The Wild Eye with Cameron

As the semester comes to a close, it seems almost poetic that I sit here and struggle with how to tackle this final prompt. Of course, this would serve the most difficult to unpack. Wracking my brain and figuring out the best route of attack, I found myself retreating to old blog posts looking for any inspiration to guide me. In this most exciting field trip, I did not find the answers regarding this week's prompt, but rather I found how much I have grown as a nature interpreter, to begin with. What I have come to realize, is that where my development in interpreting nature would come to blossom, it would begin with enrollment in this class. Prior to this semester, having reflected upon it much now, I would say that nature was something I would have otherwise neglected. 

Growing up in Toronto, my experiences with nature were far and between; and this constant on-again-off-again relationship, I found created not only a toxic relationship between me and mother nature, but it left me desiring more. In our first blog post, we discussed who gave us a ‘sense of place’ and that person for me was my dad. Although my relationship with the outdoors was far from perfect, I was still lucky to have someone that would keep the flame from dying out. That being said, I can understand that having someone in my life doing that for me was a privilege and that for some kids, that flame can completely die out. I think this is the harsh reality for many growing up in big cities, and I, unfortunately, think that only becomes more of a reality with the technological era jumpstarting. As nature interpreters, I think we share a responsibility now more than ever to nurture that flame and to create that spark in individuals left behind. Whether they realize it or not. 

With the first day of class, I dreaded reading through the textbook. But to my surprise, I found myself completely indulging in the content of the course. Making textbook notes, I would often find myself adding to the content with my own ideas and my own thoughts. I explained this in my personal reflection, but I feel it important to include it here as I think it significantly aids in answering this prompt. Since the beginning of the course, I have been able to apply my own personal beliefs and experiences and I think that is what interpreting is all about. I think that’s what makes this course special. 

In the first readings, we learn a bit about what exactly interpretation is, I find myself often referencing this quote...

"An educational activity which aims to reveal meanings and  relationships  through  the  use  of  original  objects,  by  firsthand  experience,  and by illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information"

~Freeman Tilden

We see this quote in just this first chapter. I think it perfectly encapsulates the beauty of interpretation. Every one of us applies unique perspectives and experiences to the craft. 

It is from these experiences that we begin to build unique perspectives. Each and every one of us, differing in experiences, differ in outlook. We may value the same things and share similar ethics, but the importance and focus we place on them come from nuanced experiences and personalities we have built over years of development. The ways we tackle issues, or even those we tackle change from person to person because of this fact. With my past experiences with nature, or rather the lack thereof, I apply a few ethics when interpreting nature. First and foremost, I would like to believe that I incorporate fairness, equality, and empathy in the way I interpret nature. In our 3rd blog post, we dove into this topic a bit more. We talked about unpacking our ‘invisible backpacks’ and using that insight to be better able to communicate natural interpretation. I believe, no matter your experience with nature, you should feel comfortable in the space, and no matter your education level, there should be pieces of interpretation you can indulge in and relate to. I think that everyone not only has a different understanding of nature, but people also vary in experiences and feelings about nature. It is important, that people left behind, are focussed on, and encouraged into the space. That is not to say that people, already elbow deep, should not be further nurtured, but rather I would personally focus on the underprivileged individuals. Inspiring and igniting that flame at the entry-level, not only benefits all proceeding levels but also ensures people get into the space, to begin with.  

With this target audience in mind, 

What kind of approach would I use?

Even as a biology student, the prospect of learning about nature can sometimes be daunting. I think in many cases, this can be very off-putting for newcomers or people with little natural experience. In my experience, I find that approaches that work the best are ones that are more artistic in nature. Ones that simply expose an individual to the wonderful aspects of nature. In an article by Jan Van Boeckel, 2014, we see how a disconnect from nature can lead to disenchantment with nature as a whole. By presenting nature interpretation in digestible ways for newcomers, they are less likely to experience this disenchantment. Media that appeals to the emotional side, the fun side; I think would work best. It is important we aim to simply just expose individuals to the beauty of nature, as I believe that to be half the battle. 

In chapter 5, we learn approaches can be cognitive, affective, or even kinesthetic (Textbook, Ch.5). I believe the latter two are significant when approaching a group of people with little or no experience with nature. With illustrations of interpretation being affective and kinesthetic, the content begins more digestible and suddenly, the ‘dauntingness’ seems less of a threat. In fact, there are studies online that suggest that this is a good remedy for individuals disenchanted with nature. A more open-ended artistic process may allow these individuals to rekindle the connection between themselves and the natural world (Clearing, 2019). 

With the way the world is moving, the reality of children and even adults becoming disconnected from nature only becomes more and more true. The more these individuals are isolated from the beauty of nature, the more likely they are to become disenchanted with it. The way I would approach this issue is with open-minded, affective, and kinesthetic content that is more digestible for people not akin to nature. As sometimes just exposing an individual to nature can be enough to ignite a flame. Sometimes all it takes is a little spark to ignite that passion, and that is the hardest part. Once that passion is fired up, it becomes much easier to connect with the audience as there is a foundation to go off of. 

References 

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture. Chapter 5. Guiding Principles of Interpretation, 106-107. 

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture. Tilden, F. Chapter 1. What is Interpretation? (pp. 5). 

