The End...
As this semester comes to end and so does my bachelorās degree, I am able to look back to the beginning and appreciate all the technical and personal growth I have experienced. This course allowed me to recognize my importance as a student in biology in terms of communicating with others. I was also able to recognize my disconnect from nature I had been experiencing since the start of the pandemic. But having realized this disconnect I can mend my relationship with natureā¦
My personal ethics as I develop as a nature interpreter.
When explaining the term ethics, it is explained as the moral principles that govern a personās behavior or the conducting of an activity. However, this a very broad description therefore I wanted to describe both personal ethics and environmental ethics. Personal ethics is how an individual behaves in relation to others and situations in which they experience in everyday life. Ā Whereas environmental ethics is the right and wrong way for humans to act toward the environment. Affecting us personally, but also the types of government policies we support and the sorts of actions or responses to environmental challenges we believe are necessary or reasonable. I believe in order to be an effective nature interpreter; your personal and environmental ethics need to overlap. I define a successful nature interpreter as an individual that is able to connect with others through a mutual interest in nature, while being able to discuss and educate one another through various means of learning about the environment. Therefore, some personal ethics I have and have aided my progress in becoming an effective nature interpreter is integrity, selflessness and honesty.
Integrity is the quality of having strong moral principles or moral uprightness. In terms of nature interpretation, I believe integrity is the ability and quality of holding healthy relationships with other people as well as the environment.
Selflessness is the concern more with the needs and wishes of others than with oneās own. I believe this important just as an environmentalist, putting the needs of the environment and others can be very important when discussing and making decisions regarding the future.
Honesty is the quality of upholding the truth. This important in terms of nature interpretation because discussing accurate information is essential when wanting to inspire and educate others about the environment.
My beliefs and worldview
When I think of beliefs and belief systems I think of worldviews. Id assume everyone is familiar with the term worldviews but it is the set of commonly held beliefs, ideas, values and so forth about the world and our place in it. In the past the most common worldview was the westernized worldview. The western worldview entails the exploitation of nature so that we can continue to accumulate material wealth is right and that science and technology allows us to control nature for our purposes (nature is for economic purposes only) humans are separate from, and superior to, nature. John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher that was known for his westernized view on the environment. He described that any parcel of land/environment has no value until it eventually becomes property. The fact that the living tree provides a home to non-human species and plays a significant role in our climate and hydrological cycles is overlooked. Thankfully most of the population has moved past this problematic worldview by recognizing the importance and value nature has not just for our own needs. Therefore, I believe I hold an eco-centric worldview. This worldview is a set of beliefs and environmental ethics that put ecological concerns first; over human priorities. This viewpoint believes Earthās ecology and ecosystems (including its atmosphere, water, land, and all life forms) have intrinsic valueāmeaning they should be protected and valued even if they canāt be used by humans as resources. The start of eco-centrism was from John Muir (1838-1914). He was naturalist and environmental philosopher, known as the āFather of the National Parksā. Muir believed that nature was full of wonder and held great spiritual value and should be protected/preserved from development.
The responsibilities I hold
I believe as a graduating student in wildlife biology and as a general environmentalist I have many responsibilities as an individual and as an educated person. Therefore, I have an environmental responsibility to protect and improve the environment. As an environmentally responsible individual I should regularly assesses my environmental sustainability and apply this knowledge to my future decision-making. Currently, there is an urgent need to take environmental responsibility very seriously within every type of business and sustain our environment for future generations. As an individual I am responsible for recognizing the impact I have on the environment and, when possible, minimize the damage I may do to the planet. But as an educated individual I believe I am responsible for inspiring and educating others about the environment.
Some approaches that are the most suitable as individuals
I believe that from this course we have developed the basis of becoming a successful nature interpreter. Therefore, I believe the most suitable approach as we continue to develop as nature interpreters is to continue the conversation. We should continue to communicate with others whether it be family and friends or strangers through this blog but continue to talk about the environment. Furthermore, I believe another suitable approach would be to continue taking environmental responsibility. There are many actions we can easily do today that will reduce our impact and environmental impact. This following website describes 30 actions to make your life more environmentally friendly.
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/06/17/climate-change-30-ways-to-make-your-life-more-environmentally-friendly/39366589/
Before I conclude my last blog post for this semester, I wanted you remind you that this Saturday (March 26th at 8:30pm) is earth hour. More than 180 countries will be participating in earth hour by diming their lights and reducing their electricity use. If you want to participate individually or with others, here are some activities you can do that do not require electricity: read a book, paint/draw/color a picture, play a board game, do some yoga, catch up on some household chores or homework or simply just relax!
Cheers!
Signing off⦠Robyn..
Hello Robyn,
I really enjoyed reading your final post and though you gave interesting insight into the values of a nature interpreter. I completely agree with you that nature interpreter should possess integrity, selflessness, and honesty. I think you captured the main values a nature interpreter should have. However, I think there are a few more that a nature interpreter should have such as humility, compassion, kindness, tolerance, empathy, toughness, self-reliance, and attentiveness. Is there any you think I missed? I personally believe that tolerance is an important quality, as often nature interpreter will have to deal with stubborn and an obnoxious audience. This can often be linked to young children, as well as ignorant (either purposefully or unknowingly) adults.
I really like the quote you incorporated in your post by John Muir, āof all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.ā I believe this is challenging us to not always go down the easy road, the road that looks the best. Ā We learn more through challenges and taking the path where we may āget dirtyā, will help us grow significantly. Likewise, you never know where the path less taken will lead you. Directly linking this to the environment, dirt paths are more natural, versus the normal paved roads we have created that have inflicted negative impacts on our environments. Several meanings behind this quote from my perspective, hence the reason I enjoyed it so much.
Thanks,
Noah Higginson
























