Blog Post 10: Personal Ethic
My personal ethic as I develop as a nature interpreter are always changing. Before this class I never really thought about what it meant to be a nature interpreter. A nature interpreter is supposed to be someone that informs other about the environment and is to make sure that they understand the significance. However, they are supposed to allows the audience to interpreter in their own way but need to point them in the right direction. The reason I volunteer as a nature interpreter is I want to leave the world the world the same way as when I came into it. One of my favorite quotes is by Franklin D. Roosevelt, “a nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forest are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people
If more people are informed on the little thing’s they can do to help the environment, Earth would be in a much better position. To tackle this issue, I try to inform the audience in a way that they can understand. Many articles use words that the average person can comprehend. I try to “dumb down,” the information so that the audience can see the whole picture. An example of this misconception is when scientist say that the Earth is getting warmer. Many believe, “well yeah its summertime.” Then when scientist start to talk about carbon sequestration and other things, they are lost.
I believe that as nature interpreters we should be doing everything we can to help people have access to nature. The United States has mandated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities (Beck 2018). This helps people with all different disabilities, physically or mentally. Allowing people that can physically access these places will allow for a more well-rounded population. Similarly, as a nature interpreter we should help to eliminate all economic, cultural, and communicative barriers for people to understand nature and the environment around them. Even though parks are, “on the social front, the parks provide one of the few truly democratic facilities for enjoyment and inspiration of all the people. To the extent that we become inclusive in our welcome, understanding, accommodation, and interpretation of all constituent populations, we reduce fragmentation and strife.” I personally believe we can only strengthen our abilities to become better nature interpreters, but in doing so, we all need to personally reflect on what works and doesn’t work and adjust accordingly.
One of my favorite quotes is ,“time spent among trees is never time wasted,” by Katrina Mayer. I view this quote as saying that anytime you spend outdoors in never a waste and you shouldn’t take it for gratinated as it can be taken away at a moment’s notice. This also reminded me of the saying, “don’t waste your time, it is too short, valuable, and irreplaceable” (Beck 2018). In particular, time is short and valuable. Therefore, my take away from this is that we can waste our time being a nature interpreter, or find ways to be more effective at it to add real value. As I reflect on this course, it helped to provide me ways to reflect on how I can be a better, and more effective, nature interpreter.
References:
Beck, L. et al. Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. 2018. Sagamore Publishing.
Hi!
Your post immediately caught my attention with the quote you added. I find it very powerful, and I think perfectly sums up your ethics as an interpreter. I really resonate with your statement that if more people were informed then the Earth would be in a better position. As the token environmental science friend within my group, I often get asked questions or share information that is new to others. The information I’m able to give often gives them a better outlook and understanding of environmental issues they usually would ignore. Environmental problems can seem daunting and quite hopeless at times. But as you said, pointing others in the right direction can be the solution. Effective communication is without a doubt the key. As an interpreter, we must provide the right information, the right amount, the right tone, and the list continues. I still have a lot to learn as a communicator and interpreter, but like you, I think this course has put me on the right path.
Thank you for sharing, and good luck with the rest of your semester!























