Nature Interpretation

[dralh]

Disclaimer (please pin an edited version to the top of your blog)

This blog was created for __________, 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.

[rjmenvs3000f23]

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.

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Last Blog Post

Describe your personal ethic as you develop as a nature interpreter. What beliefs do you bring? What responsibilities do you have? What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?

Hello everyone, can't believe this is our last blog post, time really flew by! I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's thoughts every week, and I've definitely learnt a lot about everyone as well! This is a really interesting blog post prompt, and I've made my post very detailed, so get ready!

Looking back at one of my first blog prompts, I can see how much progress I've made in learning what it means to be a natural interpreter. My knowledge has changed as a result of the journey, and it has also strengthened my bond with nature. Nonetheless, I have a strong desire to work as a nature interpreter; I want to be a tour guide that takes people on adventures throughout different ecosystems across the globe. The idea of sharing these experiences with other tourists makes me feel really fulfilled. Taking on the position of narrator and acting as a representative of the amazing marvels that our world is home to will undoubtedly be a very fulfilling experience. 

My main objective as an interpreter is to enlighten and motivate people about the topics that I find fascinating. By doing this, I hope to shed light on the complex environmental factors that influence the surrounding biomes in addition to offering useful and insightful information. This purpose not only informs but also cultivates a deep understanding and appreciation for the complexity of life that surrounds us. My efforts are driven by motivation. My goal is to pique people's interest and inspire them to discover the wonders of the natural world. By spreading my enthusiasm, I want to encourage a community that actively engages with and cares for the environment by instilling a sense of responsibility. 

My personal ethic as a nature interpreter is deeply rooted in my desire to convey to others my enthusiasm for the environment and develop in them a sense of wonder and responsibility. In my opinion, encouraging people to have a relationship with nature is essential to supporting sustainable practices and conservation. I see myself promoting responsible behaviour and emphasizing the value of environmentally conscious travel and conservation. I think it's important to spread the word that all of our acts have an influence on communities and the environment, no matter how minor. In terms of responsibilities, my main objective is to make people deeply aware of their surroundings and to instill in them a sense of wonder and awareness. My commitment is to inspire people to cultivate deep connections with the natural world by highlighting the importance of sustainable practices and conservation. 

Nonetheless, I think it might be difficult as a nature interpreter to strike a balance between offering informative material and engaging experiences. Considering that entertainment may be a potent technique for grabbing people's attention, the issue comes from the desire to draw in and involve a larger audience. However, there are a number of ethical issues at stake when amusement overrides instructional value. Although there's an intrinsic fascination with nature, there's a chance that certain elements of it may be sensationalized or dramatized for entertainment value. This may result in a distorted view of the natural world, emphasizing dramatic details over a comprehensive comprehension. As a nature interpreter, my professional identity is profoundly influenced by the environment, which inspires me to promote constructive change and build relationships with like-minded individuals. My approach includes not only displaying the beauty of various settings but also educating and raising awareness about the necessity of environmental stewardship. My goal is to inspire people to take responsibility for the environment and take action to safeguard it by acting as a catalyst for change, as I mentioned previously and to raise awareness of environmental issues among the largest number of people through tours and informational lectures. My greatest sense of fulfillment in this position ultimately stems from the chance to motivate others. I want to be able to support group efforts to cultivate an awareness of and reverence for the natural world's beauty. In summary, my holistic approach to conservation considers not just the biological components of conservation but also the social and cultural factors. 

By combining these components, I hope to promote a legacy of care for coming generations and help humans and the natural world live in harmony and sustainability. My experiences in the ENVS*3010 class, in particular, benefited my journey toward refining and deepening my environmental ethics, responsibilities, and approaches. My awareness of sustainability, environmental challenges, and the complex interactions between human activity and the natural world were all examined by this course. Essentially, the knowledge I acquired from ENVS*3010 has shaped my professional identity and influenced how I advocate for environmental stewardship and connect with others. In addition to increasing my knowledge, this course has fueled my desire to motivate positive change. I am appreciative of this class's transformational influence on my career as a nature interpreter, which has strengthened my resolve to advance the peaceful coexistence of humans and the natural world. As I dive deeper into the specifics of being a nature interpreter, my daily goal is to gain more insight. Upon contemplation of the deep significance included in my position, I consistently improve my morals and responsibilities. These ideas will inevitably become dynamic, and I look forward to accepting this evolution with flexibility and an open mind.

To ensure that I am knowledgeable about the changing dynamics of this subject, I continue to study in the field of nature interpretation. My goal has always been to cultivate a mentality that encourages both ongoing curiosity and personal growth.

Have a great rest of the semester everyone, hope all of your upcoming assignments and exams go well and I can’t wait to read your last blog posts!

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hi there! Great job on your blog post, I found it quite inspiring and your goals as a nature interpreter would have such beneficial effects for our environment.

I think you would make a great tour guide in the future. Being able to share your knowledge on something you love can be such a pleasure, and it doesn't make a job feel like a job. It's also a great way for people to learn more about nature when they don't know where to start. Everyone needs a guide in life, whether it be for math, physics or learning about the environment.

As nature interpreters we understand the importance of enlightening and motivating people to make changes for our planet. Last week was a good way to practice this. Reading about some of the marvels of our world instilled a sense of responsibility in myself. A responsibility to protect and preserve the wonder that is our world. Doing this to a diverse group of people would have enormous benefits for the future of our planet.

I also liked that you mentioned that all of our acts, even minor ones have effects on our environment. I stated in my blog post for this week that this is one of my responsibilities as a nature interpreter as well. It's important for us to teach people that they can do such simple things to try and combat climate change.

It was a pleasure reading your blog post, you have such a profound outlook on the world and I have no doubt you will do great things in your future!

