Nature and Meaning

by Katharine Reszetnik

[malenvs3000-2018-blog]

My Life as a Nature Interpreter

I believe that nature should be respected because nature has intrinsic value and we (humans) do not have any ownership over it that entitles us to destroy it for our own personal gains.

Before I took this class, I knew that I had responsibilities as a steward of the earth from my Catholic school education. I may have gone through Catholic education, but at this point in my life, I do not consider myself a religious person. What I do consider myself is a steward of the earth. Stewardship in Catholicism comes from the belief that we are created by God who created the universe. Looking after earth is the responsibility of the Christian steward. I have had a spark instilled in me at several stages in my life: through my visits to Guelph Lake, through a presentation in my elementary school about the horror of plastic water bottles, through a TERRA program as well as an Environmental Sciences SHSM, and through classes I have taken at the University of Guelph. As I grew and took classes in high school, my thinking evolved that my responsibility to protect nature stemmed from my responsibility as an environmental scientist. Now, after taking this class, I realize that my responsibility to the earth is as not only an environmental scientist, but also as a nature interpreter.

(A picture of the TERRA group in Algonquin Park, February of 2012. I’m 5th from the right)

I discovered last year that my greatest interest in nature is insects. I did not discover my immense interest for them until I took a class with Morgan Jackson. Morgan teaches ENVS 3090 (Insect Diversity and Biology) at the University of Guelph and his background comes from fly research rather than nature interpretation. That course has to be one of my favourite courses that I have ever taken at University of Guelph because I found all of the tests fairly easy owing to Morgan’s ability to frame each insect group as a story in his class. If I did not take ENVS 3090, I am positive that I would not have even considered applying for the field entomology trip I went on (which was one of the best experiences I’ve had at the University of Guelph) and that I’m going on again this Spring. I know that I want to do my masters in Environmental Sciences at University of Guelph next year and if I ever become a teaching assistant, I’d like to be able to command my audience’s attention and leave them with stories that they’d be able to remember long after they take the course (Like I have with ENVS 3090). After taking this class, I am confident that I can do that and that I can also add importance to each story.

(2018 Field Entomology Trip Class, May 2018) 

That is the responsibility of a nature interpreter. To give their audience gifts such as the 15 that our class learned from The Gifts of Interpretation. I believe the most important gifts that a nature interpreter can give their audience are the gifts of spark, story, provocation, personalizing the past, relationship, beauty, joy, and passion. The gift of a spark inspires people to continue with nature and spread what they’ve learned to other people. It’s probably the most important gift a nature interpreter can give anyone because it makes more nature interpreters. We are all human and we have a limited time on this planet so encouraging the next generation to continue with an idea is essential because they’ll do the same and the cycle will (hopefully) never end. Nature interpreters can give their audience the spark through giving them gifts of story, personalizing the past, beauty, and joy. Gifts of provocation, relationship, and passion follow because if you can make someone care about something, they’ll be inspired to protect it through their actions, perhaps they’ll be able to give financial/volunteer support, and they’ll bring their passion to the table to accomplish protection goals.

(My boyfriend practicing his interpretation skills as a Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory Volunteer, June 2018)

I have a young niece. Her name is Luna and she is two years old on December 4th this year. I bring her up because I believe that my responsibility is not just in academia. I have responsibilities to her and to the rest of my family and friends to show them the beauty of all things in nature and make them realize how important nature is and educate them on how their actions impact nature. Already Luna is interested in the outdoors because my family has taken her outside and have shown her things in our backyard such as flowers, leaves, bugs, birds, squirrels, and trees. She loves to bring in leaves from outside and just the other day she learned how to say turtle. Her mother, my sister Mary, is afraid of spiders. Mary and I have had a few chats about her bias against spiders and she knows that she has a responsibility not to bring that bias into Luna’s life. One of Luna’s favourite toys is a stuffed animal that’s a spider. 

(A picture of Luna! Taken July 2018)

I know it’s easier to get young children interested in the outdoors because they have lots of energy, but the challenge will be getting older adults more interested in the outdoors because they have more ‘closed’ minds and are set in their ways. It will also be a challenge to have them release their bias’s and preconceived notions about certain organisms such as spiders. I believe that I can do make adults more interested in the outdoors by noting what is in their invisible backpacks, and illustrating the importance of nature to younger generations and that the actions of adults will impact the future of natural areas. I’ve only come to this conclusion by taking this nature interpretation course. My nature interpretation ideas have shifted from how I would communicate cool facts to how I can pull at peoples’ heart strings and make them care about aspects of nature. The approaches that are most suitable for me as a nature interpreter are through telling stories right now to my family about nature facts and volunteering for organizations like the arboretum and in the future, as a teacher, a parent, and a donor.

(A picture of a scarab beetle - included just for fun, April 2018)

I just want to end my final blog post by thanking our instructor, Amanda Hooykaas for an amazing and eye opening semester. I would not have considered nature interpretation as a career choice and responsibility if I did not take this course. Thank you :) 

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Marlee, I found your post extraordinarily genuine, personal and thoughtful. Not only do you relate nature interpretation to the typical musings of us nature nerds, ie. the insects, plants and diverse species we study with exuberance, but you connect the responsibility, art and practice of interpretation to other significant experiences and values in your personal life. From your catholic school education, to your niece and on to your own adventures in the field entomology course – nature interpretation appears to have permeated all domains of your life. I believe your ability to perceive opportunities for involving and considering the natural world in your everyday life, and then subsequently benefiting from these multifaceted experiences, will enable you to be an incredible nature interpreter. Knowing you prior to this class I may be biased, but I have had the privilege of working in various groups with you and undeniably one of your uniquely defining qualities is the atmosphere of ease, acceptance and non-judgement you bring to your interactions with others. Thus, not only is it your intricate incorporation of nature into all aspects of your own life, but it is the way in which you create enclaves of safety for those around you, that will enable you to be an effective nature interpreter. I know you have expressed interest in pursuing research but I would encourage you to continue considering nature interpretation as a career. I believe both your intrapersonal and interpersonal capabilities make you an incredible candidate for such a position. Thank you for always offering me an environment of safety, respect and understanding. Your facilitation of this space has enabled me to take risks, push myself out of my comfort zone and grow in ways I never thought possible. I’ll even let you in on a secret, you have helped me irradiate my fear of spiders! Therefore, despite what Mary thinks, I fully endorse you teaching Luna to love insects just as much as you do!

[jtenvs3000-2018-blog]

Re-evaluating the Spark

To start off this last post I would like to say thank you for an awesome semester, everyone in this class is so bright and has taught me so much about what its like being an interpreter. Listening and reading stories that everyone shares has given me a new spark to make me want to go out and fully immerse myself in all my surroundings.

My personal ethic as a nature interpreter is to always try something new. Being in this class for example, I went in knowing very little about and it made me extremely uncomfortable knowing nothing when it seemed that many others in the class knew a lot about. Personally, I hate this position but being in this position helped me grow out of my comfort zone. I am not one to share my experiences with and talk openly about things I’ve done or places I’ve been. However, throughout the duration of this course I have found it much easier to talk about this with friends as well as people I don’t know on a personal basis. I am a horrible story teller and find it very hard to talk about exciting things that have happened in my life but being able to read everyone else’s stories and being able to relate to a lot of them has helped make this so much easier for me now. I think this has helped me grow as an interpreter too. Hearing stories about someone’s trips out west and hiking through Algonquin park has given me so much more knowledge on these areas. Seeing things first hand and then experiencing it through the interpretation of other classmates has helped me recognize that there is more to this than meets the eye. I never would consider myself a good interpreter but hearing very similar situations/stories from another person’s perspective has opened my eyes into the world of interpretation. There is so much to learn from other people and I think after taking this course it is very easy to say that the more nature interpreters there are out there, the easier it will be for other people to understand the beauty of interpretation. That being said, I believe being able to try something new and going out of your own comfort zone is almost always a good thing because I think I have grown as a person being easier to interact with other people about experiences I’ve had and the knowledge I can give to others as an interpreter.

My beliefs on interpretation are very similar to my ethics. I believe everyone can be a nature interpreter, some better than others and for some they just need a push to get them started. Finding one thing such as “the spark” in your life that helps you go out and be immersed in nature is a great way to start. Things are not always what they seem when interpreting and for some people its easy than others. Our first lab helped me to fully understand this process. When we were taken out to the arboretum looking up at what seemed to be some bronze abstract sculpture turned out to be a root system of an old tree really showed how much interpretation was such a new thing to me. In other labs such as the art gallery we built on this form of interpretation with art and looking at different videos and sculptures showed how your own interpretation can be very different from the artists and there is no right or wrong way of perceiving things. I think these exercises has really changed the way I think about nature. When I go up to the cottage now over winter break, I won’t look out and see just a frozen lake, rather, I’ll look around at all the trees and see all the life of hibernating animals like squirrels, snakes and groundhogs and recognize that there are plenty of fish and organisms living and thriving underneath the lake. As an interpreter there is not limit unless you give yourself one. Interpretation can go as far as your mind can imagine and allowing yourself to let go of the things you think you know and let your mind and body explore everything around you.

