Nature Interpretation with Claire

Although this class may be coming to an end, our journey as nature interpreters is just beginning. As we reach the end of the semester, I wanted to revisit the three main questions we’ve been asked throughout the semester: (1) who am I as an interpreter, (2) who is my audience, and (3) how can I make this experience meaningful (Beck et al., 2018).

First, who am I as an interpreter? Just because I don’t have a job as a nature interpreter, doesn’t mean I can act as a nature interpreter for the people I interact with in my life. I have two main identities as a nature interpreter: (1) a citizen and (2) a scientist. How I interpret nature in these two roles may differ, but I still feel a moral obligation to spread awareness about nature, conservation, and sustainability everyday.

This class hasn’t necessarily taught me anything new about nature, I know just as much about the environment as I did in January. But the key thing I have learned is how to share this knowledge. As a citizen, I have learned how I can converse with those around me in a way that I can spark an interest in nature and inspire them to live sustainably on their own terms. Nobody likes to be forced or pushed to live a certain way, but effective nature interpretation can inspire people to change all on their own. This is tied to my personal ethical belief that nature interpreters must have autonomy. Autonomy means that individuals have a right to self-determination, that is, to make decisions about their lives without interference from others. This essentially means that we can teach people and try and inspire them to continue their personal journey and relationship with the environment, but at the end of the day we can’t force them or judge them for not being more proactive about conservation. I have also learned new ways to interpret my research findings better as a scientist. I have learned that writing about new findings isn’t enough, and for any type of presentation to be meaningful you must explain why it is important in a broader environmental context. The most important lesson I have learned is that role of interpretation is to make intellectual connections between what the audience already knows and new information I am trying to provide, and make emotional connections so they can learn why something is important and why they should care about it.

Another key aspect about who I am as an interpreter relates to who I am as a person. My privileges, personal learning style, ethics, and beliefs all impact who I am as a person. And while these facets of my identify can sometimes help me connect with my audience, they can also hinder my connection with them as well. For example, my learning styles are spatial and interpersonal. I learn best with mind-maps or charts connecting ideas and bouncing ideas of others and actively discussing topics. It’s quite funny because me and my roommate discovered we have completely opposite learning styles as hers are intrapersonal and logical-mathematical. She often found when we studied together, my talking and disusing would distract her and hinder her from thinking about topics and understanding them – but I couldn’t understand them without talking about aloud with someone else. I used to always approach teaching as if I was trying to teach myself, but I have learned that everyone learns differently so this teaching style isn’t always effective. I have learned that I must manipulate how I present in a way that anyone could understand and learn from my presentation.

A picture I took using self-timer in Killarney, ON with my roommate Sarah - the one with a completely different learning style than me. 

Second, who is my audience? Like I said previously, sometimes I’m may be interpreting to my friends and family, and sometimes I may be interpreting in a professional setting to strangers. As an individual, there are certain approaches I can take to spark an interest in nature while I have their attention (Beck et al., 2018). First, you have to approach conversations with a good-natured demeanor, because a brash or confrontation demeanor can cause the listener to feel attacked or not want to listen to what you have to say. This is especially important when talking about touchy subjects or controversial topics like religion, politics, or using live animals for education. I’ve also learned to emirate confidence. I can get nervous especially in front of groups or strangers, so this is easier when I’m talking with close friends and family. But I’ve notice when listening to others speak that confidence promotes engagement and active listening, and really helps the audience believe in the credibility of the facts and be inspired by the information – especially when the presenter is visibly enthralled and excited about the topic. And lastly, I’ve learned that enthusiasm and passion is contagious. The energy you surround yourself with is the energy you bring into your life. I have such a deep love for the environment, but not everyone seems to always think its as cool as I do. But when you speak and are truly excited about what your talking about, you create an atmosphere of inspiration. I pressure my mom not to rake up the leaves this past fall because I learned that leaves can provide over-winter habitat for bees, and provide lots of nutrients for the soil in the spring. She thought I was crazy and hated the idea because “leaves are messy”, but my passion and visible enthusiasm about doing this is what ultimately convinced her that this must be important because of how excited I was about it.

A picture I took of my tree plant crew. I hired this amazing group of people to work on my crew this past summer, and they have listened to many of my passionate talks about nature - teaching them about the importance of replanting forests, and how the results of their work will quite literally live on for 70+ years. 

As a scientist, the internet and social media are really some of the only platforms to promote research papers and make new research findings available to the public. Working with professors and academics I have learned that social platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and personal websites/blogs are great ways to spread research. Some professors even become guests on podcasts to talk about their research. The mantra in Richard Louv’s book The Natue Principle is that the more high tech our lives become, the more nature we need (Hooykaas, 2021). And while I agree with this belief, this course has also taught me that technology can be a steppingstone to developing a relationship with nature. May people these days live in urban cities where it is difficult to find a place nearby where they can escape and experience nature, and this can be especially impactful for children. But, as we have learned, the internet and virtual teaching approaches can actually be very effective for nature interpretation. Technology can provide a doorway to teach children about nature and provoke their curiosity. Interpreting nature consists of helping people to fall in love with nature and accepting that protecting and conserving something requires us to love it first, and to do so we need to know it. Technology is one of the most effective tools we have to spread environmental messages, and introduce the public to new topics, and hopefully we can inspire them enough to keep wanting to learn and do more.