Rebecca

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Blog 10

So here we are ladies and gentlemen, our final blog post. It feels like just yesterday we were writing our blogs on our sense of place within nature. In the video under the content for Unit 10, Richard Louv and David Suzuki mentioned that people don’t often take time to just think and contemplate, we are always on the move. We are constantly looking for ways to fill our time and make sure we aren’t bored. However, I wish I allowed myself  some time to think and reflect on this past semester more. Now it just seems like there’s always one thing after the other, and when I don’t have something to do the first thing I gravitate towards is my phone. In the video, the pair also mentioned that being outside in nature gives you that time to contemplate. When I heard that I had a hard time believing it, but then I thought back to all the times I’ve spent outside exploring greenery. Whether it was alone, or with some friends I was at peace. My mind wasn’t rushing, I was appreciating all the plants and wildlife around me. Basking in the sun and watching water streams with ducks in it. It gave me the time I needed to contemplate, and I am planning on doing more of this in the upcoming months.

I believe that this is one of the main themes of nature interpretation. Just spending time outside and appreciating the beauty of nature and how our lives revolve around it. We as interpreters, and honestly just as human beings want to preserve our environment and make sure that future generations can enjoy it as well. This course has helped me to find my role in protecting nature, and has given me the tools to build personal ethics as an interpreter. 

One of my personal ethics would be humility. In the past I’ve judged people for not having the same knowledge I do about nature. I realize now, that some people may not have had the opportunities that I was privileged to have. As a nature interpreter, I believe it is my duty to share my knowledge in a way that doesn't make people feel ‘dumb’.  I want to share my knowledge in a way that can excite people and hopefully inspire them to go home and learn more about nature during their freetime. 

As a nature interpreter I also believe that fairness and honesty are important ethics. I want to give everyone, from young children to disabled persons to older adults a fair and honest view on our environment. I want to ensure that nature is accessible to everyone, and that they don’t feel left out. Everyone should have the right to education about nature and our environment, making it a privilege excludes and can scare people from wanting to learn more. This ties into my belief system.

As a BIPOC woman, I believe that equality is of the utmost importance. People deserve to be treated fairly regardless of their skin colour, ability, age, or class. I’m glad I live in a society where I don’t have to worry much about what people think when they see the colour of my skin. However, this is a privilege that I have been granted because many  people before me had to struggle and fight for this. As a nature interpreter I want this equality to be a right for all people. I don’t want people to doubt that they have a place with nature. Another one of my beliefs is that anything is possible. Over the years I’ve learnt that pessimism can only do harm for me, and it can in fact breathe negativity into my life. The future of our environment is bleak, but I have hope that we can fix it. Doing small things like using less plastic, or even taking the bus to school may seem like small acts of service. However if thousands of people are doing this, it makes a difference. Looking at things with a half glass full perspective can do wonders for the future of our planet.

So what are the responsibilities I have as a nature interpreter? For one educating others about our environment. While keeping my personal ethic of humility in mind, I want to educate more people about how they can also protect our environment. I want to teach people that nature allows us time to contemplate and reflect. Nature is a beautiful thing, and I’ve learned that in the past I have taken it for granted. Whether we realize it or not, our lives are intertwined with the environment. Caring and tending to it is our duty as inhabitants of this world. I want to teach people that they have to be stewards of our land, much like Indigenous people are. Which ties into my next responsibility of doing my part in stopping the effects of climate change. As I’ve mentioned in one of my blog posts before, I want to open an animal conservatory in the future. With the constant development of our world, wildlife is continuously being displaced and their numbers are depleting. So many animals are suffering from the effects of climate change, and I believe it is one of my duties in life to protect them. 

What approaches are most suitable to me as an individual? One would be to never stop learning. More knowledge has never been a bad thing, I want to make sure that as I move on from my years at university that I keep up with issues around our world and try to teach myself new things. I want to also remain humble and be able to accept different views in all aspects of my life.

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Blog #9: Sense-Making of Nature Interpretation

Blog Prompt:

Interpret (through this blog) the most amazing thing you know about nature – get us excited. This is your blog – you audience isn’t out in the field with you so bring the field to your armchair reader.

👇🏼

It’s really difficult to choose one thing about nature and call it the most amazing thing. I see nature as a genius system that functions with high efficiency. The relationship i nature, the cycles etc. could be the best thing about it if looked at with depth.

But for now, i can say that bioluminescence is the most amazing thing i have seen in nature. bioluminescence is the emission of light from the living things like bacteria. This is not the most common thing about nature like the food chain but still exists and it is most common down in the sea. Jelly fish most specifically crystal jelly has this bioluminescence as a defence mechanism. How it works is when a jellyfish is threatened it flashes a light that confuses the predator or might even scare it, predator. 

It is fascinating how the sense of being threatened affects the nervous system of the jellyfish and creates action potential in the nerves which results in the reaction between luciferin and oxygen that finally creates this glowing light emission down in the water (Wilson & Hastings, 1998).

One of the cartoons that helped me with my interpretation as a child and expanded my imagination and understanding of nature was “Finding Nemo”. I have made another reference to this cartoon in another reblog which i highly encourage you to read. In Finding Nemo there is a fish very deep down in the sea where light cannot penetrate anymore and it is pitch-black and there it is the Anglerfish. Female Anglerfish live in the deep sea and have a dangling light in front of their face, this light can attract prey for these fish and light up the pitch-black environment in the deep ocean. I remember seeing this fish in Finding Nemo and thinking is that really possible? Many years later now i know that yes it is a spectacular chemical reaction that is real. 

The thing about bioluminescence is that it is not very common on land so you may not have seen them in real life. Glowworms and bioluminescent Fungi wtc are some examples that you may find in damp environments. Canada and it’s countless numbers of freshwater bodies is a great place to look for a  bioluminescent beach. The reason why I got to learn bout this natural phenomenon was the fact that travelled to British Colombia and got to visit Rathtrevor Beach on Vancouver Island. If you ever see a scenery like that you can not like it. Certain environmental conditions need to be there for Bioluminescent organisms to glow, for instance, hot weather is a better environmental factor for the function of Bioluminescent organisms such as Bioluminescent dinoflagellates (Glowing Plankton). 