After taking this class I believe I have gained more responsibility in sharing what I’ve learned to others. The stories and experiences that everyone has shared with me throughout this semester has helped me grow and understand the concept of interpretation much more. Whether it be a personal story about a hiking trip or something such as our Jane walks, it has helped me try harder to see my surroundings as something greater than what they are. Sharing personal experiences can help everyone else feel involved to share their own experiences. On the nature side of things, learning about the leave no trace methods is also helpful for the role as an interpreter as it gives people the sense of freedom with very significant rules or boundaries towards nature. Being able to go out and enjoy nature is something that I love to do as do many other people, but these rules allow nature interpreters 100 years from now interpret nature very similar to how we do today without interrupting the cycles of wildlife.

The most important thing for me is to get everyone involved and enjoy nature the way I do. It is good to let everyone make their own experiences and tell their own stories and leaving a lasting effect on individuals as it has done for me. Finding a spark is so important to nature interpretation because it helps you find something that you care about most and build off this experience. It is also important to understand that everyone’s spark is different and personal to themselves. Finding what makes you happy will help make you be the best interpreter you can be. Immersing yourself and putting yourself in uncomfortable positions is the biggest key and has taught me the most about the role of nature interpretation in my life.

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Thank you so much for your post! I found many of your sentiments resonant and perceptive. As we were instructed to refrain from reading our classmate’s posts before submitting our own reflections, I was even more intrigued than usual to review my peers’ blogs. While everyone naturally had a unique take on their experience in ENVS*3000, I noted several commonalities. Specifically, one point, both you and I explicitly made recognizes the significance of, and opportunity given by, “the spark.” I believe the spark is the greatest gift of nature interpretation and agree that is it the essential precursor to all other gifts that may be provided. An extremely eloquent point of yours I had not considered references the limitless of interpretation. This conceptualization of limitless possibility and opportunity creates an ideal environment for us aspiring nature interpreters to ignite a spark. For if there are no bounds then every stimuli we encounter in the moment, every memory we retrieve from the past, and any future we may imagine can be the raw materials used to ignite that spark for someone else. My only caveat to this, is that, as a nature interpreter, it may at times be our responsibility to adhere to limitations and constrain ourselves within certain bounds. When interacting with others we must respect their own unique perspectives, and never assume that what we perceive and imagine is what others do as well. Clues from the audience regarding experience, confidence and aptitude can help inform the interpretive style we wish to apply. While interpretation is an innately introspective task (as you must have ignited and sustained your own spark in order to start the flame of another) it also involves the consideration of others’ beliefs and tolerances. We must keep our interpretation constrained within a certain degree of risk. For if we push too far past someone’s upper bound, anxiety, discomfort and fear will dominate. Such feelings are not conducive to lighting a spark, and if interpreters fail to provide this initial flicker, any further successful interpretation will be difficult.

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Reflections on an unconventional journey of self-development

What is my personal ethics statement? What do I value most acutely, most deeply? And why and how do I transmit, explore and share these beliefs with my friends, my family, my community, and, hypothetically, all of humanity? I say ‘hypothetically’ and yet, I recognize the rapid modernization, technological advancement and globalization that has dominated our world over the past century; with these developments, the possibility of engaging with all humanity becomes increasingly realistic. Such a capacity presents immense opportunity for growth but also posits significant risk. Therefore, identification of the medium through which I can connect will necessarily be accompanied by the recognition of a suite of responsibilities. At this point is critical to recall the most basic law of thermodynamics: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I cannot expect to live and explore this world without affecting others. If this course has taught me one thing, it is that this capacity to influence and impact, can, with thoughtfulness and consideration, function as an incredible gift rather than a detrimental, uncontrollable force.

Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/globalization-policy-society-452692/

My experience in ENVS*3000 has been unparalleled to any other course I have completed at the University. Discomfort, uncertainty, challenge and unconventionality have permeated my journey – and yet my response is not one of disdain or regret. On the contrary, I harbour gratitude, inspiration, excitement and hope. It is through this course that I have been forced to become increasingly introspective and simultaneously, improve my understanding of my function and responsibility to those whom I externally engage with. This development, both intra- and inter-personal, has revealed a truth which, perhaps I may have had some inkling towards previously, but certainly never conceptualized concretely. This truth reveals the medium through which I may be empowered to share and explore the beliefs of not just my own self, but of the diversity of all humanity’s; this medium is nature interpretation. Richard’s Louv (2011) describes ‘the nature principle’ as being “about the power of living in nature – not with it but in it.” He further suggests, “We are entering the most creative period in history. The twenty-first century will be the century of human restoration in the natural world.” I believe, this ‘human restoration’ is the ultimate goal of nature interpretation; it is the universal ethic of humanity. Restoration is defined as “the act of restoring; renewal, revival, reestablishment; a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition.” I do not believe there is a term that more explicitly states the hope for not only my life but for the lives of future generations. To me, human restoration in nature promises both internal and external peace; the internal piece of an individual’s mind, body and soul, and the external peace we may establish in the environments that constitute our magnificent blue marble, our Earth, our home.

Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Nasa_blue_marble.jpg/1024px-Nasa_blue_marble.jpg

If internal and external peace define my personal ethic, and nature interpretation is the mechanism through which I endeavour to transmit and share this peace, then in my pursuits as a nature interpreter I must consider that my peace will be uniquely defined and necessarily differ from other’s conceptions of peace. While I do not suggest there is a singular factor determining everyone’s individual definition; I do believe Peggy McIntosh’s construct of privilege is highly interconnected with individual ‘peace’ definitions. McIntosh portrays peoples’ privilege as their individual backpacks. We do not choose what contents are in our backpacks; we are gifted them at birth and subsequently carry them through life. While other carriers and possessions may be acquired the initial backpack is an individuals’ unique set of foundational resources. From these we may attain other trinkets, however attainment will be necessarily constrained by those tools we are initially granted. With these preliminary aids we look to our external world and endeavour to build a life characterized by peace. If every person’s individual backpack is distinct, it follows that everyone’s peace will be equally as diacritical. What remains universal is the possession of a unique backpack. I believe my most critical responsibility as a nature interpreter is to respect and appreciate the diversity of backpacks in existence. As a nature interpreter I cannot possibly know or learn the contents of everyone’s backpack. This poses a momentary obstacle. How then do I facilitate the restoration of peace for a group whose foundational resources I may not be completely aware of? Undoubtedly, I will have several clues to their potential possession (ie. educated, bilingual, physical impairment, familial socioeconomic standing, etc.) but certainly will not be privy to them all. And it may be those most invisible possessions that impact an individual most significantly.

Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/personalcreations/16902991266/in/photostream/

To address this conundrum, I look to the beliefs and responsibilities I endeavour to apply. I propose a fostering of empathy, acceptance, respect and reverence will enable me to facilitate the restoration of peace for all.  I must acknowledge my information deficit and also appreciate that I may never understand what it is like to possess certain privileges. However, that does not preclude me from connecting with a group. If I can be flexible, adjustable, accessible and non-judgmental then there should be no barrier constructed on my part. Admittedly, connection requires mutuality and the imposition of barriers by the group/individual I am attempting to reach will add challenge to my task. It is here where I may begin applying Beck and Cable’s gifts of interpretation.

Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/7136286@N04/26249635933

While I could iterate all fifteen gifts and explain how each may contribute towards my peaceful restoration efforts, I believe all the gifts rely upon the first, the gift of the spark. Without that initial interest, that first “eyebrow raise” as Chris Early calls it, I will not be able to provide any of the other gifts nature interpretation can bestow.  The spark occurs when an audience member’s internal cognitive map is activated by stimuli provided by the nature interpreter. In turn, the cognitive map will have formed in the context of the individual’s invisible backpack to which I will not have full knowledge of, or access to.  Therefore, the only possible way for me to offer this ignition is to embrace the diversity, become interested, and respectfully inquisitive, actively listen and be sensitive to the needs and capabilities of the audience I am engaging. And when, inevitably, a situation occurs whereby I fail to create that safe, inclusive space for all, I must respond not with awkwardness, anxiety and discomfort but with a sincere effort to accommodate. If audience members feel adequately safe, accepted and understood, the likelihood of their engagement in a growth-inducing amount of risk will increase. Through this engagement they may enter the flow state. This flow channel is where restoration of peace in nature will occur.

Retrieved from https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=241654&picture=yoga-pose-silhouette

As a nature interpreter I will therefore embrace techniques that celebrate diversity. I will acknowledge my lack of omnipotence, and be humble and unassuming. I will be inclusive, sensitive and enthusiastic. I will welcome feedback, encourage exploration and risk-taking within a safe environment. I will not only interpret nature for my audience, but I will learn and grow from what audience members’ unique individualities offers me.

Retrieved from my https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1540169629368886&set=t.100000342403828&type=3&theater

[kfenvss3000-2018-blog]

The Dairy Bush Jane’s Walk

On November 10th I had the pleasure of attending several Jane’s walks on the University of Guelph campus. A Jane’s walk is essentially a tour of your own community which helps you to better appreciate it and see it in a new way. Although it was a very chilly day, I greatly enjoyed the Jane’s walk through the Dairy Bush. The Dairy Bush is a little forest and accompanying field on campus that many students pass by every day without giving it a second thought. Learning about its history, current uses and future really opened up my eyes to what an amazing place it is. 

photo taken from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mungobah/5044768300

The Gift of a Spark

This Jane’s walk gave the gift of inspiration. Before I went on this walk I was unaware of the importance that this area had in University of Guelph research and classes. It left me wanting to know more about the research and activities going on in this interesting place. For anyone else who also felt the same way as me, here is an interesting article I found about the Dairy Bush that goes a little bit further into how it is used:

https://news.uoguelph.ca/2011/12/dairy-bush-takes-learning-outside/

I think that one of the reasons that this had such an impact on me was because I will be going to teachers collage next year. It got me thinking about what kind of activities I could do in small local forests to get my students involved just like the UoG students. The fact that this group was able to get me thinking about how to incorporate outdoor learning into my own career just goes to show how well they were able to create a spark in their audience. 

