Neature!

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

I absolutely love your “Steven’s Code of Ethics”! As fun as it was to read your post, I appreciate the seriousness of your listed ethics (I think you nailed it with all 5!). Your connection to physiotherapy was great and I of course thoroughly enjoyed the pug GIF. I too wrote about the importance of equality in nature interpretation and I agree that interacting with many different types of people requires many different approaches depending on who they are. Equality is a much greater aspect of nature interpretation than I originally thought, but ensuring everyone feels they have a right to experience nature is a main goal I hope to accomplish. Although as you mentioned, easier said than done! I think if we all continue to approach nature interpretation with inclusion in mind, and focus on listening to one another about our concerns and needs, we can work towards creating a welcoming and accepting environment for everyone wishing to connect with nature. The example you gave of your grandparents reminds me of a time when I once heard someone say they couldn’t keep up with the younger generations. They were referencing a hiking trail along a river, and I think this would have been an optimal time to remind them that competition is not what nature is about. Nobody should feel they don’t belong in nature simply because someone else can “experience it better” than them. Nature is for everyone.

Thank you for sharing, I hope you have a great week!

Originally, I was not quite sure how to approach this question because it is not a topic often discussed. Upon further reflection, I came to the conclusion that my nature ethics are based upon respecting and preserving the nature we have left. The longer I thought about it, the more my mind kept gravitating towards the idea of climate change and how we are both the ones to blame and the only ones who can alleviate it.

Currently, I am taking a course on climate change and I did not expect for it to affect me on such a personal level. Every class we discuss seemingly simple topics that hold such a heavy and long-lasting impression on us because the theory we learn is our own reality. I have to admit, sometimes I get really sad because I feel that our individual efforts to stop climate change is becoming more and more hopeless. Learning about the future projections of climate change and its affect on our nature is incredibly disheartening and I can’t believe that there are people that still do not believe in this.

It is awfully concerning to me that everyone is so focused on human centric ethics that they overlook the bigger picture, which is our climate and the nature around us. As David Suzuki mentioned in his talk with Richard Louv, we are so quick to rush to the cities and become more urbanized that we lose our connection to nature (Suzuki & Louv, 2012). I believe that strictly embracing urbanism has resulted in nature losing its significance to us. Consequently, we betray nature by removing it from our lives and replacing it with technology and harmful industrialization.

This state of mind goes against all of my nature ethics and I hope to never fall into that mindset. Over the duration of this course, I feel that I have increased my connection to nature through interpretation. I believe that I have a better understanding of how to apply my ethics to nature in a way that benefits the world and increases awareness to climate change. As David and Richard discussed, it is important to find ways to reconnect with nature so that it is not lost to future generations. David specifically explained that urban areas need to be inclusive of nature in order to encourage the conservational efforts of preserving and celebrating nature (Suzuki & Louv, 2012). By doing so, people who have lost their connection to nature can rediscover it and form their own nature ethics.

As I have said in previous blog posts, nature to me is a very personal and precious part of my life that I love to share with other. As Beck mentions, the ‘gift of nature’ evokes emotion and sparks an instinct within the perceivers to protect that which they have (Beck et al., 2018). For me, nature has always been a gift that I have been inclined to protect from being destroyed by myself or others. My responsibility as an interpreter is to express my thoughts and encourage those around me to interpret and experience nature together.

This involves initiating conversations about nature, exploring conservational methods, donating to nature fundraisers and teaching anyone who will listen. In fact, this reminds me of a conversation I recently had with a woman at the park. I was sitting on a bench and looking at the ducks when a lady approached me and began to engage in small talk. She innocently proclaimed that she wish she had some bread to feed to the ducks and asked if I had any. As someone who studies zoology, I know that bread is actually really bad for ducks but because of the common stereotype, a lot of people still feed them bread. So, I told her about this and explained that she too should tell other people not to feed the ducks bread but instead go for more nutritional options the ducks can digest.

