Krystal's Nature Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Artist: Angus Maguire

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

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

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

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

-Steven

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

[Description: photo of canoes on a mountain lake in a boreal forest through a window next to a photo of fine tendriled white jellyfish suspended in dark water]

I don’t like nature; I don’t like how we define it.

The first definition that merriam-webster.com lists as the essential meaning of the word is “the physical world and everything in it (such as plants, animals, mountains, oceans, stars, etc.) that is not made by people” [1].  

dictionary.com’s first definition is “the material world, especially as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities” and its second is “the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization” [2].

I don’t like how the word others us, separates us and everything that we do from the universe that we live in. I think that it is terrifying and that it is ridiculous.

It’s terrifying because we’re living (so far) through a mass extinction event that we are the cause of [3], and it is ridiculous because it is such a massively conceited view of the world.

I think that attempts to promote the conservation of biodiversity through nature interpretation are fundamentally flawed because the concept of nature is one of separation. Nature is something that you visit – it’s a federal or provincial park that’s an hour or two down the road from the town that you live in, not part of your day-to-day life.  That’s a massive problem; we need to be bringing our day-to-day practices into harmony with our environment.  We need to be conscious of the effects that our actions have.  We need to be brought into an awareness of the world.

We need to know the places that we live – our geologic histories, the soils that rest upon our bedrock, our waters, and all of the life that surrounds us -and we need to have an understanding of how everything interconnects.  We need to develop an appreciation of our place in the world in relation to everything else; we need to see ourselves as part of and as related to everything else.

[Description: photo of headlamped children playing with sand and nets on a beach at dusk next to a photo of a brown-haired female-presenting person and a grey-haired male-presenting person each placing a plant into a planter in a grid-ed wall full of planters]

Environmental interpretation should not be confined to parks and other “natural spaces”; it is at its most relevant in the places that we choose to live.

Fact-based approaches to interpretive programming are well and good, but they’re limited and we need to push beyond that.  We need to be focusing on the acquisition of tools that will allow people to further their own education [4]; as interpreters we need to concentrate on developing scientific literacy and teaching research methods and how to find good resources and reference materials, and developing community.

We need to get away from this paradigm where we devalue nonprofessional work and so when you’re part of the work force you don’t engage in unpaid pursuits.  There seems to be this idea that your career should be all-consuming and that there’s something wrong with pursuing other interests simultaneously.  Environmental education seems to be something that we engage in as children, and then again after we retire [5].  

We need to have the people that are making development decisions engaged with the environment and aware of the effects that their actions have.  Science and environmental outreach need to engage with people in that 25-60 years old age range, through adult and family-targeted events. Environmental education needs to be a lifelong pursuit and it needs to be one that is accessible for everyone. That means considering a wide variety of lenses when constructing events, exhibits, or facilities, and creating varied programming that addresses different demographic needs and targets specific demographics, as with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Spanish-language programming [6] or environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia’s work [7].

[Description: a photo of three white bookshelves at a public library, two parallel and one perpendicular to the others next to a photo of an open plant identification book with crushed pink flowers resting on the page]

Interpretive programming needs to be inclusive.  Part of that is removing barriers wherever possible - considering accessibility concerns and communicating the accommodations that are provided is a step in the right direction.  Including information about washrooms (gender/physical accessibility), live transcription, whether there are places to rest on a walk, and so on, makes it easier; people whose attendance hinges on the answers to those questions aren’t faced with the barrier of needing to make those inquiries on their own and they’re sent the message that their needs are being considered.  Sharing a diversity policy that outlines your commitment is another step that can help people feel more comfortable being in a space, or more empowered to speak up if they see areas for improvement.  

We need to amplify marginalised voices, and to facilitate people building their own communities.  We need a diversity of perspectives engaging in environmental issues.  Environmental outreach is in need of facilitators, people who will act as connectors to bring individuals together so that they can support each other.  

I wonder about building public science or environmental libraries in order to facilitate that kind of community-building.  I envision a place where you can: go to access environmental literature, whether that’s an accurate and age-appropriate picture book for toddlers or a scientific journal article; attend workshops on research or event planning or scat identification; and borrow books, electronic resources, field kits for bird-watching or sampling invertebrates, monitoring tools like decibel meters, etc.