We as local interpreters, can set a goal to help others to learn the historical and natural aspects of the area and try to relate that to our community (Beck et al., 2018). I believe that this is the best thing about nature that somehow in the deep sea there is a a little light glowing. I think everyone should at least see these glowing lights once in their lifetime. Also, it is a good idea that everywhere which interpretation could occur (like the bioluminescence sea) should include some element of interpretation for instance a smartphone app could be a great idea to give visitors knowledge about the site and intrigue their learning and interpretation (Beck et al., 2018).

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

Wilson, T., & Hastings, J. W. (1998). Bioluminescence. Annual review of cell and developmental biology, 14(1), 197-230.

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hi Morvarid!

This was such an interesting read, bioluminescence is an amazing phenomenon and seeing that first hand must've been so fascinating. It's definitely a very common thing to see underwater, but I feel like a lot of people may not too familiar with it because of lack of exposure to this sight. I think my first time seeing it was actually in the movie Life of Pi, when Pi looked over at the sea at night and saw that it was glowing a bright blue colour in one scene. I honestly thought it was just a visual effect, but now I know that it was bioluminescent plankton in the water. It's also a coincidence that our first experience of bioluminescence was from a movie!

I also appreciated that you explained the science behind this phenomenon, and it seems like it's an instinctually thing that jellyfish do when threatened. And this fact shows how complex jellyfish are, despite not having a central nervous system.

In my blog post for this week, I also talked about a documentary on Netflix called "Life on Our Planet" and in one of the episodes they cover bioluminescent plankton. In dark depths of the ocean, the light from the plankton can also help predators find their prey, which is quite fascinating!

Great job on the blog, this was really exciting to read about :)

Rebecca

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Lichen and Moss ~ Blog 9

As we near the end of the semester in this course, I can say with certainty that I am a Nature interpreter, and that interpretation is all around us. It works to enrich our daily lives and serves as a motivator when we may least expect it. In our textbook reading for this week, one story struck me. A father and his son were visiting Gunnison National Park, but the boy was eager to leave the trail. One man noticed the pair and offered to take them to a spot where they could see a bighorn ram. The son was in awe, and now he was refusing to leave the trail as he was memorized by the animal. Honestly, if I saw one in real life too, I would also be memorized. This moment in the boy’s life was probably a stepping stool in his future with nature. It shows that unexpected experiences can change one’s life.

For this week's blog, we were asked to write about the most amazing thing we know about nature. Recently I started watching this documentary on Netflix called “Life on Our Planet”. I haven't watched a Nature series in a while, but I thought why not? This series is like no other I’ve ever watched, and I highly recommend anyone who has Netflix to check it out! It recounts the evolution of our planet and all the stages of life and hostility on Earth.

Before the age of the dinosaurs, our planet was completely desolate and inhospitable. According to the documentary, it almost resembled the moon, covered in dead volcanoes and craters. I know for me it's hard to imagine our world like that, but it's also immensely fascinating that it used to be like that. However, even before this, life underwater had thrived for more than a billion years. From this emerged lichen, a curious life-form that is neither a plant nor an animal. Almost like fungi, and they are a combination of fungi and algae. Lichen spread rapidly over our planet and worked to break apart and infiltrate rocks that covered the land. Producing soil, and I’m sure we’re all familiar with the life-bearing properties of this medium.

From this first development of soil, came moss; which ruled and carpeted the planet for 40 million years!! This brought forth the evolution of plants that had lignin, which strengthens the cell walls of plants, allowing them to grow upwards. Trees and all different types of plants start shooting up, growing closer to the sky to get the best access to sunlight. Trees are the tallest living organisms on our planet, and this green evolution made the land hospitable to animals, insects, and all different types of creatures.

It’s honestly crazy to think that lichen and moss gave rise to all the greenery we see on our planet. Now when we look at plants, we know that their beginning was simple yet so profound that it changed the face of the Earth. I find that simply amazing, and I stumbled upon this finding because I wanted to watch a new documentary on Netflix. There’s beauty in the small things in life, quite literally.

Lanfear, S. (Writer & Director), Hamlin, J. (Director), Salisbury, E (Director). (2023, October 25). Invaders of the Land (Chapter 3) [TV Series episode]. In S. Spielberg, D. Frank, J. Falvey, K. Scholey, A. Fothergill (Executive producers). Life on Our Planet. Amblin Television & Silver Back.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Chapter 21: The Bright Future of Interpretation . In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (pp. 457–476). essay, SAGAMORE Publishing. 

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Blog 7

Hey! This week we were asked to consider our answers to the above two questions, and to share a song that we associate with our personal experience in nature.

Where is music in nature? I think music can be just about anywhere in nature, depending on where and how you want to look for it. Humans are generally great at finding patterns/rhythm in things, and we can find music just about anywhere if we want to hear it. That being said, there are a few specific examples that come to my mind when asked where I see music in nature. First, and probably most clearly, is birdsong (it’s even in the name). Whether it’s the chirping of sparrows in the morning or owls at night, there are tons of little songs being sung all around. I personally love hearing owls, even if they don’t always have the most song-like calls. On summer nights, when I have my window open, I can sometimes hear screech owls in nearby trees. They have a spooky, trilling sort of call, but it’s still musical in a way. There are lots of other places to find music in nature as well, really depending on personal interpretation. You could consider the sound of water in brooks and streams to be musical, or the cheeping of insects and frogs.

Where is nature in music? Everywhere, I guess. Same as with the first question, I think nature can be found all over music, especially since they’re both such broad categories. Nature is a common theme to write lyrics about, whether it’s about nature in general or the lyricist’s relationship to or memory of a certain place. For me personally, one of the first artists that I think when discussing nature in music is Fleet Foxes. I don’t know their music super well, but the songs I do know always make me think of something related to nature, particularly the changing seasons. . As was mentioned in the readings, music doesn’t need to have lyrics to evoke a connection to nature. Additionally, I think a lot of movie soundtracks do a great job at transporting people to a natural setting.

Follow up question One song that always takes me back to a natural landscape is Carl Sagan by Night Moves. A couple of coworkers at a former job would often play it during shifts. I didn’t specifically listen to it outside, but it always reminds me of a time when I was outside a lot. It reminds me of hiking far enough out that I couldn’t hear the sound of cars anymore, and of being able to see the Milky Way at night.

