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Unit 10: Final Blog

After ten weeks of studying various approaches and topics that aid in our integrity as nature interpreters, I believe that my personal ethic has shifted to a more environmentally conscious one. Prior to taking this course, I recognized to some extent the importance of our role in nature, but not to the depth I understand now. When the course first started, my background was solely science based, not so much of my knowledge came from other aspects such as technology, art and history. I will however like to mention that studying how nature intertwines with many different disciplines actually allowed me to draw comparisons to prior course work I have completed in my undergrad. For example, when I look back at a philosophy course I took, I remember touching base on how Greek ancestors viewed art and how it was based on their interpretation of their environment. They would recreate scenes or objects they found beautiful and used their art as a way of representing their meaning of beauty.

Moving forward, I want to encourage more of my life to understanding nature and why we learn about it from the moment our academic careers begin to when they end. One of the most important things that I found about nature interpretation is the way that information is presented to an audience. Throughout course material, blog posts and even our podcasts, the use of many learning styles have been tackled.

Personally, I believe that it is significant that I answer the questions posed in relation to my personal ethic and what I bring to the table. To begin, I am a firm believer in everyone having the opportunity and right to an education. My family came from an ex-communist country and when they were growing up, education was free for those who wanted to learn and pursue their undergraduate, graduate and Ph. D’s. With this being said, I believe that children especially should be granted opportunities to learn and see what nature has to offer, no matter the gender, ethnicity and status. Even though certain aspects of nature interpretation are due to privileges, but there should be certain aspects that are available to all to some degree. Furthermore, I feel that I acquire a sense of responsibility to ensure that I am using my knowledge to inform and teach those around me. Whether it be as simple as having people tune out other noises and listen to the sound of birds or as difficult as having people learn about the impact our environment has on human health. Lastly, I have found that the most suitable approach for me is interpreting nature through science. I have always been a very logical person and prefer knowing exactly how and why something is occurring. I’ve never been extremely creative and prefer actual answers to phenomenon’s not miracles or magic. However, I do wish that I was able to be more open-minded when it came to certain topics as it keeps it fun and allows for many different answers.

If I could carry my knowledge and skills from this course and others that have similarly focused on the significance of nature, I would want to focus on the direct relationship between human health and nature. My audience would involve students and adults who are determined to stay healthy and build their relationship with nature due to the many positive health impacts it has. I believe that I am a personable person and am quite outgoing which would make it easier for me to attract a larger range of audience. I also find that my work experience, from a family clinic to an apple farm to bartending would allow me to use multiple learning styles to educate my audience (i.e. those who are willing to learn about nature and health). In addition, I have experience with many different age groups as I was a gymnastics coach for a number of years so understand how an array of age groups develop skills and learn.

Even though I do not see my future career in environmental sciences, or anything related, I do believe that the skills and knowledge I have developed in ENVS*3000 will be useful anywhere and everywhere. I truly believe that our role as nature interpretations is significant in creating a sustainable environment for generations to come. I think that if other students were grnated the opportunity to learn about their role as nature interpreters, the idea of our environment would be much different. In today’s society, the only topics that are brought up frequently are climate change and sometimes wildlife. We are taught that our actions have consequences are that we are all guilty of attaining to climate change. We have individuals who do not believe in it at all and others that are devoting their lives to improving sustainability for future generations. I think the most prominent example of this is the ban of single use plastics and the transfer to electric cars. One of the greatest issues though is the cost to become sustainable, whether it be buying cold cuts over grass-fed raised beef, filtration systems over water bottles, or whatever it may be. In Canada it is expensive to eat organic, drive an electric car, and have a life built around the idea of sustainability. Even though the benefits to this lifestyle are at large, many people do not care and simply cannot afford this. I believe that the future will provide more affordable opportunities for Canadians to improve their lifestyles and acquire one that is based on sustainability and positive ecological impacts. All in all, I am grateful for the privilege of being able to learn and discuss with classmates about the role of nature interpretation and how we will all carry this in our future.

How will you carry knowledge from this course into your future?

mcenvs3000w23

Hi Ilda,

Like you, I also do not see a future career in anything related to environmental sciences, since I plan on working as a Crown attorney, but I also plan on transferring my skills and knowledge learned in ENVS*3000 to my future career. In your post, you highlighted that one of the most important aspects of nature interpretation is how information is presented to an audience. I agree that this is important, and I think that the communication skills learned through creating our blog posts and podcasts are one of the most transferable aspects of ENVS*3000.

As I mentioned, I plan on working in criminal law, and I think that being able to communicate information to different audiences will be necessary for this position. I am sure I will need to be presenting evidence, and how the evidence should be interpreted, to other legal professionals, witnesses, and victims. I believe that the communication skills developed in this course will be helpful for this.

As well, I think that everything we learned about privilege and interpreting diverse groups will be highly transferable. Working as a Crown attorney, I will likely be dealing with individuals coming from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of privilege; as such, being able to understand and communicate with diverse groups will be useful.

In your post, you discuss how nature interpretation is important for creating a sustainable environment. I agree, and this makes me wonder why nature interpretation is not focused on more in elementary school. If children are our voting future, we need to start developing their love of the world around them early.

Thank you for your post!

tvenvs3000w23

Final Blog - Week 10

Here we are, week 10 and I am now writing my last blog post of the semester! It is truly crazy to me how far I have come in this course and how much I have learned about nature. I have been able to delve out of my comfort zone and participate in assignments that are very new to me. For example, using Tumblr to post weekly informative posts rather than using the discussion forum on course link. I also enjoyed making the podcasts as it was a very different, yet fun way to learn about factors in nature. I think that the podcast has taught me that it is okay to try new things and that working with new people is not as scary as it seems. I am interested to know, how did you first feel when you heard that we had to create a podcast? Did it scare you or were you up for the challenge?

I want to start by saying that I took this course as it counts towards my minor in biology. Although I love nature and care much about nature, I did not expect to learn and be as engaged in the course as I was. During the first few weeks when we had to describe what it meant to be a nature interpreter, I honestly was very confused as to what was intended by this. I did a lot of research and based my response upon information I found and how I could start to pull my part as an interpreter.

I am happy as I feel that I have developed so much as an interpreter, mainly because of the podcast assignment. The podcast assignment has allowed me to aid as an interpreter as I was able to help my audiences, children and adults, acquire knowledge, skills, and a sense of belonging (Beck et al, 2018). In the podcast, I was able to engage listeners about the endangerment of the monarch butterfly in a fun and informative way.

When considering my personal ethic as a nature interpreter, I must also consider the personal ethics that I carry. I believe in acceptance, compassion, kindness, respect, loyalty, and equality. Each day, I strive to follow these values and aim to keep them in my life as an interpreter. To continue, when I first wrote about the type of interpreter I am, I talked about how I was an advocate for recycling. I still am indeed very interested in recycling and believe that it is a vital contribution to make the world a better place. Yet I have opened my eyes up to new factors I find interesting. I am also an advocate for animals and other species. I have a strong desire to learn as much as possible about animals in hopes of sharing them with rest of the world.