The Gift of Personalizing the Past 

This group was able to teach us about the history of the Dairy Bush in a way that stuck with its audience. While walking to the forest we stopped at various points on our pathway to discuss different points in the Dairy Bush’s history. This was cool because it was kind of like a walk through history and it associated a physical activity with history. We were also reminded about the history several times while we were actually in the forest. For example, being asked which side of the forest that we though was historically more maintained allowed us to think on our own and form connections between the past and present. 

The Gift of Beauty 

Last but not least, this walk gave us the gift of beauty. Snow was covering the forest making it look beautiful. Being able to look out at Guelph from the top of the hill in the field was also awesome. I really like how the group pointed out the contrast between the church and the crane that we could see in the distance. I  think that the fact that this walk was so aesthetically pleasing really helped the audience become more invested in this forest and made us feel more connected to it. 

[rsenvs3000-2018-blog]

Hey, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts as I found I related to the “gifts”. I thought the group did an amazing job in teaching us the past of the dairy bush and what it means for us. 

I also thought that one of gift that this group gave me as a participant  had was the gift of personalizing the past. Throughout the Walk the group had made stops to explain o us the history of the diary bush throughout the year which was a interesting as I did not know many of the things I was told. 

Overall I really enjoyed getting a stronger knowledge and background on the dairy bush.

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

I would like to contribute to these reflections on the Dairy Bush as well, firstly, because I greatly enjoyed the walk! However, secondly, and interestingly, in contrast to the original blogger and first responder, I found that the gift most resonant for me, although related to the way the Dairy Bush’s history was presented, was not the gift of personalizing the past, but rather the gift of story. As Ted and Cable (2008) describe, assembling an effective story requires significant amounts of research, thought, organization and care. Individual components and the overall design of the walk suggested that a high amount of effort was put into the creation and presentation of the Dairy Bush story. The use of signage indicating the different historical periods, and the way in which the history lesson was given as we made our way over to the Dairy Bush, created the sense of “walking through time” to then land in present day upon arrival. After hiking into the Dairy Bush, a discussion on the current research being pursued at the site was held. This was supplemented by pointing out physical examples (ie leaf litter traps, tagged trees) that tangibly connected the audience to the present. Lastly, upon walking out of the Dairy Bush, potential future options for the site were presented. The class was urged to get involved by participating in local elections and remaining informed of the University’s Future Development Plans for the space. A visual, contrasting the current Dairy Bush with its potential development, again provided tangible, concrete examples of these future possibilities. The significance of our precise location throughout the walk and the use of visual aids enabled the past, present and future of the Dairy Bush to be seamlessly connected. Overall, this presenting of a complete story created a culminating sense of completeness and satisfaction for me.

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Greenhouse Gifts

The Greenhouse Jane’s Walk was a brilliant example of effective interpretation; the experience was engaging, informative and impactful, offering the gifts of a spark, revelation and story.

The gift of a spark requires capturing and maintaining audience interest. Such criteria necessitate both an enticing hook and an aspect of familiarity. In other words, a spark requires the creation of an environment in which new information, ideas and endeavours are shared in a way that is meaningful and significant for the audience. I found the order in which we were taken through the greenhouses facilitated this “catching” and maintaining of audience interest. The tropical greenhouse was the first greenhouse we were shown, with its vibrant orchids, unfurling palms and vastly different vegetation from what we typically see growing in our surroundings, these strange yet unique plants were an effective ‘hook.’ Subsequently, creating time for the audience to independently explore the area promoted curiosity and thus maintained interest.

The gift of revelation involves connecting physical objects with associated concepts and intangible ideas; in this case, the greenhouses and the vegetation they housed, with the notions of conservation and sustainability. Similar to the way in which a spark needs to be enticing, the physical objects/raw materials need to be attention-grabbing and relevant. The human brain is biased in what is tends to focus on, namely it is inclined towards high contrast stimuli and novelty. The vegetation found inside the greenhouse stood in stark disposition to that which was found on the other side of the glass. Moreover, having never traveled to a tropical location myself, most of the vegetation I saw growing in the greenhouses were unlike any species I had ever directly come in contact with. Thus, the high contrast and novel qualities needed of the raw material was clearly apparent. Another important consideration when offering the gift of revelation is to aid in the creation of episodic memory, the remembering of experiences. Research has proven that this episodic memory, is more conducive to individuals forging their own conceptual associations. Variables that aid in episodic memory are (1) repeated exposure, (2) relation to the individual, and (3) engagement with the content. In the last greenhouse Guide Kenzie engaged the audience by first calling upon individuals to share what they had for breakfast. The guide then informed us of what she had eaten. A map was then passed around indicating where all these products were from and where they were being sent to. It was further explained how the import and export of foodstuffs increases GHG emissions and can often be politically/economically dependent on who does/does not have power. Growing food resources in greenhouses was then suggested as a viable solution. Breakfast is a tangible that I, likely along with my classmates, have had repeated exposure to and are very familiar with. This familiar practice of eating breakfast was connected to a tangible structure, the greenhouse, and subsequently, through the use of a map, the utility of greenhouses for conservation and sustainability were revealed. Therefore, this experience was made to be highly memorable and as such, expertly offered the gift of revelation.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/uofguelph/39892460845/in/photostream/

Lastly, the gift of story was bestowed upon the audience when learning about the history of greenhouses on campus. While standing in the Rutherford Conservatory (present moment), limestone that formed the foundation of the raised bed was told to be directly from the original greenhouse (past moment). Furthermore, the greenhouse hours of operation were offered, thereby promoting continued and future use. As Terry Tempest Williams states in Gifts of Interpretation, “story is the umbilical cord that connects past, present and future.” The Greenhouse walk clearly highlighted this time-space continuum.

The last gift I wish to mention is the Gift of Targeted Programs. It was not announced until our last stop that we were in fact a group of younger students. Admittedly, I cannot recall if we were in grade 8 or 10, however, my inability to recollect exactly what age the audience was supposed to be, suggests that the program wasn’t explicitly accessible nor designed for a specific age group. That being said I personally felt very engaged, and would suggest to the guides that the suitable audience may actually be slightly order; if they wish to deliver to a younger group, they may want to modify some content (ie. cut out part about asking if any of us have set up experiments in greenhouse, shorten history lesson, incorporate more hands-on activities in Bovey greenhouse).

[mpenvs3000-2018-blog]

Trees from Antarctica???

Ok everyone, I am incredibly excited to share with you all something ancient and mystical living amongst us today. It comes from a world that we will never know, but is still our own. This living memory may be one of the loneliest beings on earth as its species slowly dwindles and fails, but as the last survive, they provide testament to the resilience of life, the desire to survive, and evidence that the world around us will never be the same as it is in the moment we experience it. Today I share with you my favorite tree, Nothofagus moorei, the Antarctic beech.

The Antarctic beech is one of the only remaining species (I was told the only remaining but I question the reliability of the sign I read as it is my only source) native to Antarctica living today. Now, I know what you must be thinking. Yes, that Antarctica. The one with the lightless winter, miles thick ice sheets, and not a single tree to be found; let alone a deciduous tree that can grow to 50 metres in height. However, the southern extreme we know today wasn’t always that way.

(Photo by Neil Ross, 2013). 

Tens of millions of years ago after the dissolution of the supercontinent Pangea, a new landmass was forming in the southern hemisphere. This continent, named Gondwana, was comprised of what is modern day Africa, South America, India, the Arabian Peninsula, Australia, and you guessed it, Antarctica. The dominant ecosystem across much of Gondwana was cool, subtropical and temperate rainforests. It was in this environment that the Antarctic beech came into being. Over the following millions of years, Gondwana started to break and the last to pieces drifted south together, what would become Australia and Antarctica. The tree is believed to have originated in the Antarctic portion, with small populations extending into cooler alpine regions of Australia. As the two landmasses finally split, the trees living on their native Antarctica slowly dwindled to extirpation as ice devoured their ancestral range. Today only a handful survive in elevated peaks scattered along eastern Australia.

Unfortunately, the trees are currently believed to be on their last legs in their final stronghold today. Evolving in a cooler climate, the increasingly warm Australian temperatures have robbed the trees almost entirely of their ability to reproduce sexually. In addition, their alpine homes were traditionally out of the reach of the bulk of the fires that regularly reset life in Australia’s lowland bush. In the past decades though, drier weather has promoted the spread of fires into the mountains. Unlike the majority of Australian flora, the beech is not resilient in the wake of fire. The final figurative “nail in the coffin” is the slow but steady erosion of the mountains that host them as time rolls along. With large root systems that favour deep soil, the thin mountain topsoil exposes the roots to mosses and parasitic plant and insect species. With some trees alive estimated to be up to 12,000 years old, the age of this ancient beauty is coming to an apparent end. Fortunately, its timeless message of consistent beauty in the face of constant change will long outlive it, and possibly even us who learn this lesson. 

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Thank you for your post Matt! The Arctic beech is quite a miraculous, mysterious, indeed almost magical species. I do not doubt its rarity and resilience given its astonishing capacity to withstand such an expanse of geological time, however, what I do question is whether the Arctic beech is truly ‘native’ to Antarctica…?

