out and a-sprout

Hello! My name is Lili Paradi, I am in my third year of the Wildlife Biology & Conservation program at Guelph, and I think nature puns are really neat. It takes a lot of effort and passion to bake a really good blueberry pie, and the same goes for blogging! So, bear with me (heh) as I tackle this blog, which will both act as a companion to my Nature Interpretation course (ENVS3000) and a personal account of my journey in growing as a traveler, learner, educator and a self-proclaimed geek!

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Finding Integrity In Interpretation

When we first were introduced to the concept of ‘invisible backpacks’ and were invited to unpack our own, I have to say that I was pretty nervous. There was something about delving into my personal past and unpacking who I am that was much more difficult to do than I thought it would be. I consider myself the type of person who decides to live through the lives of others rather than choosing to reflect upon my own life. I share experiences of my travels, my hobbies and my family, yet for some reason, never have created that personal connection to these things, never calling them ‘my own’. It is often challenging for me to discuss my personal opinions on some ethical or controversial topics, as I am more of a ‘listener’ than anything. You could imagine how difficult it was to write the ‘personal’ part of these posts; it really pushed me out of my comfort zone, that’s for sure!

That being said, I have realized how much I have learned just by being in this class and being surrounded by people so similar to me, yet so different in their own ways. I have finally unpacked my invisible backpack, and am now confident in who I am in relation to nature interpretation, which I can now admit will play a large and significant role in my life. So without further ado, I will describe my personal ethic as I go further in the journey of interpretation and education, which in one word can be described as...

Integrity. 1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. 2. The state of being whole and undivided.  synonyms: honesty, virtue, sincerity, trustworthiness. 

Just like each tree in the forest contributes to the integrity of the forest itself, bringing individuality and honesty contributes to an interpreter’s overall strength in interpretation and to the program. This is something I am personally working on to enhance the way I can connect people to nature, and believe that all interpreters should bring a sense of ‘self’ in their work. I took this photo this autumn at a trail in the Silver Creek Conservation Area near Ballinifad.

Maintaining Integrity in Self

I believe that every interpreter should have integrity within themselves. Every individual provides an ‘invisible backpack’ that basically allows them to be ‘more’ qualified to teach or interpret certain topics. For example, some of the students in the ENVS*3000 class come from outdoor-intensive families, and are now able to pass on that knowledge to the world. At first, that deterred me from connecting with the class, as I realized that I did not experience the same thing as a child, and ultimately thought that I would not be able to provide the same knowledge. However, to have integrity in myself is to accept that I can interpret nature in ways that only I know about, such as the ability to see nature through the lens of a camera, or the fact that my family thinks highly of the ‘homestead’ lifestyle. It is useful to know that anyone can be an interpreter, and that each person brings in their own personal experiences to the table. You could be an interpreter at the first National Urban Park, or even in a cemetery! There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ interpreter, there is only the interpreter that stays true to themselves!

When two people meet in nature, they share their individual experiences and knowledge. Here, my friend on the left was describing his journey through the Wildlife Biology program at University of Guelph and the Fish & Wildlife Tech program at Fleming College with my friend on the right (skipping rocks), who is finishing highschool and is in the middle of choosing his path for the future. I took this photo at Elora Gorge Conservation Area.

Finding Integrity in Others

Equally as important as finding integrity in oneself is to be aware of the integrity of others. Interpreters will likely meet a great diversity of people, all with their own views and morals on nature. It is our responsibility to give recognition to everyone else’s invisible backpacks when creating that connection to nature. That makes the process of interpretation so incredibly exciting, as you get to challenge yourself in creating that Spark in a variety of different ways! It makes interpretation a life-long-learning process, and not just in terms of the content you are providing in your programs. By being open to invisible backpacks, you will learn a lot more about the world as a whole. This class opened my eyes to some of the invisible backpacks I was not aware of.

The 2018 naturalists at Killbear Provincial Park. Their integrity came from their consistent passion in their job, and of course from their extensive knowledge in the natural history of the park (which came from their massive information library and other scientists at the park!). Photo taken at Killbear Provincial Park.

Creating Integrity in Work

To create integrity in your work, you must first create integrity in yourself and in others. As somebody who is passionate about passing on learning and the love of nature, I am looking into applying to Teachers College after my fourth year of my undergrad degree. With that in mind, I will take away the knowledge from this course to apply it to conventional teaching. To create integrity in my future job, I will bring my passion and excitement to the classroom, to hopefully give away the gift of Revelation and Joy. I also personally feel responsible in creating integrity by maintaining a sense of risk in environmental education. I believe that in order to truly resonate with people, you have to push them to do risky things, as nature is not always a safety blanket. I will apply this in my future by creating risk in outdoor and experiential exploration, something that I believe is integral to the current generation of learners. And most importantly, to create integrity in work is to bring a sense of honesty in what you are teaching about; providing accurate and updated information is key in interpretation, especially in a world where it is difficult to find true and honest sources.

Integrity is what I would like to maintain in my personal work and life going forward, and what I believe interpreters should hold strongly. In a world where we are bombarded with information from so many sources, and are constantly being exposed to new opinions and thoughts, it is hard to find honesty and wholeness in the world. It can be very overwhelming to find passion in something when the information we find might not be true. However, when we are approached by a person who is passionate about something, who holds something dearly and finds the importance in it, it is extremely easy to connect with them and to trust what they are saying. That is why it is so important that we both stay true to ourselves and our invisible backpacks, to others and to our work. As interpreters, we give people the gift of Wholeness in nature as it applies to them. We give them the gift of Provocation, as we add a bit of risk to their lives. And all in all, our integrity allows us to transfer our Passion to others, so that they feel a bit more connected and integral to the natural world. I am so excited to have learned so much about interpretation, and even more enthusiastic about what is to come in the future! 

[ckenvs3000-2018-blog]

Finding Our Path to the Future

Wow last blog post! As we wrap up this semester and head into exams it seems fitting to look towards the future. For me especially I’ve found I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what the future might hold for me. As I complete my 4th and final year, with no immediate plans of continuing into a master’s program I find myself continuously faced with the question ‘what’s next’? From friends, or family, to people I barely know and have only just met, it seems like everyone expects me to have some well thought out plan. Some step by step instructions to the rest of my life. And for the first time I don’t. I’ve always been that kid who plans things out 10 steps into the future. For example. I knew I was going to Guelph for University before I even started high school. I never even applied anywhere else – how crazy is that?

I’ve been interpreting nature since I first learnt to walk and talk. When I was very little I remember my favourite cartoon being Winnie the Pooh, and in a slightly funny full circle in highschool I somehow got the nickname ‘Christopher Robin’. If you think about it the similarities are pretty fun – you probably know Christopher Robin was an English boy, but did you know Pooh was a Canadian bear? A bit of a coincidence that I ended up falling in love with Canadian wildlife then huh? But what does a love for nature look like in the ‘real world’? And perhaps more importantly, what does it look like for me? Of course, that’s not to say I don’t have any plans. No quite the opposite. I feel like I have a mountain of goals and dreams, I just haven’t quite found the path to climb up yet. I want to travel; to explore the hidden crevices of this world, to walk the paths less travelled, and those well travelled too.

I remember the first time I read about Darwin’s adventure on the Beagle as a small child, and thought to myself ‘now that would be cool’. But people don’t really go on grand adventures to plot the mysteries of the continents anymore. There’s this unspoken feeling amongst people that we’ve already discovered everything there is to discover on this planet. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why so many adults think of the natural sciences as a ‘kid thing’. Because it seems simple. Easy to understand. With no mysteries left unsolved. Now obviously that isn’t the case – new species are still being discovered everyday…they just tend not to be the big fluffy megafauna anymore (although I bet there are still a couple of those hidden deep in the amazon rainforests or other places we still have yet to even look). For example, did anyone hear of the new species of lichen that was actually just discovered in our own Guelph Arboretum???!! That’s right, not just new to Guelph or Canada, this species of lichen has literally never been described before. This is a full on Darwin level discovery happening right in our own backyard…just on a slightly smaller size scale.

Now I’m sure every naturalist dreams of discovering a new species. Who here hasn’t fantasized what you might name your very own species if you got the chance? (BTW, if anyone here ever gets the chance just a little reminder you are 100% allowed to name a species after a Pokémon – and in fact you wouldn’t be the first scientist to do so!)

https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurenstrapagiel/gotta-catch-em-all

But I also can’t quite see myself just burying myself deep into research on an obscure taxa of lichen, fungi, or small aquatic invertebrates. I’m too painfully aware that we’re losing species on this planet faster than we can ever hope to identify them. How many stunningly unique, intricately beautiful species that we will never even know existed do you suppose we’ve lost just in the time I’ve been writing this post I wonder? As scientists, nay, as humans, I believe we have a responsibility to teach others about the wonders of this world we live in. And that’s where nature interpretation comes into my view of my future.

This tiny little bug creates a bubble of sap around it from the branch it is drinking from. The sticky sap protects the little guy from any potential predators, or simply being knocked off the branch by a gust of wind. Stunningly beautiful and super unique, they live high up in the cloud forests of Ecuador. But how many more cool critters like this still hide in the mysterious crevices of the world? And how many more will we loose before we even learn of their existance?

Like many of you, I grew up on a healthy diet of David Attenborough, Steve Irwin, National Geographic, Last Chance to See, Sea Shephard, and many others. My mum’s family comes from a background of theatre, so I grew up on the stage and performed roles in shows such as Anne, Peter Pan, and Oliver Twist before I reached the age of 8. Not to say the roles were ever major – I’m not child star here, but being a background extra or small side role gives you lots of time to spend backstage learning how the world of theatre works. There was actually a period of time in my life when I contemplated just pursuing acting seriously, but the natural world always drew me back. Nature documentaries and interpretation seemed like the obvious way to combine these two passions of mine, so I became obsessed with watching the behind the scenes of every documentary or movie I watched (yes that even includes all 26hours of extra footage on the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies!). I’d love to get the opportunity to work on the next major Planet Earth style movie, whether as an interpreter, videographer, or even just the sound guy – it’s all honestly super interesting to me! One possible path I’m contemplating taking in the future is actually taking a graduate degree in videography or documentary making to learn more about the skills of this trade.

