Kyle's ENVS 3000 blog

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The Finale

Nature is universal. She hoists no flag of hatred. The supreme triumph of parks is humanity. …Sometime it may be that an immortal pine will be the flag of a united and peaceful world. -Enos Mills.

I feel that this quote from The Gifts of Interpretation ties into this week’s blog prompt nicely. This blog being the last one of the semester, brings a feeling of finality which I also feel in this quote. “Nature is universal.” As I develop as an interpreter, I would want that idea to be a primary factor when people think of interpretive programs. Just like we learned that the Nature is for everyone even if a person doesn’t consider themselves the ‘out-doorsy’ type. What makes a good interpretive experience in my opinion is making sure the audience can enjoy the time they spend learning something new about nature. So, when the audience will be people who would like to know more about nature but without the swarms of bugs or mud, then planning a walk through a well maintained park or city green space would be more appealing and likely bring more enjoyment to the audience. Through the lectures and lab sections of this course I was able to determine that part of my personal ethic is making sure that audience is comfortable with the type of nature that they will be in. It’s easy to mentally check out during an activity if the whole thing is planned around something that brings you discomfort.

A photo I took while walking through the Arboretum.

“She hoists no flag of hatred.” Nature is a space where you can feel at peace and unjudged. I believe that it would be my responsibility as an interpreter to offer that place where people can enjoy nature in their own way without feeling out of place. This course in particular felt like we were able to be the nature nerds that we all are and express how we see the world through these blogs. From the responses to other posts it is clear that everyone in the class accepts the other students and wants to actively engage in discussions about topics that they are excited about. I think it is really important for people to know that there is a place where other nerds can get together and discuses their interests and learn new things that other people are excited to tell you about. Part of my personal ethics would be to encourage that idea of acceptance and foster an environment where everyone feels unjudged and can enthusiastically talk about their passion without worrying that others might find their interests in nature weird.

Another photo from the Arboretum.

“Sometime it may be that an immortal pine will be the flag of a united and peaceful world.” My personal ethics and what beliefs I bring forward as an interpreter is that no matter the differences between people, everyone can be brought together through the nature. There are so many aspects of nature to enjoy that there will always be something for everyone, even if they don’t exactly like the dirtier side of nature. It can be a place to bring people together and it has already shown to be doing that. Wit people becoming more environmentally conscious there are more environmental clean ups happening or tree planting endeavors. These events bring like minded people together and also reaches out members of the public who might want to be involved but don’t yet know how.

Inclusivity, unjudging, community, hard working, inviting. As an interpreter, these are some of the ethics and beliefs that I would bring forward. These are things that I would want to experience as someone who is interested in getting more involved in interpretive walks, tours, or learning about nature in general. It is difficult to put yourself out there and gain new experiences in something you don’t know, so for an interpreter to put forward a sense of inclusivity and acceptance regardless of prior knowledge in the field, it would make becoming involved easier. These approaches are what would draw me to any sort of program, so that is the kind of atmosphere that I would want to make for others so that can feel the same sense of ease and peace when starting something new.

The trails behind my home town in the winter.

As this semester comes to an end and I realize this is my last ever semester as an undergraduate student I get to think about all of the experiences that have led me here. Every lecture, lab, and project, I feel that I have gotten important information about science and the environment and I’ve become more and more invested in the topic. And because I am so excited about science, I tend to want to tell anyone who will listen about it. Since taking this class I feel that I have gained so much knowledge about how to do that without overwhelming someone with the technical side of it. Through the readings of the fifteen gifts of interpretation I am more aware of how to get someone engaged with new information and to offer the same spark that I have to someone else. I’m happy that this class was one of the courses I decided to take in my last semester as it has given me knowledge and experiences that I can use as I move forward in life and in my career.

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Hi Brooklyn,

“Nature is a space where you can feel at peace and unjudged,” is a quote from your post that immediately stood out to me. I say this because finding peace in a quiet place is the initial reason that I started to create a significant relationship with nature. Before this course began, I viewed nature as an individual space where I could be alone. But as you mentioned in your post and as we’ve learned through this course, experiencing nature with others is what makes it so beautiful. Whether that be sharing knowledge with other nature nerds about things we already know or introducing new information to those who don’t necessarily have any background with nature, we are able to create so many emotions and memories while being outside with one another.  

In the following paragraph, you say that “no matter the differences between people, everyone can be brought together through the nature.” In my experience, it is the wonder and the curiosity that is a constant for every single person. This wonder and curiosity looks past the colour of your skin or the clothes you wear and is why people are able to create amazing connections while exploring nature. For this reason, being interpreters is one of the most important jobs out there. It is our responsibility to introduce people to nature so that we can all continue to take better care of the environment together and grow as a community.

Great post and have a great rest of your semester!

Kyle

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My Code of Ethics

Picture of my friend, standing on the dock at camp during sunset. Taken by me.

Ethics are something I’ve contemplated for a long time. When I decided to go into the field of science, I knew that I would be faced with ethical decisions and that I would need to have my own code to follow to make sure I stay true to myself. Ethics are something that are inherently involved in all aspects of our lives whether we realize it or not, and that includes nature interpretation. So, with that being said, this is the personal ethics code I came up with for myself:

When teaching or passing on knowledge I think it is even more important idea of what your personal ethics code is and to ensure that you stick to it. When you are an interpreter you hold a position of power in the sense that you are the gateway to an experience for the individuals involves. What they gain from that experience greatly depends on how you as an interpreter present ideas. That level of influence comes with a responsibility to those you are teaching and to what you are teaching about.

When presenting information, it is important that you are presenting it in the most accurate way you possibly can (that is appropriate for your group). You don’t want to be giving out false information or fabricating stories on the spot to impress your group. Out of respect for the subject of your interpretation it is necessary to portray your subject in an honest light. It is your job to provide accurate information in a format that you believe will resonate and effectively communicate your message

It is also extremely important to give credit where credit is due. Whether that means citing the music you use in your podcast or performing a land acknowledgement before you begin a nature walk, it is absolutely vital to give credit to the creator or owner of the work or place that you are teaching about. As an interpreter the creator of the work is an important part of its history and they deserve to be recognized for their contribution that has made your work possible.

At times it can be difficult to stay positive and continue to teach. Always give everyone the benefit of the doubt and treat each group with a fresh perspective. Not everyone is going to respond well to your style of interpretation and that is completely okay. You can’t win over everyone but you still owe it to every individual to try your best to communicate in a way that will resonate with them. Award everyone the same patience and try to let go of any preconceived ideas you have from experiences with past groups. Everyone you meet is deserving of your kindness and your effort.

Not everyone has the same views as you and you have to accept that that is an inevitable reality. You shouldn’t try to impose your own views on others through your interpretation but it is also important that you don’t ignore your own views either. You should leave room for people to develop their own viewpoint but you can still live and teach by your own. If you find yourself in a situation that directly opposes your own morals. that is not the place for you to be interpreting. It is important to leave room for others to develop as individuals without ignoring lessons from your own development.

For me personally, when interpreting I try to present facts and then further develop concepts by sharing my own experiences and opening up room for discussion and questions. By opening dialogue and sharing personal experiences I find people are more receptive to learning and are more willing to participate and receive something from the experience. When you invite productive discussion into interpretation you gain a better grasp of what your group needs and how you as an individual can try to achieve that for them. Facilitating discussion can improve the experience of the group and additionally opens up more opportunity for you to take something away from the experience as well.

