Katarina Osojnicki

Over the past few months I have learned a lot about the importance of nature interpretation theory and my responsibilities as an interpreter. I wanted to start by mentioning a formula for nature guiding, written by Enos Mills in 1920. Mills was one of the first individuals to use the term “interpret” when talking about the duties of a “nature guide” and he laid the groundwork for others like Freeman Tilden (1950s) to create the principles of interpretation that continue to guide interpreters to this day (Beck et al., 2018, pp 8, 83). Mills’ formula for good “nature guiding” was as follows:

• Appeal to the imagination and the reason. • Give flesh and blood to cold facts. • Make stories to breathe life into inanimate objects. • Deal with principles rather than isolated information. • Give biographies rather than classifications.

-(Beck et al. 2018, pp. 83)

I love these simple statements because they hold such relevance even to this day. I agree that for interpretation to be real, important, and moving, it should be imaginative, creative, and use stories and real-life examples to make programs interesting and engaging. Many of my motivations for being an interpreter come from my own learning styles and this type of work is very fulfilling for me. I personally am a visual learner and learn the best from hands on demonstrations and illustrations. I also learn much better from hearing someone explain topics instead of reading them in a textbook. As an interpreter, I will strive to make programs interesting and engaging through many different hands-on examples, stories, pictures, and easy to digest information. I will still accommodate other learning styles like making sure I have written options for those who learn better from the written word. I will try to get to know my groups if I can to present information in the most engaging way possible.

The rest of this post contains my core beliefs and motivations as an environmental interpreter, I am interested in hearing what motivates some of you to pursue nature interpretation.

1. Share information in an inclusive way.

(Photo by Emma Lippert)

I have had the privilege to explore many different natural spaces over the years and have been able to further my environmental education in university, but I have come to dislike some things about traditional post-secondary education. Many people I interact with are incredibly smart, but they struggle to share their knowledge with others in an inclusive way, so there is often a “gatekeeping” of information simply because these individuals can’t communicate their knowledge in an easy to digest format. I vow to share my knowledge with others in an inclusive way and not withhold information simply because I think I cannot explain it properly. The whole purpose of interpretation is to share the beauty of the world with others and help them gain a better understanding of how the world around them works.

2. Dispel fear of the outdoors.

(Photo by Emma Lippert)

I mentioned in my very first blog post that I started out with a tentative relationship with nature as many of the unknowns scared me. Weird insects, spiky plants, vast forests that you could get lost in, they all frightened me and because I hadn’t perfectly “mastered the outdoors” I was constantly discouraged from trying to enjoy it. Having role models like teachers and employers who have encouraged and pushed me to explore more of nature, I have grown to really appreciate all that it has to offer. I noticed that once I learned some facts about certain creatures or plants, I could better appreciate them and their role in life on earth and I know that I will continue to use my knowledge to help others be less afraid of nature and embrace it for all its complex beauty.

3. Fight for access to natural spaces and removal of systemic and structural barriers.

(Photo by Emma Lippert)

I believe that everyone should have access to nature interpretation activities and natural spaces. Much of this fear of nature can come from inadequate environmental education or barriers to accessing natural spaces. I think it is very disappointing to know that there are people who live so close to parks and natural spaces, but can’t access them due to financial, language, transportation, or accessibility barriers. If we can start to bring people to nature or nature to people more often, we could see more people becoming empowered by the environment and respecting it. Through increased affordable transportation options to parks, lower entrance fees, well maintained and accessible trails, multilingual signage, a diverse range of interpreters, and more events that include various marginalized communities, some of these barriers can be minimized (Beck et al., 2018, pp 134-137).

4. Creating community gardens and other environmental initiatives in urban settings

(photo of Ron Finley from https://worldwarzero.com/magazine/2020/06/eco-hero-ron-finley/)

In the future I hope to work with other non-profit organizations to help make natural spaces more accessible and approachable to a wider range of demographics, especially those who cannot afford to visit natural spaces. I believe there is great importance in community engagement and I think local initiatives such as community gardens or refurbishing local parks are really important in bringing nature to urban spaces and providing an educational opportunity.