This brings us to the ‘ethics’ part of the prompt. Across the history of documentary making there has been the ethical dilemma of whether or not the documentary makers should interfere with what they are watching. In nature documentaries this becomes part of the ‘should we interfere with nature or simply let nature be nature’ question. My own personal take on this is that since we has humans are doing so much damage to the world ecosystems already, if we can do some good is that really so bad? Now obviously this leads to the question of what is ‘good’. There are many things in nature that are seemly brutal, but this is simply part of the chaotic beauty of nature. But when the cause of an animal’s misfortune can be directly traced back to human causes, I think we have a responsibility to act. For example, the slow painful death of a Komodo dragon’s prey may seem terribly inhumane, but is it our place to intervene here? This is how these species have evolved, and who are we to say what is right or wrong? If we were only to show the peaceful, symbiotic relationships in nature we would be deceiving our audience of the full scope of what exists in our world. On the other hand, when watching baby sea turtles scurry towards city streetlights, and their ultimate death, confused and disorientated believing these lights to be the moon off the ocean, I would be the first one with a bucket saving their dumb little asses and dumping them into the ocean where they belong. I’ve personally spent 3 summers working 12+ hour long shifts at a wildlife rehabilitation center where we are directly intervening in ‘nature’. Does this make me a hypocrite? I think not, since these animals are put in danger because of human made not natural causes. If we’re doing the damage, we should be part of the solution.

The above photo of a garter snake was taken out in the wild here in Ontario. The one below of a corn snake was taken at Reptilia Zoo where I worked for 4 years. When I show images I have taken at zoos I never try to pretend that they were taken in the wild, yet people may initially assume this themselves and feel lied to when they discover the animals were from a zoo…

There are many other ethical dilemmas surrounding nature documentaries, which I must grapple with and solidify my own opinions on if I am to successfully and authentically achieve the gift of spark to inspire my audience. There’s no way I can address all of these moral questions here, but this article by Chris Palmer is an interesting read if anyone else is thinking of pursing this field (and the topics addressed here can probably all also be applied to a variety of other nature interpretation.

https://www.documentary.org/magazine/wild-ethically-nature-filmmakers-need-code-conduct

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Chris,

I have followed your posts specifically from the beginning of this semester, and I just want to say that this final post sums up 'you’ perfectly! By combining your love for nature, your passion for media, photography and technology, and your stand on ethics of interpretation and conservation, I can clearly picture your future in a field that will inspire others to change the world. 

I want to reflect on a few of the ethical problems that you mentioned in nature documentation. I agree that there are times when you should interfere with nature (in the case that you mentioned, when humans are the main cause of the problem), but for the most part, I think we should let nature be nature. It is also very difficult to judge what we should, and shouldn’t interfere with when we know it will benefit nature, especially since in our case, we don’t have the power or funds to even start protection initiatives. How do we choose what species is more important to protect, or which wetland, or how much land? I remember being quite upset in the Conservation Biology class last year when we were told how conservationists have to let some species die, just because they don’t have funding to protect the ‘less significant’ species. However, I am also hopeful that in the near future, more thought and respect (and money!) will be given to our field as people realize how important conservation is!

I also find that often, the protection of nature is advertised and sold to people as an ‘act of kindness’ that they should do to feel ‘morally and socially good’, and companies often exploit that for their own benefit. For example, how many volun-tourism companies send people off to save sea turtles, when in fact, it is the less-common species that need the protection? There are very few volunteer-based conservation programs out in the world that offer up real results and protection initiatives for species based on real scientific management plans. I would be curious to see these programs developing to include less-flashy species or ecosystems, like a “Save a Wetland” program or a “Protect the Lichen” program! Please let me know if these already exist, because I would absolutely love to participate. 

I want to mention a couple things that I think you would be interested in checking out! I was looking at post-undergrad opportunities and pathways, and came across a program at Fleming College that brings together everything that you are looking for in the future! The Environmental Visual Communications program lets you basically take your skills in technological communication and combine it with scientific and natural education. It is based out of the ROM, too, which is super cool, because I believe you get to go behind the scenes and document their ‘hidden secrets’ to the world! 

I wish you the best of luck in wherever life takes you! Looking forward to seeing your content on the big screen, haha!

[kfenvss3000-2018-blog]

My Journey as a Nature Interpreter

The last 3 months in this course have been very helpful to me in my future career. I am going to be going to be going to teachers collage in May to learn how to become a high school level science teacher. I included the below video because I believe it perfectly explains the main challenge that I will be facing in this career which is getting students interested in the subject I will be teaching:

This video mentions that the best teachers are the ones that can make you interested and passionate about the subject they are teaching. Instead of using the word spark he says flame, but the main responsibility of my job is to create the spark in my students for science. I think that it is a shame that so many students are turned off of this subjects because it is seen as boring and/or difficult. I believe that teachers have the huge responsibility of shaping the lives of young people so it makes me very frustrated when I hear horror stories about teachers who don’t put their full effort into their jobs. It is my goal to become one of the (unfortunately) few teachers who are able to inspire their students. 

I am hoping to give the gift of a spark to as many students as I can. One of my main strengths that will help me with this is my enthusiasm for science and my love of teaching. This will allow me to continuously try to find new and interesting ways to present my material. I currently tutor a range of students from elementary school to high school and I love finding ways to explain concepts in new ways that are easier to understand. I also love to see a new confidence in my students as they discover that they can understand these concepts and this usually leads to a new appreciation for how cool science actually is. 

I believe that science teachers are essentially nature interpreters. This is because they are trying to convey information about life and the way that the world works in a way that is understandable to their audience. A major constraint that teachers have is their limited access to the outdoors. Instead of letting the experience of nature and beauty speak for itself, teachers have to find a way to bring the world’s beauty and wonder into a classroom. Therefore I think the gift of beauty is something that is often missed in science classrooms. I am hoping to bring this gift back through the use of pictures and videos. As a lot of you probably know from past blog posts, I think BBC’s Planet Earth series is an awesome way to convey the beauty of nature because its imagery is absolutely stunning and was actually one of the main things that gave me the spark for nature and science. Therefore I am hoping to incorporate videos like this to also help my students see the beauty in science. 

I think using the gift of a story will also help me to make my subjects as interesting as possible. I believe that sometimes these subjects can seem disconnected from the lives of students. I am hoping to make learning more interesting by presenting facts as a story that will engage students and make them want to learn more. I believe that one of the main reasons why students become disengaged is because they feel like they are learning useless information that they will never use. I am hoping to also use real-life stories from the media or real life examples so that students will feel like they are learning something worth while.

image from : https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-wike-loyola/the-most-powerful-tool-in_b_6012136.html

Lastly, I believe the main thing missing from most science classrooms is hands on experience in the real world. Field trips are an extremely valuable way to get students engaged and interested in class material. One of my favourite memories from my high school biology class was our field trip to the Toronto Zoo. It was an awesome way to get us engaged in our biodiversity unit because we were able o physically see and explore the biodiversity of the world. This also made our subsequent assignment on the trip more interesting because we were able o talk about our own experiences instead of looking up and writing about the experiences of others. I was also fortunate enough to be able to take an ecology course at my high school that was largely experienced based. At least 3 times a week we were able to be outside collecting data or learning about the things we were seeing in nature. However, real world experiences don’t have to just come from the outside world. Valuable lessons can also be taught in the classroom by doing simple experiments or by brining in objects of interest into the classroom to make learning more fun. 

I hope to continue learning on my journey as a nature interpreter and continue to inspire students to pursue science in their future careers. This course was very helpful in highlighting some key strategies and gifts that I can give my students to help them understand my lessons. I would love to hear your thoughts about any gifts or strategies that I may have left out that would help me on my future journey! 

[ckenvs3000-2018-blog]

You’d make such a good teacher! It’s kind of scary how many bad teachers there actually are out there. Especially when you consider how hard it seems to be for new teachers to get positions at the moment. How did all these bad teachers get in? Even now during university I can’t count the number of times during the course selection period I’ve had conversations with friends that go a bit like this, can you relate?

Friend 1: “hey ever taken [blank] course before…I’m thinking of taking it?”

Friend 2: “oh that’s taught by Dr [name]….he’s seriously aweful, I wouldn’t wish that class on my worst enemy”

While I try to take classes that sound like they might be useful regardless of how hard they may be (I’m not paying to just learn things I could of figured out on my own after all), I have defintely steered away from classes that otherwise may have been fantastic simply because everyone who has ever had a class with that prof swears they’re satan incarnate. Rude attitudes, boring monotone lectures, and disorganized chaotic assignments leave students running for the hills and never looking back. But I’ve also experienced the total opposite. Classes I would of never thought I’d be enjoying, made fun by amazing professors. I’m no computer geek, but these days I actually enjoy coding in R…or at least I hate it significantly less than I used to. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have Orbax for physics in first year for example all probably have fond memories of his crazy antics to keep hundreds of disinterested biology majors entertained for a sememster of definitely not biology. Good teachers can draw a student into a subject just as fast as a bad teacher can send them running. Lets hope our schools fill with more good teachers in the future, as it already seems like too many people are simply not passionate about anything, having been scared away rather than drawn in by each teacher they encountered. 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

That’s awesome that you are starting Teachers College in May! That is a huge step to take after undergrad, and in my opinion, an awesome decision. Becoming a teacher is perfect for life-long-learners, and ENVS*3000 definitely taught me that we are surrounded by these passionate people who genuinely want to provoke learning and curiosity. You sound like someone who wants to share that passion, but also allow for students to explore their own passions! 

From reading your post, I got a glimpse of what your classroom could look like: 

1) Kids coming in, eager to learn about the next topic, whether it be on ecology, chemistry or otherwise. I see students coming up to you before class and asking you about what was learned in yesterday’s class, and showing you some things they found online that they were inspired to research after your classes. I also see students approaching you after class to ask about topics, eager to learn more! This brings out the gift of relationship between students and nature/science.

2) I see individual exploration of topics in science where students can perform self-guided learning. I strongly believe that experiential education is one of the most powerful methods of learning, as in these new generations, there are a lot of distractions that can pull students away from conventional lecture-and-PowerPoint style learning. This individual exploration can be a little intimidating for some, so as a teacher, you would be there as a ‘guide-on-the-side’, kind of like an interpreter! Instead of telling the students, you guide them towards the gift of revelation. 

