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This blog was created for ENVS 3000, University of Guelph.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the University of Guelph.
The University of Guelph is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by this blog.
Final Blog Post: My journey
Hello everyone,
I am stoked to have been a part of this journey this semester, sharing and learning each other’s experiences through blog posts. I enjoyed sharing my personal experience on nature and being vulnerable in honestly stating my viewpoint and experiences with nature. Commencing this course, I thought that I did not have as much of a nature interpretation side to myself as my experiences with nature were very different from everyone else’s. Thinking back to the first posts, everyone shared their experiences with camping, hiking, and even summer camps in their childhood that I did not have the privilege to experience because I grew up in a country limited in offering such adventures. Throughout this course, I thought to myself that my nature experience was insufficient or invaluable in comparison to others’, but I learned that that was not true. There is no right or wrong way for us to experience nature. As David Suzuki mentioned, the definition of nature is not as easy as we believe (DavidSuzukiFDN, 2012). He said that we left the description of nature to poets (DavidSuzukiFDN, 2012); his definition of nature is anywhere there are species other than human species. I found this exciting and eye-opening because my idea of nature did not involve other species; I was thinking about trees, plants, and flowers. This made me realize, and this entire course, that everyone has their definition of it and values certain things in nature more than others.
My ethic as a park interpreter
When I think about exploring nature and going on adventures, I think about the dangers that come with it. Tragic accidents happen, and I believe it is more common in nature because we are used to walking on perfect surfaces. Equally, when one is hiking on a trial, in some areas it is necessary to scramble over rocks or climb to get higher up a mountain, which is often when accidents can happen. In my opinion, and in reference to my visit to Banff, Alberta, this past summer, accidents happen when someone is unaware or uninformed and is therefore not fully prepared for the adventure. As I was not experienced in hiking on mountains, I wanted guidance and advice from others around me, for the sake of fun and safety. Thus, I thought my role as a nature interpreter was to be a park interpreter, which I still stand by after the journey we had throughout this semester. As a park interpreter, I plan to research and organize educational programs for visitors to national parks and conservation areas (eco Canada, 2021). Considering people today have access to social media, I believe the best way to start my journey as a park interpreter is through podcasts. I plan to go on hikes to the most visited areas to make podcasts on my journey and help share information with future visitors of the area. Even the social media platform TikTok will aid in my journey of park interpretation because some individuals are visual learners. Seeing national parks may not just spark interest, which may in turn force a TikTok viewer to get out of their comfort zone, but will better prepare viewers for the adventure ahead.
What beliefs do I bring?
Regarding experience with nature, I believe there are two types of people: one has gone through every outdoors adventure as a child and, the other did not have much exposure to experience nature as a child. I believe it is essential for people that had a rich experience with nature not to discourage ones who did not. The right thing to do is not to judge others but guide them in the most appropriate path. For people who have zero experience with nature and wish to step outside of their comfort zone to explore nature, help can best be offered by sharing knowledge about the best attire to wear and how to best prepare for such an adventure. As a result, I choose to become a part interpreter and help individuals who want to explore nature do it safely and without feeling like an outsider. In Alberta, everyone packed their proper attire, trekking poles, and bear sprays or bells. This made me feel embarrassed because I was underprepared and felt unable to complete the hike. Everyone wore just one light jacket but I had a thick coat because of my understanding that the higher the mountain, the colder it gets. This was in September, and the temperature was already 8 degrees. I would wear my jacket because I was cold since I was not used to this type of adventure or even weather because, in Ontario, I would often hike in warm weather. Thus, I believe it is essential not to belittle people doing a specific task differently instead of guiding them to gain confidence and continue their adventure.
What responsibilities do I have?
After going through blog posts, I had a different realization each week. I thought nature was just one specific adventure or experience, but I realized that nature has a different definition for everyone. Throughout this course, I learned that if you are better at something than someone else, it may have been due to the privilege you had of being exposed to it at a younger age; thus, not judging if someone doesn’t know something is crucial. Everyone learns differently from me. If I plan to take the role of park interpreter, I must understand that there are different learning styles such as auditory, visual, or tactile learners. One aspect I never thought about before this course is understanding who I am as an interpreter, who my audience is, and how I can make this experience meaningful. I saw this every time after going through the weekly course notes. It is a tool I learned that I am using in my other classes that have discussion posts, presentations, or even papers to understand why my audience is significant. It pushed me to find ways to be creative to help gain more interest.
What are approaches most suitable for you as an individual?
I learn better once what I read in a lecture or a book is applied to real life. When I learn something, I like to know that I can use it in real-life scenarios. That’s when it sparks an interest in me. Even though I enjoyed these blogposts, if this class were delivered in person, to have components of us exploring the arboretum would have been beneficial. However, I know that this was not possible due to the pandemic. Even though I liked having an external component, I felt more comfortable writing my experience with nature as blogposts because it made me more vulnerable. I was not afraid of being judged; the blogs allowed me to get to know everyone, and if it were in person, I would not have been able to hear everyone’s stories and experiences.
To conclude my final blog post in this course, I would like to share the most important things I learned. To become a nature interpreter, we must understand the value of wildlife and the purpose they serve. We need to respect nature when we explore and not try to change it for our benefit. Going on a hike and playing music is disrespectful as it can disrupt nature; littering during nature walks is like throwing garbage in someone’s home when you are a guest—expecting someone to have the same beliefs as you regarding nature is wrong as everyone has developed their unique definition of nature. Understanding that everyone has different learning strategies and if you are planning to spread awareness or share information about nature, it is essential to present it so that everyone can understand it. There is no right or wrong way of experiencing nature and encouraging individuals to step outside of their comfort zone to explore nature is important, too. Lastly, for me, the most important takeaway from these blogposts is an understanding privilege; some people had the privilege of exploring nature when they were young, and some people are exploring nature in their adult age, and someone not knowing how to swim or canoe should not be seen as incapable compared to a person that spends their childhood expanding these skills. It is never too late to go out into the world and experience nature, and it is okay if someone is not passionate as others regarding nature.
Thank you for reading!
Nabila
References
DavidSuzukiFDN. (2012). David Suzuki and Richard Louv @AGO. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/F5DI1Ffdl6Y
Eco Canada. (2021). Park interpreter. Retrieved from https://eco.ca/career-profiles/park-interpreter/
Final blog post #1: My beliefs and tools as a nature interpreter
For the final week of blog posts, I would like to take the chance to deeply reflect on what I have learned and how I can give back to my community, once I have graduated. I believe that as an environmental interpreter, I have the responsibility to teach, to inspire, to learn and to grow. In order to perform all these duties in an effective manner, I need to establish a set of beliefs that I need to follow:
Teach effectively by incorporating many styles of learning, do not settle with just the bare minimum (i.e: only giving out factual information like what a plain textbook already has, a nature interpreter is a person, not an audiobook).
When it comes to inspiring people, effective communication is an absolute necessity. This can only be done if I understand the topic, do my research, and communicate with audiences with a passion.