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hi! I really enjoyed reading your blog and thought you had made great points :)

I do believe that we can find music in nature without even trying or really looking for it. Sometimes it's such a daily part of our lives that we don't really take the time to appreciate or really listen to it (at least in my case!). Birdsong is a perfect example of this, and I too love hearing the sparrows chirp in the mornings. The Ares article for this week "The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music" really encapsulates how we can find music within nature and how interconnected we can be with it as well. A lot of birds sing in different octaves and musical scales which are of course used in human music.

I also agree that we can find nature in music basically everywhere! So many musicians have songs that have been inspired by nature or even have sound clips from some animals. It really shows how nature plays such a huge role in our lives. I also like how you brought up the point that movie tracks can transport people to a natural setting! Whenever movies show a landscape there is always some background tracking to it, and as a viewer you can really understand how that setting should make you feel.

I haven't heard of the song you had mentioned before, but I just gave it a listen and I really enjoyed it! I can see why it reminded you of a time when you were outdoors because I felt the same.

Amazing job on the blog post, and I looking forward to reading more of your work:)

Rebecca

[rjmenvs3000f23]

What a Wonderful World - Blog 7

To be honest, I feel like I was born with music in my veins. My grandpa used to play the violin, my dad plays the piano, and used to be in a band with his brothers. I tried to step into my dad’s footsteps and play the piano myself, but I found myself more drawn to the string instruments like my grandfather was. I play the violin and the ukulele, and I think that many can attest to the peace you feel when you play an instrument. Your mindset just changes and solely focuses on the music, and I think that is a beautiful thing. In all my years of life, I’ve never sat down and thought about how music is interconnected with nature, but this unit how both disciplines are.

We can find music in nature every day, even without trying. From my window, as I’m writing this blog I can hear the wind and the rustling of leaves indicating that fall is in full set. I love purposely stepping on leaves and hearing them crunch, which is like music to my ears. The weather is the perfect medium between summer and winter (except for the wacky weather from the last couple of weeks). You can find nature when you hear birds chirp their songs in the early hours, and you can tell that they are making noise with purpose. In the article under the Ares section for this week, it mentioned how birds follow rhythmic effects which are found in human music. Birds can use ‘instruments’ to make specific sounds, much like humans do. There are even videos of people playing music for cows in pastures, and the cows will gather around the person to listen in. The music helps to calm the cows down, and so many videos show how captivated these animals are by these sounds. I’ll link a video at the end :)

We are much more interconnected with nature than we realize; and because of this so many musicians and composers find nature as a source of inspiration for their music. There are so many ways to find nature in music. One example of this from our unit content is the Wildlife DJ. He moved to New York where nature isn’t as bountiful, so he found a way to bring nature to him through his music. Many musicians add sound clips of animals or describe the beauty of nature in the lyrics of their music.

One song that takes me to a natural landscape is “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. I’m sure a lot of y’all are familiar with this beautiful song. When I hear it, it immediately makes me think of peaceful, sunny summer days. Particularly when I was younger and had a more innocent view of the world. You can tell that Louis Armstrong is showing his appreciation for our world (despite its many flaws), and it allows you to see the world as he does. Which I believe is the main objective of music, to see and interpret the world in a way you haven’t before.

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Blog post 6

Unpack 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."

There are several parts to this question, a lot of which use metaphors and symbolic terms to describe something I will need to break down in order to digest fully. I will be thinking (or speaking out loud, somewhat) so bare with me. First I will start by describing the meaning of merit. How I interpret merit is something of importance, worth or value. So this quote is saying that ancient things alone do not have a special value alone. They say that “integrity”, which can be both described as morality or wholeness/unity, brings merit. I am assuming they are referring to the latter (wholeness/unity), as they go on to describe that the wholeness/unity allows for a memory of ancient things. This makes sense because as you put ancient things together (photographs, articles, artifacts) it creates a picture or snapshot of that point in time. So maintaining the unity of ancient artifacts through time allows us to piece together and describe history. It then ends with the sentence saying that acting like the past is done is like acting like a railway station doesn't exist because the train already left or only existed as long as the train was still there. The last sentence I think is the most challenging for me to decipher. I think the meaning of it is that just because the past is no longer present with us - that doesn’t mean it didn't happen ever. This also holds true/can be proven because of the artifacts and pieces of evidence that have memories attached to them that are left behind. There are so many important reasons why we need to continue to keep history/past events relevant, and a good example of this would be residential schools, WW2, or the holocaust. Acting like these events never happened would be extremely horrible and simply ignorant. We need to continue keeping the past relevant in order to educate ourselves, which helps to ensure such tragedies never occur again. In addition, also to remember and commemorate all the beautiful souls and memories that were lost. 

Connecting this to the unit 6 content and nature interpretation, as mentioned in the reading, history makes spaces meaningful. It allows for a connection between the audience and the environment. This allows the audience to gain a stronger appreciation for nature and hopefully a stronger relationship with it as well. I attached a photo from this summer that has "history" and memories to me, but to you it may mean nothing at all. After all, a picture is only a picture, without a caption to give it meaning. The textbook describes something called “living history”, which I realized I had experienced before. An example of living history you may have seen before are things like Pioneer Village or Medieval Times. I have also been to a historical area/living history exhibit called St. Marie among the Hurons. I would say these are arguably the most engaging educational experiences I’ve ever had, and I can still remember the scenes in my head. I think this is because instead of just providing you historical information, the actors are acting as historical interpreters, which allows you to relate to them.

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hey Lauren, great job on the blog post. I enjoyed reading your perspective on this quote!

I agree that piecing together ancient objects conveys their historical significance and gives the audience something to picture in their mind that is tangible. Often we hear about history, but it’s hard to truly imagine and understand what happened without seeing or feeling an object from the past. Museums use descriptions for their artifacts, you can get brochures when visiting National Parks, and there are tour guides when you visit places like Pioneer Village or Medieval Times. All of these forms of interpretation allow people to truly understand the history and bring about wholeness to our past.