I believe that we as humans are responsible for creating a suitable environment for animals to thrive in. This means that I hope to ensure that we care for and preserve the environment we live in to allow for a safe and comforting place for animals as well. People must understand that nature is their home and everyone on earth including animals should have the opportunity to enjoy it. Ethically, I believe that people should not be allowed to harm nature. For example, deforestation is a negative process that chops down plenty of trees at a time (National Geographic, 2023). There are so many animals that live in these trees that are left with nowhere to go and may perish. People should think about how they would feel if their homes were destroyed without warning, and refrain from conducting deforestation.

Furthermore, as a nature interpreter, I must consider different learning styles to make my interpretation useful to each type of learner. I am a tactile/kinesthetic learner. Therefore, I learn best through hands-on experiences. I have always had a love for science experiments, especially in laboratory-based classes. One of my favourite things was in elementary school when scientists in the classroom would come and I was able to physically manipulate and complete experiments. It has always helped me learn and remember important things much easier.

In light of this, I believe that when spreading awareness about nature, I must consider how others will view it. I should ensure that it is accessible to everyone’s learning styles. For visual learners, I could provide a video or a movie about the message I want to get across and make sure to include some form of diagram or chart. For auditory learners, I could also provide a video but essentially make it more lecture or podcast based to catch their attention. Finally, for tactile learners, I could have them do an activity in nature such as exploring a certain region (Hooykaas, 2023). I think that following these steps will allow me to succeed as an interpreter and allow me to target specific audiences.

Finally, I wanted to conclude this reflection by answering the three questions that have been asked of me every week. Each week I take these questions and write out some notes to answer them in hopes that they will benefit me in the future.

Who am I as an interpreter? As a nature interpreter, I am someone who enjoys helping people understand the natural world. It is my passion to help people recognize how they can better benefit the world through recycling capabilities and how different factors come into play when considering animals rights.

Who is my audience? My audience is everyone. Specifically, those who love animals and want to do more to ensure their safety.

How can I make this experience meaningful? I can do so by ensuring that I make strong connections with others and teach them based on their specific learning styles and abilities. By following this I believe I will be an effective interpreter.

Overall, I am very appreciative of this course. The values that I have learned will be carried with me throughout life. My journey as a nature interpreter is just beginning and I cannot wait to see where it will take me. A quick question I have for all of you is, how will you continue to be a nature interpreter beyond this course? What ethics will you follow to make that happen?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world – Chapter 1. (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.

Hooykaas, A. (2023). Unit 02: teaching learners. University of Guelph; Courselink.

National Geographic. (2023). Deforestation. Encyclopedia Entry. Retrieved March 12, 2023. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deforestation/

mcenvs3000w23

Hi Tiana!

I enjoyed reading your post this week, especially your reflection on everything we have learned in the course. When I first heard that we had to create a podcast, I was nervous. Group projects tend to be very hit or miss, and depend on the group you are randomly assigned, so I was concerned about being assigned a group with members that do not do their work or do not care about the class. I got lucky and was placed in a group with others that were passionate about the work we were producing. I was also concerned about being able to make a podcast engaging for children. I think that this assignment taught me the importance of being able to apply what I learn in class since I had to use the concepts learned about how to interpret to different audiences when creating the podcast.

I think that your personal ethics are important for being a successful nature interpreter. There are many barriers that people face to participating in nature interpretation, like physical disabilities, social barriers, and psychological barriers (Beck et al., 2018). In light of these barriers, valuing compassion, kindness, respect, and equality is necessary to create inclusive interpretative programs, as these values will guide how you feel about the people you are interpreting to. I think if you believe in these values, you will be more likely to prioritize designing programs that align with them, thus leading to more inclusive programming to help break down barriers.

I agree that it is crazy that we are already at week 10 of the semester! I hope you can continue to use everything we have learned so far in your future nature interpretation!

Source

Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world. Sagamore Publishing.

My Roles and Responsibilities as an Interpreter Beyond ENVS 3000

Thinking back on everything I have learned in this course and how it relates to my role as a nature interpreter, I think about how it is my responsibility to consider the different life experiences and privileges brought by everyone that I interpret to. This is something I always had a bit of an idea of but was unsure of how to approach it.

A reading that stuck with me was “Helping teachers unpack their ‘invisible knapsacks.’” I think the lessons learned from this reading can span beyond educating about nature and apply to any situation where I would be educating others. I was a camp counsellor for a few years, and one of these years was spent at Camp Miriam in British Columbia. Camp Miriam will not turn away campers if they cannot afford camp and will provide camperships made from donations to the camp. This setup brought in campers from many different backgrounds, and as such, any interpretive or educational program we ran had to be inclusive. Growing up, most of my friends came from a similar cultural and socioeconomic background, and we all had similar privileges. As such, suddenly being in an environment where I had to create educational programs for a more diverse group was intimidating. I wanted to be inclusive and make everyone feel comfortable, but I had no idea where to start. The “invisible knapsacks” reading really sticks with me because I think that the program described would have been beneficial to run during our pre-camp training sessions, and would have helped me feel more comfortable creating inclusive programming and more comfortable discussing privilege. I think that when someone is in any position of educating others, doing an activity to help them understand their privilege, compare it to that of others, and allow for an open conversation about privilege is necessary to create an inclusive program. All of this is to say that I think a major responsibility of nature interpreters is to ensure that any interpretation programs they design or present are inclusive and recognize the different levels of privilege that people have. If an interpreter cannot create inclusive programming, then many groups or individuals may feel like they are unwelcome, creating a barrier to them accessing interpretive programs (Beck et al., 2018).

I do not see myself as continuing in the role of a nature interpreter, at least not in the way I thought of nature interpreters before taking this class. When I think of a nature interpreter, instinctively, I think of park rangers or people working at wildlife education centres. Before taking this course I thought of nature interpretation exclusively as teaching about specific aspects of nature, like why butterflies migrate or why trees have certain types of bark. After taking this class, my perspective on what is considered a nature interpretation shifted. As the textbook says, “interpretation refers to a communication process designed to inform and inspire people about culture and nature” (Beck et al., 2018 pg. 4). I see this definition as more open-ended, focusing less on facts and a specific role, and more about getting others to engage with nature. This definition fits more with how I view my role as an interpreter going forward. I do not know much about specific facts about nature, but I love pointing out beautiful flowers, interesting trees, animals, and stars in the night sky to my friends and family. I guess this is my preferred form of nature interpretation; an informal interaction designed to show whoever I am with what I appreciate about nature and to inspire positive feelings. As well, I have a younger cousin (8 years old) and after reading the textbook’s definition of interpretation, I think that the way I interact with nature and appreciate it can inspire him to become passionate about nature and maybe someday about climate change. Since children are the future voters, and the future of the planet relies on them caring about the environment, I hope to be able to inspire him to love nature (Rodenburg, 2019; University of Guelph, 2020).

