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My Roles and Responsibilities as an Interpreter Beyond ENVS 3000
Thinking back on everything I have learned in this course and how it relates to my role as a nature interpreter, I think about how it is my responsibility to consider the different life experiences and privileges brought by everyone that I interpret to. This is something I always had a bit of an idea of but was unsure of how to approach it.
A reading that stuck with me was “Helping teachers unpack their ‘invisible knapsacks.’” I think the lessons learned from this reading can span beyond educating about nature and apply to any situation where I would be educating others. I was a camp counsellor for a few years, and one of these years was spent at Camp Miriam in British Columbia. Camp Miriam will not turn away campers if they cannot afford camp and will provide camperships made from donations to the camp. This setup brought in campers from many different backgrounds, and as such, any interpretive or educational program we ran had to be inclusive. Growing up, most of my friends came from a similar cultural and socioeconomic background, and we all had similar privileges. As such, suddenly being in an environment where I had to create educational programs for a more diverse group was intimidating. I wanted to be inclusive and make everyone feel comfortable, but I had no idea where to start. The “invisible knapsacks” reading really sticks with me because I think that the program described would have been beneficial to run during our pre-camp training sessions, and would have helped me feel more comfortable creating inclusive programming and more comfortable discussing privilege. I think that when someone is in any position of educating others, doing an activity to help them understand their privilege, compare it to that of others, and allow for an open conversation about privilege is necessary to create an inclusive program. All of this is to say that I think a major responsibility of nature interpreters is to ensure that any interpretation programs they design or present are inclusive and recognize the different levels of privilege that people have. If an interpreter cannot create inclusive programming, then many groups or individuals may feel like they are unwelcome, creating a barrier to them accessing interpretive programs (Beck et al., 2018).
I do not see myself as continuing in the role of a nature interpreter, at least not in the way I thought of nature interpreters before taking this class. When I think of a nature interpreter, instinctively, I think of park rangers or people working at wildlife education centres. Before taking this course I thought of nature interpretation exclusively as teaching about specific aspects of nature, like why butterflies migrate or why trees have certain types of bark. After taking this class, my perspective on what is considered a nature interpretation shifted. As the textbook says, “interpretation refers to a communication process designed to inform and inspire people about culture and nature” (Beck et al., 2018 pg. 4). I see this definition as more open-ended, focusing less on facts and a specific role, and more about getting others to engage with nature. This definition fits more with how I view my role as an interpreter going forward. I do not know much about specific facts about nature, but I love pointing out beautiful flowers, interesting trees, animals, and stars in the night sky to my friends and family. I guess this is my preferred form of nature interpretation; an informal interaction designed to show whoever I am with what I appreciate about nature and to inspire positive feelings. As well, I have a younger cousin (8 years old) and after reading the textbook’s definition of interpretation, I think that the way I interact with nature and appreciate it can inspire him to become passionate about nature and maybe someday about climate change. Since children are the future voters, and the future of the planet relies on them caring about the environment, I hope to be able to inspire him to love nature (Rodenburg, 2019; University of Guelph, 2020).
Another way I see my role as an interpreter going forward is through photos on social media. When I am out in nature and I see something that inspires me, I usually take a picture, and if I remember, I share it on my Instagram or Snapchat story. Photos can better communicate what I saw than a verbal description (Beck et al., 2018), so I prefer sharing photos online to trying to describe to people what I saw after the fact. As well, social media allows me to share my interpretations with people I do not see regularly. I also like that posting photos on social media allows me to practice interpretation without commitment or planning. I do not need to plan an interpretive program, I can just share what inspires me whenever I feel like it. Along with posting my own photos of nature, I love seeing what my friends share, especially when they travel to places I have never been. Social media opens up the doors to experiencing interpretation of places one has never been to, as we can see a wide variety of photos and videos from around the world.
Overall, I do not see myself continuing as a nature interpreter in a formal way beyond this course. Doing so over the past ten weeks through my blog posts and podcast assignments has been an interesting experience, but at times it felt very forced. I was not always sure what to write in my blog posts, and when creating the first podcast, I sometimes felt uninspired and felt like I was creating interpretive material because I had to, not because I wanted to. In the future, I plan on interpreting more casually through social media posts and inspiring friends and family on my own terms, rather than through a structured program. I also plan on taking the lessons I have learned throughout this course, such as how to educate diverse groups, and applying them to other areas of my life.
Do you plan on continuing nature interpretation in a structured, formal way?
Sources
Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world. Sagamore Publishing.
Rodenburg, J. (2019, June 17). Why environmental educators shouldn’t give up hope. Clearing Magazine. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300
University of Guelph. (2020). Unit 10: Nature interpretation’s role in environmental sustainability. Courselink. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/791355/viewContent/3306935/View
Hi Maya,
Really good post this week - thank you so much for your contribution!
Right off the bat, I have to agree that the "invisible knapsack" reading from Gallavan (2005) and the associated textbook readings from Beck et al. (2018) were some of the most stand-out parts of this course. Coming from a mixed-race background, I've always prided myself on being fairly cognizant about inclusivity and discrimination but this set of readings honestly made me realize how much more there is to learn and be aware of. Prior to this course, I don't think I ever understood the true magnitude of the challenges that inequities and privilege played in making accessible interpretive programming but, as Beck et al. (2018) discuss, things like economic, cultural, or even communication and language barriers play a large role in limiting the traditional audiences that interpretation has historically reached. To add on to your point about youth as the future decision-makers of society, the "invisible knapsack" reading is also important when we consider demography of decision-making populations in the next generation. As immigration becomes increasingly common, the voting-class of countries around the world is diversifying, and that is particularly true in Canada where some studies predict that the majority of the population will be comprised of recent immigrants by the 2040's (Singer, 2022). It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that these diverse populations have equitable access to environmental programming so that we can continue to emphasize the importance of nature-based agendas (Beck et al., 2018).
I understand your sentiment behind not wanting to continue in a formal career as a nature interpreter, and I'm sorry to hear that this course hasn't always been the easiest for you to participate in. I am definitely glad to hear that you are planning to incorporate the lessons you have learned into a more casual form of interpretation in your day-to-day life however! I think that can be an equally important outlet for interpretation as the standard programs we tend to think of, and in many ways is probably a more personal way to connect with an audience (in this case, being your friends and family). One of the greatest challenges facing interpreters is that they need to connect with their guests in a short period of time in order to make them feel comfortable and hopefully alter their behaviours or promote an initiative (Beck et al., 2018) but, in your case of casual interpretation, I would say you are at an advantage by already having a pre-existing relationship with your audience!
As for myself, I have worked a handful of interpretive jobs in the past and while I have enjoyed them all profusely, I also can't see myself taking on this career path in a formal setting. However, as you mentioned the definition of interpretation is vast and really this discipline can be applied anywhere you go in the professional industry, a concept which is further advocated for by Beck et al. (2018). In my future, I plan to pursue a career working in environmental policy and I think this sort of job can definitely be married with the idea of interpretation, as it requires individuals to attempt to connect a decision-making community to an issue or to a location and develop policies which are in the best interest of the natural world.
Thank you again for your post this week!
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Sources Used
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture.
Gallavan, N. P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks.” Multicultural Education (San Francisco, Calif.), 13(1), 36–36.
Singer, C. (2022). Canada population set to be dominated by immigrants and their children by 2041. Canada Immigration. Retrieved on March 23rd, 2023 from URL: https://www.cimmigrationnews.com/canada-population-set-to-be-dominated-by-immigrants-and-their-children-by-2041/
Blog Unit 10
Over the duration of this course, I have learned a lot about nature interpretation and what responsibilities are associated with being a nature interpreter. I have been able to further understand and develop my personal ethics as a nature interpreter and have learned more about who I really am as a person, and as an interpreter. Although I already had strong beliefs prior to this course, I feel like I have been able to strengthen and expand on my ethics and beliefs surrounding nature interpretation. During this post I am going to further address what I mean by this…
Thinking back to the beginning of this course I did not have a lot of knowledge surrounding nature interpretation. I did however have knowledge surrounding nature and a strong passion for spending time with the environment. This course has brought my passion for nature and the ability to learn (and teach) more about nature together. Since a young age I always enjoyed spending time outside. I would never pass up an opportunity to play outside, go for a hike, or camping, and I still wouldn’t. The opportunity to engage with nature in any shape or form has and will always interest me more than an any indoor activity. This passion is what shapes my desire to become a nature interpreter.
As I develop as a nature interpreter so does my personal ethic. The course textbook states that “Interpreters help people to develop an ethical sense of their place and role in the world” (Beck et al., 2018). It took me a few minutes to fully comprehend the meaning of this, and now I am going to share my personal understanding of this quote. Interpretation is a learning experience that allows people to further understand a topic. In context of this course, interpretation often refers to teaching about nature and environmental relationships. This concept allows individuals to work on personal ethics because nature is such a strong component to our everyday lives. We must understand more about nature and the environment we live in so we can discover who we are and who we are meant to be in the world. We need to know how we can fit in nature and what relationships we should have with the environment. Knowing this will allow individuals ethics to flourish. From personal experience, I feel as if my ethics strengthen every time I learn something new or every time I spend time one on one with nature. In a way it is like a meditation that is strengthening me morally, physically, and ethically over time.
I have several beliefs that coincide with this week’s blog prompt. My belief system is strongly correlated with nature and environmental concerns. For example, I am a strong believer in the mental and physical health benefits associated with nature. I think this is a belief shared amongst nature interpreters. I believe that spending time outside can lower stress, impact my mood, and further my decision-making process daily. In addition to this, I believe everyone should work on spending time outdoors or taking time to learn more about nature. My beliefs have stemmed from personal experiences, as my first response to stress has always been to go for a walk outside. If I can make it to a conservation area or public park, it’s a bonus.