3) I see the gift of technology being used on a daily basis. I noticed how you mentioned bringing the world inside, and technology is perfect for that! I often see professors or high school teachers that refuse to ‘get with the times’ and therefore lack the connection with their students since they are deemed ‘old-fashioned’. By allowing students to explore technology freely, we can provoke learning outside of the conventional classroom. 

I am actually also considering applying for Teachers College after my fourth year. I am curious as to where you are going? Amanda recommended this awesome program at Queen’s for Outdoor & Experiential Learning that I was eyeing; it combines modern and practical teaching methods but gives you an edge in environmental education! I wish you the best of luck on your new journey in education, you are seriously going to learn so many amazing things and inspire so many people in the future! Congrats!

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Unwrapping the Gifts of Trees

Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending some incredibly-organized and provoking Jane’s Walks during a snowy, slippery Saturday. There was one walk in particular that stood out to me, which was the walk which outlined and introduced us to some of the Trees of the University of Guelph. As a tree fanatic, this walk was one that I can clearly remember, despite having frost-brain most of the day. Here I will unwrap some of the gifts they provided to us, including the gifts of Revelation, Beauty, and Passion, as per Beck & Cable’s Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture (2011).

The Gift of Revelation

“The key to revealing meanings is to find connections between the tangible aspects of the site (artifacts, structures, wildlife, trees) and the intangible ideas associated with those resources... The power of the resources we interpret comes from their capacity to reveal meaning, those things that move our souls.” - Beck & Cable, “The Gifts of Interpretation” (2011), Beck & McCullough, “The Power of Place” (2002)

The walk, led by three enthusiastic students, was very well executed and clearly showed off their passion about the trees. While they provided us with the tangible trees around us, and shared with us the bare essentials about each of the trees on campus, they did not just stop at this information. The three leaders presented us with facts, and then created a connection between those raw facts and some ‘intangible’ concepts. For example, I clearly remember learning about how the tree next to the Cannon faces an extreme environment in every season, yet manages to survive through it all.

Old Jeremiah, 2007. You can see the corner of the tree poking out from the left hand side of the picture. (Retrieved from: Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Jeremiah_at_University_of_Guelph,_Nov_18.jpg)

The tree is painted on, the soil around it is filled with the salt that runs off from the path, and it must grow in a tiny plot. Yet, I have no idea what the tree species is, even though I walk by it every day. This tells me that the group accurately gave us the ‘meaning’ of that stop, something intangible that resonates with us even after the walk is over. I bet that people will never look at that tree the same way again, as they now know how hardy some trees can be. Now that I think about it, this includes the Gift of Provocation as well, as it produces a change in attitudes and behavior towards the trees on campus, and promotes a sense of environmental stewardship to maintaining the health of the trees on campus (Beck & Cable, 2011).

The Gift of Beauty

“Interpreters help people understand that beauty is not merely a matter of size and ruggedness and help them see beauty in the ordinary, miracles in the mundane.” - Beck & Cable “The Gifts of Interpretation” (2011)

As students in the ENVS*3000 course at the University of Guelph, we already had a sense of beauty in terms of nature coming into this walk. However, when it comes to the trees of campus, the trees that we pass by everyday just become what Beck & Cable call ‘mundane’. We go from location to location, noticing the trees but never reflecting upon them. The leaders of this Jane’s Walk successfully opened the eyes of the walkers to some of the trees that they had never noticed before, as they had always kept their eyes peeled on the next building they had to go to for their classes. They managed to point out the two Austrian Pines on campus, provoking the participants to remember the first.

Many of the participants pointed out the unique bark of the Austrian Pine, noting that they always passed the tree but never looked closely at its bark. (Photo retrieved from Pixabay)

This in itself was a great technique to help the participants focus on their surroundings, rather than focusing on the oncoming midterms or the lack of feeling in their toes. The leaders also created a connection between two other trees in the Branion Plaza which were the same species, but looked distinctly different due to varying pruning techniques upon initial growth of the tree. These trees were not particularly special, although I realize now that they brought in the Gift of Personalizing the Past as they provided a history of the trees. In the end, this provoked further learning about how trees differ in their shape despite being the same species, and created beauty where there may not have been any.

The Gift of Passion

“Passion is the essential ingredient for powerful and effective interpretation - passion for the resource and for those people who come to be inspired by it.” - Beck & Cable, “The Gifts of Interpretation - Chapter 15, The Gift of Passion” (2011).

The one thing I noticed with this group was the sheer amount of passion they had for the topic that they were talking about: it was practically oozing out of them! They were so passionate about some of the cool tree facts they knew, that they would get so excited and forget what would come next (which was awesome! But also something to work on so presentation flows freely). You could see how something that interested one of the speakers would change the way they talked about it; their eyes got wider, they started talking faster and louder. The passion the group had brought their confidence.

Passion in nature. (Flickr: opensource.com)

It is incredible to see the knowledge and passion that people have come through in interpretation. This was a strength that this group had, but also a weakness. Often, the leaders would get excited about a topic, but not readily engage the audience. I think the passion is much stronger when you can find a connection between your passion and that of the audience. This is really difficult, but I definitely recommend taking more opportunities to engage with the audience, whether it be through activities or discussion... that just might be the key to unlocking their passion about trees and in the end, the Gift of Love for Nature!

Overall, bravo! I enjoyed this walk thoroughly and would definitely go on it again. This walk and all the rest truly inspired me to round out my interpretive style, you were all so talented and I learned a lot! I will miss these awesome opportunities in the rest of my undergrad experience, for sure.

Sources:

Beck, L., & Cable, T. T. (2011). The Gifts of Interpretation. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing.

Beck, L. and McCullough, D.. (2001 & 2002). The Power of Place.  

[cmenvs3000-2018-blog]

Trees on UoG Campus

The presentation that caught my attention last weekend was one about something amazing… trees! This presentation happened just before lunch, but managed to get my mind off of the thought of food. This group showed us the many different types of trees around campus, and how they have developed, as well as the struggles they face in this urban environment.

What went well?

This presentation was extremely interactive with the audience. The walk was very well targeted to the audience- a group of University of Guelph students. The walk featured many of the trees that I personally walk past and admire every time I am on campus. This was clearly incorporation of the gift of a targeted program, as described best by Beck and Cable (2011). The gift of history was also incorporated as the struggles of each trees positioning was elaborated (Beck and Cable, 2011). My favourite piece of information that this walk provided was that the tree database for the University of Guelph campus includes basically every tree! I have always wondered what the little tags on the trees around campus were, and now I know about the database. This is something that I will definitely remember!

What did not go well?

I think that this presentation was held back simply by the season. Most of the trees’ leaves had already changed and fallen, and the summer version of these trees was hard to picture. The group made reference to the fullness and density of the summer leaves on the hedge maples by the canon, but with the leaves falling all of the branches appeared quite sparse. This is simply a downside of the time of year this program was administered, but could have been taken into account by the guides.

What techniques worked for me?

The group asked many questions in order to engage our group. Questions such as “What differences do you see between these two trees of the same species?” force the audience to look at the trees in more detail, and consider what have caused them to develop this way. This strategy of involving the group helped get us more involved and it was successful.

What might I change if I could?

If I were to recommend improvements for this program, I think it would be to provide visual materials that help the audience understand points that are harder to see in off-seasons. Pictures of the full foliage versions of each tree would help us see the differences in how pruning at a younger age changes the development of a tree.

Overall the presentation was enjoyable to be a part of and used good interpretive techniques to keep the audience captivated. Although the fall season might not have been the most effective time to try to show the differences in foliage in some trees, the walk was still quite successful. With a few improvements to props that could be incorporated into the conversation this walk would be extremely effective, and could be a great tool for campus groups to use.

References:

Beck, L., & Cable, T. T. (2011). The Gifts of Interpretation. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing.

[lpenvs3000-2018]

This walk was one of my favourites, especially since it opened my eyes to so many interesting trees on campus. I will never see them the same way again! Upon reading your review, I realized that we share many of the same opinions on the walk’s strengths, and things that the program needed to improve on. 

To add onto the gifts that the group addressed, I would say that they hit the Gift of Revelation pretty well, considering you took something away from their tree comparisons! As far as I remember, the guides impressed quite a few people who never knew that we had a cork tree smack dab in the middle of Branion Plaza, or that the tulip tree in the Plaza could actually grow significantly larger. I think it opened up the eyes of the walkers to how diverse the tree species are on campus, and how life on campus can be different for a tree than in the wild.

I agree with your point on using some supplementary material to reinforce the knowledge and identification of trees. This would definitely help with the Gift of Wholeness, as it would create that multiple-season connection between participants and the trees and allow them to be aware of more things than just what they saw in front of them. Then, they would be able to take the connection with them all year-round! As well, it would have been cool if they incorporated the use of technology (The Gift of Illumination Through Technology) as one way to do this - maybe using iNaturalist or LeafSnap. We are definitely a tech-centered generation, and I believe that it could have gotten the audience out and applying their knowledge. Maybe they could have shown that database as well as speaking about it!

Overall, the walk had some amazing information! I believe that the group was very passionate about what they were speaking about, and that that passion shined during their walk. For next time, I would definitely engage the audience more, as I believe that was the best part of the walk and what resonated with everyone the strongest.

References: Beck, L., & Cable, T.T. (2011). The Gifts of Interpretation. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing.

[kfenvss3000-2018-blog]

AVATAR

Hey followers!

This week I want to talk about one of my favourite platforms for nature interpretation… movies! I am a total movie nerd. In my opinion some of the best movies always explore a real world issue in an entertaining way. Just take a look at the success of the Black Panther as it explored racism or Fantastic Beasts and where to Find Them as it explored the unfair treatment of misunderstood people and animals. But today I would like to talk about the hugely famous movie Avatar. Here is a trailer for the movie incase you have never seen it: 

If you have never seen this movie I highly recommend it. It is essentially about humans coming into a new world and destroying it through mining for a precious metal (sound familiar?). It has amazing CGI effects and is visually stunning. It places a huge emphasis on how this world is so interconnected and beautiful. The native peoples truly care for their world, protecting and caring for it. It is essentially an ideal world. 

That is until humans come. Most of the humans don’t care for the life on this new planet and destroy it for profit. This movie follows the story of Jake as he slowly learns to appreciate the value of life and fights to stop its destruction.

