Swim with Syd Into Nature

If I'm not posting on my blog, you can find me taking photographs of everything nature has to offer!

[snenvs3000f21]

My Journey as a Nature Interpreter

I began this course ignorant of what being a nature interpreter consisted of. My early assumption was that the role of a nature interpreter was to just explain and guide people to their environment. In a sense yes this is what they do, but there is a whole different level of complexity and skill needed to be considered a proper nature interpreter that I never thought of.

Throughout this course, I have learnt a lot about myself and who I want to be. I have taken something from each unit and created my own code of ethics (Steven’s Code of Ethics as a Nature Interpreter):

1. Be knowledgeable. Understand who you really are as an interpreter, understand your audience, and constantly think of ways to make your audience’s experiences more meaningful. Learning about nature is important and all but remember that meaningful connections last longer than random facts.

2. Be flexible. Realize that everyone is different and learns differently. Utilize different skills to help people learn more efficiently.

3. Treat everyone with equity. It is important to include everyone, but it is also important to realize that people come from different privileges. Making a program to ensure that everyone can have the same experience should be the goal.

4. Be open to new ideas. Constantly explore with different lens as there are many perspectives when viewing a topic. Welcome other ideas and go along with it. See where it takes you.

5. Honesty and Integrity. Be reliable and responsible for your actions. Keep your word and be respectful of the people and nature around you.

These are just some code of ethics that I thought were important. Was there anything that I was missing from your list that you think I should incorporate?

From creating Steven’s Code of Ethics, I realize that these traits are transferable to the profession that I currently am in. I work as a physiotherapist assistant and constantly must work on my knowledge of the field. Although in my field being knowledgeable about the topic is considered more important, there is still a huge emphasis on understanding the patient. I find that being able to connect to the person and fully understanding them, optimizes the entire healing process. 

Being flexible is important for building strength and stability, allowing for greater range of motion. Oh, sorry for the wrong context of flexibility (a bad health joke, although it is important to remember to stretch your body), what I meant to say is that every patient is different and will need different programs and techniques to treat. 

As I live in Toronto, Ontario, I have met people from different races, varying in age and gender and have treated them all to the best of my ability. Regardless of what it might be, I always ensure to work to the best of my best abilities. 

As for the fourth code of ethics, I am constantly learning from other professionals that I work with, such as the chiropractor, the head physiotherapist, the athletic trainers, the message therapists, and even the patients themselves. It is important to remember that as human beings, we are not able to know everything. We must constantly communicate with each other and be open with the different perspectives that the other professions might look at the situation. 

And for the last code of ethics, it is important to constantly build trust with the patients as well as your peers. Knowing your limits and asking for help may seem scary, but the main goal is to always improve the condition of the patient. By not being truthful, the patient may not see any results or even worse, their injury might worsen.  

Although my field is not related to nature, I have always had a love for nature. This course has further my appreciation for nature and made me realize the importance of being able to interpret nature for others. Especially for those who have been less fortunate and unable to grasp the beauty of nature. Whether that be due to being non-privileged such as the story of the Boys & Girls Club of Mar Vista gardens with the low-income housing projects (Beck et al., 2018, p. 127), or the barriers that come with being a minority (Beck et al., 2018, p. 135-147), I want to be able to open their eyes to the beauty that nature has to offer.

Artist: Angus Maguire

However, I understand that this is easier said than done. Beck et al. (2018) states that due to economic, cultural, communication, lock of knowledge, and fear are possibilities to why minorities are discouraged to participate in interpretative programs. Hopefully by seeing more minorities get closer to nature, other minorities will see that exploring nature isn’t all that scary or hard, breaking down some of the barriers that Beck et al. (2018) has previously mentioned.

I am aware that this is a hard task, as most older generation minorities are stuck in their ways, but we are lucky to be living in a time where technology is thriving. The first step to getting people to explore and interpret nature is first by getting their interest. Before my grandparent’s past, they loved staying home and watching the Price Is Right. They didn’t like going outside as they were scared that they would not be able to communicate with others and be judged by the people around them. But if I had the knowledge and internet content back when I was younger, I could have shown them the beauty of nature through nature walks on YouTube.

I would have been able to let them listen to the sounds of what hiking through a forest would sound like. I could have got them intrigued with nature and possibly got them to explore it with me.

This course has been amazing and eye opening. I will use everything that I have learnt from this course to help encourage more people who have not been able to experience and appreciate nature the way that I have been able to! I look forward to reading all your blogs and for those who I won’t be able to reply to, have a great winter break!

-Steven

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

Maguire, A. (2020). The difference between the terms equality, equity, and liberation [illustrated]. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-difference-between-the-terms-equality-equity-and-liberation-illustrated-C_fig1_340777978

[sosenvs3000f21]

Hi Steven,

I too began this course with an ignorance of what a nature interpretation was. I really enjoyed that you created a code of ethics to guide you as a nature interpreter. I did something similar but instead I created an action plan to ensure that I take what I have learned from this course with me in the future and use it to spread knowledge about nature. Therefore when reading your code of ethics the only thing I thought you may be missing was a point on sharing your knowledge going forward. I would add a number six and write “6. Imparting knowledge”. I would add this because you already mention some great ideas on how you will interpret fairly and openly but you don’t mention the responsibility you have to share your knowledge with others. I definitely believe that is an important skill that we have developed in this course and I believe that adding this would elevate your code of ethics. I am left curious: what is your action plan to use your code of ethics as an interpreter? As well as how do you plan to go into the world and interpret nature? When you think about nature interpretation in the future do you think you would be better at explaining to others? Blogging? Podcasting? Or guiding others physically through nature? To show them the natural world. I am interested to hear your perspective.

I also wanted to mention that I think it's awesome that you are taking the skills learned in this course and using them in your job outside of nature interpretation. I believe the skills gained in this course can be used to create effective communication for topics other than nature. I also wanted to commend you for sharing the virtual nature walk video. I have been stuck inside completing assignments and watching this virtual nature walk really helped me connect back to nature. I will share it with others to hopefully give them the same feeling, while also reminding them that they can still see beautiful greenery in the midst of all the snow we are getting.

- Sydney

[hnenvs3000f21]

Hey... did you know?

Hey everyone!!