Boeckel, J. V. (2014). At the heart of art and earth: An exploration of practices in arts-based Environmental Education. Environmental Education Research, 21(5), 801–802. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2014.959474 

I really enjoyed reading your final post! Your reflection on how your dad played such a crucial role in "keeping the flame lit" for you as a youth resided heavily with me, as my father was the most important advocate for nature and the environment for all of my life. Ironically, they were our first interpreters, and yet we had to take a course to realize that we have been such for others as they have been for us. The cyclical format of nature interpretation is one of the initial understandings that I expressed early on in this course. I still believe that anyone and everyone can be an interpreter or part of the audience. Knowledge and motivation is never ending and a fantastic takeaway from this course is as much as we are preparing to be strong and efficient nature interpreters we have also learned to be part of the audience. Where there is more to learn, or provide, or enact, we now have begun our journey in advocating and promoting all of these streams of interpretation for others as well as ourselves.

Your personal set of ethics and approach to interpretation instills me with confidence for the future. I like your ideas and your willingness to incorporate multi-media or complex technique combinations to allow for complete involvement and diverse options for experiences brings a new flavour to nature interpretation that is exciting and passionate! You also address the polarizing factors that society seems to have on nature as an entity and how the world is becoming less concerned with nature as a whole. I think that with your current open-minded approach focused on incorporation and re-igniting the burning flame inside of everyone and their connection in nature is very similar to the climate of the times. Which we have seen becomes important with numerous societal agendas (civil and gender based rights in law, necessity for war, acceptable behaviour in society) as the world progresses further into the future.

Overall, I loved reading your post and I wish you as much success in your career as interpreter as your dad was for you! Keep up the great work.

As the semester and our blog posts come to an end, I’m left feeling very reminiscent after reading the introduction to everyone’s blog posts this week! When I first decided to take this course, it was at the recommendation of one of my roommates who had taken it last year. I needed an elective to add onto my course load and she described her experience in the course and how much she enjoyed it as an Ecology major. I will admit, I was skeptic at first as she explained the weekly blog posts on Tumblr but to my delight, they ended up being a nice way to reflect on my relationship with nature. As I learned over the course of the last 10 weeks what is considered a nature interpreter, I realized that I’ve indirectly been one for a while now. From simpler ways when I was younger such as relaying a fun fact about an animal I had learned at school to my parents, to being the person communicating interesting animal facts to kids of the same age! It took me a few weeks in this course to realize that I had spent an entire summer working as a nature interpreter at the Toronto Zoo through the role of a camp counsellor. My job was to interpret facts about the animals living at the zoo to expand the knowledge of my campers, and also include some environmental concepts as well. This taught me so much about nature interpretation firsthand, and I didn’t even know until 2 years later that this is considered a form of interpretation!

After reading the questions within the prompt this week, I decided to first reflect on my time as an unknown interpreter to see what beliefs, responsibilities and approaches I had used before this course. I found that honesty was an extremely important factor that I tried to incorporate with my audience, especially with a young audience as kids can be very curious. I find this is an extremely important quality for an interpreter of any kind to possess, as honesty leads to further education and interest. Although with kids this can be tricky as sometimes they aren’t ready for the full truth of some topics, it is still important to understand what truth they can handle. An example of this from my time working at the zoo revolves around ecophobia. Ecophobia is essentially the worry over environmental degradation or destruction and can be extremely taxing on one’s mental health. While it is important to educate an audience on the effect of humans or climate change on an area, species, or the planet in general, ecophobia is something to consider when deciding what information to relay to kids. If the conversation becomes too gloomy or depressing for a group of 5-year-olds, this in my opinion is an unsuccessful interpretation. The experience should be informative and honest, but not lead to feelings of helplessness or depression. This leads to my next biggest responsibility of a nature interpreter which is having an overall message or purpose to your interpretation.

As this is nature interpretation, I’ll be talking about interpretating biological concepts specifically, although this responsibility still applies in general. When I think of interpreters of nature, I envision anyone who discusses a natural phenomenon, landscape, species of animal or plant or even an interaction that occurs in the wild. While these can all be explained to an audience for the simple purpose of being entertaining, I think there has to be a reason as to why the interpreter is educating others on these themes. Education is typically one of the most common reasons, although there are many other reasons as well. My personal time at the zoo also had a reasoning, and it was to educate the kids on amazing animal species and the things they do. It was an important responsibility to me that I often tied together any fun facts with some kind of educational factor, such as conservation for example. Having an underlying message like this can help the interpreter tie their conversation together towards the end, and can help them be better in general as they understand the importance of their job.

