Naomi Foran @nfenvs3000w22 - Tumblr Blog

#7: Music and nature; a natural match!

I’m an avid hiker and try to walk daily - luckily close to home is Paletta Lakefront Park in Burlington, which is a nature getaway in the middle of the city; it has a lovely creek, a rocky beach and pretty grounds on Lake Ontario, see the picture below. Needless to say that there are constant human sounds from the many visitors and car noiseswhich became clear when I recorded nature sounds for this assignment. It made me realise that as much as I like walking with others as a social activity, I truly relish hiking alone as it allows for a deeper appreciation of the sounds of nature. By paying attention to the sounds around me, I suddenly heard the trickling of melted snow dripping onto a rock whereas otherwise I’d have walked by; listen here.

Nature is never silent regardless of the season. As the unit content describes, music in nature can be recognised by tapping into the sounds that other animals make (Hooykaas, 2022). Bird song in my backyard wakes me up even in the dead of winter (listen to this 22 February recording), and squirrels always make a lot of sound, rustling leaves looking for food or chasing each other over food :). All natural habitats have their own “animal orchestra” which represents a unique musical fingerprint (Gray et al., 2001). That said, I believe that the most powerful music in nature comes from an abiotic source; water. Water is the source of all life on earth and is everywhere around us. At Paletta Park, I captured besides the trickling snow melt two more distinct water sounds; that of waves crashing on the beach, and of the creek running its course. Water sounds remind me of the great forces of nature that were in place before humans showed up and that will remain long after we’re gone. Never make the mistake of camping next to a river; what appears to be a gentle melody during the day turns into an ear-deafening concert at night!

Nature in music tends to be used as a metaphor for the human condition; similar to how the coursebook (Beck et al., 2018) describes that news releases are mostly focused on people’s stories rather than things or events, so do most songs. Diana Ross’ uplifting chorus in Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (2:40-3:06) proclaims how “no mountain, no valley or no river '' present insurmountable difficulties for love. Guns N’ Roses’ famous line in November Rain (6:28-7:02) “Cause nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain” evokes a vivid mental image of hardship that will pass eventually. In this way, popular music acts as a channel of nature interpretation to the masses (Beck et al., 2018), reminding millions of people of their connection to the natural world.

One of my favourite songs is The Hills Are Alive from the Sound of Music film, in which the first 22 seconds of instrumental music before the lyrics start, immediately evoke the majesty of mountains. The rich music creates an atmosphere of magnificence in which humans are just tiny creatures in the landscape - supported by amazing video footage for that time (see picture below) - and depicts the feelings of sacredness and awe that I experience in the mountains. The words that follow then specify what it is all about (Sahi, 2011), singing about the hills, a brook and a lark. This song more than most encapsulates how music and nature are a natural match!

Beck, L., Cable, T.T. & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.

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.

Hooykaas, A. (2022). ENVS*3000 Nature Interpretation course manual. University of Guelph.

Sahi, V. (2011). Using folk traditional music to communicate the sacredness of nature in Finland. Spiritual Values of Protected Areas of Europe, 2, 129-132.

nfenvs3000w22

Hi,

Great post! My favourite movie is Sound of Music so I really resonate with your post. It also makes me think of the song Edelweiss, where Captain Von Trap sings the song, where he uses Edelweiss the flower as a heartbreaking goodbye to Austria. In this case I think using nature and a flower native to Austria to symbolize home is very effective. The song also uses the white flower as a way to symbolize purity and goodness of his home despite the horrific events surrounding them. In this nature metaphors in music is a very effective way to communicate ones feelings. I also think the Sound of Music is a good example of how both music and nature builds community and is integral for many family groups.

Your post also made me consider how film scores or soundtracks may rely on themes of nature. The soundtrack of Oh Brother Where Art Thou? Is one of my favourites and it is lathered with comparisons about nature. Songs like Big Rock Candy Mountain invoke imagery of nature like “All the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees, the lemonade springs where the blue bird sings” to invoke an image of an idealistic and unrealistically good place where they can escape to. The idea of “escape” regarding nature is super prominent and it is something a lot of us can relate to. This theme can be found in a lot of music, where people dream of escaping their lives to go into nature and ground themselves.

—Naomi

Nature in Music

I think that contrasting the ephemeral aspects of nature with the ephemerality of relationships is something that is very commonly expressed in music is super interesting to me. For me a good example of this is "Nobody" by Mitski. There is one lyric that has always really stood out to me it goes, "Venus planet of love was destroyed by global warming, did its people want too much, did its people want too much too." I really like this line because it balances the idea of wanting love to the point where it smothers the other person with the idea of global warming. Specifically the song implies that people are greedy with their "love" of earth, that our love of the planets resources is slowly killing it. Clearly that kind of toxic relationship will not hold the test of time, either with the earth or with a partner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qooWnw5rEcI

Nature is a constantly recurring theme in music, so much music either mimics aspects of nature like rain with instrumentals, or references nature as a metaphor for emotions. I think there is an innate connection between emotions and nature, all people feel connected to the natural world in some way so when artists are writing music, they use this connection so that audiences can relate to the piece. Music often leans on themes of seasons, day vs night, rain vs sun etc. to explain contrasting emotions. Thus, is think not only can music be used to teach environmentalism but also that nature can be used to help us express ourselves through music.