Here is a link to an article and a short video about a group in Guelph who came together to improve a community garden’s compost system. https://guelph.ca/living/recreation/parks/community-and-pollinator-gardens/

I also highly suggest you watch this TED talk by Ron Finley on his work in South Central Los Angeles and how he is transforming urban food deserts into places where communities can come together, learn, and grow their own food. These are the kinds of initiatives that make me excited to work with the environment. https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerrilla_gardener_in_south_central_la/transcript?language=en#t-2942 

5. Highlight Indigenous cultures and their importance.

(Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site. (Parks Canada) https://www.haidagwaiiobserver.com/news/reopening-of-gwaii-haanas-delayed-until-2021/)

Finally, I believe that for Canada to have any success in the future, we must make amends with Indigenous communities and work collaboratively with them to help interpret and protect our ecosystems and land. I have always admired Indigenous belief systems and how connected they are to the earth. If we could all just understand our connection to life on this planet, I think this world would be a much better place, but urbanization and colonization have separated us from this relationship. In future interpretation roles I will make sure to integrate Indigenous knowledge holders and their stories into talks to remind everyone of this important link between peoples.

Thank you for reading this far! It has been a pleasure getting to learn with you all and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours!

References

Wow, what a great blog post you have created here, I love your use of pictures and bolded titles! I enjoy how you mentioned Mills’ formula for nature guiding as I am sure many of us can use these points to lead the way when thinking about what kind of interpreter we aspire to be. I especially like the point about “giving flesh and blood to cold facts” because to be honest, I think that sometimes scientific facts can be dry and unentertaining to many people. However, when we learn to share the excitement of nature with others so that they can feel the same way we do, we can agree that we are doing well as interpreters.

I also really appreciate how you mentioned that one of your beliefs is to share your knowledge with others in an inclusive way. I was just thinking yesterday how one of the challenging parts about university is that you are around so many smart and knowledgeable people everyday, but at times you cannot even understand them because the information that is presented to you is beyond your scope of understanding at that instant. Like you mentioned, if we all put in effort to communicate with others so that everyone can digest the information being put forth to them, we would all benefit. As a nature interpreter, it’s crucial to be compassionate and to educate others so that our love for the natural world can transpire to them!

Good luck in the future and I hope your passion for nature only grows!

This was a very daunting post to write. 

I feel as though the question of my “personal ethic” as a nature interpreter is something that’s always in the back of my mind. Upon reflection, I realized that I have some conflicted feelings about referring to myself as a nature interpreter and that I don’t feel entirely comfortable thinking of myself as one. I think that the term “Nature Interpreter” alludes to a certain amount of expertise and authority, and there’s a part of me that doesn’t feel like I’ve developed enough skills or done enough work to claim that authority and I think this ties back to one of my bigger issues: My reluctance to call myself an environmentalist.

On one hand, the natural world is very important to me. Nature is something that’s always brought me a lot of joy and wonder, and I feel very strongly about how it’s worth protecting. That being said, I always hesitate to call myself an environmentalist because no matter what I do, I never quite feel like I’ve earned that title because I always feel like I could have done more. This could be down to a sort of impostor syndrome that makes me feel as though my values will forever be undermined by all the plastic straws I’ve used over the course of my life.

However, reading some of the blog posts and reflections here has made me question some of the self-doubt I’ve been carrying. I’ve picked up on a love, reverence, and passion you all have for the natural world, and I don’t think I would hesitate to call any of you nature interpreters or environmentalists, regardless of whether you used a plastic grocery bag or ordered something from Amazon in the past week. Going forward, I’m going to extend the same grace towards myself, especially now that I understand how valuable that grace can be.  

During one of our podcast episodes, my team and I spoke about the importance of learning and speaking about environmental issues, and how changing hearts and minds can make a positive impact. Looking back, it feels as though making that claim while doubting whether I can call myself an environmentalist is a little hypocritical. I think that something as simple as calling yourself an environmentalist can be a powerful act of nature interpretation. It’s a simple act, but by using that label, you’re telling people that nature has a great deal of value to you, and that can help spread awareness. That being said, I don’t think it’s enough to adopt the label. I think that calling yourself an environmentalist or a nature interpreter comes with responsibilities, and I think those responsibilities vary based on your skills or your passions.