All in all, I think that this generally sums up my personal take on ethics in interpretation. I will probably wake up tomorrow morning and have a thousand more things to add but I can say with confidence that if I follow these guidelines, I can live knowing I am living up to my own code. I appreciate the opportunity this course gave me to look inside and self reflect. I feel like I have gained new perspectives and that this course gave us all the unique chance to truly learn from one another. I believe I will always look back on this time as a positive experience that gave me knowledge I will carry on through life.

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Great post! I enjoyed reading your personal code of ethics and the things that make up how you plan on developing as a nature interpreter. As you touched upon in your opening paragraph, I don’t think we may realize the power that we have as interpreters. We are the ones who can influence somebody’s beliefs and perspectives on something and that comes with great responsibility and therefore, ensuring that the information that you present to somebody is completely accurate is essential. I would like to add that ensuring this information is not only correct but also unbiased is of extreme importance. Presenting information in an unbiased manner (I.e. making sure you present something as a whole without leaving out important bits of information) gives your listeners to create their own opinions and perspectives based on their own life experiences and the invisible backpacks they carry.

Another aspect of your post that I enjoyed reading was how you mentioned that not everybody will resonate with the things you present or the way you present those things. So many people, especially us students, are obsessed with chasing perfection and chasing the idea that we can please everyone. However, this obviously isn’t true and isn’t necessarily obtainable. With that said, we must learn to always give the things we do our best effort but also understand that we may fail at things as long as we continue to learn from our failures and grow. For example, if a group that you are interpreting for doesn’t necessarily like how you did things, you can reflect on that experience and see what you did wrong, what you did right, and what you can do the next time you face a similar situation to make it better.

Kyle  

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#10/11: Last but not least

Throughout the entirety of this course, we have been given  numerous lessons and ideas about what it takes to become a good nature interpreter. It is interesting to reflect on which of these lessons have stuck with me and which ones I plan on keeping with me as I continue to progress through my academic career in environmental science and further. Although I have been able to experience nature throughout my life in my own perspective, it wasn’t until I started this course that I began to  understand the power one can have by effectively sharing their perspective. Through this blog, I will share those lessons as well as the beliefs and responsibilities I have gained that I will continually exemplify as I develop as a nature interpreter.

(Photo of a river that I pass during my runs. Photo taken by me) 

My beliefs as a nature interpreter

Understanding that although we all come from different backgrounds, we are all able to experience nature in our own beautiful way. This is what I think is the most important belief that I have come to accept through this course. Because every single person has had different experiences throughout their life, the way that they view something will be completely different from the way another person views it. As a nature interpreter, being able to understand that should be your motivation to continually inspire. Even in a situation where you are teaching somebody something who seems completely uninterested, if you have the belief that they can find beauty in what you are teaching, then you will continue to share different perspectives of your lesson until you can create a connection in that individual.

My second belief is that in order to inspire others, whether that be through nature interpretation or through any other type of communication, is that you must always tackle the things you face with enthusiasm. This can be applied to your job, your school, the relationships in your life, and many other things. However, inspiring others as a nature interpreter is not possible unless you are enthusiastic about what your interpreting. This is evident in our everyday lives. Just think about the difference between your least favourite professor and the professor who has inspired you the most and I’m sure that one of the main differences was the levels enthusiasm and passion that each one brought. Additionally, with enthusiasm comes longevity. If you are enthusiastic about your job as an interpreter, coming into work everyday would be extremely fun for a very long time. How would you be able to tackle your job as a nature interpreter if you don’t care for the things that you are trying to teach?  

My responsibilities as a nature interpreter

The first and most important responsibility that I will bring along with me as I continue to develop as a nature interpreter is the idea that the safety of myself and those around me comes before anything else. Obviously, ensuring safety is important to avoid physical harm and fatal outcomes in extreme cases, but safety is also important because it allows you to fully indulge yourself and focus on the beauty of nature and the things you intend on learning. Safe environments provide the opportunity for people to learn without holding back. Without any restraints, enthusiasm and creativity can go wild and the finer details that can change a person’s perspectives can be observed.

Building on my first belief that we all come from different backgrounds and we are all able to experience nature in our own beautiful way, a responsibility that I will always do my best to uphold is understanding who my audience is and how I can best present ideas and information that will resonate with them. As a nature interpreter, meeting all different types of people is inevitable, and being able to engage listeners is a part of an interpreter's job. By communicating with your audience, you can learn whether a group of people would like things to be more hands-on or whether they would prefer to learn visually for example. Additionally, it is important to always monitor the engagement of your audience and to be adaptable in how you present information based on how people react to what you do.

Lastly, this course has opened my eyes to the responsibility that I have because of the privilege I was given. As I mentioned in my beliefs, we all come from different backgrounds and we all carry unique individual backpacks as we learned in class. The privilege that I experience may never happen in somebody else’s life, and therefore, being sensitive of the feelings and aware of those around you is important in making deeper connections.

What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?

As an individual, the approach that is most suitable for me is being able to relate to others based on past experiences. Sharing similar stories with others is how the majority of my relationships have been built. For example, while leading a group of people down a trail that I have hiked in the past, I would most likely tell stories that have happened or things I’ve seen while walking down that trail. Hopefully somebody listening will have seen the same animal or plant that I describe, or have experienced a similar situation while hiking, which I can then build a connection upon. Not only will this increase engagement with my audience but it will also help me stay enthusiastic of the things I teach.

All in all, this course has taught me a lot of things whether that be through actually interpreting nature or through communication with others. I have been able to create deeper and more meaningful relationships with new people that I meet and I have been able to change my perspective while outdoors in order to see the finer details of the environment instead of just the peace and quiet that nature provides. As this semester comes to a close, I want to thank all of you for reading my posts and for making my time in this course an experience to remember!

Kyle

[rwenvs3000-19]

Recalling History Seminar

The interpretation that stood out the most to me was the history tour that Ken Irvine gave us of Guelph. While history is more set-in stone, sometimes literally, and doesn’t really need improvised subjects to be detailed Ken’s recollection and attention to detail was captivating through and through. From the information regarding the church, the alluring mystery of the Albion hotel, and other sites within the downtown core, all the information was new and peculiar to me.

The first site we visited was of the statue of John McCrae which Mr. Irvine noted of how it was accessible to everyone. I really liked how he informed us about this small little fact, because it made it more personable that veteran and other individuals that are bound to wheelchairs can still be able to pay their respects at this statue. We then proceeded to the church where Ken informed us of the demise of the first church erected on the hill and why the church was placed where it was. This was followed by us stopping in front of the Albion hotel. I liked that Ken was able to provide some filler speculation of the affiliation between the hotel and Al Capone. The city hall and courthouse were the next places we visited, which were able to be compared to what they looked like before with the booklet Mr. Irvine provided. John Galt, the founder of the Guelph community, was the underlying story during the tour. We found out his fortunes and misfortunes and even where his kin ended up. Although the tour continued to other areas, the first part of the tour really stood out for what I could recall.