Your post prompts the discussion of what being “native” to an area really means. Today, the control of invasive terrestrial plant species is a significant concern for many natural resource managers. Should drastic measures of decimation via herbicides be employed, should additional ‘non-native’ biocontrol agents be introduced, should anything be done at all? In order to make effective management decisions we need to be able define what it means to be native, decide if ‘nativeness’ is of value, and then conclusively determine if a given species is indeed native to the area under study. If ‘nativeness’ is understood as a species being originally from somewhere and this characteristic of being originally from somewhere is seen as advantageous, then positive value will be attributed to any plant species that is inhabiting an area in which it is originally from.

On the contrary, if a plant species is understood to be inhabiting a locale it is NOT originally from, then negative value is typically attached to its presence. So, if the determining factor for allocating positive or negative value to a particular species in a particular place is whether it is originally from there, we must be very confident in our understanding of this “being originally from there” concept.

However, if we are to use the Antarctic beech (Nothofagus moorei) as an example, confidence very quickly, dissolves. Is N. moorei really native to Antarctica? Or can it only be considered truly native to Gondwana? And if we are to continue with this logic then maybe N. moorei is really only truly native to Pangea... ?

If applied broadly, such a deduction would suggest that all terrestrial plant species are then native to all terrestrial areas! Modern day land masses were all once part of Pangea and therefore all plant species on today’s land masses are “originally” from Pangea. Now that time has passed and Pangea has physically altered its spatial arrangement, is the fact that originally all land on earth and all terrestrial life came from Pangea negated? If it is not, then it follows that any terrestrial plant may be found in any terrestrial area and be considered ‘native’ and of positive value to that area.

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

The nature of knowledge and the knowledge of nature

As I was preparing this week for our Jane’s Walk, our group’s theme, ethnobotany, was at the forefront of my mind. Its concept, its application and the array of perspectives with which the public views ethnobotany all present as significant (though not insurmountable) challenges for the nature interpreter.

Firstly, as we explained in our walk, inherent to ethnobotany is its fluidity; this ability to shift, adjust, morph and reform throughout time often sparks suspicion and judgement among those already skeptical. In our modern time, throughout western civilization, there is a deep reverence for the scientific method, for raw data, results, rules and regulations to govern our medical field. Funding for research is dependent upon scientific reputability, and currently it is the ‘clinical trial’, that represents the superior model. With all of its impressive characteristics (ie. double-blind, replicated, multi-variable, t-tested, etc.) claiming to minimize error and offer conclusive answers, it is unsurprising we endorse and support such a paradigm. However, creation of synthetic substances, verification of their efficacy through clinical trials, and subsequent mass production of chemically engineered medication by large pharmaceutical companies has not always been commonplace. In fact, for a large majority of the world, this system has yet to be enacted. Rather, those looking to heal and cure search among the natural resources provided by Earth itself.

Retrieved from https://www.maxpixel.net/Pill-Capsule-Medicine-Pain-Illness-Medication-3264943

Unfortunately, in the western world, a substantial stigma pervades the utilization of these natural resources. “The creep of pseudoscience”, “a hodge-podge of unscientific treatments,” “non-evidence based, prescientific notions” … these are several of the phrases I came across when perusing the internet to understand peoples’ views of ethnobotany. Why do we so adamantly denounce the legitimacy of ethnobotanical applications? In an attempt to identify a driver behind these biases I thought first to examine the holy grail of science, the primary medical literature – perhaps here the distinguished medical researchers would explain themselves. It may come as a surprise to you, as it did to me, that these prominent journals were riddled with discussions, both favoring and opposing, ethnobotanical applications.

Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lemon-906141.jpg

In an attempt to make sense of the multitude of confounding claims, I (clearly influenced by my scientifically-reverent and biased environment) tried to seek out “the facts.”

Here is a sampling of what I found:

Scientists have screened ~70,000 plant species for medical uses.

In 2000 11% of the 252 drugs considered basic and essential by the WHO were exclusively of flowering plant origin.

In the last 30 years ~50% of approved drugs have indirectly or directly come from natural products.

Clearly, despite what they may claim, scientists and doctors do not deny the utility of nature for addressing human illness. However, even if they are willing to make this concession, an aversion to the cultural/traditional/historical applications still lingers. Researchers recognize the medicinal properties of Earth’s natural resources but then they rush headlong into the usual process of “scientifically-sound, corporately funded clinical trials.” By proceeding in this way, a critical step is missed – consultation with those who, in their own way, have already known of nature’s utility, already tested its potency and already practiced applying nature in its most advantageous form. The knowledge of the doctor and the indigenous healer differ greatly but, if combined, such knowledge can offer the utmost probability of finding effective remedies. The chemical formula may be known by the scientist, but the indigenous user is aware of the minute details: the expediency of relief, the longevity of effects, the helpful combinations and alternative supplements if a remedy fails to work. Neither knowledge is superior to the other, but both are significant. Therefore, I believe if medicine is to continue advancing, we must foster lines of open communication between the proponents of science and those of ethnobotany.

Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/collective-group-knowledge-3286019/

Yes, ethnobotany is always changing, but so is scientific medicine. And the two will grow most advantageously if they do so in consultation with one another.

I know my above post, on its surface, appears to relate little to theories discussed in our course – therefore, below, I have highlighted how my discussion reflects upon the concept of the invisible backpack:

The two opposing views (modern scientific medicine and traditional ethnobotanical practice) that I present find their roots, as all else does, in the idea of privilege. In my post I discuss the privilege of knowledge. Medicinal knowledge clearly has value (that is easily reflected in the funding of research and the inherent desire to treat sickness) but whether a certain type of knowledge is more ‘privileged’ than another is contested. The possession of knowledge comes in many forms, and the form that may fill an individual’s backpack will be uniquely theirs. It is in this uniqueness that there is value, because through the interaction of diverse knowledge (scientific and ethnobotanical) even more knowledge can be created. Once again, it is within this newly created knowledge that we may find the elusive cures and healing combinations.

[mjlenvs3000-2018]

Weird Sexual Creatures

This week’s blog prompt got be really excited to share one of my favourite, but very odd, topics in nature; The circle of life. More specifically on reproduction processes of plants and animals. I could refine that even more to discussing topics of weird genitalia in nature.

Taking evolution classes in school has always got me very interested in this specific topic. I truly believe that no one thinks about reproduction in nature other than the way that humans do, but there are so many interesting comparisons to do with many unique plants and animals. I for one never really thought of a flower as being a sexual thing until I took botany and educated myself on the reproductive organs of flowers and how they vaguely paralleled to human anatomy.

Flower sex organs; pistil components being female parts, stamen components are male parts. 

This education sparked a new interest in me and helped me pursue my journey of education on animal reproduction. One of the first animals I looked at was echidnas (I seriously just googled odd animal reproduction, and this animal popped up). I then had the pleasure of actually using this new knowledge of this fascinating animal and write a paper. Below is a few highlighting parts of my paper and the interesting information on echidna, specifically the long-beaked echidna, and snake genitalia.

Long-beaked echidna (nytimes, 2009-Long-beaked echidna)

“According to Kristofer Helgen, a Smithsonian zoologist working with Simon, it was found that echidnas have very similar traits to that of reptiles such as the laying of eggs, both having bowed legs as well as unique penises (Wired, 2015). Reptiles have a hemipenis which means a penis with two heads and echidnas having an even stranger commodity of a penis with one shaft and four heads (Blogspot 2015). Echidnas penises are unique because though it has four heads it can only ejaculate out of two at a time (Johnston et al. 2007). Female echidnas are a match to this peculiar trait with two vaginas to help with reproduction (NYtimes, 2009).

           Echidna penises consist of one shaft and four heads that have a rosette on each head (Johnston et al. 2007). The rosette is where the semen pools when ejaculated into the two female vaginas at once (Johnston et al. 2007). Echidna penises are only used for reproduction purposes and so urination occurs directly from the cloaca (Johnston et al. 2007). When erection occurs the echidna penis is up to 25% of the size of its body and all four rosettes are swollen (Johnston et al. 2007). After initial erection occurs only two rosettes remain retracted and two remain swollen and asymmetric as to impregnate the female (Johnston et al. 2007). This unique penis is highly beneficial to this monotreme because it gives the highest chance of success in reproduction.  

Echidna penis shown with all four rosettes on each head are fully erect and swollen (Google, 2016- Echidna Penis) 

           This unique trait is very similar to that of reptiles. An article written by Andrew M. Durso investigates the quality of hemipenis in snakes (Blogspot 2014). Durso explains that the pair of hemipenis is called a squamate and each separate penis is a hemipenis (Blogspot 2014). Hemipenis is a unique quality for reproduction because it involves two penises attached to separate testes (Blogspot 2014). This trait is beneficial to snakes because it gives a higher success rate of the reproduction of snakes due to the snake’s ability to ejaculate out of either side that is in an optimal position for their mating processes to occur (Blogspot 2014). This is similar to that of echidnas because only one penis can be used at a time.”  

Hemipenis of snakes shown when both heads are out of cloaca (Blogspot, 2014)

This is a very odd passion of mine, but I think that this topic is the most interesting thing in nature for me. I would love to hear if any of you guys could share some other cool animal facts in the comments! I love to hear about more funny animals and plants reproduction processes!!

