Teagan's Nature Interpretation Blog

My previous experience in the field paired with this course has taught me a lot about perspective. As an interpreter, as any form of educator really, it is my job not only to teach but to teach effectively. By doing so, I must understand my audience, the subject matter, and be able to adapt quickly to ever-changing situations. To have an amazing tour, each ingredient must be of good quality. Today I’d like to share with you my personal recipe for being an outstanding nature interpreter. 

Beginning the tour is usually the most difficult part. Being put into a leadership position with people that you just met can be scary. From the audience’s perspective, they’re dedicating a chunk of time to someone they don’t know, possibly surrounded by strangers. To break the ice, asking questions to the audience can make them more comfortable. I start with the easiest questions, ones that have no wrong answer such as “where are you from?” and I tell them about myself, so everyone gets to know each other. Later I ask questions relating to the topic that are a bit more obvious or have many possible answers. The goal here is for them to become excited when they get the answers correct. Never say ‘no’, as it’ll discourage them from answering again later in the tour, but find ways of navigating the right answer. Once the audience has become more comfortable answering questions, you can ask them more difficult ones, even challenging them. This technique creates a comfortable and interactive audience, and is especially effective with children! They are now hopefully actively listening rather than passively, and this drives them to be more enthusiastic about learning the content.

The interesting part about being an interpreter is that no two jobs are quite the same. Sure the positions may have equal pay and the same job description, but it is the person filling the position, you, who really makes the job. It is important to not just relay information from some script to your audience, but really show them who you are as a person. Doing this can create relationships with your audience, perhaps even finding links you have with them. The audience won't only remember what you’re teaching, but they’ll remember you. Being personable and relatable makes the audience more comfortable. Because of this, individuals may be more inclined to ask questions which creates a better tour. Personally, I believe I’m quick-witted and funny, so I like to incorporate that into my tours. The experience is better for everyone when it doesn’t feel like a lecture.

It is my responsibility that my audience has an enjoyable tour. For this, I must be able to read them and reflect their needs in my tour. This is why adaptability is an important quality, as I need to understand what is working… and what's not. I have to understand the goals of my audience, not just my own. Some people are just there to see pretty scenery, some may be there to spend time with their family, some to learn everything they can about the topic, etc. If I’m ever unsure, I can always ask; “what brings you here today?” or “what are you most excited about?” to get to know my audience better. Once I have grasped what people are looking for, I may change my approach for that tour into something that better suits their needs. For example, talking less and using props more, or providing a more science-based tour. No two tours are going to be the same, because it is the audience that makes the tour, not just the guide. 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (McLeod, 2018). 

Something I think about a lot on my tours is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. There are 5 needs on this pyramid that everyone has, and one level cannot be satisfied until the one below it is (McLeod, 2018). Beginning with physiological needs, no one can enjoy a tour if they need to use the washroom or are freezing cold. Interpretive tours aren’t a necessity in life, guests usually come for a fun and perhaps educational experience, putting it near the top of the pyramid. Obviously, as an interpreter, I cannot help the guests with all of these needs, but I can start by pointing out the washrooms, advising them of the appropriate attire, letting them know any rules to keep them safe, and as mentioned earlier, bonding with them to have a more friendly relationship. 

An antler at my interpretation job, available for guests to hold.

It is important to consider each individual in your audience, and the type of learner each one may be. As an interpreter, you’re likely doing a lot of talking, but not everyone learns just by listening. In interpretation, tools such as props can be used to enhance your audience's experience. From a feather to fur, to an interesting picture or piece of art, props can do more than your mouth. Props like art can also represent a different perspective that perhaps I am unable to as an interpreter. Let the audience understand the topic for themselves rather than simply telling them about it. Using tools like these makes the interpretation inclusive, and appeals to a more diverse audience. 

Since the beginning of the semester, I’ve said the most important quality in an interpreter is passion. As a leader, people are looking to me, hopefully absorbing what I do and say. When it is clear how interested I am in the subject I’m teaching, that passion is contagious. The hope is that some of that passion is felt in the audience, and they have a new understanding and interest in the topic. Take a second to think about your favorite teachers in school. What qualities did they have? They probably made the content fun, because it is clear that they care about it! Passion elevates the experience from informative to interesting. What good is teaching if no one cares?

