Nature Interpretation

           Writing this final post has actually made me quite sad. I enjoyed drafting these posts as they provided me with an opportunity to express my views and share my thoughts and opinions with my classmates. The response process with everyone also provided a much-needed social interaction that was lost due to the pandemic. Yet I will not dwell upon what is coming to an end. Instead, I will reflect upon what I have learned about my development as a nature interpreter. In particular, how is my personal ethic evolving, what beliefs are influencing me, what do I view as my responsibilities, and what approaches are most suitable for me as a nature interpreter? The highly divergent views expressed by my classmates in their blogs has illustrated how important individual life experiences and circumstances are in forming their opinions, thoughts and views. Sharing our individual experiences has helped us collectively expand our horizons. So how has this influenced me?

          Everyone has an ethic that influences the way in which they approach a task or respond to an issue. Ethics are referred to by the Government of Canada (2015) as “a way of living” that people use to justify their actions based upon what they deem right and wrong and just and unjust. The moral judgments that individuals make are not something that can be taught but is something that they need to cultivate. An individual’s ethics can continue to develop and change as people grow and learn valuable lessons over their lives. The beliefs that I have, the responsibilities that I feel, and how I go about addressing situations are all rooted back to my individual moral ethics.

My parents are two of the most important people in my life. A lot of the moral ethics that I have now are because of them. They have instilled values in me that shape every action I do. Photo taken by Brooke Murphy (my sister)       

       I believe that humans tend to take things for granted and we tend to not understand how truly valuable people, moments or objects are. I think that nature is one of those things humans undervalue. 

Quickly take a second and reflect on how vital nature is for your survival.

 Humans require nature for food, places to exercise, to find inspiration, and improve their mental health. That is why I believe nature interpretation is so vital. It helps enhance one’s appreciation for the natural world. Personally, the pandemic took a toll upon my mental health. One of the ways that I have been able to recover is through interpreting nature. Nature brings me this sense of calm, making all the anxieties, which tend to overtake my life some days, disappear. The significance nature plays in my mental health recovery is why I believe that nature is so vital as the benefits it has tend to go unnoticed by most.

I started really understanding how important walking through nature was for my mental health in 2017 when I started to develop severe anxiety. This photo is around the time my anxiety was becoming extremely bad and I was going on frequent walks just to try to feel calm and I found nature was able to help me find this calm.

         Given how positively impactful nature has been on my life, I feel responsible to serve as an interpreter for nature. I do not necessarily want to be a formal nature interpreter, but I would still like to be a nature interpreter through my day-to-day actions. The natural world has helped me immeasurably and improved my mental health. That is why I feel responsible for helping to improve nature’s physical health by discussing endangered species, climate change, and other pressing environmental issues. When I graduate, I plan to pursue a career in teaching and use the concepts that I learned in this course in my career. I learned that effective communication is essential! To educate an audience about nature, I need to be able to effectively communicate to an audience in both an engaging and inclusive manner in order to appeal to their moral ethic to act as stewards of the earth! 

Freeman Tilden says…..

 “we must not tell one what they can do, but what they should do and not what they must be, but what they can be”. 

I believe that in order to do this I will need to tailor to my audience how I present a topic. In the course and textbook, the notion is discussed that how people interpret and connect with a presentation will be influenced by presentation style. Understanding and customizing each presentation to address each audience’s different learning styles is critical and my responsibility.

           I feel responsible for being an effective nature interpreter, not just for nature, but also for the individuals that I am presenting to. I believe and feel everyone has a right to be included and that no one should be made to feel as if they are not welcome - speaking from experience. As a nature interpreter, it is my responsibility to ensure that everyone can engage comfortably with an issue or concept that I am discussing. As a person who suffers from social anxiety, I can relate to the difficulty of group engagement. I know that as soon as my anxiety begins, I start to zone out and cannot remember anything. To ensure that this does not happen to others, I would give consideration to making people feel physically, mentally and socially safe. Doing this will help to ensure that everyone is given the same opportunity despite what they have and lack in their “invisible knapsack”.

I remember I was super anxious this day and was very quite during this tour/experience. The tour guide picked up on it and in front of the whole group made me come and kiss a stingray for 7 years of good luck. This gesture made me feel so included and special that I stopped feeling as anxious and began engaging more. Highlighting how important it is to make sure everyone feels included and has the same opportunity to learn. 

          I find that humour is one of the best ways to present a concept as it makes people more engaged and relaxed. Adding humour to my presentation, while effectively articulating my point, makes an experience more engaging and memorable while creating a sense of joy and calm. I use humour often in my everyday life. Humour helps to lighten the mood and make experiences more enjoyable, I also find it helps reduce my anxiety, which is an added bonus.

          This course taught me that there are many ways to be a nature interpreter, present a topic or write a blog. The diverse means of completing different tasks allows us to add our own values and beliefs to everything. Therefore, when someone wants to use different approaches, teaching styles, and so on, that is 100% okay! The ways that individuals choose to work in the future will be effective regardless of the style, as long as they stay true to their morals, beliefs and values.

As long as you stay true to you the impacts you can have and the lessons you can teach will be unmeasurable! 