This movie is hugely popular. Disney even dedicated a section of their famous Animal Kingdom park to it. I was lucky enough to visit this park last year. The remainder of the photos in this post are from that trip. 

Like I mentioned earlier, all  truly amazing movies have some sort of real world issue that they address. Its easy to see that Avatar explores how human destruction of ecosystems for profits is an issue. The success of this movie really demonstrates how valuable movies can be in creating the ‘spark’ in people. In Avatar, the world has the ability to draw people in with its interesting plants and creatures. This gets them invested in the biodiversity of this new planet so that they are emotionally impacted by its eventual destruction. This way they are able to see and experience, possibly for the first time, how detrimental human impact can be on our own planet. 

This is a photo of a poster that was inside one of the buildings at the park. It really illustrates how movies like avatar can help kids learn about processes in the ecosystem. Using the Banshee to talk teach about things like keystone species can make learning more fun and therefore create a better understanding of these concepts. 

Many other lessons can be learned from this movie making it a useful move for nature interpretation. For example, this movie emphasized the connectivity of all the organisms in the ecosystem. Every organisms has a purpose and they all depend on each other. 

I would love to hear your opinions on this or if you know of any other movies that are useful to nature interpretation. 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

I agree that movies can be a useful way to communicate the value of nature to the wider public. I find that it is great for audiences who do not have a scientific background to connect with nature in a way that is meaningful to them. Why read a journal article, when you can watch a documentary on the same topic or issue? Movies are a way to expand scientific communication past the scientists.

For example, have you seen ‘Before the Flood’, the documentary on Netflix about climate change and global warming? I was recommended this documentary from somebody who had never had a scientific background, and they told me that it had opened their eyes to the wider world around them. After watching it, they said that they never knew that global warming was a prevalent issue, and always thought it was just a myth. When I started watching it, I was shocked to see that Leonardo diCaprio (who is an AWESOME actor, but not a scientist by any means), was the ‘host’ of the documentary, and was the one attempting to explain the changing world. However, when I finished watching it, I realize that by creating a documentary on something as important as world-conservation, Leo was connecting with the side of the world that did not know there was an issue. He was creating that awareness in people and communicating environmental issues to them, using his status as a celebrity figure. Although none of the things that he said in the documentary were ‘proven by science’ or had peer-reviewed research articles backing it up, he created that ‘spark’ where it wasn’t before. And who knows, maybe some of those people watching his documentary will grow up to become those scientists, conserving wildlife and creating policies to mitigate pollution!

I would be interested in seeing a show like ‘Black Mirror’ do a take on environmental issues. I am confident that you are at least aware of the show, and how it takes issues today and amplifies them tenfold into a fictional dystopia setting. The show creates this eerie feeling in viewers that the events in each episode are happening (or will happen) in the real world around them. I wonder if they would be able to rewrite ‘apocalypse’ settings so that they appear more realistic to what is happening now in the world?

Do you think that darker, more mysterious movies like Avatar, and shows like Black Mirror are the only way to communicate the changes in nature to the public? Or do you think there is a way to integrate these messages into comedy, cartoon, and sitcoms? 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

New Zealand...Like Scotland, But Further

Given that in less than two months, I will be headed to New Zealand for an exchange program at Lincoln University near Christchurch, I decided that it is a good time to figure out what the country is all about. I thought to myself, “What better way to get to know the inner workings of New Zealand, than by watching a comedy show produced by Kiwis which indirectly put the country on the map?”. And what an idea that was, I must tell you.

In HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, New Zealand-born friends Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement decide to move to New York to start a band. Having quite a bit of trouble with finding gigs, creating a fanbase and just... living, really, they seek the help of Murray Hewitt, who works for the New Zealand Consulate (and eventually manages the band on the side). Bret and Jemaine are often seen in Murray’s office, having unofficial band meetings during work hours. 

So how does this relate to nature, or interpretation, or nature interpretation, you might ask? Well, upon watching the two seasons of this show, I realized that in every single episode of Flight of the Conchords, Murray has put up a different, new and exciting interpretive poster on New Zealand tourism on his office wall. 

“New Zealand - Like Scotland, But Further” - HBO Flight of the Conchords. It is true that New Zealand human population is highly outnumbered by sheep. Sheep numbers peaked in 1982, with a total of 70.3 million sheep. The same year, there were only 3.18 million people living in NZ (Stats NZ). Taken from Backpacker Guide NZ. https://www.backpackerguide.nz/top-10-flight-conchords-adverts-new-zealand/.

And so I decided to take a few of these posters, and break them down into their interpretive qualities, which will shed light on what New Zealand is truly about.

1. New Zealand...Rocks!!!

“New Zealand...Rocks!!!” - HBO Flight of the Conchords. Taken from Backpacker Guide NZ. https://www.backpackerguide.nz/top-10-flight-conchords-adverts-new-zealand/.

New Zealand has a rich geological history that has shaped what the country looks like today. With its picturesque mountainscapes, rolling hills and beaches, the country is peppered with diverse outcomes of ancient geological events. New Zealand is composed of two main islands, which are easily remembered as North Island and South Island. The two islands sit on two tectonic plates (Pacific and Australian), which even now, grind and crash into eachother to push the land up to form the country’s mountains. The Southern Alps are still growing, at 10 millimeters a year! The crashing of the tectonic plates gives rise to daily earthquakes, which when powerful, can lead to tsunamis, further eroding the land and coastlines. The last major earthquake was November 14th, 2016 at a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. When looking at New Zealand geology, I have to agree that the country definitely ROCKS!!!

2. New Zealand - Cool!

“New Zealand - Cool!” - HBO Flight of the Conchords. Taken from Backpacker Guide NZ. https://www.backpackerguide.nz/top-10-flight-conchords-adverts-new-zealand/.

2 million years ago, the Southern Alps and the Fiordland mountains were covered in layers of ice-age glaciers up to 1000 meters in thickness. The outcome of these massive, moving ice sheets are the valleys cut out from the mountain chains and the large glacial lakes that you can see on both islands! The most famous glaciers are the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, which flow 10 times faster than any other valley glaciers at 7 meters of movement per day! This incredible feat is due to the ice at the bottom of the valley being compacted by the hundreds of meters of glacial ice above it, eventually melting under pressure and creating a flow under the glacier. Truly cool!

3. New Zealand - Ewe Should Come

“New Zealand - Ewe Should Come” - HBO Flight of the Conchords. Taken from Backpacker Guide NZ. https://www.backpackerguide.nz/top-10-flight-conchords-adverts-new-zealand/.

Although there are definitely a lot of sheep in New Zealand, there are plenty of other notable wildlife in the country! New Zealand experienced continental drift in its ecology, having broken off from the super-continent Gondwana 85 million years ago. Because of its isolation from mainland countries, New Zealand has a diversity of wildlife that is adapted solely to the islands and are not seen anywhere else in the world. New Zealand is known for having unique flightless birds, which paired with slow breeding rates is a characteristic that may be the leading cause of their decline. The country also only has one group of native land mammals: bats! Even though Maori folklore believes bats to be messengers of disaster of death, the population of long-tailed bats are still listed as ‘nationally critical’ and are undergoing extensive recovery programs. 

After reading this article, I encourage EWE to visit New Zealand, as it is a unique place filled with gorgeous landscapes, as well as plenty of natural history to learn about. You will never be bored in a country with more sheep than people!

Has anyone already visited New Zealand, and have any advice on places to visit while I am there? I am curious to hear where you have been! I will be spending a month travelling solo before I begin school, so I am planning on reaching both North and South Islands and all that they have to offer.

References

Department of Conservation - New Zealand Government. Native Animals. Retrieved from: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/

Johnstone, S. Franz Josef Glacier – incredible changes on the ice. Retrieved from: https://www.newzealand.com/ca/article/franz-josef-glacier--incredible-changes-on-the-ice/

Science Learning Hub - Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao. New Zealand’s unique ecology. Retrieved from:  https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1440-new-zealand-s-unique-ecology

Teara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. How Mountains Form. Retrieved from: https://teara.govt.nz/en/mountains/page-3

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Trees, please!

Forests cover about 30% of our planet, and provide our planet with so many important things: our air that we breathe, a place to rest, and a home to our flora and fauna. There is so much diversity in forests, and we often forget how interesting the complexity of trees can be. Trees, although quiet and solitary, are buzzing with life and energy, and perform amazing feats for survival! The inability to move does not stop trees from getting crafty in order to survive and reproduce, and there is always so much to learn from them. From the massive redwoods and baobabs, to the slender but beautiful birch, there is much to love about trees, and the amazing things they do for us. 

Without further ado, here are 5 AMAZING things about trees you probably didn’t know about:

1. Trees communicate with eachother.

A boreal forest in Lake Clarke. Note the pattern of evergreen greens, scattered among the deciduous trees. Retrieved from the U.S National Park Service website. https://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/nature/forests.htm

In The Hidden Life of Trees, German forester Peter Wohlleben describes a new and controversial concept that is growing substantially in the scientific community: that trees are constantly communicating with eachother. He looks at the interactions between tree species, and how they individually fight for survival in a forest stand. By identifying these interactions, he has created the idea that trees simultaneously work together with their own species, as well as cooperating with trees of other species! He relates this interaction to that of an insect colony: by emitting chemical signals to other trees through their roots and underground fungal networks, trees can communicate danger, can facilitate growth and can protect eachother in times of drought and disease. Check out this article by the Smithsonian, which looks at this amazing interaction and Wohlleben’s novel!

2. Trees can clone themselves.

A trembling aspen stand in Zion National Park. Are they all separate aspens, or just clones of one adult? Retrieved from Flickr - photo by Zion National Park. https://www.flickr.com/photos/zionnps/5205494244

Trembling aspen, the iconic tree that resembles “jazz hands” as the wind blows through its leaves, is actually a professional of colonizing land! The trembling aspen forms ‘root suckers’: root extensions off of the main root system of the adult tree, which shoot up from the earth to grow into new aspen trees. This way, they can create large populations in a new environment quickly and efficiently, as a form of asexual reproduction. Each separate shoot will have an identical genome to the plant that it grew from. So, when you see a large trembling aspen, look out for neighbouring aspens, who may actually be clones, a product of the adult! Aspens are not the only trees that can do this, as beech, birch and dogwood can also propagate themselves in this way. 