As of right now, I do not have a lot of responsibilities. Like most of you, I am a student that spends a lot of time doing schoolwork. I am currently not employed, but I do live with roommates in a student house. I am mainly responsible for myself and that’s it. With, sometimes being responsible for myself seems like an ample number of responsibilities. To tie this in with nature interpretation I would like to address the role nature interpretation has on my responsibilities. Firstly, to manage my stress levels I will always turn to nature exploration or environmental excitement to make me feel better. In the future, I hope my daily goals include more responsibilities, hopefully something that aligns with nature interpretation. I say this because I would love if my future job or career can incorporate nature interpretation in some way.
As an individual an approach that is most suitable for me will include a variety of teaching styles. I would say my preferred approach would be something hands on or visual. When it comes to learning new concepts, I know I learn best through a hands-on approach, and that’s how I would teach a concept as well. I know I learn best this way from experience. For example, I took a Field Course last summer in Algonquin Park, during this course most of the course content was performed in the field and as a complete hands-on learning experience. I would confidently say, I learned more during that course than I have in any lecture room. Although I think it is important to experience lecture style teaching, mainly because this is where I have learned a lot of analytical concepts, I would not say it is my favourite style. If I were to interpret nature to others I would begin with a short, short lecture style speech, which would incorporate main thoughts and ideas. Then I would continue my interpretation technique through a hands-on concept or using visuals. When I think back to interpreters that I have witnessed and have enjoyed, my mind immediately thinks of instructor led hikes. This approach offered me the opportunity explore with someone who has knowledge on the same hike. During this experience I was able to feel content in nature while also expanding my knowledge on the landscape.
This course has taught me a lot and I strongly enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts and experiences through blog posts. I think over the span of this course my passion for nature interpretation has become more real and has grown much deeper. I cannot wait to see what my future of nature interpretation looks like. I look forward to reading everyone else’s posts to compare how our ethics and responsibilities may align or differ.
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Publishing
Hi Hailey,
Thanks so much for your contribution this week. I'm glad to hear this course has been so fulfilling for you over the course of the semester, and that it has helped you develop in terms of your understanding of nature interpretation, as well as your ethical stance on this field.
Your discussion on the belief system you hold was really enlightening, and it sounds like you are a big proponent of supporting human-environmental relationships for a lot of health and wellbeing reasons. That is definitely something I can relate to, as there is increasing evidence that time in nature can be beneficial for stress relief, combatting chronic mental illness, improving mental capacities for attention and productivity, as well as provide physical health benefits like reducing risk of heart attacks (McMaster University, 2021). This understanding is becoming increasingly important as we see outdoor recreation time decreasing across all generations, leading to the phenomenon of "Vitamin N deficiency" described by Richard Louv, wherein isolation from the natural world leads to a domino effect of negative consequences in the realms of health, family, and community well being (Beck et al., 2018). With this in mind, I was wondering how you would like to incorporate this belief into your future in the nature interpretation field? For instance, would you include discussions on the benefits of outdoor recreation in presentations, or perhaps use these benefits as a means to encourage people to interact with your interpretive outlet?
Moving on to your discussion of responsibilities, I do see what you are saying although, I don't think you should sell yourself short! Being a university student in and of itself is quite a huge responsibility, not to mention the additional societal and familial responsibilities we uphold with our relatives, friends, and school colleagues. Having said that, I thought you took an interesting route in answering this section of the blog prompt. When I read this week's content, I had taken this question more to mean what are our future responsibilities as interpreters or individuals who have now learned about the discipline of interpretation. In my response, I highlighted some key themes from Beck et al. (2018), Gallavan (2005), and Merenlender et al. (2016), including the commitment we must uphold to meeting the mandates of our position, advocating for inclusive programming, and promoting social action through involvement of the community in nature-based projects. In particular, when I think about our responsibilities for interpretation, I am always reminded that nature interpretation is ultimately a goal-driven initiative; as interpreters we are trying to connect with audiences to serve as agents as change, igniting a passion in the public to help shape their future actions and decisions (Beck et al., 2018). In that context, are there any responsibilities you see yourself having to uphold in your future career as it relates to the role of an interpreter?
I also wanted to briefly touch on your discussion on your ideal approaches to interpretation. Firstly, I wanted to express how jealous I am of your field course experience! I haven't had the chance to do one of those yet at UofG and it sounds incredible. Secondly, I wanted to say that I can completely see how that sort of hands-on learning would be beneficial, and definitely advocate for including that sort of thing in interpretive programming. One of the notions Beck et al. (2018) discusses is the idea of progressive interpretation, which refers to an interpretation technique where audience members continue to learn and develop new skills throughout the course of their engagement with the material. I think using hands-on experiences is a great way to promote that sort of progressive growth; for instance, bird watching groups may help their members develop skills in bird identification, bird banding, and bird calling as meetings continue!
Thanks again for your post this week Hailey!
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Sources Used:
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture.
Gallavan, N. P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks.” Multicultural Education (San Francisco, Calif.), 13(1), 36–36.
McMaster University. (2021). 7 benefits of spending time in nature. Retrieved on March 23rd, 2023 from URL: https://wellness.mcmaster.ca/7-benefits-of-spending-time-in-nature/
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
Unit 10 Blog Post: Nature Interpretation's Role in Environmental Sustainability
As we conclude ENVS*3000, we are asked to reflect on our time learning about the nature interpretation discipline - and we have learned SO much! Sometimes this has been a little dizzying, particularly learning about the challenges modern interpreters face. Between the increasing presence of technology in our lives, dominating our days with “screen time”, and the decreased prevalence of outdoor education in schools due to liability risks, we are seeing less and less time spent by individuals in the natural world (Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 21, p. 466; Rodenburg, 2019).
We are reminded by Rodenburg (2019) however, that even as the state of the world appears to change so profoundly, hope remains for environmental educators to continue building strong connections between the public and nature. Looking towards my future, I like to ask myself: “What role do I play?”.
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PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
As I develop into the role of nature interpreter, it is important to reflect first on what this entails. The definition of interpretation is multifaceted and different to varying groups but, it ultimately revolves around the task of educating and inspiring an audience through programming that exposes them to cultural, historical, and natural elements of a site (Beck et al., 2019, Chapter 1, p. 5-6). No matter how we define interpretation, there are a number of responsibilities which accompany interpretation, including: connecting individuals to the significance of their surroundings, providing value to the recreational time of an audience, meeting mandates or bringing in funds for site initiatives and ultimately ensuring we leave our audience in a better state than when they came to us (Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 1, p. 9-12).
When I think about the role of an interpreter, I most strongly connect with the notion that interpreters serve as agents of change, who inspire and educate in such a way that promotes critical thought, and can lead to strong action to address a particular issues (Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 5, p. 99-100).
What often gets left out of the discussion however, is the responsibility of nature interpretation to connect with diverse audiences, particularly underserved communities which have historically been excluded from such efforts. As we work towards creating a social environment in which the truths of privilege and power dynamics are evident to all, educators must take on the responsibility of understanding their own relationships with privilege, in order to create educational spaces that do not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their race, religion, age, ability, or any other form of differences that have subjected people to unjust bias and prejudice over the course of human history (Gallavan, 2005).
Nature interpretation is a beautiful discipline, which has the ability to teach people so much, give value to leisure and recreation, enhance our ability to find meaning in our surroundings, while also serving societal benefits in health and security (Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 3, p. 42-50) but, it only works if it works for everyone. As I move forward in this field, I am reminded that it is my responsibility to ensure it does just that.
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BELIEFS AND APPROACHES
But, where DO I see myself in this field?
Over the course of the semester, we have discussed numerous approaches one can take to interpret nature. Interpreters may use outdoor dramas, written works of poetry and storytelling, online services such as blogs or websites, music, visual art works such as painting or cinematic animation, and so much more (Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 10, p. 221-229) - in Unit 4 I even argued that modern fashion can be used as an interpretive effort.
When I think about my future as an environmental educator, I am reminded of my beliefs for what give interpretation its value: progressive interpretation, which focuses on interpreting to audiences in such a way that they are able to experience personal growth in their skills and their perception of a topic, free-choice learning, wherein individuals voluntarily choose to participate in interpretive efforts, and a focus on re-establishing “Vitamin N”, or increasing the amount of time people spend outside in nature (Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 5, p. 91; Falk, 2002). These beliefs have shaped much of my past choices for working in interpretation. For instance, as a zookeeper at Jungle Cat World, I had the opportunity to teach people valuable lessons on plant and animal identification which they could hone in their personal lives, while also working on voluntary outreach initiatives where people could choose to accompany me on park tours, all the while getting my audience out and moving in the natural environment of the park throughout the day. Below is an example from one of our programs on invasive species, where we introduced wild-caught red-eared sliders, an invasive turtle species to Ontario, into our outdoor enclosure.
While my heart is still certainly centred on a wildlife-based career, I know zookeeping isn’t the way forward for me. If you recall back to my Unit 2 discussion, I’ve even considered a future in museum education but, I’m still not convinced that would be just right either. No, more and more I’ve been interested in a career in environmental/wildlife policy. Now I know what you might be thinking: “Woah, Trennon! That doesn’t sound like nature interpretation to me!”. But, if that is the case for you, I’d ask you to consider why not.
Nature interpretation is a discipline which seeks to educate and inspire for a purpose. Working to influence policies can do just that, by using my background in wildlife and environmental science to help persuade decision-makers and voters to design policies that are in the best interest of the environmental, social, and economic spheres. This sort of profession utilizes all the skills of an interpreter: communication, research, creative presentation of information, and more.
