Unit 10: Who I Am!
Before I explain my personal ethic as a nature interpreter, I think it is time to address the elephant in the room…How on earth is this semester coming to an end already!! I hope I am not the only one utterly shocked that we have made it to Unit 10. This semester has flown by, and I have enjoyed sharing my opinions and stories with you each week. It has been so delightful getting to learn so much about everyone! It's funny because this is a Distance Education course, yet I feel I have learned more about my peers than in an in-person class! Taking the time to write these posts has never felt laborious to me, as I enjoyed sitting down and connecting what we learned in the readings to what I value and believe.
That being said, I will disclose that when I first enrolled in this class, I had yet to learn what nature interpretation and being a nature interpreter meant. I was heavily surprised when the core assignments for this course revolved around the blog and podcasts. I'm not too fond of tests and quizzes and much more prefer assignments, so this was a breath of fresh air for me! I also found that these types of assignments were very refreshing and enlightening, and kept me engaged.
Some of my favourite new photos from my camera roll. United States Botanic Gardens in Washington (left), Moss growing along the stone in Pennsylvania (right)
As we approach the end, I feel as though I have grasped the vital messages to be understood from this course and I have developed my personal ethics regarding nature interpretation. The first belief I will be sure to include is my passion. Being passionate about the topic you are explaining to your audience is key. I believe this is one of the most influential topics of being a successful interpreter. It is never ideal to be listening to someone who evidently does not enjoy what they are talking about. This will not only not engage the audience but can dampen the joy of someone excited to learn. A positive deliberation, however, will cause the audience to feel more comfortable and as Beck et al (2018) state, it is more probable that they will listen. I want to be able to transfer my passion to others to spark their interest. Therefore, my priority will be to speak passionately and/or excitingly express the topics to be a successful interpreter.
Secondly, integrity and honesty are two significant factors that I will bring to nature interpretation. I wish others to know I am trustworthy as integrity is a big factor. As someone who has grown up with technology and social media so accessible, I believe it has caused two opposing outcomes; 1. People who believe everything they see online is accurate or 2. People who think everything is fake. With such a grave difference, it is essential to be skeptical of what we see because it is easy for anyone to display a fake persona with untrue facts. With this in mind, I hope to build the trust of my audience so that even if they did question what I was saying, they would find no fabrication, and they would know I value honesty. As an interpreter, honesty and integrity are fundamental, and along with passion, these beliefs best describe my personal ethic as a nature interpreter.
Along with that, a major responsibility that I would hold myself accountable for is inclusivity. I want to build an environment where no one is left out, and everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy and learn. When we discussed “barriers” in the textbook readings and shared our privilege, this was the most eye-opening aspect of the semester. I truly grasped the extent of it once I was able to take a step back to understand my privilege. Barriers, as we have learned, are present for many and they can be disability-based, economics etc. (Beck et al., 2018). Understanding this aspect of nature interpretation inspired me to ensure I will do my best to eliminate all types of barriers and have options for each learning style. This means I must be cognizant of all possibilities, for instance if there are visual aids, different hearing options, accessibility of sites, prices etc. Including aspects that cause these elements to vanish will help me to encourage inclusivity. I wish everyone to experience nature interpretation and see what it offers. Increasing the number of people in your audience increases the chance of stimulating individuals and creating new passions. In the environmental/conservation sector, bridging the gap and involving more people helps for great advancements (Merenlender et al., 2016). This study area is complex and costly, so having a larger team of individuals fighting for the same beliefs can lead to great things. As someone who has gotten to experience nature in many different areas, this has been how my passion has grown. Being immersed in the environment helps people to build a connection which is vital for an interpreter to accomplish. I also believe that it benefits everyone to experience nature interpretation as a community. As we all occupy the same planet, it is advantageous to grow fond of it and understand how to preserve it. Therefore, if these barriers are non-existent and everyone can be included, the connections made with the audience would be vast, and the number of conservationists will likely increase!
Overall, this course has helped me to discover who I am as an interpreter and what I stand for. Key aspects that I had not thought about prior to this course have helped me understand my beliefs. I have learned that to become a successful interpreter, I will make sure I am passionate about the information I deliver. I will be trustworthy and ensure inclusivity throughout this process.
Thank you all for a great semester! I have had such a great time learning about you all and sharing my stories. This has only increased my interest in nature, and I hope it has done the same for you!
Good luck with your future endeavours!
I started these posts talking about sunsets, so it only feels fitting to add one more picture for the final post :)
Literature Cited
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Merenlender, A. M., Crall, A. W., Drill, S., Prysby, M., & Ballard, H. (2016). Evaluating Environmental Education, citizen science, and stewardship through naturalist programs. Conservation Biology, 30(6), 1255–1265. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12737
Your blog was very insightful, and I definitely agree that this DE class has been more engaging than an in person class surprisingly. I also agree with your personal ethic, and believe that being passionate about your topic is greatly important as an interpreter. Your audience can always tell whether or not you truly enjoy what you speak about. For example, I have had professors in my undergraduate journey that make the course feel like a drag, and that makes the class more difficult to take in my opinion. When professors are able to dive into the course and provide excitement through teaching, it inspires us to learn more.
Diversity and inclusivity in nature are extremely crucial and I like that you brought that point up. Overcoming barriers in general is not an easy task, and it is something that should be focused on more, because everyone should have an equal chance in experiencing nature as you mentioned. It has been shown that children that are able to develop connections with nature early on in life, tend to care more about it (Kerr, 2022). Scientists at Wild Animal Initiative confirmed that having a significant connection with nature as children, even if its simple interaction with a squirrel for example, later inspired them to take on careers that support animal welfare (Kerr, 2022). Therefore, it is important that everyone gets an equal opportunity to indulge in the wonders of nature, because it can inspire everyone in unique ways.
Kerr, C. (2023, March 10). An inclusive view of nature can foster inclusion for diverse researchers, too. Wild Animal Initiative. Retrieved from https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/blog/inclusive-view-of-nature



