This encounter is the way I prefer practicing my nature ethics because I do not want to use hostility to prove my point. Technically, I could have gotten mad at the lady for feeding the duck and I could have yelled at her for potentially causing a lot of health problems for them. Instead, I took this as a great opportunity to share my knowledge and spread awareness so that nature can persevere.

Ideally, I would like to focus my efforts on children because they are the future and they determine how nature will be treated in the future. As Rodenburg wrote in his article, we need to create nature-rich communities that allow kids to feel a deep and abiding love for living systems so that they can move beyond sustainability and focus on acts of regeneration (Rodeburg, 2019). Evidently, the future generations are our only hope at improving climate change and instilling nature ethics within the majority of the human population.

I would love to hear about ways you think we help spread nature appreciation to current and future generations.

Thank you so much for reading!

-Georgi :) 

References:

Link to article: Why Environmental Educators Shouldn’t Give Up Hope | CLEARING: A Nonprofit Magazine for Environmental Education in the Pacific Northwest (clearingmagazine.org)

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

I strongly relate to your blog post this week. I also wrote about protecting the environment, as it is something that holds great importance to me. I believe you are right for discussing how it should also be important to others, as our well being depends on it. Focusing on children is an essential way of ensuring our futures are going into the right hands, for the generations to come will have to mitigate the many climate challenges ahead. Although I agree that children are an important target demographic, I do believe continuing to educate people of all ages will make the greatest difference. Especially since younger generations do not yet hold enough power to make the drastic changes we need to fight climate change. So, your example of casually correcting an innocent woman is a great way to help spread nature appreciation. Especially since it’s educating someone on something they’re clearly already interested in. I agree that casual corrections or conversations are great ways to instil knowledge in others without being condescending or angry towards those who perhaps do not know any better.

I think it’s worth noting that although technology has driven many of us further from nature, it may also act as a way to connect us. Especially since younger generations tend to use technology a lot, walking the fine line between too much technology and using it strategically to gain interest in nature is something I think will be extremely beneficial.

Thanks again for sharing, and I hope you have a good week!

Hey Everyone!!

I hope everyone’s first podcasts went well last week, it honestly felt a little weird not having a blog post but I am so excited for this weeks! 

I personally found this week’s prompt a little difficult because there are just so many amazing things about nature, so it is hard for me to narrow it down. But, I have decided to share my passion for the ocean with all of you! For me, the ocean is one of the most incredible parts of nature. The crazy part is there is still so much that we do not know about it. Did you know that over 80 percent of the ocean has yet to be explored. 80 percent! That is so unbelievable to me. How is it that we have explored so much of the Earth and even space, but have yet to explore the entire ocean? It is so mind boggling to me. Just think about how much we still have to learn from the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it!

In this units chapter, Beck et al. mention how “oceans are the lifeblood of the planet”, which reminded me of the saying that the ocean is like the lungs of the planet. Our oceans are actually our largest source of oxygen, which is a fact that always takes me by surprise. My first thought when I think about oxygen production is always trees and plants. So I think it is really amazing that most of the world’s oxygen is provided by the ocean. For being our largest source of oxygen, you would think that we would take better care of it, but unfortunately that is not the case. We need to do a better job of protecting and conserving our oceans and the incredible species that live within them (Beck et al, 2018).  We need to do more as interpreters to help educate and inform people about how important and special ocean ecosystems are so that we can inspire more people to help protect them (Beck et al, 2018 ). I personally would love to work at an aquarium so that I could help instil in others the same passion that I have for the ocean.

For as long as I can remember I have been in love with the ocean. I’ve always loved watching nature documentaries on the ocean and marine species. Marine animals are some of my favourites, I absolutely adore whales, sea turtles, and even sharks. One of my favourite nature documentaries is called Blackfish and it shines light on the horrors of SeaWorld and the consequences of keeping large whales in captivity, specifically Orcas. If you’re interested in marine life and animal care, I highly recommend giving it a watch! It also stands as a reminder that interpreters can make mistakes and we must learn and grow from them. I’m sure SeaWorld started out as a way to connect people with these gorgeous animals, but unfortunately it is not what is best for the animals or the people working with these animals. Now, as I learn more about nature interpretation through this course, I understand that it is a constantly changing and growing discipline. We can learn from the mistakes of places like SeaWorld and strive to be better.