A screen capture from the website for the lab I work in at Dalhousie University. We use this website, along with twitter and LinkedIn accounts to promote new research papers written by members of the lab. https://www.seafloormapping.ca/

Finally, how can I make this experience meaningful? I’ve touched on this a couple times in the paragraphs above, but I truly believe that the way to make a presentation special is about shifting your audience’s perception. Interpretation is about opening people’s minds to wonder and new ways of perceiving the world, beyond normal every day thinking (Beck et al., 2018). It’s very similar to seeing the world through the eyes of a child, romanticizing the mundane, and learning to love nature in its raw and chaotic forms. In summary, it’s not about making your presentation special, its about showing your audience that nature is special – and as a result your presentation will become inspiring and meaningful. There are certain approaches to do this effectively depending on your audience, but the key role of interpretation is the same no matter who you are or who you are presenting to.

I have two questions for you to think about after reading this post:

(1)  In what role(s) do you see yourself applying what we have learned in this class. It could be as a park guide, a parent, a mentor, a researcher, or a friend. (Remember, anyone can be an interpreter)

(2) Looking back, who as been an unexpected/unofficial nature interpreter in your own life. Maybe it’s a family member who first introduced you to nature, or a teacher who took you on a field trip. 

Thanks for reading:) - Claire

Sources: 

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

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 10: Nature Interpretation’s Role in Environmental Sustainability [Course Website]. University of Guelph Courselink. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/666945/viewContent/2597605/View

So, everybody loves the question “why is the sky blue?”. But I’m a pretty big fan of the ocean so I’m more interested it why it is blue. And of course, all water is blue for the same reason why the sky is blue. But more specifically I wanted to know why the ocean is that amazing deep and dark blue, while coastal waters are usually light blueish green. Let me give you a hint - it doesn’t always have to do with water being shallow meaning light can reach the bottom. If there wasn’t another reason, how else could you explain teal water in the deep open ocean. 

A  burst of light color in an otherwise dark blue ocean

Let’s start of by talking about dust. Dust is rich in Iron, and Iron is a vital element: without it, plants can’t make chlorophyll to photosynthesize. The deep oceans have everything they need to support life and plant growth – sunlight, carbon, nitrogen, and water – but they don't have iron. We can really start to understand just how important dust and iron are to the ocean and marine life when we focus on phytoplankton. Translated in Greek, the word phytoplankton means wandering plant. They are the free spirited vagabonds of the plant world – they are quite literally always going with the flow because rather than swimming they just drift with ocean currents. Marine phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like organisms and are critical for the survival of other ocean creatures. Iron is the limiting factor for phytoplankton growth in the ocean. To put it into perspective just how limited iron is in the ocean: the amount of iron in a ton of water weighs about as much as a single human eyelash. This small amount of iron isn’t conducive to growing large swarms of phytoplankton. 

There are over 5000 known species of phytoplankton. 

Iron in the ocean comes from all kinds of different places. Some oceanic iron rises from deep within the crust through hydrothermal vents, some comes from sediments on the African coast, and more than 10% comes from mud on the American coast. However, the largest iron deposits come from a place you’d never expect. Iron and dust are delivered to the ocean by dust storms from one of the driest places on earth: the Sahara Desert. Around 450 million tons of dust enter the world’s oceans every year, and two-thirds of this dust comes from the Sahara Desert. The Saharan dust and sand frequently hitches a ride on atmospheric convection currents and can stay in the air for weeks and travel thousands of kilometers. When this dust is finally deposited in the ocean, iron starved phytoplankton grow quickly into massive blooms which form wonderful green/aqua swirls that are visible from space. These phytoplankton blooms live near the surface of water, drifting with the currents and tinting the water a beautiful teal color. Blooms can cover massive areas of the ocean surface and last from a few days to several weeks. And just like a snowflake; no two are the same. 

The most amazing thing in nature: phytoplankton blooms in the open ocean. 

So to summarize: our high-flying hitchhiking dust comes to meet our wander-lusting micro-plants in the ocean and together they form psychedelic swirls that are visible from space (you could turn this into the plot of a hippie movie). And to top it all off, these phytoplankton blooms are also responsible for more than half of the oxygen production on earth. One species of phytoplankton known as Prochlorococcus is responsible for around 20% of all oxygen produced in our biosphere (that more than all the rainforests on earth). Pretty freaking neat.

Prochlorococcus - the wonderous oxygen-producing phytoplankton. 

So, all that is awesome, but I still haven’t told you why the ocean is that deep and marvelous blue. Well, when phytoplankton grow, they turn the water a marvelous teal/aqua color – just like coastal seas near shores with lots of nutrients. But, when water lacks nutrients like iron, phytoplankton can’t grow in large quantities. And instead of turning teal, the vast and empty ocean remains dark blue, until a little dust from an unlikely place comes along and creates life and, color, and art.