Another way I see my role as an interpreter going forward is through photos on social media. When I am out in nature and I see something that inspires me, I usually take a picture, and if I remember, I share it on my Instagram or Snapchat story. Photos can better communicate what I saw than a verbal description (Beck et al., 2018), so I prefer sharing photos online to trying to describe to people what I saw after the fact. As well, social media allows me to share my interpretations with people I do not see regularly. I also like that posting photos on social media allows me to practice interpretation without commitment or planning. I do not need to plan an interpretive program, I can just share what inspires me whenever I feel like it. Along with posting my own photos of nature, I love seeing what my friends share, especially when they travel to places I have never been. Social media opens up the doors to experiencing interpretation of places one has never been to, as we can see a wide variety of photos and videos from around the world.

Overall, I do not see myself continuing as a nature interpreter in a formal way beyond this course. Doing so over the past ten weeks through my blog posts and podcast assignments has been an interesting experience, but at times it felt very forced. I was not always sure what to write in my blog posts, and when creating the first podcast, I sometimes felt uninspired and felt like I was creating interpretive material because I had to, not because I wanted to. In the future, I plan on interpreting more casually through social media posts and inspiring friends and family on my own terms, rather than through a structured program. I also plan on taking the lessons I have learned throughout this course, such as how to educate diverse groups, and applying them to other areas of my life.

Do you plan on continuing nature interpretation in a structured, formal way?

Sources

Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world. Sagamore Publishing.

Rodenburg, J. (2019, June 17). Why environmental educators shouldn’t give up hope. Clearing Magazine. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300

University of Guelph. (2020). Unit 10: Nature interpretation’s role in environmental sustainability. Courselink. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/791355/viewContent/3306935/View

mecenvs3000w23

Unit 09

Since we don’t have a specific prompt this week, I will write about something I find amazing in nature which is the night sky. As a reminder, I have spent four years working seasonally in Algonquin Provincial Park and am looking forward to going back for my fifth year. Something I love to do in the summer is walk down to the staff docks at night and stare up at the night sky. I remember one night vividly when my friend and I were down at the docks and saw many shooting stars very clearly, the most I had ever seen. Throughout this post, I have included some pictures of the night sky that I took last summer on Canoe Lake. So now, let’s talk about shooting stars!

Shooting stars can be defined as “a piece of rock or metal that burns very brightly when it enters the Earth’s atmosphere from space, and is seen from Earth as a bright star travelling very fast across the sky” (Shooting start definition and meaning, n.d.). Shooting stars may also be termed meteors. Generally, meteors become visible when they are approximately 97 kilometres away, and some large meteors can be heard and be brighter than the planet Venus; these are referred to as fireballs (Dobrijevic, 2022). ‘Normal’ meteors travel through the atmosphere at a speed of 48,280 kilometres per hour and reach extreme temperatures of 1648°C (Dobrijevic, 2022). Meteors are common with approximately two to seven meteors being visible to observers every hour of the night (Reddy, n.d.). Additionally, it is possible to have dozens to hundreds of meteors in the sky and when this occurs, it is termed a meteor shower (Dobrijevic, 2022). Meteor showers are more common at specific times of the year and can be predicted. Furthermore, meteor showers are given names based on where they appear to be originating from; specifically, which constellation (Dobrijevic, 2022). For example, meteor showers that originate from the Orion constellations are named Orionids (Dobrijevic, 2022). For viewing purposes, it is recommended to look out for them during pre-dawn hours from a location facing the direction of Earth’s orbit (Dobrijevic, 2022). As well, hopefully, the shower occurs on nights when the moon is less bright as this makes the meteor shower more noticeable (Dobrijevic, 2022).

In historical times, meteors and anything else seen in the night sky created superstitions and were most commonly associated with gods and religion (Dobrijevic, 2022). For example, shooting stars were thought to be sent down by angels as a gift to Earth (Dobrijevic, 2022). However, others believed shooting stars was how gods displayed their anger (Dobrijevic, 2022). These superstitions lasted for a long time in Earth’s history because most scientists simply did not think that stones could just fall from the sky. Oftentimes, scientists simply ignored accounts of this happening (Dobrijevic, 2022).

I hope you learned something new from this post and would love to know what you find fascinating in nature!

References

Dobrijevic, D. (2022, August 11). Meteor showers and shooting stars: Formation and history. Space.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.space.com/meteor-showers-shooting-stars.html.

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. (n.d.). Shooting star definition and meaning: Collins english dictionary. Shooting star definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/shooting-star.

Reddy, F. (n.d.). Meteors and Meteor Showers. Astronomy.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://astronomy.com/observing/observe-the-solar-system/2010/04/meteors-and-meteor-showers#:~:text=Under%20a%20dark%20sky%2C%20any,of%20the%20inner%20solar%20system.

mcenvs3000w23

Hi Meghan!

I loved reading your post this week! It was very informative, and it is very clear that you are passionate about shooting stars!

As someone from Toronto, one of my favourite parts of being out of the city at night is looking up at all the stars in the sky. The past few years, I have been lucky enough to be at a cottage in the Kawartha Lakes area during the Perseids meteor shower, and have been able to see a bunch of shooting stars! Growing up, I was fascinated by constellations, but of course, stars are not very visible in the city, so I spent a lot of time looking at pictures in books. When I was eight, I started going to overnight camp, and I remember looking for the constellations, but I only ever managed to find the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. Now, when I have the chance, I use the NightSky app and I can find many more constellations!

Your photo of the night sky over Canoe Lake is incredible. How did you manage to take it? Whenever I try to take a picture of the night sky it just looks dark and no stars are visible. A few summers ago, I tried taking a photo of Jupiter when it was visible. It did not go well.

What is your favourite thing to see in the sky at night? I love watching satellites pass by. Also, do you have any more photos? I would love to see them!

Something I Find Fascinating About Nature

I think one of the most amazing things I know about nature is how adaptable it is. A few weeks ago, I had to read the paper “Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being” for BIOL 3130. This paper discussed how as a response to climate change, plant and animal species tend to redistribute across latitudes, deeper into the ocean, and to higher altitudes, and how these shifts affect human populations (Pecl et al., 2017). I think it is amazing how nature can respond to environmental pressures, which helps prevent the entire ecosystem from collapsing when small changes occur. Redistribution also symbolizes a need for humans to make a change in their actions. If species need to keep shifting ranges to survive, eventually species will reach a point where there is nowhere else to go and will go extinct. As well, the fact that shifting range to a more suitable environment is even possible fascinates me. I cannot explain exactly why, but the fact that it is possible amazes me.

While I find this concept fascinating, it is also a double-edged sword and can act as a barrier to governments introducing policies to protect the environment.

As our textbook mentions, climate change is a threat to communities, food production, and safety, and decision-makers need to understand the effects on the environment (Beck et al., 2018). As part of my program, I am doing a minor in criminal justice and public policy and a minor in biology, so I have experience learning about both the science and the policy end of climate change. From my perspective, and from what I have learned, part of the challenge with introducing policies to limit carbon emissions and protect the environment is a lack of solid evidence of the harms of climate change preventing decision-makers from doing anything. The adaptability of nature, as demonstrated through climate-change-driven redistribution is an example of why there is not enough concrete evidence to push decision-makers. Since species shift ranges, they have managed to avoid mass extinctions, at least at this point in time. As such, policymakers may not see a reason to introduce potentially controversial policies.

