Nature Interpretation Blog

Disclaimer: 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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Blog 10: Reflecting as an interpreter

Throughout this course, it’s been amazing to read all the different backgrounds each person brings from all over the world, that each brought us here, writing these blogs. I think it goes to show how strongly nature can really bring people together. Whether you’re in a science major or not we all feel some sort of bond with the outdoors we’d like to extend to others. In a month I’ll be graduating with a degree in Environmental Biology and I’m excited to see where it will take me. I think the writing and personal reflecting I’ve done throughout this course will surely help me in the future. I believe that the ethics and beliefs a person carries with them constantly evolve throughout life the more you learn, which has happened even to me during this last semester.

First off, I really enjoyed watching the video of David Susuki and Richard Louv discussing the importance of connecting with nature. A takeaway from the video is that it’s important to remember that nature can be found even in the most urban areas. We don’t have to travel to national or provincial parks to believe we are more connected than other people, it all depends on your perception of what’s around you. They said to think of what you can do in your own yard and neighborhood to appreciate what’s there. This could be starting your own little garden or collecting indoor plants, putting out bird seed or attracting pollinators etc. Even in a concrete jungle there are always ways to connect.

This is a picture of the greenhouse thats actually on uog campus attached the the Bovey Building! I’ve gone here many times this semester just to take in the beauty of all the plants. Its open to anyone I highly recommend taking a look if you havent.

This is another spot affiliated with uog on college ave across from the arboretum. The trial gardens in the summer and early fall are a beautiful place to see the colours of nature. 

I believe that nature truly has healing abilities and that everyone should have access to it. Studies have shown that spending just 20 minutes outside in nature can decrease stress hormones (Loria, 2019). This can range from a variety of things like a walk to just tending to your garden or plants (I think this is why I accumulated so many house plants during covid lockdowns). Nature can heal both mentally and physically by improving sleep, reducing depression, cardiovascular disease and obesity (Loria, 2019). I’ve become aware though that not everyone has the privilege to access nature for many reasons. I am very grateful for the fact I grew up with easy access to fun outdoor experiences, but I will agree it created a sort of ignorance to those with the opposite. Thats why its important as an interpreter to consider this. Each person brings along a personal set of experiences, interests, knowledge, ability and personality (Beck et al., 2018). I think to be a successful interpreter this must be acknowledged on the job, and to treat everyone the same regardless of past experiences.

I also believe that we should leave nature just as pristine as when we found it.

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” -Robin Wall Kimmerer

I think this is also a responsibility we have as a nature interpreter. While nature is there for us to enjoy, it is also there for the next people. This is why many parks have the “leave no trace principle” when camping or being a tourist. Interpretation involves the individual seeing the beauty or understanding the significance of the resource (Beck et al., 2018). Understanding the significance of all nature’s resources means we must develop a sustainable relationship in order to properly respect them. From a consumer level in our lives this can mean only buying essentials at the grocery store to reduce extra waste, and living a less materialistic life. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned the importance of only buying what I really need, as everything requires energy and resources to produce. Being a good interpreter means practicing what you preach on or off the job.

The approaches that are most suitable to me as an interpreter would be through art or technology, since both of these can come in so many different forms. With digital advances, interpretation occurs via websites, blogs and social media among other technologies” (Beck et al., 2018), and has become a much easier way to interpret information across large scales. As I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, my favorite way of sharing nature is through photography, which is a combination of both technology and art. This is a way of sharing to people that may have physical, temporal or economic barriers that may prevent them from ever seeing what’s in the photos. I’ve learned and remembered more from watching online nature documentaries and photos than I have from what’s around me. Although, there is a dark side to technology that pulls us away from nature. As mentioned in the notes, children spend more time inside on their devices than they used to in the past. Richard Louv mentioned that the more high tech our lives become the more nature we need. Using technology to connect with each other and nature is a way we can utilize it in a positive way. As interpreters, we have the responsibility to use these tools in a way that is enthusiastic and engaging. Not only this, but we must consider that everyone learns different ways, so using these to adhere to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners creates the most successful approach.

Thanks to everyone I’ve connected with through these blogs!

-Reilly

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing

Loria, K. (2019). The Healing Power of Nature. Consumer Reports. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.consumerreports.org/health-wellness/healing-power-nature-outdoors/

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Hey Reilly,

What a great post to conclude the final piece of our blog posting journey. Many of your ethics, responsibilities and beliefs align with some of mine. One of the most significant parts from your post that I 10000% stand by is that nature has healing abilities. Throughout COVID, mental health was a significant problem many individuals faced due to the literal isolation we had to undergo. Like many, nature walking or a 15-minute walk outdoors had extraordinary impacts on my overall well-being. I think that throughout the pandemic, I was outside in nature 3-4 times a day, which is 3-4 times more than I had ever done. My mornings always started off with a walk through the trails, and 2 years later, I continue to do that by exploring new hiking paths. One of my favourite things to do is wake up early, open my window, and listen to the beautiful sound of the birds singing in the quiet, unbothered morning. Certain birds sound like the chilly morning air and dew on the grass that tells you it will be a bright and sunny day, making life and that moment seem nostalgic.

I also agree with you that being a great interpreter means practicing your beliefs on or off the job. I was born in a country where we experienced the effects of a water crisis, and as a child, I was always worried about waking up one day to no water. When I moved to Canada, that was no longer a worry. I absolutely took advantage of it because I had never experienced this sense of peace, knowing I would always wake up to water in my taps, shower, and clean drinking water. As I have gotten older, I have realized that we cannot take things for granted. I started being more aware of my water usage and began implementing water-saving strategies throughout my day-to-day life. This goes hand in hand with some of the content we have covered in the course, particularly the notion of privilege. Privilege in nature interpretation can drastically change an individual's experience. The most significant takeaway from that unit was that nature guiding is NOT discriminatory and will always connect with people regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, economic status and societal status. These are just some of the small responsibilities I would incorporate into my nature interpretation guides. They play a crucial role in what I consider a "successful interpreter."

Thank you so much for sharing some of your phenomenal perspectives for each week’s blog prompt. I wish you all the best with your post graduate life, and hope that the skills you have learned from this course shape and guide your future roles.

Shelly :)

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Nature Interpretation’s Role in Environmental Sustainability - Blog 10

I truly feel like this past semester has flown by. Last blog already? I cannot believe it. This class has taught me so much, let alone these new weekly topics and posts surrounding nature interpretation. Truthfully, when I first entered this class I really had little to no idea of what nature interpretation truly meant. Although, now I can truthfully say I, in my own way, am a nature interpreter; especially a developing one. We all are. From interpreting our roles/relationships to our privileges, to art, to dissecting quotes, to music, and TO our own interests, ALL surrounding nature. My knowledge has grown enormously which has now allowed me to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of these topics surrounding what nature has to offer, and reflect my own knowledge to educate others. I am positive there is still an abundance more that is unknown and I have yet to learn. 

My personal ethic as a nature interpreter 

As a developing nature interpreter, I believe my personal ethic has grown during this process which is gaining and presenting accurate knowledge. Therefore, being professional in my research and being sensitive to cultural misunderstandings is something I have conceded is important in this role. As I present and teach others I want to do it with integrity, and concisely. Beck et al. 2019 stated it is vital to exclusively use well-documented sources, as a well-inform people who will value and appreciate their resources to formulate and exclaim better decisions. Regarding this, the past posts and unit topic materials provided, I have gained a greater understanding of the importance of integrity, reflecting to educate others with pride. 

What beliefs do I bring? 

It is easy to say that I have an abundance of beliefs towards nature interpretation. I believe the importance of impacting one person at a time. I believe in the importance of inspiring others to understand and reflect my own or others knowledge. I believe in the importance of not just offering one continuous element, but educating many elements in nature; as nature is so diverse. I believe in accuracy and presuming up-to-date knowledge. Ultimately, I believe in impacting others with the importance of nature and biodiversity entirely; how it affects our lives as humans every single day.

What responsibilities do I have? 

I hold several responsibilities as a nature interpreter. Here are 3 I ought are the most important ones:

First: I will ensure all learning styles of any individual I may cross is met. Whether visual, audio, reading/writing, or kinesthetics. It is important to convey information in a way suitable and understandable to others to effectively pass on past, present or future information. Regardless of their ethnicity, race or gender. Zero exclusivity tolerance, and inclusivity to all importantly.  

Secondly: I will educate with integrity and accuracy. I will not assume information, I will hold truthful facts and knowledge regarding the specifics. As an interpreter, it’s critical to anticipate any misunderstandings that may arise and adapt it so that the original facts are communicated as efficiently as possible. Whether the knowledge is passed from me or from others, accuracy is important to impact. 