I also think you interpreted the second part of the quote beautifully and how important it is to remember historical events. As citizen scientists, I think that ignorance can be dangerous and it can downplay a lot of the horrible stuff that has happened in the world and Canada. Our past has affected and built our current world, and we cannot simply forget that. This connects back to the importance of the unity of ancient artifacts, as you stated.

I liked how you connected the quote to the content for this week, and even when I was reading through the textbook I was able to see the huge role that nature interpretation has when it comes to history. By the way, I love the picture you added, and it just has such a peaceful and calm vibe to it. Was that a park you visited?

Anyways, amazing job on the post and I’m looking forward to reading more of your work :)

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Is history all that important? ~ Blog 6

When I first read this quote, I thought “Huh, how am I supposed to unpack this? Furthermore, write a blog post about it?” As I kept on rereading the quote, I found that it perfectly encapsulates one of the main themes of nature interpretation.

I’ve learned so far in this course, that nature interpretation has many definitions and it is interdisciplinary. Nature can be interpreted by anyone, not exclusively people with a background in environmental science. It can start when you are younger, or you can become one later in life. Nature can be interpreted through art, science, history, music, and so many more outlets.

This quote describes how interpretation plays an important role when it comes to understanding history. The first part of the quote describes how the age of an object or place doesn’t simply equate to value unless we know the story behind it. Let’s think about a scenario. When visiting a museum you come across an old-looking vase, it has some cracks but overall is beautiful because of its intricate designs. However it is unlabelled, would you look at it for more than a minute? Would it be thought-provoking or meaningful in any way? Of course, the vase is beautiful, but is there anything more to that beauty? We would never know unless it was labeled with a captivating description. Our textbook stated that without interpretation to inform the public, artifacts would just simply be ancient objects, historic buildings are just buildings and national parks would just be parks. Without interpretation, many things in our world would be meaningless and would not impact our present in any way. Interpretation breathes life into our history and relics, it connects us to our past so we can appreciate it and beware of it as citizen scientists.

The video provided in our content for this week also describes how nature can be used to interpret and remember our history. Robert Sutton, the chief historian of the National Park Service in the US, described how the Pea Ridge Military Park in West Arkansas was used to recount the stories of Indigenous Peoples and the Civil War. The stories gave significance to the land, allowing patrons to learn about the history within the US and how it has shaped their present day.

This relates to the second part of the sentence; just because something is in the past does not mean we can simply forget about it. Even as Canadians, it is easy to forget that the land on which we live is owned by the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. We can learn about the origins of Canada and the lives lost by learning about the history of our land through environmental interpretation. Sure, this was a thing of the past but many Indigenous people are still treated harshly today. As citizen scientists, we must do our bit by learning about our history, and how we can appreciate it.

[lvenvs3000f23]

Week 5: Bird Banding

Prompt: No prompt - write about anything! Welcome back everyone,

Since I have the freedom to write about anything I want, I wanted to talk about my experiences doing research and work with birds! To start off, birds are my passion if not already obvious! They mean a lot to me and are the thing that makes me truly happy. As a kid, I always loved them, and that love has grown more and more as the years have gone on to where I am today.

I was really lucky this summer to be able to start my experience in doing research with birds, where I was learning bird banding and migration monitoring with the TRCA in Toronto. I would wake up at a crisp 4 in the morning to drive down to the park before sunrise - people always gawk at that timing but birds are always up so early, so we have to get there before they do. We head into the park and set up big nets called mist nets - they have large pockets that birds will be caught in when they fly into. We head into the research station and check the nets every half an hour. When we come across a bird caught in our nets, we carefully extract them and place them into bags to be banded. We head back to the station and start the process of giving each bird their own unique ID band and then releasing them. 

The purpose of banding birds is to track a lot of things, especially migration. The tags are incredibly unique and only correspond to one singular bird, so if it migrates, you are able to track where it’s been since birds stop to rest while migrating. A lot of data is kept, such as species, age, sex, ID number, the amount of fat they have on their bodies (which can tell us about migration habits), and wing length. We use specialized tools for these, and while stressful, is a harmless process for the birds. Sometimes, other research is tied in as well. When I was volunteering, we were also plucking tail feathers on birds to use in research studying isotopes found in those feathers. This research is used in many ways such as finding breeding grounds of birds, studying diet, immigration of populations, just to name a few. 

Banding in general is incredibly important as a science since it is the only way we really know about migration habits. We can learn where they go, how long it takes them to get there, and where they stay over the winter. Especially in modern day, this also heavily contributes towards conservation efforts since songbirds especially have been rapidly declining for decades. 

My experience was extremely pleasant and I am happy to continue doing this and being able to teach others about birds and helping others learn in workshops.

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hi there! Thanks for sharing your past experience over the summer, this was a really interesting read :)

I personally have not learned or heard too much about birth banding prior to this, but I know that this is done with a variety of species on land and in water. I've watched videos and documentaries of marine mammals being tagged, such as whales and sharks. This is done to study their behaviors, as it's nearly impossible for scientists to collect data from animals over a long period without any special equipment, as some marine mammals will travel between oceans during different seasons. I assume that it's the same principle when banding birds, and that this is relatively cheaper compared to other ways of tracking birds. 

Your research experience honestly sounds amazing and it must’ve been so fascinating to track the migration pattern of birds in Ontario. How many species did you end up tracking? I think this research is so important especially now as it's able to give y’all an insight into how climate change has affected the behaviors of migrating birds. I remember learning in Ecology 2060 (a prerequisite course for this class) how climate change has drastically affected the migration period for birds, and this in turn affects their whole ecosystem and all the taxa below the birds. This reinforces the importance of the research you have done.

Great job on your blog post again and I look forward to reading more of them!