Always stay humble. Being able to own up to one’s mistakes is the most effective way to learn and mature from one’s faults. Besides teaching, it is very important to keep an open mind and open ears to listen, no matter who my audience is. There is always something they know that I do not.
Planning and design is important before embarking on any journey. However, keep in mind that there isn’t any perfect plan for every situation. Expect the unexpected and be prepared to handle any challenges in the most calm manner as possible.
Working in this field means I need to do my best to encourage participation and collaborative efforts (Knudsen and Seidler, 2013). This translates to giving my audience the opportunity to touch, feel, and smell nature, that way they get to experience nature to the full extent. This directly ties into the naturalistic intelligence that Howard Gardner suggested in 2011 (Beck et al., 2018). Even though it is the latest to be added to the list of learning style intelligences, I personally think it is the most relevant way to connect with nature on a deeper physical and spiritual level.
A useful tool that I can use to effectively communicate with my audience is probably my sense of humor. I have always been afraid of boring everybody whenever I talk, therefore, over time I learned how to level up my linguistic intelligence (Beck et al., 2018). However, it is important to keep in mind that there is an extent to the use of humor. Too much would just make the audience question the seriousness of the issue or the subject that I am trying to interpret, and will likely backfire on me as an interpreter.
Finally, we are living in an era where information and technology is only one click away. I think we should maximize this to their fullest potential. The textbook suggested that as interpreters, we do not need to be afraid of technologies as distractions, but rather, we can turn them into a tool by smoothly incorporating it into the ways we teach (Beck et al., 2018).
For now, that is where I am going to end this blog. I will see you all in the follow-up blog some time this week! Thanks for tuning in!
Duong (Robin) Nguyen.
References
Knudsen, M. A., Seidler, P. H. (2013). Nature interpretation for children and young people in the Nordic countries. Nordic Council of Ministers. DOI: 10.6027/TN2013-534
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Publishing.
Hey Robin!
I really enjoyed your post this week!
Isn’t it neat that we now have knowledge (or at least more of the knowledge) that enables us to effectively connect with others and share with them the value of nature? Understanding the different ways that people learn as well as the different ways that people can interpret nature (music, art, history) will allow us to convey the value behind conserving nature.
You mention effective communication as something necessary for inspiring people. I also think that that is a crucial tool. A lot of information can be mistaken with poor communication, which can disengage and confuse your audience.
Staying humble is also a very important tool. Understanding that everyone brings unique values to the table is important, and also, using mistakes as a learning opportunity rather than an error encourages participation and removes the fear of failure that may reside in your audience.
I, too, believe that technology can be a valuable tool to facilitate nature interpretation. But I think we must be careful and make sure that technology does not replace the outdoor aspect of nature education. So much can be learned from simply being outside, things that cannot be replicated by technology. Therefore, technology should be used as a tool to enhance education rather than a replacement.
Hi Robin,
I enjoyed reading your post. I like the four points you stated, such as incorporating different learning styles when we plan to educate and inspire others on nature. As you mentioned sharing information the right way to inspire others is essential; presenting a textbook with information is not the best approach as everyone has different learning styles; it is necessary when talking about such a complex topic of nature, giving the readers a visual or hands-on experience will be beneficial. Staying humble and admitting to mistakes, and learning from them is vital. There is not one person that knows everything about a specific topic; thus, the experience of learning from mistakes is beneficial. Planning and designing are essential. Before starting a journey with nature, you must be prepared and have the appropriate tools and attire to be safe on your journey.
As you mentioned, with today’s advancement in technology, we should use it to our benefit. Social media platforms and platforms such as Tumblr is an excellent way of sharing valuable information and experiences because, with Tumblr, you can share a journey you had with nature by providing pictures and videos to allow individuals. Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter can be used to share helpful information with our readers and viewers of places to visit and share a safe way to experience what the world has to offer. In my experience, I had trouble finding places to visit locally and using these platforms allowed me to see places I would enjoy and prepare myself for the journey, so I get the best experience.
I like your approach of using your sense of humour with your audience. As you mentioned, it might take professionalism out of your way of presenting your information; however, I believe many people will appreciate your approach. In today’s society, people are being intimidated by being a certain way; I think adding humour to teaching methods can allow people to get out of their comfort zone and gain more interest in the presented material. There is no right or wrong way of experiencing nature; I believe there is also not a right or wrong way of sharing information with viewers as many people will benefit from a different teaching method.
Blog Post 9 - A Final Look at Individuality
In true finale fashion, we bring the discussion this week unto ourselves. After delving into several topics revolving around the facets of interpretation, perhaps self-reflection is the hardest investigation to undertake. Looking in the mirror, I feel as though my ethic reflects experiences I have had and even my personality.
What beliefs do you bring?
First and foremost, I believe that every human has the capacity to both learn and want to learn about the natural world. The trick in modern interpretation is turning that capacity into a willingness, a willingness that is hopefully persistent throughout generations. How do I think this is best conducted? Well, I don’t think I have a perfect answer, if I did, I would solve a lot of problems beyond interpretation. However, I believe the most universally effective method is exposure to the world outdoors. Raw experiences in the untamed wilderness are understood beyond borders, languages, and emotions. Arguably, there is nothing that sparks the imagination more than the unknown of the natural realm. To best interpret, before you incorporate social programs and conservation groups, you need to build a base in pure experience for your audience.
I also believe that interpretation may not be the best way to bind an audience and nature. I don’t mean for that statement to come off as contrarian or definite, but I do believe that as flexible as interpretation is, there are more important things to translate to an audience. What I mean by this is that interpretation is largely a luxury, and it is important to recognize that. Indeed, interpretation is vital and can serve great purposes, but there are things that are more important, and I think that should be reflected in an interpretation.
What responsibilities do you have?
As a nature interpreter your responsibilities are numerous, but overall, you must ensure the interpretation does not indefinitely ruin the natural world for the audience. This may come off as a no-brainer, but I think one bad experience has devastating potential. Think in the shoes of a hesitant audience member for a moment. Despite your reservations, your family has convinced you to participate in a partially interactive nature course in a provincial park. The course is an objectively awful experience, your caution was proven to be warranted, and you wasted time and money. Do you think this disgruntled audience member will take the messages in the course to heart? Do you think they will think about related natural topics in a positive light? Do you think they will take their kids, arguably the more vital demographic, to an interpretation event any time soon? Interpretation has upside and it has downside, it is on you as the interpreter to make sure you leave guests with at least a neutral to positive experience.
As an interpreter you will be exposed to an innumerable variety of guests, it is on you, disregarding the difficulty, to cater to all audience members. Primarily, catering to all kinds of guests is professional, expected, and polite. But, if you don’t cater as best as possible you lose valuable potential listeners, listeners who may act. If you lose those who can understand what you preach, then why interpret in the first place? Catering can be done in many ways such as literal translations to building accommodations. Currently, the internet and modern technology offer a plethora of ways to connect and cater in an interpretation setting. To ignore the potential methods to connect with your audience is akin to ignoring the issues the environment faces.