References 

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

Thank you for sharing this week’s post as I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the prompt for this week. I too found that this pandemic took a toll on my mental health, especially at the beginning of it all when everything was changing so quickly. I moved back home which was a real change for me after 3 years of living in Guelph but found peace within nature as my family did many hikes with our 4 dogs. After taking many science courses and being more in touch with nature, I too look to help improve nature’s physical health. I believe that it is important to start discussing these pressing issues that we learn about within a small group of individuals that are closer in terms of relationship (family, friends, etc). This way there can be more of an open conversation about the matter rather than just educating them.

(Photo was taken by myself during a hike with 3 of the 4 dogs during last spring)

I really enjoyed reading about how you will use your social anxiety to try and find new ways to make a group feel included and safe when you pursue a teaching career. It is important I believe to use our previous experience and make the necessary change to avoid that for others around. We are constantly learning as individuals and must always keep in mind that there are underlying concerns due to an individual “invisible Backpack” (Hooykaas, 2021). When you mentioned humor being a way of presenting a concept, I found that to be true as it keeps your audience engaged. I have learned and still learning and it is always great to make fun and laugh at yourself to allow others to feel comfortable around you. It shows to them that we aren’t all perfect and it's okay to laugh at ourselves sometimes.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas this semester.

Emily

References

If I am honest, I feel I have had a love hate relationship with this course over this semester. Coming from a more scientific background, I have found it slightly difficult to find the motivation to write and put together “my thoughts” on the topics we discuss in class. I am so used to having explicit facts and having to write about those from a scientific approach, so trying to put together a post about my thoughts with such freedom has been a challenge. I have appreciated though throughout the semester how writing got a bit easier, and that we were able to talk on subjects that were interesting to us. I will definitely be taking some skills away from my time in this course.

One of many photos taken of water and rocks (Lake Ontario) as it is another huge love of mine. Photo taken by myself.

Like many who are taking part in this class have a love for nature, and are probably coming from a major with some type of nature encompassed in it. This is true in my case, as I am a wildlife biology and conservation student. Wildlife biology and conservation is just one side of my love for nature. Others include marine studies, geology, and  geography/landforms. This would open up so many doors in the nature interpretation field for me. I also have passion for the care and protection of animals, species at risk, climate change, plastic pollution, and how humans interact with nature in their everyday lives, similar to Jacob Rodenburg who wrote the article, “Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give up Hope.”

A shell fossil found in a rock at the Elora Gorge while on a field trip with my geography class in third year. We were trying to interpret the history of the area, guessing it was a marine environment from all of the marine fossils found in the rocks. Photo taken by myself. 

As an interpreter, I feel there is a certain responsibility I have when working with an audience. The first responsibility being the need to deliver creditable information that your audience can trust. This struck me as important when we were learning about nature interpretation in history. This is something I always seek out when learning about different things because I want to make sure what I’m learning is true and has some merit behind it.

I took my Alberta friend on a Hamilton waterfall tour as she did not believe me when I told her Hamilton was the waterfall capital of the world. An example of one of my first “interpretation tours.” (She was impressed). Photo taken by Jenna Stetz.

Another important responsibility is for the interpreter to put their own spin on their presentation and make it personal. I have lost count of the number of presentations I’ve had to listen to when someone is just reading off of a slide or a card. I don’t know about you, but I feel like when I hear these kinds of presentations, the presenter doesn’t really care too much and doesn’t seem to care if their audience gets a good experience or not. I always learn better and pay attention the most if someone shares a personal story that relates to the content. An example of this was recently I was in a course that was preparing me to apply to be a fire ranger this summer. I could instantly tell that my instructor was passionate about his job as a fire ranger with the number of stories he would tell. One story was to emphasize the importance of safety. He told the story about him and two other crew members messing around while chopping down some small trees to kill time, and they made a competition around it. His crew leader decided to take part and wasn’t paying attention and ended up getting an axe in his shin. He made this boring 2 hour long safety module more interesting and engaging by telling this story. When putting your own spin on it, it allows the audience to engage much more, as well as being relatable.

One last responsibility I feel is of importance is that as interpreters we have almost like a duty to pass on knowledge of certain things, not allowing them to be forgotten about. I take great pride in this, knowing that I might have an influence on the future “me’s” one day to share this information with others. We have to remember we are not just passing on knowledge of the environment and nature, but also cultural beliefs and practices too. I mentioned in a previous post about how it is important to learn from the past, and we cannot do this unless we actually know what happened in the past. I personally love just even sharing my scientific and nature knowledge with my friends and family who do not have this as a background, and take pride in the fact that I am able to help educate them on this subject.

Photo of my mom and I at the cottage, as she is making sure I was exposed to the outdoors as early as possible. Photo taken by my dad, Dave Zarnke.

An approach that I would make sure to include in my interpretation is to be able to share with a diverse audience. This would include different age categories, different cultural backgrounds, different knowledge backgrounds and understanding on the subject, as well as learning styles that people possess. This is important to consider because knowing these different factors would affect how you would conduct the presentation to make it the most effective. With different ages there is a different level of understanding so when I would present something to a younger audience, I would make sure to use lots of examples and simple terms they could easily understand, compared to an older audience where I could potentially use more complex terms and concepts. Knowing the cultural and knowledge backgrounds may also determine the content you wish to speak on and the approach you take.