This blog post was hard for me to write. I had to sit down and really question what my personal ethics were when it came to nature interpretation. But, looking back at what I have learned in the course and through the readings, I can see how my core values have been strengthened and developed over three short months. 

I have always been a firm believer in knowledge sharing. I think one of the most important things one person can do is share what they know with other people. This is what I believe is my biggest core value is and the main moral principle I strive to follow in my life. The act of knowledge sharing helps people to connect to what they know and brings to light situations people do not know about. 

Knowledge sharing also raises awareness. The more people know about something, the more they are aware of what is happening and are therefore more inclined to do something about it. Especially in nature, it’s important to be aware of what is happening to the ecosystems around us. With climate change being such a hot debate in our world, I think it’s important as an environmental student that I do everything  I can to bring awareness to what is happening to our planet because of climate change. 

I have learned how to do this better through this course, as I have learned the tools for effective interpretation. 

BUT, my biggest fear is not being heard, and people disregarding what I am trying to tell them. I think a really good quote from our textbook that explains how I feel is when the author states: “no matter how much confidence we may have in our science and our professional procedures, no matter how enthusiastic and polished our presentations, the audience ultimately decides if the resource has value. The audience determines if they will care enough about the resource to support the care for the resource” (Beck et al, 2018, p.130). I would like to say I’m pretty smart, but I always worry about how people will perceive me, and if they will believe what I am saying. 

I don’t want my knowledge to go to waste.

What I have to constantly remind myself is that every action I do matters, and it is my responsibility to share what I know. There are people in the world that have no idea what is happening to our planet, or what they can do to help it, and although I do not have a huge social media presence, there are other ways I can share what I know. 

One of my favourite things to do is talk. I find it very easy to start conversations with guests that come into my work, and with new people, I have just met in public (maybe it’s because I’m so eager for social interaction after lockdown).  I find that I have been able to share simple facts about climate change in random conversations and surprise people with what I know. 

When sharing knowledge to people, “being relevant means ‘taking action-publicly on the issues that matter’ the most to the organization. Of course, public advocacy can be risky, and not always possible everywhere, but for the right organizations there can be enormous opportunities to more deeply connect with their clientele and make a difference in the world” (Beck et. al., 2018, p. 469). I think this quote really helps to explain why I interpret the way I do. I know that not everyone that listens cares, or wants to know what I am saying, but I know that some people do. I am aiming to reach that part of the population that will actually listen and want to do something about what I have told him. For me, this is the easiest way to interpret nature, by verbally sharing what I know. It is a lot easier than making videos or doing podcasts, as it makes it more personal for me. I like having that connection with the people that I talk to and try to start a connection between the people I talk to and nature. 

Relating this to my life, when my boyfriend and I go on hikes, I share with him facts that I have learned in my forest biodiversity and ecology classes so that he can connect what he is seeing to the facts I am telling him. It makes our walks more interesting, and he walks away with new knowledge of the natural world around him. 

Or, for example at work, I collect all of our old coffee grounds and bag them to give out to customers. I made a small sign that explains the benefits of using old coffee grounds as fertilizer and actually helped to raise a lot of awareness of using recycled materials when compared to synthetic ones. 

These simple acts I perform are ways I enact my personal ethic of knowledge sharing in small ways that I think are the most effective way of interpreting nature. 

Now, after finishing this course, I know that my way of knowledge sharing is a form of interpretation. As described in the textbook, “… we have the privilege to shape and inspire the interest of these future generations” (Beck et al., 2018, p. 144). The facts and tools I provide people about caring for nature and its inhabitants is a simple way that I help start people’s interest in doing the same. I hope that everyone I talk to shares what I told them so that it can be passed onto the next person. 

As a happy sign-off for my blog, I want to know one cool fact about anything nature-related that you know and want to share with everyone who reads this post. 

I’ll start… did you know that sloths only poop once a week? 

Have a great last week everyone! 

Hannah 

Reference: 

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

[sosenvs3000f21]

Hi Hannah,

I really enjoyed reading your post. I am also a firm believer in knowledge sharing and I try to share all the information I learn about how to protect our natural world with those around me. I really appreciated how vulnerable you were explaining your fears of being discarded or not being heard. I have the same fear and I work on my confidence everyday to hopefully alleviate this gear. I also think the quote you mentioned is very accurate stating no matter how much we plan, we do not know how the audience will perceive it or how much they will care. I have presented information to groups in the past and seen the audience's eyes glaze over. However, from this I have learned the more confident I am in myself the more likely people are to actually listen. So my recommendation for you is to work on your confidence as I think you have great ideas in this blog post, now all you need to do is try not to worry about how people will perceive you. Simply try to be confident in yourself as an interpreter and be confident in what you are sharing. A good nature interpreter also catches the audience's attention so don’t be afraid to add a little personality and humour into your interpretation and I’m sure your knowledge won’t go to waste.

I like your approach to nature interpretation as well, I myself love to talk as well. I think talking face to face is the best way to share relevant information. I believe people are more engaged when it is verbal and right in front of them. Therefore your ability to include climate change facts in random conversations is an amazing skill to effectively interpret. I feel like this is pretty evident from the last pandemic with how many students struggled to obtain knowledge without having an in-person component for learning. Therefore, the more we can share and interpret as the world starts to open up is crucial if we want people to start taking action against things like climate change.

I think it's amazing that you practice your nature interpretation skills regularly with your boyfriend on nature hikes. It's a great way to practice your skills as a nature interpreter and share your knowledge. I further want to commend you for your work in reducing waste by providing old coffee grounds as fertilizer. You are helping the people realize they can reduce garbage and increase growth in their gardens!

- Sydney

Cool fact: A snail can sleep for up to 3 years!

[sosenvs3000f21]

Final Tumblr Post

I can’t believe I am submitting my final blog post for this course. I specify “final blog post for this course” as I am not sure if I am done blogging. I found it very therapeutic each week to blog about what I had learned each week and explain my nature journey. However, writing this final post for the course feels like the perfect way to end the semester and commemorate what I have learned and how much I have grown. When I first began this course I thought nature interpretation was just for people that lead trail hikes or nature walks. However, I was naive as there is so much more depth to the role of a nature interpreter and it requires knowledge of not only nature ,but also how to communicate and effectively engage many different types of people. It is a complex job with a lot of responsibility to effectively communicate. Through developing an understanding of what a nature interpreter actually is, I also learned a lot about myself.