I wanted to end this post with some pictures of the ocean that I took on a trip to Halifax. It is the only time I’ve ever seen the ocean but I desperately want to go back and go whale watching. 

All in all, I just think that the ocean is really awesome and I hope that as we continue to learn about this incredible ecosystem, we will start to do better in order to protect it.

Lauren :)

The overwhelming amount of amazing nature facts also made it very difficult for me to choose just one topic to talk about this week. But, I really love that you chose the ocean as I think it connects to a wide variety of natural subjects given how biodiverse and large it is! That being said, I do find it crazy that such a large percentage of the ocean has never been explored. It’s possible the ocean is even more biodiverse than we currently assume!

I agree that protecting our ocean is essential in not only supporting aquatic ecosystems, but for supporting the lives of people. Working in an aquarium would be a great way to educate others on the importance of protecting the ocean! I’m curious to know if you’re interested in any other career paths that assist in ocean protection, such as research? I also think it’s great you mentioned that protecting our planet is an ongoing learning process. I personally find that sometimes climate justice has become more of an argument for the sake of arguing, instead of focusing on what’s important. Just like your SeaWorld example, people may get angry with SeaWorld for as long as they want, but focusing too much on reprimanding may take away from energy that could be put towards actively helping our ocean ecosystems.

Thank you for sharing your pictures of the ocean from Halifax, and for advocating for the ocean!

Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?

I was really excited to learn more about this week’s topic as music holds a significant place in my life. I consider a few of my close friends and family to be talented musicians, and I make a lot of music myself. I wouldn’t consider myself a professional by any means, but it is something that brings me immense joy regardless of skill-level.

Gray, P. et al. (2001) defines music as, “patterns of sound varying in pitch and time produced for emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive purposes”. But music is much more than just songs that we hear on the radio or instrumental background noise.

Gray, P. et al (2001) mentions how there are numerous natural sounds that are only heard in certain parts of the world. However, technological advances make it possible for us to share these sounds with one another. I’m sure a lot of us know what a whale call sounds like, but how many of us have actually heard it first hand? It really is amazing how technology has allowed us to experience so many things without having personally done them ourselves. These sounds contribute to the overall ambience that is prominent in natural habitats. This can be considered the music of nature (Gray et al., 2001). These sounds that are created by nature itself are often utilized in many forms of media to capture attention. For instance, nature sounds playing in the background of movies or podcasts are often used. I’ve even used study playlists on Spotify that are simply natural sounds such as rain falling or birds singing as background noise to help me focus. These are all ways in which the music of nature is used in nature interpretation. These sounds help “transport” people into these natural settings without actually going there and provoke emotions in listeners.

What I find really interesting is how these natural sounds have similar patterns, rhythms and overall structures as the music we create as humans. Going back to the whales, their whale songs often follow patterns or rules that are the same as human-made music (Gray et al., 2001). It seems that music is something that connects all of us, including other animal species. Although our music does of course sound very different from whales and other species, we incorporate many aspects of natural music into our version of music and other forms of media (such as the examples previously mentioned).

Music can also remind us of certain things. A song that takes me back to a natural landscape is the song “If You Need To, Keep Time On Me” by the Fleet Foxes. I listened to this song a lot while traveling around many different natural places. Whether it was a walk in the woods in Guelph, or a hike in the Canadian Rockies, or in the car sightseeing in Iceland, I often found myself listening to this song. Now every time I hear it, it reminds me of the outdoors, and I still listen to it lots whenever I'm driving.

Many other songs remind me of nature, and I’m excited to see what songs some of you guys post about!