Personally I am a visual and tactile learner, and find it easiest to teach and interpret in this way. During an interpretation I would probably include many visual aids such as photos, videos, and live models to share with the audience. I would encourage the audience to take part in demonstrations and actively participate throughout the presentation. I have also found that through my school life I learn best when examples are given, or thought provoking questions are asked. When information is presented in this way it helps me to compare an example to real life and make those connections, and the thought provoking questions challenge me to take time to digest and organize all that I have learned to put it all together.

Something I think that may set me a part from many interpreters is what I believe and my faith. I am a christian (and like to think of myself as a christian scientist) which can be quite difficult at some times trying to study my major in a secular setting due to different beliefs. The main one would be how the world was created. I believe that there is one true God who created this world, everything in it, and the species we see today are the same and looked the same when the world was created 6000 years ago. This belief and faith of mine plays a huge role in my life, influencing most and if not all of my decisions, so it would be important to me to include this in my interpretations. I would not share or teach others something that I don’t believe in. This would probably lead to me interpreting to a different audience or have a different approach in my interpretations as these beliefs are not the same as what secular science believes and teaches, as well as most organizations. If this were to be a career of mine I would have to work for an organization whose beliefs are the same.

Photo of the Oakville waterfront taken from a walk with friends one afternoon after church. Photo taken by myself. 

I believe that as an interpreter, I would ensure to create programs specifically directed towards kids because I have experienced the benefits of taking part in these programs personally. We have learned a bit about how technology is a double edged sword. On one hand, it can be a great tool for nature interpretation, playing sounds, videos, or even in our case currently creating podcasts we can share over the internet. The downfall is that they are also causing people and especially kids to be very disconnected these days. I have lost count the number of times I will see kids with their parents just out and about, completely ignoring their parents just fully consumed in what is on their screen, and these kids are as young as even four years old. I didn’t know what a computer was til I was way older than that, and never received one myself until even later. I think it is so important to raise awareness of these environmental issues to kids and get them involved so they gain interest early in life and can be a part of the solution for their generation.

I enjoyed reading this week’s post and found I could to many of the ideas that you presented. I found it difficult as well to write these blog posts every week, putting my thoughts on a certain topic into words for anyone to see. I found it made to process my ideas and how I interpreted the prompt to my individuality. It was a great learning experience to apply different approaches to the post by telling stories or adding different media sources to portray my thoughts to a wider audience. Similar to how you said you are a tactile learner, it is important to try and touch base on all the different learning types when sharing your knowledge with the audience.

(Photo taken from https://medium.com/@rgarza7/individual-learning-styles-and-learning-to-code-41eb8054453a)

I found it very interesting to read about your faith and how it can be conflicting with secular science beliefs. It must be challenging to juggle the different beliefs from a Christian standpoint to a science standpoint, especially when certain topics are brought up. I am not a highly religious person but I too have a hard time believing some of the evidence of how the earth is created as I was raised in a religious household for most of my childhood. I do find it very interesting to hear the different opinions and ideologies about this topic and can understand how one may believe either interpretation. As an interpreter, I think it is important to try and relate how the different faiths believe the earth was created and to link it back to what scientists say was the creation.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions this semester.

It is a beautiful sunny afternoon. You are lying outside and notice a honeybee lands on the flower next to you. You stop and stare for a moment, taking a deeper look-out of curiosity. What were your initial thoughts when you first imagined the honeybee?

My present-day admiration towards these magnificently complex insects dramatically differs from the animosity I shared towards them growing up. I have since realized the essential role they have in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem complexity, which we depend upon more than we may realize. There are so many facets of a honeybee life that we are blissfully unaware of and often neglect to realize. At the same time, we usually only interpret the brief visual encounters we share with them. It's equally important to understand how they operate and what makes them one of the most exciting aspects of nature.

Photo by PangyenLiu taken from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/40250990407162183/

You can find three different kinds of honeybees in the hive, the queen, drone, and worker (Carson et al., 2013). The queen is the largest in the hive, containing the only functioning female reproductive system (Carson et al., 2013). The main task of the queen is to produce offspring and chemical messages that help keep colony cohesion (Carson et al., 2013). The drones are the smallest and are purely present in the hive to reproduce with the queen (Carson et al., 2013). Finally, you have the worker bee, which performs most of the tasks in the hive and represents the majority of the population (Carson et al., 2013). When you see a honeybee outside, you are most likely looking at a worker bee.

Illustration by Ampabee taken from http://2018.igem.org/Team:Tec-Chihuahua/Bees

How does a worker bee know what its job is? I find the most exciting information about a honeybee is how they divide up the hive tasks. While we may only see the one task of collecting pollen or nectar from plants, countless others simultaneously occur. The labor tasks are divided amongst the colony based upon the age of the worker honeybee (Carson et al., 2013). Younger bees often get designated hive tasks such as cleaning and feeding the eggs the queen lays, processing the nectar and pollen that other bees bring back, building the combs of the hive, or guarding the hives against other intruders (Carson et al., 2013). When the worker bee ages, it is given more risky tasks away from the hive as it's old enough to fend for itself, such as foraging, which includes collecting pollen and nectar (Carson et al., 2013).