Guelph Court House, erected in 1856. https://www.bulwarklegal.ca/blog/guelph-court-a-history/

The three gifts that resonated the most for me from participating in the history of Guelph were: Personalizing the past, the gift of a story and professionalism. Ken did an amazing job with digging down into his knowledge of the history of Guelph and the fun little tidbits he added in to make things fun. While in chapter 7 in The Gifts of Interpretation, it says that living history, where recreating the past with props, costumes and other physically immersive things is the best way to personalize history, Ken did not do any of these. Yet he still did an amazing job. In my mind it would have distracted me if he were in a costume, thinking if he would be too cold or my attention diverted to people giving stares. Additionally, Mr. Irvine went through different time periods, and didn’t go into very personal recounts, more so structures and their contexts within history. This was aided by his only props, which were the pictures for comparison, to help with immersion and assist the imagination. 

I also identified that Ken was equipped with the gift of a story. Being a non-Guelph native, I went into the touring thinking that I wouldn’t be as interested as I was. That was thanks to Mr. Irvine being extremely organized with his route, the amount of different information that he provided, and the amount of care and research he had put into this talk, all while being able to retain it all.

Lastly, while it is probably the most overlooked, the level of professionalism that Ken Irvine had capped off all his other superb qualities to a whole new level. The reason why it may have gone unnoticed is because he never really wavered in his voice or confidence with what he was interpreting to us as a class. That doesn’t really go without surprise, while it is his job to lead us on a journey, he had to start somewhere and over the years he has perfected his art and fluidity, making the final result a very polished professional performance.

While I think that Ken did conclude the tour without me scratching my head thinking that there was more to be told, it did seem like the last few stops were more just quick blurbs and carrying on to the next stop. I don’t attribute this to Ken, I realize the day we partook in the tour was not the greatest to be outside. But for the sake of the last question, I believe that there was a lacking wholeness, which could have been further developed.

Reference “The Gifts of Interpretation” by Larry Beck and Ted T. Cable. 3rd Edition, Copyright 2011.

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Hi Riley,

I really enjoyed reading your post this week as there were not many people who chose to write about our historic walk for this week's blog post. Out of the three gifts that you mentioned to be evident during our walk with Ken, the two that I was able to recognize was the gift of personalizing the past and the gift of professionalism.  

While describing the history of Guelph, what I noticed was that he was outlining things that were probably more evident in our lives and things that we would probably make note of in the future. That is why he did a great job of personalizing our past. For example, from time to time I visit The Albion on Saturdays to enjoy funk night. From now on, I will have a deeper connection and understanding with the building because of the stories he told about the building's history.  

On the other hand, he was able to show a level of professionalism that made the tour that much more interesting. Based on his confidence and the way his presentation flowed even when there were interruptions or inconvenient circumstances (I.e. the rainy weather), you can tell that he has practiced his presentation numerous times in order to perfect it. He spoke comfortable and looked comfortable as an interpreter and I was definitely able to learn a couple things from how he composed himself.

Great post and good luck on finals!

Kyle

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

#9: The Gifts Through Activity

For this weeks blog post, we were tasked with reflecting on our experiences during the lab activities we did over the semester and determining which activity elicited the “gifts” that were presented to us in “The Gifts of Interpretation” by Larry Beck and Ted Cable. Although each activity was interesting and unique in it’s own way, the activity in which I was most engaged in was the interpretive walk through the Arboretum with Chris Early. The reason for this because although each activity presented information that resonated with me, our walk was the activity in which I had the most fun in, especially with the hands-on activities we did along with the level of engagement and enthusiasm that Chris brought. Throughout our walk, the three gifts from our textbook that I was able to identify include the gift of revelation, the gift of professionalism, and the gift of passion.

1. The Gift of Revelation

“Interpretation is revelation based upon information.” This is a quote found in chapter 2 of our text and was said by Freeman Tilden and is explained through the idea that interpretive sites have tangible and intangible dimensions. Tangible dimensions include the things that appear the same to everyone, such as the appearance of a rock or the texture of a plant while intangible dimensions refer to the different and unique meanings and associations that resonate with individual. During our walk, Chris asked each student to find an object and explain the what you know about that object. The gift of revelation relates to this activity because while students were collecting items that I had already previously seen and had knowledge about, such as something as simple as a leaf, it was interesting to see the vast amounts of knowledge that each student had about such common items. Through this activity, I was able learn interesting information about common objects that I had not previously known. Additionally, I was able to see the intangible dimensions and the different relationships people had with the tangible objects that everybody saw the same.

2. The Gift of Professionalism

While listening and watching Chris Early speak, one thing that stood out to me was how easily he spoke and how his presentations flowed so easily. Although this was the first time that I had ever met Chris, within a few minutes of listening to him, I could see how passionate and how many hours he had spent working on presenting and interpreting. “Becoming a good interpreter takes practice,” is the first sentence of Chapter 10 and this was extremely evident in Chris Early. Chris had mentioned that he worked in the arboretum and in similar environments since he was a kid and over the years he was able to develop different aspects that comes along with being a good interpreter. For example, he spoke naturally with great confidence, making it easier to listen. I could also see that his presentations, such as the bird calling activity, had been developed over a long time to ensure that it could help his audience. Overall, years of practicing your craft like what Chris has done leads to the gift of professionalism outline in our text. 

3. The Gift of Passion

Lastly, I identified the gift of passion while listening to Chris speak. Chris’ ability to talk about the different aspects of nature without stopping shows how much passionate he is in sharing his knowledge with others. As outline in our text, being a good interpreter cannot be possible without the passion for what you are interpreting. This becomes even more evident when you realize the numerous amounts of books and forms of communication that Chris has developed himself!

Aside from these three gifts, the one gift that I wish could have been developed more is the gift of personalizing the past. Although much was learned throughout the walk, I wish more time could have been devoted to explaining the history of the arboretum and how individuals such as students contributed to its growth. Through this, I may have been able to create more of a connection to the lessons learned by drawing on my own experiences to possibly create more connections with the arboretum.

All in all, the activities we have had throughout the semester have shown me how to view things through different perspectives, and I will continue to carry these lessons with me throughout every walk of life.

[cjwenvs3000-19-deactivated20200]

Blog Post 8: My scientific heroes

So many different people are my scientific heroes. I think my inspiration is built up of small building blocks of different interactions that shaped who I am, and how I see the world.

One of my scientific heroes is my best friend. Since we were kids, in grade 3, she had ripped out pages of National Geographic’s and posted them all over her wall and inspired me to do the same. I remember going home and flipping through my own National Geographic’s for hours and hours, making collages for myself and seeing how grand the world could be. She is now aspiring to be an ecological journalist, while I consider my future to be an ecological artist of sorts. Her aspiring characteristics are her perception of wonder and fascination of science, which influenced my personal views of science as well.

I worked at a summer camp for 5 summers, and my fascination for nature slowly grew over time. My friend started drawing plants, so I did too, and now I draw plants all of the time. My friends study outdoor adventure leadership, and I always see them doing crazy things outside and having fun. What inspires me about that is the way they bring adventure and a freedom-feeling to their outdoor experiences. Immersing myself in nature with other people who also love nature made me stop, notice, and truly experience what was going on around me.

My chemistry teacher in high school had prepped me so well for first year University chemistry, and other chemistry courses that I’ve taken. My high school teacher was strict but also cracked jokes every day, did scientific reactions that would create different colours of light and other fascinating things. He was so passionate about chemistry and took it very seriously. This gave me a peek into how difficult and serious the world of science can be sometimes, but also how it can be fun as well.