There is a quote that is often used when interpreting musicals " when emotion becomes too strong or speech you sing; when it becomes too strong for song, you dance" I think this can have an interesting connection with nature because when I think about some of my most memorable experiences with nature, a picture of singing and playing guitar around a campfire immediately comes to mind. I wonder if because we all have such strong emotional connections with nature whether these emotions become too strong for speech, so we sing.

I also think it is interesting to consider how political music has been historically. The social commentary regarding, anti-war and anti-imperialism sentiments has been vast. People like Phil Oches was notable in his activism through music. With songs like “I ain’t marching anymore” he explicitly condemns war, through illustrating the violence that occurred, through the colonization of indigenous land, through to the cold war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRU_ruqnR6Q

This can be extended to ecological justice. In terms of climate change commentary, I am thinking about Joni Mitchel’s “Big Yellow Taxi.” This song discusses the capitalization of the environment with lines like “they took all the trees/put ‘em in a tree museum/and they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see them.” This entire song is about the commodification of nature and how people do not appear to notice that what occurs today will have future consequences and how we do not value what we have as much as we should. Thus, I believe music can be a tool used to both connect with emotionally as well as to contribute to spreading awareness for injustices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2595abcvh2M

arenvs3000w22

Unpacking a Quote from Edward Hyams

“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.”

Interpretation calls for authenticity – a prudence in telling the whole story from an unbiased point of view. The age of a place does not inform its value, but rather its history does: the people who influenced the landscape and their reasons for doing so. The example at the beginning of Chapter 15 in the text shares this beautifully. People connect more with locations with a rich, well-preserved history. The students of Cabot Yerxa Elementary School felt a greater sense of pride and identity in their neighbourhood after learning about the endeavours of its namesake (Beck & Cable, 2018). Interpreters have the joy and responsibility of sharing the events of the past with their audience. The past can serve as a caution to audiences and inspire a more peaceful future, or nurture a sense of pride in people who made history better in these spaces. In either case, the past is not obsolete. It must be actively remembered and learned from.

Importantly, many of the resources that interpreters use to develop their understanding of the past are not objective. Personal experience is both valuable and biased, so it is important to seek diverse perspectives to share with the audience. The textbook cited the example of Christopher Columbus as either a hero or a villain, depending on who you ask (Beck & Cable, 2018). The danger in telling only one side of the story is that groups who have been traumatized by the past are silenced or neglected. This further illustrates how the past remains relevant to the present in its ability to divide groups of people. Sharing the past from multiple perspectives encourages dialogue between people with opposite experiences.

The three tenets of interpretive authenticity expressed in Chapter 15 were memorable to me this week: objective, constructed, and personal authenticity (Beck & Cable, 2018).

Relating these to the interpretation of natural spaces, some questions an interpreter could ask to determine the objective authenticity of a place might be: How similar is this landscape to its historical form? How can I make the experience of being physically in this space true to its history? How can I accurately describe modern differences from the historical features of the site to enhance my audience’s understanding?

In interpreting the constructed authenticity, one could ask: Has the space been modified or reconstructed to better emulate its past? How does this enhance my audience’s experience? How can I be transparent about the parts of the landscape that have been reproduced?

And finally, in interpreting personal authenticity, one could ask: Have diverse, relevant perspectives been consulted in the maintenance or construction of this space? Do visitors glean a sense of deepened identity or connection to the history of this space after experiencing it?

I found it helpful to remember that natural sites are often drastically changed by historical events, and likewise, historical events are often shaped by the presence of natural resources. The relationship between people and landscapes is dynamic, and histories are complex. Good research is imperative to interpreting the history of natural spaces.

To close, I wanted to share an anecdote from a trip to Quebec City I took with my French class a couple of years ago. I had a great experience with a living history interpreter, who went into first person character at two separate sites within the same day. She did such a wonderful job of sticking to her character in each situation that it took me until the end of the second presentation to realize that I had seen her already earlier that day! She was adept at answering questions in character, and had planned engaging treasure hunt activities to teach us about her “daily life.” And, as a bonus, she was bilingual and presented to us in both English and French to enhance our understanding. I was really impressed with her skills, and I was inspired that people like her exist to so passionately share the rich and beautiful history of Quebec City in such a bustling metropolitan environment where relics of the past are still abundant. I don’t think I would ever be interested in being a living history interpreter, but I’m curious to hear about your experiences with such programs. Do you find living history to be a positive way to experience historical sites? What do you think are the hallmarks of a good living history demonstration?

Until next week!

Quebec City today, complete with fortified city walls. The walls represent many years of violent conflict between the British and French. Some of the earliest conflicts in Canada’s colonial history still affect some citizens as French-speaking vs. English-speaking disputes today. Photo from: https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/old-quebec-city/inside-quebec-citys-walls

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

nfenvs3000w22

Hi,

Great post! I agree with your points regarding how history is shaped by the interpreter. I think people have a good idea of this concept when it comes to distant historical events. People understand the propaganda distributed to people during world war two. However, I do not think people grasp that we get fed some form of propaganda every day. in terms of archiving information we need to consider what is factual and what may be from a highly skewed perspective. I think a good example to demonstrate the kinds of propaganda we face today is that around major organizations. Say a company like Tesla, it has been marked to us as a “green solution” to transportation, meanwhile they use child labour and pays their employees pennies for the lithium batteries needed for the car. These methods are not disclosed and while people die to mine for Tesla Elon Musk makes billions. So how will this kind of action go down in history? How will biased media sources skew how the climate crisis is being handled?