While it is an interpreter's job to tell the whole story of the landscapes, even aspects that may not be apparent, they can also serve a prophetic role by considering future environmental projections based upon our current actions (Beck et al., 2018). The need for conservational efforts is becoming increasingly evident as the honeybee's populations are rapidly dwindling. As an interpreter, it is essential to ask yourself the following questions: where you find inspiration and how it motivates and drives you (Hooykaas, 2021). I find inspiration in the complex interactions of the honeybees, and the importance of conserving the species drives me to share with others why they are important. Passion is an essential ingredient in interpretation and serves as an effective tool for illustrating to others the importance of conservation (Beck et al., 2018).

Illustration by Comfykindness taken from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/321233385928652028/

What are some activities an interpreter can present that helps emphasize the importance of honeybees?

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For a better world. CHAMPAIGN: SAGAMORE Publishing.

Caron, D. M., Connor, L. J., Muir, R. G., Harman, A., Heskes, D., & Zawislak, J. (2013). Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping, Revised Edition (Revised ed.). Wicwas Press.

I really enjoyed reading your post this week and loved learning some facts about the honeybee. I find it very fascinating how there are different roles assigned to the bees based on the type of bees they are. I did not know that the tasks assigned were based on their age, but it makes lots of sense to have it that way. They are a lot smarter than we give them credit. They are such an important factor for the survival of life through their pollination of all the fruits, vegetables and plants that grow on our planet. I agree that is important to raise awareness of the conservational aspect in protecting the honeybees. There are so many ways we can protect these essential species at our fingertips and at the comfort of our own home that I don’t understand how fewer people do anything.

(One way you may want to help save the bees at home is by building a bee hotel like the photo above, taken from https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLS_5rntNexo&psig=AOvVaw3V-ieFKp1HEVvwjdTmLN5P&ust=1616113046360000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCJDSqrPIuO8CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK)

To help emphasize the importance of the conservation of honeybees, they may start by suggesting a wide range of media related to the topic. This could be a podcast, a research article or a Peer review article. They may also suggest a documentary that illustrates the importance of protecting these species in a more intriguing way. They may also do guides or bring a group to a honeybee farm to demonstrate how tame these species maybe while getting the farmer’s opinion and suggestions on helping. There are many ways that an interpreter may present the importance of honeybees based on the audience they may have.

Nature and music have an interesting connection. Although in the technical sense, music is instruments and sheet music, it can also be found throughout the natural environment.

Where is music in nature?

Music can be found everywhere in nature. We can hear it in the birds chirping, in the wind and the water. There is something so beautiful about listening to the sounds of loons calling to each other in the early morning and the howls of coyotes late at night. The sounds that can be heard in nature are one of the most important things that allow us to connect with it.

Where is nature in music?

Nature is also found all the time in music. When musicians create a piece of music they are almost always based on things that inspire them. As we have seen previously, nature often creates a deep, spiritual feeling in many people, and it is therefore easy to understand how it is often the inspiration behind so many songs. There are countless examples in music that are based on the feelings musicians have when they are in nature, the sounds they hear from the birds and the memories they have from experiences they have had in the environment. Nature is such an inspiration to so many people so it makes logical sense that it would be included in the inspiration that drives musicians.

There are a few examples that instantly come to mind when I consider songs that take me back to a natural landscape. The first is a song called "Where I'm From" by the Reklaws. My sister and I love to listen to this song when we're driving to the cottage in the summer with our windows down, singing as loud as we can. For us it is really special because we shared a childhood, and a large part of that was spent at the cottage. The song talks about the idea that nobody understands the connection you have to a place unless they experienced the emotions you felt when you were there, and we share that together in that place. The second one is even more powerful to me. That is the song "More Than a Feeling" by Boston. For as long as I can remember, every morning of every weekend we have spent at the cottage, my Dad has cooked breakfast. When he starts to cook the bacon, he puts on music and it is always Boston's greatest hits album. The first song on the album is More Than a Feeling. I have spent my whole life being woken up to that song, with the smell of coffee and bacon. I can often hear the sounds of loons and some early boaters going past the cottage. My favourite part to this memory is laying in bed and watching the reflection of water moving being reflected onto the ceiling above me. This is my favourite way to start the day and it fills me with a sense of excitement for a beautiful day spent in Muskoka. Every single time I hear this song, I am there. Music can have an extremely powerful connection to nature. I know this because I have experienced it.

Does anyone else have an example of a song that has been such an important part of their life like these have been for me?

I enjoyed reading this week’s post especially reading about the various memories you have the connect nature to your cottage. It is so nice to have those memories connected to certain songs. When you listen to them during the winter or other seasons I am sure that it brings you back to those happy days at the cottage. I can seriously say that after reading this I am missing summer. I always know when the weather starts to get warmer when you start to hear a wide variety of birds singing away, you can usually hear the Cicadas and all of the other bugs roaming around. Even the sound of the rain when spring arrives brings me so much joy and is so soothing that I love falling asleep or reading a book to the sound.