One of the most exciting opportunities of working in a policy field to me would be the incorporation of interpretation through citizen science, which is a strong exemplifier of progressive interpretation, as it allows for the non-professional members public to develop and utilize skills in environmental studies that actually contribute to the decisions being made (Merenlender et al., 2016).
ENVS*3000 has been an eye-opening course, which has revolutionized what I thought nature interpretation could ever be. More so, it has allowed me to find my own footing that will launch me forward into my environmental career, and I could not be more thankful.
It has been a lot of fun keeping up this blog over the semester, and I am grateful for every minute of it!
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Sources Used:
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better
World. Sagamore Venture.
Falk, J.H. (2002). The contribution of free-choice learning to public understanding of science.
Retrieved March 19th, 2023 from URL: http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext
&pid=S0378-18442002000200003
Gallavan, N. P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks.” Multicultural Education
(San Francisco, Calif.), 13(1), 36–36.
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
Rodenburg, J. (2019). Why environmental educators shouldn’t give up hope. Clearing, Journal of
Environmental Education in the Cascadian Bioregion. Retrieved March 19th, 2023 from URL: https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300
Sense Making in Nature Interpretation
A number of us are going to take different approaches to this week’s blog prompt as all of us are driven and interested by different aspects of nature. Some of us are passionate about specific wildlife, others are more interested in natural landscapes and some of us are still trying to understand what part of nature intrigues them the most. For myself, I have always been interested in the impact that nature plays in human health. To be more specific, what components of nature play a role in a healthy mind, body and soul.
Nature is fascinating in itself as there are many aspects of it that play dynamic roles in relationships. The most interesting thing I know about nature is the impact that it has on human health and happiness. As mentioned in the textbook, we learn how to interpret nature through our life cycle in academic settings (Beck et al., 2018). Schools want to integrate our learning with nature through various programs and facilities as it provides individuals important life skills (Beck et al., 2018). Prior to taking ENVS*3000, I have taken a couple of ecology courses and learned about the relationship nature has on human happiness in an ASCI course I took. Human beings depend a lot on their environment for their actions and their emotions. The term used that refers to this relationship is nature connectedness. According to a study conducted in China, there is positive correlation between nature connectedness and mental health (Liu et al., 2022). We have discussed throughout the course how nature is present in music, history and our everyday lives and when we choose to understand all of these categories, we are then able to confidentially submerge ourselves in nature (Beck et al., 2018). Some find peaceful meditation to nature sounds their way of destressing while others find walks or hikes their go-to. I want to pose the question, where do you feel the calmest? What do you do to connect yourself with nature?
Personally, I have always found myself feeling my best in terms of confidence and energy when I am in the outdoors. Whether this be sitting in my backyard enjoying my morning coffee on a sunny day or taking a hike in the escarpments. I have personally noticed amazing benefits to my skin in nature as well, for example, when I am at a beach or in saltwater, my keratosis pilaris magically disappears and my acne settles as well. According to some studies, saltwater places a role in soothing and reducing atopic skin conditions (Martin et al., 2016). I have always found that nature has had nothing but positive impacts on me both mentally and physically. I also believe that it is extremely important to look at how other countries advocate for the environment. Countries like China and Scandinavian countries are very keen on ensuring they are doing their part in integrating nature and the environment into people’s everyday lives.
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed). Sagamore Venture
Liu, H., Nong, H., Ren, H., & Liu, K. (2022). The effect of nature exposure, nature connectedness on mental well-being and ill-being in a general Chinese population. Landscape and Urban Planning, 222, 104397–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104397
Martin, H., Laborel-Préneron, E., Fraysse, F., Nguyen, T., Schmitt, A. M., Redoulès, D., & Davrinche, C. (2016). Aquaphilus dolomiae extract counteracts the effects of cutaneous S. aureus secretome isolated from atopic children on CD4+ T cell activation. Pharmaceutical biology, 54(11), 2782–2785. https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209.2016.1173069
Hi Ilda,
Thanks for your contribution to the discussion this week. Your focus on the integration of nature in the understanding of human health is really fascinating and definitely something that has always piqued my interest too. It's a really interesting subject that I think gets overlooked quite frequently. My first introduction into the subject was in high school during a discussion of "urban heat islands" when a teacher of mine brought up the idea of adverse health impacts related to pregnancy in the presence of extreme heat and in the context of climate change. Such impacts can include premature deliveries, decreased birth weights, stillbirths, and more (Korte, 2021). Learning this was definitely a scary experience but, brought with it this incredible appreciation for how interconnected human health is with our environmental conditions.
This discussion has also reminded me of the summer job I will be working this year participating in a bat behavioural research project which will be analyzing things such as the influence of these species' behaviour on pathogen transmission in nature (wish me luck!). As zoonoses, infectious diseases passed between animals and humans, have garnered so much attention in recent years in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel as though this is a particular area of overlap between human health and the environment that the general public are becoming increasingly aware of (World Health Organization, 2020). I know a lot of your discussion here has talked about the mental health benefits of nature but, do you have any thoughts on the physical health benefits and risks we see influenced by nature?
To address your first question, "where do you feel the calmest", I'm not sure I've quite found that special place for myself just yet. I love to hear that the outdoors has been such a sanctuary for you, as I think it should be for everyone, and while I do love spending time outside, I'm not sure it's quite as "calming" of an experience for me as it is for others. A lot of the time when I'm in nature, it feels like my brain is on overdrive trying to identify bird calls or plants, seeing what animal tracks I can find, or keeping an eye out for some interesting wildlife. Fun yes, but not quite calming! I do think this ties in a little to your second question however, "what do you do to connect yourself with nature". By exploring nature this way, by interacting with every element I can, by learning from the environment around me, I find a sense of place in the natural world, and I think that has always been a major contributor to the way I connect with nature! Beck et al. (2018, Chapter 21, p. 461) discusses this in their section on lifelong learning, advocating for the idea that interpretation does not just seek to educate individuals during their visit or engagement with material but, rather seeks to inspire people to want to learn more about the natural world over the course of their lives.
Sources Used:
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Korte, C. (2021). How climate change threatens pregnant women and their fetuses. CBS News. Retrieved on March 13th, 2023 from URL: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pregnancy-women-fetuses-risks-climate-change/
World Health Organization [WHO]. (2020). Zoonoses. Retrieved on March 13th, 2023 from URL: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/zoonoses
Unit 9 Blog Post: Sense-Making of Nature Interpretation
When I started this blog, I opened with a post about my relationship with nature and how it has developed over time. If you remember back to that post, you may recall that I am currently a third-year Wildlife Biology and Conservation major. Though I’ve discussed a lot of content over the course of this semester, I have rarely told you all about this major. So with this week’s prompt asking us to interpret the most amazing thing we know about nature, I thought I would dive into a bit of a discussion on one of the most interesting topics I’ve covered in the course of my degree.
Earlier this month, I delivered a presentation in my Conservation Biology course analyzing an article by Pecl et al. (2018), which discussed climate-driven species redistribution. The premise behind this topic is that as the Earth’s climate changes, so too does the suitability of habitats for various species of flora and fauna around the globe, leading species to either adapt, face extinction, or interestingly engage in redistribution [ie. shift their habitats by migrating to areas within their range of suitability] (2018).
I find this topic fascinating for a number of reasons, mainly as this occurrence of range shifting has such unique impacts, both geographically and demographically, on both ecosystem function and socioeconomic success, that can be both beneficial and problematic (2018).
For instance, as jellyfish begin to migrate deeper into Mediterranean water bodies, countries such as Spain are being subjected to decreases in tourism as more and more humans are coming into contact with these sea creatures; today approximately 150,000 people in the Mediterranean receive medical treatment for jelly-fish related injuries (Liebermann, 2015).
Conversely however, the redistribution of mackerel in the North Atlantic Ocean has allowed for Iceland’s fishery industry to flourish, as more of these fish are entering the country’s fishing territory which allowed them to increase their mackerel haul by 70x between 2006 and 2010 (Pecl et al., 2018).
These unique impacts of this biological phenomenon are astounding, and are of particular interest to me as it highlights the need for equally unique policy initiatives, which is my main area of interest when it comes to the environmental realm! For example, in Canada the majority of the policies we have in place to deal with species newly introduced to novel habitats treats these organisms as “invaders” but, as the climate continues to change, the odds that we will see more species entering new habitats is increasing exponentially, and authors such as Scheffers & Pecl (2019) argue that there may in fact be instances where allowing these so-called “invasions” to occur, or even helping these migrant species colonize new habitats, is beneficial to both the environment and the economy. Can you think of any other policies and programs which could be beneficial in addressing this phenomenon?
I think however, that the most fascinating part of this whole story is how it challenges some of the narratives of how we see biodiversity in the context of climate change. These redistribution activities show us that life on Earth is far more resilient than we may have expected, and perhaps not always as at-risk to climate change as we may think they are (Pecl et al., 2018). In fact, recent studies have provided evidence supporting the notion that in the history of human civilization, only two species (both Costa Rican frog species) in the world have gone extinct as a direct result of anthropogenically climate change, and that factors such as habitat loss and overexploitation are much more pressing issues driving species extinctions (Román-Palacios & Weins, 2020).