Also, it goes without saying but safety is a sizable responsibility too!
What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?
When it comes to what I look for in an interpretation, I would stress both levity and entertainment to the highest extent. Most people spend their day being lectured to, working an insufferable grind, or live under a kind of duress. Nature is their escape as it is mine, so make it an escape. I know that I will ALWAYS appreciate a joke mixed into a serious topic, a little levity can go a long way. A joke is especially appreciated if it comes from an unexpected place, like an interpretation. When something is entertaining it has special properties, such as instilling the desire to want to live the experience again as well as the ability to ruminate in the brain for extended periods of time. For me, I want to enjoy both the message and the presentation, if you can nail both of those aspects, I know that I will be satisfied.
Additionally, in the same vein as having an interpretation be entertaining, I prefer if an interpretation can avoid sounding pretentious. The last thing I want when spending my own time in participation is to be talked down to. The interpreter should understand that all audience members have an understanding of the natural world and that there is no one way to interpret. An interpreter that overextends boundaries to drill in a point is simply not interpreting. I enjoy nuance in my interpretation accompanied by a relaxed interpreter who plays with the ideas of audience members. Ideally, if you don’t suffocate me with material, and give me space to breathe, I am sure that I will absorb more of message.
Individuality in nature interpretation is a unique topic and raises some intriguing points about how best to interpret. It is in our nature as humans to project ourselves into everything that we do but is that a good or bad thing in nature interpretation. Who is to say? Throughout this course we have learned the intricacies of interpretation and one of the main takeaways I got is that interpretation is ever-changing. It truly is an evolving discipline that sees a highly variable number of approaches and definitions. Overall, I think the future of nature interpretation is a bright one. I’d like to say that writing these blogs has been a nice break from the typical slog of the semester and have been a genuine creative outlet; thanks for reading everyone!
Hey there,
I enjoyed reading your blog post, and I genuinely liked how you ended your blog post. It is bittersweet concluding these blogs post I feel like writing my blog post was a great reflection, but what I enjoyed most was reading my classmate’s posts. As you mentioned, nature interpretation is evolving, and there is no right or wrong way of interpreting nature. It is not something that we can learn by reading a book or watching videos about interpretation. It was to do with your journey experiencing the outside world and how it makes you feel. Additionally, you don’t have to hike up a mountain to experience and appreciate nature; going on a walk to the forest next to your home can be a memorable nature experience.
As you stated, our responsibility to nature is not one definitive activity. When I lived in Vancouver, my parents would tell us to go on hikes, and I was in my teenage years, and I did not appreciate or enjoy the walks because I was more interested in going to the movies with my friends. After visiting Alberta this past summer, it made me reflect on the privilege I had to experience nature in Vancouver, but I did not, and it did upset me. However, as you stated, a bad experience can be a memorable one and even though I did not enjoy it, I think I did not want to tell myself I like nature more than technology. This makes me think about when I went camping when we were unprepared for portaging and overpacked and had to carry our stuff through two portaging trips. Even though it was a difficult task, it was a memorable one. Thus, I believe you must enjoy nature based on your interests too. Enjoying and experiencing nature is different in everyone’s mind, and we must allow others and ourselves to enjoy what nature has to offer when we are ready because if you go on a trip that you were forced to go you will take it for granted and no matter where you visit you will not enjoy it. It has to do with interest, and your ambition allows others to choose to experience nature in any way or time that they are ready to do so.
Great post!
Nature is Amazing
One thing I know for sure about nature, is that it never ceases to amaze me. There is always new information to be learnt, and stories to be told, or phenomenon’s to be admired. One of the phenomenon’s that I learnt about in this class while doing some research about the Northern Lights (Aura Borealis), is how this phenomenon is recognized worldwide and all nationalities, cultures, and beliefs have their own origin story for the Northern Lights.
What are the Northern Lights?
You are standing outside in Northern Canada, on a cold winter day. The chilly wind is blowing against your face and your nose is turning red while your cheeks are rosy. Everything is quiet but the sky. The sky is awake! Dancing over your head are shades of blue, green, purple and everything in-between. The light is jumping around and moving from side to side like a snake. A fire in the sky! Everything around you is still and silent to admire the picture being painted before your eyes. And this picture can be entirely explained by science. The Northern Lights are caused by electrical particles and the interactions they have with one another creating this light show, according to Western Science. But every culture has its own origin story.
Origin Stories of the Northern Lights
It is important to note that all of the following stories were researched online, and there may be many variations or other explanations from each culture as to how the lights came to be. The following are a few interesting ones I read about, but there are many many more to be heard!
Ancient Greece
The Greeks and Romans believe that the Aurora Borealis was a sister of the sun and the moon, Helios and Seline, who used her colours to wake up her sisters and warn them of a new day (Aurora Zone, 2022). Aurora is considered to be the goddess of Dawn in Roman history (Aurora Zone, 2022).
North America
Many Indigenous groups across Canada have different origin stories for the Northern Lights. The Indigenous group of Algonquin people believe that the light was created from a fire that their creator started (Nanahbozho), and it is a reminder that their creator is watching over them (Aurora Zone, 2022). Inuit people believed the lights were human spirits using a walrus skull as a ball to play games with (Aurora Zone, 2022).
The Baltic States
Estonian people believed that the lights were created by spiritual horse drawn carriages that were transporting guests in heaven to a celestial wedding ceremony (Aurora Zone, 2022).
Photo from Pexels: Tobias Bjorki (2018) ~ Taken in Norway, one of the 11 Baltic States
All of these back stories are generated from viewing the same dancing light from various locations across the world. One phenomenon is able to reach the hearts of so many different cultures and nationalities, inspiring amazement in all. Their beauty is recognized by all who see it, but everyone interprets their meaning in their own way. As stated by Beck et al. (2018) nature interpretation is able to bring an extremely diverse group of individuals together by sharing stories or enjoying the beauty our Earth has to offer. By sharing origin stories and creating our own interpretation we are able to include multiple nationalities and cultures and perhaps create an inclusive atmosphere for underserved populations (Beck et al. 2018). I am going to play a video below of the Northern Lights in action by National Geographic. When watching, think about what the lights represent for you? What do you feel when you see them? Do you now feel connected to the lights? Feel free to leave a comment on your thoughts!
References
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage. Van Haren Publishing.
Mythology of the Northern Lights. (2022). The Aurora Zone. https://www.theaurorazone.com/about-the-aurora/aurora-legends
National Geographic. (2012, March 21). Spectacular Norway Northern Lights. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izYiDDt6d8s
Hi Kate,
I enjoyed reading your post, and I like the topic you chose to represent nature. As you mentioned, nature is fantastic because there is always more to it. I love nature because you can learn something new every time and make new memories. I was interested in your blog post because it has been years since I have kept researching where and when to visit the Northern Lights, but unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to make the trip. I like how you explained each culture’s interpretations of how the northern lights came to be. I did not know that ancient Greece, North America, and the Baltic States all had different interpretations of the Northern Lights. I believed that Northern lights were caused by electrical particles interacting; as you mentioned, I did appreciate learning how the Greeks and Romans, indigenous groups across Canada, and Estonian people’s meaning behind the Northern lights. I found Estonian people’s explanation of the Northern lights to be fascinating that they believed that spiritual horses would transport guests in heaven to the celestial wedding ceremony.