(Photo of a Spring Cardinal, taken from https://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/bird-photography/adorable-spring-birds/)

I cannot say that there is a song such important within my life but there are some that bring back amazing memories. One song that brings back a memory of not too long ago but of travelling is Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Back in 2019 before Covid was in full effect, my family and I took a trip to Cozumel Mexico, and on that trip, we did this jeep tour of the island. We brought a speaker to jam out to during the ride and my whole family sang this song at the top of our lungs while enjoying the scenery of the island. It is crazy how one song can bring back so many memories especially when thinking about experiences with nature.

(Photo of my sisters and I in the back seat of the Jeep, taken by my mom in Cozumel, Mexico)

"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

What does this quote mean? Honestly, I had to read it over and over again and even then, I’m still not sure I fully comprehend what it means. To my understanding, the main point of this quote is expressing how merely having a historical artifact does not make it worth something, its knowing and understanding its history that gives it its value. Interpretation plays a big role in this process as it can allow the passing of knowledge from generation to generation so that we may remember our history and learn from it.

Image of two people appreciating our natural history in a museum (Credit: Jennifer Arnow) https://www.fodors.com/news/arts-culture/worlds-best-natural-history-museums

History plays a very interesting and unique part in the natural world that often isn’t considered enough. A huge story of history taking place in nature is the story of evolution. It is absolutely incredible that with the technologies we have available to us today, we are able to unmask our Earths history from millions of years ago. Even more incredible, is we can see evolution take place right in front of us through small diversifying natural phenomena that are causing the very species we know today to evolve and adapt with their changing environments. Muck like how fish began to walk on land 400 million years ago which gave rise to new animals like amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

A funny meme depicting exactly what happened 400 million years ago and how the vertebrates came to be. (https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1891908-tiktaalik)

We can also learn from this natural history to preserve our future. Data shows that the Earth has gone through a few extinction periods and large fluctuations of temperature – both hot and cold. Yes, the Earth is supposed to naturally go through hot and cold fluctuations like we have seen in the past, but today we are experiencing an above normal rise in temperature that is definitely cause for concern. So much of the planet’s biodiversity is dying and its our job to prevent a new extinction period from happening again.

Image illustrating what the extinction of the dinosaurs may have looked like. (https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Mass_extinction#cite_note-3)

I enjoyed reading your post this week and found that i could relate to your thoughts and interpretation to the quote. I found myself thinking in a very similar way in terms of evolution and how we can learn from the previous events that have occurred on earth. I found myself thinking about the fossil records which helped us understand the evolution from water to land and honestly laughed a little at the meme you posted. It is fascinating how the earth has been able to adapted itself to the ever changing climate and continuously produce various forms of life. It is crazy to think about how much the forms of life have adapted over the years from a fairly simple to very complex over the years.

(Photo demonstrating evolution, taken from https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/07/23/evolution-is-aimless-how-do-we-explain-external-testicles/)

When I begin to think about all of the information we have learned and will continue to learn from our past that we must take action before it is too late. We have advanced our technology to a point where we are able to predict the future climate under a variety of scenario and yet as a society we refuse to believe what the science is telling us. I believe that if no action is taken anytime soon we may not be able to avoid what has happened in the past (extinction). Using what we know about the past will only better our future.

Do you believe that we are able to prevent what some of the climate predictions are saying?

I never really thought that I was a nature interpreter before I started this course.  Well, that is probably because I didn’t know the full extent of it.  I’ve realized that nature interpretation not only started when I was younger, but actually followed me to my current job.  As I mentioned in my first blog post I’ve been working for the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) for the past four years.  If you are ever looking for a summer student job I highly recommend!  Working at Pinehurst Lake, I never realized how often I would explain nature through “a scientific lens” to the public (Hooykaas, 2020).  For example, many visitors would ask where the lake flows in and out of, with many guessing that it was spring fed.  I would then explain to them that this lake is actually a kettle lake meaning it was created by retreating glaciers.  The only way for it to gain water is through precipitation unlike other lakes that predominantly have a natural outflow such as a river or stream.  

One of the boating docs at Pinehurst overlooking the kettle lake. - Taken by me

Another question where I was able to use my nature interpretation skills was when it came to fishers.  I would be asked what types of fish are found in the lake and what are the “best spots” to catch them.  I could explain to them that yes, there are pan fry species such as Sunfish or Pumpkinseed but as you reach the deepest parts of the lake there are Smallmouth Bass.  Then, as you reach the area of the lake with stumps and rocks you’ll be able to find Largemouth Bass especially if you stick close to the weeds. 

This is the spot in the lake for bigger fish! - Taken by me

I was even able to interpret nature just by waiting outside with my coworkers to clean the bathrooms.  Many kids always thought we were Park Rangers, even with our bright orange construction shirts and would ask us what type of insect was on the wall or what type of animal tracks were on the trail close to us.  You start becoming very intuned with your surroundings and by this past summer, I could definitely say I was able to answer each question confidently.