Rebecca

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Blog 5

Hey everyone, hope you’ve had a great weekend! I know we are in the midst of midterm season so remember to just take some time to relax and take care of yourself :)

For this week’s blog post, I was stumped on what to write on, because there are so many different topics that I could share with y’all. However, I am going to write about one of my favorite courses that I’ve taken over my last 5 years at Guelph. In my first year, I took a UNIV*1200 course called Wildlife Rehab and Conservation with Dr. Sherri Cox, who is an amazing professor and I got to learn so much from her. If any of you have taken a first-year seminar course you would understand how they generally work. Each week we would get a prompt or an animal to cover and the following week each group would give oral presentations on the research they found.

For the first prompt, we were asked to research whether abandoned kits or baby raccoons could be rehabilitated to be released back into the wild once they became adolescents. My group member and I worked together to find research from primary articles and by the end of the week, we were satisfied with our work and had an answer to share with our class. We were the first to present in our class, which made me nervous but relieved at the same time because I hated public speaking. Before I share my answer, I want to give y’all a little trigger warning, please understand that I was a confused first-year student with little to no experience using articles for research. My group member and I decided that rehabilitation of the kit would domesticate them, and make it impossible for the raccoons to be released back into the wild. We knew that there was a rising population of wild raccoons in Canada, so we concluded that euthanizing the kits would be the best plan of action. With that said, we were done with our 1st oral presentation and the only thing we had to do for the rest of the class was sit and listen. So the rest of the groups started presenting and no one said the same thing that we did, instead, they said the adolescent raccoons would be released back into the wild. Turns out that once these critters reach their adolescent years they instinctively become wild after rehabilitation.

I was mortified, thinking that I chose death for these hypothetical raccoons, but eventually, I learned to laugh at it and saw it as an opportunity to improve my research skills. This course showed me the necessity of convergence of scientific and environmental education as mentioned in one of our ares reading for this week. Every week we would research habitats, behavioral characteristics, and effects of pollution on animals, while also learning the importance of conservation and what we can do as citizen scientists to help injured animals. I learned the importance of interdisciplinary education and how we need to consider social, economic, and ecological factors when it comes to conservation. This course has also inspired me to pursue a career in wildlife conservation.

I think over the last 5 years I’ve learned a lot on how to make science more accessible to the general public, which is an important aspect of being a nature interpreter. I hope to apply this knowledge and the skills I’ve gained in my future career.

[hannahsnatureblogf23]

Blog post #4

I have always been passionate about the arts. I took visual art every year in high school and I play guitar. As such, I understand how art can be used to inspire interest and joy about subjects including nature. As discussed in the textbook, people do not feel emotionally attached to a cause if they are just being told the hard facts. However, the human expression involved in artistic pursuits can help people form bonds with nature. The textbook states that interpretation should allow people to sense the beauty in their surroundings and encourage people to preserve resources. To me, this means helping people see the beauty in nature wherever they encounter it. For example, when I was growing up I read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. I was so devastated by her description of a world without birds, bugs, or wildflowers that I was inspired to protect nature. The way she described the beauty in the mundane made me realize that I wouldn’t want to live in a world without it. Thus, Rachel Carson provided me with both a sense of beauty and a desire to protect it. This has also inspired me to share this experience with others. 

One way I would incorporate art into my interpretation would be using the paintings of the Group of Seven. I think that the art of the Group of Seven is a good way to help give people the gift of beauty. The group of seven used the impressionist art style to portray Canada’s natural landscape. This style is full of emotional energy even when the paintings include no people. As such, their art can be used alongside facts to help create an emotional bond to nature. Additionally, their art can be traced to specific locations in Canada. For example, they did a lot of painting in Algonquin and Killarney. This means people can seek out the beauty from these paintings. Some people have a very negative perception of camping. They can only think of how they would be uncomfortable sleeping on the ground or the itchiness of a mosquito bite. This can create an emotional barrier between people and outdoor experiences. Consequently, these individuals  miss out on the beauty of these parks. However, if they see the beauty of these landscapes in the work of the Group of Seven, they may want to see them in person. Once they are in the park they will see these gorgeous landscapes with their own eyes. Then they can find other locations to be amazed by. They will look to see the places that inspired the Group of Seven and find their own inspiration there. Thus, inspiring a personal connection with nature and a desire to protect it.

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hi Hannah,

I really enjoyed reading your blog post, you did a great job! I used to take music classes when I was younger too and it grew my appreciation for the arts! I don’t play my instruments as much now but my love for music has stayed the same. I like that you brought up the reference from the textbook that people do not feel emotionally attached to a cause if they are simply told the hard facts. For people it takes a lot more than statistics and words to feel connected to a certain cause, and I think art has a beautiful way of doing that. There are so many pictures from world disasters that have inspired people to make changes and get involved. 

I can also relate to wanting to protect nature and the environment! In my blog post I shared how Animal Planet documentaries have inspired me to one day pursue a career in animal conservation. And again, art moves people to make changes within our world and that is an amazing thing. 

I do agree that the paintings of the Group of Seven really conveys the beauty that we can find within Canada. Our country has such diverse landscapes across all the provinces and territories and they encapsulate all of that so beautifully. One of my favourite parts of visiting the AGO is getting to see the painting from the Group of Seven! 

Amazing work and I look forward to reading more of your blogs!

Rebecca 

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Blog 4

Prompt : Who are you to interpret nature through art? How do you interpret “the gift of beauty”?

“Art is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone will have their own interpretation”. This quote was written by  E. A. Bucchianeri, and it gave me a sense of place within the world of artistic interpretation. Growing up, I thought appreciating art meant simply going to a museum and studying artifacts and paintings, but I now know that art can be found anywhere. It can be as simple as taking a photo of a sunset you are amazed by, or by watching movies, shows, or documentaries. I never thought of myself as an interpreter, but this course has proved that I am one even though I never realized it. 

Some forms of art that I’ve always had an appreciation for are movies and documentaries. The visuals and imagery from movies help to set the tone of the story and there are so many ways you can then interpret it. One movie that particularly caught my attention was Howl’s Moving Castle from Studio Ghibli.  The film explores many themes, and you can tell that the producers put so much thought into the animations, the landscapes, and the characters. Although this movie is animated, I think it does an amazing job of capturing the essence of nature and how we can find beauty in real life. I’ll also add some pictures of scenes from the movie!