On a more philosophical level, the adaptability of nature is inspiring. If something like a plant or a tree species can move when things in its natural habitat are no longer suitable, so can I. If I am not happy with where I am in life, I can make a change. It might take time but if I cannot thrive and grow in one place, I can shift myself to a new place, whether that be physically moving or just a mental shift. The strength and adaptability of nature inspire me to make a change if I am unable to thrive where I am.

Before reading the article for BIOL 3130, I had no idea that range shifts were a way for species to respond to climate change. Were you aware of this before? As well, is there any other example of plasticity in nature that you find fascinating?

Sources

Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). The bright future of interpretation. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world (pp. 457-478) Sagamore Publishing.

Pecl, G. T., Araújo, M. B., Bell, J. D., Blanchard, J., Bonebrake, T. C., Chen, I.-C., Clark, T. D., Colwell, R. K., Danielsen, F., Evengård, B., Falconi, L., Ferrier, S., Frusher, S., Garcia, R. A., Griffis, R. B., Hobday, A. J., Janion-Scheepers, C., Jarzyna, M. A., Jennings, S., … Williams, S. E. (2017). Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 355(6332), 1389–1389. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aai9214

hpenvs3000w23

Unit 7: Interpretation Through Music

Music is something that I absolutely enjoy regularly. I'm very much an audiophile where I'm listening to music pretty much most of the day. It is an addiction. It is true that every known human culture has music. When reflecting on the course material, I find it so fascinating that we have created patterns of sound varying in pitch, tone, and rhythm that is different or can be similar across various cultures (Gray et al., 2001). Music itself is like its own language and there is evidence of the earliest use of nature in music.

Where is music in nature? When I think about this I know that nature makes its own sound like waves and the sound of birds at the beach creating a sense relaxation. Birds are definitely the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of where we find music in nature. Going back to how I mentioned that music is like its own language, we can appreciate how birds have a language of their own by singing. What's interesting is that birds have the ability to pitch songs to Western music which is why humans are attracted to these sounds (Grey et al., 2001).

Where is nature in music? This is an interesting question. Our Neanderthal ancestors were very fond of music. They used animal bones to create a flute-like instrument which resembles the sound of today's recorders (Grey et al., 2001). This just goes to show that ancient civilizations prioritized and discovered music as a primary form of entertainment. I would say that this is an early example of nature in music because animal bones were recycled to create instruments which is a clever idea.

Discovery of prehistoric flutes (Gray et al., 2001). Credit: Jelle Atema.

One song that I used to listen to a lot when I was a younger was Starships (clean) by Nicki Minaj because it reminds me of summer and it's a catchy throwback song. The song itself is fast-paced with the strumming of a guitar in the background. It makes me visualize a nice sunny day. And it reminds me especially of the times where I would go to the beach with my friends and we would always jam out to this song on our way there to get hyped. It's the perfect road trip song to the beach. It's very upbeat and always puts me in summer mode when ever I hear it even during the gloomy winter months.

For further discussion, what are some other animals that use musical sounds to communicate? How are these musical sounds beneficial within species?

Thanks for reading,

Hinal.

References

Gray, P. Krause, B. Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C. & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science. 291. 52-54.

mcenvs3000w23

Hi Hinal!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week!

I also immediately think of birds when I consider where we can find music in nature. Like you, I was also fascinated to learn that birds can pitch songs to Western music (Grey et al., 2001). Learning this led me to wonder if other animals enjoy human music. At home, I have a CD player, and I have noticed that when I play my CD of the album “ Van Lear Rose” by Loretta Lynn, my dog comes to my room and lies on the floor near my speakers. I do not know if this is a coincidence, but I wonder if there is something in the pitch of the songs that appeals to dogs.

I remember the summer that Starships by Nicki Minaj was popular. I think it is so interesting how a song completely unrelated to nature can evoke vivid memories and visualizations of nature. This really speaks to the way that we connect with our emotions and how we connect these emotions to the world around us. A fun song that we connect with feeling happy evokes positive emotions and memories when we listen to it, and these emotions and memories then push us to visualize the environment in which we experienced them. I think that the connection between human emotion, music, and our environment when we experience emotions can be used to understand how humans use popular songs to communicate common emotions and experiences with each other.

Source

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 291(5501), 52–54. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.10.1126/SCIENCE.1056960

Nature and Music

I find the concept of nature and music very interesting. From what I understand, pretty much every culture developed its own form of music before we had the technology for worldwide communication. For example, folk singing is a part of Finnish culture; ancient Kalevala rune singing is 2000 to 3000 years old, and animal bone flutes made by Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals have been found in France and Slovenia that may be as old as 53,000 years (Gray et al., 2001; Sahi, 2011). The widespread development of music in different cultures makes me interested in the origins of music itself. As discussed in the readings this week, music can be found throughout nature. Examples of this include whale songs, which even have a similar structure to human music, and birdsongs, which closely follow the human music scale (Gray et al., 2001). Birds and whales are only two instances of music in nature. I would also consider more abstract sounds or mixtures of sound in nature to be music. The wind rustling trees in a forest or the sound of rushing water in a stream play the role of instruments in a natural song, topped off with a bird singing or cicadas chirping. If we pay enough attention, any collection of sounds in nature can form a song. Sometimes, these sounds are even mixed into commercially produced music.

If I listen closely to the song Fishin’ in the Dark by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, I think I can hear what sounds like bullfrog noises. This could be an instrument that I am unfamiliar with, but the sound helps set the scene of a pond or a lake at night. I have found that many song lyrics include aspects of nature, using it to tell a story. For example, the song Dirt by Florida Georgia Line uses the imagery of red dirt to tell a story of growing up and falling in love.

As someone that listens to a lot of country music, I know that so many of the songs I listen to talk about nature or different aspects of nature, but when I try and write about it, I struggle to think of specific lyrics. Some songs I think of make me feel like the artist is singing about nature, but yet when I look up the song lyrics, they do not actually explicitly describe much about nature. I find this fascinating as I think it is because while nature is not specifically being described in detail, vague references and the production used to create the vibes of a song make me feel like the song takes place in or revolves around nature. An example of this is Carolina by Eric Church. When I listen to this song, I feel like the artist is singing about nature, but in reality, the lyrics are not very focused on the specifics. Are there any songs that you can think of that specifically describe nature in detail?

Sources

Sahi, V. (2011). Using folk traditional music to communicate the sacredness of nature in Finland. Spiritual Values of Protected Areas of Europe, 2, 129

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Unit 06: Nature Interpretation through History

“There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. . .. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it”. – Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation

History plays a significant role in nature interpretation for several reasons. To begin, we need to be knowledgeable about the past to understand how we got where we are today. In addition, the role of an interpreter is to help individuals form better connections and relationships with the natural world. Oftentimes, this task can be made easier by incorporating history; for example, an interpretive hike would begin with a history of what that land was once used for or who occupied that land prior to it being a hiking trail. By recognizing the significance of history, we must also consider questions like:

What story is being shared?

