Humans: Guilty as Charged!
Nature has been an enchanting wonderland that I love exploring and learning about. But it wasn't always like this. I discovered my love of nature through watching countless documentaries and docuseries' on Animal Planet. Out of all the shows I watched back then, my favourites were always where humans saved domestic and non-domestic animals. However, it was usually humans that put these animals in these situations in the first place. At this moment, I realized that it was humans that were the cause of most of the environmental issues plaguing society today.
Pollution, humans do it every day - from oil spills in the ocean to our morning commute, humans are the sole contributors to most if not all pollution in the world. Humans are causing global warming and the melting of our ice caps. Humans are poaching endangered species to the point of extinction. Honestly, the list goes on and on. I wonder how ethically, we as humans, continue to participate in these harmful practices without thinking about the consequences.
Are we insane? After all, as Albert Einstein said, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different resultsâ.Don't get me wrong; I'm guilty of this, too, at times. Most people are often unaware of how their actions may be negatively impacting the world around us. For many, ignorance is bliss. This is why I believe that our responsibility as this generation's nature interpreters is to educate and inspire people regarding issues that matter. After all, "people must care about before they care for" (Beck et al., 2018, p. 60). What is one way you are environmentally conscious in your everyday life?
This summer, I worked as a scale operator at my community recycling centre. Sounds glamourous, right? I promise it really isn't â "community recycling centre" is just a fancy way of saying community dump. I was surprised to learn just how little I knew and how little the general public knew about sorting waste through my work there. Countless times, residents would argue with me because they believed something that was considered garbage to be recyclable. As an environmental issue, I know this seems like something very minute. Still, I believe it is an excellent representation of the lack of knowledge people have regarding ecological issues as a whole. Since working there, I have taken on the responsibility of educating friends and family members on the dos and don'ts of recycling.
Did you know that although books are primarily recyclable, hardcovers are not? When you recycle a book, you need to remove the hardcover and put it into the garbage. Then the rest can go into the recycling!
I don't know about you guys but, I am an animal lover through and through. I believe that all animals, from dogs to snails, deserve respect. Here is a photo of some of the cute furry friends that I have in my life to prove this to you. Of course, I'd love to see some pictures of yours too if you'd like to share!
I believe that wild animals should remain wild. I have watched many shows where people bought and sold wild animals such as lion cubs as house pets. Once these animals grew up, people often discarded them as trash which is extremely disheartening. There is usually a misconception that if a wild animal is hand raised, they are no longer a danger to humans. When handlers learn this isn't the case many times, it is too late. Just because wild animals are not living in the wild does not mean that you've taken the "wild" out of them.
I also believe that animals should not be kept in zoos or marine aquariums; it is unethical. When necessary, I understand that wildlife rehabilitation centres can be great for educational purposes because they allow interpreters to emphasize environmental stewardshipâallowing visitors to see these animals can facilitate discussion on important topics of wildlife management and conservation (Beck et al., 2018, p. 95-96). Although I know it's the best place for animals that cannot be wholly rehabilitated, I believe that no animal should have to live out the entirety of its life in a small enclosure. These enclosures often have substantial negative impacts on animals. A great example that comes to mind for me of the adverse effects of captivity on animals is that of Tilikum, the captive killer whale in the documentary Blackfish. If you haven't watched the film, I strongly suggest you do!
This video does a great job of summarizing why captivity is unethical and mentions some other unsettling cases. If you have time, have a watch and let me know some of your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree?
"Our most important audiences might be our smallest and youngest ones" (Beck et al., 2018, p. 144).
I believe it is imperative that we educate children of all ages - children are our last hope for the future (Beck et al., 2018, p. 144). This is an approach I'd love to take. I love teaching kids new things about nature, especially since I have only younger cousins and have been unintentionally doing this all my life. Children are developing their morals, values, and belief systems at young ages and, therefore, are the most impressionable (Beck et al., 2018, p.144). As interpreters, we have the privilege to shape and inspire the interest of these future generations (Beck et al., 2018, p. 144). To do so successfully, our responsibility as environmental interpreters is to provide age-appropriate environmental education (Rodenburg, 2019). It's essential to remember that children learn best through stories, experiences and discovery (Rodenburg, 2019). We must not forget that "interpreters impact the future by interpreting to children today" (Beck et al., 2018, p. 144).
There are not enough words in this post to help me describe to the full extent all the beliefs I bring to being a nature interpreter. But I can tell you that they mostly revolve around having respect for the natural world. While developing all these beliefs, I learned the importance of advocating for what is right. We learned that advocacy is defined as taking public action regarding important issues (Beck et al., 2018, p. 469). Since the environment can't advocate for itself, I believe it is my responsibility to advocate on its behalf. This can be a bit overwhelming because it seems impossible that one 22-year-old girl living in rural Caledon could make an impact. But, regardless of this, it's worth a shot! This is why I believe the conservationist approach to nature interpretation is well suited for me.
This is Karissa signing off :)
References
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.
Rodenburg, J. (2019, June 17). Why environmental educators shouldn't give up hope. Clearing Magazine. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300
Hello Karissa,
I also love watching animal documentaries. Especially the ones available on YouTube, I could spend hours watching them! Here is a video from BBC Earth. Itâs about a talking gorilla named Koko!!!
Animals are truly wonderful and offer so much to this world, but it is a shame that many of the issues that they must deal with are caused by humans. I watched the Blackfish documentary on Netflix a few years back and it broke my heart! Animals kept in captivity have always struck me as a horrible practice, but especially one at that scale and size.Â
As you said, ignorance is bliss and itâs easy to do things for our own conveniences without thinking about the repercussions. For example, a lot of the time I prefer driving since itâs faster and I donât waste energy walking everywhere. I donât think of how the usage of my car is affecting the environment, yet I get mad at people for not taking care of the environment. I try to remind others not to litter and recycle anything that I can. Regardless, everyone has their own ecological footprint and itâs crucial to be aware of it with our daily practices.Â
Itâs hard to believe that we can make significant change, but itâs definitely possible if we can reach even one person! The domino effect only needs one domino to move to cause a chain reaction, and this can work especially when educating others. I respect the work that you have done and appreciate your love for the natural world. It makes me want to actively be more environmentally conscious in my everyday life!
-Steven



