Sources:

Escobar, Y. (2018, October 29). Why the Ocean needs the Desert. Retrieved from The Pipettepen: http://www.thepipettepen.com/why-the-ocean-needs-the-desert/

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). (n.d.). What are Phytoplankton? Retrieved from Earth Observatory: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Phytoplankton

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). (n.d.). How much oxygen comes from the ocean? Retrieved from National Ocean Service: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ocean-oxygen.html

I once remembered the entire periodic table of elements because of the “Periodic Table Song” song on YouTube posted by asapScience... if you know you know. In grade 11 my chemistry teacher (Mr. Blackmore) had an end-of the year competition where the student who could remember the most elements from the periodic table won a box of Timbits... safe to say I memorized the song and I won. Mr. Blackmore and Mrs. Hargrove were my two science teachers in high school and they are probably the two most influential teachers I have ever had, especially in respect to my academic path in life. Mrs. Hargrove wrote her own songs to help us remember the Kreb’s cycle – which is quite literally awful to learn about and memorize. I have always used acronyms, mnemonics, and acoustics to help me remember information. Both these teachers used these tools to help teach lessons. But of course, not everyone learns the same so maybe I have more aural learning style. Musical learning style, also known as the aural (auditory-musical-rhythmic), is one of Howard Gardner's eight types of intelligence defined in his theory of Multiple Intelligences. Songs are a great way to make words and facts stick in people's brains. Songs can be extremely catchy, and I’m sure you’ve asked yourself how you can remember every word to the That’s So Raven theme song (or whatever your favourite TV show was as a kid), but you can’t remember half the details we learned about in first year physics even though we were tested on them. Songs can be catchy and make us remember the lyrics long after the performance is over.  

Capture from the visuals used in asapScience’s Periodic Table Song, available here on YouTube. 

Tilden's 4th principle of interpretation states that “the chief aim of interpretation is not instruction, but provocation”. It can be difficult to spread a message about a boring topic, or something the majority of society seems not to care about.  More, maybe the content itself isn’t uninteresting, but you just really want to get a key point across. Provocation is an approach use to invoke certain emotions or reactions, and can capture your audience’s attention. Music plays a larger role in nature interpretation other than just providing a catchy sequence of words for us to remember. It promotes a response because it – on some basic human level – connects to our emotions. We can’t touch or hear sounds like we can a tree or a rock – but we can feel it. The emotions tied to music are what make it a powerful tool. Don’t believe me? The whales basically saved themselves by singing.

In the mid-20th century, whalers were causing whale populations to dwindle – killing more than 50,000 a year. But in the 1960’s, underwater equipment recorded a sound that had never been heard before – whale songs. These songs changed and had distinguishable themes and emotions that changed over time. Robert Payne, one of the early scientists who helped share this discovery said; "These sounds are, with no exception that I can think of, the most evocative, most beautiful sounds made by any animal on Earth,". Any repeating sound is technically part of a composed song. Crickets and birds use songs, but the songs sung by whales are arguably the most complex and emotional songs sung by any animal on earth.  

"Do you make cat food out of composer-poets? I think that's a crime." - Robert Payne, biologist/cetologist

Robert Payne gave one of the whale recordings to Judy Collins. I know her best from the famously North American song “This Land is Your Land” (which in and of itself is a perfect example of how music can capture the essence and history of a place and era all at once – but that’s a blog post for another time. This song takes me right back to bonfire at my cottage and nights at summer camp). "It was very emotional," she says. "Angst for being a human being on a planet where they also live. Guilt for doing what we do to them. And that they're so smart and they have been here so long, and they certainly might have some insights about what we could do to live a better way.” In the following decade, she included a song called "Farewell to Tarwathie" on her 1970 album Whales and Nightingales. This song is an adaptation of a traditional whale song and it actually features whales singing throughout the song! The record was a hit and introduced millions of people to the songs sung by humpback whales. In the same year she released her album, Capitol Records released Payne's recording of humpback whale songs, which is still the best-selling natural sounds album to date. Songs like Judy Collins’ "Farewell to Tarwathie", and the songs sung by the whales themselves, show that there is both music in nature and nature in music. And the best part – the campaign using the whale songs worked so well that only 5 countries still hunt whales today.

"It certainly was a huge factor in convincing us that the whales were an intelligent species here on planet Earth and actually made music, made art, created an aesthetic." - Former Greenpeace director Rex Weyler

Sources:

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

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 7: Nature Interpretation Through Music. In Lecture Notes. University of Guelph. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/666945/viewContent/2593375/View

“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) 

Merit is “the quality of being worthy or deserving of praise”. In this context, I interpret merit to be a title that can be given to something – similar to value or worth. Looking back to a sense of place from Beck at al., (2017), often what makes a place special (valued) is not because all its individual parts have merit, rather its combined beauty, history, or cultural significance give it merit. So, the same things that maintain integrity (memory, history, etc.) are also what give something merit and significance. Aristotle once said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You can have all the parts to build a house but having the parts together in the same place does not make it a home. For example, ancestral indigenous groups had lands, traditions, houses, language and practices, and so do all the modern indigenous groups. But this does not mean the reserves they were forced on are their home, and it does not mean their cultural and spiritual ties to their ancestral lands have been permanently severed. Because the “parts” of Indigenous culture and history are spread through time, the only way to maintain the integrity of Indigenous culture is to remember their past and acknowledge it’s the reason for their current situation. And so, the past is not done with, and if anything; the integrity of time is the reason why everything is the way it is today. A large part of the reason we have the cities we do, the houses we do, and the opportunities we do, is because the past continues to exist through the extended repercussions of the actions of the people from the past.