In a conversation about climate-driven species redistribution however, it is important to note that the biggest challenge we face is uncertainty (Pecl et al., 2018). We have numerous models that predict how the planet will change and what habitats may become suitable for species to colonize as a result of these changes but, whether or not redistribution occurs is almost entirely a matter of chance, and that is a very difficult thing to model (2018). As a result, Pecl et al. (2018) argue that one of the most powerful weapons we have in our arsenal is citizen science, a form of science that uses community engagement in research to acquire knowledge about a phenomenon of interest. Beck et al. (2018) similarly advocate for citizen science, indicating that activities such as community bird counts or the use of social media platforms can help to inform scientists and policy-makers on environmental issues. With species range shifts, citizen science can help inform these professionals about where redistribution is actually occurring, with which species, and some of the possible effects being seen in nature (Pecl et al., 2018). Have you ever participated in any citizen science initiatives? Let’s hear about them!
Sources Used
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage : for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Liebermann, O. (2015). Red Sea jellyfish ‘invading’ Mediterranean through Suez Canal. Cable News Network [CNN]. Retrieved March 12th, 2023 from URL: https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/30/ middleeast/jellyfish-invading-mediterranean-through-suez/index.html
Pecl, G.T., Araújo, M.B., Bell, J.D., Blanchard, J., Bonebrake, T.C., Chen, I.-C., et al. (2018). Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 355(6332), 1389–1389. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aai9214
Román-Palacios, C., & Wiens, J. J. (2020). Recent responses to climate change reveal the drivers of species extinction and survival. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, 117(8), 4211–4217. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1913007117
Scheffers, B.R., & Pecl, G. (2019). Persecuting, protecting or ignoring biodiversity under climate change. Nature Climate Change, 9(8), 581–586. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0526-5
Nature and Music
Today I’m going to analyze two questions, Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?
I believe that music and nature are forever intertwined. To answer the first question, I want to respond with another question, “Where is music not in nature?” Every mating call, stream, breeze, and bird song can be viewed as music, and when combined I like to refer to them as the song of Mother Nature. This song can be viewed as an interpretation of nature, it allows those who are bearing witness to it to explore nature through sound and listen to the story nature is telling. As we have discussed before a big part of interpretation is storytelling, and without a word, nature is able to tell a story through song and sound. As people focus on individual sounds they learn about different smaller stories going on in the environment around them, like a male bird singing his mating call or the stream flowing, giving life to everything around it. Some people also enjoy the sounds of nature not for the story but for the calmness and grounding energy the sounds emit. I would also like to acknowledge that music is subjective, some people can more easily find music in nature than others, which is important to note because some don’t recognize music in nature, and that is okay. Personally, I very much enjoy spending time in nature, allowing the sounds of nature to calm me, and listening to the world around me. Nature is where all sounds come from and through the centuries people have learned from and imitated its sounds.
Now, moving on to the second question. This one is a bit more difficult, especially when comparing to today’s music which has so many different genres. In the past, prior to modern music, lots of music was inspired by nature. By specific animals, places, sentiments, seasons, and more. One of the most famous musical pieces inspired by nature is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. These pieces are known around the world and are a direct interpretation of each season and the emotions associated with them. However, I believe that most of today’s music does not draw influence from nature, but don't worry cause there are still many that do. A big factor is the genre of music because this can influence where music draws influence from. Today I feel like nature can be found in music in many ways, directly using sounds from nature, imitating sounds found in nature, drawing inspiration from the feelings of nature, or directly about nature themes. Regardless, all music influenced by nature is interpreted, those about the themes and stories of nature are most obvious while those that use nature sounds are less obvious.
To reiterate, I strongly believe that nature and music are closely intertwined, there were still many things that I wanted to talk about on this topic but instead will leave questions to spark more conversation.
Do you think that instruments made from nature or that are decorated by nature are a form of nature interpretation through music?
Do you think that sounds of nature in some way play a role in all music?
Hi there,
Thanks so much for your contribution to this weeks discussion, you had a lot of really thought-provoking points!
I was definitely interested by your challenging of the narrative when you asked "where is music NOT in nature". Your thought process here in arguing that things like streams or breezes can be considered music was intriguing, although I'm not entirely sure I agree. Under the definition of "music" provided by Gray et al. (2001), music is seen as a distinct pattern of sounds produced for a specific purpose (ie. emotional expression or social bonding), which implies a degree of intentionality or form. While beautiful, the sound that a stream makes does not demonstrate an intention or purpose, but is rather a byproduct of a natural phenomenon. I think that while you are correct in stating that the sound of streams, breezes, and other natural occurrences can be useful in connecting to and learning about nature, this does not necessarily justify incorporating these sounds under the title of "music", due to their lack of consistency with our current definition. But, there is definitely a lot of room for debate and for bending the rules; Yong (2017) for instance discusses an interesting case of interactions between wind and tree's leaf structure that could potentially be defined as "music".
I really enjoyed your first question: "Do you think that instruments made from nature or that are decorated by nature are a form of nature interpretation through music?". In my discussion post, I briefly go over this concept by addressing how musical instruments such as wind, percussion, and string instruments all are formed from natural elements (ie. wood, animal bone, skins, etc) and therefore definitely demonstrate the role of nature in music (Gray et al., 2001). Whether or not this is necessarily "nature interpretation" is hard to say, and I think that relies heavily on the uses. As discussed early in our course, nature interpretation is an inherently educational and inspirational process that communicates historic, cultural, and natural phenomena to an audience (Beck et al., 2018). While instruments can certainly aid in this effort, I think that would require intentional focuses on education or inspiration which are not necessarily inherent.
As for your second question, I think that alludes to a similar idea as the topic for this week where we address the idea of nature in art. As I discussed above, I would certainly say that the structure of musical instruments exemplifies the presence of nature in art (Gray et al., 2001). You could also take into account the presence of songs that include natural sound effects in their compositions (ie. animal noises, rainfall, thunder, etc).
Overall, really intriguing post, thank you again!
Citations
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
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. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.10.1126/SCIENCE.1056960
Yong, E. (2017). Trees have their own songs. The Atlantic. Retrieved on February 25th, 2023 from URL: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/04/trees-have-their-own-songs/521742/
Unit 7 Blog Post: Nature Interpretation Through Music
What is “music”? It’s a part of everyday life, so we should be able to define it. We play it in our headphones in the gym, on our car radios while we drive to work, it’s playing in grocery stores and doctor’s office waiting rooms. So, what is it?
Gray et al. (2001) define “music” as patterns of sound produced for a specific purpose (ie. emotional expression, social bonding, etc). Such a definition expands our understanding of what this artform is, as it does not explicitly require music to be human-made. Cetaceans, birds, wolves, frogs, crickets, bats, squirrels, etc., are examples of animals which engage in behaviours, defined as “zoomusicology”, that meet the criteria of what we call “music”; they communicate with conspecifics and other species through variations in the pitch and timing of their vocalizations, exemplifying complex activities we once thought were uniquely human (Doolittle & Gingras, 2015; Gray et al., 2001).
These species construct their musical formations with detail and precision, and use such displays in fascinating ways, such as the white-handed gibbon, which creates a song to attract potential mates, using half of it’s mother’s song and creating the other half on its own (Doolittle & Gingras, 2015). Researchers have shown that the ancestry of a gibbon can be tracked solely by analyzing its song, and current understandings suggest that this inheritability of songs actually allows individuals of this species to avoid inbreeding (2015).
So in nature, music is a property found throughout the animal kingdom and the animal kingdom alone….right? Don’t be so sure! According to Yong (2017), when different plants interact with wind and water, they produce unique patterns of sound that vary in pitch and time as a result of their shape and the distribution of sound-making elements. This suggests that plants could possibly use a music for some biological purpose, such as attracting pollinators (2017)!
We’ve seen that music is present in nature but, is nature present in music? Yes! For the purpose of nature interpretation, elements of nature may be taught through musical performances (Beck et al., 2018) however, nature can often take a direct role in the creation of music. Consider flutes and wind instruments which may be constructed from wood and bone, or percussion instruments that may be made from seeds and animal skins (Gray et al., 2017). All of these instruments require natural elements to function! Further, we can likely all think back to a time when we’ve heard a song that has included natural sound effects in it’s composition (ie. rain, wind, animal noises, etc). Can’t think of such a song? Well let me help:
I’m Here by Russ is a song released in 2017 on the album entitled There’s Really a Wolf, which begins with an audio of a wolf howling. Russ frequently uses wolves as symbolic representations in his music, including graphics of these animals on both There’s Really a Wolf and on his 2020 album entitled Shake the Snow Globe. In many North American Indigenous cultures, the wolf is a creature which symbolizes family, loyalty, and communication, while also being a fierce and successful hunter, and much of this symbology has been adopted by colonial descendants inhabiting the continent (SWCAG, n.d). As such the use of a wolf in Russ’ work may be considered an homage to the properties and traits which this animal represents.
For me, I’m Here is a song that transports me back to the landscape I worked on during my time working at Jungle Cat World Wildlife Park. While I’m Here strays away from the serene structure of songs which you may expect to be associated with nature, this song was important to me as it helped me to develop my own wolf howl. During my time at the park, we would often lead youth audiences on Night Safaris to show them the lives of some of our nocturnally active species, and this event would always conclude with our staff attempting to get the wolves of the park to howl, which required us to howl at them first. I was atrocious at howling at first, and eventually became the butt of the joke around the park, until I started listening to I’m Here. After listening to the introduction of this song on repeat, I began to use it as inspiration for howling to the wolves, and after no time, I was able to get the wolves howling back….don’t believe me? Here’s some proof from the last Night Safari I hosted!