References

Johnston, S. D., Smith, B., Pyne, M., Stenzel, D., Holt, W. V., (2007) One-sided ejaculation of echidna sperm bundles. The American Naturalist 170(6).

nytimes.com (2009). Long-beaked echidna. Retrieved 06/11/16 from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/science/09angi.html

Snakesarelong.blogspot.ca (2014). Life is Short, but Snakes are Long. Retrieved on 06/11/16 from http://snakesarelong.blogspot.ca/2014/03/why-do-snakes-have-two-penises.html

wired.com (2015). Absurd creature of the week: forget the platypus. The echidna is the true champ of the weird. Retrieved on 06/11/16 from https://www.wired.com/2015/06/absurd-creature-of-the-week-long-beaked-echidna/

Flower Image from https://www.daniellesrockawayflorist.com/2018/03/01/flower-anatomy/

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

I have to admit I had some bias in selecting your post to comment upon as you had already offered me a spark of interest in lab last Tuesday when you revealed your intention to write about the diverse genitalia of nature for this week’s blog. At first mention I was a little surprised you would be discussing such a topic, I suppose there exists a stigma concerning “appropriateness” of such a presentation and I experienced an initial sense of discomfort at your proposal. However, I believe it is this sense of discomfort that is so essential for interpretation. It allowed me to enter the “flow” channel, where I was pushed beyond my usual confined ideas and encouraged to explore new territory, but in a way that did not cause unbearable fear or anxiety. Your excitement in lab and the way you delivered the material, noting your own experience in developing an interest in reproductive strategies, provided the introduction and familiarization I needed to become engaged in this topic as well. After reading and reflecting on your post I realized that this topic I was so initially resistant towards was in fact the necessary driver of all life. A species’ sole goals are survival and reproduction; whether they have a conscious awareness of this or not is irrelevant; but it is this idea that underlies the current paradigm of evolution.

Your post thus prompted me to consider all the unique adaptations both plants and animals have evolved in order to ensure species continued survival. One very interesting reproductive strategy I learned about in another one of my courses pertains to the orchid. Specifically, the Ophrys apifera. It uses mimicry to attract pollinators, avoid inbreeding and increase chances of reproductive success. Mimicry occurs when one organism evolves to look like another organism to give them a competitive advantage in survival. This orchid of the Mediterranean has a flower that looks like the back of a female bee and also exudes the same allelochemicals (ie. scent signals) of the female bee. Male bees are thus attracted to the flower and attempt to vigorously mate with it. In their efforts the bees detach pollen packs that are coated in a sticky adhesive that sticks to the male bees’ backs. The male bee eventually realizes that the flower is not a female partner and will fly far distances before attempting to mate again. At a relatively distant site the male bee may again be tricked by an orchid and in another attempt to mate with the fake female, the male bee will deliver pollen from the first flower and successfully fertilize the plant. So basically… unique reproduction using the ploy of unique reproduction!

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

We’re all related!

Nature, as I have discovered throughout our various labs and discussions, is surprisingly difficult to define. Furthermore, articulation of its value continuously evades the utility of the language I, and it seems the rest of humanity, possess. Consequently, I am left intrigued, contemplative and indeed frustrated by my inability to encapsulate and communicate nature’s awe-inducing essence. These feelings of puzzlement and challenge were sharply evoked by this week’s prompt - interpret the most amazing thing about nature. The most ‘amazing’? But its all so ‘amazing’, that is the conundrum; even the word ‘amazing,’ I believe, is insufficient for describing nature. How am I to depict that quality, that gift nature gives that is beyond any one organism or geological formation? Beyond any one landscape or ecosystem function or species interaction? There is not one most ‘amazing’ thing about nature; rather it’s the cumulation of all its diverse components, working interactively and maintaining a kind of balance on scales both infinitesimal and global.

https://pixabay.com/en/sustainability-energy-globe-3300869/

I propose, then, that the most ‘amazing’ thing about nature is its organization, the way all of its parts exist in relation to one another, and then further interact, reproduce, and cycle to create a sustaining system. We, as humans, have endeavoured to understand this system and have created multiple discourses throughout history to try to explain its true patterns, functions and purposes.  

One of the most well-known individuals who embarked upon this task of organization, the “Father of Taxonomy” as they call him, was Carolus Linnaeus. It is interesting, that the motivations for the understanding of nature, at least at his time (1700s) and earlier, were largely rooted in an attempt to understand God’s true plan for the Earth. If one could uncover the secret pattern, he may truly be heavenly himself. Although spiritual/religious connection remains a significant component of nature for some, nature has now taken on scientific, cultural and even economic discourses. Linneaus’s classification system of nature was one of the first to illustrate this expansion of discourse as we humans struggled (and continue to do so) towards articulating what nature really is and what value it holds.

Carolus Linnaeus https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carolus_Linnaeus.jpg

The system Linnaeus created was that of nested hierarchies. For those of you who don’t know, the concept of nested hierarchies in nature refers to the idea that a group of related organisms share sets of similar characteristics and the number of these shared traits increases with relatedness. You can understand this concept as a set of nested boxes. Below groups in orange, ie. humans and chimpanzees, are most closely related. We are next most closely related to those organisms within the blue box, ie. whales and camels. Lastly, we are related, to a lesser but still significant degree, to all the animals depicted in the yellow box. This idea of subsequently larger and larger boxes that encompass more and more organisms can continue its expansion all the way to one massive box labeled life. Although the magnitude of relation decreases, it never disappears. Every organism on this planet shares connection with all the others. Now that, that’s AMAZING!

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PhylogeneticTree,_Woese_1990.PNG

Below are images of other species and their corresponding genetic relatedness to humans! You may be surprised at how related we all really are! 

1. Bonobos: 98.9%  

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonobos_11yr_male_3yr_male_grin_Twycross.jpg

2. Cats: 90%

https://www.pexels.com/photo/animal-pet-cute-kitten-45201/

3. Cows: 80%

https://pixabay.com/en/cow-funny-ruminant-cute-close-up-2896329/

4. Mice: 75%

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eltonharding/378419557

5. Fruit fly: 60%

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosophila

[malenvs3000-2018-blog]

Animal Orchestra

For our nature interpretation lab this week, James Gordon came into our class and wrote a song with us. For those of you who do not know, this is James Gordon. Our song was about leaving the city and escaping into a forest. In our song, we described many nature sounds. It was a very fun and eye opening experience because it made me realize how musical nature really is. Our lab with James Gordon also made me realize how music can be used as a tool in nature interpretation to involve everyone and get a meaningful message across.

Where is music in nature? Music is in all sounds in nature. It’s the wind through the trees, rain drops hitting the ground, the rustling of leaves, in birds chirping, in crickets stridulating, in frogs and toads croaking, and in fire wood crackling as it’s engulfed in flames. These are just a few of the sounds that I associate with music and nature. Because nature is so musical without even trying to, sometimes I’ll find a forest and just stop and listen to the noises.

(Colour Box, https://www.colourbox.com/image/falling-leaves-image-5477056)

The more interesting and less obvious question is, where is nature in music? Like music, nature is everywhere. It’s in the materials used in the physical production of musical instruments, it’s the people playing the instruments, and most of the time, it’s the inspiration for music. I listen to a lot of folk and ‘Canadiana’ music and in those kinds of music, it’s more obvious of the artists’ inspiration by nature. Even though music genres such as electronica and rock aren’t traditionally inspired by nature, they can be. Some electronica music can even incorporate natural sounds into their music. I was browsing on YouTube and I found this interesting nature electronica.

Here is an article explaining stridulation if anyone’s interested or don’t know what that is! Crickets and grass hoppers are in the same scientific family and both stridulate, but do so in different ways. 

Even though I am musical and enjoy listening to music, I found this blog post difficult to write because what’s to say about nature and music? It’s almost indescribable. I was looking up music in nature and stumbled across this article in Science.

To give you a summary of this article, it’s about the history of human music and it goes on to describe other music in nature, establishing a concept of ‘universal music’. Human music dates all the way back to 50,000 years ago.  This concept is related to mathematical Platonism which suggests that there’s a universal mathematics awaiting discovery. The authors of this study believe that instead there’s universal music awaiting discovery because there are many similarities in our music to that of birds’ and whales’ music. This concept is very enlightening because it means that we are all part of an ‘animal orchestra’ and are all connected through music. I knew that music could connect people and bring them together, but not that it could also connect people and animals.

(Colour Box, https://www.colourbox.com/vector/musician-animals-in-the-wood-vector-16360418) 

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Thank you so much for your post! I found your discussion of the Gray et al. (2001) paper extremely resonant, particularly the idea that there is a “universal music awaiting our discovery.” Growing up, I was trained on the classical guitar; I use the term “trained” versus “played” because as a child and certainly as a teenager, I was often less than thrilled by the prospect of practicing and writing theory exams and performing in recitals. I wanted to go run around outside with my friends instead of being stuck inside with my dad insisting on at least 45 minutes of practice a day, making sure I performed all my scales 3x each and rehearsed each piece with the metronome. I begrudged those 45 minutes more often than not and was perplexed when my dad would say, “Music is the universal language. One day you will thank me for teaching it to you.” At the time, I was highly effective at the art of eye-rolling and would huff and dramatically go back to the practice room. I was too immature to understand and appreciate this universality. Today, however, I do thank him, immensely. The ability to go pick up the guitar when I’m stressed and just get lost in the music, or play with my dad and sister on Sunday afternoons or visit my grandma in the hospital and play for her and other patients – I can just pluck the strings and, somehow, I communicate to those around me without saying a word. I, like yourself, have come to realize the ability of music to be a universal language among humans but had never considered it could expand even farther and be a language understood and shared between other species. Music, it seems, is more universal than even my dad thought! 

