings such as library programs, summer camps, television segments, and books/ cartoons… the possibilities are endless. My approaches need to be something that can be shared, I want to ensure messages stick and people keep talking about what I must say/show/interpret/promote… which leads us into responsibilities.

My responsibilities

As an interpreter what makes me feel good or makes me feel like I did my part is when I feel I have truly spread a message. I feel as a nature interpreter it is one point to ensure they understand the message you are sharing but it is another thing to see they are promoting/sharing your message! I want to see that the topic stuck around in their minds, I want to see them share with friends and family. Most importantly I want to open as many eyes as I can to a bigger picture. I feel it is the responsibility of nature interpreters to help people take a step back and allow the world to care about nature as we do! We also have a responsibility to guide upcoming generations, to ensure that nature interpretation never ends. Assuring we remember to accommodate towards the different abilities and comforts of the groups we are guiding, it is important to remember you are responsible for how the message comes across, I know I need to make sure things sound as they should!

Conclusion

Overall, there is still a lot for me to learn as an interpreter, but I believe we all bring something different to the table and that is important and necessary. Sharing our ethics and skills we bring can bring like-minded people together and help further connections and friendships. I hope we all continue our interpretation skills in the future! I hope to see real change for our planet!

References:

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

Lomborg, B. (2005). Global priorities are bigger than climate change. Bjorn Lomborg: Global priorities bigger than climate change | TED Talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/bjorn_lomborg_global_priorities_bigger_than_climate_change?referrer=playlist-the_big_picture&autoplay=true  

Our plan. Green Party Of Canada. (n.d.). https://www.greenparty.ca/en/our-plan

Party standings in the House of Commons - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada. (n.d.). https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/party-standings?view=chart  

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Week 9 post

Unit 9: Sense-Making of Nature Interpretation

Prompt: The most amazing thing you know about nature!

Personally, I don’t have any fun facts when it comes to Nature, I always wished I was better at things like that! BUT for me, the most amazing thing about nature is its interconnectedness! Everything is connected in some way, shape, or form, every ecosystem relies upon one another, as well as the species those ecosystems contain. We overlook how cool that really is because the world of nature has balance, and we must remember that it needs to be preserved! We rely on nature’s feedback loops every day, yet we hardly notice them.

Let’s walk through it:

Imagine you are walking through a dense forest. The first thing you might notice is the tall tress or the immediate noises you hear, such as the chirping birds and small forest animals. However, just bellow your feet lies an invisible active network at work, a complex and intricate system of relationships and feedback loops that keep nature in balance. From the even smallest bacteria in the soil that can only be seen under a microscope to the largest animal at the top of the food chain, everything in nature is connected in more ways than we often realize. These connections help shape the world around us, and because they are so constant and reliable, we often don’t think twice about protecting, observing, or focusing our time towards helping keep this balance that nature needs.

Now, looking closer into the connection:

Example of a single tree: A single tree alone can already provide for multiple species and feedback systems. Starting at the base, we have its roots, which then form partnerships with fungi, which from there provide essential nutrients in exchange for sugars. At the other end of the tree, we have the leaves absorbing carbon dioxide and participating in photosynthesis. Regulate the climate. There are species using every aspect and element the tree has to offer: birds nest in its branches, while insects feed on its bark, creating a miniature world of interactions. Even at the end of their life, trees are still providing because they will eventually fall, fungi and microbes break it down, returning nutrients to the soil and fueling the next generation of growth. This cycle repeats endlessly with many different types of trees and species, feeding back into the system and ensuring the continuity and connectivity of life. But because these processes happen silently without being heightened by humans and without our intervention, we rarely stop to think about how fragile they are.

We must remember to not take anything for granted in the world of nature because you never know how that aspect may be tied to something bigger! Just remember there's always a bigger picture :) !

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BLOG 7 – Nature and Music

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

Where is music in nature?

The immediate imagery and sounds that come to mind when asked this question are the sounds of the wind. The wind blowing 5throughjt tress, shaking the leaves around them, strong winter winds blowing the snow or even gentle winds that help create ripples and waves in the lakes! I think that nature is constantly creating its own music every second of nature, nature is noise and beautiful. Just close your eyes and imagine a springtime morning, I can hear it clearly as day the birds chirping, the grass moving, the bugs being noisy.

If you can't quite hear it that’s okay here’s some help with some audio and simple visual:

https://youtu.be/0NyQTqpsh_8?si=i-FAe5d29lVAxfiZ

To me that’s music to my ears, any type of sound can become music because it is your interpretation. Which brings me to the connection of interpretation and music, I believe that music can truly offer a deeper understanding towards interpretation especially when it comes to the idea of interpreting something even when you may not be in a nature environment, audio can help transport you there and create the sensation of feeling in that moment, being emersed into the music of nature.