3. Growth rings are able to take us back to the past.

Looking at the cross-section of a bald cypress tree from Northern California allows us to see which years had plentiful nutrients and water for the tree, and which years may have had drought. Retrieved from Flickr. Photo by James St. John. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/38675652474

As kids, we all learned that to find out the age of a tree, we take a cross-section of its trunk, and count the rings. Then, I have no doubt, we all spend a considerable time trying to count the hundreds and hundreds of tiny rings on a stump, to no avail. Well, by looking at the growth rings of an old tree, we can not only tell how old the tree is, but also its history, and the history of the environment it lived in! By looking at the size of the growth rings, you can determine whether or not a tree had a ‘good year’ - one with plenty of rain, nutrients and sunlight or a ‘bad year’ - one likely with drought. A big ring indicates a good year (lots of growth), and a small ring indicates a bad year (little growth!). Not only that, but recent scientific research is looking at the chemical compounds within each ring to see what the environment was like during a particular year. For example, the Tipuana tree in Brazil is being used as a marker of atmospheric pollution, as its roots absorb heavy metals that are present in the atmosphere, transporting these compounds to the wood of its growth rings. By looking at growth rings of the past 50 years, you can rewrite the story of the surrounding pollution in those years!

4. Some trees are not that tall, and not trees at all.

A ground pine, hiding under the shade of a tall tree. Behind it, you see many other shoots of the same ground pine plant poking up from the undergrowth. Retrieved from Flickr. Photo by Dendroica cerulea. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dendroica/

Club mosses sure look like tiny trees, don’t they? Well, it’s because in an essence, they are. These plants have a similar function to vines; the plant creeps along the ground, shooting up small, tree-like leaves up towards the sky to reach sunlight. By doing this, the plant creates a mat, or mini-forest, along the forest floor. Even though they are not considered trees, early lycophytes (which were the descendants of clubmoss) formed the oldest group of forest-forming trees in the Carboniferous era. So, although club moss are not trees themselves, they evolved from early trees and have still kept similar function to forests, just on the forest floor!

5. Although trees may look small, they can be old, and strong. 

Foxtail pine growing in Sequoia National Park. This photo was taken before the treeline (which is where trees can no longer grow due to extreme weather and altitude). Note how dispersed the trees are, and so small! Received from the U.S National Park Service website. https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/subalpine-forests.htm

In a subalpine ecosystem, life grows differently. Once you reach altitudes where snow, rain and cold is prevalent, life is not able to grow the same as if you were lower in altitude. Trees in these biomes are adapted to these extreme weather conditions, and have evolved some amazing survival techniques! Krummholz trees, also known as dwarf trees, are trees that live above the treeline, which is the highest point at which trees can grow. These trees are smaller than most trees, and misshapen, but are the same species as the ones growing lower than the treeline. This shows how far a tree will go to survive, and will even risk death in adverse conditions to grow! Since northern, subalpine forest communities are often never disturbed, we can still see old-growth forests today. However, these forests are threatened by climate change, as the trees thrive in cold conditions, and are susceptible to change.

5 AMAZING things about trees just barely touches on all the incredible adaptations and functions trees have. The most amazing things in nature may not be the most spectacular views or the weirdest animals. They can be the things we see in our day-to-day lives, like our forests! 

If you are as passionate about trees as I am, please share some cool things that you may know about them! 

[ckenvs3000-2018-blog]

Thanks for getting me excited about trees! Your enthusiasm really caught my interest, and I learnt some new things about trees today! 

I’m still a little confused about the club moss one. It’s really cool how they look like mini trees just on the forest floor, and it totally makes sense that they’re basically filling the same function within the ecosystem just at a different scale. But what did you mean by “although club moss are not trees themselves, they evolved from early trees”. I thought club moss (Lycopodiaceae) was one of the most basal vascular plants on the evolutionary tree (along with ferns right? because they both reproduce with spores having evolved prior to angiosperms?) so how could they evolve from early trees? Did you mean to say early trees evolved from club mosses? Or am I missing something? 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Ah! You caught me, I should have explained myself better. Clubmosses are the earliest group of vascular plants, which eventually evolved into the clubmoss-forms of trees, something we see today in the fossil record of. However, the clubmosses we see today are NOT trees, they are actually in the fern family! So although they are related to early trees, they would not be considered trees today. Thank you for nothing that, and I hope that clears things up!

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Trees, please!

Forests cover about 30% of our planet, and provide our planet with so many important things: our air that we breathe, a place to rest, and a home to our flora and fauna. There is so much diversity in forests, and we often forget how interesting the complexity of trees can be. Trees, although quiet and solitary, are buzzing with life and energy, and perform amazing feats for survival! The inability to move does not stop trees from getting crafty in order to survive and reproduce, and there is always so much to learn from them. From the massive redwoods and baobabs, to the slender but beautiful birch, there is much to love about trees, and the amazing things they do for us. 

Without further ado, here are 5 AMAZING things about trees you probably didn’t know about:

1. Trees communicate with eachother.

A boreal forest in Lake Clarke. Note the pattern of evergreen greens, scattered among the deciduous trees. Retrieved from the U.S National Park Service website. https://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/nature/forests.htm

In The Hidden Life of Trees, German forester Peter Wohlleben describes a new and controversial concept that is growing substantially in the scientific community: that trees are constantly communicating with eachother. He looks at the interactions between tree species, and how they individually fight for survival in a forest stand. By identifying these interactions, he has created the idea that trees simultaneously work together with their own species, as well as cooperating with trees of other species! He relates this interaction to that of an insect colony: by emitting chemical signals to other trees through their roots and underground fungal networks, trees can communicate danger, can facilitate growth and can protect eachother in times of drought and disease. Check out this article by the Smithsonian, which looks at this amazing interaction and Wohlleben’s novel!

2. Trees can clone themselves.

A trembling aspen stand in Zion National Park. Are they all separate aspens, or just clones of one adult? Retrieved from Flickr - photo by Zion National Park. https://www.flickr.com/photos/zionnps/5205494244

Trembling aspen, the iconic tree that resembles “jazz hands” as the wind blows through its leaves, is actually a professional of colonizing land! The trembling aspen forms ‘root suckers’: root extensions off of the main root system of the adult tree, which shoot up from the earth to grow into new aspen trees. This way, they can create large populations in a new environment quickly and efficiently, as a form of asexual reproduction. Each separate shoot will have an identical genome to the plant that it grew from. So, when you see a large trembling aspen, look out for neighbouring aspens, who may actually be clones, a product of the adult! Aspens are not the only trees that can do this, as beech, birch and dogwood can also propagate themselves in this way. 

3. Growth rings are able to take us back to the past.

Looking at the cross-section of a bald cypress tree from Northern California allows us to see which years had plentiful nutrients and water for the tree, and which years may have had drought. Retrieved from Flickr. Photo by James St. John. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/38675652474

As kids, we all learned that to find out the age of a tree, we take a cross-section of its trunk, and count the rings. Then, I have no doubt, we all spend a considerable time trying to count the hundreds and hundreds of tiny rings on a stump, to no avail. Well, by looking at the growth rings of an old tree, we can not only tell how old the tree is, but also its history, and the history of the environment it lived in! By looking at the size of the growth rings, you can determine whether or not a tree had a ‘good year’ - one with plenty of rain, nutrients and sunlight or a ‘bad year’ - one likely with drought. A big ring indicates a good year (lots of growth), and a small ring indicates a bad year (little growth!). Not only that, but recent scientific research is looking at the chemical compounds within each ring to see what the environment was like during a particular year. For example, the Tipuana tree in Brazil is being used as a marker of atmospheric pollution, as its roots absorb heavy metals that are present in the atmosphere, transporting these compounds to the wood of its growth rings. By looking at growth rings of the past 50 years, you can rewrite the story of the surrounding pollution in those years!

4. Some trees are not that tall, and not trees at all.

A ground pine, hiding under the shade of a tall tree. Behind it, you see many other shoots of the same ground pine plant poking up from the undergrowth. Retrieved from Flickr. Photo by Dendroica cerulea. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dendroica/

Club mosses sure look like tiny trees, don’t they? Well, it’s because in an essence, they are. These plants have a similar function to vines; the plant creeps along the ground, shooting up small, tree-like leaves up towards the sky to reach sunlight. By doing this, the plant creates a mat, or mini-forest, along the forest floor. Even though they are not considered trees, early lycophytes (which were the descendants of clubmoss) formed the oldest group of forest-forming trees in the Carboniferous era. So, although club moss are not trees themselves, they evolved from early trees and have still kept similar function to forests, just on the forest floor!

5. Although trees may look small, they can be old, and strong. 

Foxtail pine growing in Sequoia National Park. This photo was taken before the treeline (which is where trees can no longer grow due to extreme weather and altitude). Note how dispersed the trees are, and so small! Received from the U.S National Park Service website. https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/subalpine-forests.htm

In a subalpine ecosystem, life grows differently. Once you reach altitudes where snow, rain and cold is prevalent, life is not able to grow the same as if you were lower in altitude. Trees in these biomes are adapted to these extreme weather conditions, and have evolved some amazing survival techniques! Krummholz trees, also known as dwarf trees, are trees that live above the treeline, which is the highest point at which trees can grow. These trees are smaller than most trees, and misshapen, but are the same species as the ones growing lower than the treeline. This shows how far a tree will go to survive, and will even risk death in adverse conditions to grow! Since northern, subalpine forest communities are often never disturbed, we can still see old-growth forests today. However, these forests are threatened by climate change, as the trees thrive in cold conditions, and are susceptible to change.

5 AMAZING things about trees just barely touches on all the incredible adaptations and functions trees have. The most amazing things in nature may not be the most spectacular views or the weirdest animals. They can be the things we see in our day-to-day lives, like our forests! 

If you are as passionate about trees as I am, please share some cool things that you may know about them! 

[kfenvss3000-2018-blog]

Evolution!