[Description: a photo of a white-haired woman with a cane resting on a wooden bench on a garden path next to a photo of two laptops with two sets of hands working on papers between them]

I spent a lot of time growing up in a library, so I tend to think that libraries are the solution. I’ve also spent a lot of time volunteering in various environmental groups; I’m interested in building functional organisations that help to build volunteer competencies and build community.  I believe that you can build a long-lived organisation anchored in a physical space that unites a neighbourhood in a community of respect and care, and that those actions can ripple outwards.  I believe that you can design and run programming that will engage individuals throughout their entire lifespan.  I believe in it because I’ve seen it done and done well in an anti-poverty organisation, and I believe that it can be done for a more explicitly environmental one.

I am not a people person, but I believe that expanding the focus of environmental outreach from biodiversity to include community-building is necessary.  I believe that any attempt at communication needs to consider the needs and desires of people [8] in order to be effective, and I think that you’ll be hard-pressed to find any occupation where mentorship and leadership aren’t valuable practices.  While it’s not my natural inclination it’s challenging work that I enjoy and find rewarding.

Social media and in-person programming are probably my strengths when it comes to interpretive programming; they’re areas that interest me and that I have experience in. I’m an ex-tumblrite, so it’s a format that I understand how to use (running an academic blog here years later has been a trip, and also made me consider ways to effectively use the platform to do environmental interpretation for a general audience), and I run an insect Instagram account.  I’ve enjoyed working with children and seniors in the past and would love to have the opportunity to put together environmentally-focused summer camp or seniors programming.  I’ve done corporate environmental programming for adults and am interested in work building environmental competency within organisations that wouldn’t identify themselves as part of the environmental sector.

[Description: an aerial photo of a sliver of the earth, space, and the area in between next to a photo of an office chair and a desk dominated by a healthy green fern]

I’m interested in establishing better policies to help integrate environmental practices into all aspects of our lives - having environmental competencies integrated into teaching practices and having environmental assessment be a part of everyday decisions - at home and in the workplace.  

I feel that with a kind of parks-based “nature” interpretation that there’s an element of we’re over here! about it.  I am much more interested in meeting people where they are and helping them to find ways to expand their expertise from there.  I’m more interested in a person- than place-based approach to environmental science education, and I think that I have a moral responsibility to engage in that work to the best of my ability; I think that doing that kind of work is part of my relationship with the earth.

I think that’s sort of the crux of it, that we need to develop good, healthy, relationships, that interpretation and organisational work is a way of facilitating that, and that that work is supported by technical and “soft” skills like writing and research and watercolour painting and project management and species identification. You show up and you do the work to the best of your ability and you work on developing your abilities and the abilities of others, because it matters.

Your post was absolutely beautiful to read and kept me hooked from beginning to end. Your thoughts and perspectives are unique and in-depth so I really want to share some of my own thoughts with you.

Hey Everyone!

I am so excited for this week's prompt because of how much I love music. I am really looking forward to reading what everyone has to say about this topic!

Where is music in nature?

Sometimes finding music in nature can be as easy as cracking open a window to listen to the birds outside. Birds sing songs in order to communicate with one another - imagine human beings constantly singing to communicate, creates an interesting image. These songs can vary from species to species and also can vary based on the situation (i.e., warning calls, mating calls, etc.). There are other species that also follow this type of communication, such as whales. Whales produce beautiful melodic calls in order to communicate within and between pods. I just recently visited the Royal Ontario Museum during the Summer and was able to experience the Great Whales exhibit. Part of that exhibit included a room where you can sit and listen to a variety of whale calls in surround sound. This experience at the ROM made me realize just how much music there is in the world that doesn't come from people. With that idea, I was thinking about how other species, such as plants, communicate with each other. Is it possible that there is music in nature that we just can't hear? Luckily I stumbled across a TikTok account called modernbiology that investigates this question. They use the bioelectricity that plants produce and convert it into music. I have attached a few of these videos below!

Where is nature in music?

Beck et al., 2018 mentioned that music is used to paint a picture in people's minds. Music can make you feel a variety of emotions and can also transport you to a place. This is where nature is incorporated with music. Musicians often use descriptive lyrics to sketch beautiful settings into your mind that make you feel like you're really there. They also often take inspiration from natural sounds like birds chirping, winds blowing through leaves, waves crashing, and much more which provide the listener with a connection to the natural world. In music, nature is also often used as metaphors for emotions like love, hate, fear, etc. For example, there are many songs that use storms as symbolism for fear, heartbreak, or pain. I think that this use of nature as symbolism in songs helps musicians communicate their message to their listeners because nature is one thing that we can all experience, or at least it should be as we work towards more inclusive natural spaces. So, it is often very effective for musicians to use nature-based symbolism, as people can understand that the feeling that those specific natural processes induce is the same feeling that the music is trying to portray.