My understanding of what nature means to me and my personal ethics have grown extensively throughout this course. I believe everyone should have access to experience nature because nature is the most important place on earth. I know nature isn’t just one place but I know that all of nature is equally important and precious. From reading the course material, reading others' blog posts and writing my own blog posts, I have learned that nature holds a special place in everyone's minds and hearts. I believe that nature connects us all and I am so grateful for the relationship I have with nature. I believe everyone should have an equal opportunity to experience nature and learn about it. However, I also believe that nature is something we as humans take for granted. Maybe because we don’t fully understand it. We are so lucky to have all this natural beauty in the world but we don’t respect it. I believe if we don’t take action soon to protect it, we won't have much of the nature we know left to share with future generations. I have gained a new sense of responsibility as a personal ethic from this course. I feel responsible to share the knowledge I have gained from taking this course and my previous sciences course. Especially the nature specific knowledge I have gained on habitat destruction, pollution and climate change. Now that I know how to effectively interpret nature, as I have learned through this course, blogging and podcasting, I want to continue to share. I have shown my family and friends my blog and my podcasts and they all expressed that they learned a lot from what I shared. If I can make an impact on the people closest to me, maybe I can make an impact on a larger scale. To ensure I take what I learned from this course and use it moving forward I have decided to create an action plan for myself.

I will start a twitter version of my current tumblr blog

I plan to start a twitter account to share my nature knowledge as I believe it is a more useful platform. This is because I check twitter regularly but I don’t post often because I didn’t previously have a direction for my account. Furthermore, I believe more people post and read posts on twitter compared to tumblr. Therefore, I will be reaching a wider audience and have a wider variety of informative information to re-post on twitter because there is a wider variety of the science and nature community that post on twitter. I currently follow some of my previous science professors and some informative science figures on twitter and I truly enjoy reading their posts. I also enjoy that twitter has a 280 character limit which makes it easier to keep posts concise with only relevant information. This is because I feel like people are more likely to read a short burst of information compared to my current 500 word posts.

I will get more involved in projects that work to protect nature

There are many initiatives working to protect the environment, however I have never taken the time to learn more about them and get involved. Specifically, I have always been interested in climate change mitigation. I plan to continue to get more educated on the topic. From my knowledge some of the ways I can help mitigate climate change and help protect nature is participating in garbage pick ups in nature areas, buying less plastic based projects, eating plant based, and traveling less by gas powered transportation. I know this won’t instantly fix the problem of climate change or instantly protect nature. However, if I start my journey of taking action against climate change and share my successes with others, I may be able to show others what they can do to protect nature.

I will continue to learn more about nature and nature interpretation

Even though our nature interpretation course is coming to an end, my nature interpretation journey is just beginning now that I better understand it. I plan to continue to research more about nature to expand my knowledge so that when I interpret nature for others I have all the facts. I truly enjoy reading online articles by Ecology Letters as they are a trusted peer-reviewed source that focus on a lot of topics I find interesting, including a lot about nature. The more I educate myself on current nature research, the better I can interpret nature to others. I also plan to get involved by joining different nature interpreter groups, such as High Park Nature Center on Facebook. This way I can network to get to know other nature interpreters and learn new ways to interpret nature for our world.

I will explore!

Lastly I plan to continue to grow my connection to nature by getting outside as often as I can and exploring our beautiful natural world. As I am signing off for the last time during this course I just want to say thank you for all the great connections that I have made. As well as give a final reminder to never stop exploring, because you never know what you will discover!

- Sydney Spearing

[jkenvs3000f21]

The most amazing thing I know about nature

Hey guys, I hope you guys all had a great week! I’m beyond excited for this week’s blog prompt because I love learning fun facts, especially about nature! I am curious to see what everyone’s most amazing thing about nature is.

For my blog post, I decided to tell you guys a little bit about this super cool way of how acacia trees release gas to protect themselves and warn other trees about danger! Acacia trees are found in tropical regions of the world such as Australia and Africa. They grow all around the African savannah and their leaves are a giraffe’s favourite diet.

Now what’s cool about these trees is that they are able to defend themselves and also warn neighbouring trees of danger! When these trees sense injury from giraffes eating its leaves, it will start to produce toxins. This toxin is called tannins and in larger amounts it can be harmful to animals. After that, they start to release warning gas in the form of ethylene to warn other trees of the same species in the area of this potential danger.

I find this so fascinating that they have this ability to signal their neighbours about a crisis. Us humans and other animals do this same thing but verbally or through action. But these trees that obviously cannot communicate verbally, have evolved this complex defense system of releasing gas to do the same thing!

Now what happens after the first tree sends signals to its neighbours is that the surrounding trees pick up this warning gas and will now pump toxins (tannins) into their own leaves to prepare themselves for defense. It’s like an army of these trees that are getting ready for an intense battle with these giraffes. How cool is that?!

By doing this the trees can effectively defend themselves from predators such as giraffes who are trying to chew on their leaves. Giraffes that try to eat the leaves with tannins will taste the bitterness and often refuse to continue to feed. However, if these giraffes continue to feed on these leaves with toxins, it could possibly sicken or even kill them.

Now, just when you thought that acacia trees won the battle, these giraffes have unfortunately outsmarted them. Although this is a great way to defend themselves from being eaten, these giraffes evolved along with these acacia trees to work around this. In fact, giraffes will now explore for food while walking into the wind so that the warning gas doesn’t reach the trees ahead of them. In case of no wind, these giraffes will travel 100 yards or more which is way further than ethylene gas can move, in order to feed on acacia leaves.

This is all so interesting to me because you see a tree and they’re just standing still, not doing much. But what you don’t know is that they could in fact communicate to one another via signals! Just like how we communicate by talking, they can send signals in forms of gas or underground through their roots.

What I’m curious to know now is whether trees communicate with each other for reasons other than warning? Do trees release anything when they feel safe and content? Let me know if you guys have any idea! I hope you guys found this interesting.

Julia :)

[sosenvs3000f21]

Hi Julia,

I loved reading your blog this week, I had no idea these amazing Acacia trees existed and that they could communicate with each other. I would love to travel to Australia and Africa to see this happen in person, do you think we would be able to visually see it? I believe it would be interesting to watch and to see if we could tell what was happening or if its all chemical.