I think that developing my skills and my approach to nature interpretation has value beyond what I can personally do to help the environment. I was struck by how much I enjoyed the podcast assignment. In fact, after my team and I finished recording our second podcast, I was reminded of unit nine where we were asked to reflect on what gets us fired up.

I found that writing the script, and especially writing some of the more interpretive aspects of our podcasts, was challenging in a way that was really engaging to me. I was reminded that making inaccessible content make sense to more people is something that gives me a real sense of purpose and that there were moments during the podcast assignment where I genuinely did feel “fired up.”        

My team chose urban forestry as our podcast topic, and I was doing research on and working on the scripts, I was reminded of how fascinating and important urban forests can be. (It also reminded me of how fascinating urban planning can be, but I imagine that’s not as universal of an experience.) On top of that, recording the podcast gave me a chance to have a conversation about something I care about with people who feel the same way and even though it was a scripted conversation, I think it did a lot to lift my mood. Altogether, the podcast assignment got me feeling animated and excited in a way that’s been harder and harder to come by.  

I think it’s been difficult for a lot of us to get “fired up” over the past two years. I think that as we become more connected as a society, we become more exposed to and aware of threats to climate, economic and social justice. While I believe that this is ultimately a positive impact, I think that it also makes us more vulnerable to mental and emotional burnout and the added impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic As difficult as it may be, I think these threats and drains on our mental health make it more important than ever to find sources of passion, and I think that nature might be one of the most important sources of passion that I have.

I know that when I started this class, I thought that most of my value as a nature interpreter would be rooted in my skills as a communicator. I think that my work here has confirmed that I do have those skills and that they’re valuable skills to have. However, I think that I also uncovered some of my blind spots, and a lot of skills I need to develop as I move forward in this field.

I loved reading your blog post! I would like to tell you that I think you are undermining your skills as nature interpreter! From reading even just this one blogpost of yours, you have taught me new information about nature so that very much makes you a nature interpreter, whether you know it or not. I understand what you mean when you say you hesitate to call yourself an environmentalist because you feel that even though you have implemented small changes, they never feel like they are enough. I feel this way too sometimes, but then I remember that small changes by many people make BIG differences, so we have to continue doing them. It’s important for anyone to not feel guilty if they used a plastic straw or plastic bag one too many times in their life. What is important, however, is that we have learned to do better and we are putting these good habits into effect. When we teach and encourage others to do the same, we are acting as nature interpreters.

I find it amazing that through this course you were not only able to further grow your strong skills as a communicator, you were also able to unveil where you need to improve as well. At the end of the day, I believe that is all you can ask of yourself and you must be proud that you know how and where to improve in the future. Ultimately, that is how we grow as humans. I think that wherever life takes you after this course, if you share your joy of nature with others and make small changes to protect the environment, you are on the right path.

I wish you the best luck in your future endeavours and hope you continue to grow a passion for nature interpretation.

Picture this, you’re on a walk through a forest and you’ve reached the top of a steep hill. Out of breath, you take a short pause and look around to see where you are. To your left is the cliff edge and beyond that you can see the far stretch of trees hugging a narrow river that appears to end in a large lake. From your point of view, you can see a couple of turkey vultures swooping through the sky in lazy circles above a small clearing in the forest below.

To the right, there is the dense forest and you hear the sound of birds talking up a storm from within the cover of leaves. Out of the corner of your eye you see a small chipmunk dart across the ground and disappear within a hollow log. At your feet, you see an organized line of ants marching in unison towards a dead insect on the ground not to far away. Most incredibly, in front of you is a small family of white tail deer eyeing you suspiciously.

The Takeaway from this story is that everywhere you look in nature, there is life. In my opinion this is the most beautiful part of nature because it puts things into perspective that there’s a whole other world besides our own. In this case, our world simply involved hiking a trail and taking in the views, but there is so much more to it than just that. Think of all the many ecosystems that surround us anytime we are out in nature. If we really stop to look, we’ll find how truly amazing and interconnected all of nature is.

Beyond the animals, there is also the life of plants, fungi and even the organisms we can’t see like bacteria! Everything has a home in nature and as major influencers of habitats, it is our job to preserve this. Similar to our unit on history, it is important for us to remember the importance of nature and put forth conservation strategies to save as much as we can. As we all know, nature is incredibly sensitive and it is truly a shame that we continue to lose it as a result of our human footprint.