Growing up, I used to watch documentaries on Animal Planet, which inspired my love for nature and the environment. They were an opportunity for me to learn what our world has to offer and the beauty that lies within it. They painted a picture of how so many animals live in their environments and in turn, benefit them. The camera work allows viewers to appreciate the art and beauty of nature on other continents. I got the opportunity to learn about our world beyond where we live, and I was able to admire nature within Canada as well. 

The Animal Planet documentaries are what sparked my interest in pursuing an environmental career, and more specifically in animal conservation. Climate change and human activities pose a big threat to the environment and its flora and fauna. These documentaries showed me the beauty of nature and how we may lose it one day, and I want to do my part as an interpreter to protect it and make sure that future generations can benefit from it. I hope to one day open my own animal conservatory and rehabilitation center. I mentioned before that I never saw myself as an interpreter, but there are so many ways to define it. I am a curious interpreter, who wants to find solutions to our problems and is continuously learning how to respect nature through art.

[shenvs3000f23]

Blog 3

Prompt: What role does “privilege” play in nature interpretation? Please include your working definition of privilege.

In my opinion, privilege is an advantage that a person has that they may, or may not be aware of. This privilege allows the person to have a better opportunity at gaining or reaching certain things in opportunities in life.

The role privilege plays in nature interpretation begins at a young age. In my case, if it were not for the privileges I grew up with, I would likely not be interested in nature to begin with. I grew up in a very rural farming town right on lake Erie. As a result, I was lucky enough to experience nature whenever I pleased. I would go into the woods that was a short walk from my house. I could go hiking, fishing, exploring, anything. I recognize this as a privilege as many people do not grow up being surrounded by nature and never get to fully immerse themselves in it. I always thought of nature as being something free and accessible to everyone. However, after leaving my town and seeing how many live in the city, I understand how lucky I am. I believe if it were not for how I was raised and where, I would not have pursued further education in nature.

Understanding privilege in terms of the role of interpreting nature to other people is crucial as well. As someone who will hopefully be in the position to speak to many people about nature, there are a multitude of things to remember. Things such as I grew up in and around nature, there are many pieces of knowledge I take for granted that others do not know. Terms that are common to me, but uncommon to someone who is not in nature all the time. These are consequences of a privilege that I, as an interpreter, need to be aware of.

In addition to this, another privilege I have taken is being able to take trips and go camping. These trips furthered my love for nature even more and gave me opportunities to learn from new people and places. However, I take it for granted that my parents were able to take me on these trips. That they were able to take time off of work and spend excess money on gas, food, and other fees. This is a commodity that many do not have. It would be an interesting idea to think about as a nature interpreter, how to come to people, rather than having people come to me. If this could be achieved, which it can be, many more people would be able to be reached. It would take away a barrier that likely holds back many from learning just how amazing the natural world is. I stated in other blogs my dream place to work as an interpreter would be a secluded park in Northern Canada. This is a barrier that would prevent me from speaking to as many people as possible. Some solutions may be to do visits to schools, community service work, or start programs for people interested in nature, that may have just not had the opportunity arise yet to learn.

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hey, I really enjoyed reading your blog post you some really insightful commentary!

I do agree that privilege is something that someone can either be aware of or unaware. I noted down in my blog post that privilege is something I don't often think about and I really liked that I was able to challenge my thinking this week and realize how important it is to do so. Being able to recognize our own privilege helps us to understand the experiences of others and garners inclusivity.

I really admire your appreciation for growing up in a rural farming town and being surrounded by nature. Growing up we don't realize what we have until we leave it because that is our norm, I've definitely taken a lot of things for granted when I was younger. However, I think it's beautiful that you are reflecting on your privileges and what you can do to change the script and allow other people to experience what you have.

The idea that you had of you approaching people rather than vice-versa is quite brilliant. A lot of people have no idea where to start when becoming nature interpreters or learning how to appreciate it. If we approached more people we could show them that you don't need tons of money to explore the environment, it can start at a park in one's city. In regards to your dream job, I think it would be so impactful if you got opportunities to share your experiences at schools or within the community.

Great post, I look forward to reading more of your work!

Rebecca :)

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Blog Post 3

Prompt: What role does “privilege” play in nature interpretation? Please include your working definition of privilege.

Privilege has never been something I’ve given much thought to, and I think many people can resonate with this sentiment. To me, privilege means having an advantage over others and this is granted to some people at birth because of their cultural or socioeconomic classes. It means being able to go through life without much worry and being certain that at the end of the day you will have things your way. I am an Indian, first-generation immigrant, cis woman; in many ways I am privileged and in many ways I am not. My parents decided to immigrate to Canada when I was just 6 years old so that my brother and I could have the best possible opportunities for education and our lives. I am privileged in that aspect as they had to do the hard work for our family to become Canadian citizens. We live in Mississauga which is well known for its diversity, so I never felt like an outcast even when I first moved to Canada. 

However, I did face many hardships throughout my life, and being an Indian woman definitely has its caveats. One of the hardest periods in my life thus far was coming into university. I realized that the colour of my skin plays a lot more factors in my life than I had originally thought. It was difficult at first to adjust to the culture at Guelph, but soon I found my people and I found my place within the community. Coming to Guelph is what also allowed me to really get immersed in my own culture and learn how to actually appreciate it. In many ways I was underprivileged and that sucks, but to be honest I have so much to be grateful for in my life, so I choose to look at the positive sides of things.

To me, privilege plays a huge role in nature interpretation. My parents allowed me to grow my love for nature and animals and never discouraged me in trying to pursue an environmental career, and for that I am so privileged. When I was younger I always tried to convince my parents to allow me to get a cat or a dog as a pet, but they refused as we do live in an apartment. So as a compromise my parents got me hamsters, and I currently have one and her name is Peach Fuzz <3. In grade 12, I also had the opportunity to volunteer for High Park zoo where I essentially hung out with llamas and chickens at a petting zoo. I was allowed to venture into nature surrounding my area and my mom would accompany me and just listen to me talk about different trees, invasive species and wildlife. UoG also gave me opportunities to foster my love of nature and I get to take interesting and intellectually challenging classes like ENVS 3000. 