Quote from Micheal Crichton, producer-writer-director of Jurassic Park.

As we continue to explore nature interpretation through history let’s continue with the example of First Nations history. When we are taught about indigenous history there are a few questions we have to ask ourselves. First, who’s story is being shared? Telling the story from the perspective of the settlers versus the perspectives of the Indigenous peoples can portray very different views on the events that occurred. The person explaining the history and series of events ultimately decides what is included – and this can be limited by the writer; either by them purposefully choosing to leave out key details, or they are unaware of important details, thoughts, or emotions because they did not experience an event firsthand. Many written accounts of Canada’s history share the perspectives of white settlers, because First Nation’s groups predominantly pass on teachings through stories and spoken word. I urge you to try and find an account of Canadian history told or written by an individual from any First Nations group on Google– it’s rare to find without searching extensively for it. This ignores (either intentionally or unintentionally) the thoughts/feelings/stories of indigenous groups. For centuries, Canada has ignored its dark past and many historical accounts imply that land ownership was rightfully given to the settlers. However, what these stories don’t imply or specify, is that language and cultural barries/differences led to quite different interpretations on what treaties meant. Many Indigenous groups did not believe in land ownership, but instead they believed the land owned them and certain lineages had rights to use certain parts of it. First Nations believed they were merely giving the new settlers the right to use some of their lands. They never thought they were giving up all title to their land, nor did they even comprehended the concept of giving away their land forever.

Like people recognizing their privilege, many interpreters are beginning to recognize their duty to acknowledge an area’s history. As nature interpreter’s, we have a solemn duty to remember. To remember not only the good parts of the history of a place, but also the bad. And when we include history in our interpretations, you will find that more people are able to find a sense of place. These places of memory are places with deep rooted historical significance due to the events that occurred there. The non-material components of such sites are what give them merit and make people care about them, and these memories are often far more important than the place itself and the things that currently exist in the area.

Quote from Micheal Crichton, producer-writer-director of Jurassic Park.

How is your personally identity tied to the history of your where you live/grew up or your culture? 

Is the history of your family/culture/religion/etc. the reason you lack or have certain privileges?

Sources:

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

Canada's First Peoples. (2007). The Treaties: Two Different Views. Canada's First Peoples. firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_treaties/fp_treaties_two_views.html.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 6: Nature Interpretation Through History. In Lecture Notes. University of Guelph. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/666945/Home

Considering this week is focussed on evaluating each others blogs and assessing how we can be better interpreters moving forward, I thought I should write about tips for effective interpretive writing. Ultimately, written word is the tool we have chosen this semester to educate and inspire fellow classmates on natural interpretation. However, while we have learned what it means to be an interpreter we have not yet learned how to be a good one. 

Interpreters have to be conscious and critical about how they choose to explain a topic. Alan Leftridge (2006) explains that we have to remember a few important considerations when we are writing. I think I often forget that my blog posts have to relate to all of you every week. If I can’t relate to you, then I can’t get you to want to  read my post and care what I am writing about. Also, we have to continue to not only explain new concepts we learn in our textbook, but relate them to tangible things. People can only make emotional connections with things - not cold hard facts. So, providing lots of examples or mentioning how ideas relate to certain things like people, places, or history can unveil universal emotional concepts (compassion, beauty, culture, etc.). Everyone is then able to relate these universal concepts to in their own lives. For example, you can write 300 pages on how pesticides affect bees on a genetic level, but if you don’t explain how this affects people, plants, or the bees ability to live normally your audience won’t have a sense of empathy for the bees. Last, I think it’s important for us as writers to always have a goal in mind. What message do you want your classmates and readers to leave thinking about? Having a clear idea of what your greater message is can challenge your readers to think critically. This is better than spewing lots of facts from the textbook, but not having a clear point or question at the end. For example: my goal this week is to help you all realize common mistakes you might be making, and how you can be better writers moving forward. Thus, I should structure this blog post in two main sections; challenges and tips.  

Cartoon found here.

Now that you have a better idea of what you might have been doing poorly or forgetting to include in your blog posts  earlier in the semester, let’s move on to the important question of how we can do better. First, it all starts with the title. We’re all writing about the same thing every week, so instead of simply titling your post the same thing Professor Hookyas or the textbook chapter did; try to think of a creative title that attracts the readers attention. You want to make your post stand out from the others, and convince students to want to read more. Questions are a common way to draw attention. Last week, when we discussed art a lot of you chose to title your work “how are art and nature interpretation related”. This is intriguing to readers because the two concepts seem very disconnected – so the reader is interested in learning the answer to the question.  