If we continue this way, there will be no more wild turkey vultures flying the sky, no chipmunks scurrying across the forest floors, no long stretches of forest and no sounds of birds singing in the trees. Personally, there’s a lot of nature I take for granted because I have constant access to it, but I can’t imagine a world without being surrounded by nature.

I would love to hear about any experiences you have had with nature that truly showed you the vibrancy of life within it.

Thanks so much for reading!

Thank you for your beautiful story at the beginning of your post! From the moment you said, “Picture this...” I was truly able to imagine the scenario you were writing, and I felt like it was real life! As interpreters, I think that the skill of story telling is an important one to become familiar with as we are able to captivate the attention of our audiences and cause them to think of new ideas that they wouldn’t have thought of before. Great job for having this skill and using it so amazingly!

I also think one of the most amazing things about nature is that there is life everywhere! In this week’s blog post, I wrote about how impressive it is that every aspect in an ecosystem works together, and as soon as you remove or add one component, it can all be disturbed. I completely agree with you when you say that we must preserve the Earth to maintain its beauty. In our textbook, it states how nature interpreters have to teach their audience about the importance of this preservation and how to mitigate climate change so that future generations can enjoy nature too.

You and I agree that the interconnectedness of nature is what is so great about it. I think what we can all learn from it is to try the best we can to maintain the balance within our world, and to live in unison with one another.

Awesome job on your post Georgi, I really enjoyed reading it!

When I think about music and nature, they are very similar to me. When I am out in nature, I believe the sounds of the leaves, grass, creatures and everything around me makes beautiful music. Therefore when I think about where music is in nature and vice versa, I believe that they can be the same thing. As talked about in my previous blog posts, I have a special connection with nature as it helps me with my anxiety when I can feel nature and listen to its sounds. I have a similar connection with nature and with music, because just as the sounds and feelings of nature can help clear my head, music gives me a similar feeling. Therefore if I don’t have the opportunity or time to go out into nature and experience it, I try to listen to music to experience the same calmness. Although music doesn’t give me the exact same feeling as nature as I can’t physically see it or feel it as I can when I am outside in nature. I am still grateful to be able to make a connection with music when I don’t have nature available.

My favourite song connection to nature is from my favourite Disney movie Pocahontas. The song “Colors of the Wind” immediately brings me back to this pathway formed between these huge pine trees near my old house. The line in the song “come run the hidden pine trails of the forest” brings me visually back to this very spot and the happiness I feel when I am there. I used to spend hours there just listening to trees and wind around me and I would find such peace being there. It may sound cliche but I truly loved just listening to this song because of its important reminders of nature. I also love this song for the respect it gives to nature. The lines such as “you think you own whatever land you land on, the earth is just a dead thing you can claim” and “the rainstorm and the rivers are my brothers, the heron and the otter are my friends” are very powerful reminders. They remind us that everything in nature has a life too and we should respect it as much as we respect each other. I also think it has an important message of getting out and feeling nature and “rolling in the riches all around you” as we have such a beautiful world, that we should be enjoying and exploring and not destroying.

Let me know if you know any other songs that give respect to nature. Another one of my favourites that I have a special connection with to nature is “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King. “There's more to see than can ever be seen” (The Lion King, Disney) so let's get outside and feel our connection to nature.

Awesome job on your blogpost this week! I think it is great that you use nature as a method to cope with your anxiety. Moreover, it is amazing that even when you do not have access to the sounds of the outdoors, you know to play music to put yourself at ease. I believe that nature has a special energy associated with it - it can bring you feelings of peace, calmness, and it can reduce stress. These feelings are all because our body releases endorphins that make us feel happier, similar to when we eat chocolate or exercise!

I love how you mentioned that one of the reasons you like that particular Pocahontas song is because it pays respect to nature. I think this respect is especially important due to the fact that the song is made for a younger audience. There is a lot of value in teaching children from a young age to take care of the Earth and preserve all things natural because they can disappear! Your song has acted as a nature interpreter for you and I’m sure many other children as it has provoked positive feelings towards nature.

One last thought for you - how do you think you have been able to interpret nature through music as I know it plays a large role in life? What are other ways in which you witness the importance of nature through songs and their creativity?