Thirdly: I will always be enthusiastic and engaging. If individuals are not engaged, the transmitted information will not be cared for, held value, or passed on. For me this is easy to hold considering when I am passionate about any topic, I want to ensure or inform others how fascinating, important or educating it is. If others don’t see the passion in you, others won’t want to hold the same passion. 

My suitable approaches 

To me, my most suitable approaches for being an interpreter would be incorporating visuals and technology. These are forms in which I am most comfortable and common with using. In many ways I am able to effectively describe or teach certain things, and I feel as if nature could be one of them. 

Visuals, nowadays, are very common. Many people like to see pictures and/or videos when someone is teaching them a topic. Therefore, my effectiveness with providing accuracy when seeing a visual for myself is a great way for me to show my interest and want others to be inspired as well. Pictures and videos also tend to grab individuals’ engagement. 

Technology, on the other hand, can be similar in many ways but also have its differences. It offers the same aspect of visuals, but also even more. In this generation, technology is overtaking almost everything. Nature can be taught through live streams of species or landscapes, brochures, current living habitats, apps etc. This is also a great way to engage individuals within learning topics considering when individuals can learn from their phone or laptops with present visuals, being intrigued occurs and passion drives. 

I have had a blast reading your thoughts and opinions, and also reflecting my own. I truly have learned so much from this course, and I am so very thankful I got the opportunity to take it. I hope you all continue diving deeper into nature as I will be, and I hope that nature can bring you light and positivity into your lives like it does for me. 

References 

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage. Van Haren Publishing.

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Hey Dalia,

I thought you did a fantastic job putting the finishing touches on our blog post journey for this course with your last post. I sense you have become a great interpreter, as much of your work focuses on this notion of storytelling and grasping the interest of your readers. You also do a fantastic job recognizing the importance of history and incorporating accurate knowledge; this was shown in many of your blog posts, including blog #6, where you highlighted one of the most crucial moments in history, Remembrance Day.

I genuinely resonate with the topics you highlighted in the beliefs you bring towards nature interpretation section. I, too, believe that impacting visitors on a personal, inspirational level plays such a tremendous role in how they are willing to experience the beauty of interpretive work. I feel that much of my personal experiences with nature interpretation have come from some of the most amazing guides. I fell in love with interpretive work for the very first time when I entered the beautiful National Gallery in London, England, where I got the privileged opportunity to experience guided interpretive work at its best. I believe that this experience influenced how I view interpretive work and has also guided my way through this course, as many of my ethics, beliefs, and responsibilities are shaped from that experience. Have you had any personal experiences with interpretive work (in museums, galleries, nature hikes, trails, historical sites, etc.) that have impacted and shaped some of your current takes on interpretation?

Thank you for sharing some fantastic posts throughout the semester, and I hope that nature interpretation continues to be a part of your life :)

Shelly

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Blog #10 - The Last Chapter

Hey everyone!

What a bittersweet moment! It feels as though we had just begun learning about the nature of beauty and the beauty of nature while simultaneously developing our skills as mini nature interpreters. At the start of the course, I was uncertain why I had even enrolled in this class. My entire educational career has revolved around taking lectures, learning, and applying my knowledge to the medical field. Throughout my time here at the university, I have expanded my outlook and perspective on biology and science by exploring various fundamental applications of the scientific world. I had the fantastic opportunity to take a climate change course in the Fall 2021 semester, which, surprisingly, I LOVED and would recommend to absolutely everyone. That's when I decided that environmental science courses are full of information and scholarly outputs that I believe every human should have the chance to experience because we are the future, but we speak for the planet. Our voices and actions truly impact the future course of our world. I bring this up because, at the start of the course, we learned that interpretation brings meaning to individuals about our world's cultural and natural heritages (Beck et al.,2018). The overarching goal is to help visitors understand and connect with the natural resources around them by presenting information that is raw, interesting, engaging, inspiring (which I believe is the most important aspect), and serve as a point of clarification (Beck et al., 2018).

So, I think this really guides my post into the first prompt of this blog post, "describe your personal ethics." Undoubtfully, I believe being authentic and applying authenticity into interpretive work would be my most crucial personal ethic. This is because authenticity should shape and influence the perceptions of the visitor's willingness to engage in the interpretation, all while finding it credible (Beck et al., 2018). Hill and Cable (2006) attributed three critical features of authenticity (objective, constructed and personal) however, as an interpreter, personal authenticity would play the most tremendous role in my work. To me, allowing visitors a personally authentic experience that enables them to connect with the interpretation in a personal and meaningful way is the most outstanding achievement of an interpreter. Many of you may have noticed that a few of my blog posts highlighted the importance of music and art in my life. This is because pieces of art and/or the construction of a song can be interpreted by individuals differently. The way I interpret a song most likely differs from how you would, or the personal connection you have with a piece of art may be entirely different from mine. The point here is that without these personal connections, a canvas full of paint or ink is simply that, however, when you add your personal experiences, beliefs, and values into interpreting a piece of art, you develop your own meaning with what is being analyzed and presented.

Ukrainian artist Oleh Shupliak optical illusion painter

This concept of allowing visitors to experience and develop personal connections is a personal belief and ethic that I hope to use in interpretive work. I feel I am responsible for completing these components while utilizing appropriate practices. I have made a set of responsibilities, approaches and principles that I would incorporate as an interpreter:

1. Spark an interest – connect the subjects of discussion such as art pieces, music, landscapes, historical artifacts, etc. to the lives of the people in the audience 

2. Storytelling – provide visitors with interpretive story presentations that would inform, entertain, inspire, enlighten and provoke people to broaden their horizons 

3. Targeted Programs – provide fundamentally different approaches of interpretation to children, teenagers and seniors 

4. Technology – use technology to attract underserved populations while offering more accessible alternatives to interpretive work. Providing free online interpretive services, easy access to landscapes and artifacts that are found throughout the world, as well as the incorporation of various language translation options for diverse populations

5. Precision – conduct thorough, influential research that is selective and accurately represents my interpretive pieces. This provides visitors with broader access to information, as I had come prepared to answer as many questions as possible

6. The gift of beauty, joy and passion – instill in individuals the ability to sense the beauty of their surroundings, while providing an intentional and thoughtful program design, through powerful, and effective interpretation

What tools and responsibilities do you hope to apply to your interpretive work?

I wanted to take this time to end our journey of blogging and applying interpretive work with a few pieces that I personally resonate with and find beauty in being able to incorporate my personal interpretation into.

Robert Gonsalves is a Canadian artist who draws some of the most beautiful, mind-blowing optical illusion pieces representing this unclear boundary of multiple storytelling perspectives. These pieces of art force the viewer to apply their personal beliefs, values, and experiences into interpreting the way you look at these pieces.

Here are two of my favourite art pieces by Gonsalves, which represent the literal meaning of using judicious silence because these pieces of art need no words to describe and interpret beauty (Beck et al., 2018).

Billy Joel has always and will always have a place in my heart. His legendary album The Stranger has some of the most beautiful music pieces that make my heart melt. The song Vienna has helped me out throughout some difficult times and will always be some sort of “sense of place” to me. One of my favourite things to do is climb outside my window, onto my roof (I promise this is completely safe, and I will never put myself in a dangerous situation) when the sun is setting, and have this song play on repeat as the sunsets. The feeling of being alone, yet so high up in the world (literally as I am on the roof), while allowing the stunning lyrics to fill my heart and soul, is absolutely the best “sense of place” and peace that I have ever experienced.

Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout this beautiful journey of learning more about ourselves and what kind of interpreters we would be. I have learned so much from the course, as well as from everyone who has contributed throughout the semester. Good luck to everyone, and I hope you all leave this course with a new sense of love and relationship with nature, just as I did.

Shelly :) 

Reference: 

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing

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BLOG 8

Hello everyone!

The blog prompt this week is to talk about something in nature that is amazing! At first, when I read this multiple subjects for interpretation came to mind so I gave myself some time to choose what I truly wanted to talk about – the Northern Lights. Ever since I could remember I always dreamed of seeing them one day, and still do! 

This week’s textbook reading highlights the importance of using interpretation to help educate visitors about the historical and natural significance of the location. I think that anyone preparing to see the Northern Lights should educate themselves before seeing them to truly take it all in. There are many different resources and interpretive tools that can be used when learning about the Northern Lights.

The Northern Lights occur from collisions of electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The different colours that can be seen are a result of the type of gaseous particles that collide. The green colouring results from the oxygen molecules that can be found 60 miles above the world. The red colouring, which is rare, is from high-altitude oxygen molecules which are about 200 miles above the Earth. The blue and purple are produced by Nitrogen. The pink and green colouring is most commonly reported by Northern Light viewers. The lights can be seen from the northern and southern hemispheres’ magnetic poles. The lights seen in the northern hemisphere are called the Aurora borealis and the lights in the southern hemisphere are called the Aurora australis. The best place to see the Northern Lights is in the Northwestern area of Canada, including Yukon, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Alaska, Iceland and Antarctica. It is best to see them in small community areas as there is less light pollution. The best time to see them is during the winter months on a clear night. 