Pattisson, P. (2021, November 8). “Like slave and master”: DRC miners toil for 30p an hour to fuel electric cars. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/08/cobalt-drc-miners-toil-for-30p-an-hour-to-fuel-electric-cars

—Naomi

‌

For this blog we are unpacking this 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.”

I really like this quote, I think the importance of reflecting on past knowledge, how knowledge has changed and how we can maintain and cherish history cannot be overstated. I do not think we can talk about nature interpretation and the history of knowledge and having integrity without mentioning indigenous knowledge and indigenous erasure. In this regard we should reflect on how colonialism has disregarded indigenous knowledge and history, thus preserving the knowledge still held by indigenous communities is essential.

An interesting consideration of this quote is the significance of “keeping together the parts of a whole.” In terms of archiving information throughout history there has often been biases within what is preserved and what is disregarded as insignificant. In this I think it is important that we really consider what we deem as important, is there racial, patriarchal or anglo-centric factors that contribute to what we choose to preserve?

This topic also relates to how technology plays a role. There is a massive amount of information being shared every second, this makes it extremely difficult to parse through and conserve. Even finding relevant information is extremely difficult. This makes communication of scientific information difficult because it is hard to decide what information is the most relevant. Also considering how media distributes scientific information is a complex issue. News sources themselves often misinterpret and misconstrued scientific research. This is a common occurrence within environmental science spaces, but an obvious example is how misinformation has played a role in the pandemic. There is a lack of integrity from some media sources in this regard, but some of it is just a lack of scientific literacy among journalists and the general public. This thus returns us to the conversation about the importance of interpreting science in order to educate people on how to critically analyze media.

ejenvs3000w22

How the Pandemic Has Changed Our Relationship With Nature

Before the pandemic started, most of us already knew about the importance of spending time outside, since modern technology (gaming, social media, internet) has impacted the way younger generations will see the outdoors. Once COVID-19 hit, the entire world was stuck in quarantine and this started the sudden fear to go outside. I remember during the first lockdown, I started loosing my mind because I was bored and there was nothing for me to do at home. Once spring arrived and the weather got warmer, I took the initiative to do more activities outside, since there was nothing else to do inside. I began running, exercising, walking, planning picnics, and going on long bike rides along the lakeshore in Toronto. I started to absolutely love going outside. It would improve my mood, reduce anxiety, and reduce stress levels.

I realized that my solution for lockdown was to go outside. Not long after, everyone started doing it. Families were going on family walks, people began buying more dogs and brought them on walks, parks were busier than ever, and it seemed like all people wanted to do was to go out and explore nature. Research shows that being out in nature can tackle depressing feelings and the body responds physiologically to the natural world (Richardson, 2021). I strongly believe that humans have a deeper connection than we think with nature and we are all connected. People need purpose and a place. Right now, people can not properly connect with each other and nature can provide us with the need to be a part of something.

Now being two years living through the pandemic, mental health has become a very concerning issue with our society and nature can help us. We have seen that nature can improve our lives and this pandemic has unlocked a new way in which people will view the environment. Climate Change is all I hear about nowadays and there is more talk around being sustainable and having net zero carbon emissions. I think the pandemic provided us with a wake up call to stop harming the environment and to start appreciating it more.

I believe that the future can look very optimistic if we stick to new rules to become a more sustainable society. Buildings being made with gardens on the balconies, electric cars, and global companies aiming to be completely sustainable are all examples of the new innovative projects that have come from providing solutions to global warming. The pandemic has provided us with a wake up call and has made people more aware of the environmental issues that we face. Not only are people starting to love the outdoors more than ever before, but the outcome from this pandemic has sparked a new generation of nature-loving innovators that will shape our future for the better and save our planet.

Reference

Richardson, M. (2021). How the pandemic has changed our relationship with nature. How the pandemic changed our relationship with nature - Issue 13 - University of Derby. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://www.derby.ac.uk/magazine/issue-13/how-the-pandemic-changed-our-relationship-with-nature/

nfenvs3000w22

Hi, great post!

I loved reading your take on how the pandemic has impacted people’s relationship with nature. For me, I have found solace in nature during the pandemic because being able to go outside, and experience nature was one of the only things that stayed consistent in my life from before COVID. Having activities like hiking, biking and just exploring the environment was extremely important for me over the pandemic because it felt so familiar while the world changed so drastically. That being said, I have drastically changed as a person over the pandemic, something I am sure a lot of us have experienced over this time. While before the pandemic I will admit I was perhaps a little naïve in the ways I approached climate action, I tried to change every little thing in my life to fit the most “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” mould I could. This was quite frankly not a feasible way for me to live. While I still do believe that where we can and we should make the changes in our lives to be more climate conscious, I also believe we need to give ourselves a little grace. We don’t need to feel guilty when we buy a snack in a single use plastic or when we take a shower that is more than 3 minutes long. Over the pandemic one of the primary shifts in the way I view the world was that of considering how much power corporate and governing bodies have in influencing climate change in comparison to individual people. Thus, I think that the pandemic has actually given me some space to take a breath and give myself more compassion when it comes to the pressure I used to constantly place on myself.