Once again, great job writing this week’s post and I look forward to reading more from you.

Do ancient things have no unique merit?

The following quote suggests, or should I say states, this as true.

“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 agree with this statement. Without the stories that make the ancient things have meaning, the object is merely an object. History makes the place breathe with human presence representing those from the past, those in the present, and those in the future. In Beck et al., significant historical place is referred to as “place of memory”. This statement personifies the essence of a history. Memories can have a great impact on the feelings invoked at a certain place. These memories could describe a place of joy and celebration, a place of sadness and grief, or a place with great importance to the ecosystem.

Sharing information, stories and historical events can inspire visitors to conserve that place for future generations.

Let's consider Dreamer’s Rock on Whitefish River First Nation Reserve as an example as to how this applies in the real world. Take a look at the image below…

Photo Credit: https://continuouswave.com/saillogs/nc2008/images/3.5_DreamersRock.jpg

What do you see?

It looks like a beautiful place.

It looks like a place with a thriving ecosystem.

It looks like a place with recreation opportunities.

What this picture doesn’t share is the importance of this place to the Anishnaabek people of Whitefish River First Nation. This place has been a place of spiritual importance for many generations. Youth were sent to Dreamer's Rock to fast and receive their name. Dreamer’s Rock has seen many generations of Anishnaabek youth find purpose, find themselves, and strengthen their connection with nature. Dreamer's Rock is a place where human beings connect with nature and defines our place in this world. To learn more about Dreamer’s Rock, visit: The Legend Of Dreamer's Rock: Anishinaabe Chi Manitouwabi Wajiwan (HD) - YouTube

What did you take away from this experience?

Perhaps at first glance you thought “I might want to visit this place for the scenery and nature”. Knowing the history of this place, you might now approach this place with reverence and respect for what this place means for so many generations of Anishnaabek people. You might be moved by the ancient things at this site. You might grant them more merit than if they merely existed without the stories that bring Dreamer’s Rock to life. History and storytelling allows these memories to be passed through generations so that future people can appreciate the beauty and strength of this place.

My title of this blog post: history is the past, present and future was intended to invoke feelings of being present with all generations. We often think of history as the past, those events that have occurred. In reality we are a part of history every day. These occurrences today will define the future. In this way history is indeed a living thing. In nature interpretation this connection to history can help the observer appreciate lessons we can apply today and how that might impact the future generations.

Source:

To begin, I have to compliment you on your writing. I could ‘hear’ your voice through your thoughtful words, and was able to evoke feelings in me to prove that you are grasping the interpretive skills that you have learned thus far in real life situations - great job!

I agree with you when you said that teaching stories and historical events encourages visitors to conserve the land for future generations. I find that when we are aware of the past events that occurred in a certain place, and the happy or trying times that people were faced with, it makes it feel special and worthy of being preserved. For instance, when I was in Rome, it is amazing to see that these massive natural marble structures made thousands of years ago were built by man power alone. In a way it makes you feel more inclined to respect it because you respect the effort that went into making it and want everyone to be able to witness the beauty of it.

I appreciate you sharing the picture and story of Indigenous people and their history at Dreamer’s Rock. As audience members, you taught us the past event that occurred, and its significance and meaning to the Anishnaabek people. Relating to Edward Hyams’ quote, I believe that First Nations people exemplify the train metaphor utilized by teaching generations to live in harmony with nature, and to be grateful for all that it has and will provide for its people. 

If you are interested in Indigenous people and nature, here is a great article I read that describes how they view their relationships with the natural world - https://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/pdf/tek-salmon-2000.pdf

This course and the prompts each week have allowed me to reflect on a lot of positive memories in my life that have to do with nature. Regarding this week's open-ended prompt, I was able to give consideration to many substantial moments in nature that I have experienced. Specifically, I would like to share about my childhood memories travelling to Cuba!