To me, the best interpretive tours build a sense of community between the guide and the audience. The key ingredients are inclusivity, creating a comfortable environment, open-mindedness to change, and passion. Make each tour your own, and just have a good time to leave your guests happy and having learned something new! 

References

Thanks for delving so much into your own personal experience as a nature interpreter, so cool! It's really awesome hearing how people have applied techniques we've been learning in their own talks, presentations, art, and tours like yours! Your blog really illustrates your vibe and personality as an interpreter :)

I agree with your point about adaptability being a critical skill to have in this field. You mentioned no two tours are ever going to be the same. Different interpreters will have different approaches, but also the audience is always changing, providing a unique experience for everyone. Being adaptable will definitely help here, not to mention being quick-witted and funny.

I also appreciate your use of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, that's a really great tool to keep in mind as an interpreter that I will use moving forward myself! How did you come to introduce this into your interpretive approaches, was it a person or an experience that made you adapt to using it? I'd love to hear the origin, I think it's super neat how we're always learning as interpreters. I think continuous learning is another skill that interpreters should also use regularly for improvement and development.

Further on in your blog, you stressed the importance of passion, and I couldn't agree more that it is the most important part of interpretation. I've brought it up in conversation and my response to other blogs this semester, but I had a really profound conversation with an older gentleman last summer about passion and inspiration in interpretation. He asked, "what role does inspiration have in education?" And much like you pointed out, it's everything because inspiration comes from passion. The passion in the voices of our favourite teachers growing up set them apart and the enthusiasm made learning fun! We'd be hypocrites if we tried to preach through interpretation why people should care about something if we didn't care about it ourselves and if we weren't so passionate about sharing that love with the audience. Our passion is what drives us, but it also is motivating and uplifting to others. If there were any thoughts or feelings that this question provoked within you, I'd love to hear! This was one of my most memorable and favourite conversations to have, and I could talk about passion and teaching forever.

I noticed in your bio you're a fan of nature puns, so I'll share one I found while working in the Geography lab in the HUTT building on campus that I think you'll enjoy:

Geology rocks, but geography is where it's at!

I wish you the best of luck finishing your semester, it's been great reading your blogs!

So here we are, finally rounding out the end of the semester, the last round of blog posts. This course has given me the opportunity to analyse and reflect on many different aspects of a topic I had a lot of intuitive understanding of, but one which I had not given much serious thought before now. I was also able to learn about several topics I had never considered before, and learn from a variety of different points of view through all of your posts. Of course, this week’s prompt is just as thought provoking as ever. 

In considering my personal ethic as a natural interpreter, I was forced to analyse the ethical views I hold in all aspects of my life. As a human being interacting with other human beings in this thing we call a society, I value things like honesty, responsibility, integrity, empathy, and above all, respect. These are important character traits that I try my best to embody in my own life, and hope that others offer to me. They are also important traits when acting as a nature interpreter, both for my own interpretation and as a group interpreter. 

As interpreters, we all bring certain biases into our interpretations. To be human is to be incapable of objectivity. Because of this, the next best thing is to be conscious of these personal biases, and let them affect my interpretation as little as possible. In a previous unit, we did a bit of reflection on our unconscious biases and unpacked our ‘invisible backpacks’ to get a better understanding of where each of us are at as we each come to the table as interpreters. This exercise was a good reminder of some of the parts of my identity as an interpreter which cloud my interpretation. No matter what, by virtue of the fact that we are all individuals with unique lived experiences, I will have inherently different points of view, which I have to make sure I am conscious of as I present various elements of nature and the world around us through an interpretive lens. 

Some of the things which influence me whether I like it or not are things like the circumstances of my upbringing, my education, my gender and my ethnicity. These are things which play a role in how I view the stories I will be sharing as an interpreter, and they have the potential to alienate my audience, or help us connect. There are many other factors which will influence my effectiveness as an interpreter. For instance, I have a strong inclination toward enjoying the outdoors, and get a sense of fulfillment from being in nature and learning about the various processes which make up the world around me. I conduct my interpretation through a naturalist lens, informed by my study of biology and general interest in pretty much all aspects of science. This offers me many advantages in explaining certain concepts and offering an interpretation consistent with our modern understanding of the world, but it also has the potential to alienate or just plain bore some people.