When interpreting the Northern Lights it is important to discuss the historical significance and beliefs associated with them. Many different cultural groups have legends about the Northern Lights. For example, in medieval times the lights were believed to be a sign of war or famine. A more popular belief by the Menominee aboriginal group of Wisconsin believed that the lights told the location of manabai’wok (giants) which are spirits of great fishermen and hunters. The Inuit people of Alaska believed the lights were the spirits of the animals they had hunted. If I was an interpreter at the Northern Lights I would make sure my visitors appreciate this to help them develop a stronger relationship between themselves, the beauty of the lights and its heritage. 

Lastly, the textbook discusses how experiences of “awe” can spark curiosity, purpose, perspective and curiosity. I would predict that experiencing the Northern Lights would be a moment of “awe” for any person.  

Reference:

Waldek, S. (2022, January 7). Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis): What they are & how to see them. Space.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing. 

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Hey Makayla,

I absolutely loved reading your blog post and feel we share some similar adventurous characteristics! I have always dreamt of experiencing the beautiful aurora, particularly in Iceland. Many of my bucket list items are activities, sights, and cultural experiences outside of Canada. For many people, travelling around Canada and seeing its different landscapes is very captivating, but I still seem to want to escape Canada and see what the rest of our world has to offer. It’s like growing up in a town and spending your entire childhood in one location. You do and see the same things for many years, and at some point, the town you grew up in isn’t as exciting or fun, so when people ask you “how do you like living in ____” the answer is “it is honestly quite boring.”

I think that if I get the opportunity to see something as beautiful as the northern lights, I will want to experience it in a different country that is full of mystery, adventure, and possibilities. You mentioned in your post that you have always dreamed of seeing the Northern lights, and still do to this day! So, I figured it would only be fitting to share with you my dream way of experiencing the northern lights, hoping that it inspires you to do the same.

Iceland has a lodge called the Panorama Glass Lodge located in the South (Austurkrokur) and West (Lysuborgir). It was designed and developed by a young family from Selfoss in 2015 who wanted to provide people with the unique opportunity to see the northern lights under the Icelandic sky.

One of the great things about these lodges is that they are built on huge land pieces, making them so private that you can’t even see the neighbouring lodges. Some interesting historical concepts were used to create the lodges to provide visitors with the most authentic experience. Each lodge shape is inspired by the Scandinavian houses built from wooden elements, with steel and glass.

Here is the link to their website: https://panoramaglasslodge.com

Another really cool thing is that you can actually see the northern lights in outer space! As a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut for the longest time, and so the possibility of seeing the northern lights from space sounds like a memorable experience! Maybe one day, when science and technology grow, we may get the opportunity to go up to space as a trip and see the beauty of our world from up above.

The Northern Lights spotted from the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA.

Shelly

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Blog #8 - Standing on top of the world is an amazing experience

We tend to hear about others' experiences within the world, and from time to time, we wonder if those experiences will ever occur to us. Now, you may be thinking, Shelly, some experiences are not meant to be relived, in which you are 100% correct, but some experiences should not be left unexperienced. "We each exist for but a short time, and in that time explore but a small part of the whole universe."

From my blog posts, you may have noticed that I highly resonate with quotes, as they often formulate my thoughts and aspirations in ways that I could never explain myself. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to tell people stories or explain how I am thinking in a method that would also allow them to grasp the authentic experience. Perhaps, this is why I love music and art, as they enable everyone to experience their own interpretive meanings.

When I was in grade 11, I volunteered at a kid's hospital where I worked as a hydrotherapy volunteer. I worked with various kids in ranging age groups that presented with various physical inabilities. We were a small group that consisted of myself and 2 physical therapists. Now, you may wonder how this has anything to do with Nature Interpretation… but this is really where the story takes off…It was a late summer evening at the hospital when one of the physical therapists suddenly exclaimed, "I JUST GOT APPROVED TO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST!"

As the young, naïve student, I was quite honestly speechless. I sat there for what felt like 5 minutes, comprehending what the therapist had just said. I have a very long bucket list, and many of the experiences I hope to accomplish within my life can be found here for various reasons. If I were to get into them, we would be here for days. As you may have guessed, climbing Mount Everest is on my bucket list.

Mt Everest Photographer: Zhang Weigh/VCG/Getty Images 

In 1841, a British survey team led by Sir George Everest identified that the obscure peak in the Himalayas was the tallest mountain in the world. To put this in perspective, Everest is 8848 meters tall, just below the cruising height of a jumbo jet. Now, in reality, Mount Everest is not the tallest mountain on the planet, but a dormant volcano known as Mauna Kea found in Hawaii, which is 10,200 meters tall, is considered the tallest mountain. Due to the majority of the mountain residing below sea level, Mount Everest is still considered the highest peak above sea level in the world.

60 million years ago, India's continental plates crashed into Asia, raising a vast mass of land upwards, creating what we know today as Mount Everest. Every year, the planet experiences what we call a shift in tectonic plates, causing the Himalayas to be pushed upwards, resulting in Mount Everest growing 44 millimetres every year. The Himalayan mountains have been home to the indigenous groups living in the valleys, known as the Sherpa people. The word "Sherpa" is often used to refer to the term mountain guide, as the Sherpa people have extensive knowledge and valuable experience in mountain climbing. Almost any climb of Mount Everest would be impossible without the Sherpa's logistical expertise and guidance. "Knowledge of natural history breeds a fond familiarity with nature leading people to deeper and more enjoyable experiences and a sense of stewardship for these places so special to them" (Smith, 2016).

Climbing Mount Everest requires ample experience, training, good health status, equipment, and an appropriate mindset. The most significant danger of this climb is the altitude. The Sherpa people live at these high altitudes year long and are accustomed to the low oxygen levels, whereas most climbers are not and will heavily rely on bottled oxygen that they bring along. Many risks are associated with climbing Everest, and climbers will often experience fatigue, nausea, vomiting and other related issues such as hypothermia and frostbite.

Getty Images 

Now, you may be wondering why on earth would one want to climb Mount Everest with all these horrible potential near-death experiences many individuals may face, and from the wise words of George Mallory, "because it's there!"

To me, and many other people who have climbed Everest, or hope to climb it, its this simple notion of overcoming obstacles. "Sometimes the greatest rewards in life come from doing the things that scare you the most."

I linked a video below posted by National Geographic, illustrating what it's like to climb up Mount Everest in a few quick minutes. Throughout the video, you see the toll it takes on people and the fantastic yet challenging journey. Its this idea of experiencing an adrenaline rush, hope, and sense of peace all at once, which ironically is how I view nature, and its beauty. Nature can be unpredictable, loud, scary, calming, beautiful, and educational all at once, which is what the feeling of 'awe' feels like. "Experiences of awe occur precisely in the authentic settings where interpreters work," which is what I can see and feel from those who have gone through the experience of climbing Mount Everest (Beck et al., 2018).

"You can't really argue that standing on top of the world is an amazing experience" (YouTube, 2013).

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing.

Global Adventure Challenges. (n.d.). Mind-blowing facts about Mount Everest. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://www.globaladventurechallenges.com/journal/mind-blowing-facts-about-mount-everest

National Geographic Society. (2019, September 6). Mount Everest. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/mount-everest/

The Explorer’s Passage. (2021, July 1). The history of climbing Mount Everest. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://explorerspassage.com/chronicles/history-mount-everest/

YouTube. (2013, June 5). Everest - getting to the top: National Geographic. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://youtu.be/aFkC7Cd9-IE

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Music and Nature

This was a difficult blog prompt for me because I have never really associated nature with music. The only way I used to think about this was bird songs but as I thought more about this prompt I realized that music and nature are more intertwined than I had previously thought. Birds use calls and songs to both communicate with each other and to attract a mate. Birds are not the only animals to do this, whales, frogs and crickets all do the same. Many birds have their own distinctive calls by which other birds can distinguish them. Whales do the same thing but their frequency also changes between the species of whales, and then within species, many individuals also have their own calls. Another thing I realized was that the rattles of rattlesnakes sound very similar to some percussion instruments like maracas. These rattlesnakes shake their tails to ward off predators or attract and distract prey. A cool fact that I learned the other day is that movie producers use loon calls in their scenes to create an eerie feeling through the sound, loons are not native in any of these environments but are used for their chilling call.