With Cuba being a go-to tourist destination, it is always an adventure. I used to go every summer for one or two weeks with my entire extended family. More recently, I have gone many times with my closest friends. When I was younger, going outside of the resort to embrace the locals and their traditions was always my favourite. We would go to the busiest parts of Havana to see beautiful families full of different generations making the most out of life. Cuba is a country with a lot of problems economically and politically, however they all make the most of their beautiful environment and the nature around them to enjoy life to the fullest. Whether it's the children outside playing sports or the adults gardening and farming, they have learned a unique and very special way of nature interpretation that we may never understand. The simplicity that they live in keeps them distracted from materialism and consumerism. Though there is a lot of improvement to be done in the country, the conversations I have had with locals tells me that they are very happy to be embraced by nature.

When I have gone more recently, I have been able to try my own ways of nature interpretation with friends. Swimming in some of the clearest, most beautiful ocean water I have ever seen, hiking for hours on end through the blistering yet amazing heat, or looking for shells and learning about new animals are just some of the most beautiful parts of nature interpretation I like to experience when I am there. One of my favourite memories of my Cuba trips with friends is when we partook on an extremely long walk down the ocean line. At one point, walking through the water was our only option and we suddenly became swarmed by flying fish! There were hundreds, maybe thousands of these fish surrounding us as we walked through. I was annoyed at first, however it is such a surreal experience to look back on! When I came back home, I did my own proper research on these fish and learned so much. This small, funny experience allowed for me to interpret nature in a way I could not have done without the privilege of travelling to such a beautiful country.

Great job on your blog post! You captured me with your post’s photo, and then I couldn’t stop reading until the end. I find it very funny how it seems like every family who has visited Cuba or down south takes similar family photos on the beach! I feel like I have a few of the same pictures with my siblings and I posing in front of our giant sandcastles too!

While I have only stayed on the resorts when visiting Cuba, I can imagine how the Cuban people appreciate the beautiful environment around them. From my own observations in similar experiences, I find it amazing how typically the countries with much less economic success seem to live more fulfilling lives. They do not worry about the material goods that they have, or how much money is in their bank account, rather they absorb the little things in life, like nature. I think that that is something we can all learn from these people - that happiness does not come from wealth or status.

I find it amazing how as you got older and more independent, you were able to learn new methods of interpretation. The fact that you tried new things shows that you are growing and finding your own identity, in nature interpretation in this case. Your funny experience with the fish give you further reason to find fulfillment in trying new things!

Great job on your post, I enjoyed reading about how nature interpretation was tied into your Cuban adventures!

As an individual who has always been passionate about the arts, I find this week’s question very inspiring. Naturally, I have always been drawn to the arts, specifically the visual and performing arts. I find that being able to portray a message or a story through pieces of work such as paintings, sculptures, or pictures is a very unique talent. Visual art pieces can come in so many different ways and can be interpreted differently by each person. I think that visual art interpretation is a very special area of interest for people because the story/message that the artist is trying to demonstrate can be understood in different way by each person admiring said art piece. 

In addition to visual art, works of performing art are also a very large part of almost everyone’s lives. I think that a lot of people do not realize that music is a form of art. I think that a large majority of people use music to help them get through a traumatic, or to brighten their mood. I don’t know a single person who doesn’t use music in their life frequently. I personally do not think that I could live without music as it has always been a big part of my life. Typically, artists write songs to portray emotions or experiences that they may be going through or have happened to them in the past. I believe that music can be interpreted different ways by each listener but overall it has always been a strong form to portray a message or story.

To start, great job on your blog post! I am happy to hear that you were inspired about this week’s topic, it was excellently translated through your passionate words. I really enjoyed how you mentioned that music is a form of art - I completely agree with you. I love how music can bring your back to a single moment in time, and it can remind you and make you feel happy, sad, proud, and excited, just to name a few. Musicians are very talented in what they do, and I think we should all give them a lot of credit for being able to listen and feel the rhythm to make great songs.

I think that we are all very fortunate that we live in a time where taking photos is quick and easy because it helps us remember the beauty that we saw in nature. Not only are we able to enjoy these photos, but we are also able to share them with the world on social media so that they can see the beauty as well.

Another great thing that you mentioned was how Mother Nature has quite literally created a work of art for us. All of the human senses are evoked when we step into nature, making for amazing experiences that add lots of value to our lives! We have so much to be grateful for on Earth, and nature is certainly one of the highest ones! One of the most fulfilling and uplifting forms of art can be just outside our windows.

Once again, excellent job on your blog post! I look forward to reading more from you!