The approach that I found the most suitable was through having a solid understanding of your information and also being passionate or enthusiastic about it. These two factors go hand in hand and while an individual can be one without being the other, a good interpreter ensures they are both. Being knowledgeable about the topic you are discussing may seem like an obvious responsibility, but it was something that always stuck out to me on days where I felt like I wasn’t being the best interpreter I could be. There were days at the zoo when a member of the public would see me with my campers, wearing a staff uniform and approached me with a question about one of the species. While I was taught a great deal of information on the animals residing at the zoo, it was all at the level of my audience and therefore not always suitable for an adult. There was one day when a parent had approached me while I was working and asked how much an adult orangutan weighs. This was not something I knew off the top of my head, as 5-year-olds wouldn’t typically remember or care about this type of information, I told them I honestly wasn’t sure. They were understanding, thanked me anyways, and moved on with their day but I remember feeling annoyed at myself as an interpreter for not knowing the answer. While this is something that often is inevitable as no one knows the answer to every question that could be asked of them, as an interpreter it can be frustrating. Ensuring that I know as much information about the topic as possible was my best approach to avoid this as well as understanding that there will always be questions that you might not know the answer to! Lastly, being passionate is one of my best approaches to nature interpretation and something that benefitted me greatly. Audiences can tell when someone is actually interested and enthusiastic about something, and it makes it much easier to enjoy and pay attention to. Personally this came very easy to me as I have always loved talking about things I’m interested in and animals happen to be one of my biggest passions! I found this made it more enjoyable for my audience as well as myself and is definitely something I would suggest to future nature interpreters.

Great post! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your personal experiences with interpretation with your role at the zoo. Its quite ironic how most of us have figured out that we have acted as or been audience to interpretation at some point in our lives! A concept that I took to expressing at the beginning of this course, was the interpretation can come from anywhere from anyone! There is always more to learn or to provide to be the best version of ourselves from a personal, societal or professional standpoint. The concepts of this course have taught me that interpretation can be done through so many forms and mediums that as individual we may not have experience with or the opposite where we are all too familiar with the role.

I think your outlook towards how you will enact interpretation in your life and professional career is refreshing and exciting! Bringing a high standard of self regulation and energy to the ideas of nature interpretation and how to improve involvement, captivate attention and elevate the streams of education and knowledge tied to the area of work. I think as nature interpreters, we posses a heavy burden to conduct ourselves and engage beyond the "acceptable" status of professionals. We present and inform to individuals of every demographic, and because our positions as interpreters require us to be versatile so that our techniques take root and sprout motivation to our target audiences. Despite this challenge, you attack what we have come to know as increasingly difficult adversity with a healthy and respective tone to promote cooperation, enthusiasm while setting a modest overview of yourself where you are able to improve upon your skills. The environment is lucky to have an ally as aware as you on its side, and makes me happy to see others so passionate and enthusiastic tome a difference in benefit of the world!

This week I wanted to share with you guys a flower species that I think is one of the most amazingly unique species in nature. Typically, when we think of flowers, delicate, colourful, and wonderfully smelling imagery comes to mind. However, this is simply not the case for every wildflower out there! Think; almost 5 meters tall, a large, protruding centre with a crimson collar around its base, and the overwhelming smell of death. These are the distinct characteristics of the Corpse flower, also known as Amorphophallus titanium (which actually translates to something probably not appropriate to share in this blog). This flower breaks all stereotypes of a flower, and as a result, is one of the most fascinating species Earth has to offer. Another thing that makes this flower so intriguing is that it's quite shy… it can take up to 7 - 9 years to bloom just once and it only lasts up to 36 hours before it collapses (Bradford & Dobrijevic, 2021). 

Corpse flower in full bloom (Corpse Flowers, n.d.). 

This flower is a key species that exemplifies how diverse nature can be. It shows there are so many ways that nature has found ways to survive. During its bloom, the Corpse flower emits an extremely potent smell of decay, and its inflorescence can actually heat up to around 40 ℃ (Corpse Flowers, n.d.). By doing this, the flower mimics an animal corpse and this is ultimately what attracts pollinators because they think the smell is leading them to a snack. However, by the time they get inside the flower and realize that there isn’t anything to eat, the pollen has already latched onto the insect. 

In the wild, this plant can be found in the lush tropical rainforests in Sumatra, Indonesia (Corpse Flowers, n.d.). In Canada and the United States, we are only privileged to see these massive flowers in greenhouses. In fact, if you find yourself in the Hamilton area, the tropical greenhouse in Gage park is home to “Kramer”, the Corpse flower that experienced its first bloom in 2021 (Rosas, 2022). Because of covid restrictions, the public was unable to witness the bloom, however, I’ve linked the timelapse of the bloom for anyone interested! McMaster University also runs a greenhouse that is home to “Arthur” the Corpse flower who stands at 1.77 meters tall and is still growing (Rosas, 2022)! 

Corpse Flower at Hamilton Tropical Greenhouse Gage Park

Although it would be an amazing experience to witness this plant in its natural habitat, not many people have the opportunity to visit Indonesia. These relatively local greenhouses offer a great way for many people to experience this plant for themselves, along with many other tropical species. It provides a way for people to experience and build appreciation for plants that are not necessarily local to Canada, but nonetheless are still important species in their native ecosystems. I am from the Hamilton area so I’ve been able to visit Gage Park many times, and I recommend it to all those who are able. It may be difficult to catch Kramer or Arthur during their blooms, but the chance to experience this may only happen a few times within a lifetime!

References

Bradford, A., & Dobrijevic, D. (2021, October 27). Corpse Flower: Facts about the smelly plant. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/51947-corpse-flower-facts-about-the-smelly-plant.html

Corpse flowers. (n.d.). United States Botanic Garden. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.usbg.gov/gardens-plants/corpse-flowers

I really enjoyed reading your post about the Corpse Flower! I'd only heard about the species before but after seeing one from the photos I can only imagine how pungent that deadly aroma must be! Do you know if the exhibit in Hamilton comes with nose plugs by chance?