Hey guys! I decided to post about evolution this week. I think that its a shame that this topic is often turned into a boring school subject, because it is actually very cool. Here is a quick video explaining what it is incase you have never heard of it:

Evolution can be really interesting. I think it is amazing how species change over time in response to factors like changing environmental conditions. Its also amazing to think how all life on earth evolved from one common ancestor, so yes, we are distantly related to things like pineapples, ants and starfish. Information about relatedness can be found in phylogenic trees. Phylogenic trees show you the routes of evolution between species and how different species are related. Here is an example:

photo retrieved from: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/285422/rich-phylogenetic-trees-accompanied-with-a-non-linear-timeline 

Looking at this tree we can tell which species are related to each other and how closely. For example, did you know that black bears are more closely related to northern elephant seals than they are to dogs? Or that gray foxes are only distantly related to red and arctic foxes? 

We can interpret an amazing amount of information from phylogenic trees. Go ahead and look up a phylogenic tree of one of your favourite species. You might be surprised about what you find!

We can also think about evolution in terms of humans. Do you recognize the below dinosaur? Some of you may have seen it before in TV shows or may have even have had little toys resembling it growing up. Did you know that it is thought to be the ancestor of all mammals?

It is called a dimetrodon and is one of our ancestors! So yes, some of your DNA may have come from this creature! 

Keeping on the theme of human evolution, here is a cool video depicting how the modern human has evolved: 

When watching videos like this I like to think about what kind of events and pressures may have led to all the evolutionary changes. For example, it is thought that our jaws started to become smaller when we discovered how to soften food for easier chewing by cooking it over fire. 

I hope my above examples helped you to get at least a little bit more excited about evolution. The next time you are out in nature I hope you take the time to consider the amazing evolutionary journey all the organisms around you have taken. Millions and millions of years of perfecting has gone into each and every organism for them to be how they are today. 

Here are some additional resources incase anyone is interested in learning more:

https://www.britannica.com/science/evolution-scientific-theory

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-evolution/hs-phylogeny/a/phylogenetic-trees

https://www.thoughtco.com/charles-darwin-and-his-voyage-1773836

[lpenvs3000-2018]

I loved this post, because it only touches on a smidgen of all the incredible and fascinating things about evolution that you could learn about! We are constantly learning about more and more connections to evolution nowadays, and it has evolved (hehe) from being a theory to an actual scientific practice, something that would not have been possible a couple hundred years ago.

Here is the coolest thing about evolution that I know about, and that still baffles me today! P.S. Read this book if you want your MIND BLOWN.

Neil Shubin - Your Inner Fish

To me, evolution is incredible, as you can see it in our bones. Neil Shubin, in his AMAZING novel “Your Inner Fish”, describes his journey in discovering more about human evolution. Shubin explains where the bones in our hands come from... by excavating the bones of the famous Tiktaalik, the famous evolutionary fish-with-wrist-bones! This also explains the similarity between the bone structure in our hands, and the structure in many other vertebrates on Earth. 

Retrieved from: http://www.sussexvt.k12.de.us/science/evolution/evidence%20for%20evolution.htm. One aspect of evolution is the formation of ‘homologous structures’ ;  a cat, a bird, and a human will each have the same amount of bones in their arms+hands, but have each evolved these bones in a different way, to be used for different functions.

He also explains the complicated form and function of our brain and jaws, something that also evolved from early fish gills. Who woulda thought that something smelled a little fishy this whole time, because it was US the whole time?

In this video, Neil Shubin explains how humans and sharks have a common evolutionary history, by looking at the similarities between gill structure and the human ear!

Here is a link to an article from the Smithsonian that takes readers through some more connections between fish, people, and other vertebrates! Check this out if you don’t want to read the novel (which, you should!). 

I still can’t believe that evolution is considered a ‘boring school theory’! There are so many interesting things about nature, and what better way to learn about the world around us, than by knowing its origin story, its history? The funny thing is, the topic of evolution- the intricacies of how we came to be, and the fact that we share little characteristics with all other lifeforms on earth- is the reason why I personally went into the field of biology after highschool! My teacher in highschool actually would get so excited about evolution, and it led me to learning as much as I could about the complexity of life. He really embodied the concept of passion in interpretation, as did this blogpost! Thank you!

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Music without the music

This is by FAR my favourite blog post, as even though I have such a big passion for music, I find myself lacking the ability to write about it in a different way than I already have in my last post. To look at the way music is heard in nature, and the way nature can be heard in music, I am going to look deeper into it: into the lyrics, and how we communicate to eachother what we hear in nature. I am also going to attempt to convince you that nature has its own lyrics. Funnily enough, I realize that as I write this post, I had to turn off all the music that was playing (which I usually listen to while working hard), so as not to bias myself to certain music or to certain feelings while writing, and to not spontaneously burst into song while working diligently in public.

Lyrics about nature - a way to tell stories from one ear to another

Although the sounds of nature - the wind that many of you mention, the babbling brooks and the rustling of the leaves - are a key component in creating that musical connection with nature, one way music accentuates that feeling and connection is by combining it with another form of art: the written word. When we take something that we experience in nature and we put it into words, we have put emotion and memory and feeling into what we are saying. This is one way of hearing nature in music. Although many of us probably feel like we can only speak in the scientific method after going through 3 or 4 years of our Bachelor’s degree, there is something that changes when we start telling people about how we climbed that mountain, or the colours of the maple trees after the Thanksgiving weekend. It is that aspect of communication that creates that connection between two people, that storytelling and the passion behind it! 

When the Night Feels my Song - Bedouin Soundclash. Although the music in this song does not really remind me of anything that you or I would find in nature, when we listen to the lyrics, we can hear the artist’s connection to nature, and suddenly the song takes you to out into the great unknown. This song reminds me of the song that we created with James Gordon, about venturing away from our busy lives to the quiet and peace of the forest and the mountains!

When listening to music, I often find myself distracted by the lyrics; I know that since the artist is telling a story about themselves, and their experiences, I should be giving my full attention to that. 

Human beings are social animals, our societies are based around communication, and this communication is seen often in modern day musical lyrics!

Nature’s ‘lyrics’ - a juxtaposition in music

Beck and Cable quote in The Gifts of Interpretation: "Inspiration is difficult to predict and control, but writers can encourage it by carefully observing their surroundings and listening to other’s voices - the voices of nature as well as human voices”. 

A photo I took in Iceland. Can a barren landscape have a voice? To me, the movement of the rolling hills and the dark path to a large expanse of water speaks a story louder than any words can. 

Beck and Cable suggest that nature has a voice, just like us, and I have to agree with them! Nature, although not being able to directly communicate with constructed languages, also has lyrics to offer us. When listening to the patterns of bird calls, or the rhythm of the river crashing against a rock, we can almost hear nature trying to communicate to us in a language we may understand. By hearing the warning call of a red squirrel, we hear a story. The call, triggered by the presence of another squirrel, shows off the balance of the environment in which animals must fend for themselves on a land that has limited resources. In a practical sense, you may think that this is just another way of interpreting nature and that we are just projecting our ideas of nature based on the sounds we hear. But, I seriously think that nature has an intricate lyric-like system in place, which includes repetition (like in bird calls), rhythms (the creaking of tree trunks swaying in the wind), balance (the soft buzz of a cicade against the harsh call of a red-tailed hawk) and of course, emotion (the silence after a storm).

By looking for this music in nature, and by taking nature and putting it into musical lyrics, we can understand it more and gather a deeper appreciation of it. I would be interested in seeing how somebody would interpret this story of mine into lyrics, or how you would see nature’s lyrics in it:

Just the other day, as I was walking in the Arboretum, I passed a lifeless maple tree... or at least I thought it was lifeless, until I got closer. As I approached this tree, I could hear a low bustle of noises. The chirps and calls and shuffling I was hearing got louder and louder. Then suddenly, I was under the tree. And here’s where things got weird. I almost felt as if I were in a whole other biome: the tropical rainforest, or a biodiverse swamp because of the sheer amount of NOISE and ENERGY. It certainly did not feel as though I was standing in southern Ontario! I looked up, and I saw about 100 American robins covering this tree. Then, all of a sudden, in a big whoosh, they all lifted off and flew away in a babble and a hurry! You could imagine the silence after they left.  

[kfenvss3000-2018-blog]

Where is music in nature?

To be honest I really struggled to answer this question. I know that there is always the obvious sounds like birds chirping and the wind whistling through trees. These are without a doubt music, but these are all things that you would hear on land. What about under water? or on a silent night without any wind? 

The ocean is one of my favourite ecosystems, so to answer these questions I thought about my experiences snorkelling. Of course, there is the music of the waves, but once you’re under water, everything sounds pretty muffled. This realization lead me to thinking about aquariums. Aquariums are not silent at all, they play music to fill the silence. I thought back to going to Disney World as a child and I have a distinct memory of them playing the Finding Nemo theme song (the below youtube video) 

As humans, we have the ability to listen and interpret things from music. Music makes us feel, and can put everyone who hears it in a certain mood. I think Disney World was using this song to set a tone of imagination and beauty when guests were visiting the aquarium. If heavy metal or spooky music was playing, I would have certainly came away from that experience with a different interpretation of what I saw. 

With this in mind, I now believe that we can hear music everywhere in nature because as humans, we can chose what songs represent a certain place. This also highlights the power of music. Music can make people feel a certain way, and if they associate this feeling with a place, then they can have a whole new interpretation of that place. 

I think as nature interpreters, we can certainly use this to our advantage. Playing music can help us to get our point across. If we are trying to allow people to see the beauty in things like reptiles or insects, we could play music like the Finding Nemo theme song instead of the classic horror music that is typically associated with these creatures. 

If you are reading this blog, I think its safe to assume that you are a nature lover.  Since you love nature, I would imagine that you would pick a song similar to the one I chose to represent your favourite place. Perhaps using these songs to convey a place would help others see the beauty and awe that we see in nature. 

[apack2003]

Hey there! To start off, the Finding Nemo main theme is one of my all time favourite pieces of music. It’s so beautiful and poignant at the same time, it’s a great juxtaposition. I think it’s really interesting how you thought out of the box and didn’t just think about something on land, but you open the conversation to music underwater. I think in a perfect world, when you swam underwater a tune like the Finding Nemo main theme would play, but sadly in reality I don’t think that’s true. I find “underwater” soundtracks in media to be composed much more differently than normal themes. 