Citations
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Doolittle, E., & Gingras, B. (2015). Zoomusicology. Current Biology, 25(19), R819–R820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.039
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. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.10.1126/SCIENCE.1056960
Spirits of the West Coast Art Gallery [SWCAG]. (n.d). The wolf. Retrieved on February 25th, 2023 from URL: https://spiritsofthewestcoast.com/collections/the-wolf-symbol
Yong, E. (2017). Trees have their own songs. The Atlantic. Retrieved on February 25th, 2023 from URL: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/04/trees-have-their-own-songs/521742/
Unit 6
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 has many different components to it and can be unpacked in different ways. For example, defining the language used in the quote and breaking it down is one way to unpack it. Also, looking past the words and finding a deeper meaning can be another way.
We have been taught from a very young age that understanding and acknowledging history is important. Many of us have taken history courses since elementary school where we learned about important events in history. In my experience in these history courses, a personal and heartfelt story is connected to the event. I believe this is because history can be seen as just “ancient”. These stories like Anne frank, humanize the events that have occurred. I believe this is what Edward means by integrity. Humanizing and giving life to old things is a way to keep integrity. I really like how the textbook describes interpreting history. It explains history by giving it human characteristics (Beck et al., 2018). Beck et al., explains that properly interpreting ancient things “breathes life” into the past.
The second half of the quote is very interesting and speaks to the lingering effects that history has. History can include happy and triumphant memories. However, history also includes tragic and unimaginable events. These events in history carry a lot of trauma, hardships, and horrible memories. It is important that we acknowledge and understand that people are still affected by it to this day. I interpret the second half of the quote like this. Just because history is in the past, that does not mean it has to stay there. Edward uses a metaphor with a train to emphasize this. There are people that remember and feel the impacts of history.
Is there anything that I unpacked differently than you? What was your thought process?
I look forward to reading how you all unpacked this quote.
Thank you,
Makayla
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018a). Chapter 15. In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (1st ed., pp. 225–243) Interpreting cultural and natural heritage : for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Hi Makayla,
Thanks for your contribution this week! I appreciate the attention you paid to the idea that both definitions and deeper insights can play a role in helping us unpack Hyams' quote; personally I took a route more directed towards the definition avenue however, I would agree that there is certainly merit in both, especially in tandem.
As you mentioned, Beck et al. (2018) refers to the idea of interpreting history as a means to connect audiences to the past and to make these events more tangible and comprehendible. In this sense I completely agree that there is immense benefit in utilizing this strategy; ultimately an average individual presented with an artifact or site of historic value would be unable to extract all the relevant information without such interpretive efforts. I do however, question Hyams' statement that "there is no peculiar merit in ancient things" as this seems to allude to the idea that these so called "ancient things" lack any inherent worth. Thinking back to earlier in the course however, it seems as though we were confronted with conflicting ideologies. Sobel (2008) explains how exploration of the unknown and self-guided experiences with sites can be one of the most effective ways to evoke a sense of interest in youth audiences. By interacting with locations and objects that they know little to nothing about, children naturally begin to develop questions and connect to the subjects far before interpretation begins (2008). So while interpretation is incredibly valuable in what Beck et al. (2018) calls a "goal-oriented" application of motivating a change in behaviour after education, does this really mean that there is NO merit in ancient things without human intervention? To me, this seems to be a train of thought that is very much so centred in interpretation as a discipline which changes actions, and perhaps ignores the innate benefits of personal connections.
I definitely agree with how you've unpacked the second part of Hyams' quote however. In my discussion post this week, I argued that this comparison between behaving as though the past is “done with” and the train station metaphor demonstrates the long-standing importance of historical elements that transcends time. This seems to be a similar conclusion to the one you've drawn. One of the important things I think needs to be considered in this discussion is how intricately related this mindset is to the concept of "privilege". Earlier this semester, I posted a definition of "privilege" I adopted from Black & Stone (2005), stating that privilege is an unearned advantage awarded to an individual which benefits the recipient at the expense of others, often unknowingly. When we discuss history, we must therefore consider how acting as if the past is "done with" is in and of itself a privilege that is awarded to some but, not to those who are still suffering the negative impacts of historical events. For instance, in your post you discussed the atrocities of the Holocaust committed during WWII - this is an event of the past however, it is conceivable to reason that this event has created generational trauma, financial crises, global changes in reputations, mass displacements, and even physiological changes passed down through bloodlines as a result of epigenetics (Thomson, 2015). In relation to nature interpretation, we can come to a similar conclusion; consider how the introduction of natural resource policies in the past continues to exert influences on Indigenous sovereignty in Canada, or how resource exploitation events in years past continue to have impacts on the local conditions of communities around the world, causing adverse health impacts and applying socioeconomic pressures (WHO, 2019).
Ultimately I really enjoyed your post and loved getting a chance to express some of my thoughts on your process! Hope you enjoy your Reading Week!
Trennon W.
Sources Used:
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Black, L. L., & Stone, D. (2005). Expanding the Definition of Privilege: The Concept of Social Privilege. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 33(4), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2005.tb00020.x
Thomson, H. (2015). Study of Holocaust survivors finds trauma passed on to children's genes. The Guardian. Retrieved February 15th, 2023 from URL: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/21/study-of-holocaust-survivors-finds-trauma-passed-on-to-childrens-genes
World Health Organization [WHO]. (2019). Health consequences of air pollution on populations. Retrieved on February 15th, 2023 from URL: https://www.who.int/news/item/15-11-2019-what-are-health-consequences-of-air-pollution-on-populations
Unit 6 Blog Post: Nature Interpretation Through History
This week, we have been asked to unpack the following quote by Edward Hyams:
“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”.
I would like to first draw attention to Hyams’ discussion on ancient things and integrity, noting here that Hyams is likely using “integrity” as defined in the Merriam-Webster (2023) dictionary as a term for completeness rather than in reference to moral character. Hyams argues that ancient things (ie. artifacts, sites, etc.) lack any inherent worth but, that the wholeness or completeness of things do, and that by maintaining this integrity we are able to pass down knowledge and memory of these items and locations. In some ways, this mirrors the opening sentiments of Beck et al. (2018) in Chapter 15 where they state that artifacts are simply “things” in the absence of interpretive efforts, with Hyams seeming to include the idea of maintaining integrity as a form of interpretation. While I think there is an argument to be made that artifacts and historic sites are certainly most well-appreciated and impactful when coupled with interpretive efforts, I would have to disagree with the assertions of Beck et al. (2018) and Hyams that they seemingly lack worth without these efforts.
I think back to my trip to Northern Ireland to visit my sister in 2019. While I was there, we ventured to some of the most classic sites in that part of the United Kingdom, seeing the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Rathlin Island, and the Carrick-a-Rede. Many of these sites were so busy that we were unable to engage in any form of interpretation (we were unable to talk to staff, we could not get close to signage, etc.) and in the case of the castles we visited, often whole components of the structure were completely lost or damaged beyond comprehension. Despite this fact, I was deeply entrenched in exploring these sites and connecting with them through my own personal experiences. While interpretation and integrity are certainly beneficial in connecting individuals, I am not fond of the sentiment that it is always a necessity for something to possess worth. Humans are innately curious and inquisitive, and even in the absence of wholeness, perhaps even because of it, we consistently are able to assign worth to the experiences we gain from interacting with ancient things (Knowledge at Wharton, 2017).
The second half of Hyams’ quote is something I agree with much more comprehensively. In his comparison between behaving as though the past is “done with” and the notion that a train station ceases to exist once a train has left it, Hyams demonstrates the long-standing importance of historical elements that transcends their original place in time. Such sentiments reflect in the use of the term “place of memory” in reference to historical sites, which emphasizes the significance of such sites based on the events which they were privy to, and those which they represent (Beck et al., 2018). These sites, and the histories they represent, are important for inspiring positive change in the world, offering spaces for people to deeply reflect, and developing a local sense of community (2018). In this sense, just as a train station continues to exist after a train departs, a historic site continues to hold its relevance even after the events have concluded.
Sources Used:
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Knowledge at Wharton. (2017). The ‘why’ behind asking why: the science of curiosity. Retrieved on February 10th, 2023 from URL: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/makes-us-curious/
Merriam-Webster. (2023). Integrity. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved on February 10th, 2023 from URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity
My Journey Through Nature Interpretation
Having no prompt for a blog post this week, I decided I was going to write about my journey through this course so far.
This course has been a lot of fun, specifically I really enjoy writing these blog posts on Tumblr. ENVS 3000 is the only course I have taken where the course projects are submitted over a social media platform. I personally think this has been a great method to engage with course content and other students. Social media has only expanded and has created a huge connection platform for people across the world. I am glad we are taking advantage of the positive outcomes associated with Tumblr. For example, I have been able to communicate and relate with all my fellow classmates while engaging about course content. This has really benefited my learning and understanding of the material.
I have always spent a lot of time outdoors, so I have some knowledge of nature, however I do not have a lot of knowledge on interpretation. I have a lot of interest of learning more and this course is only furthering my knowledge on nature interpretation. This course has taught me interpretation refers to communicating a process to inform and inspire people about culture and nature (Beck et al. 2018). The main goal of interpretation is to open your mind to receive interest of the landscapes. I often enjoy being the audience of the interpreter and learning what someone else is teaching me. For example, when I have been to Provincial Parks I have learned from the employees and naturalists. This course has influenced me to look into these positions. Recently I have felt encouraged to open my future goals to consider positions like a naturalist or an outdoor learning provider.
Nature Interpretation has allowed me to understand the role between an audience and the environment, as well as the excitement that comes with exploring nature. There are several ways that we can interact with nature, and I keep learning more as we move into the next unit. Last week, we learned about nature interpretation through art. This unit reminded me how easy it is to connect with nature. Painting, photography, and music are some of the ways I can connect with nature interpretation through art. I am a big fan of spending time outdoors and taking photos of my experiences to look back on. Some of my favourite places to take photos of are at my cottage. Memories I have made and continue to make at my cottage are extremely special to me and being able to look back at photos always makes me feel thankful.