So, now you have the readers attention now what? Sometimes I feel lost when I begin writing these blog posts because I don’t know what to write about. But I’ve found that the weeks I felt the most lost are also the weeks I was the least prepared. Reading the textbook and all the readings on Courselink first can be a simple but effective way at guiding your writing. Reading the material and taking note of the tone used, important messages presented, new information you may not have know before, and what made you wonder can help you decide what to include in your post. We all have access to the textbook, so try and talk about the things that really made you think critically or what you wanted to learn more about. For example, this week I was drawn to the chapter on interpretation and written word, because I wanted to make my blog posts better – but I didn’t know what to do to actually make my posts more interesting and meaningful. Simple things like an attention grabbing title and having a clear goal in mind when reading and writing were two tips the textbook taught me that I didn’t think were overly important before. Ultimately if you don’t know about something, you can’t write about it. You need to understand your topic, what parts were confusing or complicated and require extra attention to simplify the concept for your readers.  

“It ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it” – John Kerouac (French Canadian novelist)

Finally, once you know how to get a readers attention and have a clear idea about what you want to write about – the rest comes down to writing. This section I’m going to leave up to you to research. There are dozens of tips to help you with proper sentence structure, how long to make paragraphs, and how to improve your word choice and readability. In chapter 14 of the textbook you can find a section on Techniques and Tips for Effective Writing. Each writers style is unique, but there are still some universal tips all successful authors use. My “Achilles heel” is how often I use redundancies. Redundancies are two words with the same meaning used together. I love to use descriptive words in my writing, but I often catch myself writing things like “alternative choices”. Go back and read the last sentence of the previous paragraph. Notice how I used the words “confusing or complicated”? I bet you didn’t get caught up on this sentence, but I put them there purposely to show that while small things like redundancies don’t ruin sentence structure, they can make your sentences excessively wordy. If you find yourself using excessive descriptive words like me, try choosing a more intense descriptor to convey your message and limit yourself to one word.

Image found here

If you get a chance this week, read the section on tips for writing and let me know what your “Achilles heel” is. On of my favourite quotes of all time is “your perspective is always limited by how much you know. Expand your knowledge and you will transform your mind”. So my fellow classmates, expand your knowledge and you will transform your writing!  

Sources:

      To interpret nature through art, one simply needs to be able to perceive unwritten messages or emotions. Art itself is a creative expression that does not require language to understand. Rather than conveying meaning through words - art is valued for its visual beauty and emotional power. Freeman Tilden’s six principles for interpretation (1957) made note that interpretation itself is an art, which combines many mediums to convey a message. As an audience member, we need to understand how to meaningfully perceive information that is being presented to us. On the other hand, an interpreter’s key role is to help their audience perceive the complex world around them in a way that is informative and thought-provoking. Interpreters should be able to promote the cultural and environmental stories of the past and present and teach or inspire their audience about ways in which they can affect the future so that humans can live harmoniously.

     So where does art come in? The role of an interpreter is to help people gain some understanding of unusual and curious places and try to evoke some sense of wonder in the perceiver. Mill’s “formula” for the best nature interpretation techniques outlines that one must appeal to the imagination and the reason and give flesh and blood to cold facts. Arts sole purpose is these two functions. The whole point of art is to convey new understandings and perspectives on common and uncommon parts of our world in a fun and artistic way. And, another key advantage to using art as an interpretative tool is that regular citizens can be captivated by art because you don’t need to be an art aficionado to perceive and understand it. Art and science combine to highlight the “science of chaos” and simplify complex/hidden structures, processes, or places into an emotional and beautiful piece. And so – this brings us to the gift of beauty. Artists, photographers, sculptors, and all sorts of other artists instill in people the ability and desire to see the patterns and beauty in their surroundings. And as an audience, when art is used properly as an interpretive tool, it has the potential to spiritual uplift and motivate us to strive for a better world.

Art is where the “gift of beauty” and the “science of chaos” combine to allow us to perceive the patterns and complexities in nature. Photo from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Emergent-patterns-in-nature-A-lot-of-species-forms-a-different-low-level-rules-complex_fig1_320756496

     One of the most successful and influential pieces of art used as an interpretative tool to convey an environmental message is the Earthrise photograph. 1968 America was very similar to 2020. It was ravaged by assassinations, war, riots, and political turmoil. Citizens and politicians alike were overwhelmed, and the path to environmental, social, and cultural recovery looked impossible. However, 1968 was also the year Apollo 8 was launched on its journey to the moon. This event lead to the famous “Earthrise” photograph – the first photograph of earth taken from space. This photograph is so symbolic that it completely turned the focus of the mission from a space exploration intended to look outwards, to one that forced us to look back at our home and the vulnerability of our miraculous living planet. This photograph sparked an environmental movement in the years following one of the most tumultuous years in American history. This photograph showed no signs of borders, politics, or authority – and instead showed a simple and fragile blue sphere in a dark and empty universe. When you focus too closely, the complexities of the earth can be overwhelming. However, this one photograph simplified the message that earth is alive and beautiful. In unwritten words it essentially said; in order to keep it alive and beautiful we need to put aside our egotistical human disconnect, and acknowledge that we are part of this fragile little ecosystem floating in space and we need to protect it.