—Naomi

Week 5

This week I have been thinking about environmental education online through media in comparison to in person education.

There are many ways to educate people about nature but particularly during the pandemic, I believe using social media has risen to be a very important manner of public learning. Whether that be through a blog, like this one, Twitter, Instagram or any other social platform, I think there is a lot of value in following those who use their social media to educate others. It is very interesting to me because social media allows us to learn about nature across the world, and that can give us more nuanced ideas of environmental issues and can inspire passion for nature. Currently, we have more access to information than ever before, and this can be both a good and bad thing. It can be difficult to parse through a lot of information to find information that you are interested in or looking for. However, social media decreases this in some regards because if you find a page you connect to you also find a relatively tailored form of access to the information you are interested in. It is also interesting that social media has allowed academic people to communicate and share their knowledge and that can alter how we approach scientific research as well as interpretation.

Other forms of media such as movies, novels and the news media all also have a massive influence on nature interpretation. Someone like David Attenborough has been an introduction to the environmental sciences for so many people. In this way, I think that media is often very significant in allowing people to find a connection with nature even if it is not something they regularly have access to in day to day life.

All this being considered, I begin to wonder whether having ones primary knowledge of nature being based in media whether we lose some of our personal and emotional connection to the natural world. Personally, without in person experience in nature and having knowledgeable people teach me while experiencing nature hands on, I am not sure I would have found such deep love and connection to the outdoors. However, relating this back to one of our previous blogs on privilege, I was incredibly privileged to have such access to nature and to people who had experience with environmental interpretation. Many people, due to location or financial constraints do not have the kind of access I did to nature as a child and thus having social media based environmental education is incredibly valuable.

I would love to hear your input. What made you love nature? How may different forms of nature interpretation impact your relationship with the environment?

kdenvs3000w22

Nature Through Art

I think this weeks question is very interesting as to understand who I am to interpret nature through art, I would have to understand to a deeper level on how I perceive art.

Nature has always defined my relationship with art. myself not being a very artistically inclined individual, I could uphold an image or sculptures beauty in terms of its nature like characteristics. And although my knowledge is limited on techniques and practises that are used to create the art pieces, my brain is able to pick a part the message and if not create my own. I think nature in art is a wide spectrum that I am still attempting to comprehend, looking at paintings, such by Bob Ross, of high rising mountains with ocean views demonstrates an exact depiction of a natural environment that almost everyone deems beautiful. But I think nature in art can be found in less “eye appealing” forms, the construct of old images from the 1800’s of hand built houses made of different trees wood within a solitary part of the woodlands is like an art form of its own, demonstrating the contrast between nature and what nature created in the hands of man.

From this, I think there is no right or wrong way to interpret art, that’s what it’s is all about right? How you see something and how you find beauty in it. As from my example above, those old homes remind me of my home, and it creates this feeling of connection as I am able to perceive the image with a more in tune viewing, wether that be with the sounds or smells that I could imagine surrounding it, I implicate characteristics of my own life into the art, which creates my own standard of beauty towards it through nostalgia.

The “gift of beauty” for me is being able to interpret surroundings with many different filters and not through one lens. Being from Canada and being able to observe a persons art work on nature from different cultures and countries suggests the idea that everyone is given the gift of interpreting beauty, and what it means to us. Art allows us to not only express our environment but allow people to draw their own conclusions on it.

For me I very much enjoy taking pictures of nature, whether it be on its own, or intertwined with mans creation. There’s a sense of peace and calmness through doing so as by knowing I will have this tiny moment forever with me in my back pocket if I choose to bring it to light.

Image of stem and leaves fossil within the cement at Courtcliff Park.

Up close image of moss spores found in Valens Conservation Area.

nfenvs3000w22

Hi super interesting post!

I can certainly relate to not necessarily viewing myself as very artistic or creative. I think bringing someone like Bob Ross into the conversation involving art and nature interpretation is extremely relevant. Bob Ross’s show and most other art tutorial type media is mainly targeted children. It makes me consider how so often the first art projects children create often focus on images of nature (like trees, animals etc), and family. I think this is partly because so many of us find community in nature and along with how we are constantly surrounded by nature that is why we gravitate to these images as children. I also think that as we grow up a lot of us loose touch with some of our creativity, we become busy, focused on work, school and relationships and we stop creating things for fun. Reconnecting with this as adults even if we are not necessarily “good” at art is extremely important, and through reconnecting in this way I think we would also find deeper connection with nature. To interpret nature we don’t just have to look to professional artists and analyze their work we can create our own and find ways to illustrate and explore our own connections with the environment.

— Naomi

I really enjoy exploring the relationship between art and nature. Historically art has always had connection with nature. To create art, we draw upon the things around us and things that we feel emotional connections to, and nature is something that undoubtably people feel connected to. I think of how different aspects of nature illicit distinct feelings, where an image of snow may draw one’s mind to still loneliness, an illustration of flowers in spring tends to arise ideas of rebirth and hope. This is likely related to the fact that for as long as there have been humans we have been surrounded by nature; thus, we tend to personify aspects of the natural world. This makes depicting nature in art, in order to make a statement or elicit emotions, inevitable because it is something that is universally understood. Themes of nature are built into all types of art, painting, sculpting, music, writing, even fiber and textile arts.