Back home, we have a few plant species that are similar in there stink or otherwise "unwanted" nature despite being very interesting biologically! In my area, we have stinging nettle, a growing issue with giant hogweed, and many of the neighbours are routine purchasers of the coleus canina plant because of its use against garden pests.

Stinging nettle poses a continuous issue to the hikers in my area because many of the plants are found interwoven in vegetative clumps of the popular trails, despite the plant not being much to look at, it sure comes as a hurtful surprise when attempting to smell the flowers. Giant Hogweed as well poses a more serious threat to individual as the fluids from inside the plants can cause burns and irritants to the skin that require medical attention but the awareness is not as widespread in the public as it should be. The canina plant species has an aroma very similar to skunk spray, and every summer I can almost count on getting a whiff passing by my neighbours place, yet the plant produces a very lavender-like flower that seems rather inviting.

The world is full of such contradictory and imperfectly beautiful creations, and they all have come to fruition out of necessity. I think that as interpreters it is a responsibility of ours to promote further discussion and knowledge-based learning after our interactions so that our audiences may better apply and practice strong environmentalism techniques and promote a scientifically conscious perspective into society.

It was great reading your post, would love to hear about any other species that have interesting methods of attraction or prevention!

Music in particular is an extremely powerful force that can draw people in, and express a powerful feeling in a way that people from all walks of life can enjoy and relate to. Music is a universal language that people from all cultures around the world use to express themselves, and the environment around them. Music can be any form of sound that is manipulated by a change of tone and pitch, and for this reason music is most definitely present in nature. The sounds of the birds calling to each other, the mating calls of various animals, and the sounds that are produced by climate such as the sound of wind echoing, or that of raindrops on the night of a thunderstorm these are all melodies that are produced everyday in nature. Sounds are used by many animals throughout the world's ecosystems to communicate various different messages such as for  mating, pointing out a food source, or warning fellow animals of a predator nearby, in a similar way to how humans use many different mediums to communicate their thoughts and feelings. It is for this reason that music is so present in nature, the sounds of nature tend to serve an important function, such as Ravens who will mimic the calls of other birds to trick them or lure them to a certain location (Bird Avid, 2022). In the same way, music serves an important function for humans in regards to helping us express emotions like beauty or despair in a way that simply speaking can't. 

One of the greatest and most consistent sources of inspiration that many artists draw from is often forces of nature, and you see many songs use references to nature, especially when you look at things such as folk music or cultural music, where references to the natural landscapes of a particular nation serves as a source of national pride. It is for this reason that music can be such a magical force when it comes to making people feel a deeper connection to nature which can further help develop someone's understanding of nature and of it’s beauty and importance (Beck et al., 2018). Nature in music can be seen in its purest form when we look at things such as the drum in indigenous culture which symbolises the heartbeat of mother earth, such connections show how intertwined nature truly is with music (Hampton, 2021).  

One song in particular for me personally that makes me feel a connection to a landscape in nature is the song Subwoofer Lullaby by c418, which is the artist that makes the band for the world famous video game, minecraft. I often had this and the rest of their soundtrack in my ear while working endless hours as a tree planter, the calm piano music made me feel such a strong connection to the earth I was planting, as I also had in mind my fond childhood memories of exploring the endless landscapes in minecraft. Minecraft is a game that had different soundtracks that often pertained to different biomes and landscapes of the map, and it did such a fantastic job of setting the mood of being in a spruce forest, a desert, a mine, or a snow biome. This is a great example of how music can be used to bring people closer to music, as you can also do through other forms of art such as video games, and there are no limits to the natural beauty you can capture in the form of song, and the magical feelings of awe that music can strike into the hearts of many.  

Citations

Why do ravens mimic sounds? explained. Bird Avid. (2022, December 1). Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://birdavid.com/ravens-mimic-sounds/#:~:text=Ravens%20make%20different%20sounds%20to,t%20so%20common%2C%20after%20all. 

I really enjoyed reading your take on this weeks course content. I really admire your song choice as well, c418 has such a unique approach to music in a natural semblance that it intensely changes minecrafts' gameplay for the individual!

I found the cultural aspect of music to be a strong driver in support of interpretation, for reasons you stated in your post, like depicting landscape, expressing emotions, providing context with tone, and so forth. The dramatic ways music can embellish, replicate and transport someones consciousness to a separate time and place or attribute to a deeper connection during a task, show how nature is alive with music.

Using music, how would you as an interpreter try to further the connections your audience is making with nature?

As interpreters we need to be able to demonstrate and exemplify the understanding and skillsets we are adding to our arsenal of communication. I think an activity as simply listening to the sounds of the natural space and picking them out would be beneficial, but how do you further their understanding and motivation from then on.

I think the important takeaway from this weeks content is bridging the gap between where nature and music collide and providing our audiences with the tools to experience its value and learn to use the two in harmony to promote deeper personal connectivity and alignment with the natural world.

Great post overall!

This week we looked at how science plays a role in nature interpretation. Given the open-ended nature of the unit 5 blogpost, I figured I would elaborate on some topics the bird TED talk from Washington Wachira inspired me to think more deeply about.