Who is ignored?

What is implied?

What is specified?

Asking ourselves these questions and others allows individuals to form ideas about how the future may be impacted, which could be useful information.

The first part of the quote states that “there is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things . . .”. From this section of the quote, I would like to add some commentary. First, Hyams states that there is no particular quality or excellence in ancient things simply because they are ancient. However, there is merit in integrity, meaning that there is excellence in being honest, upright, or having strong moral principles. Specifically, an ancient thing or part of history is not automatically ‘good’ or ‘of quality’ which can be seen using examples of war or the holocaust. Few people would argue that those parts of history were necessarily good, but the knowledge of these events and sharing it through stories to other individuals is ‘good’ as it makes people knowledgeable about the past and can provide life lessons to the current generations. This is related to nature interpretation because as stated previously, it is important to understand what the land you’re travelling through once was, who lived there, and how it came to be what it is today. Although it may not be positive, there is merit in integrity and sharing hard truths about the past to tell a story and be an effective interpreter. As stated by David McCullough in our textbook, “We need the past for our sense of who we are. We need the past for a sense of our civic responsibility, how all these benefits and freedoms came to us, and what it is our duty to protect”

Beck et al. (2018) explains several ways in which interpreters can effectively tell a story that includes history. For example, museum exhibits, campfire talks, printed materials, and tours are effective strategies to interpret history. Additionally, a specialized strategy to do so is what is called living history. Living history refers to replicating the past by changing the sights, sounds, and smells of the physical environment. This strategy can be highly effective at displaying educational entertainment and can be enjoyed by all age groups. Overall, as stated by Hyams, there is integrity in historical knowledge and in passing it along to future generations.

References

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

mcenvs3000w23

Hey Meghan!

I found your post this week very interesting!

I agree that including history in nature interpretation will help people form a connection with the natural world. The natural world around us has a huge impact on how our societies develop. Natural resources determine major industries, climate determines what food can be grown locally, and the plants and animals native to an area influence cultural foods and traditions. If people can recognize how their lives are connected to the natural world, they will have an easier time connecting with nature.

I think the question “who is ignored?” is particularly important when considering history. I cannot remember where I heard or read this, but someone once said that history is written by the winner. The winners of a war, or even the dominant culture or religion in an area can influence how history is told. With this knowledge, it is especially important to be mindful of whose stories are not told so that history can be shared in its most accurate entirety.

Do you agree with Hyams’ statement that being ancient is not enough to give an ancient thing merit? I disagree with this belief. I think that the fact that an ancient thing is still around to be ancient gives it merit. When I think about this, I think about how many times I have bought something new only to have it break or fall apart within a year or two. Ancient things lasting long enough to become ancient gives merit to the craftsmanship of the object, which should possibly be more focused on today.

Unit 6 Bonus

The three pieces of writing that I chose were a website created by The Northern Lights Centre, a website created by the Government of Canada, and a journal article written by Thomas B. Cole.

A major similarity between all three pieces was that they explained the cause of the northern lights. The Northern Lights Centre website was the most detailed; however, this made it harder to read.I found that the less detailed explanation from the Government of Canada piece was more effective. In this piece, certain important words were bolded, which I found held my attention well. The piece by Cole also managed to keep my attention. This article focused on the northern lights in a painting, and those involved in the creation of the painting. As a consequence of the artistic focus, the explanation of why the northern lights occur and their description was almost poetic.

The article by Cole focused on very different areas than the other two written pieces but it was interesting to read about the northern lights in art. The Government of Canada website only focused on how the northern lights occur, and briefly mentioned the different colours. The Northern Lights Centre website discussed the different colours and how they occur, legends surrounding the northern lights, and where and when to watch the northern lights.

Including information about where to watch the northern lights and the best time to do so was something effective from the Northern Lights Centre website. This was effective as it leaves the reader able to watch for the northern lights without having to do further research to figure out when and where. However, the formatting of the Northern Lights Centre website was ineffective, as the text was very small and hard to read; a larger font would likely make the piece more engaging.

A part of the Cole piece that was done well was the description of the northern lights. However, I found the article very difficult to read as it seemed to keep changing its focus and, without headings, I struggled to follow and had to read the article twice to understand what the author was conveying.

Something done well by the Government of Canada website was, as mentioned earlier, the bolding of keywords. As a reader, I found that this kept my attention and allowed me to remember what I read. As well, there are multiple colourful photos and videos, and the writing uses simple language. I found this effective as the colours in the photos and videos kept me interested, and the simple language meant that I could understand everything with a quick read. I found that because of the ease of reading and how well the writing held my attention that this piece works the best.

The audience of the Northern Lights Centre website appears to be those interested in learning about the northern lights in some detail and travellers, as the website describes where the lights can be seen. The audience of the Government of Canada piece seems to be older children as the website contains videos and uses simple and easy-to-understand language. The audience of the Cole piece is adults interested in a specific piece of art.

Sources

Cole, T. B. (2015). Aurora borealis: Fredric Edwin Church. The Art of JAMA, 314(5), 1546-1547. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.12035

Government of Canada. (2022, September 27). What are the northern lights?. Canada. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/northern-lights/what-are-northern-lights.asp

Northern Lights Centre. (n.d.). Northern lights. Northern Lights Centre. Retrieved February 15, 2023. https://www.northernlightscentre.ca/northernlights.html

Responding to a Quote

There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it. - Edward Hyams

I interpret this quote as saying that the importance of artifacts comes from the importance of remembering the past and that this is necessary for integrity. Hyams seems to be saying that part of integrity is having something in its whole.

I think this quote makes sense to write about this week, as it relates to interpreting history. As our textbook says, history and natural sites are intertwined, and nature interpretation and history interpretation usually should be offered at the same site (Beck et al., 2018). This idea relates to Hyams’s quote as the ancient thing, history, is part of the whole of a natural site, and nature is part of history. Understanding this through Hyams’ perspective and the ideas from the textbook, for nature or history interpretation to have integrity, they must be considered together as parts of a whole.

History is also important for expanding our present understanding. Understanding history can help with conservation efforts. For example, examining old natural sites could give clues about how these landscapes manage themselves and survive natural disasters, such as flooding or wildfires, without human interference. The lessons learned from history could direct future conservation efforts. Furthermore, investigating ancient things, like written records or fossils can help develop an understanding of what wildlife was present in an area throughout history. This could have significance as it may provide insight into how the current nature in an area evolved, but it also simply enhances knowledge and would provide insight into the past.

Our cultures today are influenced by our history. As mentioned in the textbook, “Interpreters help people see how history relates to their own lives… in contemporary interpretive programs” (Beck et al., 2018 pg. 326). If we, as Hyams describes, treat the past like a train station that we have passed through, we lose the knowledge of how history affects our lives. In that sense, understanding ancient things helps expand our understanding of our cultures and how history affects our lives today. As well, if we do not understand our history as a whole, if we only see it as scattered fragments, we cannot fully appreciate our history and its influence.