Respect is, in my opinion, the most basic and important ethics and character trait to reflect on. Respect for the environment we are interpreting, respect for the people I am helping in interpretation, and their respect for both of us are crucial elements of effective interpretation. It almost goes without saying that without this basic respect, nothing really meaningful can come of any interpretation which is done. From this basic understanding, all the other ethics come fairly naturally. 

Honesty comes with respect, and it is a vital part of building interpersonal relationships, and being an effective leader. Part of my role and duty as an interpreter is to be honest and truthful with my audience. A blog post that I began to write and which slowly morphed into a couple of thousand words’ worth of rambling focused on the HBO series Chernobyl. This 2019 miniseries focuses on the cost of lies and the value of the truth when disaster strikes and people’s lives are at risk. Eventually I may finish that essay (?), but at least I get to reference it here, along with the excellent show which inspired it.

Responsibility is another crucial element of being a good environmental interpreter. I feel an inherent responsibility to be a good steward of this Earth, and in my role as an interpreter, I have that same feeling of responsibility to instill that sense of stewardship through my interpretation and storytelling. I also feel it important to have a sense of responsibility towards those I am leading in interpretation, both in terms of their physical safety, and ensuring that they are receiving accurate, measured information, and hearing as many well reasoned points of view as possible.

Integrity goes hand in hand with honesty, but in my mind encompasses a general sense of not only being truthful, but also having that sense of responsibility and duty to what is true and what is right, even when no one is around to see. It means not being compromising in one’s ideals, while at the same time not being afraid to change one’s mind when new information is provided. This is, in my opinion, the trait which ties the rest together, and is especially important in education.

Empathy is, if you ask me, an underrated virtue. It invokes a sense of emotional vulnerability, but I find that it also aids one in understanding and being receptive to other people’s feelings, and one’s own. I think if more people were more empathetic, there would be far fewer problems in the world. I also think that when considering nature interpretation, or any kind of education, empathy is crucial to being a good teacher and understanding a student's needs. 

As we close out the semester and look to the future, there is a lot to think about. With each passing day, I feel more and more that we now stand on the precipice of several monumental changes. Anyone reading this now has already lived through many of them, both good and bad. The 24 Hour news cycle, the Internet, climate change, social media, the pandemic… “we didn’t start the fire!” 

As I was scrolling through my dashboard trying to find peers to respond to, looking for blogs that really hooked me, I was startled by the shocking similarity in our final blogs, and further, the ethics we look to hold ourselves to! I remember reading the prompt that encouraged us to really take some time to work through our thoughts on our own before reviewing our peer's blogs and reflecting on how important that step is in this type of reflection. And it's crazy how we have come to similar conclusions in our thought processes, despite our different backgrounds and timelines and connections. So it's super cool to see, and oddly reassuring that someone interpreted this the same/in a similar way I did!!

First off, I have been loving your diction and how the flow of your words really emphasizes your points and puts a little "umph" into your message, specifically, when you discussed the bias we can bring into interpretation. Despite the human fault of failing to remain objective, we can reduce the impact the bias that stems from our different privileges has on our interpretation, by being actively aware of it. And I really liked how you focused on how interpreters of various backgrounds can present different biases in interpretation, but also that by unpacking those invisible knapsacks we can all share those different perspectives because like you said, we have unique life experiences and inherently different points of view. I love how interpretation is a field that embraces this, and treats each point of view with the respect and empathy you discussed.

I also appreciate your explanations of each ethical belief, and the connections between them. I agree empathy is an underrated virtue, and I hope we can help foster that empathy in others with our work, to make a better world. I think we'd have some really awesome conversations outside of the course because reading your blogs this semester has really made me pumped and excited about what we can do with the skills we've gained. Nature interpreters have a critical role to fill, but I have faith when there are interpreters like you, inspiring everyone else to do their part, making people like me excited to maybe one day work amongst the stars.

Thanks Ryan, best of luck with the rest of your semester!

This week’s prompt really got me thinking, what is the most fascinating thing I know about nature and the natural world? For me, the most amazing thing I know about nature is my favourite animal, the orca.