I watched the video you shared, and I am speechless. It is so magical, and I believe what makes Northern Lights so magical is that it is something that occurs naturally. Northern lights can be interpreted differently by every individual; as you mentioned, what is impressive about the Northern lights is that to reach the hearts of so many people and brings different cultures and nationalities together. When I look at the Northern lights, I think of peace and the sky dancing; it’s like going to a wedding that is taking place in the sky; it’s a show of dance. A celebration of life and how beautiful every aspect of the world is.
Unit 9: Nature
Hi everyone,
This week’s blog post got me thinking about what I want to write about; there are so many amazing things in nature, and to me, nature is beautiful because it is natural. I say natural because I grew up in a country where nature was mainly artificial. I grew up in Dubai, in the land known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There is only one mountain called Jebel Hafeet, also known as Al Ain Mountain; it is the highest mountain in UAE and only 1200 metres above the sky (Manivelan, 2020). The mountain is known as “The barren mountain” the mountain does not have much nature as it looks like a desert (Manivelan, 2020). This mountain is extraordinary to me because I have many childhood memories there; my family and I would visit this mountain during school breaks. Going from the city to Al Ain and seeing this mountain was one way we could enjoy nature as it was natural and not artificial. There are many beautiful places in Dubai, but they are mainly manufactured; that is why it is sometimes hard for me to connect with nature because I grew up in a city that did not have plenty of forests, lakes, or even mountains for us to visit.
Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain mountain
My most extraordinary experience was visiting the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta. Visiting Banff and Lake Louise for the first time was like I was dreaming. Going up a mountain by hiking up was a different experience because the mountain in Dubai was made in a way that you would drive up the mountain. Thus, it was a different experience standing up on a mountain after hiking for hours. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and a great feeling that I did not experience in Jebel Hafeet. My favourite hike in Alberta was the big beehive trail. It was also my favourite because it was the first mountain that I hiked myself; it was the journey of the experience that made it memorable.
I took a picture when I hiked the big beehive; the top of the mountain was a different experience, and the lake at the bottom is Lake Louise; the colour of the water is different from a higher altitude. I will never forget this hike, and I do not think I will ever have the same experience hiking up any mountain because this was my first experience and the higher I got, the more surprises there were. Going from the hike up on a forest, then seeing a waterfall, then seeing Lake Agnes and Lake Agnes tea house and getting up on the mountain with the view of other mountains and seeing Lake Louise, such a memorable trail.
I liked how this blog post was open to any context I wanted to relate to nature. This allowed me to bring in my childhood memories and share how my experiences with nature were. At the beginning of the blog posts, I felt that I did not have the same experiences with nature as my classmates. Still, after reading the article “helping teachers unpack their invisible knapsacks,” I felt more assured that even though my experiences with nature were different, it still was an experience of enjoying what nature has to offer (Gallavan, 2005).
This opened my eyes, and I thought that nature has to include trees and flowers basically made me believe that Dubai did not have nature, and everything was manmade, but I was mistaken. Dubai is in a different area with different weather conditions, and talking about the context of natural the dessert there is natural. It is not something that was manufactured like the parks or flower gardens. This made me realize that nature comes in all forms, from a setting flourished by wildlife on a mountain in Alberta to a dry desert mountain in Al Ain. This blogpost and this course made me understand that everyone has a different experience with nature. There is no right or wrong way of experiencing nature one does not have to go up on a mountain to experience what nature has to offer.
References
Gallavan, N. P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their "invisible knapsacks.” Gale, 13(1).
Manivelan, P. (2020). Jebel hafeet – visit this incredibly unique al ain mountain! Retrieved from https://pickyourtrail.com/blog/al-ain-mountain/
Tripadvisor. (2022). Jebel Hafeet (Al Ain) - all you need to know before you go - updated 2022 (Al Ain, united arab emirates). Retrieved from https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g298061-d1453101-Reviews-Jebel_Hafeet-Al_Ain_Emirate_of_Abu_Dhabi.html
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
Hi Naomi,
I enjoyed reading your blogpost post. It was fascinating, and I liked the song choices you made. I have heard the song “Nobody” by Mitski before. However, I never watched the music video. I agree with the interpretation of the song that you made, and I don’t find it hard to believe that we human beings are destroying the earth even though we “love” the earth, as you mentioned. I like the lyrics you chose that Venus was destroyed because the people wanted too much. There are so many artificial things on the earth that are contributing to global warming, and at this point, I believe some people on earth don’t value green leaves as much as they love green paper.
I have the same perception as you when thinking of memorable experiences in nature, especially a campfire. It is supposed to be relaxing, and you are sitting around with the people you love, enjoying nature outside, and listening to the fire very relaxing. This kind of shows the point made by the song you chose, “Nobody” as we say, we love nature and value earth, but we come outside and burn wood from trees and see it as relaxing. I never thought of it that way before, but I thought it was interesting to point out.
Your last two song choices were eye-opening for me, and I have never heard them before. The song “I ain’t marching anymore” reminded me of Michael Jacksons’ song “They don’t really care about us.” There are so many hidden and apparent messages in songs that are eye-opening. The music you have chosen, especially” Big Yellow Taxi,” are artists using music to stand up for what they believe in and standing up for earth being destroyed. Like Joni Mitchel said “That you don’t know what you’ve got till its... GONE”.
Great post!
Nabila
Blog Post 7: Music
Hello everyone,
When I think of where music is in nature, I think of natural sounds made by animals, such as birds chirping and owls hooting sounds. Additionally, waves at the beach and heavy rain give me a sense of peace. I see it as the music of nature, and it is beautiful because it is natural. Hearing these things reminds me of how beautiful all aspects of nature are, and anything magnificent made by humanity will not be as remarkable as nature itself. This is where nature is in music; I believe artists try to make music to remind us of nature, but it won’t quite beat nature’s music.
This week’s blog post question reminds us to compare and see if we believe nature is more beautiful than things made or created by humanity. Think about the seven wonders in the world everyone has heard or plans to see because when you go there, it makes you think how this place was even created, such as Niagara Falls. Even though I have visited multiple times every time I go and see the falls, it gives a sense of peace. Listening to the sounds of the falls is like music to me. It is more beautiful than listening to the top-rated song of the week because songs are replaceable and get old over time, but the sound of the falls is irreplaceable and beautiful to my ears each time I hear it.