In the talk, Wachira emphasizes the importance of simplifying science for audiences not familiar such that the need for environmental conservation is conveyed. In his case, the TED talk provided the audience with plenty of facts about different birds, and the speaker then used the interest he built in the audience to shine light on risk factors for different avian species around the world. Scientific concepts can often be daunting when presented to audiences without experience in the field. If one is able to gain an understanding of their audience however, they can effectively convey their points. Knowledge of one’s audience is also important when interpreting nature, so it makes sense that fitting the material to the needs of the viewer is so crucial when using these scientific concepts in the interpretation itself.

Another key subject Wachira touched on were his childhood memories of caring for and observing an augur buzzard, which created a deep interest in birds he still keeps today. Last semester, I was tasked with caring for a population of brown and white-lipped snails for a group animal behaviour assignment. Like Wachira, interacting with a species I was unfamiliar with deepened my interest in them considerably, and I will probably never look at garden snails out in my backyard in the same dismissive light I used to ever again. When I used to think of snails, I thought of the little shells out on the sidewalk whenever it rains, but in caring for them for a semester, I was able to observe them much more closely and appreciate the nuances of how they live more than ever before. Below is a photo of a few of the snails in their enclosure. We fed them every few days and misted their tank with distilled water once or twice a day.

One of the most interesting things about keeping this tank of snails wasn’t how my interest in them shifted but was instead how I was able to get guests asking questions about them. Whenever we would have parties or get togethers last semester, I would always find myself at the snail tank answering questions from friends who are less familiar with them. In hindsight, I was definitely carrying out some form of nature interpretation, providing watered-down scientific facts alongside my opinions on why snails are so cool.

As nature interpreters, we can use science to convey the value of different species or environments to less knowledgeable audiences. In my case, it was with snails, and it was with birds for Wachira, but the point remains. By gaining better scientific understandings of different components of nature, we are able to better convey their value to an audience if presented correctly.

I look forward to reading everyone’s posts this week!

I like the direction you took for this reading with the content from this week! I agree that properly conveying the nuances and intricacies of scientific concepts can be both demanding and challenging especially with an unfamiliar audience.

There is definitely something to be said about the immersive effects of learning and perspective with tasked with the responsibility of caring for and the growth of something other than yourself. I find that the worlds of the general public and scientifically-advanced are not as separate as society seems to articulate. There are multitudes or overlap between the environmental scope and our modern day society. For example, most sustainable harvesting methods are extrapolations and modernized versions of previous hunting and gathering methods, new medical effects of common and unknown plants are discovered through cultural traditions and celebration, financial principles like supply and demand or a cost-benefit analysis are as easily observable in nature from the fluctuations in predator and prey populations. The world evolved and modernized from nature, communicating its value shouldn't be as strenuous as we make it and more like understanding a history lesson to eliminate a harsh future or crucial mistakes.

How would you as an interpreter design a lesson/summary or post-tour experiment for your audience that would allow them to understand the importance of environmental responsibility? I agree with your statement insofar as that taking care of something aside from yourself widens your perspective, but how can we apply that sentiment on a "programmable" scale to express to the general public?

I have always loved the outdoors, even as a little child. With my friends, I would spend the most of my time outdoors simply exploring and playing with animals. In parks, we would have wild adventures, play hide-and-seek, and go a tonne of bike rides. My affinity for outdoors began when I was a little child, however growing up seemed to have dimmed my love just a bit.I recall that anytime I was feeling bad as a child, I would take a stroll with friends or sit beneath one of my favourite trees with them and talk forever. But as you become older, you can no longer afford that luxury.

Although I had a healthy upbringing, some experiences that I faced as a teenager/young adult greatly affected me. I struggled with my health a lot which also impacted my mental health. Going outdoors was harder than ever as it took a lot out of me to step outside, both physically and mentally. Living in Toronto does not help as well as I am surrounded by buildings more than I am with nature. I noticed that I truly did lose touch with my love of nature which was something that I loved about myself when I was younger. As my health worsned, I was couped up inside majority of the time reading. In our previous blog post, I mentioned how books were my favourite form of art in which nature could be interpertated. This was because books allowed me to envison and live through those pretty descriptive words of nature. They provided a scenery of the natural world in which I could paint in my head and find some sort of relief. I often find myslef escaping into the scenes that these book provide with their descriptive words and it sort of became a coping mechanism for me. Although that may sound depressing, it was not as sad as it seems. Sometimes life throws many unexpected things your way, but you got to keep on moving!

I vividly remember staying at grandma's house when I was at my worst, both physically and mentally. She had many plants that she would take care of and a garden of flowers to tend to. She would often teach me how to care for the plants and the differences in how you would water each plant and the amount of sunlight it would require. The way she would handle the plants was so delicate that it would often make me cry. When my grandma fell ill, she only trusted me to care for her plants, as I was the only one who knew her routine. At first, I was skeptical but as I started to tend to them, I noticed a change in my mood. I realized that caring for plants was extremely healing and it felt nice to be able to take care of something too. My grandma was an amazing person and she is one of the people who helped me through my tough times. I still take care of many plants to this day. It is super healing to tend to them and it truly did reawaken my love for nature. I soon came to the realization that appreciating nature is not only about spending time outdoors but also caring for the things that make the natural world so pretty, such as plants.