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

The sights and sounds that make it feel like home

Music is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “the art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds to produce beauty of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, expressive content, etc.” As we discussed last week, beauty is inherently subjective, personal, emotional and pervasive; therefore, if music “produce(s) beauty” then it follows that music also possesses these qualities. When speaking of music as subjective I am emphasizing that what constitutes true music to one may vary greatly from that of another. The personal nature of music is reflected in the widely variable responses people have to a particular musical event. Music is emotional as it arouses feeling in individuals; which too will be diverse, rooted in personal history and reflecting upon the individual’s unique experience of the present moment. It is this diverse, unique, individualized characteristic of music that facilitates its pervasiveness. Music therefore, is necessarily in nature, for music, like beauty, may be found anywhere depending on who is listening. The crackling of fallen leaves, the babbling of a brook, the whisper of wind but also the screech of a blackbird, the ravaging sounds accompanying a carnivore’s hunt, or the steady buzzing of blackflies – these productions of auditory stimuli, are to some innocuous, others terrifying, infuriating, comforting, soothing and enticing. They are the products of science, (of evolution, ecology, physics, biology and chemistry) created by the natural landscape and biota in a form that undeniably has expressive content. Therefore, all the sounds that are created in nature may be considered music as per the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition. Where I hear “beauty” may vary from where others do, but then perhaps it is through effective interpretation that this more subtle, unconventional beauty may be realized and shared.

Below are some pictures from Preservation Park where my I like to go to listen to nature’s music.

Nature, can be the subject of music, and music can be a tool in nature’s interpretation. Our workshop with James Gordon this past week illustrated this interpretive process well. Beck and Cable (2011) state that “to be able to write in inspirational and luring terms, and to meet the goals of interpretation, the interpreter must have a thorough understanding of the subject.” As the ENVS*3000 class, I believe we all have an understanding and appreciation for nature, and thus meet this requirement. However, despite our familiarity with the subject, writing lyrics for our song about nature proved difficult at first. This may be because nature itself is simultaneously so broad and so intricate that many of its processes and products are still not known or understood. Indeed, it is estimated that there are 20-25 million species on Earth, yet today taxonomists have classified but 2.3 million, in other words 90% of species currently on the planet have escaped our recognition. The magnitude and mystery of nature, I believe, initially inhibited our class’s ability to interpret its essence through lyrics. I found however, at least for myself, that instead of wrestling with the discomfort and frustration of “not knowing” the more fruitful approach was to understand nature’s mystery and magnitude as a defining characteristic, rather than a gap in knowledge that required filling. In taking this perspective, I was in a way, deepening my understanding of nature. It was with this perspective I was able to embrace those parts of nature I did understand - those specific sights and sounds that make it feel like home.  

Below are more pictures of my friends and I in Preservation Park, immersing ourselves in the sights and sounds that make nature feel like home.

[joenvs3000-2018-blog]

The Gift of Beauty

     I think the thirteenth principle of the Nature Interpretation textbook does a great job of explaining how to interpret the gift of beauty through pointing out that beauty is personal. What is beautiful to one person may not be beautiful to the other, hence the purpose of art is to make people see what is familiar as new. Furthermore, all nature is beautiful, and we don’t have to travel to see the natural wonders of the world since the flora and fauna found in your backyard is beautiful too. 

     I don’t consider myself an artist, though I do think I can be quite creative. My trouble is taking what I picture in my head and translating it into physical art. The most frustrating thing for me is being humbled by the immensity of a natural landscape, but not being able to capture it (whether that be through drawing, painting or photography). I feel that social media has much to do with this feeling. We are used to seeing edited photos of extreme landscapes and colourful birds and butterflies. It feels weird to share a picture of an improperly framed sparrow; something that people see all the time wont ‘wow’ them. Therefore, as an interpreter it is your job to “make people aware of the beauty of subtle landscapes, unusual organisms, or complex objects” (Gifts of Interpretation, Ch. 13).     I wanted to talk about one of my favourite paintings by Claude Monet, The Water Lily Pond (1899). I had a book about Monet’s works growing up and had this piece dog eared. But as I began googling for an image to insert into my post, I noticed there were tons of variations of this same piece. So, I’ve decided to make a different point. This same piece with the same elements can be made to look so many different ways, and each is beautiful. Every member of your audience as an interpreter sees things a little bit differently, but they can all be made to see the same thing as beautiful. 

     Since my artistic talents still require honing, the ability to use words to interpret nature is incredible to me. Similar to the way physical art can be interpreted by the beholder in different ways and they can take different conclusions out of it, the information presented to an audience has different takeaways. Chapter 5 of the nature interpretation textbook touches on this in a sense, by explaining the way the human brain remembers information. George Miller found that people can only hold 7 (give or take 2) chunks of information in their short-term memory at a time (Gifts of Interpretation, Ch. 5). What each person will remember and take away from the program is different. Designing a program that has a clear theme and presents new information in a way that the human brain will best absorb is almost like a work of art, don’t you think?

[mpenvs3000-2018-blog]

Hello!

I found your blog really interesting so I wanted to comment, especially on your comments regarding social media. I think what you highlighted is really important, social media has made people think about sharing what they see instead of just keeping that moment while it exists. You are right that we see so many “wow” images and I feel like when people see something like that in their lives their first instinct is to capture it, which could disconnect them from the experience at hand.

As an example, I was on a canoe trip in the spring with some friends, one of which is a long-time photographer. One night after we had set up camp we were all watching the sunset, there had been a storm so the clouds were really beautiful. I noticed that my friend had gotten up and walked away, he came back shortly and walked around with his camera trying to capture the sight. Now to me as someone who is not personally invested in photography, I thought he was missing out on seeing the beauty in front of us while he was behind the camera. After talking to him though I realized I was wrong. He was just appreciating it in his own way, looking at the light, the colours, analyzing all the individual components as I looked at the whole.

So in a way yes social media disconnects us, but it also shares other people’s take of what beauty is to them and the process in which they engage with it. I just didn’t think of it until then, it was a neat paradigm shift.

Thanks for a great blog post! As you can see it really got me thinking.

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Thank you for your post! I found several of your points extremely resonant and thought your comment, “Every member of your audience as an interpreter sees things a little bit differently, but they can all be made to see the same thing as beautiful” especially eloquent. No two people perceive any given landscape or object identically. We all have a unique set of genes, and even twins, through simply being two separate individuals, experience slightly different environmental influences and thus no one is ever exactly like another. Moreover, as we discussed in previous weeks, we all have our own invisible backpacks of privilege, and this too has a significant impact on how we will perceive aspects of the world around us. It is this diversity, this uniqueness that allows for beauty to be so ubiquitous. I think it is truly wonderful that one object or one piece of art or one natural setting does not only have one conceptualization of beauty. The relationship, if it were to be measured and quantified, would be an exponential one, and one without an asymptote. One artifact, one landscape equates thousands of perceptions of beauty. And through sharing our opinions, experiences and interpretations with one another we may be able to reciprocally expand one another’s idea of beauty. I believe all people, and interpreters even more so, have an obligation to share in this way. In doing so, collectively, humanity can access limitless beauty. In a sense then, beauty is infinite. How lucky are we to have an assured, sustainable, everlasting supply of such a deeply sensual and joyful phenomenon?

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

The Freedom of Multi-dimensional Beauty

I found the two questions posed in these weeks prompt deserving of significant and individual attention, Thus, my response has been split into two sections. This first section addresses the question who are you to interpret nature through art?

The capacity of art to be a form through which nature can be interpreted lies in a commonality shared between both art and nature: their procurement of beauty. Beck and Cable (2011) point out, beauty is personal and subjective, thus it follows that beauty is necessarily multidimensional and inclusive. Boeckel (2015) posits that arts-based environmental education does not rely on pre-established knowledge, but rather, involves a “groping forward.” This free and uninhibited process allows multiple meanings to be interpreted and accepted. The multiplicity of beauty, seen in both art and nature, permits a diversity of perspectives, and therefore anyone can appreciate nature through art because both nature and art procure beauty and there is no succinct definition, no right or wrong, to what beauty is. Given this, I believe everyone, including myself, has the right to interpret nature through art. We need not rely on pre-established rules or notions, rather we can simply give ourselves over to the experience of viewing nature, similarly to the way we can give ourselves over when viewing a painting in a gallery. As interpreters we can acknowledge that everyone has a different notion of what beauty is and rather than insisting to our audience that a given environment is beautiful, we can facilitate an atmosphere of acceptance, mindfulness, inclusion and focus. If we encourage our audience to slow down, to not only look at an environment but to be immersed in it, fully and completely, taking in its details through all the senses, the multi-faceted nature of this experience may allow them to sense at least a component of the environment as beautiful and meaningful. In this way the beauty of nature may actually be more accessible than that of conventional art – for it allows for all, not just one, of the senses to be activated. However, the concept of viewing a piece of human-made art is one that may be more familiar with the general public, thus by drawing the analogy between art and nature, we can illuminate audiences to the unlimited meaning and beauty of their natural environments.