You’re probably wondering – what does this all have in common? I guess what I’m saying is that my current view of science is seeing things in a creative light, and although science can be extremely specific, I have been taught that if you’re creative with your ideas, you could do something extremely useful. Now, I’m mostly inspired by independent farmers, who either bring creativity to their practice, or have an educational view to their practice, or bring social justice to their farming. These are desired traits to me as I personally believe everyone needs a form of creativity in their life, as it can bring out the good and “bad” parts of ourselves and allow us to process things that have occurred in our lives. I also think there are many aspects of environmental science (my focus of study) that I think can be improved due to current inequalities. In addition, education is one of the main ways that we can shift and inform people’s (particularly the younger generation’s) views on the environment and science. Also, I must mention, many of my professors have definitely been catalysts towards greater thinking about science.

Now, I encourage you to find a way to bring creativity, along with education, into the scientific realm. I personally think this class has been a great catalyst so far in doing so and getting us to think about nature and science in different ways. What are other ways you could incorporate those three things – creativity, education, and science – into your everyday lives?

Have a good day!

-       Ceci Jane

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Hey Ceci,

I really enjoyed reading your post because of its uniqueness relative to the other posts I’ve seen. I say that because unlike many of the other posts, including mine, you outline multiple sources of inspiration throughout your journey in science. It seems that you have the ability to truly act like a sponge and absorb information from multiple areas of your life. I believe that this is a necessary ability and trait that someone must have in order to become a successful interpreter because although interpreters are usually the ones teaching others, being able to observe the relationships you create and grow from the things you learn while teaching, such as communication skills, will only make you a better person overall.  

I also love how you took the time to talk about the importance of creativity. The scientific heroes that we all have are extremely important in that they inspire us to do more with the things we’re interested in. However, without creativity, we would not be able to take the ideas that our scientific heroes introduce and build on them to create hobbies, relationships and careers that define our lives. Creativity is the reason that we don’t become exact clones of our heroes but instead use traits we see in our heroes to become the best version of ourselves. 

To answer your question, as a science student, I use creativity in order to make the lessons I learn as a science student become more memorable. For example, coming up with different ways to study the many different lessons we learn in school has been extremely important in my academic success.

Thanks for the awesome read!

Kyle

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

#8: Who Inspires You?

Growing up, many kids that were interested in science always seemed to have scientific heroes that came from external sources, such as a TV show host like Bill Nye, or a teacher that introduced them to the amazing things that you can find in the field of science. Although there were many people in my life that contributed to my love for science, the person that I considered to be my hero in the world of science is my older sister, Katrina Gorospe. Katrina is 5 years older than I am and from the moment that I could walk, I would always mimic the things that my sister did, whether it was the sports she played, the music that she listened to or even the day to day slang that she used. However, at an early age, she took an interest in the sciences and overtime, that interest began to rub off on me.

(My sister and I in New York in the Fall of 2000...as you can see we were pretty close. Photo taken by my dad)

I was introduced and took an interest in science early on in elementary school, when my sister ordered a book from our monthly scholastic fair and gave it to me. The book, which I still have to this day, is titled “365 Super Science Experiments with Everyday materials,” and my sister would always spend a couple of days a week doing the experiments with me. It was through these experiments where I learned of the fun and joy that science can bring to our lives and it was through these experiments where my sister taught me how to always bring excitement and enthusiasm to everything I do in my life.

(Photo of the book that my sister bought me. Photo taken by me)

Although conducting experiments with my sister showed me how much fun I could have in the world of science, it wasn’t until I got older and my sister was in high school that I saw how a good work ethic and science went hand in hand with one another. Every day, I would see my sister spend hours writing and studying her notes and at the end of every year I would watch her bring home papers that read “Honour Roll” or “Science Award.” Many people would be turned off to the idea of having to live up to somebody else’s expectations but I saw this as the complete opposite and instead, took it as a challenge and an inspiration to work just as hard as my sister did.  

Following in my sister’s footsteps continued into my days here at the University of Guelph. While I was in high school deciding what I wanted to do with my life, my sister would constantly take me to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus where she would conduct multiple research projects. These included studying different organisms and insects, such as fruit flies. My sister’s intrigue and focus on her work inspired me and after all those hours watching her do research, I decided to enroll into a science program and hopefully pursue a career in the sciences.

(Photo is of a container that held some of the fruit flies that my sister studied during the spring of 2013. Photo taken by my sister)

All in all, my inspiration has literally lived with me and been there through most stages of my life. My sister’s has taught me that the most important traits that one could have is enthusiasm, which sparks interest and creates questions that lead you down different paths, good work ethic, which helps you move forward and continue down whichever path you take, and dedication which helps you stay on the path that you started on. Without my sister, my life would have been completely different and I would not have been where I am today, ready to graduate as a biological science student.

[stsonisenvs3000-blog]

Exploring the Gifts in the Art Gallery of Guelph

Enos Mills and Freeman Tilden, both contributors to our ENVS*3000 required reading The Gifts of Interpretation, agreed and wrote that a nature guide is also an artist. This week, we will dive into an artist’s view whom shares the three gifts of story, provocation, and hope that are discussed within the textbook. The exhibit created by Glenna Cardinal, was presented by a wonderful tour guide at the Art Gallery of Guelph. My Nature Interpretation class had the exciting opportunity to be lead through the art exhibit for one of our seminar’s earlier on in the fall semester, introducing the connection between nature and art. 

How did these three gifts resonate though the artist’s exhibition? 

The Gift of Story 

When my class first arrived at the exhibit, we were told to walk around the room and try and make connections between the different art forms that were presented. The artwork was compelling to look at, striking curiosity and interest as my eyes tried to reveal the secrets and emotions hidden within each piece. I remember seeing home furnishings, taxidermy, and rocks from the area around her former childhood home. As our tour guide began to move to piece to piece, I could see the significance of each part that created the whole story. Cardinal’s work explores themes of land and home, displacement and loss related to the construction Calgary’s Southwest Ring Road through Tsuut’ina Nation. The gift of story was evident as it was informative, inspiring and entertaining through multiple methods of art. 

Photo showing a taxidermy art piece included in the exhibit. Picture taken from here. 

The Gift of Provocation 

“Most visitors to interpretive settings are interested and eager to learn the deeper truths of the places they have been selected to experience” (Pg. 31, Chapter 4, The Gift of Provocation). The gift of provocation occurs when the interpreter adds intellectual spice to basic emotions, which then motivates their audience to further educate themselves and to maybe even take action. Interpreters entice visitors to learn more about the cultural and natural history of an area through their own passion for the place. In this case, a place where Cardinal called come. I remember being very intrigued, asking many questions to the tour guide and even having a discussion with my professor at the time Amanda H. Through the gift of story, we could see emotion invoked from every piece of art. Emotions like anger at the loss of the land. The feeling of confusion and hurt for having a home in the Tsuut’ina Nation but failing to receive any compensation for the loss of her home because of rules set out by their community. No settlement money, and only loss.