Your post this week was very warm and sweet to read! I too reflect on all of the wonderful experiences I've had with nature and how they have moulded me into the person I am today. Especially during the pandemic and points of ill-health, I could almost always count on some form of natural escape to balance out the negatives around me.

Two of the strongest memories I have in relation to the healing aspects of nature as you touched on, are based on the appreciation and conscientious supervision. of nature. The first being my routine morning coffee at the lake with my grandpa; his presence, the tranquility of nature, the sounds, and absence of calendar all seem to tear away at the stressful vigors of life. The second was during a low point amidst my families dynamics; during this period I re-invigorated my enthusiasm for adventure and set a personal goal to do more fishing and to find new spots within my region. That summer, I spent so much of my spare time alone or with friends hiking trails, fishing creeks, rivers, and small lakes and practiced more and more of conservative and ecological techniques to angling. I wouldn't trade a second of any of that time spent, from simple immersion to recreational activity, the power of healing in nature is invisible and yet immediate.

An interesting bridge of information I made while reading your post was, the applications of an "ecological regiment/routine" in policy, health and conservation. You expressed how caring for your grandmothers plants in a time of personal difficulty led you to reconnect and strengthen your bonds to nature and passion for the environment. Do you think that a generalized version of a regiment/routine would be helpful in application towards environmental preservation? Like using community gardening activities for mental health workshops, explaining chemical/waste management as means of extending care to the environment through interpretation, or something large scale like the importance of strict routine and process for bio-remediation sites.

This blog was created for __________, University of Guelph. 

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

This blog was created for ENVS*3000 (DE01), University of Guelph. 

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

There are many different ways to interpret nature, but one way is through art.  Using art to interpret nature is a powerful tool to increase engagement and enjoyment for guests (Beck et al. 2019). There are many different ways a nature interpreter can use art to engage their audience, it can be through dance, music, theatre, paintings, and poetry. Using these different forms of art as a nature interpreter is a unique way to connect your audience with nature on a personal level.  

The thing about art is that multiple people can look at the same painting or listen to the same song, but all of them will interpret the meaning in different ways.  This is why for centuries artists have resisted having anyone  “explain the meaning”  of a  painting or sculpture; they insist that each person should have an individual response and interpretation of the significance of the work (Beck et al. 2019). For many artists, art is a way for them to express their emotions when it comes to nature, and can use their artwork to help educate people on certain environmental issues. This can make people experience a lot of different feelings and emotions and this is a good way for artists to use their art to help promote conservation. 

One way that nature can be interpreted through art is by photography, and now that we live in a world where basically everyone has an iPhone or a phone with a camera this is becoming one of the most common ways. Taking pictures of nature is something that I have done my whole life, every time I see a sunset, a unique landscape, or some kind of wildlife I have always felt the need to capture the moment by taking a picture. 

Another way that I have been able to frequently interpret nature through art is by frequently visiting Algonquin Park. As I mentioned in previous blogs, my family's cottage is right at the gate of Algonquin park, so growing up I would always go multiple times a year. One of my favorite things to do at the park is go to the park's art center. The art center has some of the most breathtaking art I have ever seen in my life. However, there was one artist whose art I really enjoy and that is the artwork of Tom Thompson. My favorite painting of his is of Canoe Lake.  Canoe Lake is a lake that I have canoed on for my whole life and whenever I see that painting it makes me feel calm and relaxed.  In fact, this is actually the lake he died on, and one summer my friends and I even canoed to the site of his grave. Although I have spent a lot of time in Algonquin Park the art of Tom Thompson has really helped me connect with nature and help me find my sense of place.

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

I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week. Art is such an important and versatile platform, and it is so fascinating to see how each person perceives and experiences art differently.

Do you think that an artistic exercise would be beneficial for us as interpreters in connecting and addressing with our audiences? Similar to a learning style survey using art. In my thinking, you'd be able to get an understanding of someones values and mindset, and it could provide you with helpful information about how they recognize and associate deeper meaning.

I found your personal connections to art very touching. My grandfather and used to have a tradition at the cottage where we would sit on the deck at our cottage every first morning of our stay. We would appreciate the view, listen to music, talk about the world, and enjoy the sounds of nature. I wouldn't be the person I am today without his influence and the music he's shared with me.

The contents of this weeks readings and concepts really made me think about how nature has influenced my perceptions of "beauty" and my connectivity to different art platforms and media. In contrast to the general perspective towards nature, I think that the term "beauty" does not represent nature properly. The terms I would use to encapsulate nature are: Indifferent, Impartial, and/or neutral. I agree with the connections made in this week chapters (Beck et al., 2018) regarding how the different forms of art can open unconscious areas of ourselves to connect with the natural world and how our exposure and immersion within nature can promote or suppress certain within values within an individual. Similarly expressed by the work done by vanBoeckel, J (2015), art-based environmental education allows for empirical connection to the natural world and transitory experiences that surpass into the metaphysical aspects of our existence. Yet, with all of that said, I still believe nature is non-discriminatory, non-conforming and completely ignorant to beauty, art and the role it plays throughout our lives.