Where is nature in music?

When looking at it the other way around it is easy to find nature within music because there are many artists that focus their writing on nature or different aspects of the environment.  The lyrics they use help describe a location or a feeling that is brought on with nature, some even go as far as sampling different sounds from outdoors or their favorite places and include samples into parts of songs, in the background, within the beats, cords...etc.  Music is a form of storytelling and allows for endless possibilities of interpretation, the way a song makes you feel may be different to a way you may understand the lyrics within a song.  A song may sound beautiful and peaceful, but the lyrics could be telling a sad story, the power of music is moving so if we can include music and nature more and more, we can help move people on a whole new level because, music evokes so many feelings.

My love for music

To end my post, I wanted to share some of my favorite camping/road trip songs that I personally enjoy and feel add an extra feeling when engaging with nature.  Whenever it comes time for a road trip or camping with friends there is always a designated playlist for the occasion, because for me personally certain songs and genera's I like to associate with activities. For example, when I take a shower, my playlist involves songs that I can sing every word, but when we are on our way to go camping the playlist is called “road trips” and all of the songs are usually related to adventures and friends, nature, beaches, walks... Having different playlist like that allow to just feel on a new level. Here are some songs from my road trip playlist!!!

Sleep on the floor By The Lumineers

Riptide By Vance Joy

Oaktree By Daniel Nunnelee

Days on End By Brenn

Thanks for reading!

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Blog 6 - Interpretation and History

Breaking it down:

Part 1 of quote

“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” (Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation) Starting with the first half of this quote, we can connect it to the beginning of chapter 15 in the textbook where they discussed knowing that a building is old, or knowing about annual festivals as entertainment is one thing but to truly understand the historical context behind them brings the level of interpretations deeper then before. Hyams wants to make a point that we must not discount history, its value lies in its connection to a greater whole. There is fear that without this deeper level of interpretation, we risk treating history as a superficial curiosity rather than as something meaningful thread that ties together different moments in time.

Part 2 of quote:

“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) Now breaking down the second part of his quote. Using the metaphor of a railway station illustrates how even when a train passes through a station it will still be there when you continue on to the next station, and there is always an upcoming station after that… It continues just like time, more specifically just like history. Even after a historical event may have passed or already occurred does not allow people to dismiss such an event or pretend it never happened just because it is not current. The train may have passed the station however who is to say we won't reach that same station in the future?  It is important we don’t make the mistake many make when they treat history as something separate from the present. This suggests that history is not just something to be studied in isolation, but rather a living presence that informs our current experiences, identities, decisions, and choices.

Connecting to quote to an Example:

This quotes us with ideas that are especially relevant in today’s world, as a society we are always trying to find ways to ensure that historical events are remembered and honored in the ways they deserve. Consider how Indigenous land acknowledgments serve as a reminder that history is not confined to the past but continues to shape the present. By recognizing the past as an active force, we uphold integrity in our understanding of the world and ensure that history informs, rather than fades from our minds.

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Blog #5

Week 5 Prompt: No Prompt this week – free write on what you are thinking about!

Unit 5    

As we talk about Nature Interpretation I think a lot about the future of it all, what is to come, or even what other lenses could we apply to Nature interpretation and that is when I think about Technology. Technology is improving every day and is reshaping the way we engage with many different aspects of life including nature. Popular forms of interpretation have been about creating deep and meaningful connections to the natural world, relying on storytelling, guided walks, hands-on experiences, visual art... However, now with number of different digital tools such as apps for phones, virtual reality, projections, and interactive online platforms are increasingly used to educate and engage visitors. These platforms of technology offer many new possibilities, such as making interpretation more accessible to those with disabilities, bringing hidden aspects of nature to life, and even allowing global audiences to experience places they may never physically visit. Also for younger generations who are online so often these experiences and interactive apps can create new pathways to environmental education.

However, despite these advantages, technology in nature interpretation can create significant drawbacks or issues. I feel one of the more important concerns is detachment from real-world experiences. There are limitations to technologies in the sense that it Is usually a visual experience, with that, you can miss out on using your other senses of touch, smell, and hearing. The audience on the other end of the technological options is consumed with the screens instead of feeling the texture of tree bark, listening to the wind, or just getting outside into Nature. Another challenge is that not everyone has the kind of privilege to access iPhones, the internet, or virtual reality equipment.