Some people choose to create music by incorporating nature into their songs to reconnect with nature, and that is what Ben Mirin tried to accomplish with his music (GrrlScientist, 2016). His talent was beatboxing, and he wanted to incorporate beatboxing and birdsongs (GrrlScientist, 2016). With time, he grew and is now known as “Wildlife DJ” many people enjoyed his music (GrrlScientist, 2016). He shared that the purpose of making music was not just to make music; he wanted to inspire his viewers to nature through his music (GrrlScientist, 2016). He learned that bird singing would change if they changed habitat; for instance, if they were in the rainforest, they had a lower frequency, while birds in open habitats such as eucalypt forest had higher frequency when birds singing (GrrlScientist, 2016). His approach allowed him to use his talent and learn about his interest in nature.
The song that gives me a sense of nature is “Somewhere over the Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole. I listen to this song when I go on road trips for camping and road trips in general because it brings a sense of peace. And when I go on road trips, I think that it is relaxing because it is taking time off from the real world, and to me, that is peace being able to leave behind the city and go and explore nature without having the stress of school or work. Sometimes, I listen to this song when stressed, and it calms me. Every song brings different emotions based on when you first listened to it. There are some great songs that I do not enjoy anymore because it reminds me of bad memories, but there are also some songs that may not be everyone’s favourite, but I enjoy them because it brings back good memories. This song that I chose has 1 billion views on YouTube, but people around me don’t recognize it because it is so different from today’s music. I believe music is like time travel, you travelling back to time to the first time you heard the songs. Like the video shared in our course notes “The Six Blind Men,” every blind man had a different prediction of what they were feeling, and I like to think music is like that too. Everyone understands music differently and puts different meanings to it. Since some music is in other languages, some instruments are only used in a particular culture. Thus, not everyone can understand. However, with the music in nature, everyone can understand, and I like to believe that it brings peace to everyone that hears birds in nature or the sound of the falls.
I would like to hear your thoughts on my blog post, and if you have the same feeling when listening to the song, I included the link to the song if you are interested.
Thanks for reading!
Nabila
Song: “Somewhere over the Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I
References
GrrlScientist. (2016). Music as a gateway to nature. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2016/09/21/music-as-a-gateway-to-nature/?sh=3c325d549e74
Hooykas, A., Dr. (2021). Unit 7: Nature Interpretation through music. Retrieved from https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/730239/viewContent/2951598/View
Kanika24fps. (2009). Six blind men. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqgr5xZLz0
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)
I had to read this quote over a few times to really try and understand the underlying meaning behind it. To me, this quote is primarily addressing the past and its significance to placing the pieces together for how things are today. The past may have come and gone and although I don’t believe it is wise to get too stuck in the past, dwelling on it, I do believe it is important to recognize how the past has shaped the way things are today and how it plays an important role in telling a story about a particular person/place/thing. While time is not stagnant and history is more than just a moment in time, I don’t think it should be treated as more than guidance for the decisions we make in the present and future. I believe this ties in to how interpreters use history as a way to really articulate the value and beauty of what they are interpreting. I believe an audience is much more engaged and likely to show interest when they are learning about the past behind what they are witnessing and how it was valued, connecting it to it’s value presently. As seen also in our readings, even kids can take an interest in history when it has a lot of history and stories that have been passed down about it and that have been preserved well into the present. With this being said the value of something has a lot less to do with its age or how long it’s been a part of history, but rather how others interacted with it in the past and how it was influenced over time.
History, as I have previously stated, should not be dwelled upon, however, it can serve as a lesson that we can learn from in order to refrain from making the same mistakes and inspire a better future. However, I don’t believe history is always kind to those within it. Perspective is a major part of interpretation and when it comes to history there can be a lot of different points of view and most of the time it is impossible to know what is really the truth. I believe that when history is being shared, it is crucial to remain as unbiased as possible and ensure that only the known facts are being stated, without trying to pin any one specific person or side as ‘hero’ or ‘villain.’ This is my only real issue with history, as it can be cruel to the memory and/or names of those who are no longer around to share their sides of the story. For this reason, I believe history can only be ‘taken with a grain of salt’ (as the saying goes), meaning it shouldn’t be taken too literally nor should it’s stories be considered fact or ‘set in stone’. While history is very important to understanding how we’ve come to get where we are today, it has little to do with the present and how our future must turn out to be. The readings share the example of Christopher Columbus who has been shared and credited throughout history as the first person to discover the Americas. Except overtime, people slowly started to pick apart this idea and spread the truth that the indigenous people were there and had their own lives years before his arrival. Christopher Columbus actually colonized the Americas and caused a lot of suffering for the indiginous people there before him. Thus, for Columbus to have been painted as a hero and the first to discover this land is both a lie and offensive to the inidigenous people today whose ancestors suffered under his hand.
Thus, history is a great tool for interpreters to use to help their audiences gain a deeper understanding and connection to what they are interpreting, however, history should be used in a cautionary way, knowing how information can be falsely spread and therefore damaging to some. When sharing stories and ideas of the past, interpreters help their audience to understand from stories of personal experience or stories that were passed down to them. However, this once again can be dangerous because although personal experience can be valuable and relatable, making it easier to understand, it is usually also extremely biased.
Hi Catarina,
I enjoyed reading your blog post. I agree that the quote is not easy to interpret at first glance, and not everyone would agree with Hyams saying. I like how you stated that dwelling on the past is wrong. However, it is good to think about the past to understand how certain cultures, beliefs, people, and landmarks came. As you mentioned, the past should be used as guidance for us now and the future; however, even with learning the mistakes of the past, I believe that people still make the same mistakes. I like your point that it is crucial to remain unbiased when learning history, which I feel is impossible. Based on their beliefs and values, everyone will interpret history differently and interpret the story to benefit their thought process. For instance, with the pandemic, in the past, it would take a long time to come up with a vaccine or treatment, and now because of our advancement in technology and higher education, these discoveries do not take as much time as they are not starting from scratch. Scientists use the knowledge and data from previous outbreaks to control the current. However, some individuals believe that because the discovery of the vaccine did not take as long as the one before then, it is not safe. This is an example of how people interpret stories or evidence from the past to match their thought processes.
As you mentioned, we must be cautious of what historical interpretations are biased. Also, times have changed a particular scenario and culture that worked in the past will not work now. We must evolve and adapt to changes as we can’t do many things the same as it was done in the past as it will not work now. For instance, the whole cycle of recycling people did not recycle in the past, but now we all know that there are issues with plastic use, and we must learn to change our habits; manufacturers must put their creative caps on and find better ways to package their products that will be beneficial to our environment.
Looking at Edward Hyams’s quote, I understood that historical items have a different value due to their journey throughout time. Old things are at a higher value because they are irreplaceable due to the personal authenticity that comes with them.
Great post!
Nabila
Reference
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.
Blog Post 6
There is a value with ancient items such as paintings, sculptures, historical tools used in ancient times that have great importance due to their historical significance. I always think that old things are more valuable because it has a story that makes them more treasured. For instance, think about your first tooth that came out when you were a child. Many parents keep it, and it has value to them as it signifies their child is growing up. It has an emotional weight to it that you can’t get back. For instance, you keep the bear or blanket you had when you were a child because you try to get back the comfort it gave you. Some parents replace their kid’s old blankets with a new one, and the child notices and do not like the new blanket because the emotional connection they have with that blanket cannot be replaced. This shows that old things are irreplaceable because of the item’s value based on historical events. This signifies the child’s personal authenticity towards the blanket (Beck et al., 2018: pg. 339).