I have attached some photos I have taken at my cottage. Another reason I enjoy this course is because I get to see everyone’s pictures from their experiences with nature. I find it exciting to hear about all my classmates’ adventures and to see their pictures. In addition to seeing all of your lovely pictures I also enjoy sharing mine because it allows me to reflect on my past experiences with nature!
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., Knudson, D.M (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Publishing
Hi Hailey,
Thanks for your contribution this week and for sharing your photos with us! Without a blog prompt, it was interesting trying to choose a topic I wanted to write about and I ended up going a similar route as the one you chose - so it was nice to see how you explored the freedom of this week.
I definitely agree that this course is unique in its use of a social media platform for such a large component of our assignments. Initially I was a little unsure of how I would find this but, I honestly have come to quite enjoy it as you have, and I think it's become a really therapeutic part of my week. One of the questions I do have though, is why we chose to use Tumblr. I find that Tumblr has become a bit of an outdated media platform compared to something like Instagram or Twitter, which could both in theory be used in a similar fashion and possibly reach a wider audience. Do you think we could benefit from learning how to engage in online nature blogging by using a different platform? Personally, I think something like YouTube may even be a great platform to learn on, although I imagine a lot of students would prefer not to have to record themselves.
I also wanted to ask you about what exactly you meant when you said that "the main goal of interpretation is to open your mind to receive interest of the landscapes". Specifically I am really interested in the "receive interest of the landscapes" portion of this statement. When I read this, it feels as though you are saying that nature interpreters are akin to translators of nature's interests or wants, almost implying that through interpretation we can communicate the desires of the natural world to the public. It's an interesting stance to take, if it is in fact what you are arguing, however I'm inclined to disagree. While nature interpretation can certainly be a phenomenal force of positive change in environmental issues, Beck et al. (2018) remind us that the primary goal behind such activities is to make an intentional difference. Because interpreters are hired by countless organizations, companies, attractions, etc., can we really say that these individuals are solely attempting to make an "intentional difference" that benefits nature? I would argue that its extremely likely that there is influence on interpreters to communicate messages that benefit the organization they're working for. That's not to say that the message is inherently anti-environmental or "bad" but, in Beck et al. (2018) we have seen that interpretation efforts have been designed to reduce crime, assist in fundraising, and promote public health initiatives, which are all applications that are rooted in anthropogenic interests rather than natural ones. I would also suggest that it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for any person to say that they are speaking for nature's best interests, as I think that is beyond our scope to comprehend.
I think a similar trend is seen in the way people view science and the output of scientific information. You see many people argue that science is purely factual and unbiased but, in order to perform scientific studies researchers require funding, access to locations or materials, and more (VanNijnatten, 2016). These stipulations invoke an element of politics and diplomacy that show science can always be influenced by external interests; while facts cannot (ethically) be fabricated, the kind of science we perform (ie. what we study, when, the conclusions we draw, etc) most certainly can be (2016). Just as science can therefore be used as a tool to promote political or market interests, I think it is important to remember that nature interpretation can have a similar role.
Sources Used:
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
VanNijnatten, D. (2016). Canadian environmental policy and politics : the challenges of austerity and ambivalence (Fourth edition.). Oxford University Press.
Unit 5 Blog Post: Free Write
Happy Sunday everyone!
This week we were given the freedom to write a post about what we’re thinking this week. I wanted to take this opportunity to first and foremost reach out and offer up the responses to this post as a chance for people to get anything off their chest and just connect - after all, my love for nature interpretation has always come from the belief that it is an amazing way to bring people together. If your semester has been going anything like mine, I imagine you are pretty tired. The winter semesters can always be tough, the weather isn’t always the most inviting, we’re still recovering from the fall semester, you may be searching for summer jobs or applying to grad school, and who knows what else. Remember to prioritize yourselves, try and remind yourself what it is that drove you to this course or this program and use that as motivation to keep yourself going. Connect with your friends, connect with your family, and try to find something cool and inspiring this week (I'll leave a few photos that represent a few of the things I've seen or appreciated recently below)!
I also wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for this course. Last month I had the privilege of being asked to be a panelist at the Kinross Chair in Environmental Governance’s “Gathering Hope” event, which was oriented on discussing the role of evidence-based hope for environmental action, and combatting eco-anxiety. My role here was primarily to bring a student perspective on how to balance the negative environmental news we receive in university courses on environmental science, while still fostering a desire to pursue positive action, especially when we engage in outreach initiatives with children. Serendipitously, when I sat down to write out some of my talking points, I had just read the chapter in Beck et al. (2018) which touches on teaching different age groups. A lot of that chapter really moved me, and I ended up incorporating a lot of the lessons I had learned into my presentation and the remainder of the discussion, particularly the notions of David Sobel surrounding prematurely introducing children to environmental crises and the need to frame youth environmental outreach in such a way that connects children with nature, fostering their sense of love, place, and compassion with the natural world (2018). Participating in this panel, as well as engaging in this course has really reignited a passion in me surrounding my love for environmental outreach, and for that I am incredibly grateful. My love for public education on the environment was really what motivated me to applying to the Wildlife Biology and Conservation major at the University of Guelph, and I think that in the past few months I have lost a lot of my sense of direction, and started to feel like I was unsure why I was even in this degree. The opportunities I have had presented to me this semester however, have really helped me work past that mental block, and in a lot of ways it feels as though I’m starting over on a new leaf, newly ready to face the last few semesters I have here at the UofG.
One of the big things on my mind recently has been my future after graduation. There are a number of environmental career paths that I have considered, and in looking into these options it has occurred to me how diverse the environmental job market really is! I would love to hear from some of you about where you see your career in the environmental realm going in your future. Are there any unique paths or job opportunities you have considered that some people may not have considered an option?
Cheers everyone - and enjoy your week!
Sources Used
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Unit 04: Nature Interpretation through Art and Planning for 'All' Scenarios
Interpreting Nature Through Art
‘The Gift of Beauty’ in terms of nature interpretation is the ability for individuals to sense beauty in their natural surroundings, and to provide a spiritual uplifting and encourage resource preservation (Beck et al., 2018). Interpreting nature through art can draw out these types of responses in the public. Jay Griffiths (2013) describes how, “art elicits sympathy, conjures empathy and these emotions are requisites for a kind, kinned sense of society.” Each of these factors are necessary when aiming to change the public’s perspective on nature, and to have society create stronger relationships with nature.
The use of the arts in nature interpretation programs can entertain, educate, and make emotional connections with the audience (Beck et al., 2018). Art provides nature awareness which can bring out individuals' fascination and curiosity of the natural world (van Boeckel, 2015). Ultimately, it can enhance nature interpretation programs and advertise its importance to the public. The gift of beauty in nature can be experienced through a variety of art forms that includes theatre, visual arts, music and dance. These art forms have been used as tools of interpretation for decades as there is a natural connection between the arts and interpretation of our culture and landscape (Beck et al., 2018).
So how do I interpret this “gift of beauty” that nature has through art? I sense this gift through two main art forms, which are music and visual arts. As mentioned in the Unit 02’s blog post, there are different types of learners and I myself am an auditory learner. Thus, learning and listening through music is most likely to grab my attention and evoke strong emotions and opinions on subjects—especially that of nature. The use of music in nature interpretation programs is a strong source of eliciting this emotional response as music works in three special ways: words can stick into the minds of listeners, songs paint pictures in the imagination, and often songs evoke emotions in listeners making them memorable (Beck et al., 2018). A song that exemplifies all three of these traits is one that I have loved for a very long time is Joni Mitchell’s, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’. If you haven’t heard this song before I highly recommend you take a listen while focusing on the lyrics, it holds a very important message about the environment!
Similarly, representation of nature through visual arts is another useful tool in evoking emotional responses from individuals. Visual arts can be used in innovative ways to enhance park grounds and view artist’s realities of nature from different perspectives. The beauty of visual arts is that you can see interpretations of nature throughout centuries of time. There are bound to be differences but what is truly remarkable is how artists from different centuries can capture the same essence of a landscape. For instance, both of the paintings below capture a similar nature of The Marne river in France—that being its undeniable warmth.
Modern day oil painting ‘Les Reflections sur La Marne’ by E. René His that presents their perspective of The Marne river in France.
1888 painting of ‘Les Bords de la Marne’ by Paul Cézanne that displays his perspective of The Marne river in France.
After discussing art’s role in nature interpretation, how would you interpret/compare these two paintings? What art form speaks to you the most? Do you have any nature-themed song recommendations?
References:
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture.
Griffiths, J. (2013). The exile of the arts. Orion, 30(5), 10-11.
van Boeckel, J. (2015). At the heart of art and earth: an exploration of practices in arts-based environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 21(5), 801–802.
Images taken from:
Hi Catherine,
Really amazing post this week! Thank you so much for sharing your insights and a number of various media forms that relate to the use of art to interpret nature.
Your question about comparing Paul Cezanne's "Les Bords de la Marne" and E. Rene His' "Les Reflections sur La Marne" was quite a fun thought experiment. One of the things that was strongly communicated to me by analyzing Cezanne's work was the message of fostering a harmonious relationship between human civilization and nature. Cezanne depicts a scene that demonstrates numerous human features in the landscape (ie. the house and the bridge) but, manages to do so in a way that doesn't make these elements feel like intrusions but, rather aspects of the scene's beauty. "Les Bords de la Marne" feels like an piece that could accompany interpretive messaging on the ideal way that human society can coexist with nature in a mutually beneficial way. While it appears that E. Rene His included some human elements as well, mainly the path running across the right side of the painting, the message I got from "Les Reflections sur La Marne" was one of exploration, venturing into the unknown, and connecting with the natural world through learned experiences in its depths.