When I think of nature in music, my mind goes straight to whistle notes. Whistle notes are extremely high-pitched notes that artists like Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande use in their music. These high notes always remind me of bird calls because the pitches are very similar. I also think of spa music in which nature sounds like rain or waterfalls are incorporated with piano playing. This type of music invokes a sense of relaxation and happiness. Most instruments are made with natural materials and music has been around for an extremely long time. There were flutes made from bones or wood pipes, percussion instruments were a favourite of prehistoric music instruments because any two things hit together that makes a sound can be called a percussion instrument.  Natural materials are still used for instruments today, like wood for violins or animal skins to create a hand drum. 

When I think of songs that remind me of nature, I think of two different songs; “rainbow connection” and “what a wonderful world”. Rainbow connection is a song from the muppets, it is sung by Kermit the frog. My grandpa introduced me to this song as well as introducing me to nature, we would always listen to this song while we sat on the porch watching the sunset at the cottage. The song also reminds me of a beautiful swamp/marshland as this is the background behind Kermit when he sings this song. “What a Wonderful World” is a song by Louis Armstrong and is from the late 1960s. This song is extremely popular and is featured in a bunch of movies, one of them having Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson singing the song. This beautiful song describes scenes in nature such as “trees of green, and red roses too”. 

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Hey Isabelle,

I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week especially because you incorporated how various species have their own communication methods. After reading your blog, I too had no idea that many movie producers use loon calls in particular scenes to create sound effects! I found a great video online posted by Vox called “Why Hollywood loves this creepy bird call” where they highlight some interesting facts and information as to why loon calls are so effective. If you were to close your eyes, the loon call sounds like a howl which is crazy to think about, which is why many producers incorporate this sound into movies.

https://youtu.be/DVFBUIGfcJk

Although the variety of loon species have a very eerie yet beautiful call that signifies other loons of its presence in a lake or when it is alarmed, another species that I think has a creative communication method are the bees (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, n.d.). Honeybees have an extraordinarily captivating dance language that they use to communicate the distance of food sources through different speeds, and vibrational frequencies (Caron & Connor, 2013). The concept of the honeybee dance language is very complex which is why our school offers an entire course on Honeybees! I included a video below that acts as a great visual resource to better understand the honeybee dance language pattern. The video discusses how the species can communicate the distance, and direction of food through specific angles parallel to the sun.

https://youtu.be/-7ijI-g4jHg

What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong is one of my all-time favourite songs! Whenever I feel down or want to escape from the world by going on a walk or a hike, I plug in my headphones and listen to a variety of songs that I believe help me with finding my sense of place in the natural world. What a Wonderful World is one of the songs I listen to and would have to 100% agree with you that it reminds me of nature as well.

I really enjoyed reading your blog post and look forward to your future work!

Shelly

References:

Caron, D. M., & Connor, L. J. (2013). Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping (3rd ed.). Kalamazoo, MI: Wicwas Press

Cornell Lab of Ornithology(n.d.).Common loon sounds, all about birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Loon/sounds

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Blog #7 - Nature in Music and Music in Nature

Deconstructing this week's prompt was quite unusual for me because I have never honestly thought about how there is nature in music and music in nature. Like many, I depend on music throughout my day-to-day life to fulfill many tasks, get ready in the morning, drive to school/work, or resort to an escape from reality. Still, I had never grasped the authentic impact music has had on humankind. Hans Christian Andersen is a Danish author who had made a tremendous impact on my childhood, which I presume many of you could connect to. Perhaps you do not recognize his name, but he has written many famous stories such as:

- The Little Mermaid

- The Snow Queen

- The Ugly Duckling

One of my favourite quotes growing up from him was, "Where words fail, music speaks."

Take, for example, the following songs that were written by artists and came about all because of what they had experienced in the past or at the time they wrote the song.

1.     Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac

This song was written by Lindsey Buckingham as a breakup message directed at Stevie Nicks

2. Dear John by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is known to have written songs about past relationships and has always done a fantastic job. This song was written about her relationship with John Mayer

3. I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash

Johnny had written this song as a declaration of fidelity to his very first wife

4. Skyscraper by Demi Lovato

Skyscraper was inspired by Demi Lovato's long and arduous journey of overcoming her addiction

So, I guess you can see why I really like and resonate with Hans Christian Andersen's quote and how other famous individuals had written beautiful lyrics and constructed amazing songs that spoke when their words failed them.

Although you and I listen to various sounds that construct what we coin as the term music, the true definition of music is the "patterns of sound varying in pitch and time produced for emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive purposes" (Gray et al., 2001). For example, the black-capped chickadees are found in forested areas, deciduous and mixed forests with open words, parks, and cottonwood groves (Cornell Lab of Ornithology [CLO], n.d.). This species has a complex language call, with specific connotations that hold similar characteristics to that of human language (CLO, n.d.). Their song-like calls allow them to communicate important information such as recognition of other flocks, predator alarms, and contact calls, which are essential for their survival (CLO, n.d.). A significant amount of research has been conducted on better understanding the black-capped chickadee calls as their intricate language call has caught the attention of many scientists. The following link has a variety of documented black-capped chickadee songs that I found to be incredibly fascinating and a great demonstration of how there is nature in music and music in nature. This example really ties back to Gray (2001) definition of music, particularly the social and cognitive purposes that music evokes.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/sounds 

"Human music-making may vary dramatically between cultures, but the fact that it is found in all cultures suggests that there is a deep human need to create, perform, and listen to music" (Gray et al., 2001). Music is a form of art that has been around for years but has also played a drastic role in shaping communities and cultures. Different countries have developed various complex musical instruments that have been implemented in their culture for many years.

Armenia

o   An instrument known as the Duduk, is a double-reed pipe that consist of wide reeds made from pieces of cane in a duckbill-type assembly

Australia

o   Indigenous Australians constructed an instrument known as the Didgeridoo, which is a straight trumpet without fingerholes made from a trunk or thick tree branches that required circular breathing to produce its sound.

Israel

o   An instrument known as the Shofar, is a horn which is flattened by heat and then hollowed is a traditional instrument used in religious settings such as wedding ceremonies. The Shofar is made from the horn of an animal, typically a ram or a kudu.

Korea

o   A cultural instrument known as the Gayageum, is a zither-like strong instrument that consists of 12 strings. 

Zimbabwe

o   An instrument known as the Mbira (Thumb piano), is a plucked lamellophone that consists of staggered keys which are attached to a board with a halved calabash gourd that acts as the resonator. 

“The discovery of prehistoric flutes made of animal bone in France and Slovenia, ranging in age from 4000 to 53,000 years old, demonstrates that ancient civilizations devoted considerable time and skill to constructing complicated musical instruments" (Gray et al., 2001). Once again, we can see how music can be found in nature and nature in music as many of the instruments are constructed by utilizing earth's natural gifts. The French and Slovenian cultures discovered a musical instrument known as the flute, in which I have had the opportunity to learn how to play. The first musical instrument that I was introduced to throughout elementary school was the recorder. We spent numerous class hours learning how to read music, understand it, and create our own music using our instruments. As our knowledge progressed, we were introduced to more complicated musical instruments such as the flute, clarinet, trombone, french horn, trumpet and even the drums. As a kid, what sort of musical instruments were you exposed to? And were there particular elements or instruments that you enjoyed most?

Although I really appreciate the different forms of art and how they can connect us to the natural world, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and music are my favourite as they connect with me emotionally. Activities such as hiking really allow me to immerse in the idea that there is nature in music and music in nature. When I can go hiking, I enjoy taking in those small moments that allow you to hear the beauty of music in nature through the wind rushing through the trees, the birds singing, the sound of the leaves crushing under your feet, and the brisk air.

Two songs that take me back to a natural landscape are Vienna by Billy Joel and Sleep on the Floor by The Lumineers. I had previously mentioned that going out on hikes or being present in the natural world is my escape from reality and provides me with a sense of place. I associate the following songs with a natural landscape as they are my go-to songs when I am going out on a walk, on a longer hike, camping in the woods, or simply sitting in my backyard, taking in the beauty of nature.

https://youtu.be/wccRif2DaGs 

https://youtu.be/v4pi1LxuDHc

Thanks for tuning into this weeks blog post! 

Shelly 

References:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Black-capped chickadee overview, all about birds. Overview. All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/overview#

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 291(5501), 52–54.

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, February 28). List of national instruments (music). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_instruments_(music)

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Nature 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)

This quote unpacks heavy content, in the sense of exploring a lot of bases of history, within a couple of sentences. As humans, each one of us have been passed down information, from either a parental figure, sibling, teacher, or any books/literature we have had the privilege to indulge in. Although each teaching may be similar; for example, the process of photosynthesis will always be the same, regardless of who is explaining it. Everyone absorbs knowledge differently, with their own point of view already subjected into the topic. From this, I think the message in this quote is, as an interpreter we have the obligation to present our knowledge onto the listener or reader with full honesty and accuracy.