Maintenance Team to the rescue to get this Snapper covered in duckweeds out of the road! -Taken by me

It’s amazing to think about how many visitors and campers I’ve had the chance to interpret nature to.  Whether that was a senior wanting to know everything I could tell them about the kettle lake or a kid being confused between a frog and a toad.  It feels good knowing that within their day I could teach them a small amount of nature and they can pass it onto the next person who might ask them.

There’s not only fishing at Pinehurst Lake but canoes and kayaks can be rented as well to use! - Taken by me

I’m hoping after this course I will return to my job and use these skills I’ve been gaining throughout the course.

A question I have for you guys is has there been a time when you have been a nature interpreter and not realized it?  What was it?  How can you take what we have learned so far in the course and apply it to your next encounter?

Cait

If you want to learn more about GRCA and Pinehurst Lake visit: 

https://www.grandriver.ca/en/index.aspx

I had to put one more photo of Jack, Bryce, me and Cass.  They’ve become some of my best friends over the years working there! -Taken by our boss on our last shift this summer

References:

I enjoyed reading your post this week and could resonate with how you didn’t know you were interpreting nature until this course. It seems like such a fun job getting to be outdoors and answer questions to those around you even if that wasn’t your main responsibility. I enjoyed reading how over the years you go better at interpreting your work environment and was able to answer all questions asked to you.

I can say that I too never thought I was a nature interpreter until joining this class and understanding what it means to be a nature interpreter. Now I have not been as fortunate to have a job outdoors where the public asks me questions such as yourself but over the years and especially this past year, I have noticed that I share and explain the things happening around us. I am currently the only one in my family at school taking a science major, I tend to be more excited about the natural world than most of my family. This doesn’t stop me from sharing what I have learned about our environment and stating all of the many “cool facts” that I have stored over the years.

It was mainly during Christmas break of 2019 where I truly realized that I was sort of a nature interpreter when my mom’s boyfriend found a sea star off of the beach of our resort. He brought it out quickly to show us and from there I was telling my family how these guys use their tube feet filled with water to walk. Showing them this cool and unknown fact made me realized that I sort of enjoy teaching others about the marine world and second that I am sort of a nature interpreter without even knowing it.

(A photo my mom took of myself showing my family what the tube feet of sea stars are and how they work)

“The key job of the interpreter boils down to one of helping people to perceive more accurately the world around them” (Beck et al., 2018).

I’ve always loved stories and art. As a kid I loved to read and paint and would jump at the chance for a bed story or arts and crafts.

When I got older and developed a love for nature and travel, my passions began to overlap. Photographs helped me see the beauty in life and in nature, while stories allowed me to experience it.

So, throughout this blog I’ve added some of my favorite pictures I’ve taken and included a brief description of their story. I encourage you to read them and maybe you’ll the beauty of nature I saw in them.

A picture I took of the Caves of Matala in Crete, Greece. The side of the cliff is comprised of hundreds of man-made caves carved out of the rock from thousands of years ago. No one knows their true purpose but they’re believed to be Roman or Early Christian tombs. 

Whenever I travel I find myself talking to locals or tour guides, asking them their story or a favorite one they’ve heard. Hearing stories from people who are knowledgeable and passionate about a place of nature allows me to learn more about it while creating a stronger connection towards it.

A picture I took of the Holy Trinity Monastery at Meteora in Central Greece. During times of war and famine many choose a life of religion in which they were free from violence and could enjoy the peace and beauty of nature. One of the nuns at the monastery spoke of how her isolation in nature freed her from her personal traumas she experienced as a child.  

Being in university takes a toll on one financially though, and I can never travel as much as I would like to. So, when I can’t travel I often spend time looking at photographs of places of nature and wildlife. It allows me to see the beauty of nature without having to be there. 

“Thailand Sea Water” by Caro Sodar licensed under (”Pixabay License”)

Photographs of nature are often done by people who have such a strong love and passion for it and their pictures allow me to see nature from their perspective, see the beauty they see. For me seeing a something from another’s perspective is what enriches your own. Like Beck et al. (2018) wrote “The images of stories are vivid in the minds of listeners, and help them grow in mind and spirit”.

A picture I took of Reece the baboon in South Africa when she was 4 months old. Reece is an orphaned baboon that’s mother was killed be a farmer for stealing food from his crops. This was her first time out of her rehabilitation enclosure since she was rescued. She was so excited to play with the sand on the river bank and was fascinated by the hippos at the end of the river.  

I have no qualifications that justify my ability to interpret nature through art besides this course. While this may prevent me from being an official nature interpreter, I don’t think anything can stop someone from interpreting nature from art. We are human, we seek meaning whether its given to us or not. If it isn’t given to us, we create our own.

For me, nature interpreters help me grasp the true meaning (or at least the one they believe to be true) of art. Whether it’s the tourist I’m talking to about the land, or the article describing the picture I’m looking at, they help give sense to our questions while showing us their own view of nature’s beauty. In an ironic sense it’s the interpreters that help me interpret nature from art. 

Did you interpret nature from these pictures? Let me know!