-Kendra :)

References

Firstly, I just wanted to say I loved the photos you posted, particularly the road and mountain landscape is stunning and I love that when you hear that song by Fleet Foxes, it takes you back to exploring the outdoors. Similar to you, music holds a special place in my life therefore this week's blog post was very exciting. I am not any kind of musician, however I love making music with everything I find outside or around my house. I also used to play a lot of instruments so I can appreciate the hard work that goes into being a musician. I admire that making music plays such a huge part in your life and I encourage you to hold onto that.

I really enjoyed reading your perspective of nature sounds in the background of movies and podcasts. I have definitely heard sounds in the background of media, however never focused on it enough to realize its music. I tend to get so focused on the media itself that I forget to listen to the background. However, without these background sounds, it wouldn't set the scene for movies or podcasts that we enjoy so much. I love that you mentioned a whale call and that very sound is what got me into science. The first time I saw a whale and heard it's beautiful music, I knew I wanted a career in science. As soon as I saw that whale, I knew I wanted to protect these beautiful creatures so their music could continue on for generations. I am so grateful that technology has allowed us to hear so many pieces to the whale sound that we may have never known about. However, this makes me wonder how many natural sounds we may not be able to hear with the human ear. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on whether there is more music in nature that is just beyond our level of hearing?

Thank you for taking the time to reply! I loved your question asking if there is music in nature that is beyond our level of hearing, and there is! I vaguely remember this being mentioned a few times in passing and decided to do some research to confirm for myself after you asked. It turns out many animals communicate in frequencies that are outside human hearing capabilities ("Animals communicate", 2020). I would say this suggests there is in fact music in nature that we simply cannot hear!

Thanks again for sharing, I love that you decided to pursue science after seeing a whale.

Cheers,

Kendra :)

Where is music in nature? Different animals make different sounds and when they come together, they can create a musical performance. DJ Eco Tone provides excellent examples of this by mashing up different animal sounds to create songs. Different animals have different roles in his songs with some being part of the intro and outro, others being part of the whole melody, and a select few being part of the bridge.

When I go for walks in my neighbourhood, I can identify some of these ‘performers’. During the spring, the calls of the spring peepers can be heard throughout the whole 3km loop. I can still hear the birds singing their mating calls, but they are nearly drained out by the spring peepers. Once the summer rolls around the peepers fade and the robins and red squirrels take over. Those darn red squirrels are constantly chattering!! Songs from blue jays and crows dominate the fall skies with howling wolves making special appearances. The black capped chickadees bring in the new year signalling the beginning of a new performance lineup.

Where is nature in music? Let’s look at what defines music:

“Music has been defined as patterns of sound varying in pitch and time produced for emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive purposes” (Gray et al., 2001)

Once again, we can fall back on bird calls. The black capped chickadee has 8 distinct calls. These calls have different purposes and vary in pitch and time; fitting the description of music perfectly. The most common call ‘chicka-dee-dee-dee‘ is used when a threat is nearby. The more ‘dees’ added on, the more severe the threat is. The range in notes is small and speed of the call is fast making the message seem alarming. The Halloween movie theme song has a similar speed, a small range, and also gives off an alarming response. 

The ‘hey sweetie’ or ‘cheese-burger’ call is used by males to attract mates. This call has a bigger range, longer notes, and is much cheerier sounding. The females are attracted to the song. Now if we look at L.O.V.E by Frank Sinatra, we can see that is also has a bigger range, long notes, and sounds happy.

I am sure there are more comparisons out there, but these are the 2 that I came up with and found quite interesting. More information on the chickadee calls can be found here:

https://youtu.be/LfMsUuU9KtQ

The first song that came to mind when asked what song takes you back immediately to a natural landscape is Old Pine by Ben Howard. I was introduced to this song at summer camp by one of my camp councillor friends. We were planning on preforming a song around the campfire but weren’t sure what song we wanted to do. He asked if I knew who Ben Howard was and proceeded to play Old Pine. We were sitting outside the dining hall, guitars in hand, watching the sun start to set with Ben Howard’s beautiful acoustic guitar playing in the background. If I had had enough time to learn the song, I would have 100% preformed it because it was perfect for the campfire! If you listen to the lyrics he is talking about sleeping outside beside the campfire gazing up and the starry night sky. The photo at the beginning is from that campfire where we ended up preforming Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

I found your post this week very interesting, I did not know chickadees had eight different bird calls! I found the facts you included about their alarm calls really cool, and also laughed a bit at the “cheese-burger” call. I find it interesting how different patterns in music evoke different feelings within us humans but also other species as well. Music is much more complicated than I realized, I loved learning how we have similar patterns in sounds as many other species!