There is also an interesting intersection between science and art, any environmental science textbook, species ID book or nature documentary relies on people to create art that depicts the natural world. This makes the lines between the arts and sciences more blurry than some people choose to consider. Merging the arts with science is so essential for nature communication because having visual illustrations displaying scientific ideas is necessary for learning. Another important aspect of having art that represents science is that it humanizes and adds emotional tethers to complex subjects to human feelings and gives people the opportunity to connect more with scientific and environmental fields.

More recently (within the last century) people have used art to make political statements regarding issues such as climate change. Art has always been political, so using it to spread awareness about the climate movement is logical occurrence. Due to the fact that art is so political and emotional in nature, I think using art for nature interpretation is essential. Especially because a lot of art does not require immense wealth and thus creating art to contribute one’s opinion to societal issues is relatively accessible for people who normally would not have a significant platform to project their opinions.

I interpret “the gift of beauty” is how we gain inspiration, value, and connection to the world around us. We all find personal significance in different aspects of the natural world because we individually hold separate facets of nature to higher personal regard. Art is a very intimate experience we all draw different opinions, feelings and interpretations but what is important is that art is an emotionally experience and thus using it for nature interpretation is super significant.

Personally, I enjoy making my own clothing, whether that be through crochet, knitting or sewing. I have shifted, particularly in my sewing projects, to using primarily second-hand materials. This has been a larger shift within the textile art community and I think this can be considered an aspect of “nature interpretation” because people are actively choosing to make more sustainable choices in their art.

—Naomi

krenvs3000w22-deactivated202208

blog no.3

To start this blog off I’m going to personally define the term privilege. I believe to be privileged is to be given more opportunities, without putting in any personal effort. The video, text, and article reviewed this week have completely opened my eyes to cultural and historical diversity amongst groups of people. Underserved and less privileged people experience additional challenges from the ignorance of others, myself included. I don’t want to sell myself short because I pride myself on being a good person but being good and aware are two different things. I do pay particular attention to the people around me and apparent sociocultural difference, but they aren't always that apparent.

If you were to open up my invisible knapsack you would see that I am White and Status-Indian, middle-class, educated, English and French speaking, heterosexual, and female. If you dug a little deeper you would see that I played sports my whole life, financed by my parents, I have a passport, and have paid my way through university with scholarships and full-time employment. To quickly reflect on my own privilege, my mom is White and my dad is Status-Indian, with that demographic alone I’ve been given opportunities. Due to the colour of my skin, I have a societal advantage. Historically my dad belongs to a minority, but even then, my dad hasn’t been faced with the same level of oppression as other people belonging to the same culture – my grandfather was a railroader, who provided opportunities for my father on the railway, which has translated into me having a very good job on the railway, providing me with the abilities to pay for my own education.

Privilege playing on nature interpretation is something I never thought about, anyone can go outside for a walk, but going for a walk and receiving cultural and natural history at the same time isn’t as accessible. In the video we watched this week, one I’ve never seen before but won’t forget, the educator asks some pretty hard-hitting questions to which learners have to acknowledge their own privilege and the non-existent privilege of the people in their surroundings. Questions along the lines of “Step forward if you never wondered where your next meal was coming from?” or “Step forward if your parents have provided you with the opportunity to play sports that gave you scholarships?” – if I was partaking, I would be stepping forward for both. However, a lot of people didn’t have the opportunity to move at all. If people are unaware of where their next meal is coming from, they most likely don’t have the means for extracurricular park admittance or even transportation funds. This can be challenging for less privileged people to attend nature interpretation programs. In this case it would be beneficial for managers of programs to create new ones that are able to bring nature to them wherever they may be. Possibly roving interpretation would work best, where interpreters can bring small audiences’ educational information on local culture and natural history or anything else in nature that might spark their interest.

nfenvs3000w22

Hi Kennedy great post!

I completely agree that privilege is largely based in ignorance and no matter how much we educate ourselves we will always have blind spots within our privilege. What is most important is that we continue to educate ourselves and when a fault in our knowledge is pointed out of us, we need to take that information and grow and learn without getting defensive.

In terms of my “invisible backpack” I am a white woman from a middle class family, I have always had access to education, and I have had familial support in my queer identity and in every other facet of my life. Something I have been considering more closely lately is how generational wealth and whiteness has impacted my privilege. My dad is a University of Guelph alumni and thus I was privileged to have a family member who is a university graduate. Having family members who have a secondary education provides so much privilege, knowing how to apply for universities, how to apply for government grants and how to network is not easily accessible information to those who do not personally know people who have themselves gone through the process. Even if my family did not have the wealth we do, my dad would have made significant connections through his education that set me up for an easier existence. This is much less likely for racialized people, because for generations higher education was not accessible to BIPOC people. All of this impacts my nature interpretation in the way that I have never had to question my acceptance into environmental or educational spaces like many of my peers have had to.

—Naomi

Blog #3 Privilege

To begin, I’ll start with my idea of what privilege is. To me privilege is intrinsic qualities that give one advantages others do not have access to, often gaining these advantages off the backs of marginalized people due to systemically discriminatory organizations.