References: 

I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week as well as seeing all of the amazing photos that you had the chance to take and view first hand. The photos were of amazing quality and I loved reading the little back story that went along with it. I am one that also loves to travel but being a university student as well as living during a pandemic limits those opportunities to travel. I find myself, like you, looking at photographs from a variety of sources of the nature that surrounds them. I truly enjoy seeing the different angles that these photographers used to capture the scenery and to see how they may have interpreted the nature surrounding them.

When I saw the photo, you took of the bamboo, all I could think was wow at how this monkey didn’t mind you being there. It looks to me that he is truly enjoying the scenery in front of him and getting ready to explore the world ahead of him. I loved reading that this little guy is getting the chance to experience the world ahead of him for the first time which I can sort of tell through the photo. It is crazy to think that a photo is able to tell such a story and bring so much joy to the person interpreting it. I loved how each photo had such an interesting story to go with it which not everyone would know about when viewing it for the first time. These photos may also bring back memories to them of their experience in a similar setting which is the beauty of art and nature interpretations.

Thanks for sharing such amazing photos and the stories that go with them.

I was going to start this week’s post by saying how I never considered privilege and nature to be connected - and then I realized that perfectly exhibits my privilege. 

To be clear, I consider privilege to mean that certain people possess traits that give them the tools and the position to make life easier for themselves. It is the idea that in a race, those with privilege are starting further ahead and that, unfortunately, the game of life isn’t fair. 

I would considered myself to be fairly privileged. I am white, I grew up in Canada, I speak English (but I also speak French) and I have no disabilities that make anything in my life more difficult. My family is upper-middle class, which has afforded me a lot of opportunities in life. Both of my parents (and later my sister and I) grew up in Aldershot, a “nicer” area of a “nicer” city. My grandparents owned our family cottage and my parents were able to buy their own next door. Between contributions from my grandparents and my parents, I have spent very little on my university degree. There has not been many (if any) instances in my life where my background has prevented me from doing something or made an accomplishment more difficult to achieve. I have a lot of tools in my invisible backpack. 

** A picture of my sister and I with my grandfather, at our family cottage**

Unfortunately, it took longer than I would like to admit to understand just how much easier my life is because of my privilege. Growing up, all of my friends lived a very similar life to me and my life was pretty average compared to my peers. It wasn’t at all uncommon for friends to be going on multiple vacations a year or spending time at their cottages, and I knew very very few people with divorced parents. It’s very hard to change your mindset to see things that were always normal to recognize it as privilege. I started to understand this as I got older and I actually vividly remember the first time I saw the video of the $100 race that we watched in class this week. My mom became more and more involved as a teacher working to promote equity in the school board and she would share many lessons like that video with us and I began to understand how privileged I was. 

However, understanding and experiencing first hand is a completely different level of comprehension. When I came to university, it was the first time I met anyone that had grown up in a very different way than I had. I was faced, first-hand with how different life was and is for so many different people.

** Picture taken by me of the Severn River from my cottage **

Combining that idea of privilege to nature is something I think is so important. I fell in love with the outdoors from a young age, but I had a unique opportunity to do so, having a cottage to visit and a house with a large property featuring woods to hike through. Had I not had the financial privilege of growing up where I did, would that love have been fostered? It most certainly would have been more difficult. I went to school for biology, where my learning has further increased that love - without the financial support would that have been possible?

** Image by Ponomariova_Maria **

To me, the most important thing about privilege is recognizing that you have it. Nature is something that no one person deserves to experience more than someone else. Those of us who have had certain opportunities because of our “invisible backpacks” have a responsibility to offer any assistance that we can. Nature interpreters are in a beautiful and unique position to guide individuals towards the beauty and healing that the environment can provide - especially those who aren’t in a position to do so as easily without their guidance. It is important to considered privilege in every aspect of life but nature is an important one. I truly believe that every single individual who wants to should not have barriers preventing them from experiencing the natural world. 

I am well aware that I have much to learn. I can never fully understand what it is like to not have privilege because that simply isn’t my reality. But I can (and I do) commit to always being open to learning, to try my best to see the world from another person’s perspective and to use my privilege to try to help someone who wasn’t handed the same tools in their backpack as I was.

I really liked reading your post this week and found that I could relate to lots of what was discussed. I found that especially this past year, privilege was a large topic in everyone’s mind. I found myself having to explain to my parents this year what most of social media was trying to portray when talking about privilege or “white privilege” which allowed for some very open discussions within our household. Most people don’t necessarily see their lifestyle as being a privilege when surrounded with family and friends with similar lifestyles, they just think that its normal.

Especially when we discuss privilege and nature interpretation, not everyone has easy access to nature and the diversity it holds. Similar to you, my dad lives with cottage country where I had ample amounts of opportunities to be within nature (hike, boating, fishing) whereas friends of mine lived in a city with very little access to a cottage (unless with friends). This was something I learnt quickly when I first came to university, that not everyone you meet has the same privileges as I do. I have learnt to share these opportunities to be within nature with those that would like to be within it more but lack that privilege that I have. I am glad that I recognized the privilege I have with nature and can share it with those around (When it is COVID free as I live 3 hour north of Guelph and cannot have guests right now)

I hope we will all be able to share our privileges with others in relation to nature so they too can enjoy it as much as we do.