I find myself picturing the game I used to play as a child called “telephone”, where an individual would start the game by making up a phrase, and then passing it on to the next person beside them. The idea of the game was to see if the phrase could go around the whole circle of individuals, without being changed or forgotten. At the end, the person who created the phrase, would shout aloud what had come back to them. Oddly enough, I always remember that the phrase would be changed. Most kids changing it for fun, or to get laughs out of their peers. But in hindsight, I feel as if this was foreshadowing reality. As once we got older, it was up to us to determine if the information we gathered was the full truth. As an interpreter, we must ensure we are informing the reader or listener with a deeper insight and truth on the matter. This allows them to create their own understanding on the subject from their own individual experiences.

The Telephone Game : https://icebreakerideas.com/telephone-game/

Furthermore, the part of the quote that stated, “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.”, reminds me of how a lot of us, create our own conformational biases. Once we are given information, we stick with what we know on it. Sometimes finding it hard to release the ego, that causes us to stop exploring the other side of the “story”. But as interpreters, we need to avoid biases. As for the past to live on, we must explore the hardships and the good time’s that come with every act in history.

[sbenvs3000w22]

Hey!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week. I would have to absolutely agree with you when you mentioned that “everyone absorbs knowledge differently, with their own point of view already subjected into the topic.” You used the concept of photosynthesis to explain how the process itself will always remain the same, but everyone will have their own way of explaining it. When we look back to the first week of class, where we all wrote our first blog post, we can see how everyone’s ‘sense of place’ drastically differs because of their personal experiences and upbringing, which is what makes nature interpretation such a beautiful thing.

My day-to-day experiences most likely differ to some level from your daily experiences. My background with nature most likely differs from yours. As previously highlighted in a blog post where we discussed the term ‘privilege,’ my opportunities in life may vary from your opportunities. My experience playing the “telephone” game also most likely differs from yours.

--> When I was a kid, we also used to play that game, however, we referred to this game as “Broken Telephone.” The game I played consisted of the same rules and procedures as the game you played, but we referred to it as two different things.  

This is why I believe that the role of an interpreter is so crucial, as their goal is not only to educate and inspire their guests but also to allow each individual to interpret things in their own way. As discussed in previous blog posts, I highlight that I absolutely love the world of art and being able to interpret paintings. A picture is worth a thousand words because you and I may see different things portrayed in an image. This is where the art of interpretation comes into play because a picture can really highlight the true meanings of past events, allowing us to form values that guide the way we live in the present. This really ties back to this week’s quote, in my opinion. I find that interpretation plays a significant role in how I perceive paintings. With that being said would you consider a specific form of art a source of substantial interpretation, or do you perhaps believe other forms of nature, art, music, experiences etc., provide you with a greater sense of interpretation?

Overall, I enjoyed reading your post this week and look forward to hearing more.

Shelly  

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Blog #6 - Interpreting 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)

Unpacking a firm quote such as the one above has always been my favourite way to interpret things or my least favourite. I will be frank and say that I really struggled with this one, and like many people, complex things are never fun to do but are always worth it.

I think I had read this quote over 15 times and tried to understand what Edward Hyams was trying to say here, that at some point, the words on my screen began to blend together, and I could not make up any of the terms or sentences in this quote. I kept thinking about this quote throughout the week and why we were asked to unpack it. I sit here, in my office chair during this dark, rainy, gloomy day, wondering when it will click!

One of the most fascinating components of nature interpretation is that although we are often guided by interpreters, the takeaway message is that each individual will have their own understanding of things, which makes nature interpretation such a beautiful, complex and unique thing. The way I interpret this quote may be completely different than how you interpret it, and I think that a well-known artist by the name of Picasso illustrates this idea with the following quote "painting is a blind man's profession. He paints not what he sees, but what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen."

Now that I have rambled on about how dreadful and challenging this week's blog prompt is, let's unpack this quote. We all had the opportunity to read Chapter 15, Interpreting History from The Gifts of Interpretation textbook, which paved the way to understanding this quote better. The biggest takeaway I took from this week's reading was that history shapes who we are today, how we got here, why we are here, and what life events occurred to allow this exact moment to be taking place. Interpretation, in my opinion, does just that; it explains to us the true meaning of past events, allowing each one of us to form values that guide the way we live in the present. "Without interpretation, artifacts are merely old things, historic buildings are just old buildings, and ceremonies and festivals are merely entertainment" (Chapter 15, The Gifts of Interpretation).

Take, for example, the artifact below. At first, many of you like myself have no clue what this C-shaped historical artifact is, ultimately holding absolutely no meaning to us. However, when I unpack this item for you, as an individual, you can form your own values, opinions, and story of what this piece may have looked like in the past, who used it, why it was used, and so on.

https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/first-peoples-of-canada-native-copper-from-the-canadian-museum-of-history/

This picture was captured by the Canadian Museum of History and is a Bracelet made from native copper from the Late Archaic period, found near Lake Superior (Canadian Museum of History [CMH], 2016). It is approximately 3,000-4,000 years old (CMH, 2016). This bracelet was worn by Aboriginal people in Canada and was part of their culture (CMH, 2016). Native copper was a commonly used material to manufacture tools and personal objects for nearly 7,000 years (CMH, 2016). This material was easily shaped and thinned by cold hammering, ultimately allowing for very thin and fragile artifacts such as jewelry to be made (CMH, 2016). 

Now, I bring up this story and artifact in this post because, as the initial quote says, we cannot simply forget pieces of our past. "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" (Edward, Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation). Take, for example, this common pattern within Canada, the history of indigenous oppression, and the nationwide genocide of their people is rarely discussed and touched upon throughout our educational career (elementary school, high school, etc.). No matter how much those in power will try to disregard past events. No matter how hard it is to talk about the past, we must always learn that maintaining the integrity of knowledge, memories, and ancient facts is crucial for the future. We must understand the who, why, and how to pick the puzzle pieces back up and work on never letting them get loose again.

I wanted to end this post by asking whether or not you have a place, person, or event in your life that you find deep meaning within or have experienced lasting memories that you would be willing to share and provide us with your personal interpretation?

Thanks for tuning into this week's blog post!

Shelly

References: 

Canadian Museum of History. First Peoples of Canada: Native Copper from the Canadian Museum of History. Your Museum. Your Stories. (2016). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/first-peoples-of-canada-native-copper-from-the-canadian-museum-of-history/ 

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A thank you to Guides-Blog 5

Since this there is no blog prompt this week I thought I would use this time to talk about some photos from some adventures I’ve been on.  

This is a photo I took in Tofino, BC. This was day 14 (I think) of a 21 day sea kayaking trip with Outward Bound Canada. We had no cell phones for the entire trip and kayaked over 150 km. We stayed at this beach for 3 days because we did some surfing on the other side of the mountain (not pictured). This was the first time I surfed and it was so much fun! Pro Surfer Kalum Bruhwiler Temple and his Mum taught us how to surf and I learned so much. If your ever in Tofino give them a shout, they would be so happy to teach you or help you get better! On another note, I had the best nap ever right next to this kayak while crows picked at our food supplies :/ The guides were not very happy.

This was my FAVOURITE spot out of the entire trip. After this photo was taken (by me :)) I saw a black bear in the tree line, right across from where I was standing, sniffing around and at the same time a gray wolf was just 100 ft down the shoreline from the bear! No I’m not kidding. This actually happened, It was insane. They were minding their own business and didn’t notice each other, It happened so quick but it was amazing to witness. I didn’t capture it on my camera because it felt too special to find the right angle and such so I just let it be and enjoy that moment. It amazed me that two apex predators were able to live in harmony and balance for that one moment. This spot was also the first time I saw the Milky Way and the northern lights; it doesn’t look like much but this spot is everything. 

The crew kayaking on a calm very early and rainy morning. I’m pretty sure this was after 2 days at a camp site which was very nice, since it was the first people we had seen beyond our group for 10 days. They also had a nice pool table; so many luxuries aha. I learned so many new skills from this trip for example, how to do a variety of knots, build a tarp shelter, use nautical navigation techniques and proper kayak technique (photo taken by one of the guides).

This photo was taken by me from a 10 day dog sledding trip in Algonquin for the Canadian Conservation Corps. with Outward Bound Canada. This was the last day dogsledding, making our way to the trail head across the frozen lake. It was such an incredible trip, nothing like I’ve ever experienced. Dog sledding is way more work than I expected, I also learned so much from this trip, such as, how to take care of the dogs, how to chop a tree down and how to keep warm in a smart way.  