Privilege intersects with nature interpretation is countless ways, but I think I will begin this discussion talking about how colonialism has altered the way environmentalism and nature interpretation occurs in the west by educational institutions. For the purpose of this blog I am focusing primarily on North America but colonialism has an effect on the environment and indigenous peoples across the world. Settler colonialism caused (and continues to cause) the genocide of indigenous peoples. Indigenous people hold the most knowledge of the environment and lived sustainably off the land for thousands of years before colonization. Through erasing indigenous culture and knowledge, white supremacy has entered every facet of universities and similar institutions that we use to gather information on the natural world. This has led to nature interpretation within governments, conservation authorities and other institutions to be dominated by white able bodied people and ostracizes people with marginalized identities. This exclusion of people of colour, disabled people and others, leads to white supremacist, colonial and eugenicist ideologies being overlooked and perpetuated within environmental spaces. This continues to occur here in Canada, but I also think it is important to note that because Canada is an imperialist state we also continue to colonize and destroy important cultural knowledge of the natural world in other countries that Canada imperializes.

The next idea I would like to bring forward regarding how privilege is related to nature interpretation is the role in which capitalism plays. Capitalism requires corporations, organizations, governments and often individuals to put profit over people and the natural world thus resulting in systemic issues such as climate change. This also leads to people who are wealthier and own more capital to feel fewer of the effects of climate change and when they do, they are able to rebound more easily because they have greater access to resources. This can be further extrapolated to countries, wealthy countries like Canada are often located in the global north and experience fewer symptoms of climate change while at the same time exploiting poorer countries near the equator that will experience effects of climate change more severely. This is all something we must keep in mind while being a nature interpreter because the burden of the climate crisis is not distributed equally. This is also evident when we look at individuals, poor people are not given the same access to resources as the wealthy and thus may not have access to things like nature interpretation programs. Another important factor is environmental racism. Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are statistically more likely to be impoverished due to systemic racism and this shows itself in urban development where poorer sections of cities do not see infrastructural repairs and advancements as much as wealthy neighbourhoods, or in Indigenous communities where the Canadian government has yet to supply drinkable water. It is a privilege to have these resources and thus as a nature interpreter this should be considered, and it is necessary that we educate those around us of these societal issues even if they do not impact us personally.

There is also interesting dynamics regarding sexism and environmentalism, like how green-washed “sustainable” products are often marketed towards women. This also ties back into how capitalism allows corporations to maliciously profit off of people’s marginalization, profit off our want to minimize our impact on the earth and forcing working class people to hold the burden of the climate crisis despite it being created by capitalist organizations.

P.S. I highly recommend reading the book “Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science” by Jessica Hernandez to help decolonize your environmentalism. This book came out recently and I think it’s one everyone, particularly non-Indigenous people should read. Hernandez writes in a very accessible manner while breaking down complex topics such as Indigenous feminism, decolonization, settler colonialism and ecological colonialism.

gmenvs3000w22

My Future as a Nature Interpreter

I still do not know what my dream job would be. What I do know is that I want to work outdoors and that I love to see children learn about nature. As I mentioned in my previous blog, at one of my co-op work terms I was an outdoor education intern and an outdoor education centre north of Toronto. Many of the students who came to the centre had never left the city before and were experiencing being in nature for the first time. We took them cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and taught them while doing these activities. It was incredible to watch their eyes open as they learned about the outdoors while experiencing them at the same time. These types of trips were always my favourite while I was in grade school as well and I found I learned the most while experiencing nature.

All this being said, I am a relatively quiet person and do not love speaking in front of big groups. While on this work term, I learned that I do better and enjoy it more when there is a group of around 5-10 people where I can interact more. I also really want to do field research. Putting these things together, I think my dream job would involve ecological monitoring in a park (provincial, national, or other) where I could still interact with groups of visitors and educate them about what they are exploring.

I think it is incredibly important to educate the public about the importance of conserving biodiversity. More often people just hear “save biodiversity” without an explanation of why it’s so important. I think that I would do well in a position of getting people to care about biodiversity by having them see it first-hand. While I don’t do well speaking in front of large groups, I do well with small groups. So, explaining to visitors what I am working on and why as they pass by would be a really rewarding job for me.

I love forests and am really passionate about trees. One of my favourite things to explain to friends when I’m hiking is the “perched birch.” This is when the beginning of the roots of a birch tree are above ground making the trunk to appear perched above the ground. This happens because birch seeds are not always heavy enough to get through the layer of fallen leaves on the forest floor, so the seed lands on a decaying log and begins to grow. The log decays over time and you are left with a perched birch tree. I love learning about adaptations like this on that trees have to survive, and I love talking about them. When I get to show them first-hand, it’s a really rewarding experience. I also find that they often look at trees and appreciate them in a different way after this.

So, I’m still not totally sure how I see myself in the future as a nature interpreter, but I know that something like what I’ve described would be a dream and that I love to do it for fun with friends.

nfenvs3000w22

Hi, super interesting post!

I am also a fairly introverted person and I have a lot of room to develop my oral communication skills. On the other hand, I believe my writing is where I am able to articulate my knowledge most effectively. Therefore, although I do want to improve my in person communication, I think it is beneficial to recognize our strengths and maximize these skills within nature communication. I also believe that improving on our weaknesses such as communicating to large groups can be easier when speaking about a subject of which we are passionate about.