Usually water soundtracks move at a much slower pace and they make the audience feel like the notes of the song are fluid and flowing to one another. When working with this type of environment, I find the composer has a lot of variation in what emotion they can instil into the piece, and subsequently the listener. Water can be portrayed as the most serene biome on the planet, home to a multitude of forms of life, or it can turn into a violent destructive force that brings nothing but pain and sorrow. Another fun fact is that a lot of “underwater” music is composed is a ¾ time which is associated with the waltz style of dance. A waltz can have these same characteristics of water, where it can be flowing and have lots of variation in what to do with the style of it.

If anyone else responds to this post it would be really cool if you could link a song that you think kind of matches this tone, and maybe we could start a thread going! Mine is a piece called “Spiegel I’m Spiegel” from the movie Gravity. In contrast to the ocean I really believe this piece has the same characteristics of the water environment, but a more melancholic tone to it. Great post!

[kfenvss3000-2018-blog]

Hey! I don’t know a whole lot about music so hearing you explain about how the ocean is typically portrayed by music was super interesting for me! Its kind of crazy how so many people can look at something in nature like the ocean and independently decide on such similar pieces of music represent it. 

I love how we both chose music featuring the piano. For me, the piano is very calming and relaxing. I think its interesting that the music you chose was meant to represent space. To me, space and the ocean have many similar characteristics. They elicit wonder and exploration and are also very beautiful because they have such a large range of objects and organisms that can appear to be very foreign to us. 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Personally, when I think of music related to water, I think of Frederic Chopin’s Nocturnes, especially Op. 9 No. 2 in E flat major. I often find myself listening to his Nocturnes when it is a rainy day: his fleeting, soft ‘trickles’ of notes remind me of the rain falling, hitting the pavement or ground randomnly it seems, but also purposefully.

Now that I have read your response, I have realized that this song is also in 3/4 time! It creates this feeling of calm, structured chaos. Just like water! Songs like this remind me of the ever-changing element of water. How it can come quietly and loudly, be something dangerous and peaceful, can move all at once or in pieces. 

[ksneatureblog-blog]

Trees and Tunes

Singing in the company of others makes me particularly squeamish. I’ll hum along to the drivers music in the car and occasionally belt out the lyrics to literally any ABBA song when having too much fun on a Friday night. But sometimes, when I’m alone and relaxed, singing comes without any thought. Whether I’m doing the dishes and belting some of The Sheepdogs, or on a solo stroll through the Arboretum and singing a bit of Mt. Joy, something about reaching a certain level of chill releases my inhibitions. Most often, this chill happens in nature, where the trees, leaves and distant fauna are the only ones to hear my hums.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule though. I’ve also been in a situation in which a certain level of not-chill in nature necessitated some singing. On a hike this summer my group was told by two separate passing groups in the first ten minutes that there was a large grizzly bear just hanging out about halfway up the trail. Convinced it would be gone by the time we got there we continued on. As the trail continued the amount of bends and blind corners increased a fair bit, so we turned each one with a cautious lean and look around the corner. Eventually we decided being loud was likely a good idea, so we treated our surroundings to wonderful renditions of whatever lyrics we could remember. Whether it was time or our beautiful vocals, we didn’t encounter our bear friend, but definitely enjoyed the trail and the company.

I think that the question of where is music in nature is complicated. Though I discussed it in terms of my interaction with music in nature, the question more likely prompts thoughts of natural sounds; the flow water, bird calls, crunch of leaves. Is the culmination of all that a song? Or are songs defined only by the human interaction, piecing these things together in a new way?

I think the question of nature in music is easier to answer. Humans are undoubtedly inspired by nature, and it’s heard one way or another in many songs. In human made music, nature can be shared through lyrics, sounds, or maybe just the feel of a song. A personal favourite song that directly calls to nature is Echo by North Carolina’s Mandolin Orange. From the soft picking of what I assume is a mandolin, to the lyrics carved from the forests they sing about. Beginning by perfectly summarizing my current state: craving the bliss of the outdoors without the mayhem of this semester.

Well I try to close my eyes Clear my mind Just listen to the wildflowers grow Such whispers on the breeze It don’t come easy now Over all this noise

The second half of verse one calls out to the voices of nature:

Spent my youth among the pine They used to sing a tune so fine And the wind moved like an echo Carrying their voices

So what about it?

I can’t really give a straight answer to these questions exactly, of where nature is in music, and music is in nature. I know that for me, music provides a connection to nature, and sometimes, nature calls for music. I’m sure through the rest of my life, each’s role in the other will continue to evolve for me, most often enhancing my experiences and connections.

A fun side note: In an attempt to show us what Iqaluit looks like (and also likely to show off his music taste), one of my profs showed our class this incredible song by the Jerry Cans (who I had admittedly never heard of). I was easily blown away by both the talent and the scenery shown in this clip. Canadian music is the best music!

[lpenvs3000-2018]

When you mentioned that you could not give a straight answer to the questions that you were asking yourself, I was thinking “Well, shoot. I can’t either!”. I think that no matter how hard we try, we will never truly understand why music makes us feel certain ways. 

In a very psychological sense, as long as we have unresolved mysteries of the brain, we will have unresolved answers to our feelings towards music. So when we have nature in music, we know that it will connect us to that nature in some way, but to each person it will be in a different way. To me, it is an accumulation of the sounds and songs from our past that shape the way we hear nature in music in the present. As someone who has lived in the countryside for 6 years now, I find myself listening to quieter songs that reflect the surrounding environment: peaceful, often melancholy, with instruments that reflect the natural sounds I would hear like birds chirping. However, before that, I lived in town and found myself listening to music that was louder, with more energy that reflected the hustle-and-bustle. Since our experiences change, I think that our tastes in music change, as we start creating more connections to the world around us. 

Looking at your quote on music in nature: “Is the culmination of all that a song? Or are songs defined only by the human interaction, piecing these things together in a new way?”, I think the amazing parallel between nature and music is that in both, there are no rules! Even the silence of a desert can be considered a song, as much as the calls of the spring peepers in a busy swamp can be. However, I do believe that songs and music are a human construct, and without the feeling and connection we have to the things in our world, we would not be able to create music. 

Do you think that like love, the concept of music is an intangible that will never be understood in science and psychology? We can definitely determine how certain patterns in music may be more favorable, but will we truly understand the inner workings of music on the brain? P.S Your music taste is super similar to mine! Have you heard of the band Caamp? You would love them!!

[kfenvss3000-2018-blog]

Who am I to interpret nature through art?

In my opinion one of the best ways to interpret nature is through art. Art allows each and every person to form their own opinions and ideas. Our invisible backpacks will allow us to all have different interpretations of a scene and we will all place a different meaning on it. In this sense, it breaks down barriers because everyone can have an opinion without any prior knowledge and everyone’s opinions are right. 

Nature has an amazing amount of beauty. It contains so many colours, textures and objects to focus on. I will discuss several pictures that I took during my family’s thanksgiving walk to explore this topic:

The above picture was the first one that I took. Its funny because my family initially questioned why I was taking photos of the forest without anyone in them. It was only after I showed this to them that they realized how beautiful the forest really is. Several people said that it looked like it was out of a story book and they began to have a new appreciation for the forest. This illustrates why it is important for us as nature interpreters to make people aware of natures beauty so that they can start to see and appreciate the beauty around them.

This photo is one of my favourites. It doesn’t really give justice to how brilliantly these red leaves stood out against the rest of the forest. For me, this is just an example of how many different layers of complexity nature has. We are of course drawn to the red leaves, but all around there are so many different colours of green and so many different plants. It really shows how beautiful nature is if you take the time to look around you.

These trees were interesting because near the top they were tangled together. I like this picture because everyone in my family used their different life experiences to create their own story to explain what was happening. The people who had a science background created a story of competition, with these trees fighting to get sunlight. Other people interpreted them as leaning against each other for support or even them being in love with each other. 

I think allowing people to see nature as art is important because it lets them make a more personal connection to nature. Even though the idea that the two trees in the picture were in love is scientifically inaccurate, its still a personal interpretation that made people feel closer to nature. 

So going back to the question of “who am I to interpret nature through art?” Everyone is capable of interpreting nature in this way, and I believe nature may be the most beautiful thing in this planet so not appreciating this beauty once it is put in your awareness is crazy. Therefore, I think the question should be “who am I to not interpret nature through art?” 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

I loved reading about the ‘Tangled Trees’! It shows that everyone will view nature differently, and I think that is the coolest thing, since it brings us closer to eachother as well as create a lasting connection to nature. By combining the efforts of our ‘invisible backpacks’, we can create countless never-ending stories about nature, each from a whole new perspective. Do you think that if we were to just tell more stories, all our own original opinion, that we could open up more minds to the beauty of nature? For example, when your family members who created a story out of the trees heard that the Tangled Trees were competing with eachother, were they more willing to hear eachother out and listen to eachothers opinions?

I am picturing a program where visitors create their own story out of something, kind of like when Chris Earley asked us to interpret ‘The Happy Cloud’ in the Arboretum. A self-guided interpretive walk, so to speak! What do you think?

P.S I love the idea of taking pictures to notice beauty in nature more! For example, I may not have realized the red-green contrast in nature unless I had a camera with me to frame the shot perfectly. It is aesthetically pleasing, for sure. To me, to get people to notice beauty more is to start with ‘easier’ beauties, like very pretty things in nature (waterfalls, mountains, etc.). Then you can start getting into the nitty-gritty, less obviously beautiful things (ferns, insects, etc.)! 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

To Narrow Our Focus on Beauty

“Beauty is too personal, and therefore too subjective, to lend itself to a universal definition.” - Beck & Cable, Chapter 13 (The Gift of Beauty) of The Gifts of Interpretation (2011)

Beauty is everywhere. It comes in all shapes, colours, feelings, times and places, and that is why it is so complicated! To be able to interpret beauty in nature to every single person that you encounter would be impossible, as everyone in the world will find beauty in different things and never come to a common consensus. To one person, a bubbling brook may be a peaceful, beautiful area to find solace in, but to another person, it may be something to avoid. 

So how do I open up the eyes of every single person I meet to the beauty of nature?

The answer is that I will never be able to...but I can still try.