I hope you enjoyed this weeks blog post, it was very fun to write! None of these trips would have been possible without the support and knowledge from the guides of Outward Bound Canada. 

The Nature Blog, 

Giuli

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Hey Giuli,

I need to start by saying that you have posted such a fantastic blog post that hooked me through every line of your writing. Not only do your experiences make me want to explore more of Canada, but they also inspired me to incorporate more components of travel that are secluded from the world. You had no cell phones, and I think escaping from them is one of the hardest things. I have always believed that Canada was boring and there was absolutely nothing to see here compared to Europe, but you have proved me wrong. The longest I have spent in nature was during overnight summer camps, where we had many opportunities to go out to several spots on the lake and island and camp out for 2-3 days before returning to base. My first ever camping experience was horrible; from having to squeeze 15 people into an 8-person tent, getting stepped on in the middle of the night because one camper was claustrophobic and had to puke every few hours, and having a female deer stand right next to our tent for 45 minutes calling for a male deer. Seeing how your 21-day sea kayaking trip in British Columbia opened up several opportunities and experiences for you (I cannot believe you got to see a black bear AND a wolf all at once) makes me want to explore nature more. However, I did some research and found that Tofino, BC has a glamping site called WILDPOD Glamping, which I might try out before I re-commit to 21 days of kayaking and camping after my horrible camping experience.

I think that getting to experience nature after taking this class will be a completely different encounter as I have learned some fantastic things from classmates and course content, such as the critical impact that nature interpreters can have on their guests! I will definitely take advantage of visiting as many sites as possible, gaining knowledge from individuals who can interpret surroundings, and nourishing a deeper connection between nature and a person. Sam Ham (2013) said that "interpretation is a mission-based approach to communication aimed to provoking in audiences the discovery of personal meaning and the forging of personal connections with things, places, people and concepts."

I hope that you get to experience the beauty of our world more and more as time passes by, and I look forward to reading your future blog posts!

Shelly

Reference:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Chapter 1 What is Interpretation . In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (pp. 3–16). essay, SAGAMORE Publishing.

Welcome to Tofino's Only Luxury Glamping Site . WILDPOD Luxury Waterfront Glamping . (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.wildpod.ca/

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Blog #5 - Just a one way ticket

"Travel. Because money returns, time doesn't" is one of my favourite quotes. Travelling the world has been my ultimate bucket list dream. I want to travel the world to enrich and gain a broader and better view of our world while simultaneously gaining insight into our planet's different cultures, roots, and beautiful landscapes. In addition to travelling the world, I have smaller bucket list goals that I hope to complete and experience during my Europe trip.

I have found various resources, guides, YouTube videos, blog posts and traveller advice regarding the best locations to visit. I have gathered a list of places around Europe that I will visit once I can travel. Throughout this trip itinerary, you will see that I hope to visit significant cities filled with beautiful chaos while also staying in places filled with greenery, mountains, and beautiful landscapes with almost no mundane infrastructures.

My trip around Europe consists of over 20 locations, but I will only highlight 3 as I can write for hours about this trip :) 

1.     Amalfi Coast and Rome

Starting the trip off strong Rome and Amalfi Coast provides some of the most beautiful experiences. In Rome, I want to be the most tourist-like individual possible! Consuming delicious foods such as pasta and pizza topping it off with a creamy Italian gelato sounds like an absolute dream! After spending time in Rome, I want to head south to the Amalfi Coast, relaxing by the beach, driving on the coast, and getting some colour!

Things to do in Rome:

-       Ride on a vespa (especially during the night!)

-       Visit all historical sites

o   The Colosseum

o   Arch of Constantine

o   Vatican City

o   Roman Forum

o   Palatine Hill

o   Trevi Fountain

-       Visit multiple museums in Rome

o   Capitoline Museum

o   Galleria Borghese

o   Palazzo Colonna- Galleria Colonna

Things to do in the Amalfi Coast: 

-       Take a day tour of Pompeii

-       Drink loads and loads of delicious Italian Coffee

-       Visit the Arsenale della Repubblica museum

-       Wander the Via dei Mercantini (the market)

-       Spend the day by the beach

-       Eat, eat, and eat some more!

2.     Interlaken and Lucerne, Switzerland

Where do I even begin! Switzerland has got to be the #1 natural beauty of our planet. From previous blogs, I had mentioned that I feel most at home in the city, but I feel most at peace in the natural world filled with greenery, mountains, and countryside views, thanks to my grandpa, who provides me with “my sense of place.” Interlaken is one of my dream locations, particularly my dream location to go skydiving! Skydive Interlaken offers guests the opportunity to jump from 14’000ft “between the glacier lakes with the best view of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.” Before your jump, you experience a beautiful helicopter ride filled with scenic panoramic views of Interlaken, glacier lakes, and the beautiful swiss alps.

I mean, just look at this view! How could anyone not want to jump out of a plane!!!

*I included a short 2-minute video posted by Skydive Interlaken of a skydiving experience!  https://youtu.be/yKQenILe11I  

Unfortunately, not many people are willing to sign their life away to experience a short rush of adrenaline which is entirely understandable! The list below highlights some amazing things anyone can do when visiting Interlaken and Lucerne, Switzerland.

Things to do in Interlaken:

-       You can make your way up as high as 730 meter using a ten-minute funicular to a mountain called Harder Kulm

-       Hop on the Interlaken Ost Railway train ride

-       St Beatus Caves

-       Escape the tourist areas and take a beautiful hike in the Weissenau Nature Reserve

Things to do in Lucerne:

-       Explore Old Town (very low on traffic)

-       Attend the Swiss Museum of Transport

-       Cross the Chapel Bridge

-       Visit the Glacier Garden

-       Hike up a mountain to see the breathtaking views, capturing the Musegg Wall (Lucerne’s city defence wall)

3.     Croatia + Montenegro

This destination is how I would want to end my 20+ European cities/countries tour. I will get into more detail in a few minutes about why this would be my final stop. To start off the destination, a Balkan country known as Montenegro is filled with beautiful mountains, small medieval villages, and coastline beaches. This location is the perfect mix of beautiful landscapes and incredible history that captivates many individuals such as me.

Things to do in Montenegro:

-       Visit the Kotor Town and Bay of Kotor

-       Enjoy the day in Budva Riviera (this place is an actual paradise)

-       Blue Grotto (snorkelling is a must in this cave)

-       Visit the town of Cetinje (was the Capital of Montenegro during the late 19th and 20th century)

-       Explore the beautiful Durmitor National Park

After enjoying some time in beautiful Montenegro, the trip's final stop concludes in Croatia. Now, in my opinion, this is one of the best ways to end a fantastic trip. Yacht week Croatia has been a lifelong bucket list goal since I was as young as 14 years old. This is an 8-day trip, where you live on a yacht/boat filled with 2-3 other cabins occupied by individuals from different locations around the world. Every day, you port to a different town and have the day to explore the beautiful country of Croatia. I honestly believe that no words can express my love for this trip, nor could they do a good enough job describing it. I have linked a YouTube video that shows the beautiful 8-day Original Route, and I 1000000% recommend you give it a glance.

https://youtu.be/5JBwGUqp1Jg 

[rjsenvs3000w22]

Blog 4: The art of nature

Art based on nature can take on so many forms with various purposes. Examples include drawing, painting, photography, music, sculptures, books, movies and more. This can be done because nature is such a vast subject that encompasses many things. Art is a gift that can show us the intricacy and beauty of the natural world from different perspectives. Although, interpreting the gift of beauty will look different for every person. One piece of art might be overlooked by someone, while the next person could be encapsulated by it. Everyone’s idea of what they find beautiful is unique to them, therefore their means of interpreting the gift of beauty is also unique. Whether an interpreter is a nature guide or an artist, their goal is the same: to help people appreciate the beauty of their surroundings and to instil in them the necessity of conserving it (Beck et.al. 2018).

My primary art source to interpret nature and its gift of beauty is photography. While I am by no means a “photographer”, wherever I go outside I’m always capturing the moment or the view and sharing it with others. Interpreting nature through art, such as photography, enhances my connection with the environment, and that connection extends to others when I share it. I love seeing the other photos people put in their blogs as it always makes me want to go to those locations. If you’re responding to this post, please share one of your favourite nature photos you’ve taken and your connection to it, i’m genuinely interested!

This photo is a favourite of mine, hence why its my profile picture, and captures a Monarch I raised from an egg on one of the flowering plants in my backyard.

When I think of interpreting nature through art the first person that comes to mind is my Grandma. I mentioned her in a previous blog as being one of the people who gave me my “sense of place”. She loves to paint natural landscapes ranging from realistic to abstract and is very talented.