I also really appreciate you sharing your experience working at an outdoor education center in Toronto. I worked in a similar position with the Grand River Conservation Authority for several summers and my experience with most of the public definitely contrasts from yours. Most people I met were experienced with activities like camping and were coming to the program to share their love of the environment and immerse their children in nature. I assume this is due to the location as I worked in parks that were in (relatively) more rural settings. However, I also think exploring why people in urban centers have fewer opportunities to experience the natural world is extremely important. It says a lot about the way urban planning impacts citizens and isolates them from nature. This is one aspect of our society that I believe nature interpretation and advocating for people’s right to have access to nature could have a profound impact.

—Naomi

Blog #2

My role as an environmental interpreter.

I don’t have a definitive answer for the ideal role I would like to fill when it comes to environmental interpretation. I do know I would like to interpret science in a way that is more accessible, easily understood and digestible for the general public then further apply this to make substantial change in communities. This is something I would like to pursue because I believe the field of environmental science is so often based in “prestige,” classism and colonialism and this therefore makes science less accessible to most people. Think about how peer reviewed articles are usually behind a paywall and written in a way that it can be hard to parse through even when you have background in the field or how most news articles are written at levels higher than the literacy level of the average citizen. This is why most environmentalist teaching structures should focus on reaching the broadest audience possible, as learning is not dependent on factors such as income or access to education. I would like to make interpretation accommodating to everyone, because it is so common that current forms of nature interpretation, specifically in the west by settlers, only focuses on white, relatively wealthy, able bodied people. Nature is for everyone to experience and thus there needs to be change within these spaces focused on teaching about nature, away from colonial teachings and towards teaching indigenous expertise.

Working in a role that makes environmentalism accessible could be accomplished in many ways, but I think specifically environmental outreach is something I would be interested in. This would involve educating the general public as well as advising governing bodies on infrastructural and social issues regarding both the community, environmentalism and sustainability. Ideally, I would work towards moving cities away from gentrified, car centered and environmentally unsustainable infrastructure and towards cities and towns being built accessibly for low income people, that do not actively ostracise pedestrians and focus on environmentally sustainable infrastructure. This is something I am particularly interested in because I feel as though it is an intersection of so many of my passions, those being a focus on social change, community building and green infrastructure.

Ideally for me this would give me the opportunity to spend time connecting with people and finding solutions that are both environmentally and community driven. This kind of position would require one to have intimate knowledge of the community trying to be reached as this familiarity will allow one to become more accustomed with the specific needs of people within the community. Qualities such as patience, flexibility, organizational and communication skills are all very important when regarding environmental outreach. Although I do recognize that my “goals” as a nature interpreter would be difficult, I truly believe that having communities and coalitions focused on improving the environmental, infrastructural, and socioeconomic structures of a society is the best way to see progress

rmenvs3000w22

My Relationship With Nature

Hello all,

As this is the first post on my blog, I feel an introduction is in order!

My name is Riley MacPherson and I am a fourth year biology student here at the University of Guelph. I am a 19 year old female and prefer the pronouns she and her. I was born in Kingston, Ontario, although I grew up in very rural Ottawa Valley. I moved to Guelph to complete my undergraduate degree, although I will be moving to Banff, Alberta at the end of January. More on that later!

I have never particularly connected with nature in the past. I’m sure that’s not what you were expecting to hear, but it’s the truth. Let me tell you a little bit about why.

I was raised in a community that foraged for berries and mushrooms, utilized crop supply and hunted for food. We would spend our summers living in a trailer without water or a bathroom. Since there were no schools where we were, we lived in a house closer to Kingston in the winters so we could attend school. We were homeschooled until we were able to do so. In our community, everybody respected the Earth and everything it had to offer. We had water because we got supply from the lake, or some of us had wells to source from the ground water. Although we would go to the city to get groceries every so often, we always appreciated it for just that - instead of having to source all of our own food, someone had already supplied food ready to eat for us! We spent our days outside and didn’t have television, internet or cell service. When we came to live near the city in the winters, life felt completely different. We had all of those things, and they were accessible all the time. It was a very bizarre spectrum of living that we experienced.

Although we were rural living most of the time, I have always felt I have lived a very corporate and “cookie cutter” life in Ontario. This should not be mistaken for being ungrateful, because I have always been incredibly grateful to have the life I have been given. But at some point, I have always felt too greedy. I have always had access to anything I wanted really. I could get whatever I want, essentially whenever I want - whether it be clothes, food, or electronics. Even though I had grown up in a community that valued nature for its resources, I was never taught to value nature for the way it can make you feel.

I have recently taken a step back from this western idealized life style. For a while, all I wanted was a stable 9 to 5 job that would give me enough money to buy a nicely “boho” decorated house that I could show off to my friends and family to show my success. I was working as a full time veterinary technician from 8-6 everyday while being in school full time. I was so busy trying to do everything that I didn’t take the time to appreciate nature, my life, or anything inbetween. I claimed I wanted to travel but I was too busy saving money for the downpayment of my first house to prioritize it. I thought that graduating as soon as possible and going straight to vet or med school was the only way to show everyone how successful I was. But then I started to rethink everything. What if I was only happy with the idea of my life? Was being a vet what I really wanted, or was it what I wanted to want to be?