I think we should be using technology for Nature Interpretation but more specifically use it as a bridge rather than a barrier or negativity. Nature interpreters must try to find a balance between digital tools and meaningful nature education. There are already many apps out there used for many things nature-related, plant identification apps, wildlife informational websites… There are even possibilities for Hybrid approaches, such as apps for guided walks with minimal digital integration, options like that can encourage the public to interact with their surroundings while using technology to deepen their understanding of the nature around them. The goal of nature interpretation is to foster awareness and a deep emotional connection to the environment. When we use it thoughtfully, technology can complement traditional interpretation, providing deeper layers of understanding and making nature more accessible to all.

What do you think? Will technology bring good things to Nature Interpretation?

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Unit 4

Week 4 prompt: Who are you to interpret nature through art? How do you interpret “the gift of beauty”?

Starting with the first question in the prompt; I believe that everyone becomes a nature interpreter the moment art is involved. Art, in any form, invites interpretation, evoking emotions, thoughts, and reactions unique to each individual. While not everyone may immediately connect an artwork to nature, their personal experiences and perspectives shape how they understand and engage with it. Nature itself is deeply subjective, each person has different feelings some see it as peaceful and restorative, while others may associate it with destruction, change, or depressing. Many things in a person's life can influence their interpretations, history, politics, and bias.

 Art provides a powerful way to connect all these different perspectives, offering a way to communicate environmental issues, personal connections, and diverse experiences with the natural world. Through painting, photography, sculpture, or even digital media, artists create interpretations of nature that challenge, inspire, or provoke thought in others.

Moving onto the second question; the “gift of beauty” is a deeper kind of interpretation. To truly interpret the gift of beauty one must connect to nature on a deeper level, allow yourself to emerge in the feelings it brings you, and allow the beauty to help you in many ways like healing, reflecting, embracing, and all in all just fully committing to what nature can truly bring you. The gift of beauty offers a sense of comfort to a person, providing what they need in that moment.

As a nature interpreter, recognizing and now sharing this gift is just as important as being able to interpret. Through art, storytelling, and education, interpreters help people see the hidden beauty in ecosystems, from the intricate veins of a leaf to the vast, very complex web of life. Not everyone has access to untouched natural landscapes, but interpretation allows people to experience and understand nature in ways that evoke emotion, curiosity, and respect. Also, art with nature interpretation allows for a greater audience because pictures can be shared online, physical copies can be made, public art displays and so much more.

Beyond admiration, the gift of nature’s beauty carries a responsibility for all interpreters and that is to protect and sustain it for future generations. By interpreting nature’s beauty in meaningful ways, we learn to inspire others to engage with nature and care for the environment and continue to pass along the same message. This would help foster a world where people recognize their connection to nature and their role in protecting the gift of beauty they see and feel. Beauty does so much for humans, and we must repay the favour and treat nature kindly to pass along as much beauty to as many future generations as possible.

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Unit 3

Blog 3 prompt: What role does “privilege” play in nature interpretation? Please include your working definition of privilege

Nature interpretation and what it can look like

Nature interpretation’s goal is to help people connect with the environment around them by taking different nature concepts and turning them into something engaging and conveying. There can be a variety of different roles that can be seen with environmental interpretation, guides for different activities like hiking or wilderness tours, environmental illustrators, museum curators, teachers and many more. We can also look and see some nature interpretation is done via social media platforms, articles, videos and all of these different examples are important to remember when we connected it to the topic of the week which is “privilege” and how it has a play in nature interpretation.

My understanding of the word ‘privilege’

Understanding what privilege is, is a key aspect to answering this prompt. Privilege can be understood as an advantage or extra benefit a person has in a social aspect that they did not earn or attain. Privilege is rooted in many historical events that shapes how societies see’s certain traits and factors a person exhibits such as gender, race, class, physical disabilities, etc.. An example of gender privilege that can often be seen is men may feel safer and less hesitant to walk or move through certain areas at certain times of day versus how often women feel unsafe when alone in certain environments. It is also important to remember just because someone may have a privilege that another doesn’t, does not make one persons life easier than the others. Understanding privilege helps promote fairness and work toward a more just society

How are they connected?  

Now that one has the knowledge of nature interpretation and its different roles as well as a good understanding of the term privilege, we can now connect them to see how privilege affects certain aspects of nature interpretation. Privilege affects how people receive and engage with nature interpretation at we will look at example focusing on privileges such as language, education, and accessibility. For example, language privilege means that those who speak the dominant language fluently can easily understand environmental messages, while others may struggle with technical terms or lack translated materials. Education privilege impacts how well people grasp scientific concepts someone with a strong educational background may connect quickly, while others need simpler explanations or hands-on learning. Physical accessibility is another barrier; nature programs often assume mobility, excluding those with disabilities.

Why does it happen? How can we change?