I agree with the sentiments expressed in Hyams’s quote. I believe that investigating some as a whole is important for the integrity of its understanding. For example, in the context of nature and history, we cannot understand historical Indigenous cultures without understanding nature and how Indigenous communities interacted with the natural environment around them. As well, as someone that has taken multiple political science classes, I understand that we cannot properly understand the development of Canada as a country and the development of current political dynamics without considering the natural resources available. If we do not view a concept or an idea in its entirety, we risk losing important insights that can deepen our understanding.

Do you agree that understanding nature is important for fully understanding history?

Source

Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting History. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world (pp. 135-161) Sagamore Publishing.

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A Life of Ambiguity

When viewing this week's course material and seeing there was no prompt, I had an immediate feeling of uncertainty and stress. I started thinking about why I have this automatic fear when it comes to open-ended assignments, and many other situations in life that are ambigious. This made me wonder if any of my classmates feel the same way so I decided to write this weeks post on the ambiguity and uncertainty of many aspects of life.

Throughout my life, I have found myself to be indecisive. Even small choices about what I want to eat or what I want to do with my free time are difficult for me. The reason for this is my fear that with something so open-ended, I will make the "incorrect" choice. Due to my indecisiveness and lack of passion in the past, the ambiguity of life has been challenging at times. Like many of you, I am still finding myself. Although I have come to terms with not knowing myself entirely, I was not always this way.

From a young age. I felt pressure from my parents, friends, and teachers through elementary and high school to find myself, find what I'm passionate about, and determine “what I want to be when I grow up.” This pressure continued through my teen and early adult years, with much of the pressure coming from myself. I felt behind as it seemed that all my peers had a plan in life, and I did not. Many of my friends knew what they wanted in their futures. They had the program and university they wanted to attend planned out, had hobbies, and spent time doing things they found enjoyable. At the time, I had not found a sport or hobby that interested me. Due to this uncertainty and the many paths one can take after high school, I decided to do what most of my friends and older sister had done. As it is now clear, I am enrolled at the University of Guelph. I decided to get my Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in biological science. I chose this program because science and math were the only subjects I didn’t dislike in high school. I also discovered that this program is very open regarding selecting courses. This allowed me to be my indecisive self and explore several avenues until I discovered my interests. Throughout my first and second years at the university, I took many diverse courses, including criminal justice, food science, environmental science, botany, genetics, human kinetics, computer science, chemistry and many more. By doing so, I found my passions in botany and many fields of environmental science. I am so grateful I decided to jump into something I was unsure about, as finding these passions through my degree has shaped the person I am today.

Life is full of decision-making, which can be challenging at times, especially when you haven't discovered what you're passionate about. The best part about the ambiguity of life is that you always have other options. It doesn't matter how long it takes someone to find their passions and there's never a single choice in life you can't come back from.

How did you find your passions and hobbies?

As I said, in the past year, I discovered my passion for plants. As I have taken more botany courses and environmental sciences relating to plants, my indoor plant collection has grown. So much so that the room I originally used for my office has become a little indoor greenhouse. If you have been following my blog, you would know that I love photography. I took some photos to share today of my plant collection.

mcenvs3000w23

Hi Aaliyah!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week! Like you, I also struggle with open-ended assignments due to a perfectionist mindset. Especially with assignments, I always worry that I am going to do it wrong or that my work will not be good enough. This feeling intensifies with open-ended assignments because I have fewer guidelines to let me know if I am on the right track.

I was lucky enough to know what I wanted to do for most of high school, at least until I took a law class. I thought I wanted to go to McMaster Health Sciences for my undergrad, then medical school, to eventually become a forensic pathologist. After my grade 11 law class, I started to question what I wanted to do with my life. By grade 12, I knew I did not want to go into a pure science bachelor’s program. I was lucky enough to find the Arts and Science program at the University of Guelph, which allows me to study criminal justice and public policy and biology. Studying in both fields led me to realize that while I enjoyed my science classes, I wanted to become a lawyer, instead of a forensic pathologist.

It is great that you were able to find your passions through the classes you have taken, and you have a wonderful plant collection! I have a small one of my own but it is not nearly as interesting, although I have one cactus that I have had for at least ten years!

Week 5 - Reflecting on ENVS 3000 So Far

Without a specific prompt this week, I took the chance to reflect on the work I have completed for ENVS 3000 so far this semester. By completing readings and reading my peers’ blogs, I had the opportunity to broaden my perspective. As well, I reflected a little on the beginning of the podcasting process.

Yesterday and earlier today, I had the chance to read through two blogs for the PEAR evaluations. Reading my peer’s blogs in their entirety was an interesting experience. I was able to see how others consistently approached each of the prompts with a unique perspective and thought to integrate the course content. Reading about how others in the class discuss nature interpretation has led me to think about nature interpretation in my life.

Going into ENVS 3000, I thought of nature interpretation in a very narrow way. I thought I would mostly be learning about how to explain certain aspects of nature and why plants are distributed the way they are. After the first few weeks, and after reading my peers’ blogs, I think of nature interpretation in a much broader way. I now consider paying attention to the little things in nature and appreciating nature’s beauty as part of nature interpretation.

One way I have noticed that I interpret nature in my daily life is by being able to tell when my snake is getting ready to shed. Based on his colouring and behaviour patterns, I can usually guess when he is about two weeks away from shedding. As well, I interpret nature regularly is appreciating the beauty of my two betta fish, Lab and Kirk. It is amazing to me that nature can produce so many colours in such a small space; the fish themselves are almost like natural pieces of art.

My fish Lab. Unfortunately he is camera shy so all my pictures of him are a little blurry.

This is Kirk, he is a bit more of a show-off!

And finally, my favourite picture of my snake, Tribus!

Another way my perception of nature interpretation has expanded is by working on my podcast. I was not quite sure where it begin with making a nature interpretation podcast for children, but with the help of my group, we were able to decide on coyotes and their interactions with humans. I think this is an interesting topic and I am excited to dig deeper into it. While I am excited to work on the podcast, there have also been some challenges.

A challenge my group faced while working on the podcast was trying to create an engaging podcast for 8-12-year-olds without making it too childish. The maturity difference between 8 and 12-year-olds can be significant, so my group wanted to make something that would engage the youngest and oldest of the age group. We eventually decided on presenting facts in a silly, but not too juvenile way, and discuss a real news story from Guelph.

Something that has gone really well with my group is engagement. We were able to quickly set our first meeting and all members were present and engaged. This allowed us to form a positive relationship, which helped with planning future meetings and sharing ideas. I look forward to continuing to work with my group members on this assignment.

Reflecting on my experience in ENVS 3000 makes me excited to see what the rest of the course brings!