“Earthrise” photograph taken by astronaut William Anders during the December 24, 1968, Apollo 8 mission.

     The Earthwise picture is just one photograph, but there are so many other mediums that can be used to create art and convey an environmental message. Aboriginal’s have long used paintings, jewelry, and decorative clothing to tell the stories of their people and ancestral lands. Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun has been a dancer and painter since the 1980’s. However, in order to evolve with modern technology, he has been exploring “virtual reality renaissance”. Through technology he has created a computer-generated 3D artistic world. Unceded Territories is an immersive virtual reality where the user is placed in a world designed to look like Yuxweluptun’s art style. User’s is encouraged to throw paint across the screen onto the virtual landscape. However, by the end of the virtual session the user realizes the paint has destroyed the landscape and it is impossible to remove. Essentially, his program uses technology and art to convey a message about environmentalism and aboriginal rights and show the audience that once we mess with a landscape it is forever changed.

“Unceded Territories VR - Trailer” - YouTube (Available here: https://www.paisleysmith.com/unceded-territories-vr)

     These are just two examples of influential art pieces that convey a greater message about nature and environmentalism. While it is beneficial to showcase these pieces to people, they aren’t relevant or usable to all nature interpreters. So, my question to you is what art form do you feel would be most effective on a guided outdoor tour. Is it occasional posters along the way? Interactive photography lessons? It’s a hard question to answer, but interesting nonetheless to find ways to incorporate art outdoors.

Resources:

Druding, J. (2020, May 5). Why “Earthrise” is the Most Influential Photo Ever Taken. Medium; The Startup. https://medium.com/swlh/why-earthrise-is-the-most-influential-photo-ever-taken-69095563f821

Guo, D. (2020, June 15). Indigenous Artists Use Technology to Tell Stories About Their Ancestral Lands - YES! Magazine. YES! Magazine. https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/06/15/indigenous-artists-climate-technology/

What role does “privilege” play in nature interpretation? Well, lets start with the basics, first we need to understand what privilege is. “Privilege” is an umbrella term that refers to certain social advantages, benefits, prestige, or respect one receives simply by virtue of belonging to a certain social group or being born with certain traits. I refer to privilege as an umbrella term because there is no such thing as being privileged or un-privileged, the word simply refers to certain social identities that grant you certain opportunities or civil liberties. You may be privileged in one respect but disadvantaged in another. Therefore, it is also important to identify your own personal “invisible backpack” of privileges. It can be uncomfortable for people to admit the ways in which they are privileged, because many privileged people often feel a sense of guilt for the privilege they hold that others don’t, or sometimes they are blind to their privilege because they feel unprivileged in another respect. For example, many white females may feel confused about their privilege because although they have white privilege, they may have experienced a circumstances where they faced a disadvantage for being female.

If I were to identify my own privileges, I would start by identifying my social identity. There are a lot of resources on the internet to help guide you in realizing your social identify. Henri Tajfel’s (1979) social identity theory simply relates to a person’s sense of who they are based on certain social groups they identify with. These social groups can relate to religious groups, family groups, sports teams, sexual orientation, social class, or race. Determining your social identify is a great way to identify your privilege, because privilege often relates to being part of a groups that hold power or represents most of the human population. Minorities are often more disadvantaged and judged than those who are part of a majority group. Let’s go through this short exercise together; I’ll identify my social identity and you can do the same at home.

Image from: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/sample-activities/social-identity-wheel/

There are some key aspects of my personal identify that make me privileged, and this has a significant role in my access to environmental interpretation. I’m going to go through 3 main privileges that most Canadians have, to show you how privilege and nature interpretation are related – even if you used to think they weren’t. The first thing to realize is that not everyone engages in the world in the same way. Socio-economic status, physical ability, and language all play a role in nature interpretation of all forms. As Canadians, many of us have access to wealth and education, healthcare, and speak English as a first or second language.

Socio-economic status (wealth) plays one of the most significant roles in ones access to nature interpretation – whether it be physical or digital interactions with natural history. You families income will determine whether you are able to go on vacation and visit new places. It also influences your access to transportation – whether you rely on a car, train, or bus sets a limit of where you can travel. Someone living in downtown Toronto without a car may not have the same opportunities as someone else in Toronto who is able to drive outside the city easily to visit rural or natural settings. Access to education is also determined by income. Whether you or your family can afford field trips in middle school, a college or university education, or even a computer and Wi-Fi to read nature blogs such as this one is all dictated by income. The list of ways in which socio-economic status affects nature interpretation go on infinitely, from swimming lessons, summer camps, cottages, vacations, field trips, education, internet, camping gear, and so on and so forth. Nature interpretation is largely a business, and access to it is rarely free.