I think often privilege is not always a first thought when it comes to nature interpretation because it is the message being passed along that is usually the focus. At times one can be wrap up in trying to assure the message is understood and comes across properly but forget that there has to be an audience for message to be passed along too. It should be a goal of all interpreters to want to be able to spread their message to the greatest amount of people without limitations. There are also such a vast amount of different privileges that can be seen for different people around the world it can be hard at times to truly take everything into consideration.

Conclusion

In conclusion to be a great nature interpret it takes thinking about every possible challenge that you may run into when it comes to the obstacle that may arise for certain individuals depending on the types of privileges they may or may not have when it comes to nature.

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Blog 2 - Environmental interpreter

Describe your ideal role of environmental interpreter. What might it entail? Where might it be? What skills might you need?

When it comes to being an environmental interpreter, takes a wide range of skills, from using their voices to inspire motivating knowledge and important messages to their styles of presenting what they know visually.

As an environmental interpreter, my ideal role would be to combine visual art and scientific storytelling to communicate the urgent realities of climate change. Through drawings, murals, and interactive visual exhibits, I would illustrate the negative transformations happening in ecosystems worldwide. Creating story books, and comics to reach younger audiences or eye-catching posters or newspaper ads allows me to reach alternate age groups. My work would take me to places experiencing the most visible effects of climate change for example, melting glaciers, deforested landscapes, and rising coastlines are locations where I could document environmental changes firsthand and share these visual narratives with global audiences.

My ultimate goal would be to make people stop, look, and truly pay attention. By illustrating my work I would hope to serve as a bridge between science and emotion, pushing people to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental crisis. Through creativity and storytelling, I hope to awaken a sense of responsibility, ensuring that no one can claim they didn’t see the warning signs before it was too late because this illustration is also education.

Skills involved:

To thrive as an environmental interpreter using visual art to communicate climate change, several key skills are essential. Patience is crucial, as translating messages and meanings of scientific data into visual narratives takes time and careful refinement assuring people will understand the message. Patients are also needed when dealing with a large number of people who will all carry different options and it is important to remember to just try your best because there will be negative feedback but you can never please everyone. Creativity and outside-the-box thinking are equally important because sometimes certain methods of communication often fail to capture attention. Keeping ideas fun and appealing will help keep an audience. Passion is another key skill needed because you do your best work when you truly care about the topic you are sharing. Climate communication can be difficult at times due to its negative and at times somber feeling it puts onto people, but having enthusiasm and an uplifting spirit needs to be kept in mind to ensure you keep a hopeful message to hold onto. Focus is another key skill, as traveling to rapidly changing environments requires good observational abilities to capture details that might be overlooked. Finally, confidence is essential when presenting environmental work, whether in exhibitions, workshops, or public speaking. Believing in my message and standing by the interpretations will help effectively convey the urgency of climate change.

By combining these skills, I believe it makes for a great environmental interpreter and hopefully will get people to pay attention and take action.

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Blog 1 - Relationship with nature

I grew up in a smaller town with lots of farmland, forest, trails, and beach/water access. Nature has always been around me, and I am no stranger to it, from boating on Georgian Bay to camping in various locations around Ontario. So, overall, I'd say my relationship with nature is a positive one.

As I got older I evolved and developed a stronger relationship with nature, for example, in the middle of my high school years during COVID-19 I wanted nothing more than to be outside biking and exploring with friends. So when the pandemic restrictions were lifted I was extra grateful to have access to as much outdoor time as possible. Now as I continue to get older and am gaining more knowledge with being in university, and more specially minoring in Biology my eyes are opened to a new way to view nature.

My current relationship with nature as a third-year student is still strong in the case that my love for nature has not changed but my worry for it has. With so much happening daily, climate change is often put in the back seat and can be very overlooked, and that scares me. I care so much for the planet and to watch negatively impacting things happen constantly worries me for the future of nature as a whole. There are so many different factors of nature that need help or protection, and it can feel overwhelming at times. That is why I think it is so important to spread the word to all nature lovers and share ways we can help and take care of the beautiful thing’s nature provides. 

When it comes to someone who helped me feel a sense of place in nature that would have to be my older cousin who lives in BC. I have been to BC multiple times to visit her, and she is someone who has always had the most respect for nature and truly utilizes every aspect, she is very much an all-natural girl who makes everything from scratch. Seeing nature from her perspective made me realize how much more nature truly has to offer. It allowed me to have a new respect for nature and to be grateful for what it provides. She has also moved serval times around Vancouver Island and now onto an even smaller island called Gabriola, and with each move comes new discoveries and things to learn. One of my all-time favorite memories was seeing the large trees that were so big four people could hold hands and wrap around the base. The trees just made you stop and think about how long they have been there and how much history they hold.