What song takes me back to a natural landscape?

For me, the song that takes me back to a natural setting is Bobcaygeon by The Tragically Hip. My dad is a huge Tragically Hip fan, so growing up we would listen to a lot of their songs, but Bobcaygeon was one that we always listened to around the campfire. The line "I saw the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time" always reminds me of sitting under the stars around the campfire roasting marshmallows.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and a safe and happy Halloween!

Lauren :)

I really liked your post this week! When you were discussing creatures and how they communicate through song it reminded me of the article that we got assigned written by Gray et al. 2001. In this paper they actually discuss how whale noises (and many other creatures) go farther than communication with their sounds and are actually considered singing. The music they create often mimics what a person can compose, from lasting for the length of a song to staying in our ranges, and even repeating their “phrases” (Gray et al. 2001.). I thought this was really interesting as well as furthered your point.

I also thought you explained ‘painting a picture in peoples minds’ really well. An artist that is able to fully emerse you into a new world is most effective, and your right that music should subconsciously take you to a new place. It’s something I never noticed I did actually. Thinking about it there are songs that I associate with the outdoors and fields of flowers purely through its themes alone. Using parts of nature is even better within the song itself is even better for this emerrison. Like you mentioned music needs to invoke feeling into listener and nature is a perfect medium to do that. I’ve listened to many songs that mimic the sound of thunder to express anger, furthermore I definitely think now that I will become more aware of the sounds of nature I hear in music.

Happy Halloween!

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

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

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

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

I really enjoyed your interpretation of the quote and your blog post! I especially enjoyed the way you incorporated the quote to Nature interpretation so well. Your thoughts on Natural History not being kept was pretty interesting to think about, reflecting on the statement myself I do agree with you. People used to consider the environment as not important (which is untrue), due to the fact they didn’t know how life depends on the world. Therefore people disregarding it and not keeping it in history makes sense, and who truly knows how much history was lost. Like you said; history is all about reflection, understanding, and gratefulness. What happened in the past needs to be recognized in order to move forward to the future; whether we grow from our past mistakes or continue grow from our successes. It's sad to think about but I do hope that we learn from previous mistakes and do our part to not only preserve the natural history of the Earth but to protect it from dangers such as climate change. Like any object or building; Earth cannot tell its own personal history so that's why it's even more important for us to pass that information on to new generations.

I also wanted to thank you for sharing about the Cheltenham Badlands, I had no idea that is existed or the history behind it; but from your photo and what you said I would love to visit sometime

Thinking about how to relate this week’s open prompt back to interpretation through science, I decided to consider what role knowledge plays in interpretation. This course and the readings have definitely shaped how I think about interpretation, as there are aspects about interpretation that are passive – allowing one to enjoy the beauty of nature – that I had never considered. Knowledge definitely plays a role here, as I tried to share last week. Knowledge of beautiful places lets you share nature you find beautiful with others. But knowledge can also be used actively within interpretation, to tell a story. The more you know about something, the better you can describe it to someone without needing to use technical jargon. Science gives us the chance to share small details with others about the way the world works to build an appreciation that may help provide some sense of spiritual uplift. I’d like to share some experience that gives me the opposite of spiritual uplift.

I have a fear of mushrooms. And not the pathogenic ones, the little dubious lumps that grow out of stumps. I hate them so very much.

Mushrooms are the expressions of fungi we see at the surface. They may seem to come and go, but are actually living and hiding underground at all times. Toadstools are the ‘fruit’ of the fungi, a method to reproduce – the branches, trunk, and leaves are all hidden under the Earth. Despite appearing to grow like plants, they are much genetically closer to animals – but interact with the environment like microbes. Picture a decaying log under the surface. Like bacteria growing in an agar plate, a fungus will find this food source, and grow outwards, not up. They decompose and consume it until the nutrients are gone, and finally sprout to the surface. The result is a ring of mushrooms in a perfect circle. 

The creepy little artist is letting you know that:

a) Something died in the middle of this circle

b) I ate it, and it was delicious.

Utterly disturbing. Again, when you see a fairy ring, that is one fungus. This is one organism. Did you know the biggest living thing in the world is a fungus, akin to what we see above? Maybe climate change isn’t so bad. Even the word ‘fungus’ is a mass noun – simultaneously singular and plural. My skin is crawling typing this out.