I got her to send me one of her more recent paintings for this class. While you can tell there are two bare trees in the centre, the rest of the painting is more abstract and seems to be telling the story of this scene. I didn’t ask her why it looks this way because I think the intention is for the viewer to interpret it on their own. What do you think its meaning or story is? The beauty of art is that the same image can connect and mean something different to every person. 

This unit also mentioned the group of seven, who were amazing at capturing nature on a canvas. I’ve been to a few of the places they stood when they made some of their iconic paintings, such as Parry Sound and Georgian Bay. Their artwork attracted international attention and captured the beauty of Canada in a unique way. By sharing their work they have subsequently inspired many others to pursue art or take an interest in it.

This is a painting done by my Grandma as well that mimics one of her favourites done by Tom Thomson. Whether we are creating art in nature, or nature in art, we are connecting to something much deeper than what words can share.

Reilly

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Hey Reilly,

I absolutely LOVED reading your blog post and seeing the fantastic pictures you have captured yourself and your grandma's beautiful paintings! I am a massive sucker for capturing beautiful moments and nature's gift of beauty via photography (although I am by no means a "photographer," but my iPhone sure does make me feel like it from time to time).

Although I connect with nature personally and enjoy spending time in nature on my own, as it provides me with a sense of peace, and ultimately a sense of place, I love seeing and understanding the art of nature through music and paintings. As you mentioned, one piece of art may resonate with one person but be entirely disregarded by another. This is why music and art are so important in my life, as it allows for such a personal connection and permit each person to form their own concept and story. For example, the first painting painted by your grandma in your blog post may be interpreted differently among every student in this class. My interpretation of this beautiful painting is that the two bare trees in the centre represent the "ugly" or "unappreciated" aspects of nature, which can be translated into how we see the world we live in. We tend to focus on the negative things or the non-beautiful elements of our lives, ourselves, and the people around us and forget about the beautiful things that encompass our lives. The same can be said about this painting; however, the big takeaway I take from this painting is that we need to see the beauty in the ugly aspects of our lives. Some of the most unappealing or underappreciated things we experience in life shape and guide our future. We can't have the "full trees" and beautiful moments of our life without acknowledging the "bare trees" and hardships that brought us to them.

Here are some of the most recent pictures I have captured that to me represent the gift of beauty :)

Shelly

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Nature Through Art

Nature through art is interesting as there are many different forms from photorealism to abstraction. Art can sometimes convey information that words can’t making it an amazing tool to express the beauty of many aspects in nature. As an interpreter of nature, we have to create positive environments to allow others to experience a feeling of hope based on sharing the past and present beauties of nature. I would describe myself as artistically challenged when it comes to drawing and any type of painting, but I do love to take pictures of landscape and nature as when I look back at the picture it almost makes me feel like I’m there again bringing back memories. To all the countries I have visited I always try to take as many pictures as possible of the different topography and culture. “Art is such a unique way of interpreting nature; it goes beyond speech and uses a range of techniques, such as paintings, photographs, and music to convey information that words alone cannot (Beck et al., 2018)”. This is a great quote and really speaks volume about how your art is a useful aspect in seeing different perspectives in nature.

According to Hahn, the Social Declines of Modern Youth, if I had to add one for today it would be the decline in care caused by the increased time of devices and social. This whole emerging tech savvy world distracts us and disconnects us from others, but this also overlaps with the rest of them. Fitness, memory and imagination and self discipline are all affected by the increase of screentime. Nature through art can be enjoyed by everyone and could help us to communicate and care more. Maybe this is the answer to distract our younger generation from screens and social media??  

The gift of beauty is to inspire others to connect with the beauty of nature. This goes further then themselves and to the surroundings in a spiritual way. Developing a connection that is bigger than yourself, your experiences, and your values. Instead, coming to the realization that we are all connected through nature. As humans we are part of nature and part of the life cycle that continues to develop overtime.

Nature interpretation through art involves artistic visual representation of nature as it’s a perfect way that an interpreter can give their audience the gift of beauty. Through art we can channel the meanings associated with a place and its elements from plants, bodies of water, rocks, and animals. The gift of beauty inspires resource preservation and conservation motivating us to protect this beautiful world for our future generations.

[sbenvs3000w22]

Hey!

I genuinely enjoyed reading your blog post for this week’s prompt, and I, too, would agree with many points and topics you highlighted. I really liked how you incorporated the concept developed by Kurt Hahn regarding the six social declines of modern youth and connected this philosophical idea with nature interpretation. We have previously talked about underserved audiences, and in today’s day and age, we tend to see less and less youth exploring nature. Suggesting a potential justification for why the younger generations are so attracted and pulled into their screens and social media is crucial in allowing interpreters to reach such audience members as it will enable them to incorporate methods of communication that grasp the attention of these youth.

I, too, have always enjoyed the beauty of nature and felt connected to it. I really resonate with what you had mentioned in your blog post regarding developing connections that are much bigger than ourselves, our values, and our experiences. I truly believe that nature and our environments are excellent tools for survival purposes (medicinal, environmental, architectural, etc.) and one of the only tools that bring society together without forming judgments or critiques against each other. Therefore, the role of the interpreter is so important! They contribute to learning the different forms of art and offer enriching experiences to individuals, which further spreads to society at large, making for a better world.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and knowledge regarding this week’s blog prompt! I look forward to reading some of your future blogs!

Shelly

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Blog#4 Nature through art

(Image from the Irish Times - Memory of a Brain Malformation) 

As per the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of art is “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

For as long as I can remember, art in its various forms has always been my outlet from reality. From a very young age, I learned to appreciate reading books, listening to music, going to art exhibits, attending musicals, and connecting with the surrounding nature. Personal interpretation played a significant role in my experience, as I connected with a piece of art or musical creation without having someone else’s understanding of the creative application embedded in it. Like many, music and art have increasingly become my sense of place and peace as it occupies my mind with creative expression, preventing me from overthinking and allowing me to be at ease. I am sure many people can relate because they may have a song that keeps them calm during hardships, a book that they can resort to, or even a trail in a nearby forest that allows them to escape from the now.

As human beings, I believe that we are one of the most complex primates because of our dire need and want to understand the world around us while actively using resources to share these understandings. Nature interpretation allows us to do this in various forms; however, when we take a human creative application such as art and incorporate it into understanding the beauty of nature, we expand our audiences and allow individuals to connect with these pieces. As a science student, I have the opportunity to see and understand how art and science are connected with one another. From elementary to high school and even throughout university, we are constantly exposed to various diagrams, illustrative videos, neuronal connections, 3D structures of molecules, components of living things, and much more. The “gift of beauty” for an interpreter is a way to influence those around them and creatively teach people to personally connect and appreciate the beauty of our nature.

(Image from Fine Art America)

Although art and science fundamentally have different intended audiences and different explorations methods into various subjects, the goals and motivations are the same. Science and art are a way for us to understand and attempt to describe the world we live in. Nature can be seen as both a form of art and a form of science, with each trying to explore various subjects but ultimately having the same end goal. As Albert Einstein once said, “the greatest scientists are always artists as well.”

So, to answer the question of who am I to interpret nature through art, my simple yet content-heavy answer would be an educated student who believes that science and art are the same as both attempt to understand the complex nature surrounding the world around us.

References

Ahlstrom, D. (2015, November 19). New exhibition seeks to explain trauma through art. The Irish Times. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/new-exhibition-seeks-to-explain-trauma-through-art-1.2436884

Alteration art. Fine Art America. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://fineartamerica.com/art/alteration

Oxford languages and google - english. Oxford Languages. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

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The Role That Privilege Plays..

The role that privilege plays in nature interpretation is one of opportunity and experience. When we are given opportunities in our life, such as travel, experience, etc., we are privileged to have had these experiences. What I mean by this is that we are ultimately the sum of what we have accomplished/have experienced in our lives. Our privilege gives us the opportunity to broaden our horizons and expand our bubble, which would change our relationship with nature and interpretation of such. In addition to our experiences, opportunities are equally important when discussing the role of privilege in nature interpretation. For example, I was given the opportunity to be put into swim lessons as a kid, so this gives me a certain privilege in nature. I am able to swim and therefore explore the lakes, oceans, rivers without being worried about that particular aspect of nature itself. This is because my family had the means of paying for and getting me to swimming lessons as a child, but this may not be the case for everyone, which would affect how and what we interpret in nature. It is these opportunities given to us that may alter our relationship and our interpretation of nature.

I am very lucky to have experienced all the things I have experienced in my life, but I also know that there are places that I haven’t seen and things I haven’t done that others have. What you have done and will do in your life shapes who you are and how you view the world. I went on my first plane this past fall and was so nervous to travel. Everyone else on the plane seemed fine, calm even, and I was freaking out. I now, more than ever, would love to visit more places around the world. This experience changed the way that I view travel and the world. Before my world was limited to my small bubble; driving and walking everywhere. I have never been anywhere that you can’t drive, and I want to go so badly somewhere that I can’t get to by car.