The Acacia trees also made me think that we definitely underestimate the power of nature and what plants and trees can do. We have trees that can communicate and plants that are carnivores such as the Venus flytrap. I think you posed an interesting question of do these trees release anything when they are safe and content. However to pose a larger question, what else can trees and plants do that we don't know about? I would be curious to study the answer out in the field. Although to actually answer your question of what trees do when they are safe and content is, they are releasing oxygen that we use to breath. Therefore I think its so important and special that the Acacia trees can release toxins as well, to protect themselves when they are under attack as well as signal to their neighbour tree. I wish more trees able to do this because with land destruction and deforestation killing our tree friends, I think its amazing that these are protecting themselves. However, I honestly believe that we as humans need to do more work to protect all trees. Especially the majority of worlds trees that don't have the ability to protect themselves.

- Sydney

[sosenvs3000f21]

The Amazing Ocean

When I read this week's question, about a thousand ideas popped into my head because nature is amazing and there are so many things we still don't even know about it yet. However if I had to pick one thing that I think is the most amazing thing about nature I would have to say the ocean is the most amazing thing I know about. Through studying marine and freshwater biology I have learned a lot about different bodies of water, however the shear size and diverse components of the ocean is so amazing and exciting. The oceans cover 70% of the earth's surface so they have to be the most amazing part of nature because they are the majority of nature (Vallis, 2012). There are 5 different oceans in the world including the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Arctic, and most recently the Southern Ocean (Rafferty, 2021). The ocean is probably one of the only habitats that actually moves a significant amount. I am not talking about the water or the creatures and life in the ocean either, the ocean basins actually change over time because of the movement of the tectonic plates (Vallis, 2012). Scientists estimate there are one million species of animals in the ocean even though we haven’t come anywhere close to discovering them all yet (Hurt, 2021).

The ocean is amazing in itself however there are some amazingly cool and weird things in the ocean as well. There are many poisonous creatures such as the lionfish that has 18 poisonous spines that can paralyze humans (Aronson, 2021). Another poisonous species is the orange toadfish, its other special feature is that it can survive out of water for an elongated period of time (Aronson, 2021). Another interesting creature that you may know from finding nemo, the one with the light above its head is the anglerfish (Aronson, 2021). They lurk at extreme depths in the oceans and can reach sizes larger than humans.

Based on the details I have listed above and many more reasons I believe that the ocean is the most amazing thing about nature. However, to me the ocean is more than just the most amazing thing about nature. It is also the most special thing to me about nature because it's where I feel the happiest. All the life it contains including my favourite animal, that I have mentioned in my other blog posts, Fungi the Dingle Bay dolphin. The free dolphin I got to kayak alongside in the Atlantic Ocean Fungi is probably my favourite part of the most amazing part of nature, the ocean.

References:

Aronson, A. (2021). The Weirdest Things You'll Find in the Ocean. Redbook. Retrieved 10 November 2021, from

https://www.redbookmag.com/life/g32765185/weirdest-things-in-the-ocean/?slide=11.

Hurt, A. (2021). Ocean Habitat facts and photos. Nature. Retrieved 10 November 2021, from https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/habitats/article/ocean.

Rafferty, J. (2021). Just How Many Oceans Are There?. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 12 November 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/story/just-how-many-oceans-are-there.

Vallis, G. (2012). Climate and the Oceans. Princeton University Press.

[kpenvs3000f21]

Music and Nature

Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?

I was really excited to learn more about this week’s topic as music holds a significant place in my life. I consider a few of my close friends and family to be talented musicians, and I make a lot of music myself. I wouldn’t consider myself a professional by any means, but it is something that brings me immense joy regardless of skill-level.

Gray, P. et al. (2001) defines music as, “patterns of sound varying in pitch and time produced for emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive purposes”. But music is much more than just songs that we hear on the radio or instrumental background noise.

Gray, P. et al (2001) mentions how there are numerous natural sounds that are only heard in certain parts of the world. However, technological advances make it possible for us to share these sounds with one another. I’m sure a lot of us know what a whale call sounds like, but how many of us have actually heard it first hand? It really is amazing how technology has allowed us to experience so many things without having personally done them ourselves. These sounds contribute to the overall ambience that is prominent in natural habitats. This can be considered the music of nature (Gray et al., 2001). These sounds that are created by nature itself are often utilized in many forms of media to capture attention. For instance, nature sounds playing in the background of movies or podcasts are often used. I’ve even used study playlists on Spotify that are simply natural sounds such as rain falling or birds singing as background noise to help me focus. These are all ways in which the music of nature is used in nature interpretation. These sounds help “transport” people into these natural settings without actually going there and provoke emotions in listeners.

What I find really interesting is how these natural sounds have similar patterns, rhythms and overall structures as the music we create as humans. Going back to the whales, their whale songs often follow patterns or rules that are the same as human-made music (Gray et al., 2001). It seems that music is something that connects all of us, including other animal species. Although our music does of course sound very different from whales and other species, we incorporate many aspects of natural music into our version of music and other forms of media (such as the examples previously mentioned).

Music can also remind us of certain things. A song that takes me back to a natural landscape is the song “If You Need To, Keep Time On Me” by the Fleet Foxes. I listened to this song a lot while traveling around many different natural places. Whether it was a walk in the woods in Guelph, or a hike in the Canadian Rockies, or in the car sightseeing in Iceland, I often found myself listening to this song. Now every time I hear it, it reminds me of the outdoors, and I still listen to it lots whenever I'm driving.

Many other songs remind me of nature, and I’m excited to see what songs some of you guys post about!

-Kendra :)

References

Gray, P. Krause, B. Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C. & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science. 291. 52-54.

[sosenvs3000f21]

Hi Kendra,

Firstly, I just wanted to say I loved the photos you posted, particularly the road and mountain landscape is stunning and I love that when you hear that song by Fleet Foxes, it takes you back to exploring the outdoors. Similar to you, music holds a special place in my life therefore this week's blog post was very exciting. I am not any kind of musician, however I love making music with everything I find outside or around my house. I also used to play a lot of instruments so I can appreciate the hard work that goes into being a musician. I admire that making music plays such a huge part in your life and I encourage you to hold onto that.