The Gift of Hope 

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give” – Kahlil Gibran Sharing a deeply personal journey that may not be pretty, is the act of giving yourself. It can be extremely difficult to share and express the hardships one is facing. Cardinal’s work expresses the hardships and losses that she encounters as she is forced to leave her childhood home and community. Although conflict is painful, the art exhibit proves to be the perfect example of how it can be educational as well. Glenna chooses to push boundaries to provide awareness of impactful events happening on First Nations land that will no longer be completely preserved. Acknowledging and confronting problems that are occurring is the first step in gifting hope to the audience. I think that by expressing and sharing Glenna’s talent within different art forms is how she gives the gift of hope to those experiencing her exhibit, and those within her community who were at a loss as well. However, I think this gift can be further developed in a way that the audience can see past the pain and loss. If the audience can receive hopeful messages while also being confronted by the issues Cardinal is presenting, one can be both aware and motivated to move in the right direction. This is a small aspect that would help deliver the gift of hope to the audience in a more wholesome way.

Did you experience these “gifts” during our seminar at the Art Gallery of Guelph? Were there other “gifts” that you thought were more present?

Thank you all for tuning into this week’s post!

Sophia

References:

Beck, L., & Cable, T. T. (2011). The Gifts of Interpretation: Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Hi Sophia,

I really enjoyed reading this post as you were able to take ideas from our textbook and directly relate it to the content we have been learning and experiencing in our class. From what you wrote, it seems like what you’ve learned surrounds the idea that we must question the things that we see and experience. Through these questions, we will be able to find answers that dig deeper into the root of the objects or things that we see. Combining the context that these answers provide about something and the past experiences we’ve had that can relate to these answers now gives meaning to our experience and can resonate better with us. These deeper relationships that we can create with objects and experiences are what allow us to better understand gifts of story, provocation, and hope that you mentioned in this post.  

Now what is interesting is that these gifts are experienced differently for each person and change depending on multiple factors. As I mentioned in my post for this week’s blog, the questions we ask and the way each of these gifts are presented to us differ based on the experiences that each individual person has experienced up until that point. For example, what you saw as hopeful through Glenna’s work may be seen as painful for individuals who have gone through similar experiences as those that dealt with the issues conveyed through the art we saw through our tour of the art gallery. Overall great post that encompasses a lot of the relevant content we have gone over.

Kyle

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

#5: The Gift of Beauty

I’m sure that you all have heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” right? I believe that this saying encompasses the entirety of what we are discussing through this weeks blog prompt. Chapter 13 of The Gifts of Interpretation, begins with an eye opening, yet similar quote, saying that “beauty defies definition.” I believe that this line expresses the idea that beauty can’t be defined by one person’s idea or through one description written in a dictionary. Instead finding beauty in something depends on the life experiences that a person has gone through. 

With that said, I believe that this week's prompt, “Who are you to interpret nature through art?” asks us how we can view nature in the same way that we view art? I believe that just as abstract art is meant to depict language through shapes, forms, colours, and lines to communicate different messages and emotions depending on the viewer, the animals, trees, plants, and other aspects of nature may communicate different messages and elicit different emotions for different people. For example, although one person may see the colour change of leaves during the fall only as the biological process of chlorophyll breaking down, another person may see it as a beautiful image that they would like to take a picture of to share or to keep for later for paintings or drawings. The difference between these two perspectives of the same thing is due to the fact that each person has had different experiences with what they are looking at. For example, the individual who views colour change in leaves may have grown up as a science student and therefore the biological aspect is the first thing that they see. The individual who views colour change as a portrait may be a photographer, who constantly looks for the best angle to take a visually appealing photograph.  

(Photo taken at Brampton Golf Club of what I believed was a pretty photo. Photo taken by me)

This idea is expanded on in our textbook throughout chapter 13. Under the subsection, “Landscapes of Nature and the Mind,” on page 140 of our text, Barry Lopez’ ideas of what he calls the exterior and interior landscape describe how our different perspectives come to fruition. The exterior landscape is what we visually see and physically experience while our interior landscape consists of the thoughts and moods that we associate with that exterior landscape. It is our job as interpreters to take exterior landscapes that may not necessarily have any meaning to an individual and help create a relationship between the landscape and that person, which subsequently will draw out the emotions and meaning that that individuals interior landscape can produce. Therefore, in order to create emotions in our audience as an interpreter, we must first have passion and our own emotions relating to nature. My interpretations and passion for nature stem not only in the form of concrete information, such as the species of animals or the types of trees that can be found through the environment, but also in the beauty that is created by the calmness and peacefulness of being outside in nature.  

All in all, although beauty is subjective and may be different for each person, the idea that there is beauty to be found if you look hard enough holds true for each and every one of us. Next time you spend time outdoors, take some time to observe what’s around you and see the finer details that the world has to offer. You never know what your eyes can find and what your mind can produce.

[ekenvs3000-19-blog]

The “Key” to Ecosystems

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – Animal Farm by George Orwell

Going through elementary school and high school, we were first taught that ecosystems worked like a pyramid; with the grasses and plants being the lowest and largest tier, the herbivores being the middle tier, and the carnivores being the smallest but highest tier. Some of us were also taught later, that ecosystems work more like a food web, as species can have varying amounts of connections to other species. However, it always seemed to be put more simply than what was truly occurring, as it wasn’t always made clear that if you were to remove a specific species from the environment, the whole environment could collapse. So, what do we call these incredible species? Well, they are called a keystone species! 

Image 1 (above)= A food web that might look familiar from elementary or high school. It certainly does get more complicated than this! Image from http://eschooltoday.com/science/ecosystems/what-is-a-foodchain.html

A keystone species has such an important role in their ecosystem, as a keystone species is a species that has a disproportionally large, positive effect on its environment relative to its abundance. These species help to maintain biodiversity within a community either by controlling populations of other species that would otherwise dominate the community or by providing critical resources for a wide range of species. Without a keystone species, the ecosystems would look so much different. The change can even be as drastic as an ecosystem disappearing altogether! 

My favourite example of a keystone species is the sea otter! Not only are they so dang adorable, but this species is present in kelp forest ecosystems along the Pacific Coast of North America where its major role is to keep its roommates the sea urchins in check, as the kelp provides food and shelter. Without the presence of these sea otters, the inconsiderate sea urchins would decimate the kelp by eating it at its roots. This then causes the population of fish and shellfish to decline, and eventually force them to move out and find food and shelter elsewhere. When scientists looked at a few kelp forests near remote islands where the otters couldn’t reach, sea urchins covered the ocean floor, with kelp and other species nowhere to found! How rude!

Image 2 (above): A cute sea otter! They are just one of the many important keystone species that help to keep ecosystems in order. Image from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/10/sea-otters-global-warming-trophic-cascades-food-chain-kelp

Image 3 (above): This is a normal kelp forest when sea otters are present. Image from https://biodesignin.wordpress.com/

Image 4 (above): And this is a kelp forest without sea otters - an urchin barren! If you thought holy cow, what a difference, I did too! Image from https://adlayasanimals.wordpress.com/2014/06/29/sea-urchin-class-echinoidea/

A keystone species isn’t just a carnivore either, there are also examples of a keystone species being a herbivore, and even a plant! I think it’s important for schools to start teaching that although each species has a role to play in its ecosystem, there are some species that have stronger ties to other species and that the conservation of these species should be of the utmost importance. In short, it doesn’t always matter how many ties a species has to other species, but the strength of those ties is more important. The kelp has many more direct ties to other species than the sea otter does, but the otter has a really strong, single, direct connection to the sea urchins. If we continue to conduct research that determines the keystone species in each ecosystem, we will be able to save our ecosystems much more efficiently!

If you are interested in learning about more important keystone species, I recommend the documentary called NATURE: The Serengeti Rules. It has a very in-depth explanation of how a handful of keystone species were discovered all over the planet!