As referenced in our course content for this week, the St.John's School tragedy as unfortunate expresses that conceptualization very well. Nature did not "intend" to cause such pain and loss, and still it happened, the process continues, regardless of obstruction. I realize, that is a fairly bleak outlook, but I think it is realistic. For example, attached to this post you will see a few photos, all of them can be argued to reflect some form of "beauty" or artistic representation, yet all I see are snapshots of natures "lineage" and the process it maintains to survive and remain amidst our influence and despite it. Nature does not care, about you, me, a field mouse, birds in the skies, species of trees, it is raw and emotionless, the sake of its existence is a continuous loop of means feeding other means. As an interpreter, I appreciate the moments of value rather than depicting something as "beautiful", because nature behaves the same way and I think being able to communicate the relentless aspects of nature is just as important as the idea of preservation of the environment just because it is "beautiful".

For any individual, indulging myself to be "capable" of interpreting beauty, they must have a strong understanding of reality that connect to the "moments of value". For reference the birth of a new baby bird or its first flight are moments of value both statistically and existentially, the reality being the fate and conditions that are now accustomed to that singular bird, such as; reproduction, mortality, disease, and dietary habits. All of those categories are observable on the spectrum of beauty and empirical data. Yet it is our role as interpreters to functionally advocate for the clear understanding of nature, not as something "beautiful" but as something real! The way art and media have been able to conceptualize and ritualize connections to nature are the reason they became so effective as tools for interpretation. Whether art is used as a tool for communicating or demonstrating the significance of nature (totem poles, inuksuit, flags, dances, architecture, green products from recycled materials) and its connections to us as people or for allowing individuals to become fully immersive in a setting previously unknown. Art is transcendent and parallels the motion of nature, and as interpreters, we should aim to actively represent and communicate to our audiences how to reflectively process the art of and within nature.

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing.

Thanks for the reply. I definitely think the "perfect fantasy beauty land" perspective is a flawed perception of nature. As interpreters, we should strive for authenticity in our ability to translate, connect, and communicate to our audience the fluidity of nature. I think the tedTalk from this weeks content ties into this very well, the idea of finding a "flow" and connecting your lifestyle to that happiness rhythm is all to represented in nature. The harshness, the cheerfulness, the reality and substance from moments of value, nature continues in pursuit of its survival and maintaining that status of hyper-functionality. We as people struggle in these same pursuits because we are always searching for meaning in everything, the reason for why we do anything, and still nature can provide us the answer to all that uncertainty as well. When we witness isolated events in nature, its hard to observe the full cycle and grand scheme of connections that are affected, similar to our own lives if you hyper analyze each moment, its hard to see where your life's pathway is headed or why you might be doing something in the first place.

My current working "definition" of privilege resembles that of the one provided by Gallavan (2005). Privilege to me, is an unearned advantage provided to an individual that inequitably tips the scale of success in favour of those who are baselessly associated with superiority, dominance, and power.

With that being said, I am going to "unpack my invisible backpack" as explained by Gallavan (2005) as a means of self reflection and acknowledgement of my privilege. By doing so, I aim to connect further with my audience by opening the conversation (regardless of similarity), and provide to me as a nature interpreter the chance to understand and experience the setting from a different perspective (Beck et al., 2018).

My backpack: I am a straight white male, middle class, highly educated, speak both English and French, able to pay for university, played multiple competitive sports outside of school, possess a Canadian passport and have travelled outside of the country, and even though I do not practice under any religious affiliation; work and school schedules reflect my observed holidays.

If you feel comfortable doing so, I would love to hear about your life and unpack our backpacks together further in the comments!

Pertaining to risk and reward in relation to this section, this unit raised multiple forms of associated risk in both physical and situational risk in pursuit of the rewards of strong interpretation and communicating to diverse audiences (Beck et al., 2018). Physical risk as exemplified by the St. Johns School: Tragedy in Temiskaming, is an important category to cover as both the terrain, weather, audience and wildlife can all pose physical risk to you and your audience while interpreting. The situational risks associated pose a different kind of risk, where as the interpreter your audience can become polarized by the lack of connectivity for numerous reasons under the spectrum of privilege or something as simple as your attitude towards the job. Both of these associated risks that a role as an interpreter faces promote the use of the precautionary principle, where the most valuable approach you can take in risk management is to provide your audience prudent information and action in response to uncertain interactions.

Activity: Using the precautionary principle, what risk would you advise your travelling group to be wary of from this picture alone?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing.

Well-written post! It is definitely important in all discussions of privilege to unpack our own invisible backpacks. I think the “tools” we find within inform our everyday choices and actions, and likely play a role in our thoughts about privilege itself. I was also able to unpack my backpack this week in my post, and it was a very revealing and reflective activity that everybody should take the time to do - especially interpreters!

It's great that you brought up and defined the difference between physical and situational risk. These both must be carefully considered by an interpreter when creating or delivering interpretative programming. I wonder, perhaps there is one more type of risk: emotional. During interpretive programming, it is probable that visitors may be asked to do or merely think about something that is uncomfortable, daunting, or overwhelming for them. Though it is good for interpretive programming to provide an opportunity to challenge oneself, it should always be encouraged with respect of boundaries and limits.