It is impossible to ‘teach’ someone the gift of observing beauty. As interpreters (and regular ol’ students!), it is our role to point people in the right direction. However, the rest is up to them to decide what they find beautiful, and to find that inner connection to their surroundings. Beck & Cable quote “It takes time, effort and exposure to develop one’s capabilities [to see or feel the beauty that is not readily apparent] (The Gifts of Interpretation, 2011). We are only the nudge on the shoulder, the map at the trailhead, so to speak.

Who am I, a 20-year old biology student, to interpret nature through art?

The more I spend time focusing on University, my job and my future, the less and less I consider myself an artistic person. This, to me is very unsettling, as I love listening to music, practicing the piano, and improving my skills in photography. Currently, I can provide one perspective to creating a connection to nature through art, and that would be using the latter: photography. With photography, I can provide my perspective on nature, and hopefully inspire others to look at the world in a different way. Using photography, we can narrow our focus to train ourselves to see more beauty in the world.

Narrowing our Focus on Beauty

The photo above is one that I took on my trip to Banff, Alberta in 2017. The handprints you see are pressed into the side of a wall covered in a fine sheet of powdered snow. Around the corner from this wall looms a massive frozen waterfall, towering grandiosely above.

“Instead of looking upon people with reproach, our role is to assist them, to guide them without condescension, to point beyond finding beauty only in obvious grandeur.” - Beck & Cable, Chapter 13 (The Gift of Beauty) of The Gifts of Interpretation (2011). 

19th century poet John Ruskin said that to fully possess beauty, one must first notice it, and then understand it. I believe that to do this is to narrow our focus: to notice the little things in nature before we can fully comprehend the bigger picture. This is why I specialize in abstract photography: to show people that there is more to nature than the larger-than-life landscapes. We create greater connection to the things we understand, and to understand, we must look at things from different perspectives.

This photo, taken by me on the Bruce Trail looks into the details of a piece of bark. It lets you ask questions about what you see: what kind of tree is this? What are the pockmarked holes? Where does this belong? This creates a deeper connection than any landscape picture could.

This creates an interesting paradox of eventually being able to see more in nature by creating almost this narrowed ‘tunnel-vision’. By zooming into things in nature, we take them out of context and they become more of a mystery. They become something that you want to know more about. 

"Water Vortex”, a photo I took in my grandma’s garden. 

How would you inspire others to view or experience the world differently? 

[lpenvs3000-2018]

Music junkies, hello!

This time I am going to try something new, and it may be a stretch!  On another day, I would write about my photography, my thoughts and feelings about using a forest as a form of healing, or the upcoming travel opportunities that I am looking forward to. Time to challenge myself in looking at something that may not totally link to nature interpretation! I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this, music junkies of ENVS*3000.

Looking at another classmate’s post about music, and another about the ‘age of information’ in social media, I thought to myself, why does nature have to be about disconnection? Don’t get me wrong, I am one of those people who go out into nature to relieve myself of the external pressures that we may face: school, work, deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. Often, I find myself leaving my phone and home and taking my camera with me. However, as we are increasingly exposed to images, news, content, tips and tricks, art and music... what is stopping us from improving our connection with nature with these new tools? 

Bon Iver - Holocene. This song was created for the album, ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’. Justin Vernon wrote this entire album living alone in his father’s remote hunting cabin in Wisconsin, living on the land. He hoped to recreate his music in a way that connected more with love, mediocrity and nature. You can hear the passion in his voice as he sings ‘At once I knew, I was not magnificent’. 

One way that I connect music to nature is by linking experiences with certain songs or albums. ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ is an album that brings me back to my trip to Iceland. As we drove across the countryside on long winding roads, between tall mountains and glistening waterfalls, I listened to this album. Now, when I hear the soft guitar and the strange lyrical tunes, I can still feel the wonder I was experiencing in a new country, a country where it seemed as though isolation was serenity for most people. Listening to music in nature can break down those memory blocks in your mind and create lasting experiences, and open your mind to new feelings in places you have never been before.

Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way. Yes, this is the song from Ice Age! But, it is also a great companion to being outside, as it creates the feeling of adventure, learning and excitement.

Send Me On My Way is my go-to song for when I am going on an adventure! The penny-whistle tunes and happy beat gives me the joy and excitement to start something new. Songs like this are motivation: they say ‘Hey, you have been sitting for too long, how about going outside and experiencing something new?’. Listening to upbeat tunes can make an experience in nature feel less like a meditation (which may not be everyone’s thing) and more like a fun, amiable outing. How can you not go on a journey when listening to a song like this? Also check out this song by Eddie Vedder, who created the song to ‘Into the Wild’, a movie about a student giving up all that he has to go live in the wilderness (pretty accurate for this course, I must say).

Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains. A modern indie-folk group that bases their music off of the world around them, creating songs that bring about curiosity, observation and appreciation for little things.

There are lyrics out there that are so beautifully written about nature, songs that parallel sounds of nature in their instrumentation and songs that even feature sounds directly taken from forests, streams, and animals. There are countless ways to weave nature into art and music. When you start to realize that the sounds in your music are representative of the sounds in nature (ex. fleeting folk guitar representative of trickling water in a riverbed), you will start noticing the smaller details in nature. Your sense of sight becomes paired with your sense of hearing, and you create a connection to something that once wasn’t there before.

I am curious to see what people think about this. Does music inhibit, or improve natural connection? What would you listen to in nature to make your connection greater? How does music make you feel about the world around us? 

P.S. Shoot me some cool music, and I will be your best friend.

[ckenvs3000-2018-blog]

How to Be Unique

Since the topic is open this week, I thought I’d write about something that’s been on my mind for a while now; how to be unique. As many of you know by now, I have a side business as a nature photographer, so this is the perspective that I come to this question from – but I think it’s also relevant for other forms of interpretation as well. Throughout this post I’m also going to do something different for a change; I’m going to use other people’s photographs. The images in this post are some of my favourite images from some of my favourite photographers. I’m including them because I often look at these images and think about what makes them unique. where that inspiration came from, and what impact that has.

These photos are from the ‘Underlook’ series by Andrius Burba. By placing the dogs on a glass table and shooting from underneath, the photos capture a completely different way of looking at our furry friends that I absolutely love! You can see the entire series here

We live in a world of oversaturation. People are so bombarded by media – photos, stories, videos, music, news – that they tune it out. You can see this pretty much everywhere. There are so many books in the world for example, it’s clearly impossible to read them all. Yet many of us are probably guilty of rarely picking up a book unless it’s a mandatory textbook for a class. It’s not that we don’t like reading either. I know personally growing up I was a total bookworm, yet I’m lucky to read one novel a year these days. Social media is aware of this; tweets are limited to just 140 characters, vines just 6 seconds. The world has agreed that collectively we can’t focus on any one thing longer than this without switching off and tuning out.

This photo is by Xavi Bou, and is part of the series ‘Ornitographies’. The images briliantly capture the motion of birds flying through the sky, by stiching together thousands of individual frames. The rest of the series can be seen here. 

And yet we still make more. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what it is that drew me to nature photography in the first place, or what it is that drives me to continue it now. My mum is a world class watercolourist, so I grew up in the art world, my dad’s father left us quite a bit of camera gear when he passed away, and I love nature, so somehow it just happened. I like to think that my passion for photography is, at least in part, a passion for nature interpretation. That I take photos of the amazing things I see because I know the power of an image, and I want to inspire other people to feel the same passion I do. After all, the world of nature certainly needs more advocates to speak on its behalf these days. But if people are already oversaturated, are we doing anyone a favour throwing yet more at them? Is it going to achieve anything?

One of the challenges in wildlife photography is capturing the animal but also it’s surroundings in a harmonious way. Andreas Lie came up with a ingenious solution to this problem, using double exposure to overlay the surroundings onto each animal! You can see more of of this awesome work here.

What I’ve found over the years is that the more people tune out the ‘noise’, the more they become desperate for an authentic connection. The desire to be inspired, provoked, surprised, and moved, does not seem to be dampened by the oversaturation of media attempting to achieve this. If anything, the oversaturation only increases this desire within people. We search our world for something that stands out from the noise. Something that can hold our attention. The challenge then as makers and interpreters alike, is how do you get your message, your work, to be what stands out. If we’re a guide at a national park, there are hundreds other parks, if we’re a nature documentary producer there are thousands of other documentaries, if we’re a writer there are millions of other books. And beyond this, even if people do travel to our park, watch our documentary, or read our book, how do we make our messages memorable? How do we ensure they connect with our audience, and stand out from all the other noise around us?

How do we be unique?

[lpenvs3000-2018]

In a world where there is so much content coming from so many creative people all over the world, how do we stand out from the crowd? How do we create an impact on something that matters to us, when it seems like everyone else is doing the same thing?

I have felt the exact same way as you; being overwhelmed with the amount of information around us and the endless possibilities to learn has created almost a paradox. There is a roadblock in being unique, because there is so much to know and so much to do! Here is my take on this, and how I think the world (and our mindsets) will evolve as we go through the age of information.

There is a large number of people out there who, because of this influx of social media attention, do what they do because of that attention, and not because they actually LOVE what they are doing. You can tell the difference between someone who is being a nature interpreter for the money, versus for the change, for example. Or when you log onto Instagram and try and search for inspiring posts about a destination you want to go to, you will probably find countless images of the same thing, with a different filter, taken in the same style, with a billion hashtags on it. 

This, to me, is what you described as ‘noise’.

Now, when you come across that one person, who seems to be doing something entirely different (a little weird, maybe, or a little odd), THAT is what stands out. And usually what these people do, this art, interpretation or this photography comes from deep within the heart. It allows people to stop and think, “Woah, that is new, somebody who actually cares about something and isn’t worrying about the attention they may get.”  It is so easy to copy one another these days, that when you see something from a new niche, it shocks the system. It gets people thinking in different ways, seeing new things. So I say, don’t stop doing what you are doing, because when I look at YOUR photography, it actually makes me think, since I can see the passion in your photos and in your writing! Even though the world has access to photography in the palm of their hands, there are few who actually go out of their way to change others’ lives using it. 

On this note, I totally recommend you check out this photographer who does the most simple of things, yet created his own niche that resonates with thousands because of its simplicity: a cute dog face in different environments. I urge you to check out his descriptions too! (short n sweet)

I realize that I rambled on and on and on and on for this one, but I think about what you posted literally EVERY DAY. Thanks for putting it into words!!!