In essence, I am sure that someone who has never left their town has a very different interpretation of nature than someone who has been to 5 different countries. Now, this does not mean that the person who has travelled the most has the most valuable interpretation of nature, but it does mean that these two people are going to have drastically different interpretations. Looking back at my experience on a plane, we can see how fear may play a role in our interpretation - Someone who hasn’t travelled very far may be frightened of certain aspects of nature, whereas someone who has grown up hiking through jungles, rock climbing (not in a gymnasium), or deep-sea diving may not be afraid of those things.

I would say that overall, the role of privilege in nature interpretation does have everything to do with your life experiences and the opportunities given to you, and this impacts the way you view the world. I would also say that the more you see of the world the less frightened you are going to be, and this is why privilege gives us a great advantage; certainly, a positionality that we need to be aware of and understand when interpreting nature with and/or for others.

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Hey Cora!

I enjoyed reading your blog post and seeing how you interpret the term privilege while also applying some of your own experiences to the post. I was also fortunate enough to be placed in swimming lessons at a very young age, which further opened different opportunities in my life, which some people do not get the chance to experience. In my elementary school, the grade 7s and 8s got to go on a weeklong trip at an overnight camp every year. We got to experience different activities such as hiking, overnight camping, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, playing soccer, tennis, and many other events during our stay. Now, to participate in water activities, every kid had to pass a swimming test for safety reasons. If they did not, they could not partake in any aquatic activities. At the time, the thought of an individual not being able to swim sounded ridiculous to me because I had spent my entire childhood learning how to swim, and so as a kid, I heavily judged other kids who were unable to swim. However, as I got older, I realized that not everyone has the privilege of learning how to swim or ski or snowboard, or any other form of activity that required some sort of privilege – the financial means, transportation access etc.

These childhood lessons have taught me that we should never judge a book by its cover, which should be applied to everyday life as we never know what someone else has gone through or is currently going through. I 100% agree with your statement about how an individual's experiences will ultimately shape their future interests and how they view the world and those around them. Your blog mentioned that you went on your first-ever plane this past fall and that your experience was different from those around you. Based on your past blog posts (blog #1 in particular), you had some fantastic nature photos to share, and from first glance, I would have never guessed that this past fall was your first time on an airplane. The statement of never judging a book by its cover comes into play because I made assumptions about your personal experiences before knowing anything about you as an individual. This ties back to the idea that many interpreters don't often know their audience(s) and make misguided assumptions about them. Therefore, as individuals and interpreters, we must take the time to familiarize ourselves with an individual or a group of people before making any assumptions.

I really hope that you get to travel the world more and experience the beautiful landmarks that our planet offers! Thanks for sharing your personal connections to this week's topic!

Shelly

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Blog #3 - Privilege

Many of us have heard the saying, "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer." We see, for example, many wealthy, successful, and well-known individuals such as Jeff Bezos taking advantage of their status in society and devaluing those below him (such as his workers at amazon). Now, you may be wondering how Jeff Bezos is related to privilege in nature interpretation? The simple answer is he is not. Jeff Bezos has no relation to this class, to understanding interpreters and the visitors, enhancing visitor experiences, and providing a more inclusive environment. He resembles the picture-perfect definition of privilege, but more importantly, privilege within society.

More often than not, being privileged within society means that an individual or a group has economic and financial stability, fluent language skills, wide-ranging knowledge due to a head start in the world and the advantage of falling into a majority group (rather than a minority). These factors are what I would consider privilege not only in society but also in everyday activities such as camping, attending zoos, parks, museums, and the course topic of the week.

Following the footsteps of our professor, I decided to unpack my invisible backpack to see what characteristics and opportunities I have been given that others may have not. I am a white woman in the process of becoming a highly educated individual who has not had to worry about paying for my schooling. Growing up, I had the privilege of finding children's books that represented my race. I am fluent in English. My family had the financial means to put me through years of competitive swimming. Being a competitive swimmer allowed me to work with physically, sensory, or psychologically conditioned individuals at a kid's hospital, all because at a very young age, my parents were able to put me through swimming lessons. These characteristics correspond to a privilege that I have not had to work for but have still placed me in an advantaged position.

Within nature interpretation, we see how privilege can drastically change the experience of an individual or a group of people. For example, many wheelchair users cannot go sightseeing or hiking in certain parks due to the limited wheelchair access. Many museums lack diversity in their staff, little language guides, ASL programs, and tactile exhibits. I believe that one of the most important things we can do is promote equal access and inclusion to these facilities. The principles of nature guiding have never explicitly indicated that its focus is to facilitate inspirational learning for only one group. Nature guiding is not a discriminatory guide and should always connect with people regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity.

3D Version of the “Mona Lisa” in Madrid’s Museo del Prado (The New York Times)

I found an interesting blog written by Cecilie Skou Andersen (linked below), who highlighted 10 accessible museums worldwide for individuals who have vision impairments. Some locations, such as the Museum Van Loon in Amsterdam, offer tours where visitors can touch collection pieces. Hands-on the Wall in Chile is an accessible museum "equipped with touch panels, braille and an audio guide, so that vision impaired art lovers can experience the large-scale artwork through their fingers on the tactile panel."

https://www.bemyeyes.com/blog/10-accessible-art-and-museum-experiences

Thanks for reading!:) 

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BLOG 2

My ideal role as an environmental interpreter would be to ensure my visitors appreciate nature and all it has to offer. The first thought that came to mind when I read the blog prompt was climate change and how we need to protect our planet! I hope to make people more aware of the challenges climate change has caused and how we can all make a difference. As an interpreter, it would be my role to make sure I deliver this message in a way that is inspirational and optimistic. Oftentimes information about climate change can be depressing and something that most people would rather not hear. Another issue with presenting climate change issues is it can come across as boring and dense with information. As an interpreter, I would need to overcome these challenges to ensure visitors get the most out of what I would teach. The National Network for Ocean and Climate Change gives recommendations on how to focus less on the “blame” and more on the solution. They encourage neutral tones, value statements, explanatory metaphors, explanatory chains and community-level solutions.

In the textbook reading, we learned about the three different learning domains. I feel it is important to achieve each of these domains for inclusive learning. The cognitive domain involves learning through knowledge and mental skills. This can be reached in various ways, such as informational talks and charts about global warming. The affective domain is for people who learn through feelings and emotions. There are many ways to bring forth this domain including paintings, music, and photography to name a few. The last domain is the kinesthetic domain which includes using motor skills. This means learning through activities such as gardening, cleaning waterways and hiking. In my opinion, this is the most fun domain and the best way for me to learn. What learning domain do you feel you gain the most from?

(2017) My sister Claire taking in the beauty of Joshua Tree National Park

I think the best place to do this would be in a national park. There are many beautiful National Parks to choose from that could benefit from having more interpreters. I feel that Joshua Tree National Park would be a great place to be as it is unfortunately highly impacted by global warming. During the winter season, the temperatures are not low enough to flower and seed. If climate change persists the trees of the park may not be able to survive. I think that if I was an interpreter here I would be able to help make a difference. I would like to share that we can stop climate change and help the Joshua trees survive. There are many ways to deliver this message such as through social media, the visitor centre, talks, informative posters and much more. Some solutions I would encourage are saving energy at home by turning off electricity when it is not needed or by walking, cycling or taking public transport instead of using a car.

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Hey Makayla!

I really enjoyed reading your personal take on your ideal role as an environmental interpreter! I think it's imperative to bring awareness and enhance an individual's knowledge on one of the most crucial topics to date. I took Climate Change Biology (ENVS*3010) last semester. I was able to learn more about climate change and better understand and identify the patterns we see in our world today, the past patterns, and our planet's future.

I believe that we are the generation that can make a difference for our planet and form a better tomorrow. With that being said, I completely agree with you that one of the most crucial characteristics of an interpreter who hopes to shed more light on climate change would be to have an inspirational approach and connect with the hearts and souls of the visitors. This form of nature guiding can be attempted in many ways, mainly through social media, informative tour guides, and posters. It allows you to provide the visitors with the scenery.

I have never been to Joshua Tree National Park, but it looks beautiful from the photo you attached. That exact spot would be an ideal tour stop for an interpreter to discuss current and future global temperatures and negative impacts on climate change. Having something to look at while being served with a tremendous amount of information is extremely important as the location can affect visitors' interpretation and acceptance. Having a beautiful scene to look at can set the tone and greatly benefit the interpreter, whose goal is to inspire and inform.

awesome blog post and I love the picture!