That’s when I decided to begin paying attention to how my surroundings made me feel, and I began to notice a trend. I was stressed by my job, school, and was constantly living to satisfy these bizarre expectations of life. I was unhappy. In November, I went to visit my sister in Banff and was mesmerized by the mountain landscape and connection to nature the town had. I had been before, but when I intentionally paid attention to how the mountains made me feel something changed.

The first thing I thought was “holy crap those are huge”, but that was quickly followed by the realization of how small they made me feel. They put things into perspective for me. I thought about how hard life was and I thought of all the times I had felt alone and like I was the only person on the Earth that felt that way. When I looked at the mountain range and realized how geographically massive they were, it set in that I was simply a single person on this earth of 7 BILLION people. I realized how small and insignificant I was compared to those mountains, the ocean, or space. There had been millions of people who had looked at those exact same mountains but had thought something completely different and felt alone in their own completely independent lives. They were also the centre of their own lives, and experienced life in a completely different way than I had. For the first time I thought maybe I wasn’t so alone in feeling alone after all.

Seeing grand landscapes like that reminds me that it doesn’t really matter what I do with my life. I could be a surgeon, a waitress, or I could be homeless. As long as I am happy, it doesn’t really matter. No one will remember either way. We will all live and die, and when we die it won’t matter if we became “successful” lawyers or doctors. The only thing one can hope for is to have been happy with the life they had.

So that brings me back to my big move coming up. I’m not sure where it will take me, but I’m chasing that feeling I got when I was in the mountains, and I will continue chasing that feeling for the rest of my life. I want everything in my life to make me feel that way.

As for my “lighthouse” or who has shown me a “sense of place”, I’m not sure exactly who that is for me. I would like to say it was my sister, but I don’t think that’s true. I think I found it within myself. Or I think I’m finding it, anyways.

I’m excited to get to know everyone on this platform and look forward to getting to see the world through everyone’s unique paradigms.

Cheers,

nfenvs3000w22

Hi Riley!

My Grandmother lives in Eganville in the Ottawa Valley, where my time with her there gave me a “sense of place,” so it is super interesting to hear about your experience with nature in the area as well!

I really appreciate how open you were about feeling a little lost in what you want out of life. I resonate with this a lot, and over the course of the pandemic to think about this. I believe for me, coming up to graduation and trying to figure out direction is difficult, and it does have major affects on my relationship with nature. I often struggle with how to balance financial constraints, life goals and the ethics of my life choices. I have recently been trying to come to grips with how sometimes things need to be sacrificed particularly due to how society is so focused on corporations and capital gain. I also think your point about feeling guilty about how you have had access to resources that others haven’t is completely valid, I have experienced this as well. However, I believe our guilt is not productive, having access to clothes, food, nature etc. should be available to everyone, but due to the capitalistic structure of our society, this is not the case. I think using our privileges to give what we can to others, to open access to these things to the best of our abilities is the best way forward. Thanks for sharing Riley, great post!

—Naomi

Blog #1

Hi everyone, my name is Naomi Foran (she/her) and this is my first blog for ENVS*3000.

Over the last several years my relationship with nature has evolved drastically. I grew up in a family that values spending time in nature, thus I grew to love spending time outdoors and that is why I chose to study in an environmental field. I found a "sense of place" at my grandmothers’ farm in the Ottawa Valley, where I spent a lot of time over summers and holidays through my youth. Being there allowed me a safe area to explore nature. I believe the importance of my being able to play in nature as a child cannot be overstated. The fact I was given the opportunity to learn through exploration and real in person experiences, whether that be a family hike or exploring the river or simply catching bugs in my backyard is what gave me my love of nature. The little experiences throughout my childhood grew into the passion I have today. Knowing this, I believe nature interpretation is crucial to inspiring people, particularly children into developing positive relationships with the environment so that they may advocate for environmental issues in the future.

My relationship with nature has grown from more of an individual connection to considering nature through a more global and intersectional lens. I have grown in the way that I spend much more time considering how environmentalism is impacted by corporate structures as well as how white environmentalism is extremely harmful to Indigenous people and other people of colour. I have learnt the importance of recognizing how the impacts of climate change will more severely affect people of colour and impoverished countries. The merging of my political ideologies with my environmentalism has been incredibly influential in altering my relationship with nature. Therefore, recognizing my immense privilege has made me really value the access I had to nature throughout my childhood up until now.

Something I have found difficult, particularly in the past few years, is a growing sense of “climate doomerism.” I think I have experienced this largely due to the fact that over the pandemic I had so much extra time. I have always been someone who loves to learn and research so over the course of the pandemic I found myself going down rabbit holes and with so much constant input about COVID 19, climate change and other societal issues, and thus I was constantly discouraged. This is something I am actively trying to change, while I recognize it is inevitable to experience dread, in a time where anthropogenic climate change is so severe. However, living with constant hopelessness regarding climate change will never drive change and thus this is something I strive to improve within my relationship with nature. There is a quote by Naomi Klein that resonates with me, she states “Politics hates a vacuum. If it isn’t filled with hope, someone will fill it with fear.” Therefore, going forward I would like to try to find hope within environmentalism despite our dire situation because without collective hope there will be no change.

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