Mycophobia is the fear of mushrooms. The most common cause of mycophobia is that some mushrooms are poisonous when consumed, and some believe that evolution has produced a fear response in some people upon sight. The best way to get over your fear of something is often through exposure, but this unfortunately has not been the case here. I loathe these abhorrent creatures and everything they do. There is no shortage of unsettling facts about fungi and their activities.

Also, they can communicate with each other through electrical impulses. Here’s what it sounds like:

Five Minutes of Blue Oyster Mushrooms Talking - YouTube

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Knowledge plays an important role in nature interpretation because it allows me to tell a story, and communicate with others through facts that we can agree on rather than my own opinions. I could have written 500 words this week about how mushrooms are gross, and I don’t particularly like looking at them. This is true, but not very convincing. Not everyone has mycophobia, but everyone can learn more about these fascinating (and terrifying) creatures and relate to what mycophobia may feel like. At the age of 21, I am now mostly okay with the sight of mushrooms. I’ll share some pictures of the biggest fairy ring I’ve seen this autumn so far (from a distance). 

———-

My question prompt for this week is:

How can something that grows from the ground have such suspiciously meaty flesh?  

The majority of art comes from what we see in the world around us and how we interpret it. Nature inspires art in many different forms of media. When I think of art, the first idea that comes to mind is a landscape painting of nature scenery. Capturing the feeling and experience of being in nature is a powerful way to share the environment. The beauty of nature is why people are attracted to the outdoors and express it in their artwork.

The question "who are you to interpret nature through art?" brought me to the realization that everyone can interpret the environment through art. We all experience different emotions and experiences when in nature that can be portrayed in many different art forms. Two people could be looking at the same sunset and create two completely different forms of art based on their interpretation. I personally am an artistic person, and I find a lot of joy in creating, whether it's through painting, sewing, drawing or photography. Taking time to stop and appreciate nature around us is the first step to interpreting nature into art forms. I put a few paintings I've done below :)

Before reading the textbooks definition of the "gift of beauty", I wanted to interpret my meaning. I believe the "gift of beauty" is referring to the gift nature is giving to everyone as a place to experience true beauty. Our natural world is a place where humans can escape and enjoy becoming secluded from themselves. The book Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For a Better World explained that having "the gift of beauty" means you can present nature in a way that allows others to see the beauty you experienced. Inspiring others with the artwork you made to capture the environment around you. I have always found it easy to find the beauty in nature. Always try to travel places with new landscapes that I've never seen before to experience the beauty. I also try and appreciate the nature around me and how even something that happens every day, like a sunset, can be so beautiful. I find reading poetry or listening to music are some of my favourite ways to experience other expressions of nature. Music and poetry, I feel bring emotion and room for visualization. Listening to a song and picturing a place and feeling in time helps me feel connected to nature. Poetry is something I have recently started reading, writing can be a powerful way to express emotions and experiences.

One of my favourite activities I ran as a nature interpreter at camp was bringing a group of children to a lookout spot in Algonquin Park to spend the hour painting what they saw and interpreted from the area. At the end of the session, it was amazing to see how everyone's paintings looked unique when they were all painting the same image. This activity allowed the children to take a minute and absorb the beauty surrounding them and capture it in a painting.

Your post was so sweet to read, it was insightful and got me to really think how much interpretation can vary between people. You used an example of two people looking at a sunset, the emotions they feel and how they interpret the sunset can obviously vary. This variably between interpretations relies heavily on the person and their memories, so I guess its possible that no two interpretations of nature through art are the exactly same. Since people will always be unique to one another therefor their work will also be unique. This is especially true when you consider the fact art is a broad term and the art each person creates doesn’t necessarily need to be a painting. It can be a dance a photograph or music as well. Your summer time camp activity also seems to discuss the uniqueness of interpretations through art. Everyone who participated, saw a part of nature that spoke to them personally and they decided to interpret the beauty they saw into a painting.

Your paintings are also gorgeous and it you can tell just by your work how much nature really means to you. I'm really glad that you were able to find an outlet into expressing your feelings towards nature. that you are able to translate the beauty you see in the world; and pass it along to someone else. Its a beautiful gift and I hope you share more of your work in the future.

Hello everyone!

