The "WHY" behind nature interpretation
“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees” (Henry David Thoreau)
Look back at your first blog post on your relationship with nature. What makes you appreciate nature? Why are you taking this course? We all have different ways of how we got in touch with nature. We all took different directions to be here, writing about one of the most important topics in the world: Environmental Sustainability.
My motivation for becoming a nature educator
Why am I here? My motivation of why I took this course and why I want to be a nature interpreter are two folds:
1. I care about myself. As the unit reading for this week describes, the fear of an office cubicle keeps me on my toes. I would love to work outdoors!
2. More importantly, I care about the environment. Even before taking this course, I always believed that making people care about nature is the way to combat issues like climate change. I always figured that if people like spending time in their local neighbourhood park, they would vote for it to be protected. This would influence who people vote for and politics is where the important, big decisions are made. This will improve our relationship with nature and lead to environmental sustainability.
Is environmental sustainability possible?
Looking at the big picture all at once can be overwhelming. At least I feel this way. Sometimes I wonder if we can save the world at all. Is environmental sustainability even possible, with more and more mouths having to be fed? What if the answer is no? Richard Louv said in the discussion that people imagine the future as a scenario where nature has turned on humans and a bare landscape remains (Suzuki & Louv, 2012). What if that is the actual future?
The question of how we can save our environment was the topic of the #COP26. When I listened to the speech on climate change by Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, I was very touched. The money for change is there. The mindset is not.
Overwhelming issues to explain
Just like Jacob Rodenburg says, being an environmental educator today is very important and powerful but also comes with great responsibility (Rodenburg, 2019). We want to protect nature but there are so many problems. How do we convey these problems and make people care? The answer is, by taking it slow. Creating a sense of place and interconnectedness are the first steps in connecting people to nature (Beck et al., 2019). When people are moved by their experience, they care more about the planet (Beck et al., 2019).
The responsibility that comes with nature education
We can’t give up hope. We have to try. For the sake of the children who haven’t done anything wrong. We have a responsibility to make sure that nature prevails. For some people, the responsibility may lie in ensuring the survival of the human species. I say, what about all the other species that already went extinct? What about nature itself? If we are going to live in a Mad Max scenario, we are not the only ones who lost (Suzuki & Louv, 2012). Nature also will have lost everything but the desert biome.
I deem three approaches to be most suitable to me in connecting people and nature through interpretation.
1. Nature through technology
I think one very good way of keeping the balance of talking about important issues while being hopeful is presented in the movies by David Attenborough. I always felt like he presents the world as it is, then he tells us what happens in the future and then keeps our hopes up by saying that we can change what happens in the future.
If you haven't seen one of David Attenborough's movies yet, check out this trailer!
The movies by David Attenborough also offer another way of how we can reconnect with nature - through technology. We reflected upon the importance of technology a few units back. Technology such as the movies by Attenborough, and the podcasts we all listened to in preparation for our assignment bring people closer to nature.
2. Pure experiences - Nature without technology
Technology can also dilute experiences with nature. Ask yourself, whenever you go to a park, how much time do you spend taking pictures and TikToks? How much time do you spend just enjoying the view? Beck et al. (2019) state it well: Nature is a place to think clearly without distraction. Technology can prevent us from doing so.
My partner and his parents have a canoeing company that takes people on 2-week trips into the wilderness in the Northwest Territories. They always tell stories of people being transformed by their experiences. I witnessed this myself last year when I went on a trip. I believe that this is a great way to connect people back to nature.
What I love about the wilderness in the Northwest Territories is that there is no phone reception. (August 2021)
3. Urban Parks
Not everyone has money for a canoe trip. When we talked about privilege, we pointed out that many people don't have access to natural areas (Beck et al., 2019). Not having a car to travel to natural areas also is a barrier (Beck et al., 2019). Like Richard Louv said, approximately a third of kids from San Diego have never been to the beach (Suzuki & Louv, 2012).
I believe that Urban National Parks are a great way to bring city-bound people in contact with nature. I go for walks in my neighbourhood all the time and it makes me appreciate all the nature around me. #goodnews Parks Canada has now started creating National Urban Parks, including one in the GTA (Parks Canada, 2021)!
"Heavy is the head that wears the crown." (Shakespeare).
We all want to protect what is important to us. If we can achieve that goal by interpreting what we love to people, maybe it will be possible to become environmentally sustainable. This is a lot of responsibility but for something so important and vital, we should choose to accept it.
References
Beck, L., Cable, T. T. & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.
Parks Canada (2021). Rouge Urban National Park. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/rouge
Rodenburg, J. (2019, June 17). Why environmental educators shouldn’t give up hope. Clearing Magazine. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300
Suzuki, D. & Louv, R. (2012). Interview with David Suzuki and Richard Louv[Interview]. Art Gallery of Ontario. https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/F5DI1Ffdl6Y
Hello!
What a great post! I could tell you put a lot of thought into this post and thought you had some great points about nature education and environmental sustainability. You said, “when people care about their experience, they care more about their planet ." This is why our role as interpreters is so important! It is our duty to ensure that those listening to us care about what we are saying (Beck, et al. 2019).
After reading about why you are motivated to become a nature educator I had to ask myself what my motivation was. Honestly when I first thought about it I wasn’t quite sure. Was it that my parents have followed that route and I am simply following in their tracks? It made me question a lot of things… After some thought and going through my old blog posts I realized what truly motivates me. Ever since I was a child I have always been in ‘awe’ of discovery. I want to learn and see new things! Discovering new things is SO important; it allows us to develop new technologies, make informed decisions and solve practical problems. New knowledge can lead to many different applications and other discoveries. I am also strongly motivated by fear. As you discussed the fear of working in an office cubicle is real! The thought of sitting in front of a computer all day does not sit well with me. I would much rather work somewhere that is different everyday and keeps me on my toes!
Makayla
References:
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage. Van Haren Publishing.




