You then asked what art form speaks to me the most; again - great question! In my family, movies and cinema are incredibly important aspects of our bonding and recreational time. Movies have taught me so much growing up but, one selection of movies in particular has been incredibly important in fostering a sense of connection with the environment, and that is the films from Studio Ghibli. If you have never watched a Studio Ghibli film, I highly recommend it! My current favourite would be the either Ponyo (2008) or Spirited Away (2001). These movies almost inevitably revolve around environmental messages, pointing out flaws in human-nature relationships, and depicting ways that we can move forward in a more positive way (Wolter, 2022). Studio Ghibli has also been praised for its depiction of Indigenous and First Nation's relations with the environment (2022). It is important to note that the director behind many of Studio Ghibli films is not much of an environmental advocate in their day-to-day lives but, the power of these movies to awaken the "Gift of Beauty" in individuals by showing them how to see nature in a new way is incredibly powerful (Beck et al., 2018; Wolter, 2022).
As for nature-themed songs, I unfortunately don't think I have anything to contribute but, I will definitely give your Joni Mitchell recommendation a listen!
Thank you for your post this week!
Sources Used
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture.
Wolter, H.K. (2022). Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, and the "environmental message". Retrieved on February 2nd, 2023 from URL: https://www.thecambridgelanguagecollective.com/arts-and-culture/hayao-miyazaki-studio-ghibli-and-the-environmental-message
Unit 4 Blog Post: Interpreting Nature Through Art
This week, we were asked the question “who are you to interpret nature through art”, and I think this is a really interesting question due to the numerous ways you can interpret it. To me, it almost reads as an accusation; “what gives you the right to interpret nature through art”? When viewed from this stance, I think the question has a lot that can be unpacked.
As explained by Beck et al. (2018), the use of art has a longstanding tradition of being incorporated into interpretation and experiential learning in nature. In fact, even before traditional views on nature interpretation arose, art was used as a means for cultures around the world to connect with, and learn about the natural world. Many indigenous cultures in Australia believed that it was through singing that the world was crafted and all life originated, while cultures such as the Ancient Greeks turned to visual and performative art forms like sculpting or painting and outdoor plays, as well as oral and written storytelling to help explain elements of their environment (Tanner, 2001; Spickard, 2019). Most cultures use some form of art to situate themselves in the context of their environment, and Drew (2022) argues that the arts are a key aspect that defines a culture apart from others.
With this understanding, I would argue that everyone has the right or justification to interpret nature through art. Though I commonly hear the argument that “Western society has lost its culture”, Kingsnorth (2021) argues that no society can ever really do so, and that the foundations of what make up its culture simply shift. Therefore there is still an immense amount of culturally appropriate art forms that myself, as a westerner, has available for use in nature interpretation. Such art forms can be used to provide the “Gift of Beauty” described in Beck et al. (2018) as part of their expansion on the six principles of interpretation presented by Tilden. In this context, the “Gift of Beauty” refers to the ability of interpreters to promote individual audience members’ abilities to find beauty in the world around them (2018). Canadian culture places immense value in popularized music, cinema, novels, poetry, and other more classical forms of art however, we have also adapted our understanding of art to include architecture and urban planning, fashion, media design, photography, and more.
As individuals living in Canada, these are all forms of art work that should be considered relevant to use in nature interpretation. Using this varied toolkit allows us as interpreters to target a broad range of audiences, instilling in them the “Gift of Beauty”. For instance, an interesting thought experiment could be to consider how we might design urban cities in such a way that even a simple walk to the grocery store could serve as an educational and inspiration experience for individuals to connect to nature (leave your thoughts below!).
One caveat to this train of thought however, is that we must be cognizant about choosing a culturally appropriate art form to translate our interpretive work through. As discussed above, numerous cultures have unique art forms specific to their histories that they use to connect with nature. Unless we are members of these cultures, it can often be inappropriate and offensive for us to attempt to adopt these traditions and use them in interpretive efforts without consulting with individuals from these cultures, and allowing them to take a lead role in running or guiding such programming (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2020).
Literature Cited
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Drew, C. (2022). 18 major elements of culture. Retrieved on January 28th, 2023 from URL: https://helpfulprofessor.com/elements-of-culture/
Kingsnorth, P. (2021). The West has lost its roots. UnHerd. Retrieved on January 28th, 2023 from URL: https://unherd.com/2021/09/western-culture-is-dead/
Spickard, J. (2019). How music helps children connect with nature. Retrieved on January 28th, 2023 from URL: https://teacherblog.musikgarten.org/how-music-helps-children-connect-with-nature/
Tanner, J. (2001). Nature, culture and the body in classical Greek religious art. World Archaeology, 33(2), 257–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438240120079280
The Canadian Encyclopedia. (2020). Cultural appropriation of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Retrieved on January 28th, 2023 from URL: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cultural-appropriation-of-indigenous-peoples-in-canada
Unit 3 Blog Post: The Role of Privilege in Nature Interpretation
It is difficult to define “privilege” in a handful of sentences as I think this definition is adaptive for each individual as they progress in their understanding and numerous definitions exist but, I recently adopted a definition inspired by Black & Stone (2005). They suggest that privilege is a non-universal advantage, right, or entitlement awarded to an individual without having to be earned, based on some feature that was not of their own design (2005). Privilege is something that can be used to benefit the recipient at the expense of those who do not possess it, often unknowingly (2005).
It may seem that the field of nature interpretation would be the last place privilege would influence, after all, Beck et al. (2018) describe this discipline as a morally good one which inspires hope in individuals and builds relationships in communities between people and their environment. Yet upon reevaluation, evidence of the influence privilege begins to emerge. Beck et al. (2018) asks us to consider individuals with disabilities in hearing, seeing, learning, communicating, moving, or otherwise; people living with these conditions may not have the privilege of readily engaging with media as normally presented at interpretive programming, they may struggle to walk hiking trails, they may feel ashamed if programs include competitive activities at which they are disadvantaged. Privilege may also refer to socioeconomic factors in nature interpretation (2018). Not all people can afford to participate in interpretive programs or to even attend sites, and this is disproportionately true with minorities, immigrants, and other groups that are subject to lower incomes on account of privilege dynamics in society (2018). Gender identity and religion also warrant consideration. If interpretive programs are taking place in an overnight setting, are their lodging and restroom options for all genders? Do programs allow for participants to engage in their scheduled daily prayers or eat religion-appropriate foods?
The list of ways privilege can play a role in nature interpretation continues seemingly endlessly however, it is not exclusive to how we DESIGN interpretive programs, it also extends to opportunities in the field of nature interpretation. Gender disparities in pay and opportunity, as well as the racial demographics of nature interpreters all suggest deep inequalities in the field (Beck et al., 2018; Ivanchenko, 2017). Moreover, there is the issue of white interpreters working in countries and ecosystems that are not their own. Is it just to take these jobs in place of local citizens who may have a greater personal connection to the landscape and could provide compelling interpretive programs?
This is not a comprehensive list but, my hope is that the message is clear: nature interpretation has historically been plagued with issues of privilege, discrimination, and bias. Not only is it our duty as interpreters to address these issues for moral and social justice purposes but, as we begin to see a dramatic shift in the demographic make-up of our population, it is becoming increasingly evident that interpretive programs must reach more diverse audiences to ensure resource protection messages are reaching a broader range of future voters and decision-makers (Beck et al., 2018).
Nature interpretation is, at its core, a good cause. By critically examining the way we structure our programs, the accommodations we put in place, and the opportunities we take, we can continue this inherent goodness to progress social and environmental movements in tandem.
Though it would exceed the word limit of this post for me to discuss the ways in which my privilege has influenced my career in environmental science, I hope to share this perspective with you all in further posts to help dismantle the system of oppression surrounding our field. I ask you to do the same - how has privilege influenced your journey to get where you are today?
Literature Cited
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Black, L. L., & Stone, D. (2005). Expanding the Definition of Privilege: The Concept of Social Privilege. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 33(4), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2005.tb00020.x
Ivanchenko, A. (2017). Interpreting - a male or female profession. The Open Mic. Retrieved on January 23rd, 2023 from URL: https://theopenmic.co/conference-interpreting-male-female-profession/.
Hi Trennon,
This post was fantastic and highlights the fact that even in something we consider morally “good”, there are aspects that could get corrupted by “unpacked” privilege.
You mention how people with disabilities along with religion, gender, and economic aspects all lead different lives and failure to recognize this may make these people feel shame when disadvantaged. I completely agree and also made me think of something I perhaps didn’t “unpack” enough: as someone who lived in the United Arab Emirates for 12 years, many people need to dedicate times for prayers and I also believe it is crucial to recognize this. If a program is time-sensitive and fast-paced, it fails to recognize these people’s values. Perhaps every program should at least have some time flexibility and even recognize their audience to create opportunities for prayer during the program, when necessary.
I also really like how you bring up how privilege can play a big role in the opportunity of the natural interpretation field itself. For example, even in developed and progressive countries like Canada, women have a harder time with job opportunities and wages (OECD, 2018). We must recognize these underserved groups exist to remove such barriers.
To briefly answer your question, privilege has definitely played a big role in my comfortable life and my access to education, including top highschools, cram schools, and being able to move abroad for University. My still healthy grandparents have lived through a war and my parents grew up in a relatively poor period. Despite this, they were able to be extremely successful and thus am reaping off their success.