References: 

National Geographic Society. (2019, August 29). Keystone Species. Retrieved November 2, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/keystone-species/.

Thompson, J. N. (2015, March 19). Keystone species. Retrieved November 2, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/science/keystone-species.

The Serengeti Rules. (2019, October 9). Retrieved October 13, 2019, from https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/serengeti-rules-dhbtnm/19906/.

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

What a great post! The information you presented relates directly to the topic of top-down and bottom-up designs of ecosystems, which is what I wrote about for this weeks blog prompt. In the case of sea otters, they would act as omnivorous predators that, as you said, control the populations of sea urchins.  

After doing some research, I found that an example of a plant keystone species is the sugar maple, which can be found in hardwood forests. Sugar maple trees benefit the ecosystem in multiple ways, including providing homes for different organisms such as birds and different insects. Additionally, surrounding plants benefit from the presence of sugar maple trees by absorbing water from lower levels in the ground that is pulled up by the sugar maple tree.  

My favourite keystone species are sharks! I always had a fascination with them at a young age, as I would always do class presentations on them. I'm sure many people can agree, especially with the exposure they get through outlets such as shark week on the discovery channel. Fish populations grow at extremely fast rates, and without the keystone species of sharks being present to prey on and decrease the abundance of fish, fish would quickly eat much of the food reserves available.  

Other keystone species that I encourage readers to look up on include gopher tortoises, prairie dogs, and bison!

The information presented in your blog this week clearly shows us why the protection of these keystone species is essential in protecting different ecosystems throughout the world.

References:

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/keystone-species-examples.php

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

#7: The Domino Effect

Have you ever skipped that morning coffee and your entire day goes down the drain? Have you ever poured cereal into a bowl and when you open your fridge, there’s no milk? Or has your phone ever died and there is no charger around to turn it back on? Well, like all these things that usually need one another in order to function properly, an ecosystem works in the same way! Each aspect of an ecosystem depends on one another in what we call top-down and bottom-up designs.

I chose to write about top-down and bottom-up designs because it is one of the first things that I learned in BIOL 2060 (ecology), which is the course that really got me interested in environmental science. Now you might ask, “what these two terms even mean and how they differ?” Well both these approaches determine the population levels within an ecosystem through a food-chain type of system. In an ecosystem, each organism is classified into different hierarchical levels, which we refer to as trophic levels. These trophic levels usually include the top carnivores/tertiary consumers, then carnivores/secondary consumers, then herbivores/primary consumers, and lastly, the primary producers, which consist of plants and other photosynthetic organisms.  

(Photo representing the different trophic levels that exist within ecosystems. Photo Credit: Eco-intelligent.com. Retrieved from: https://eco-intelligent.com/2018/04/26/the-top-down-vs-bottom-up-approach-in-an-ecosystem/)

In ecology, a top-down design refers to a top predator controlling the population of lower trophic levels through predation. In order to visualize this, imagine an ecosystem that consists of lions, gazelle and plants where lions are the top carnivores, gazelle are the primary consumers, and the plants are primary producers. In this ecosystem, lions hunt gazelle and indirectly control the number of gazelle found in the wild. If lions become absent in this ecosystem, gazelle populations would begin to exponentially grow and as a result, would eat plants at a much faster rate than normal. Overtime, all the plants would be eaten and there would be no more food for gazelle, resulting in the extinction of this species!

(Photo of a lion hunting its prey, a gazelle. Photo Credit: Medium.com. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@sportofbusiness/are-you-the-lion-or-the-gazelle-590db7620560)

On the other hand, a bottom-up design is the complete opposite, where the primary producers are what determine the populations of each trophic level. For example, in an aquatic ecosystem consisting of phytoplankton, zooplankton, small fish, and great white sharks, where phytoplankton are the primary producers, zooplankton are the primary consumers, small fish are the secondary consumers, and great white sharks are the top carnivores, the absence of phytoplankton would mean no prey for zooplankton, causing zooplankton species to go extinct. This causes a domino effect up the food chain where each successive trophic level would eventually die off due to the lack of food.

Understanding these concepts is extremely important and interesting, as it teaches us that every single component of an ecosystem is essential in it’s survival. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the pinecones, which feed squirrels on campus, that you see everyday on your walk to school in Guelph or the endangered tiger species found all across Asia, doing everything we can to protect the organisms that wander the earth is extremely important.

My question for you guys is:

What is a specific example of a top-down or bottom-up design that you can think of here in Ontario?

References:

BIOL 2060 notes: University of Guelph

[rwenvs3000-19]

Mother Nature’s Orchestra

While it is not the first thing that comes to mind regarding the word nature, music is extremely intertwined within the natural world. When you go for a walk in a more secluded area from civilizations, the white noise of cars passing, and the beeps of construction are lifted away to reveal the stillness and natural rhythms of the environment to allow for full immersion. For myself, I am able to recall memories of being outdoors through the combination of organic sounds in the same way I can recall memories of travel or being with friends through a song that was playing at the time. For many non-human animals, music is hardwired within their animalistic instincts to be perceived and created in different ways, such as reproduction.

Video of a white bellbird, the loudest bird call in the world. Legitimately sounds like a siren. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvK-DujvpSY

Birds and insects are two types of animals that utilize rhythms and different combinations of sounds to provide a distinguishable song within their own species to attract a mate. For example, katydids have a file and scrapper on their wings that when rubbed together at a certain speed and amount of times creates a precise chirping that travels to their mates. While the tune is recognized differently between us humans and the potential mate of the song, it is a melodic hypnotizing product of a natural instrument. This is just one instrument in use within Mother Nature’s symphony. Other instruments involved are created for several different reasons including, aggression, calling for help, and finding food (echolocation). There is a plethora of songs played on top of one another that are drowned out during the spring and summer months within Ontario.

Slow mo I took of a male katydid calling, click the link. https://rwenvs3000-19.tumblr.com/post/188644007705

Abiotic factors additionally have an influence on this orchestra. Rain and wind produce a steady hissing and whooshing that we are oh so familiar during the fall months. In my opinion, this is a contrast within the winter months because the snow creates a lack of music, due to it being such a great insulator of sound.

One thing that stood out during the music seminar with James Gordon was when he said it was likely that singing may have come before languages as a form of communication, ringing truer to the statement of music within nature. This is because communication was in its fetal stages of progress and resembled what a bird call would have been compared to communication is for us now as a human race. Contrasting that with how we remembered the songbird calls during the exercise on the walk with Chris Earley displayed the use of everyday words or phrases into a rhythmic set of aesthetically pleasing sounds, showed that there is nature in music. To flip the question asking, where nature is in music, I look no further than the instruments created by humans. Whether it is a reed used in a clarinet, wood to make a guitars body or horse hairs used in a violin bow, the intertwining of the two topics goes both ways. Additionally, nature is found in the lyrics of music, which can have endless topics as we have seen within this past seminar with James Gordon.

Violin with its horse hair bow.

My questions this week for you all are: Is there a certain combination of natural sounds that when heard elicit a memory of the outdoors for you? 

What animal species astounds you with either the way they create their song or the sound they produce?