I enjoyed your story about the song that connects you back to a natural landscape, as I also really love that song by Ben Howard! I find a lot of his music provides the same sort of feeling and reminds me a lot of nature too.

Thank you for sharing more information about chickadees and your song recommendations.

“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

This quote has me thinking about how important it is to be mindful of the past and not ignore what came before our current present time. Thanks to our history books and the footprints our past generations have left on the earth, it is almost impossible not to take note of our human-centered history. Whether this be in the form of ancient ruins left behind or solid standing landmarks, I am sure we can all name quite a few historical areas that represent our past.

However, as I sit here and think about the history of our earth, I seem to be drawing a blank when it comes to natural history. Come to think of it, I do not even know what used to be on the land my own house was built on not too long ago. I think if it is not human centered, it is easy for history to be lost and forgotten. After reading this unit’s material, I was reminded of how little I actually know about natural history save for the big events that shaped our earth.

Come to think of it, throughout school when history was a mandatory class, we never really went into learning about natural history. I now realize that I never quite associated history with nature because as egotistical as it sounds, I thought history only pertained to human influences. I think this state of mind is quite harmful to nature because history evokes respect and without respect, people are more inclined to damage the land for self-interest.

I realize this is all starting to sound quite negative, so I figured I would change gear. In a time when the internet is highly accessible and almost any bit of information can be figured out via a simple search, I am hopeful that natural history can be more integrated into our lives. If it is not being taught to us at school, we can still do our own research and cultivate our appreciation for earth’s past.  In fact, after writing this post, I am going to figure out what the land looked like before my house was built and what types of ecosystems thrived in the place I currently do. Moving forward, I would like to put more emphasis on natural history and share what I learn with whomever cares to listen.

If you are willing to share, I would love to hear about any interesting natural history facts or stories you have!

Thanks for reading 😊

-Georgi A

I also never realized how little natural history was incorporated into our history classes throughout school. I do think it’s interesting however, that many of the science courses I am enrolled in touch upon natural history as a key concept whether I realize it or not. The more I think about it, the more I realize without history there would be almost no understanding of many scientific concepts. We wouldn’t know weather patterns, or how mountains formed, and in extension how river systems and lakes formed either. As for Canadian geography, a large part of eastern Canada once housed mountains as tall as the Himalayas before glaciers scoured them down to the much flatter land we see today! This piece of history gives us a better understanding of how landforms around our homes work and came about. Perhaps, answering your questions as to what the land looked like before your house was built! Although that was many many years ago (thousands I believe!) so maybe the land was simply a lowland forest ecosystem before it was developed. Again, this highlights how history, including its timeline, is essential in understanding current natural history.

Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed nerding out a little bit in this post!

Recently I have been enrolled in a variety of courses that have fieldwork in nature. I’ve been looking forward to participating in studies that we more hands-on since I started university. I have always enjoyed spending my spare time hiking, exploring and teaching about the environment. As I have been spending more time outside for school work, I have found myself less inclined to spend my spare time outside. Experiencing nature with no agenda allows me to focus all my attention on the beautiful world around me and truly enjoy nature. Completing work in the field feels more like a task sometimes than a fun activity. This feeling is similar to when I use to love reading as a child and would read all the time but, when I was assigned readings in elementary school, I began to dread reading. This idea made me think if nature interpreters ever resent spending time in nature when they do it every day for work. I’ve started to realize that it is important to find a balance between the time I spend studying in nature and the free time I spend there. My goal is to take time once a week to explore and spend time in the natural world. Has anyone ever felt this way about activities or the outdoors?