Physical Ability: being able-bodied and of sound mind and health is one thing most people take for granted. It is difficult to think of a hike or outdoor setting that is fully wheelchair accessible or has the services someone with a physical or mental disability may need. It is important for nature interpretive centers to provide services for those with disabilities, in order to make educational opportunities more accessible to all. More often than not, those who rely on wheelchairs or other mobility aids must settle for enjoying nature is from a sidewalk in a crowded urban park, a visitors center close to a parking lot, or a very limited amount of fully accessible trails. One of the worlds most famous naturalists John Muir once wrote; “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul.”. When someone is unable to see, hear, or use their legs, they don’t also lose their desire to be outside and experience nature, but they may have less opportunities or options than someone who is able bodied. So, society and nature interpreters must work to be as inclusive as possible, while also maintaining the integrity and health of the landscape.

Image from: https://wheelchairtravel.org/news-roundup-air-chair-concept-uberwav-expansion-accessible-machu-picchu-tour-and-more/

Language: knowing how to speak and read English is a blessing I hope no one reading my blog takes for granted. Speaking English opens an enormous number of doors and opportunities – especially when it comes to nature interpretation. There are so many people out there who want to contribute to science but can’t because they don’t know enough English. Likewise, many researchers out there must translate their work to English if they want it to reach the widest audience possible. The science world is dominated by the English language, and so speaking English grants one more access to research and education. Similarly, travelling or visiting different natural places around the world is much easier for English speakers. A large majority of international tourists speak English, and so the standard has been set that many international places hire workers who speak English to host English travelers.

I hope after reading this post you have a new-found sense of appreciation for the privileges you have. However, I also hope now that you understand your privilege that you have a new sense of accountability. Ignorance surrounding disadvantaged groups of people is unfortunately common. To be allies to those who do not share the privileges we hold, it’s important to fight against misconceptions and stigmas and help promote equal opportunities. Recognizing common challenges and stigmas faced by marginalized groups can help break the barriers outlined above. As a nature interpreter, it is important to plan and be prepared to host or guide individuals who have limited income, have a disability, or do not speak English well. Afterall, going back to our first blog post – everyone is drawn to nature, and the things about them that they cannot control should not affect their access to nature.

Sources:

Mcleod, S. (2019). “Social Identity Theory.” Simply Psychology.  Available from: www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html.

Lewkowicz, B. (2006) “Opening the Door to Nature for People with Disabilities ”. Bay Nature. Available from: baynature.org/article/opening-the-door-to-nature-for-people-with-disabilities/.

     I was a vegan for 3 years – until I stopped because I decided it was not the most sustainable diet option. And I know this may sound controversial to most of you. Many people who make the life choice to change their diet and eat vegan do it because it is supposed to be healthier and more sustainable than a diet which includes meat and animal products. My entire perception of the food industry has changed, and I switched to an entirely local diet. And there are so many reasons why I believe that eating local is the best and most sustainable diet option. This entails simply buying and eating the fruits and vegetables that are native to your country or are grown locally, and either hunting for game or buying from local butcher’s. And there is a certain group of people who have led to this shift in my perception about food and the food industry, and they represent an underrated group of nature interpreters – farmers. But I’m not just talking about any farmers, because there is a very small portion of the world where farming is practiced sustainably. If you are unaware of daunting reality about the current state of most industrial farming operations – I urge you to watch Kiss The Ground, Living Soil, or From The Ground Up. 

Visual from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegreendirectory.net%2Fblog%2Fregenerative-agriculture&psig=AOvVaw2n8X8nGv5yNtF2lmcaDsQN&ust=1611623121219000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCLDCm5Hyte4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI

     We currently live in a world where we must grow more food than we ever have before, with less viable soil and harsher climate conditions. But there are people out there who have successfully built small-scale holistic farming operations. These farms don’t just grow one thing – they grow hundreds of things with dozens of animal species, all of which live symbiotically. These farmers actively design their farm to be based around synergistic connections from free roam chickens and ducks who eat insects and work as a form of natural pest control, or forest farms which combine canopy crops with shade tolerant ground crops to help maintain a moist and healthy soil environment. My dream would be to buy a piece of land and create a sustainable farm of my own. This farm would be both a place of work and learning. My hope would be to have visitors and locals come to the farm to buy organic foods and free-range meats, but also learn something about regenerative and sustainable farming practices while they were there. I live in Nova Scotia, but the farm itself could be located anywhere in North America. Creating such a farm requires an intensive amount of physical labour and strategic planning, in addition to a vast knowledge base about soil dynamics, botany, ecology, and a wide range of other natural processes in order to create a strong foundation for the farm. 

Visual from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenewfoodcollective.com%2Fregenerativeagriculture&psig=AOvVaw2n8X8nGv5yNtF2lmcaDsQN&ust=1611623121219000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCLDCm5Hyte4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD  

   I would like to teach people to be more conscious about the food they eat and where/who they are buying from. Not only do organic and local crops contain far less harmful chemicals and preservatives, they also help combat many global environmental issues. Regenerative agriculture practices increase soil biodiversity and organic matter, leading to more resilient soils that can better withstand climate change impacts like flooding and drought. Healthier soils in-turn lead to stronger yields and more nutrient-rich crops. Healthy soils also diminish erosion and runoff, leading to improved water quality on and off the farm. Not only do regenerative agriculture practices help make farms more resilient and adaptive to current climate change, it allows them to be part of a larger solution to the crisis, through carbon sequestration. 