Interpretation is a relatively new profession. However, its origins date back thousands of years. Storytellers can be viewed as interpreters, as their goal was to pass down knowledge and to connect people with resources (Lewis,1991). There are numerous roles that interpreters can fill. My ideal role as an environmental interpreter would be a wildlife guide at a nature reserve. When I was younger, I would often go to the nature programs at provincial parks hosted by the NHE (natural heritage education) team. I loved these programs because they provided you with information on the history of the park and the environment through fun activities. While working at Algonquin, I volunteered in some of these programs which made me realize that it would be an ideal career path. The role of an interpreter is very important. Interpretation enhances the experiences that tourists have, increases tourist awareness, and can influence tourist attitude and behaviours (Beck & Cable, 2011; Ham & Weiler, 2007). Additionally, interpretive programs can strengthen conservation efforts at both natural and cultural heritage tourism sites (Black, 2008). 

Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park. Photo taken by me.

Personally, I would love to work at a nature reserve somewhere in the Caribbean. I travelled to St. Lucia in 2016, and this experience had a major influence on how I view nature. Travelling has exposed me to different types of ecosystems and unfamiliar species, which I find very exciting. Through travelling, I have had the opportunity to go snorkeling, visit mountainous volcanic regions, and hike through the rainforest. These are all activities that have minimal environmental impact while providing tourists with a greater appreciation for their surroundings. While I was in St. Lucia, I noticed that many tourists do not take the consequences of their actions into consideration. It was almost rare to encounter a stretch of beach or a trail that did not have any litter. These observations motivated me to get involved in educating the public on how their actions can have major environmental impacts. 

A photo of me holding a snake in St. Lucia. Photo taken by my aunt. 

The Soufrière Hills. A stratovolcano in St. Lucia. Photo taken by me.

As an interpreter I would offer various programs, such as: rainforest hikes, wildlife education, and marine biodiversity programs. Through each of these programs I would aim to promote conservation and provide the tourists with education on the local ecosystems. Due to the amount of false information that is spread on climate change, I think education on this topic is important. When considering the Caribbean, this is a region that is projected to be greatly impacted by climate change. According to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) there are six major climate risks associated with climate change. These include: increased hurricane intensity and frequency, sea level rise, salt water intrusion into freshwater aquifers, temperature changes, altered precipitation patterns, and coral reef bleaching and mortality (CTO, 2008). Therefore as climate change progresses, this area is particularly vulnerable. Thus, it is essential to have environmental outreach programs that demonstrate the role that tourism plays in environmental degradation. This will allow the issues of climate change to be communicated to tourists through educational activities. 

A sign on the beach in Cayo Coco, Cuba. Photo taken by me. 

The west coast of St. Lucia. Photo taken by me.

Many skills are required to be a wildlife guide. To fill this role, one would need to possess a vast understanding of the species in the area. As a marine and freshwater biology major, I have taken many zoology courses throughout my undergrad. These classes have provided me with a strong background in species identification and understanding how species interact. Another skill needed for this position would be adaptability. Programs are likely to be different each time you present them. Due to this, a guide needs to be prepared to  accommodate a variety of situations. An environmental interpreter must also have great communication skills and presentation skills. This will ensure that through the program, their audience receives the information that they are intended to. 

A photo of me holding a tarantula in a zoology lab. Photo taken by my friend.

References 

Beck, L., & Cable, T. (2011). The gifts of interpretation : fifteen guiding principles for interpreting nature and culture (Third edition). Sagamore Publishing.

Black, R. (2018). Improving engagement between tourists and staff at natural and cultural heritage tourism sites: exploring the concept of interpretive conversations. Tourism Recreation Research, 43(1), 82–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2017.1382981

Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). (2008). Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework. Retrieved from https://caricom.org/documents/10910-cbbnsustainabletourismpolicyframework.pdf.

Ham, S. H., & Weiler, B. (2007). Isolating the role of interpretation of on-site interpretation in a satisfying experience. Journal of Interpretation Research, 12(2), 5–24.

I really enjoyed reading your blog and I found that having additional information within the blog provided interesting background information to what you were talking about. I also would love to do an interpreting role somewhere in the Caribbean due to the high diversity. For myself, I am hoping to do guides in the coral reef field due to precisely what the CTO said in terms of the six major risks from climate change. After taking a conservation biology and climate change course, I have learnt the importance of educating the public on the effects of climate change on the various ecosystems and how we can provide information to help protect them. I love the idea of providing a variety of different programs which allows a larger range of individuals to come and learn some interesting facts based on their interests. 

I found on a variety of vacations a similar pattern in terms of how the tourists do not seem to take consequences for their actions especially when it came to littering. It is sad that all over social media and the internet that there aren’t more people that talk about this. For myself, if I become a guide I would want to incorporate some of the consequences that everyday actions may have on the ecosystem that they are observing, in hopes of them realizing how they can harm the different ecosystems with the actions that they don’t even think about. I believe that as climate change progresses, the role of guides will not simply be to show and educate tourists on what they are looking at but to inform them on how they can make a difference to maintain what is still left of the ecosystem. 

Great blog again and I hope for the best for your future as a guide in the Caribbean.