Photo taken by Paul Nicklen.

Their scientific name, Orcinus orca, is an ode to Orcus, the Roman god of the underworld and champion of death (Real Science, 2021). These mesmerising fish are also commonly known as killer whales, and for good reason. Orcas are a top predator, with the title of apex predator of the oceans beating out the great white shark (Glatz, 2022). Who would have thought that these adorable black and white whales, which ironically are a part of the dolphin family, Delphinidae, would have such a vicious backstory to their name (National Geographic, n.d.)?

Since these amazing animals are at the top of the food chain, they have a very diverse carnivorous diet including seals, salmon, whale calves, squid, dolphins, sea birds and even great white sharks (Glatz, 2022). In a 2022 study done by Towner et al., it was found that white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) have a flight response towards orcas and will not return to the waters where they previously spotted orcas for at least seven weeks (Towner et al., 2022). Did you know orcas are the only known predator of the great white shark (Glatz, 2022)?

Aside their powerful hunting techniques, orcas are known to be incredibly intelligent and social creatures (Croft, 2018; National Geographic, n.d). They have strong familial bonds as they live in pods with a matriarch, meaning the grandmother is the head of the pod (Croft, 2018). From birth, orcas spend their entire lives with their mother’s family, known as the matriline (Croft, 2018). Around the age of 15, female orcas begin mating with males from surrounding pods, and continue to do so approximately every six years until age 40 (Croft, 2018). Interestingly, humans, orcas and a few other whale species are the only animals in the animal kingdom whose females continue to live for years upon years after they stop reproducing (Croft, 2018).

After learning just how amazing these animals are, it’s understandable that humans are fascinated by them. This fascination for orcas crossed a line decades ago when humans began keeping orcas captive in marine parks across the world, and even right here in Ontario. Have you ever been to Marineland? Marineland of Canada, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario received their first orca in 1971, named Kandu II, and went on to house, or rather detain, 25 others since (Killer Whale Wiki, n.d.). By 2011, the majority of the orcas held at Marineland had either been transferred to other facilities or had deceased, leaving one orca left, Kiska (Killer Whale Wiki, n.d.). Kiska, who was captured in 1979 at the age of three, was sent directly to Marineland where she would live out the rest of her live (Haro, 2023). In 2019, the Canadian government passed Bill S-203 to ban the capture and keeping of cetaceans in Canada, except for those in rehabilitation centres and those already in captivity, which meant Kiska would remain in Marineland (Haro, 2023). From 2011 to 2023, Kiska lived alone in a concrete tank in Marineland with no one to play or socialize with (Haro, 2023). On March 9th 2023, only 10 days ago, Kiska, known as the “world’s loneliest whale,” passed away at the age of 47, due to a bacterial infection (Haro, 2023). Kiska was in captivity for 44 years, lived in solitary for 12 years and outlived all five of her calves. The sliver lining of the passing of Kiska is that marks the end of orca captivity in Canada. Thankfully there will never be another captive Kiska in Canada.

References:

Croft, D. (2018). Inside the Killer Whale Matriarchy. YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQpGT1BgdX4.

Glatz, K. (2022, October 13). What do killer whales (orcas) eat? 16 animals they hunt. AZ Animals. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://a-z-animals.com/blog/what-do-killer-whales-eat/

Haro, A. (2023, March 17). Kiska, the 'World's loneliest whale,' has died in captivity. The Inertia. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.theinertia.com/news/kiska-the-orca-worlds-lonliest-whale-dies-in-captivity/#:~:text=For%20the%20last%2012%20years,and%20communicating%20with%20each%20other.

Marineland of Canada. Killer Whale Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://killerwhales.fandom.com/wiki/Marineland_of_Canada

Orcas. National Geographic. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/orca

Real Science. (2021). The Insane Biology of the Orca. YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GimCcrwYxdE&t=1s.

Love your blog this week Nicole! I like how the creative freedom from this week's blog prompt has been bringing everyone's passions out.