My current and ever changing definition of privilege is an advantage or benefit given to someone based on specific traits. An example of what I mean is white privilege, people are born white and it is something out of their control, but they have an automatic advantage in the society that we live in. In this week’s lesson we learned about how we each have an invisible backpack that we carry. I am fortunate enough that my invisible backpack has provided me with the privilege of being able to experience and fall in love with nature. I am a middle-class white woman that grew up in a stable home, has received a great education, and lives in Ontario. I recognize that these traits have given me an advantage in the world we live in without me having to earn them. 

Because of these traits I have had opportunities to connect with nature and develop a passion for the environment. My parents could afford to put me in competitive hockey and soccer growing up which kickstarted my interest in physical activity and personal wellbeing. This resulted in my love for hiking and being outdoors for both the physical and emotional benefits to personal wellbeing. Many people do not get these sort of opportunities because of things that they cannot control, such as home income or access to such programs. This is where we need to change things in the nature interpretation community, and in society as a whole. Providing equal opportunity for everyone to connect to and find a love for nature is what we should all be striving for. Nature should be something that if you want to connect with and experience fully you can, no matter what race, class, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. However, we simply are not even close to having that today.

The nature interpretation community has a lot of work to do to make it more inclusive. We need to make environmental education programs accessible in low income areas. We need to make nature interpretation programs more accessible for people with disabilities. We need to make spaces where women can feel comfortable being in nature alone. We need to listen to and collaborate with Indigenous communities. These are just a few of many things that need to change in order to make nature interpretation more inclusive. 

A diverse and inclusive community is beneficial to all. More people bring new and exciting ideas on how to make things better. Nature interpretation should not be limited to one way of thinking and by making a more inclusive environment we invite new and improved ways of thinking. Also as more people have an opportunity to love nature, the more people are likely to want to protect it. Our environment is at risk and if people are given the opportunity to care, change will happen.

We all live on this beautiful planet, and we should all have the same opportunity to appreciate it.

I very much enjoyed reading your post! I think you're message on how we need to work together to break barriers is very important. People like us who have high privileges are able to help others using the supports we have. We are the ones who need to create projects and movements towards more accessible means to learning about nature and the environment, as well as uplift the voices of the marginalized. Like you said in your post this can be done through charity work for low income areas or more accessible pathways for those with disabilities. For uplifting voices this can be done through your idea of including Indigenous communities. They are so overlooked by the Canadian government when it comes to the environment and their land, with the government constantly fighting against their rights daily. We need to do our part as allies and uplift their voices, to hear what they have to say about needing to protect our nature. 

Hopefully this will create the diverse inclusive environment that you discussed. I think as long as we fully stand up for those with less privileges, and actively work towards change it can easily happen. I have good hope for the future and excited to help make it happen 

My ideal job as an environmental interpreter is heavily blurred. Ive spent so much time throughout my degree ruminating over what I want my career to be; whether I want to pursue research, work in wildlife rehabilitation, or explore the more interpersonal side of environmental education.

I've had the privilege of getting to practice environmental interpretation through my work as both a camp counsellor and an outdoor education intern. At these jobs I've led programming such as overnight canoe trips, snowshoe hikes and arts and crafts using/inspired by nature. During these programs I didn't realize that what I was doing was nature interpretation. But by definition I was, I was taking my knowledge of nature (both scientific and practical) and transferring it to learners through engaging activities which allowed them to explore, ask questions and learn at their own pace.

I'm not exactly sure what I want my career to be, all I know is that I want it to include two things... - I want to work with kids - I want to spend as much time outside as I possibly can

I'd love to build a system that provides inexpensive, accessible outdoor experiences to those who may otherwise not have access to it. This could include subsidized overnight canoe trips for middle/high school students, or nature walks on accessible paths for people with disabilities. This could also manifest as me being a high school science teacher, or going to school for psychology to explore the field of wilderness therapy- using nature to help people living with mental illness, disabilities etc.

Even though theres massive diversity in the type of jobs I've considered working, there are certain skills that can apply to all of them. For starters I'll need a deep understanding of biology and the mechanisms that drive ecosystems. By this I don't mean that I need to be able to recite all of the wildlife living in the area, nor do I need to be able to answer every single question I'm asked. What I mean is that I need to be able to apply the knowledge I've developed in my degree to the places I'm working, and when I don't know the answer to a question I can work with others to make observations, do research or come to conclusions. This field also requires a diverse set of soft skills such as effective teamwork skills, ability to think/adapt on the spot, or be able to mediate conflict among learners.