Can you or anyone else reading this post think of ways that interpreters can minimize emotional risk? I definitely think getting to know the visitors individually can help, but I would love to hear other examples.    

Thanks for giving us an activity in your post to further open discussion! From that picture, I can think of a few things I may advise my group of to avert some risk. Most significantly, the water could be a potential hazard, so I would advise visitors to be careful when walking near the water, and perhaps request barricades to be put up on the trail to reinforce safety. I may even ask which visitors are and are not able to swim, just in case of an accident. This risk ties in interestingly to ideas about privilege, as we know that swimming lessons are a privilege not all people have.

Thanks for the reply, I agree with your stance regarding how everyone should unpack their own invisible backpacks! Collaboration of a well-informed public does wonders for the world, and what better way then to be able to connect and understand those around us further!

In my post I use "situational risk" as an umbrella term, for which would include; mechanical, interpersonal and interpersonal risk. Emotional risk would fall in-between the inter/intra categories as our emotions can be stimulated through a number of ways and events. Mechanical risk would encapsulate "task-oriented" issues that may arise from behaviour, skill levels, comprehension, etc.

A way that we as interpreters can manage emotional risk, is through personal vulnerability and empathy. It is said that to love something is to be vulnerable, and if we love nature, and choose to share its wonders with others, we ourselves must be vulnerable.

For example, if a member of your audience is nervous about walking over a bridge that is on your trail hike, it is beneficial to know that you aren't alone, you can provide support to them because no one is without fear, and this time they have you as the interpreter! Be the difference by sharing a story, or holding their hand and walking with them, sing a song together. Allow yourself to become the person you needed when you were feeling vulnerable.

My current working "definition" of privilege resembles that of the one provided by Gallavan (2005). Privilege to me, is an unearned advantage provided to an individual that inequitably tips the scale of success in favour of those who are baselessly associated with superiority, dominance, and power.

With that being said, I am going to "unpack my invisible backpack" as explained by Gallavan (2005) as a means of self reflection and acknowledgement of my privilege. By doing so, I aim to connect further with my audience by opening the conversation (regardless of similarity), and provide to me as a nature interpreter the chance to understand and experience the setting from a different perspective (Beck et al., 2018).

My backpack: I am a straight white male, middle class, highly educated, speak both English and French, able to pay for university, played multiple competitive sports outside of school, possess a Canadian passport and have travelled outside of the country, and even though I do not practice under any religious affiliation; work and school schedules reflect my observed holidays.

If you feel comfortable doing so, I would love to hear about your life and unpack our backpacks together further in the comments!

Pertaining to risk and reward in relation to this section, this unit raised multiple forms of associated risk in both physical and situational risk in pursuit of the rewards of strong interpretation and communicating to diverse audiences (Beck et al., 2018). Physical risk as exemplified by the St. Johns School: Tragedy in Temiskaming, is an important category to cover as both the terrain, weather, audience and wildlife can all pose physical risk to you and your audience while interpreting. The situational risks associated pose a different kind of risk, where as the interpreter your audience can become polarized by the lack of connectivity for numerous reasons under the spectrum of privilege or something as simple as your attitude towards the job. Both of these associated risks that a role as an interpreter faces promote the use of the precautionary principle, where the most valuable approach you can take in risk management is to provide your audience prudent information and action in response to uncertain interactions.

Activity: Using the precautionary principle, what risk would you advise your travelling group to be wary of from this picture alone?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing.

After reading your blog post, I noticed many similarities between your backpack and my own. With this, I began to think about how it has given me access to a wide range of experiences that others may not have had access to. 

My invisible backpack, explained by Gallavan (2005) holds the following: I am a white female, middle class, able-bodied, highly educated, bilingual in both French and English, have had my university paid for, was a competitive dancer, possess a Canadian passport, have traveled to numerous countries for both educative and relaxative purposes, and lastly, while I am not religious, the holidays I am given allow me to celebrate with the members of my family that are.

Growing up, many of the people I surrounded myself with had access to similar things. Because of this, I did not quite fully understand privilege in the same way I do now. To further explain, while I knew having access to money was a privilege, I did not understand how other things, such as speaking french, were a part of that same category. As I continue to get older and work on better understanding this concept, I realize how the tools in my backpack make accessing certain resources easier for me compared to others. That said, I think it's important to be aware of one's positionality within different circumstances and how different privileges can impact the way teachings are perceived. 

Do you still dance competitively or as part of a troop professionally perhaps? Based on how you explained your mindset changing towards how our understanding of privilege has matured as we do, do you think participating in competitive sport has afforded you with opportunities that may not be directly available to others? What might be a way that you can provide equity for others that makes learning competitive dance more accessible?

I agree with your assertion about an interpreters personal position and situational demands from various audiences and their requirements. I think that an interpreters attitude may be the resolution to overcoming that barrier. It is commonly observable that we all live different walks of life, almost none of us the same and yet all of us alike in another, I believe that any interpreter can challenge the conditions of perception and how privilege can be construed just from their attitude.

For example, a common phrase I remind myself when acting as an interpreter (using the term fluidly here), I keep in mind that I am sharing a piece of myself that I love and in order for them to grasp the energy and feeling I have towards the topic I must embody the the traits needed for them to fall in love with what I am teaching as they have been provided to me.