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Hey Riley,

I loved reading your post because of all the different and interesting examples you provided. I specifically found it fascinating to listen to your slow motion video of the katydid making that clicking noise. It is interesting to see how something as simple as clicking noises can actually be used as a mating call that males use to attract females. To answer your question, I love to use the sound of wind while making beats. Not only does it create an immersing atmosphere that fills in the background for a beat but being able to pan the sound of wind from one ear to another only enhances the experience of a listener. To answer your second question, the sounds and calls that birds make stand out to me. There are two reasons for this, with the first being that each bird species can have their own unique sounds, as we saw at the beginning of our nature walk in the Arboretum with Chris Early, and because for 12 years I had a female love bird named Roxie, whose chirps and calls would wake me up every morning. At first, I used to get annoyed with the constant chirps but after a while, the sound of Roxie calling became comforting as I began to associate it with home. Considering you have encountered many bugs throughout your life, it would be interesting to see which animal species you think could make the best song based on the sounds that they make.

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

#6: Nature in Music

Throughout my entire life, music has played a large role in making me the person I am today. Whether that be through my early childhood, where my mother introduced me to music by always having Michael Jackson, Kool and The Gang or Earth, Wind, and Fire blasting throughout the house or throughout my adolescence, where my roots in music would continue to grow while spending years learning how to play the piano. It’s safe to say that music has been there for me through the ups and downs at all points of my life.

(Photo of my dad and I with our piano, which both of us play at our house. Photo Credit: my mom)

On the contrary, my relationship with nature had only been strengthened in recent years, as I had pointed out in my previous posts. After continuing to grow my understanding of what role nature plays in my life, I have learned that I use nature as a way to drown out all of the stress from my busy life. The calmness that being outside brings is like no other.  

Both nature and music have become staples of my daily life and it is easy to see the differences between the roles that the two play. It seems that in my life, I go outside on walks or hikes in order to relax and drown out the stressful noise that comes with my everyday routines while music gives me energy to lift my spirits, whether that be while dancing to the beats or to fill a quiet apartment with noise. Additionally, music is extremely complex, comprised of many different beats and sounds, such as kick drums, hi hats, and synths all playing at once to complement one another in a song. Nature on the other hand provides subtle sounds, such as birds chirping or leaves rustling together, each with their own distinct noise.

(Photo of a quiet trail I run on near my apartment. Photo taken by me)

However, although these two things seem completely opposite in the roles that they play, the similarities that you can find is what makes this blog prompt so interesting. In a netflix documentary series produced by Vox titled, “Explained,” they opened the episode by explaining a study conducted by Elizabeth Margulis, a music cognition researcher, where they would play the sound of water dripping for those participating in the study. Initially, listeners would describe the noise as environmental sound, however, as the dripping continued repeatedly at a steady pace, the listeners would recognize it as a musical beat. This same phenomenon can be found anywhere in nature. For example, two stones hitting each other over and over again can be used as the snares you hear in a beat while strong winds you hear can act as a counter synth to the melody of a song (If you want to see this being actually done, I have included a ling to one of my favourite producers creating a beat from sounds he recorded outside).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khSgbU1MGKo

Overall, nature and music are found within one another as the sounds that we hear in nature act as the basic noises that musicians use to create music. Although the two seem quite different, music cannot exist without the sounds we hear outdoors and the inspiration that nature can provide for musicians is priceless.

[isenvs3000-19-blog]

The gift of inspiration

The level of detail and intricacy of nature is incredible. Nature is the strongest source of inspiration to create for many, including myself. Beauty entices emotion, and this can create an interest to replicate it or it’s essence.

There are specific visual features and interactions in nature that blow me away; from the patterns and colours of microscopic occurrences to landscapes from a human’s eye perspective to the earth from space come together forming such incredible beauty. Some specific and significant things I’ve noticed are how some occurrences look like others, though they are at a completely different scale, material, or location.

What does this look like to you? My own photo.

While flying south I rose above the clouds. Beneath us, they were white and full of texture. I was ecstatic to realize that it looked exactly like snow!

Other similarities like this that I have found are the way that roots spread outwards like fractals in a way that resembles the pattern that water runs down a shallow slope.

*

I really enjoy exploring the creations of others. Different styles are beautiful and can reveal new perspectives.

Lake Nipissing from Heirloom Island. www.heirloomisland.com

Heirloom Island is Julieanne Steedman from Sudbury, Ontario. The lake series stands out to me because of my great interest in maps, and she does an incredible job. This one is of the lake from my hometown, North Bay.

Another favourite nature artist of mine is Kate Dolamore from Florida. She paints incredible watercolours of animals with accurate fine detail. I wish that I could do this!

Owl Illustrations by Kate Dolamore. shop.katedolamore.com

I am interested in incorporating nature interpretation into whichever career path I end up following, and within it, I wish to incorporate arts. In my limited experience of interpretation, working as a Reptile Camp leader at Scales, I made sure to incorporate a creative arts and crafts session into every week. In the same way as with the reptiles, I loved showing excitement about art and seeing it reflect in the children. It was rewarding to share with them open-ended ways to feel inspiration and create. Much like the importance of being exposed to the outdoors as a child is crucial, I believe exposure to creative exploration is so important. At least in my experience, the elementary school system fails to provide this. While some with early talent receive positive feedback, others lose interest by being allowed to think “I don’t have a creative bone in my body”. This ‘talent’ is mostly from practicing.

I believe art enhances nature interpretation and it could be used in ways like photography or illustrations to catch interest and add significance through beauty. For example, throughout The Gifts of Interpretation by Larry Beck and Ted Cable, there are beautiful tree illustrations by Tsuyoshi Matsumoto and Helen Kagan. As well, it allows for a different medium for communication, and simply because its nice.

Do you have a specific type of art that you really enjoy viewing or creating that is inspired by nature? Or a type that you’ve always wanted to practice? I would love to compare our experiences! :)

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Your post was quite inspiring to read! To answer your question, I would say that a type of are that I have recently started to create is music. How is music related to nature you might ask? Well every day while walking outside, we hear sounds. Whether the sound comes from the wind blowing or the trees rustling against one another, all these sounds come together to inspire me when creating music. Just as the clouds might have looked like snow in your eyes, what sounds like a bird chirping to one person may sound like a melodic rhythm to another.

Additionally, I enjoyed reading your post because of your explanation regarding your interests. In my original post this week, I spoke about how what we find interesting or what we are passionate about can actually be a gateway for us to be enthusiastic interpreters. I mentioned how it is our responsibility to share our joy of something that we love with others around us, in hopes that we can inspire another and change their lives for the better. In your case, it would be interesting for you to meet other people who have an interest in art and introduce them to the relationship that are could have with nature. Not only will you be helping somebody else but you will also continually strengthen your relationship with your own interests while always reminding yourself why you love what you love. Great post and Happy Thanksgiving!

Kyle

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Finding What We Love

While thinking of what topic to write about for this weeks blog prompt, I came across many ideas that I felt would resonate with the class. However, I realized that the most appropriate theme would be the  idea of appreciation. With thanksgiving coming up on Monday and the opportunity to hopefully spend some time with our families, we also have the opportunity to reflect on the things we love and why we truly love them. Appreciation is what allows people to immerse themselves into something and learn more about it. This could come in the form of family, sports, academia and basically anything else that you can learn about.  