I really enjoyed reading your perspective of nature sounds in the background of movies and podcasts. I have definitely heard sounds in the background of media, however never focused on it enough to realize its music. I tend to get so focused on the media itself that I forget to listen to the background. However, without these background sounds, it wouldn't set the scene for movies or podcasts that we enjoy so much. I love that you mentioned a whale call and that very sound is what got me into science. The first time I saw a whale and heard it's beautiful music, I knew I wanted a career in science. As soon as I saw that whale, I knew I wanted to protect these beautiful creatures so their music could continue on for generations. I am so grateful that technology has allowed us to hear so many pieces to the whale sound that we may have never known about. However, this makes me wonder how many natural sounds we may not be able to hear with the human ear. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on whether there is more music in nature that is just beyond our level of hearing?

- Sydney

[sosenvs3000f21]

Nature and Music

When I think about music and nature, they are very similar to me. When I am out in nature, I believe the sounds of the leaves, grass, creatures and everything around me makes beautiful music. Therefore when I think about where music is in nature and vice versa, I believe that they can be the same thing. As talked about in my previous blog posts, I have a special connection with nature as it helps me with my anxiety when I can feel nature and listen to its sounds. I have a similar connection with nature and with music, because just as the sounds and feelings of nature can help clear my head, music gives me a similar feeling. Therefore if I don’t have the opportunity or time to go out into nature and experience it, I try to listen to music to experience the same calmness. Although music doesn’t give me the exact same feeling as nature as I can’t physically see it or feel it as I can when I am outside in nature. I am still grateful to be able to make a connection with music when I don’t have nature available.

My favourite song connection to nature is from my favourite Disney movie Pocahontas. The song “Colors of the Wind” immediately brings me back to this pathway formed between these huge pine trees near my old house. The line in the song “come run the hidden pine trails of the forest” brings me visually back to this very spot and the happiness I feel when I am there. I used to spend hours there just listening to trees and wind around me and I would find such peace being there. It may sound cliche but I truly loved just listening to this song because of its important reminders of nature. I also love this song for the respect it gives to nature. The lines such as “you think you own whatever land you land on, the earth is just a dead thing you can claim” and “the rainstorm and the rivers are my brothers, the heron and the otter are my friends” are very powerful reminders. They remind us that everything in nature has a life too and we should respect it as much as we respect each other. I also think it has an important message of getting out and feeling nature and “rolling in the riches all around you” as we have such a beautiful world, that we should be enjoying and exploring and not destroying.

Let me know if you know any other songs that give respect to nature. Another one of my favourites that I have a special connection with to nature is “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King. “There's more to see than can ever be seen” (The Lion King, Disney) so let's get outside and feel our connection to nature.

- Sydney

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Blog 6: Unpacking 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 was a bit confusing to me at first, but this week’s reading brought some clarity to the statement and broadened my understanding of the importance of sharing history in an accurate and respectful manner. To me, items in history represent something, it holds meaning within it, but on its own, absent of meaning and historical significance, it is worthless. However, as the quote seems to reference, it is once all pieces of the whole story come together, that a representation of history can maintain a sense of integrity. You must know the whole to understand the parts and their importance and it is essential that these pieces of history remain unbiased, and integrate all perspectives and ideas as possible.

This idea makes me think of all the times I interacted with historical elements while at museums and parks. It is challenging to fully grasp the story and significance of a time and place when all of the once moving pieces are not available. It also makes me wonder what perspectives may have been missing from the interpretations I have experienced as it would be impossible to recount and represent all elements at play during that time in history. However, it is so important to share the stories of the past. As mentioned in this week’s readings, “Interpretation breathes life in and meaning into past events, architecture, and artifacts.” (Beck et al., 2018). Creating opportunities for the public to engage with pieces of history can generate compassion, understanding, and a sense of identity.

The reading’s discussed the idea of “places of memory” stating that “the nonmaterial component is of far greater importance than the material one” (Beck et al., 2018).

To spark history’s significance, intellectual and emotional associations must be made between the historical resource, whether it be an item, a person, or a place. Historical artifacts can relate to feelings of pride and appreciation and can contribute to cultural meaning. By exploring diverse perspectives and accounts of each individual and group involved in a certain time period, history can be shared in a thoughtful, insightful, and respectful way.

In addressing the section of the quote that reads “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”, I interpret this as meaning that the past is always relevant as it has created the future. Without the knowledge, skills, and learnings acquired throughout time, we would not be where we are today. History serves as a point of reference, to ensure that we learn from our lessons and do not repeat mistakes as we continue to evolve with our ever-changing world. Things still exist whether you interact with them or experience them. History has shaped everyone’s way of life as it forms cultural values and encompasses the memories, traditions, and livelihood of a community. There is so much that can be gained from connecting with the past and we must not lose sight of history’s lessons as we continue to move towards the notion of “cultivating a culture of peace” (Beck et al., 2018).

References:

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

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Hi Kira,

To start off I would just like to say I love the image you posted of looking up at a tree. This is perspective I often take pictures of as well and I feel as though it relates well to this current topic of history. As I believe this quote is trying to get us to look at history in a different perspectives.

I really enjoyed reading your blog this week and I found it very interesting how you unpacked the meaning of historical significance in an object. That if an object is absent of having meaning or historical significance, then it is worthless. This really got me thinking about museums I have visiting that are filled with historic objects. I was always more interested in the objects that had a description of their significance. Whereas the object that just simple said what it was, such as saying it was a pot used a 100 year ago, did not resinate with me as much because I was missing the story behind the object. I think you did a really great job at articulating the important of having a meaning or a significance behind something for it to stick with us as being historical significant.

I also think you made a really great point about potentially missing a perspective of something historical, as it does seem pretty impossible for one thing to represent all elements that were at play at a certain time in history. This is why I think it is so important that when we interpret nature or truly interpret anything that we try to look at it from different perspectives. This is so we can try our best to fully understand and then interpret the significance in the best way that will provide the most understanding for others. However this makes me wonder how many historical natural areas or historical objects that I have looked at that I maybe didn't understand their full importance because I didn't look at it or think about it in a different perspective. This also makes me question how many places or objects out in the world have major historical significance that were never interpreted so their significance is just not known and therefore the place or object may be seen as worthless.

Thanks for your perspective and I look forward to reading more of your posts going forward!