I really enjoyed the flow of your post, I learned a little bit of new historical information in the beginning, and what I did know about orcas was further built on throughout which kept me engaged! It was like, "oh I watched a documentary on orcas hunting great whites" and then you talked about it, and then I had read about Kiska and her sad story, and the way you told her story was very well done. RIP Kiska, I'm glad she is no longer suffering alone, but it's tragic how long she had to endure in captivity.

Circling back to orcas predating on great whites (which is so cool!), I wanted to add a bit more about what I had learned from the documentary on Disney+ called "Orca vs Great White". The whole documentary is about looking for patterns that lead up to orcas hunting great whites, searching for a reason that the killer whales switch up their diet. They were comparing the populations of great whites, and diets of orcas in South Africa, to those of each species off the coast of Australia.

In the South African waters, the orcas would start hunting the sevengill shark, and was a precursor leading up to their next victims: the great whites. In Australia they closely monitored this population of sevengill sharks, because if they were being targeted by orcas and the population declining, we would expect great whites to be next. Normally I don't ramble this much and prefer to ask some questions, so here are a few:

If orcas are the only known predator of great whites, would there be ecological consequences do you think? I'm sure you've heard of the wolves of Yellowstone National Park being a keystone species that changed the entire dynamics of animal interactions and the environment within the park (here's a quick recap if not https://youtu.be/fTPt70vA39k). Are there any characteristics of orcas that would lead you to believe they have a similar impact/are a keystone species?

I think orcas definitely have the ability to impact the food chain and other cascading effects being a top predator, I'm curious what your thoughts would be! Looking forward to your response, cheers!

The main question posed this week is: “Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?” After doing the readings this week, I had the thought that maybe music is nature, and nature is music – or at least, these things can co-shape each other simultaneously. Let me explain what I mean by referencing an article from this week, “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music”, specifically examining the case of birds.

Nature shapes music

This face of my idea is fairly easy to grasp. There are plenty of examples where occurrences in nature shape the human concept of music. For example, when Chopin was composing the Revolutionary Etude, it is possible inspiration for the cascade down the scale could have been drawn from his (maybe subliminal) memory of hearing and enjoying birdcalls like the canyon wren? As well, the article speaks about human affinity for the melodic cannon – a call and response pattern commonly found in our music. Are we inclined to like this pattern because we hear it often in the birds like the Socorro mockingbird of Mexico?

I think it is important to note that, as touched on in the article, humans most likely did not invent music. Instead, it is possible that there is some sort of “universal music” innate to all living things simply waiting to be discovered. This would support the idea that nature, in this case a “natural” set of musical preferences, can shape human’s musical creations.

Music shapes nature

This idea is a little harder to grasp. There are just a few interesting examples of how the human concept of music possibly influenced behaviours in the natural world. In the article, it is described how “some birds pitch their songs to the same scale as Western music, one possible reason for human attraction to these sounds.” Why would the birds choose scales that we just so happen to like, despite them being able to sing in so many other octaves? It might seem as though our preference for certain tones has shaped a natural bird call. Perhaps the thousands (?) of years that humans have interacted with birds, and birds grew more accustomed to our presence, they picked up on what brought us to them: our natural desire for certain notes and rhythms.

On one hand, I think it is a little human-exceptionalist for us to think that birds really alter their songs to suit our taste. But on the other hand, if this truly is the case, it may actually emphasize the opposite idea that we have the ability to shape nature because we, too, are a part of it.  

Can you think of any more examples outside of this article, where music is nature or nature is music?

In terms of a song that reminds me of a natural landscape, what first comes to mind is a song that reminds me of being outside, in general. The song is “Robin In The Rain” by Raffi – a song I listened to a lot as a kid, as Raffi is an artist that makes music for children. Whenever my mom and I would get caught outside in the rain (walking home after school, for example), she would always sing this song. When I listen to it, it immediately takes me to a natural setting where I can feel the cool rain, smell the fresh mud, and imagine a robin happily hopping around in the puddles.

I also think it is really important that this song doesn’t speak about the rain in a negative light. It instead speaks about it as a positive thing, as it allows the robin to skip along searching for its dinner (a worm!). It is key for children to see elements of nature that may be commonly seen as an inconvenience/unpleasant, as positive.

Normally I try to find different bloggers to respond to every week, but I just seem so drawn to your posts!