When I thought of personal authenticity, it reminded me of Lake Minnewanka in Alberta. When I visited this historic landmark, my initial thought was that this place is magical; later, the tour guide explained the landmark events of the lake, and I understood the personal authenticity the lake has that is irreplaceable (Beck et al., 2018: pg.339).
Lake Minnewanka was once referred to as “Minn-waki” or “Lake of the Spirits” the Stoney people gave this name, and they were respected and frightened by the lake of its residential spirits (Dixon, 2017).
“This is not a site to wander alone in unless a person is blessed for such a mission, as spirits wander there without regard for those who hike this land; night camping might be quite a scary affair.”
~Linda Dunning from Lost Landscapes (Dixon, 2017)
There is a glass case in the Banff Indian Trading Post of a mythical half-man and half-fish creature that once lived the Lake Minnewanka. People that visit and see this creature question where it came from (Dixon, 2017). They even share that visiting and witnessing the merman of Lake Minnewanka is a must when visiting Banff, Alberta. This shows the importance of experiencing and seeing ancient things and understanding their origination, and understanding its history, survival, and in this case, how it came to be. We have many questions in the past and how some survived in areas or climates that we currently cannot apprehend. I look at ancient beings as stories.
Mythical merman of Lake Minnewanka (Dixon, 2017)
Lake Minnewanka has authenticity, and after learning about its history, many visitors allow their imagination to enter the place’s history. Some explore night camping at this authentic place to understand and experience the Stoney people’s identification of the Lake brings “The Lake of spirits” (Beck et al., 2018: pg. 340). Lake Minnewanka is surrounded by multiple mountains and some mountains no visitors have ever visited due to the danger of the animals. Many people fear visiting due to the spirits of the Lake.
An additional interesting fact about the historic landmark of Lake Minnewanka is that in 1912 the lake was flooded due to a plant operation (Nalewicki, 2017). The flooded area is only available for scuba divers to explore, and it has been reported that many critical archeological findings were found (Nalewicki, 2017). The historic site is visited by 8,000 scuba divers every year, and there are still things that are hidden and have not been identified even to this day (Nalewicki, 2017). Due to the cold and clear water in Lake Minnewanka, wood can survive well there even after years of being underwater (Nalewicki, 2017). After reading my blog post personally, I want to know if you would ever decide to scuba dive in Lake Minnewanka. I have done scuba diving with sharks before, but I don't have the courage to scuba dive there due to the evident spirits.
Thanks for reading; looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Nabila
Reference list:
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.
Dixon, T. (2017). The spirit of minnewanka - calgary guardian. Retrieved from https://calgaryguardian.com/the-spirit-of-minnewanka/
Nalewicki, J. (2017). This Canadian lake hides an underwater ghost town. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/underneath-canadian-lake-sits-preserved-ghost-town-180964645/
Blog post 5: How the pandemic has affected us to enjoy nature
I was happy to hear that we had the chance to speak freely about any subject matter of our choosing for this week's blog post. Still, I was intent on discussing a practical subject matter. After reading everyone’s blogs these past five weeks, I recognized that everyone’s approach to enjoying nature has changed. I think that to enjoy nature, one must be with nature, and therefore it’s essential to step outside of one’s comfort zone and outside the zone of a rural and/or metropolitan area.
First, I would like to express how the pandemic has altered my ability to enjoy nature. Since most indoor activities have been shut down or restricted due to the pandemic, I had to push myself outside of my comfort zone to explore and go on adventures that I initially opposed. For instance, when it came to travelling pre-pandemic, I would repeatedly visit Dubai’s city I grew up in. Unfortunately, almost all of the adventures and activities hosted in Dubai are held indoors. Since it’s such a hot destination, outdoor activities are limited, maybe even requiring international travel.
I chose to visit Alberta this past summer. After seeing the Canadian Rockies, I thought I had skyrocketed my love for nature. Not only did I witness the purity of nature firsthand, but I was also informed of the issues pertaining to the melting glacier of Athabasca Glacier. Something extraordinary that I learned from an Alberta native there that surprised me, however, was how considerate and sensitive humans must be to some of the wildlife that resides there. For example, if an animal, in the spot they routinely hunt for prey, starts to hear music, they will become confused and may abandon that familiar spot. This is a risk because they may have offspring waiting for their return. Had it not been because of the pandemic, I don’t believe that I would have thought about stepping outside my comfort zone and my home province to expand my knowledge of nature. The Ted Talk of Washington Wachiras gave me insight into the types of bird species I may have been exposed to this past summer, which I did not appreciate. For instance, when I visited Alberta, I went for a picnic by Lake Louise, and a bird with the most unique feathers attended our picnic area. A concerning issue that I became aware of after watching the Ted Talk was how these species are impacted by humans. For instance, how hunters hunt for birds as an activity, how trees being cut down reduce the bird's nesting ability, and lastly, how windmills affect these species. I must admit it may seem evident that windmills cause harm to birds. Still, before watching the video, I did not hold any negative views towards windmills because I always thought they were resourceful as they are sustainable.
Below you will find the picture of the bird which attended our picnic site.
Thanks for reading!
Nabila
The Beach - Blog 5
Everyone has a place that they feel most at home, whether it be just at their house, a cottage, outside, a sports field, or even an individual. For me, it’s the beach, specifically with my family. With COVID-19 it has forbidden my access to travel, especially to a destination residing on a beach. It has forbidden many things for all. Although now things are slowly opening back up and restrictions are beginning to get lifted, my family and I have been hesitant for a while to travel for many reasons. Now I don’t wanna make this whole post about COVID-19 because I’m sure many individuals have had enough of it, just like myself, but it has restricted me from being in a place that resolves all negatives in my life.
I love the beach because…
The scenic bright blue waves crashing in the background noise. The ocean breeze’s earthy and salty odours. The soothing sounds of the ocean and the gulls. The vitamin D absorbing in my skin, the feeling of sand on my feet, the warm wind that brushes a tan, it makes me feel at peace, calmness. The relaxation, the scenery, the warmth, the water, and the sun the beach has to offer, quite frankly I believe can make anyone’s frown turn upside down, or their mood skyrocket with dopamine.
Every trip I have gone on and every country I have traveled to, my family always goes to the beach. For them too, and their own love for the ocean and the beach, has grown my love for it. When I am at the beach without them, it offers the exact same feeling as if they aren’t there with me.
I miss it incredibly. I am thankful enough that this summer I will finally be able to travel again without any hesitations, and go on a trip down south with my family which we have planned for in August.