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Art and Nature Interpretation

While physically being out in the environment helps you to interpret nature, you can also do so through art. Whether its a painting, music or a sculpture, there are many different ways to interpret nature through various art forms. For me, pictures are my favourite way to interpret nature. A good photo can do a lot by helping you to connect with a past place you may have visited or desire to visit. Growing up my dad loved to collect Robert Bateman paintings. He is a well known artist for painting wildlife scenes and they were all over our house. My favourite ones are our wolf ones since they are my favourite animal. They provide various perspectives from portrait paintings to a pack climbing on a cliff ledge. These paintings provide a different side to nature that is not normally seen when just going outside. It creates a different connection and appreciation for these wild animals that make up our ecosystem.

Looking at it from a different perspective, there are different ways of expressing ones relationship with the environment. Nature can be expressed through art in many different ways. For some people, art acts as an outlet to express their emotions and feelings, they can apply this to their connections with nature. Therefore, these artists help us to connect with nature through their own connections that they channeled into their artwork. By doing this, they also played a major role in protection of parks and wilderness areas. Art is very personal to an individual and can stir up emotions to shift their thinking and take action. With this, people feel a connection that makes them want to work to protect these amazing creatures and landscape (Winfred, 2021). Photographs/images are the most influential art form because it acts directly on a humans consciousness. Where words don’t have as big of an impact.

When considering the current climate crisis we are facing, art can be a great way to get a strong message across to people. Through various images, it can tap into people emotions and push to change their lifestyle to become more sustainable. Words can only do so much and despite all the written information that is constantly entering the media, there is still not enough change being made. When taking a different approach through art, people can interpret nature in a way that is personal to them. It shows the beauty that nature has to offer and if we don’t make changes, these beautiful animals that you see in paintings will become extinct. Or that image of the lush tropical rainforest will cease to exist. These are the types of feelings that people have to tap into when looking at art in order for change to happen.

Overall, art plays such an integral part in nature interpretation in many ways. It allows its viewers to connect with nature on a different level then what they might physically be able to experience. It also allows artists to have an outlet to express themselves and their own established connections with nature.

References

National Park Services. 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v10-i2-c10.htm

mcenvs3000w23

Hi Amanda!

I really enjoyed reading about the wolf paintings in your house! I completely agree that art is an important way to show a side of nature that most people do not normally see. Some people may never be able to see nature in certain parts of the world, but through art, they can experience the connections the artist expresses in their artwork.

While I agree that art causes an emotional response, I disagree that photos and images are more influential than words. The book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson described the harmful effects of the pesticide DDT (National Resources Defense Council [NRDC], 2015). This book greatly increased public awareness and was even able to influence the president to order a committee to investigate the issues discussed in the book (NRDC, 2015). As well, Silent Spring changed the public debate from questioning if pesticides were dangerous to determining which ones were dangerous (NRDC, 2015). Due to the influence of words, as demonstrated by Silent Spring, I believe that it would be incorrect to assert that images and photos are more influential than words.

However, I agree that art is a great way to get the message of the climate crisis out. While words can be greatly influential, the effect of words requires people to take the time to actually read them. Photos do not need to be read, and with the popularity of social media platforms, sharing photos can be quick and easy.

Source

National Resources Defense Council [NRDC]. (2015, August 13). The Story of Silent Spring. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/story-silent-spring

Art and Nature Interpretation

The most frequent way that I interpret nature through art is through music. This tends to be through descriptive lyrics painting a scene. One of my favourites is from the song Cowboy Take Me Away by the Chicks which says “I said, I wanna touch the earth / I wanna break it in my hands / I wanna grow something wild and unruly / I wanna sleep on the hard ground (The Chicks, 1999).” These lyrics evoke the scene of a field of wildflowers, and I can picture myself lying in the middle of the field crumbling dirt in my hands. I find that by interpreting nature through music, I can be transported to places I have never been.

As mentioned in the textbook, art evokes emotion, and the best interpreters can get into the hearts of their audience (Beck et al., 2018). As such, interpreting nature through art can be an important experience for anyone seeking to participate in a nature interpretation program or looking to connect with nature. When you interpret art, you are seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, through their interpretation. This can aid in connecting with or interpreting nature as the artist may have connected with a small aspect of nature that the audience would have typically overlooked.

Art forms such as theatre, dancing, and music can be beneficial for interpretation for children and adults with attention deficit disorders as it provides a more engaging or interesting method of education (Beck et al., 2018). The engaging nature of these arts can help prevent individuals from getting bored, which can be beneficial as it makes nature interpretation more accessible for individuals that would struggle to learn through other methods.

There is no correct way to view a piece of art; how one views it depends on how one interprets the piece. As well, art is accessible to everyone, from paintings to more engaging forms like dance and theatre. As such, art should be open to everyone to interpret nature through, you do not have to be an experienced nature interpreter to use art to interpret nature.

The “gift of beauty” is a principle of interpretation that encourages interpretation to open the audience’s eyes to the beauty of nature around them, lead to the experience of a spiritual effect, and encourage preservation (Beck et al., 2018). Art is an excellent way to connect with nature in this way. Since there are so many different forms of art, there is something for almost everyone. In my own life, I interpret the gift of beauty as the feeling I get when I feel the desire to photograph a location so that I can look back on the photo and show others. When I feel compelled to take a photo, I feel a connection to the location and hope that it will be preserved for others to see in the future. I have attached one of these photos that I took many years ago in the Kawartha Lakes area! The I was inspired by the beauty of the leaves beginning to change.

My favourite ways to interpret nature are through music and photographs. What about you?

Sources

Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world. Sagamore Publishing.

The Chicks. (1999). Cowboy take me away [Song]. On Fly [Album]. Monument.

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Unit 3: Role of Privilege in Nature Interpretation

I define privilege as being someone or a group of people that have some kind of advantage over others. Historically, privilege is focused on gender, race or both (Black & Stone, 2011). Privilege can be defined based on the context of oppression where certain groups are given a lot more attention relatively to other groups (Black & Stone, 2011).

Privilege in nature is the idea that we are given access to nature everyday and that it should not be taken for granted. Whether it is through a walk in the park or appreciating your houseplants collection. Nature is always around us. Not everyone has the same opportunity to experience nature. For instance, for those that live in a busy city area, there is not much greenery to look at compared to someone who lives in a nice rural area. I am fortunate enough to live in the suburbs where we get a little bit of both. There's so many local parks and conservation areas around to enjoy and appreciate nature.

I remember we did a creek study for my final project in biology class which was probably the best projects I have ever had to complete. We spent three days outdoors collecting samples and documenting pictures for analysis . The goal of this project was to better understand the condition that this creek had to offer for living organisms. For instance, was the quality of water ideal for living organisms to inhabit? To answer this, we tested different properties of the creek water using devices or instruments. Several other tests were taken for data analysis later on. Ultimately, this trip was extremely memorable and as a group, we enjoyed being able to appreciate the diversity around us. I definitely felt privileged to be able to experience a learning activity like this.

Here is a picture of the creek that we studied.

Privilege in the context of nature is definitely an interesting area to reflect on and is important to discuss. It makes us recognize that having access to nature is a privilege.

Black, L.L, Stone, D. (2011). Expanding the definition of privilege: the social concept of privilege. Counselling and development. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2005.tb00020.x

mcenvs3000w23

Hey!