It is necessary to have fun and enjoyable experiences frequently to help with mental health and personal growth. Dedicating time to do activities that bring you joy can help maintain a high quality of life (Beck et al, 2018). During stressful situations allowing yourself to have free time for leisure or hobbies is a good way to relax. I enjoy going for walks or drives to take a break from school because it is an activity where I can not get distracted by my phone.

I have definitely felt the same as you about not enjoying something anymore once it became a task instead of something I chose to enjoy freely. Quite honestly, I found I enrolled in a science program because it interested me, but the amount of work initially made me question whether I truly enjoyed my degree anymore. It took me a while to figure out a balance that works for me and doesn’t make me resent what I’m learning about. I found incorporating learning on my own terms through podcasts etc. like you mentioned, was really helpful for me. I started a wildlife biology & conservation degree because I enjoy the outdoors and all the creatures it has to offer, but making sure I don’t constantly associate nature with education has been key in allowing me to just be present and enjoy it for what it is. 

I find when I go outside and enjoy it in the moment I feel much better both mentally and physically. The times I do view nature while also thinking about concepts I’ve learned in school becomes more fun when I choose to do so, but is also just as enjoyable if it’s required for school as long as I remember to find balance. 

I like how your summer field course wasn’t strict on where/what you had to observe in nature. I think this freedom is a good example of keeping that balance, as it still allows you to do what you want as you mentioned. 

Thank you for sharing, I hope you have a good week!

Although I often see art through nature, I found this weeks prompt a little difficult. I am not a very artistic person so I had to really think about the question “who are you to interpret nature through art?”. But I do feel that I was overthinking the question. I think that we are all capable of interpreting nature through art, but maybe we just aren’t looking around to see it. The saying “stop to smell the roses” is famous for a reason, we often forget to look around and appreciate the beauty all around us. In the society we live in, everything is go go go so we often forget to stop and smell the roses. That is where I think nature interpretation comes in. 

Nature interpretation gives people the opportunity to step away from what is going on in their lives and dive in to the beautiful natural world. In chapter 5 of Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For a Better World, I learned about the principles of interpretation and “the gift of beauty”. Having “the gift of beauty” means that you as an interpreter can get others to see the beauty of whatever it is you are interpreting to them. Being able to inspire other’s imaginations, give inanimate objects a story, and open people’s eyes to the beauty of the things around them is what “the gift of beauty” entails . For me personally, I don’t have a hard time finding beauty in nature. No matter where I find myself, I try my best to take a step back from what I am doing and appreciate my surroundings. Even on the darkest, gloomiest days, there is still beauty to be found; in the sound of rain hitting the earth, in the way lightning stretches across the sky, and even in the colour of the clouds. What I think is so cool about beauty as well, is that it is subjective. What I find beautiful can be completely different from the next person and that is so exciting. It is for that reason that I think nature interpretation is so exciting as well, you get to see and hear so many different opinions on the beauty of nature. For example, an interpreter that does nature walks will have different groups of people everyday and they will each have their own perspective on the beauty of things around them. Nature interpreters can learn so much from the people they interpret to, just as the people they interpret to can learn from them. 

I wanted to end this post by sharing a few pieces of art that I have made that are inspired by nature. I am by no means an artist, but nature often inspires me. Usually when I see something in nature that I find beautiful I take a picture. My paintings however, are often of things I haven’t had the chance to see yet but I find beautiful. For example, I have attached my painting of the Northern Lights. I have always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights but I haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet. So instead of taking a photo, I painted a picture in hopes that one day I can go see the real thing (which will definitely put my painting to shame). I am similarly inspired by the ocean, thus the other two paintings I have attached are of the ocean and the beauty that it conveys.