- Sydney

[sosenvs3000f21]

Holding onto history

The following quote is filled with a lot to unpack. “There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it.”(Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation) I interpret this quote to say there is nothing more special in an old item than a new item, however there is a unique memory with old items as they carry the knowledge of the past with them. If we do not acknowledge the past then we can’t fully understand the present. 

I truly enjoy this quote as I feel as though it shares a very important message. This message being that if we did not experience everything the world has in the past we would be nowhere close to where we are today. It is so important to keep records of the past and learn about the past to keep the lessons and failures in our minds so that we can use what we have learned in the future. This is why we have different historical landmarks, buildings and equipment on display in different areas of the world where they are found. It is important to recognize our history to see how far we have come. If we didn’t understand our history then we would not be shocked and excited when a new development is made. History is needed to allow humans to self reflect and to be grateful for what they have and how far we have come. 

Unpacking this quote in relation to nature interpretation, I believe, is a completely new question. This is because I feel as though our natural world history wasn’t fully kept. I am grateful that old buildings and artifacts that show our ancestors' history were kept for everyone to learn from but I am curious about what was their first. Around the world we have some beautiful landmarks that I truly enjoy visiting and feeling the natural energy they exude but think of all the other landscapes that existed before everything man made was built. Is it possible that the most breathtaking natural wonder of the world was built on or destroyed? Is it possible that that history is lost? Rainforests and meadows are destroyed everyday for human needs. I sometimes wish that natural history was admired as much as man made history. 

One of my favourite protected landmarks that is natural but also man-made is the Cheltenham Badlands in Caledon, Ontario. If you have never seen them I highly suggest you take a trip to enjoy the beauty. The reason I am mentioning the badlands in coordination with this quote is that 100 years ago the badlands were a productive farmland, however it was poorly maintained so it was overgrazed and then eroded to create these red rolling hills. I believe this is an example that unpacks the quote because 100 years ago the badlands did not look like this, however the history of how the Cheltenham Badlands came to be is very important for understanding their beauty and significance. 

- Sydney

[gamenvs3000f21]

Free Write During Midterm Season!

I wanted to use this free write opportunity to address the ever consuming midterm stress we must all be going through right now. Personally, I find it very difficult to find the energy or time to do the things I love once school picks up. It becomes increasingly difficult to go on walks, leave the house, hang out with friends, or watch a good show. This year, I have been trying to work on this issue, and reserve more time for myself so that I can wind down and reduce my stress levels.

One of the ways I have been doing this, is taking my notes and reading them outside. This is a great way for me to still enjoy nature, get some fresh air and relax, while not feeling anxious about wasting precious study time. When I am trapped inside all day, I end up feeling very burnt out and I start to feel guilty that I have not been going out and enjoying my favorite season!

Sadly, midterm season falls right around the time when the autumn is at its peak and all the trees are showing off their beautiful color changes. As frustrating as this is, I think it is important to find the balance between our school work and natural interpretation. Since we are all taking this course, I think it is safe to assume that we all appreciate nature and value our time outside. Thus, I think it is important to acknowledge the problem of finding time for both.

Instead of watching some Netflix or YouTube in my spare time, I have been opting for a short walk around my neighborhood or park to fill the time. This is a great way for me to rest my eyes from the computer screen and shut down my overthinking for a little while. These breaks also allow me to continue appreciating nature and they allow me to stay connected to the changing environment around me. Most importantly, it helps me calm down my nerves about school and it keeps me from feeling utterly overwhelmed with my upcoming deadlines.

Apart from studying outside and going on walks, I do not really have any other solutions for enjoying nature during midterm season. I am pretty new to prioritizing myself above school, so I would love if you could drop any suggestions on this topic! I have been looking for more ways to continue practicing natural interpretation through busy times, but it has not been easy.

Thank you for reading, and I look forwards to reading your comments!

-Georgi A.

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Hi Georgi,

I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week and can truly relate to you! I also struggle with having low energy to do self-care or grow my connection with nature when I am so busy with school and work, especially in the colder months. Something I have started to do to make sure I take that time for myself to go on walks or go adventure a place in nature is scheduling out my day. This doesn’t have to mean that you schedule your days down to each individual minute, however if I say I am going to spend 2 hours studying or completing assignments then I am going to give myself an hour outside to allow me to refocus and revive myself from all my hard work. Something else I have been doing to keep nature on my mind is keeping plants in my study space. This works as a motivator or reminder that the calmness that nature provides is always around me and when I need a break I should go outside and get grounded. I hope this helps! 

- Sydney

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I won’t often post photos with me in them as I prefer to be the one taking the photographs. However, I believe this photo truly shows me in my element. I was simply taking in the scenery around me and trying to find peace in the sound of nature. As mentioned in my first blog post I am a person that struggles with anxiety and often overthinks. However, I am lucky to have learned that getting away from the world and just finding my tranquility in nature helps release these anxious thoughts. This photo was taken in a place that is very important to me, it is on the top of the escarpment near where I live. It has been a place I have gone to often when I was little and where I continue to visit now in my twenties. I feel so comfortable here and the sounds and feeling of nature here is truly remarkable.

This photo was taken at the same location and is very important to me, because I try to use photography as an outlet to catch moments and that is exactly what this photo did. I saw this bird of prey push off of a tree, spread its wings and soar. To some people it may sound cliche but to me moments like this give me motivation. Seeing this hawk push off and soar tells me that you can do anything as you take the leap and try. I tend to self doubt and therefore having these memories to look back on helps give me a boost in those times where I can’t physically get out into nature as I know these moments are always with me. I think this is why I use photography as an outlet to capture nature, as I hope that nature can help others in a similar way that it motivates me. 

Unit 5’s “so what” section really got me thinking about my future in nature. I don’t know if I will end up in a career as a park ranger, however this course has definitely made me see that I want a career involved in nature. I always think photography will be a part of my nature journey, however I want to evolve my use of photography. Nature photography for me is a way to share its story, however I would love to use it to promote the protection of nature and wildlife in my future somehow. I am definitely a believer in the idea that seeing is believing and as much as you can tell the world to make a change, sometimes people have to see it with their own eyes to actually motivate them to make a difference.