This aspect of nature has impacted my love for it, and my life entirely. The beach has offered many outlets in my life, and has made me more appreciative for the Earth, mother nature and it’s offering. As beaches surround us in many different parts of the world, I still cannot bear the thought of not being consistently brought up around it, because since I was a little girl, it has offered a positive impact on my future life and self, something I would have never imagined. It is a place that I can go to, and nothing else matters than offering myself mental and physical self-care.
Here’s a small look into some of the photos I have or my family has captured from the many beaches I have experienced in my lifetime:
Hello,
I really enjoyed reading your post. As you mentioned, you enjoy going to the beach with your family, and it reminded me of the old days when I would go to the beach with my family. I remember I always enjoyed making sandcastles when I was younger and would dig a spot for me to go under the sand to make myself be part of the beach, and it also made me feel like a mermaid. When I was younger, the beach I would visit was Jumeirah beach in Dubai, and I remember I would typically see dead jellyfish at the shore. I did not think of it much then, but it makes me wonder why there were so many jellyfish that would not survive and the fact that there were so many jellyfish that I am fortunate that I never got stung by one. The beach is relaxing scenery, as you mentioned. However, I noticed that I see a lot of plastic waste at beaches in Ontario now; I feel that the beach’s beauty is covered with plastic debris. The pandemic has impacted our ability to enjoy nature; however, it helped me acknowledge the wilderness in Canada and opened my eyes to the issues causing harm to wildlife.
The pictures you posted sadly do not remind me of beaches in Ontario. We typically choose to travel to Cuba or Mexico to visit their shores. I wonder if there are any beaches in Ontario you have seen or plan to visit that you would recommend?
I hope you get to go on your planned trip in August with your family.
Nabila
Unit 4 - Nature interpretation
We are so lucky to have nature surrounding us and be within us. Our minds, lives and bodies live in, off and on nature. We depend on it. The air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink is all provided by nature. Our life source is sustained by the earth. If nature did not exist, we would not be here.
There are several forms and purposes that artwork based nature may take. These include plants, flowers, trees, cells, animals, aging, evolution, natural sciences, fire, the environment and more.
Expressing the skill, creativity and human imagination through art such as painting, drawing, photography or sculpting provides a voice of what nature lacks to speak. Art can involve the display of the natural world or to make scientific observations in our environment. It can allow individuals to expand their minds to the connections and ideas about nature. Integrating art and nature can capture extraordinary results.
Figure 1: Fall tree painting done by young me!
So, how can art become an interpretation of nature? Nature can be mimicked through art by visually replicating what is observed in real life. Interpreting nature can be done through abstract art which takes their visual cue from actual forms of nature. Studying, observing and contemplating natural forms is how interpretation is created. There is flexibility within nature interpretation through art which makes it difficult to illuminate.
Figure 2: Sunset painting done by me in Florida
Who am I to interpret nature through are? As a very creative person who has been creating nature through art for many years, I believe the one thing a person needs to have in order to create this interpretation is to appreciate nature. Having a deep appreciation for the natural world allows people to experience it in their own ways and have their own ideas about it. No matter how creative a person is, everyone can interpret art. There is no “one way” to interpret something. Nature is meant to be interpreted in many ways. Some things are more significant to some people while meaningless to others. Some individuals can personally relate to nature and express how they feel through art.
Figure 3: Another beach photo using real sand from the beach!
The appreciation and involvement in the study of ecology and the natural world will encourage people to interpret nature through art.
Interpreting the gift of beauty requires pleasing ideas of the property, quality or state of being. In order to interpret the gift of beauty, individuals must be motivated to observe beauty around them in the natural world. Beauty is subjective. It is based on personal feelings and influences. Being able to understand beauty within nature is difficult as you must have a natural feeling towards it and not force yourself to just find something “pretty”. I believe that interpreting the gift of beauty is very personal and is most recognized when in a meditative state. I see the gift of beauty when focusing my mind on what I see and thinking about nothing except the feeling I get when observing what is in front of me.
Figure 4: A painting of a bird that comes to my bird feeder everyday.
Figure 5: Interpretation of nature in the four seasons through art!
In order to interpret nature through art, I believe the gift of beauty must be present.
Hi Lauren,
I enjoyed reading your post. As you mentioned, we are fortunate to have the ability to enjoy the beauty of nature. Especially as Canadians, we get to experience four seasons, which is a privilege as many other countries don’t have four seasons. I enjoyed looking at your art. You did a great job in all of them. As you mentioned, art gives the ability for one to share their skills and imagination with others. I like how you said that an art piece could be interpreted differently, and there is not just one interpretation of art. Looking at figure 2 in your blog post reminds me of being on vacation in a tropical place and bringing a certain calmness and warmness to me. To me, art nature is like travelling in my imagination. It makes me feel like I am in a calm place, enjoying the nature around me. Figure 5 reminded me of last year when I had Covid, and I was isolated in my room. I did not have much to do, and I chose to open the gift I got, which was to paint my number, and the image was colouring in a painting of four seasons. I remember that the picture helped calm me, and finishing it was an achievement because I am not artistic. I shared the image below; I did not finish the painting because one of the colours was dried out, which was unfortunate. However, it was a great experience, and from your blog post, I learned that enjoying art is one thing, but the journey of finishing the piece is also a story of its own.
Great post!
Nabila
Blog Post 4: Art and Nature
A picture is worth a thousand words. This is a common saying, and we believe that we can share experiences or information through art or images posted on social media. Even professional interpreters use arts to convey a message to society, such as interpretations of art in museums, music festivals, and sculptures (Beck et al., 2018). At the same time, a picture or art is essential to convey a message, understanding that art is vital (Beck et al., 2018).
To answer who I am to interpret nature through art, I would say that I am a student who enjoys nature in my way. I am not an artist or have the knowledge and experience to interpret paintings or sculptures efficiently in a museum. However, I believe that every individual interprets art differently based on beliefs, knowledge, and values. Look at the picture at the bottom and let me know how you interpret this art of flowers, and then look below to see my interpretation. I am sure we will have a different understanding, and both interpretations are different in their way because we all look at art and interpret them differently.
I took this picture in 2019, in Dubai Miracle Garden. This picture depicts a floral clock, portraying that time is beautiful, and we take it for granted. It shows as time goes by, there are beautiful things around us that we miss because we are so focused on time. Especially in our age, we are so focused on pursuing our goals to have a bright future as we should. However, I tend to forget to appreciate these years, and in the future I will look back at these years and think of all the beautiful things around me that I took for granted because I was focused on my goals. I interpret the gift of beauty by appreciating the art and nature around me. I acknowledge that every individual will interpret the gift of beauty in their way; for instance, I could never enjoy paintings because I could not develop a personal connection. When I go to museums, I walk past the paintings and sculptures and can't relate or find much meaning in them because I believe they share a history I am unaware of. Thus, I like to observe nature as a painting and appreciate it by making my own story. I feel like for me to enjoy something, I must find a personal connection to it, and with nature, I can do that. For instance, when I look at the image above, I see three hearts under the clock. It shows the three times I will fall in love in my life. I believe the first love is the love for my family, the second heart is me finding my partner, and the third heart is the love I will have for my future children. As mentioned in the course notes, a story is continued when art or sculpture is shared over time. This was my interpretation of this art in nature; I would love to know how you interpret this image.