These past couple of weeks, I have made it a point to go on walks and runs outdoors in order to take in the beautiful scenery that fall brings us. Taking in the colour of the leaves and the smell of fresh air during these walks has strengthened my appreciation for the relationship I’ve created with nature. I have also become appreciative of the privilege, which we learned about in class, that I have been given to go out and create this relationship. This privilege includes the opportunity to take ENVS 3000, a course that has pushed me to immerse myself in my interactions with nature and learn more about how individuals develop their relationship with the environment. Specifically, this push has come from our blog post assignment, where we all have spoken and read about each one of our own experiences with nature.

Photo of Downtown Guelph during the Fall. Photo Credit: Yuki Hayashi, retrieved from: https://www.wheels.ca/top-ten/10-best-fall-drives-in-ontario/

Around two weeks ago during Aaron’s first lecture as our professor, we were asked what we are looking forward to in this class the most. The answers to this question strongly reflect the difference of interest between each student. I have become appreciative of this assignment as with every blog posted comes the opportunity for me to read and learn more about the interests that each student has. Not only have reading these sparked new interests in me but it has also allowed me to learn more about why each student has come to this appreciation.

The appreciation that each one of us has for our interests have all sparked from one point in our life and most likely stemmed from individuals who showed us those interests. For example, I had an early appreciation for golf because my dad showed me how fun and and exciting the game could be. The reason why we are able to appreciate these  things is most likely because somebody was there to guide us down that path. Throughout the first two month of this class and with the help of everyone in this class, I have come to understand why interpreters through all walks of life are important and why we as interpreters can be the stepping stone for an individual trying to find their passion.  

All in all, i believe that it is our responsibility to find what we appreciate and what we are passionate about and to teach others about those passions. Through this we can really make a difference in the world and change the lives of others by guiding them down new paths in their life.

[hayleypreeceandtheenvironment]

Blog 3: The Time to Act is Now

This week’s prompt confused me a bit at first, but I was able to make out deep meaning in the second part of it. It conveyed a very important message to me, which helped me break down the first half so that it made sense. The prompt overall depicts how it can be easy to forget history or believe that it doesn’t have any relevance to the present day, when it completely does. 

While walking downtown during our lab on Thursday I had the opportunity to learn about the history of Guelph and it changed my perspective. I had been to downtown Guelph many times in my last three years of undergrad but had never realized or known its significant history.The stories our interpreter told were very interesting and brought a lot of perspective to the tour, but what made the tour significantly better was that pretty much all the buildings were still standing. A lot of them were also easy to depict from their pictures in the pamphlet too since they were stone so they didn’t have ,amy exterior changes. It made the history stories he told us ever more exciting as I stood at the same site where everything happened. The first stop where I really felt connected to the interpreter’s story was the one where he talked about the Albion Hotel and how Al Capone stayed there with his mistress. Even though I had heard the story before, being there made the experience very real. 

Photo taken by me of the pamphlet.

Relating the prompt back to nature and the environment, it’s important to remember all that we have done in the past for environmental activism. The Keeling Curve is a well-known graph of CO2 emissions for climate scientists and dates back to 1958. Scientists knew our climate was drastically changing due to our emissions since as early as the 50′s and yet it has take so long for people to finally realize how much we need to change if we want to save our ecosystems and future generations. In 1992, David Suzuki’s daughter Severn Cullis Suzuki made a speech to world leaders at the Rio de Janeiro Earth summit in 1992 to urge them to take action to prevent global warming and species extinction. It is now almost three decades later and Greta Thunberg is following in the same steps as Severn, but there is more back up from citizens and Fridays strike for the future has become a fairly big movement. So why didn’t this happen sooner? We can say that social media has become a big part in helping youth connect. I will insert a video below of Suzuki’s take on the subject. 

Thunberg on the left and Suzuki on the right.

Photo from: https://www.tpi.it/ambiente/greta-thunberg-severn-suzuki-discorso-onu-20190924455735/

Overall, we must take into account the history of climate change that the older generations grew up with in order to hopefully further progress this movement and educate more youth. If we don’t act soon or big enough in this upcoming election, history will continue to repeat itself. 

My question to you guys is do you think our own pasts depict our future?

References: “The Gifts of Interpretation” by Larry Beck and Ted T. Cable. 3rd Edition, Copyright 2011

Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOp5ATk_rlM

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

I found your experience with downtown Guelph to be very similar to mine. For the past couple of years I have been in Guelph, not once have I thought about the historical significance of the city. There were so many small and random facts that we learned that actually came as a surprise to me. However, it wasn’t just the facts that made the tour so enjoyable but also the presenter. Not only did he have deep knowledge about the history in Guelph, but he also had memories of his own experiences. This is what seemed to make him extremely enthusiastic about the information he presented, making it easier to follow along as the audience. For example, he knows that we are all students and was able to make connections between our experiences on campus and his experiences on campus as a student many years ago. As a presenter, I feel that it’s important to not only to understand what you are presenting but to also have your own experiences and a true passion/appreciation of that topic in order to make a connection with your audience.

In response to the second part of your blog, reflecting on our history and how our individual decisions have negatively impacted the earth’s changing climate is important as we move towards the future. As you said, it took an extremely long time for somebody to take steps similar to the ones Severn took, but now we must see this and take action as fast as possible. Great Stuff!

Kyle

[kgenvs3000-19-blog]

Past, Present, and Future

While reading this week’s blog prompt and the quote that came along with it, the one phrase that I kept repeating to myself was “history repeats itself.” The quote by Edward Hyams encompasses the idea that we cannot make decisions about our future without considering our past. If we do so, we are making these decisions blindly and we risk the possibility of repeating mistakes that we might have made in the past.  

In today’s world, this quote has become extremely relevant. With the 2019 Federal Canadian Election coming sooner and sooner, we must make educated votes. In order to do so we must reflect on our nation’s history as well as the decisions that past government officials have made and how those decisions have affected us individually and as a whole. Looking at this situation from an environmental perspective, understanding that our government has made mistakes in the past when it comes to combating climate change is important, as we can now compare those past decisions with the beliefs and ideas presented to us by each political party. This is only one example about how reflecting on our past can help us build a better future.

Photo Illustration by Liz Sullivan (https://www.macleans.ca/politics/2019-federal-election-platform-guide-where-the-parties-stand-on-everything/) Canadian Political Party Leaders

In addition to the quotes relevance to a larger scale, It was also interesting to see how it relates to what we have learned in class and specifically to our tour of downtown Guelph this past week. Every time I have walked through the streets of downtown Guelph, I had never stopped to think about the past events or the historical significance of the area I was in. I had only thought about the present moment and what I saw at that exact time. What I usually saw was just another city that seemed boring most of the time. However, as we progressed through the tour and I learned more about all of the significant events that occurred or the important people that have been through the city, my appreciation of Guelph only continued to grow. What this told me is that understanding our past and the moments that brought us to where we are gives you a deeper appreciation of the present moment.  

 “.... 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.”

This part of the quote is extremely insightful, for if I was to only think about the current time in Guelph, that would mean forgetting the steps that John Galt had to take in order to found this beautiful city or forgetting that the term “hat trick” originated in Guelph because of Guelph’s booming hat industry.  

Photo from the Ontario Ministry of Education, via Wikimedia Commons (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/guelph-in-the-first-world-war) Guelph City Hall, 1920

All in all, blinding ourselves from our past means blinding ourselves from who we truly are. Significant moments throughout our lifetimes or even the lifetime of a city is what lead us to who we are today and without knowledge of the steps we took to get here, we rid ourselves of our identity and our integrity.