Our visit to the sculpture garden was illustrative of this characteristically free process. None of the sculptures had signage indicating the title or offering any background information on the piece. While some audience members found this limited their ability to interpret the pieces, it also allowed for increased freedom in gleaning meaning and perceiving beauty. All we had was our own physicality and the opportunity to relate ourselves to the piece in front of us. Through conversation with my classmates it became apparent that many of us understood and related to the pieces very differently. However, one interpretation was not superior to the other, rather they both were personal and meaningful to their respective observer.

Retrieved from: https://upload.org/wikipedia/commons

The following is my response to the second question from this week’s prompt how do you interpret the gift of beauty?

As Beck and Cable (2011) urgently make clear, beauty evades a universal definition. It is a personal, subjective concept that necessarily requires freedom to embody all places and objects. As an interpreter it is our role to unveil the beauty in perhaps the more innocuous aspects of nature. Given beauty’s lack of definition and its elusiveness (resulting from its ubiquity), the task of interpreting beauty in nature presents a significant challenge. In order to interpret the beauty of nature myself, I think it essential to acknowledge the idea that beauty involves more than just looking but rather necessitates understanding and feeling. Ted and Beck (2011) suggest that an interpreter can reference their own journey of understanding the subtle beauties of nature to aid their audiences in perceiving and experiencing nature’s beauty.

I would like to share a journey of my own; I fear it may be a clichéd story, however it is one I have experienced and perhaps the cliché will be an advantage when it comes to interpreting for others.  When I was younger, I was terrified of spiders (likely the result of Aragog from Harry Potter). Not so conveniently, my childhood home appeared to be continuously plagued with spider infestations. These eight-legged buggers would scurry across my bedroom ceiling and when they did – well the rest of the house certainly knew! I would shriek and yes sometimes even dissolve in to tears, paralyzed in my spot and terrified no one would come and save me. Typically, it was Dad with his newspaper-sword-of-death. He would come in, calculate his angle and WHACK! A quick unceremonious end-of-life tribute followed with a flush down the toilet. I would be flooded with relief and gratitude and finally be freed from my paralysis. At that time, I saw no beauty in the critters creeping across my walls. Today, however, I adamantly refuse to kill spiders, and that is thanks to my friend Maddy.

Tan-jumping spider (Platycryptus undatus) , commonly found in southern Ontario (and in our office!) https://spiderid.com/locations/canada/ontario/

Maddy revealed the beauty of spiders to me while we were working together in the Rouge. Our “office” was a kind of tent/cabin structure that appeared to simultaneously operate as a popular lodge for spiders. By this time my fear of spiders had somewhat dissipated but I was far from finding them beautiful. Maddy, on the other hand, when seeing one, would lay out her arm, allow it to crawl up her palm and then cradle it between her two hands, peering between the cracks in her fingers to admire their various colours and patterns. At first, I was astonished by her behaviour, but as the summer progressed it became apparent that my new workspace was going to remain multipurposed (ie. office and spider lodge) and so I too began peering through the cracks in Maddy’s fingers. These “peering” sessions revealed to me the diversity of spiders, their character, their uniqueness and ultimately a connection to myself. Their physical characteristics varied (red, gray, brown, yellow, polka-dots, stripes, hairy), their behaviour in Maddy’s hand was diverse (frozen, zig-zagging, circling) and they too were having to share their space with others. Upon reflection, I found these spiders, in fact, were just like my co-workers and I – a diverse group of individuals coming together to interact, work and live. I was thus able to connect with these spiders and glean enjoyment from their company. (Although perhaps my boss would have preferred we spent less time studying spiders and more time completing data entry)! When it became apparent that our workspace was going to be decommissioned and re-located, my co-workers and I earnestly protested. I wanted to stay with the spiders, and the thought of their home being destroyed saddened me. I had not only overcome my fear of spiders, I now cared for them. Beck and Cable (2011) recognize this shift as the result and reward of effectively interpreting nature’s innocuous beauty. When one understands the beauty in a thing, they begin to care about it and care then harbour a sense of stewardship.

Golden-rod crab spider (Misumena vatia), commonly found in southern Ontario https://spiderid.com/locations/canada/ontario/

I believe the most effective way for me to interpret nature’s beauty will be through sharing stories such as these, that trace my progression from aversion to appreciation.

Yellow gardn spider (Agiope aurantia), commonly found in southern Ontario (saw many in the field but they were not common frequenters of our office/lodge) https://www.flickr.com/photos/49503114554@N01/1527631292

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

I found it quite fitting that our first “free-write” post was assigned after the Thanksgiving weekend; a time when I myself have historically enjoyed experiences that bring me closer to nature. Typically, the weekend begins with a four-hour crawl north up county roads to the small nook of Fitzgerald’s Bay, a sandy inlet amidst scoured rocks and scraggly windswept conifers. There Grandma’s two cabins and array of tents await the descent of the thirty-person-strong Reszetnik clan! A big turkey dinner with lots of hooting, hollering, jesting and occasional outlandish dancing is followed by “the strongest and bravest” embarking upon the ‘polar bear dare’ (an icy dip into the lake), and then lastly, at an hour my grandma always begroans as “much too late”, my dad will ignite a blazing camp fire complete with s’mores and Uncle Edward’s atrocious singing!

(Thanksgiving dinner at the cottage, 2017)

(Dad and twin sister experiencing turkey commas at the cottage, 2017)

This annual experience is a component of my invisible backpack. I was privileged to be born into a family who owned a cottage up North; to have in my family a gaggle of boisterous, adventurous and outdoor-loving uncles; to have a father who also had the privilege learning how to camp, hike and swim. Thus, my upbringing along this northern sliver of land, and my continued exposure to the outdoors at this time of year, has allowed me to participate in activities that may cause others to be pushed outside their ‘flow channel’ and into a state of severe anxiety. Granted, after the dinner plates have been cleared and the pies put in the oven to warm, I have not always been among “the strongest and bravest” who descend the stone path to the water’s edge and make the plunge. I am proud to report that I have succeeded in doing so the last ten years, but participation has not always been so fathomable. I know now how to prepare. I know to do at least fifty jumping jacks before running in; I know that I must bring my long johns, pajamas, wool socks, winter jacket and hat on the trip regardless of how balmy the weather may seem leaving Toronto; I know to get the kettle going and the firewood collected before going down to the lake; I know to ensure Grandma has triple checked there is still hot water left in the shower so I can warm myself after. In seeing my aunts and uncles participate over the years, and by outfitting myself appropriately for the task, by the time I was twelve I was able to push myself to make the run down the stone path with the rest of “the strongest and the bravest.” The event is still exhilarating, and extraordinarily rewarding for myself but for my mother, her flow channel is achieved in simply observing her “crazy” in-laws trample into the black night water. In contrast, Uncle Steve does not reach his flow channel until he swims all the way to the end of the bay and back, and in his birthday suit no less! What is important is not what constitutes reaching our individual flow channels, rather it is the fact that we do reach them and furthermore, that we have the privilege of reaching them immersed in the breathtaking landscape of Georgian Bay.  

(My siblings and I with my Grandma and Grandpa at the cottage for Thanksgiving, 2013)

Unfortunately, this was the first year my immediate family could not make the trip to Grandma’s. We were quite disjointed with my father away on my business, my sister visiting a friend out west, and myself attending my best friend’s Thanksgiving due to a recent and significant loss in her family. However, Monday morning my twin sister, my little sister, my brother, my mother and I were able to hike down into the Toronto ravine system and enjoy a long walk followed by brunch at the Evergreen Brickworks. It was quite interesting to note the variability in how each family member prepared, experienced/endured and then reflected upon the walk. I would like to detail specifically my little sister’s and little brother’s experience and reveal how, despite embarking upon the same walk, risk and reward varied for the two of them.

Little brother Nick (14 years old):

Preparation:

High socks to prevent ticks, hiking boots for rough terrain

Sweatshirt and windbreaker for cooler weather

Checked forecast ahead of time and although predicted to be relatively warm carried a hat in his pocket just in case

Water bottle in case he got thirsty along the hike

Sprayed himself with bug spray before entering ravine

Experience/Take-Aways:

Greatly enjoyed the hike down to the Brickworks and was very comfortable both in regards to warmth as well as protection from late-in-the-season mosquitos

Identified birds (he’s been learning their calls)

Listened intently as I pointed out different restoration structures around the area (ie. silt socks, culverts, rodent guards, grassways)

Was intrigued by recently posted coyote awareness signage along the trail and decided he was going to do his next Science in the News school presentation on urban-wildlife interactions in our neighbourhood

Little sister Rebecca (17 years old):

Preparation:

High-heeled booties because we were going to a restaurant for brunch after our hike and felt it necessary to be dressed-up for such a dining occasion

Tank-top and ripped jeans because needed to have on a cute outfit for when she ‘instagramed’

Did not where a jacket because she insisted it would ruin her outfit

No water bottle because she didn’t have a cute bag to bring it in

Sprayed perfume on because Evergreen Brickworks is a popular destination and she feared she may run into classmates from her school and she did NOT want to smell like bug spray if that were to occur

Experience/Take-Aways:

Acquired a number of bug bites, was freezing the entire walk down to the Brickworks and caught such a chill that she was unable to warm up throughout the entire brunch and was quite miserable at the restaurant

Got her high-heeled boot stuck in the mud in the swampy area and ended up falling over

Was completely consumed with staying warm and not tripping and therefore could not afford any focus to the natural surroundings

Learned that next time we go to brunch at the Brickworks, if she wants to enjoy it, she should dress more appropriately (and perhaps listen to her older sister’s suggestions for once!)