Visual from: https://www.beefresearch.ca/research-topic.cfm/cover-crops-91

     Through a regenerative farm I would be able to share my passion and knowledge for sustainable food through tours, posters, and hopefully even blogs and vlogs for those who cannot visit. There are so many ways the teachings of the farm could be spread to any who is interested to engage and learn something. The amazing thing about regenerative farms is that more and more people everyday decide to shift their diet to include healthier and local foods. So, even if they do not know about the larger and more global issues surrounding food an agriculture – the farm serves as an accessible environment for people of all backgrounds to learn something about the state of our natural environment – despite their level of education or personal interests. Because at the end of the day, food is something we all have in common and even those who are completely uninterested in the outdoors can relate to nature through food.

     Anyways, I hope you learned something today! If you would like to learn more about regenerative farming, I’ll attach some of my favourite documentaries, videos, and blogs so you can continue to understand why I am so passionate about it. Thanks for reading!

The Climate Reality Project – What is Regenerative Agriculture?: https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/what-regenerative-agriculture

Netflix: Kiss The Ground: https://kisstheground.com/

YouTube - Can Regenerative Agriculture Reverse Climate Change?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuRpEA1sFow

It’s easy to fall in love with all the beautiful and wild places this earth has to offer. But like any relationship – there’s exciting parts and “boring” parts. To me nature is like life, everybody loves new and exciting experiences, but not everybody can truly sit down on Monday morning and appreciate the “same old”. Everybody loves nature, but not everybody truly appreciates all the forms it comes in.

Like most of you I gather, I’ve loved hiking and exploring from a very young age. I think most people have this unexplainable connection to nature. You feel it when your toes are in the sand or some cool grass, or the feeling of fresh air after rainstorms. My absolute favorite feeling is when you get to the end of a hike, or to a lookout spot, and you just kind of sit down and take a deep breath and get this deep sense of joy and appreciation for the natural world. There are very few other experiences where I’ve felt true bliss.

Pollet’s Cove, Cape Breton, NS. After a 13km hike up and down 3 mountains, seeing this view was truly a “bliss” moment for me. Photo taken by myself.

BUT!! Something has changed – and our dear friend COVID (sarcasm alert) is the reason my relationship with nature has changed. Raise your hand if the worst part about lockdown was not being able to travel and explore as much!! Raise your hand if you had to cancel flights and trips you’ve been looking forward to for months because international travel became restricted!! You can’t see me through your computer screen right now, but if you could you would see both my arms raised because I had to cancel a trip to Nepal, British Columbia, and Thailand this past 2020. It was supposed to be my year of travel and adventure, and every trip/excursion planned would have been about exploring nature and new places. Instead, I had to settle for the local walking trails I had walked a thousand times and my backyard – both unexciting in comparison to Everest Base Camp and Banff National Park.

But I’ve always been a bubbly person who likes to  see the bright side of things – so what did I do? I built flower and vegetable gardens in my backyard, when the weather got warm I took my laptop to work outside, and I went for daily walks. And the funny thing is, I now appreciate my daily walks more than I did before. I pay more attention to the trees along the trails and how they grow all crooked and quirky sometimes to get more light. Nature is everything around us, and I’ve learned to appreciate all of it and not just the wild and unexplored parts of it.

Two Whitetail deer spotted on one of my new daily quarantine walks. Photo taken by myself

My boyfriend is an arborist so we discovered a new way to experience nature during our mandatory 14-day isolation in Nova Scotia - climbing the trees in our backyard!

Last but not least – I want to introduce you all to an experience that allowed my to gain a ‘sense of place’ and where I truly felt connected to the beauty of an area and the significance of it’s natural and cultural history. Welcome to the world of tree planting. This summer, and for the past 3 summers, I have spent my time tree planting in Northern Ontario from May until July. Tree planting in my opinion is one of – if not the rawest way to experience nature. You live in a tent in the middle of nowhere, hours away from the nearest town, and you work for 10 hours a day by yourself in the middle of the woods. The first time I saw a clear-cut block, it was quite grim and provoked feelings of sadness and unjust. Looking back, I guess that is when I learned that sense of place does not always have to relate to beautiful places or pristine landscapes. I felt this deep connection like I was part of something bigger to help better our natural environment. You quite literally help rebuild a forest by hand, one tree at a time. I have my crew boss to thank for teaching me that that my daily work would have lasting effects on the environment and health of the forest, and that each tree/piece of land/forest is special and unique. I would recommend it to anyone, and the experience continues to inspire me to work to protect and restore our nature environments. 

A fellow planter working in a clear-cut block. Photo taken by myself. 

This blog was created for ENVS 3000, University of Guelph

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the University of Guelph.