Thanks for reading!
Nabila
Reference
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.
Blog post 3: Privilege
When I was growing up, my exposure to nature differs from today. For instance, when it comes to blog posts, I didn’t have much experience with nature in my childhood, and it makes it difficult for me to relate to specific activities or experiences than my classmates. In the past few years, I have been able to experience nature. My definition of privilege is having access to something that others may not have based on their location, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status. For instance, some people can experience nature because they have had admissions to certain conservation areas and campsites. In contrast, others grew up in cities and had little exposure to experience nature. I grew up in Dubai, a small town that was very warm and almost all the nature there is artificial. In Dubai, you must pay an entrance fee per person to enter their parks, and that was because their gardens were artificial; they asked for a small amount to help maintain the park for visitors. Even though the fee was small, some families could not afford it. Thus, back then, it may not have been a privilege that I visited the parks with my family, but now I believe that it was.
I remember the first time I went canoeing was in Bark Lake, and it was with my parents, and the canoe flipped. My father and I did not fear being in the water, but I remember my mom did not have the same experience. She kept saying that she would drown even when she had her life jacket on. We made it out of the water safely from help at the shore. Looking back now, I realize why my mom feared being in the water. I was taught how to swim when I was young and never feared being in the deep side of the swimming pool or swimming in a lake. My mom learned how to swim when she was an adult as she did not have access to swimming lessons when she was younger. I was privileged enough to have swimming lessons as a young girl, which caused me not to fear swimming; as for my mother, she did not have the exposure at a young age and had developed a fear of being in the water. I learned that I must understand that I can do some activities not because I am braver but because I had the privilege of learning and advancing that skill when I was young.
Watching the video “social inequalities explained in $100 race” helped me understand the true meaning of privilege. It also helped me know that some people can do specific tasks or activities better because they had exposure to it at a young age. They also did not have the privilege of experiencing the same outdoor activities, which helped them advance their skills at a younger age. It makes me think about the first time I went camping in Summer 2021, and I noticed I was less experienced than others. However, this course helped me gain perspective and that the reason I was not as well prepared was that I was not exposed to camping at a young age.
Thanks for reading.
Nabila
Blog post three - Privilege
Although environmental interpretation is extremely important in sharing information, raising awareness on issues, sparking curiosity, and allowing folks to connect with nature, it is not something that is accessible to everybody. When I was in high school, there was a class I took called environment and resource management. We learned about food and resource distribution, farming methods around the world, and how to sustainably grow and harvest food. Surprisingly, a lot of discussions in this course were about the government. Government policies in certain countries prevented people from obtaining essential resources. Problems in developing countries that only target certain individuals are deemed as not important by their government leaders. The big takeaway from this class was “only the rich get to choose.” That was something my teacher drilled into our heads, and it is unfortunate but true. This is the same for environmental interpretation. Privilege, in terms of environmental interpretation, is obtaining knowledge that others may not have access to.
We are lucky to have so many different education programs in Canada which discuss the environment, but some countries do not have access to this education. In some countries, if the rich politicians don’t believe an issue is important enough, or if it interferes with their campaigns and beliefs, then the issue will not be resolved. This barrier is preventing essential information on nature and the environment from being shared globally. Considering some of these Canadian programs are inaccessible, I can’t even imagine the situation in other countries. Many ways the environment is interpreted in North America is through experiences (zoos, conservation areas, traveling, etc.) which need to be paid for. I am lucky enough to have experienced some of these paid programs, but these programs are not accessible to the entire population. Education should not have to be paid for. There are alternative interpretation methods (such as websites, social media pages, youtube, etc.), but even then, not everyone has access to a computer or smartphone to be able to access this information. “Only the rich get to choose.” People privileged enough to have access to these programs will have increased knowledge and understanding of the environment, which might enhance their relationship with nature and inspire them to surround their future around nature.
This is a picture of me when I was about 8 years old after completing the junior naturalist program that Ontario Parks offers at their conservation areas and campsites. This was an extremely insightful program, but it was only accessible to people who had paid admission into the park.
It is unfair that only certain people get to experience this enhanced relationship with nature through obtaining knowledge. It is also unfair that experiences such as connecting with nature require payment. Recently, I went to a small local conservation area with my boyfriend to go on a hike, and we were turned away at the gate for not having enough money to pay for a ticket to go on a 4km hike. Connecting with nature is an incredibly important part of building my relationship with the environment, and I felt like I was robbed of this connection. I am very privileged in that I have access to an endless supply of environmental information (which has been enhanced through attending university) and I think education, especially education on nature and the environment, should be accessible to everyone regardless of their background or income. What are some things you think could be done to improve accessibility among environmental interpretations?
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and responses.
All the best, Ally
Hi Ally,
I enjoyed reading your post. It is unfortunate that you were turned away for the 4km hike at the gate due to insufficient funds. I always loved nature because it is accessible for everyone, but after going through this week’s course material and blog posts, it was upsetting to realize that was false. However, it was customary to pay to visit parks when I grew up. I grew up in Dubai, and most natural areas were artificial because it was always warm there. The exposure to nature I had, when I was younger was visiting the zoo, which we had to pay for, and I was fortunate enough to attend the school trips. Even visiting parks there, we had to pay an entrance fee per person and parking fee to go in. Coming to Canada was more enjoyable as I got to experience nature indeed instead of looking at artificial parks. Amazingly, you got to experience nature as a young girl, but, unfortunately, it was not accessible to everyone. I can relate and agree that “only the rich get to choose” experiencing nature is a privilege in some countries as that was the experience I had when I was younger. If kids in Dubai want to experience snow, they go to an artificial ski place called Ski Dubai, and it was costly, and many people were not privileged enough to experience snow. I believe this will become a more significant problem soon, and kids will not get to have the same experiences we did with nature.
Nabila
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
Hi,
I enjoyed reading your post. I like your idea of interpreting science to make it accessible for everyone to understand, even if they don’t have a science background. This is very important because if science were presented through journal articles that the general public can follow, it would help avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations. There is a current issue regarding vaccines, and I believe this can be resolved if vaccines are explained clearly to the public to allow them to feel safe about getting the vaccine. Many people fear the unknown, and nowadays, due to scientific articles being so advanced, many people fear to trust science because they don’t understand it. We need to know how to read journal articles and randomized controlled trials. Many published papers have bias and do not disclose all the findings in the research; we need to observe them and avoid misinterpretation. I like that you chose to educate the public and inform governing bodies of sustainability. It is necessary to understand who to approach to make a difference, and in today’s world, it is necessary to educate rule-makers of changes that would benefit the cause. I agree with all the qualities you presented for your ideal role as an environmental interpreter. I want to add that having knowledge and experience in nature and the environment is essential. Today, to make a difference, we need to educate and inform the public, and you have presented a great way to do this. I wish you all the best on your journey.
Nabila