These paintings are just one way that I interpret nature through art. Let me know how you interpret nature through art!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week, I can strongly relate to a lot of the things you mentioned such as feeling like I am not an artist, and understanding beauty is subjective. I would like to point out that I do think you are an artist though, even if you believe you are not one. Your paintings are lovely and I think anyone who creates anything is an artist. I also think the turtles are adorable! Just as you take photos, I suppose I mostly interpret nature through the art of photography, although I do not consider myself a photographer. I think I just see a lot of things in the mountains that are so beautiful it’s impossible not to take a good photo of them. I really like how you allow your imagination to create paintings of what you believe something will look like that you haven’t experienced yet. I think this is also interesting, as you only know what those things look like due to someone else’s interpretation of them through photographs and film (or other forms of media). Maybe this shows how nature is interpreted in our lives more often than we realize. I never really considered how I also have the opportunity to learn from those I am supposed to be interpreting to. I know I do not know everything, and learning from others along the way from their own experiences can only broaden my knowledge. 

Thank you for sharing, have a great thanksgiving weekend :)

Privilege can be an unidentified or unappreciated advantage that exists within our lives. These advantages can be difficult to identify or come to terms with, but we experience them everyday. Everyone is exposed to a range of privileges in our daily lives with each person’s being different. Nature offers an array of privileges such as physical and mental benefits, diversity, inclusion, and a variety of others that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Although nature seems like an entitlement to everyone, this is not always true. Geographical, costs and psychological issues can prevent individuals from benefiting from all nature has to offer.

Location is key when it comes to easy access to nature, those living in crowded cities lack the ability to do simple tasks such as hiking. The cost can also become an issue to those who are located in populated areas. Accessing tails and nature preserves is often a pricey outing as flat rates usually apply as well as the cost to travel to these locations. It can also be difficult to find the motivation or be in a proper mental state to fully appreciate what the world has to offer us.       

Beyond the privileges that are easily noted like clean drinking water, fresh air and a roof over our heads, there are a variety of advantages that I unknowingly experience in my life. I have been able to attend university and move hours away from home with my own vehicle and rent paid for. I live in a double income home and am constantly exposed to opportunities and experiences. I have been able to do horse shows my whole life as well as every other extra curricular activity you could think of. To further look into privilege, I am also a white English speaking female with a dual citizenship for Canada and the United States. These factors are just the tip of the iceberg…  

Although these aspects of my life are greatly appreciated, these are privileges and I would not be where I am today without them. Possibly my most valued privilege has been growing up in Northern Ontario. Until I moved away for university, I could not imagine a place that did not have easily accessed natural resources such as hiking trails and publicly accessible lakes. Growing up, all I ever wanted was to move to Southern Ontario and experience the fast pace lifestyle. My narrative has changed as I have realized my privilege of being exposed to nature everyday is something that makes me grateful for life. Beyond the materialistic aspects of our world, nature has so much to offer and teach us. 

I share many of the same privileges you mention in your post. I agree that often just how many privileges we have can be hard to grasp and we may not be fully aware of our advantages. I think it's great you mentioned mental health and how it relates to nature. Not just that it may be difficult to fully appreciate it if you're not mentally well, but also how having direct access to nature may directly influence mental well-being all together.

This further exemplifies how there's privilege in the smallest of things we can often overlook, and in extension how easy it is to lose appreciation for what we have. Such as you moving out of northern Ontario where access to nature is easy, into southern Ontario where it's still accessible but arguably more difficult to get to. I noticed a similar feeling when I've travelled to bigger cities, I often find I miss the presence of nature inside the concrete jungle, even though I originally found even Guelph to lack remote natural areas. I recognize Guelph has lots of green spaces, but found they were surrounded by development and experienced lots of traffic, but nothing compared to larger cities. It made me further appreciate what I had access to, but again I didn't fully realize how privileged I was until I experienced something new. I agree that nature has the ability to teach us lots, and obtaining a fundamental understanding of people's differing perspectives of nature is important for successfully interpreting information to them.

Hope you have a great week, I look forward to seeing more of your posts!