I really enjoyed your post and reading about your biology project! I think another important part of privilege and its relation to nature interpretation is having the privilege of going to a school that provides you with access to nature. I remember in my grade 11 biology class, we had a lab assignment that involved growing plants and tracking their height. This assignment was more engaging and definitely brought me closer to nature than simply learning about plants through a lesson would. Do you think that your creek study is part of the reason you are passionate about nature today?

The mention of having difficulty accessing nature in a busy city area reminded me of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) program discussed in the textbook (Beck et al., 2018). This program helped inner-city groups lacking access to public transportation access the mountains and beaches (Beck et al., 2018). I think the MRCA program highlights your thoughts as it emphasizes the necessity of transport for accessing nature if one lives in a busy city area, as in this program, one of the barriers to accessing nature was being far away and needing a way to get out to nature.

Like you, I do not live directly in a city. I am close enough that there is not a lot of green space directly in my neighbourhood, but far enough away that there is a large park nearby. I am lucky to have grown up with an area of nature near my home, and I think my relationship with nature would be very different today if the park was not available! How do you think living in the suburbs affected your current relationship with nature?

Source

Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Serving diverse audiences. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world (pp. 127-158) Sagamore Publishing.

Privilege and Nature Interpretation

Based on the readings this week, I would consider privilege to be something that gives one an unearned advantage or something where its absence creates a barrier. Both of my definitions of privilege can relate to nature interpretation. Advantages can help prevent or overcome barriers, and I believe that a lack of privilege or the presence of barriers plays a strong role in preventing people from experiencing nature interpretation.

One barrier to nature interpretation is being part of an underserved population, which can be due to one’s age, race, ethnicity, or where they live (Beck et al., 2018). There are many reasons why these groups may be underserved such as financial barriers, cultural barriers, and communication barriers (Beck et al., 2018). These barriers represent different privileges people may have, as privilege can come from having financial stability, being part of the majority culture, and speaking the most common language in an area. Being part of an underserved population can not only prevent people from experiencing nature interpretation, but it can also impact the way interpretation is experienced, for example, having to coordinate programs with public transportation and having Nature Mobiles (Beck et al., 2018). As well, even when programs bring underserved populations to a nature site, it would be done through vans or buses (Beck et al., 2018). This solution could create barriers as individuals may have a difficult time being available at the times the transportation is available, such as those working long hours or families with young children that need to nap. Having the privilege of not being part of an underserved population relates to nature interpretation as having this privilege can make it easier or more convenient to access nature and interpretive programs and can broaden the types of experiences available.

Another barrier to nature interpretation is having a disability, such as those with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments (Beck et al., 2018). Having a visual impairment can make it difficult to navigate trails, participate in activities, and fully experience programs that involve looking at aspects of nature. As well, having a hearing impairment can make it difficult to participate in programs that involve verbal instructions or interpretation. Finally, having a mobility impairment can create barriers as individuals may be unable to access certain trails or nature areas. These barriers can make experiencing nature interpretation unattractive for individuals with disabilities, preventing them from seeking it out. The barriers can also prevent individuals from fully experiencing and enjoying nature interpretation when they do seek it out. Having the privilege of being able-bodied has a role in nature interpretation as it can make accessing nature easier and interpretation programs more enjoyable.

Before this unit, I was unaware of the significant role that privilege plays in accessing nature and interpretive programs. I think the content learned is valuable beyond the scope of nature interpretation as it demonstrates that privilege affects more areas than we might expect.

Sources

Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Serving diverse audiences. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world (pp. 127-158) Sagamore Publishing.

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Unit 02: Teaching Learners

My uncle lives on the shore of Lake Erie and down the road from his house is an arboretum/biodiversity hotspot called Monarch Landing Nature Reserve. My uncle became good friends with the gatekeeper of the reserve and while visiting my uncle in the summer of 2021 we went to the reserve for a tour. The gatekeeper’s name was also Aaron, and he was extremely knowledge about all the species on the reserve. It was host to 230 species of birds, 73 species of butterflies, Carolinian and rare trees, and plants. On the tour Aaron talked about the different species, how they originally came to Canada or if they were native, the status of the species, which species migrated through the reserve, and overall showed me some cool plants.

I do not think that my future employment will involve interpreting nature in this way however I think it would be cool to volunteer to gain the opportunity to teach people about different plants species in Ontario and how to preserve them. This could be volunteering throughout my career or after I retire and just something I do on the side for fun. I want to be able to look at any plant or tree species and know exactly what its scientific name is and then be able to explains its history is a fun imaginative way that will get my audience excited about nature. Ideally this would be performing nature tours at an arboretum to children and adults.

After taking the What’s your learning style quiz I found out that I am a 45% tactile, 40% visual and 15% auditory learner. Meaning I learn best through experiences and seeing. Taking that into account when I interpret nature for others, I need to consider their learning style and incorporate that into my explanation.

If I were to perform tours, I believe the best way to interpret nature to my audience would be through the story line strategy (pg. 100) (Beck et al., 2018). As well Beck et al. (2018) indicates that interpretation should not be just facts but rather acting as a guide to help better the experience providing the flesh and blood (pg. 83). Beck et al. (2018) provides a list of the 15 principles and there corresponding gifts (pg. 85). Depending on the intended audience these principles must be adjusted to represent the material in understanding ways. Such as with the gift of joy programs can be designed to be targeted at adults, children, and a mix of both so when you start a tour it can reach the audience at all levels. Adjusting interpretation to different ages will be important to learn as well. Asking where, what, who questions to children under 2, when and why questions to children 2-7, focusing on concrete experiences for children 7-11, and lastly for children older than 11 incorporating problems will be helpful (pg. 108/109) (Beck et al., 2018).

Another skill to learn would be multiple intelligences to help engage as many people as possible (pg. 110) (Beck et al., 2018). Many of the other theories Beck talks about are important to learn as well. Incorporating these theories into steps to guide the audience through a story line with the main goal in mind. Overall, this will all take time to learn and could take years to masters before you can apply your knowledge to everyone’s learning style.

Aaron

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

mcenvs3000w23

Hi Aaron

I really enjoyed your post!

Like you, I do not see interpreting nature as being part of my future employment, and I also enjoy being able to identify plant and tree species! I do not know them from memory, but I have discovered apps like Seek and PictureThis that can identify plant and tree species from a photo and provide interesting information about them. I find that these apps are a way for me to engage with nature, and I hope they can help you learn to identify plant and tree species and their scientific names!

Your story about the Monarch Landing Nature Reserve connected with me as it made me remember visiting a butterfly park in Florida with my parents when I was young. There’s something special about being surrounded by butterflies! Do you think that someday in the future you would want to volunteer at the nature reserve?

Do you think that your learning style quiz results influence how you would create a nature interpretation tour or interact with nature? My results were 30% auditory, 35% visual, and 35% tactile. I think having a fairly even spread across the three categories would influence me to create a program that involved all three equally. As well, it would lead me to use all three styles when attempting to engage with nature, such as listening to bird calls, drawing interesting plants that I see, and touching different plants.

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