OECD. (2018). How’s Life in Canada? OECD iLibrary. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/aa60ebdc-en/index.html?itemId=%2Fcontent%2Fcomponent%2Faa60ebdc-en
Hi Eugene,
Thanks so much for your words about my post, I really appreciate it and I always love getting some responses!
Thank you as well for telling us about your time in the United Arab Emirates. The point you brought up about the scheduled daily prayers is exactly what I was trying to get at in my post as well! I hadn't even considered how this aspect of privilege played into interpretive programs until I started writing that blog post out. Especially with nature programs I think there is a benefit in trying to allow for more unstructured, slow-pace time that allows people to reflect, enjoy, and yes even pray in nature. Having said that, I wonder what challenges this poses? I imagine a lot of the sites running interpretive programming in nature tend to get a lot of interest and have busy schedules, so they need to keep things structured to an extent in order to allow everyone to get their opportunity to participate in the program. Definitely seems like this is a complex issue that could use a lot of unpacking!
I appreciate your openness and honesty about aspects of your own privilege. Access to education is particularly relatable amongst students like ourselves so I am glad you brought that up. I am curious though, mind you this is slightly off-topic, as you mentioned "cram schools" and I don't think I've ever heard of that term before. I would love to know more about what that means!
Cheers,
Trennon W.
Privilege and Nature Interpretation
Based on the readings this week, I would consider privilege to be something that gives one an unearned advantage or something where its absence creates a barrier. Both of my definitions of privilege can relate to nature interpretation. Advantages can help prevent or overcome barriers, and I believe that a lack of privilege or the presence of barriers plays a strong role in preventing people from experiencing nature interpretation.
One barrier to nature interpretation is being part of an underserved population, which can be due to one’s age, race, ethnicity, or where they live (Beck et al., 2018). There are many reasons why these groups may be underserved such as financial barriers, cultural barriers, and communication barriers (Beck et al., 2018). These barriers represent different privileges people may have, as privilege can come from having financial stability, being part of the majority culture, and speaking the most common language in an area. Being part of an underserved population can not only prevent people from experiencing nature interpretation, but it can also impact the way interpretation is experienced, for example, having to coordinate programs with public transportation and having Nature Mobiles (Beck et al., 2018). As well, even when programs bring underserved populations to a nature site, it would be done through vans or buses (Beck et al., 2018). This solution could create barriers as individuals may have a difficult time being available at the times the transportation is available, such as those working long hours or families with young children that need to nap. Having the privilege of not being part of an underserved population relates to nature interpretation as having this privilege can make it easier or more convenient to access nature and interpretive programs and can broaden the types of experiences available.
Another barrier to nature interpretation is having a disability, such as those with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments (Beck et al., 2018). Having a visual impairment can make it difficult to navigate trails, participate in activities, and fully experience programs that involve looking at aspects of nature. As well, having a hearing impairment can make it difficult to participate in programs that involve verbal instructions or interpretation. Finally, having a mobility impairment can create barriers as individuals may be unable to access certain trails or nature areas. These barriers can make experiencing nature interpretation unattractive for individuals with disabilities, preventing them from seeking it out. The barriers can also prevent individuals from fully experiencing and enjoying nature interpretation when they do seek it out. Having the privilege of being able-bodied has a role in nature interpretation as it can make accessing nature easier and interpretation programs more enjoyable.
Before this unit, I was unaware of the significant role that privilege plays in accessing nature and interpretive programs. I think the content learned is valuable beyond the scope of nature interpretation as it demonstrates that privilege affects more areas than we might expect.
Sources
Beck, L,. Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Serving diverse audiences. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world (pp. 127-158) Sagamore Publishing.
Hi Maya,
Thanks for your thoughts! I found your take on defining the term "privilege" really interesting, specifically the second part where you talk about privilege as something that, when not present, creates a divide. That definition speaks really strongly to the idea that privilege is dynamic and can be gained and lost throughout a lifetime (ie. losing your eyesight, moving to a new country, having children, and much more are all examples of experiences that can change the privileges you hold) . This is elaborated on by White (2019), who states that privilege is not only an advantage that an individual has over the majority of the population but, an advantage not shared by everyone in said population. Under that definition, it is perceivable that everyone has some element of privilege in their life, which makes it even more pertinent to be open and honest in the conversations we have around this topic (2019).
You discussed the notion that privilege plays a major role in accessing nature interpretation programs, which I agree with, but recently I have been trying to expand the way I view privilege in these sorts of programming, particularly under the lens of "risk". In our CourseLink reading, our professor describes risk in a number of ways but, first explains how it can be used to refer to a situation involving exposure to danger. As Beck et al. (2018) explain, the origins of interpretive programming date back to individuals like Enos Mills who led guided tours through his private land in Colorado, and how this evolved into military workers leading similar tours through national parks in later years. While to me these kinds of programs sound quite exciting, we also know that each individual views and responds to risks differently, and while my risk-to-reward ratio for engaging in a guided park tour may be low, there are many other individuals who may have greater challenges in the face of these risks than I would, or who would react poorly to these risks. In fact, it is possible that these programs even have risks associated with them for some people that simply are not present for me based on my set of individual privileges (ie. I do not have allergies to bees or pollen).
In that context, one of the things that I find so incredible about the field of nature interpretation is how well it has evolved over time to accommodate risk. Yes, guided nature tours still exist. In fact, I would argue that even MORE riskier programs have been developed since the time of Enos Mills (ie. caving or mountain climbing expeditions, parachuting, scuba diving lessons, etc) but, interpreters have also put so much work into developing programs that are well-suited for individuals of a lower risk tolerance. For instance, Beck et al. (2018) describes how social media, museum exhibits, podcasts, blogs, documentaries, and magazines are all forms of nature interpretation. These kind of activities may offer individuals with real and/or perceived risks that make outdoor nature interpretation activities more daunting, an alternative format where they can still learn about the natural world while keeping themselves in an environment that feels more comfortable for them!
I would love to hear your thoughts on how risk and privilege are interlinked when it comes to the field of nature interpretation!
Sources Used
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
White, M. (2019). Redefining "privilege". Medium. Retrieved January 25th, 2023 from URL: https://medium.com/@onmyownterms_15343/redefining-privilege-36f413e54be3
Unit 3 Blog Post: The Role of Privilege in Nature Interpretation
It is difficult to define “privilege” in a handful of sentences as I think this definition is adaptive for each individual as they progress in their understanding and numerous definitions exist but, I recently adopted a definition inspired by Black & Stone (2005). They suggest that privilege is a non-universal advantage, right, or entitlement awarded to an individual without having to be earned, based on some feature that was not of their own design (2005). Privilege is something that can be used to benefit the recipient at the expense of those who do not possess it, often unknowingly (2005).
It may seem that the field of nature interpretation would be the last place privilege would influence, after all, Beck et al. (2018) describe this discipline as a morally good one which inspires hope in individuals and builds relationships in communities between people and their environment. Yet upon reevaluation, evidence of the influence privilege begins to emerge. Beck et al. (2018) asks us to consider individuals with disabilities in hearing, seeing, learning, communicating, moving, or otherwise; people living with these conditions may not have the privilege of readily engaging with media as normally presented at interpretive programming, they may struggle to walk hiking trails, they may feel ashamed if programs include competitive activities at which they are disadvantaged. Privilege may also refer to socioeconomic factors in nature interpretation (2018). Not all people can afford to participate in interpretive programs or to even attend sites, and this is disproportionately true with minorities, immigrants, and other groups that are subject to lower incomes on account of privilege dynamics in society (2018). Gender identity and religion also warrant consideration. If interpretive programs are taking place in an overnight setting, are their lodging and restroom options for all genders? Do programs allow for participants to engage in their scheduled daily prayers or eat religion-appropriate foods?
The list of ways privilege can play a role in nature interpretation continues seemingly endlessly however, it is not exclusive to how we DESIGN interpretive programs, it also extends to opportunities in the field of nature interpretation. Gender disparities in pay and opportunity, as well as the racial demographics of nature interpreters all suggest deep inequalities in the field (Beck et al., 2018; Ivanchenko, 2017). Moreover, there is the issue of white interpreters working in countries and ecosystems that are not their own. Is it just to take these jobs in place of local citizens who may have a greater personal connection to the landscape and could provide compelling interpretive programs?
This is not a comprehensive list but, my hope is that the message is clear: nature interpretation has historically been plagued with issues of privilege, discrimination, and bias. Not only is it our duty as interpreters to address these issues for moral and social justice purposes but, as we begin to see a dramatic shift in the demographic make-up of our population, it is becoming increasingly evident that interpretive programs must reach more diverse audiences to ensure resource protection messages are reaching a broader range of future voters and decision-makers (Beck et al., 2018).
Nature interpretation is, at its core, a good cause. By critically examining the way we structure our programs, the accommodations we put in place, and the opportunities we take, we can continue this inherent goodness to progress social and environmental movements in tandem.
Though it would exceed the word limit of this post for me to discuss the ways in which my privilege has influenced my career in environmental science, I hope to share this perspective with you all in further posts to help dismantle the system of oppression surrounding our field. I ask you to do the same - how has privilege influenced your journey to get where you are today?
Literature Cited
Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.
Black, L. L., & Stone, D. (2005). Expanding the Definition of Privilege: The Concept of Social Privilege. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 33(4), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2005.tb00020.x
Ivanchenko, A. (2017). Interpreting - a male or female profession. The Open Mic. Retrieved on January 23rd, 2023 from URL: https://theopenmic.co/conference-interpreting-male-female-profession/.