I took this photo of this swan because I loved its curiosity and beauty. It stayed in the water just off the shore as it watched the nearby children playing. I thought that it was so fascinating that while I was admiring its beauty, it was curiously watching the actions of children playing. There was something so beautiful in this moment for me as I watched the bird and the bird watched the humans and I am so glad I captured it. However, next time I want to push myself to capture more than just the beauty. Nature is beautiful and I love that, however I want to use my connection with nature to also capture the challenges such as the algae bloomed waters and the pollution surrounding the water. This is because as important as it is to share nature's beauty, it is also more important to share what we are doing to our natural world in order to promote its protection. 

- Sydney

[koenvs3000f21]

The Art of Flowers

My initial reaction to reading this week’s blog prompt of, “Who am I to interpret nature through art?”, left me feeling quite confused! However, after reading the textbook, my fellow classmates’ blog posts from the week, and a few Google searches later, I was able to grasp the idea that the prompt is about my identity, feelings, and personal experiences with art and nature. With this idea in mind, I feel as if I have always interpreted flowers as a beautiful form of art in nature. Both my paternal and maternal grandmothers have always had the most amazing flower gardens. From as young as I can remember, I would, and still do go over to their houses and they give me a tour of all of the flowers that have bloomed since I was last there. Even when I visit their sisters’ houses in Croatia, I notice all of their lovely flowers too. It must run in our family to have a love and appreciation for the art of flowers! One of the main reasons I interpret art through flowers is because they evoke so many of our senses as humans. Of course, the sense of sight is present through the vibrant colours of the petals, their unique shapes, and different sizes. Then, there is the sense of touch, like the prickly thorns of roses, and the fuzzy texture of some leaves. Probably one of my favourite of all senses that flowers bring out is the sense of smell. I love how the smell of a flower can bring back so many great memories of being with my grandmothers from when I was young!

Flowers are most definitely the way I interpret the “gift of beauty”. They give me a desire to take in the “little things” in my surroundings, and force me to be appreciative of the energy and happiness that nature has to offer. Seeing my grandmothers and the way they care for and love their flowers encourages me to do the same. Through their lenses, I see how such small things, like how excited they are that their hydrangeas are a slightly different colour this year than the last, provides uplift to any mood that I am feeling that day. 

According to our textbook, ‘Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World’, the greatest interpretation brings forth a positive emotional response. Similarly, when the arts are properly used in interpretation programs, they can also create a more fulfilling experience by evoking emotions in the audience. I personally feel that in a way, my grandmothers are nature interpreters for me. So much of who I am and my fondest memories lie within them bringing out in me the emotion of being excited to see new flowers bloom. I have been able to learn so much about flowers simply by observing how they treat theirs. Week after week, I keep coming back to them interested in how we interpret our favourite form of art, and I am left feeling grateful for this blissful aspect of nature.

- Katarina

[sosenvs3000f21]

Hi Katarina,

I really enjoyed reading your post as I could relate to almost everything you said. When I first read this week's blog prompt, I also was confused and had to read more to understand and find out the best way to answer the questions. I quite liked the way you talked about flowers and enjoying the “little things”. The little things in nature are always what I look for when I go exploring. Flowers also inspire me as my grandmother also had lots of flower paintings around her house and had a beautiful garden she loved to tend to. We definitely relate through interpreting flowers as a gift of beauty. I am so grateful for the time I had with my grandmothers before they passed on as they were definitely nature interpreters for me as well. They exposed me to gardening and enjoying the beauty of flowers in nature. I am hopeful that I can help share the gift of beauty through flowers and gardening to my children and grandchildren when I get older. As the gift of nature's beauty is so important to share and protect through any means, however artwork is a great way to share nature.

- Sydney

[sosenvs3000f21]

Art and Nature

How can I interpret nature through art? This question left me thinking for a few days. This question inspired me to look through different forms of art to try to interpret nature. The group of seven were mentioned in the unit four notes and the group of seven truly do an amazing job of interpreting nature through their artwork. Growing up, my parents and grandparents had a lot of artwork in their houses’. This meant that I grew up seeing beautiful nature through artwork in the houses I was in. My mother and my grandparents also took their gardening very seriously, therefore I grew up seeing many different plants and flowers in their outdoor gardens. Along with seeing more beautiful flowers and landscapes in the artwork inside the house. I always interpreted the artwork in our home as an extension of nature and thought my family was trying to bring nature's beauty inside. Therefore, to me artwork was simply an extension of nature or a way to capture it and share it with everyone who came into the house. To me personally, all nature is a gift of beauty as we are so lucky to be able to see and enjoy what nature has to offer. After reading the textbook, the connection of nature through art and the gift of beauty becomes so clear because artwork is the perfect way to share natures “gift of beauty. For me specifically artwork was an influence for me to go out and explore nature to find its beauty. Nature has hidden beauty everywhere; however, you must look for it to find it. Therefore, when I see artwork, I just want to go to nature and see more of it. I do struggle with art sometimes, as I do find it beautiful, however sometimes it isn’t enough for me, especially when it is nature artwork. This is because when I see a beautiful work of nature art, I want to see more of it: I want to see how the scene moves in the breeze or what nature lies outside the edges of the frame. It also makes me wonder where the artwork was inspired and why the artist decided to paint this exact frame. These questions I ask myself potentially to fulfill the artist goals, in having the art viewers left thinking or wondering. However, for me, this can be frustrating as my scientific brain loves answers as well as seeing nature firsthand. Overall, I believe art is an amazing way of interpreting “the gift of beauty” that nature has to offer, however I would personally like to see natures beautiful gifts firsthand, and I am lucky that I had artwork in my life to inspire me to get outside and adventure.

- Sydney

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Nature Interpretation Privilege

My understanding of privilege is that it is when an individual or group has an advantage compared to others that do not. Privilege is when a benefit is given to specific people and not to others. My working understanding of privilege is that it is common in so many aspects of the world but it is not fair. I truly believe that everyone should be given the same rights and privileges. I believe that it is what we do without privilege, on an even playing ground that makes a difference in the world. However, until this course, I had never truly thought about privilege in science or nature. 

I definitely have the privilege to live in Canada and to be able to afford university where I am learning about important science. Since I have such privilege through where I live and my families ability to send me to university. It almost seems as though that I need to do something with my privilege and share the knowledge I have gained to try to even the playing group for those who may not have had the opportunities that I have. I honestly think the internet helps even the playing ground when it comes to privilege, as the majority of the information used in university can be gained from researching the internet. This obviously doesn’t stop privilege but hopefully it shares the knowledge. 