Privilege is not often talked about, or at least I try to avoid that subject as much as possible. But I am grateful for this opportunity to be able to reflect back on my life and understand how it has affected and nurtured who I am as a person today.

Here are some cutesy pictures of my hamster, Peach Fuzz btw :)

[otenvs3000f23]

Week 2

BLOG PROMPT: Describe your ideal role of environmental interpreter. What might it entail? Where might it be? What skills might you need? (Keep these all in mind as you begin to work on your assignments – tailor these to that ideal job!)

Hello again everyone, I hope your first week of classes has gone well! 

I have two ideas for what my ideal position as an environmental interpreter would be. The first being something that I would consider to be more self-serving and the other would be a position where I could promote change on a grand scale. 

Let us dive in! 

First, let’s begin with the position of nature interpreter that 7-year-old Olivia would truly enjoy. Something I’ve always wanted to do since I was very young was to live in some country in Africa and constantly be surrounded by wildlife – I pretty much just wanted to be Jane Goodall! Working with a safari company and touring across the savannah is certainly the dream, perhaps Kruger National Park in South Africa. Having so much information about the wildlife, vegetation, and the history of the land while being able to share that knowledge with others has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember. If I were to take the safari tour guide route, it would be important that I make the excursion enjoyable, but more importantly an experience that is moving and an experience that provokes thought of appreciating and preserving nature. By creating an adventure that is memorable and promoting of environmental stewardship for all visitors, it would be the goal that they can extend their learning and experience to others and become interpreters of their own. Showing how preserving and restoring biodiversity can help stabilize the planet’s natural systems and save life on Earth would be the main message I would wish to convey to my audience.

This same message would be conveyed if I were to take another route, possibly a more political and influential route. While it certainly wouldn’t be as exciting as being a safari tour guide, in order to create the most change on a large scale, speaking on panels or lobbying for climate action would be my other ideal job. This position would be more difficult to offer direct involvement or hands-on experience, but I would hope that interpreting nature in a more formal way to incentivize climate action could create real change. Providing accurate information and engaging audiences to take this issue to heart would be of great importance since I would be less likely to provide audiences with direct involvement; with that being said, I would hope that my interpretations encourage others to actively seek direct involvement in their communities and abroad. I would want my audiences to leave feeling empowered to take action, create change, and feel strongly about protecting their planet. 

Regardless of the scale of interpretation, I hope that I always leave this message with those around me. Inspiring just one person to take action or stimulate a certain type of thinking can create a massive domino effect of change that you might not even be aware of. Never underestimate your importance and your impact on the world. If everyone thinks this way I think we could all collectively create enormous positive change. 

I look forward to reading about everyone else’s dreams!

Cheers, 

Olivia :)

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Hey Olivia I really enjoyed reading your blog post! Both of these roles would create a huge difference towards protecting nature's biodiversity. I can really tell that you are passionate about these issues too.

Africa has so many beautiful countries filled with a wide array of wildlife and by the sounds of it I think you would make an amazing tour guide! I use to live in Tanzania where the ivory trade was rampant. I returned back there about 8 years ago I remember seeing in the airport itself that the trading of ivory was finally banned, which shows improvements towards protecting ecosystems within national parks. I think that conveying the importance of preserving biodiversity to different audiences is so pertinent as environmental interpreters ourselves. We as people need to protect our environment and care for it as we do rely so heavily on it.

I do agree that taking the political route would not be as fun as being a tour guide, as I also aspire to be like Jane Goodall :) However, it's so essential in order to protect wildlife and their ecosystems. It can be hard to convey this information especially to government officials which is why I liked that you added the point about giving accurate information as to why this issue is so important. I do think that as a society we can band together to bring about change.

This was really insightful, looking forward to reading more of your posts throughout the semester :)

Rebecca

[rjmenvs3000f23]

Blog Post 2

Hi everyone :)

I originally applied to the Wildlife biology and conservation major when coming to university. However, I was only in that program during my 1st year. Throughout that time I gave a lot of thought towards what my ideal role as an environmental interpreter would be. For now these dreams have changed, as I am planning on going into the healthcare field, but in the future I do want to get involved with animal conservation. I believe that learning and growth is a continuous part of my life, so I want to keep as many avenues open to myself as possible and give myself the opportunity to achieve my goals and dreams. 

One position I would love to pursue is that of a wildlife biologist and conservationist. I have a deep admiration for wildlife and animals but I enjoy watching them for afar and observing their behaviours. This role would entail exactly that, I would be able to observe wildlife and understand how they interact with their ecosystems and vice versa. This job would involve a lot of outdoor work, which I adore as I love to explore nature. In my first year I had the opportunity to collect some samples in the dairy bush. Being able to experience that first-hand was so valuable, and it gave me a taste as to what it would be like to be a wildlife biologist. In this role I would also have to predict how land use decisions would affect wildlife and their ecosystems. There has been an uptake in deforestation in landscapes within Canada and globally in the last 2 decades. As a wildlife biologist I would need to convey the importance of preserving nature and its ecosystems to government officials, agencies and the public. I would need to be able to relay this information with statistics and evidence to back up my arguments and convey it in a way that is convincing and sound. Which ties into the conservation aspect of this role. 

As a conservationist I would have to work with a team of professionals to ensure that wild animals are able to live in peace within their ecosystems. One of my dreams is to open my own animal conservation. To give wildlife a place to get rehabilitated to get released back into the wild or for animals to live in peace for the rest of their days. This type of position would require me to raise money in order to care for these animals. I would also try to build good relationships with some veterinarians or agents from Environment Canada. Since I do want to own my own centre I would have to have strong leadership skills and be able to lead a group of employees or volunteers to help take care of the animals. I’ve grown up watching so many documentaries and videos on animal rescues which have inspired me. I do hope to be able to contribute towards repairing the declining number of wildlife in Canada.

See everyone in next week’s blog post!

Rebecca