(My sister and brother this past weekend at Evergreen Brickworks, 2018)

From the stark juxtaposition of my siblings’ experience, it becomes clear that preparation for an excursion can greatly reduce risk and increase reward. While the opportunity for learning is not completely lost when risk is unnecessarily heightened; the ability to enjoy, gain greater insight, and foster a deeper interest and meaning from the experience is often compromised. My sister found herself in quite a lemon-y situation when she decided to dawn the high-heels, tank-top, ripped jeans and perfume given the anticipated cold and muddy conditions of the trail. While not all of these aspects were under her control (ie. the trail conditions), she certainly could have reduced her risk and eliminated some lemons to ensure her experience was one in which she found herself in flow versus in a seesaw state between anxiety and detachment/boredom.

[rsenvs3000-2018-blog]

Mental Health

So, this week we have the freedom of what we want to talk about and I found that it was more challenging to do so. But what I really want to talk about is mental health. This week on October 10th was mental health awareness but I want to talk about is changing the stigma of only talking about it on the day. Every year on October 10th everyone talks about it, about checking on our loved ones, but what happens after the day is over?  It is crazy to see that on the day of social media is blowing up on advocacy towards mental health but as soon as the day ends there is nothing. I am not saying this is true for everyone. I am talking solely on what I have seen and  I would like nothing more to here on the contrary.

Photo from (https://teentalk.ca/2017/10/08/world-mental-health-day-2017/) 

I know personally this week has been overwhelming with the overload of midterms and assignments that need to be finished, but its these times that we have to be so careful to watch out for not only ourselves but our friends. It is hard to sometimes remind ourselves that we also need a break. A great form of distressing is going for walks. It is not always that easy and even getting out bed can be hard for someone. But providing this information it can bring awareness to it and perhaps someone sees it and what to try it.

Fall is absolutely the best time of the year as I find all the colours make it feel like I’m surrounded by a moving painting. I am so happy that our university has such a beautiful campus because every time I come to school it is so refreshing. Nature might not bring everyone peace as it does for me but perhaps its something else? A happy memory? What it may be it is each their own which is something that I love about nature! There is no judgement, everyone feels something different and with that we create endless stories 

 photo taken by me!

I was curious whether there are any walks designed solely for mental health? I am not sure but if there is I would love to find our where I can learn more about it.  

As midterms have approached it had me thinking about the future (argh!). the future is super scary yet super exciting. My goal for after university is to work in Alberta as after I visited when I was younger I fell absolutely in love. The thought of packing up and leaving is scary. The thought of even finding a job is terrifying but under all the fear is a drive an excitement to see what awhile ahead of me.

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Thank you for this honest and authentic post. While awareness of mental health issues has certainly increased in the last decade, stigma still abounds. Therefore, I view your advocacy as both necessary and courageous. Furthermore, I believe selecting mental health as your topic for our first “free-write” submission portrays a willingness to be vulnerable and, as Beck and Cable (2011) note, effective nature interpretation requires a display of vulnerability. In attempt to enhance my own effectiveness as an interpreter I will share that I do suffer from mental illness. While preferring not to specify my diagnosis, I will reveal that it has been serious enough to warrant extended periods of hospitalization where I was unable to tangibly access the outdoors. In hindsight I understand circumstances warranted such an arrangement, however at the time it was deeply distressing. However, I do not begrudge this distress because I believe it has significantly contributed to why, I now, so deeply appreciate the opportunity to immerse myself in nature. Many would see my diagnosis as disadvantageous, unfortunate, and perhaps, where stigma still permeates, a fault of my own. However, through both awareness education as well as being a subject in several research studies, I know that I possess a specific set of genes and that without these genes I would not have developed this condition. It is therefore, part of my invisible backpack. I did not choose my genes; however, I must find a way to successfully navigate life despite the condition my genetics have dictated. Spending time outdoors has proven an invaluable coping mechanism. I think there may be a perception that connecting with nature requires an extreme and extravagant experience, such as a month-long canoe trip or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or learning how to scuba-dive. However, when treatment for my illness prevented me from going outside for two months, that simple first breath of fresh air provided me with one of, if not the most, meaningful experiences with nature.

In sharing this experience, I wanted to highlight an additional issue regarding health care management of those with mental illness. Innumerable studies have shown that being outside and connecting with nature improves mental health. Therefore, I believe it would be highly beneficial if mental health treatment programs could find a way to extrapolate on these benefits. Creating indoor green spaces or hiring more staff to accommodate outdoor time for those requiring hospitalization could prove highly advantageous. Barriers to implementing such arrangements arise from both a financial, but also a still somewhat stigmatized perception of mental illness. What will others think of such patients spending time outdoors? What risk does such an arrangement actually entail and what perceived risks arise from ignorance? How can we ensure that risk is reduced for both patients, staff and the public so the greatest reward can be provided for all? And with regards to financial concerns, what if the benefits accrued from being outdoors enabled faster stabilization and recovery of mental health patients and thereby relieved pressure on hospital resources?

I would be very interested in hearing other’s opinions on (1) the suggestion that mental illness can be perceived as part of the “invisible backpack of privilege”, and (2) on the risks and rewards of providing outdoor time for those hospitalized as a result of mental illness.

Thank you again for being brave and vulnerable in making this post; your courage has inspired me to do the same!

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Ottawa, Dehcho First Nations sign deal for 1st Indigenous protected wildlife area | CBC News

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has signed an agreement with Dehcho First Nations Grand Chief Gladys Norwegian creating the first Indigenous-protected national wildlife area in Canada.

I heard this on the radio this morning and thought it was pretty amazing! Wanted to share and celebrate with you all! That being said, while this marks tremendous progress, the road to the wildlife area’s establishment was fraught with controversy and the ultimate extent of protected area had potential to be much larger. Was this a result of the variable privilege between different cultural groups? How did the Canadian government pit risk and reward of reconciliation, conservation and economic concerns during the process of the wildlife area’s establishment? Is this established protected area a viable way for the Decho to maintain the integrity of their history with the land? Will maintenance of this integrity provide an opportunity for "sparking” visitors that come to the area? How will the Dencho ensure visitors, once “sparked,” are maintained within a “flow” channel? 

Just some food for thought! A more substantive post to come this weekend! 

[krenvs3000-2018-blog]

Endless Lenses

My blog, Nature and Meaning, seeks to reflect upon the concepts we have discussed in class, material from assigned readings, and the experiential learning labs. ENVS*3000 has certainly been an unconventional course, yet through its novel approach I have been ushered into a refreshing state of inquisitiveness and wonder. By being prompted to more intimately examine the natural world, both its current state and its history, I have begun to discover the omniscient role perception and subsequent interpretation play in the process of understanding, personalizing and integrating nature into our lives. There are an infinite number of lenses through which the natural world can be conceptualized. My blog seeks to dawn these various spectacles, consider what is presented through them, and then ponder their unique feedback in the larger contexts of society, humanity and the evolution of all life on Earth. My hope is that upon culmination of this course, I will have had the privilege of trying on many lenses; the privilege of wrestling, appreciating, puzzling over and respecting the stimuli that is presented through them; and in doing so, mobilize meaning from the natural world not just for myself, but for others as well. The links below trace the beginning of this journey… I hope through them you view some spectacular sights… I know I have!

Post 1: Introduction 

- Title: The 3 Pertinent P’s (krenvs3000-2018)

- Date: September 23, 2018

- Posted on my dashboard https://krenvs3000-2018.tumblr.com/post/178393888034/the-3-pertinent-ps

Post 2: Response to Blog Prompt 1

- Title: A Fairy Garden’s Magical Spark (krenvs3000-2018)

-  Date: September 23, 2018

- Posted on my dashboard https://krenvs3000-2018.tumblr.com/post/178395047029/a-fairy-gardens-magical-spark

Post 3: Reply to Classmate’s Blog Prompt 1

- Title of classmate’s post: Mothers and a Life of Learning (cmenvs3000-18)

-  Date of original post: September 21, 2018

-  Replied to/re-blogged on my dashboard and posted on classmate’s dashboard https://krenvs3000-2018.tumblr.com/post/178397257949/mothers-and-a-life-of-learning

- Date of reply: September 23, 2018

Post 4: Response to Blog Prompt 2

- Title: Privilege as a Backpack (krenvs3000-2018)

- Date: September 26, 2018

-  Posted on my dashboard https://krenvs3000-2018.tumblr.com/post/178483150974/privilege-as-a-backpack

Post 5: Reply to Classmate’s Blog Prompt 2

- Title of classmate’s post: Being privy about privilege (jdenvs3000-2018)

- Date of original post: September 26, 2018

- Replied to/re-blogged on my dashboard and posted on classmate’s dashboard https://krenvs3000-2018.tumblr.com/post/178484255119/being-privy-about-privilege

- Date of reply: September 26, 2018

Post 6: Response to Blog Prompt 3

- Title: History and Responsibility (krenvs3000-2018)

- Date: October 7, 2018

- Posted on my dashboard https://krenvs3000-2018.tumblr.com/post/178833178329/history-and-responsibility

Post 7: Reply to Classmate’s Blog Prompt 3

- Title of classmate’s post: Building our History (cmenvs3000-2018)

- Date of original post: October 7, 2018

- Replied to/re-blogged on my dashboard and posted on classmate’s dashboard https://krenvs3000-2018.tumblr.com/post/178839913479/building-our-history

- Date of reply: October 7, 2018