I think privilege plays a very important role in nature interpretation. Firstly for the reason I mentioned above, in that people with access to higher education will have a better understanding of science and nature. However I think more importantly, having the privilege of learning science and how to interpret nature holds serious responsibility and therefore holds risk. It is the job of a nature interpreter to pass on factual, accurate, clear and exciting information to the public which can be a lot of pressure. Not only do all the facts have to be true, clean and concise; the information also has to entice the audience to care. Nature interpreters have a duty to share their knowledge for awareness to protect people, species and the world. 

The truly horrifically sad Timiskaming Tragedy shows privilege in a few different ways. Firstly, the group going on this trip had the privilege of going on this trip due to the funds and opportunities available at the school. However they went on the trip without proper knowledge of the natural environment they would be facing. Therefore the privilege they were lacking was access to a nature interpreter with the knowledge to educate the group going as well as lead the group through the nature they would be experiencing. This could also be looked at as social class privilege, with an amazing opportunity of the Timiskaming trip, potentially blinding the group of the need to be better prepared. Overall this tragedy truly shows the power and importance of a nature interpreter's knowledge when going into nature. Strong nature interpreters are needed everywhere and I hope we can remove the privilege needed to access this important information about nature. As well as that we can continue to share information about our world's nature widely so everyone can have a deeper understanding and respect for nature. 

[kdenvs3000f21]

environmental interpreter

Although I have never had a role as a nature or environmental interpreter, I do have some experience with teaching others. For years I worked teaching young kids skating skills, and I have personally always loved it! So for my ideal role as a environmental interpreter I would like to do something similar to this! Considering this I would love to continue to teach specifically kids about nature. Going back to teaching kids in general, one of the things I really enjoyed was taking a concept I understood as very complex and making it understandable for younger kids. Relating it to things they understand in a fun and engaging way, which in terms of environmental interpretation is crucial to learning about nature. So I personally think that becoming a counsellor at camp would be the best suited for me and my skills. I really can imagine myself at one of the summer camps up near Muskoka by the lakes, being in the middle of the dense woods, surrounded by kids who want to explore and learn and it would be my job to teach them and help them learn. Obviously I would be able to adapt the different learning styles into what I teach so everybody would have opportunity to learn the way they do best. For auditory learners I would simply rewords things so they would be able to understand, whereas with an tactile learner we would go out to the woods and explore nature for ourselves. Of course when it comes to young kids one of the drawbacks is having them fully listen or stay focused on the task at hand. However, I do think that given time anybody can become interested in nature and the environment just like any other subject. You just need to give the opportunity to learn.

For other environmental interpreter jobs such as a guide I do think that I would really enjoy sharing nature as it is to people, describing things and how they work around me, I just don’t think I have the right personality for it, as I’m more of a quieter person around adults. So I’m worried I won’t be able to properly engage with an group for a nature trail, but if I do become better at those communication skills then hopefully ill be able to see myself in a guide role better. The role of a nature interpreter is a broad one with many different routes to go down, so I think anybody can become a effective nature interpreter if you truly reflect on your skills and your full self. (also you’ll need to love and understand nature haha)

[sosenvs3000f21]

I really enjoyed reading your post and I think we have a lot in common! I also have some experience teaching kids, however my experience is in teaching swimming. My ideal environmental interpreter job would also be something working with children and passing on knowledge to them. I really love the part of your post where you talked about taking a complex concept and making it understandable to children. This is sometimes harder than it seems, but I’m sure you have gotten lots of practice when breaking down such a technical skill such as skating. I also think a camp counsellor job interpreting nature to children would be so rewarding. I think your passion for nature and working with children really shows in your posts and I feel like combining these passions for you would be awesome. You had some great ideas of how to accommodate all the different learning types of the children you would be teaching.

I also really admire your self awareness of the fact that you would be a better interpreter for children than adults. However, based on your ability to explain yourself and nature through your post I would definitely be engaged if you were a nature guide I was listening to. I am excited to get to know you more and hear more about your nature interpretation journey. 

[sosenvs3000f21]

Role as a Environmental Interpreter

My ideal role as an environmental interpreter would be to effectively help communicate important science to those around me that are unaware. I am not sure of my exact ideal job,  however, I know that communicating science to those who may not understand it is definitely something I am interested in doing. This has become very clear to me in our current COVID-19 world with the public not understanding the science behind the virus or behind vaccinations. However, medical science is not my particular area of interest when communicating science to the public, it has been interesting to grow my skills as a science interpreter through our current world. I have always been passionate about the ocean environment and the creatures that live within. I definitely think I would want to be an environmental interpreter for the effects humans have on our oceans and freshwaters, including the impacts of climate change and pollution on our world's water sources. I have thought about becoming a teacher in the past as I love working with children. I feel like this would be a great place to interpret the environment as I could be enlightening the minds that will have an impact on our earth. I have had the pleasure of working with children in my part-time job over the last few years teaching swimming. Therefore I feel as though I have practiced communicating knowledge to the younger generation, which will be an asset if I decide to become a teacher. I will next need to practice communicating science, specifically the environment to them. I feel as though communicating science is a difficult skill because science can be very complex and if it is not explained right it can be very challenging to understand. Therefore my techniques in interpreting the environment to the younger generation would be to first show the impacts humans are having on our world's water sources to get the students' attention. I feel as though if students care about the topic, they will be more interested in understanding the science behind it as well as will become more interested in making a difference. Once I have them understanding the impacts humans are having on our waters, I would then explain the science of how this happens, so they can fully understand what is happening. To finish the interpretation, I would show them how to make a difference and show them the specific changes I have made in my life to help protect our earth. Therefore I am ending the interpretation with specific examples that will stay with them of what we can do to make change, as well as validating these changes by showing them what I am personally doing. For me personally I would like to communicate this in an outdoor classroom or even via zoom so I can show students the actual impacts, I am a visual learner and I truly believe that seeing is believing. Ideally I would like to interpret to teenagers in middle school and highschool as I think these age groups are still deciding what they want to do in the world. If I can interpret the exciting scientific world to them and cause them to want to make a difference, that would feel very rewarding. 

- Sydney

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