I feel like you and I share a lot of experiences and feelings so while I was reading your post it got me to reflect on my viewpoints of life. I do really enjoy working with kids as well, being able to teach a young child something new they wouldn't understand otherwise, is extremely rewarding in itself; and there are so many ways to teach young kids, so being able to work your personal skills only requires creativity. You also mentioned your plan to include kids regardless of health, background or social standing, and I think that's absolutely incredible because everyone has the right to learn about the world and environment we live in!

One last point I want to bring up is you discussing your future. I understand completely where your coming from. Since starting university I haven't had a clear idea on what exactly I wanted to do as a career (I was originally looking into pharmacy, but I've changed my mind since haha) But understanding I am not alone is this regard is reassuring, because It makes me think about that yes the future is uncertain right now the possibilities are also endless all I need to do is keep working hard and find a career that truly speaks to me as a person.

Growing up, I was never a kid who liked to play outside in the dirt. For some odd reason, I had this fear of getting my hands dirty. In addition, I used to be deathly afraid of water, but that’s a story for another time. To be completely honest, when I was very young, I never liked being outside. I always preferred to be inside the house playing with toys or doing crafts. I think the amount of bugs in my neighbourhood scared me inside. Each day, my parents would take me on a walk through our neighbourhood and I remember that I would cry and whine the whole time until we returned home. It wasn’t until the beginning of grade 7 when I started to take an interest in science. I remember getting to use my first textbook and thought about how this was a big difference from the previous years work. In previous years, we had just gotten handouts with little readings on them. After flipping through some of the pages in the textbook, I began to think about all of the new topics I was going to learn that year. This was the first time I had heard the words ‘eutrophication,’ ‘abiotic,’ and ‘decomposer.’ I started to think to myself that maybe this would be an area I would be interested in studying one day but at the time high school was right around the corner and I was more worried about that. 

When I began secondary school, I decided it would be time to take more of an interest in the STEM education. Each year, I took science as one of my courses, as well as a variety of technology courses. In my freshman year, the technology course allowed us to try every different field of technology that was offered at our school. We got to try a variety of different fields such as welding, machine shop, design, etc. Although I did thoroughly enjoy the wood working class, horticulture was always my favourite strand of technology. I always found that subject very intriguing as there are so many plants, propagation techniques, and landscape methods that we had the chance to learn about. My school even had its own hydroponic system that we grew vegetables in year round. It was here, that I started to really become interested in studying plants and the environment in the future. In my final two years of secondary school, I took a great interest in biology. In grade 12, we completed a 28 day pond study on the body of water behind our school, where we analyzed water samples, looking at pH, algae growth and taking a close look at the microorganisms living in the pond sample. By the end of high school, I knew that I had developed a passion for biology and the environment and knew that I would pursue it in post-secondary school.

Reflecting on what I have just told you, I know that it sounds like I have had a negative relationship with the environment, but I honestly think that it has had a great impact on the growth of my studies. I regret not spending more time outdoors growing up, exploring the woods and being surrounded by mother nature. Over the years, my passion for the outdoors has evolved to the point, that I now find myself outside as much as I possibly can doing various activities whether it be; hiking, skiing, taking my dog for a walk, or even just sitting outside reading a book. I thoroughly enjoy a hike in the Rock Glen Conservation in Guelph every now and then as I find it is a very beautiful place to spend time. 

During my time at the University of Guelph, I have taken many biological science courses as I find these topics fascinating and very important to be taught, especially now more than ever. As well, I have been a part of some climate-action protests as it is my goal to educate and empower people with the knowledge I have gained from these courses to better our planet for the future. 

When I think about a “sense of place,” my first thought is always my dog Leila. Before I owned a dog, I did not make as much time for activities outside as I do now, but I am glad that I have her now. There are plenty of reasons why I am lucky to have her, but focussing on the topic at hand, I find that having a pet comes with a lot of responsibilities, one being exercise. Taking her for exercise not only benefits her, but it also benefits me too because I get to spend so much time outdoors. 

I loved your post, and I found it really interesting your story about how you grew to love nature, instead of having a strong relationship from childhood. Obviously as we grow up and become older our opinions and thoughts change. In terms of changing an opinion on nature I believe its more of changing a viewpoint or gaining an appreciation. As we get older our appreciation for the world has definitely grown especially for us in any environmental courses or even science courses in general. whether it be through seeing the beauty in nature or understanding the complex ecological systems in it. I think this sounds like what your trying to convey in your post.