I really enjoyed learning about your perspective on the relationship and connections between music and nature, and how you said they co-shape and are each other. I think even though they can co-shape each other, they can evolve separately. Like classical compositions to modern music and beats, and changes in mating calls in birds or differences in calls between whale pods. What I was wondering as I read your article, or trying to come up with myself, was if there were any examples of convergent evolution between music->nature and nature->music. Would it even be possible to answer such a question? The article talked about neanderthals and their bone flutes, but we don't know what kind of music they played and how that differed from the sound of birds then to be able to compare that to now.

I went on bit of a tangent there, but like you said it's a bit harder to think of how music shapes nature. One example I was reminded of when reading the article by Gray et al. (2001) and your blog this week was a story about a man who would whistle a tune when filling his bird feeders. When the feeders were empty the birds would sing the same whistled tune. I think that's not only a neat example of our music shaping nature, but a sick way to communicate with the wild animals in your backyard! Unfortunately, I don't remember the reference where I read this story, it was some text post or tweet or something, so forgive me for not citing/referencing it.

Thanks for sharing the adorable song too! I enjoyed listening to it and imagining splashing in spring puddles while I'm currently bundled up and bunkered down in this crazy storm! Thanks for sharing, stay safe out there and enjoy your week!

Cheers,

There’s no doubt that history plays a huge role in today’s society, by setting a foundation for understanding and interpreting the world around us. It is important to study the past so that we as a society can learn from our successes and failures and use that insight to make informed decisions going forward. In terms of nature interpretation, history is crucial to provide us with an understanding and appreciation of the natural world. Understanding the history of the nature allows us to delve into the historical events and changes that have occurred on our planet and how they have transformed nature into the nature we know and love today.

There are many noteworthy historical events related to nature that have changed the way we as humans interact and understand the natural world around us. One major historical event that comes to mind is the Paris Climate Agreement, 2015, where countries around the world and the United Nations came together to vow to diminish climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emission. Another great example of how history has impacted the relationship between humans and nature is the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution, 1760, brought a transition to new manufacturing processes using the burning of fossil fuels to create energy. This in turn significantly increased the concentration of greenhouse gas in our atmosphere, leading to a multitude of negative effects on the environment. The Paris Climate Agreement and the Industrial Revolution are just a few of the many historical events that have changed the way humans coexist with nature and the natural world.

“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 by Edward Hyams does a beautiful job of highlighting the significance of understanding the past as it holds the key to maintaining the world as we know it. As the quote describes, the past should not be valued because it is old, but rather for the wisdom and insight that it carries. I loved that Hyams mentioned the importance of keeping all parts of a whole together, because it is essential in order to see the bigger picture. The world we live in today is a sum of all its experiences, the good and the bad, which is important to account for. You are not simply able to look at all the beauties of the natural world without also considering the atrocities that come along with it. Most of all, I loved the comparison to the railway station that Hyams described. This portion of the quote emphasizes the fact that the past is not gone once it has passed, and instead adds to the present and future.

I loved reading your post this week, very thoughtful blog. I like how you started off with an explanation of history and how it's needed to develop an appreciation of nature when the two are linked. I think it's also important to discuss how education and interpretation develop this appreciation combined with history. Like if we were just given a thorough history of a place to use as a tool to make people care about it more, it wouldn't be possible without interpretation to guide people on the journey of developing that appreciation. But similarly, we couldn't have just interpretation without the historical stories associated with the places, because as you said even though it's in the past, it shapes our present (and our future!). What else do we need besides interpretation regularly to help us interpret?

An example you provided of this exact thing is how something like the industrial revolution lead to an event like the Paris Climate Agreement. Obviously, the Paris Climate Agreement was a result of the overuse and continued use of fossil fuels, but this is why we need to take the past into account when making decisions that are affecting us currently and will affect our future selves.

I also really appreciate how you broke down Edward Hyam's quote, more specifically the part about including the sum of the world's experiences: the good, the bad, and the ugly. That definitely speaks to what Hyam was saying about the importance of integrity, and it's something interpreters make use of with that wisdom and insight and what makes some interpretive experiences more impactful than others. What are some ways you would include history and integrity in your own interpretation experiences?

Thanks again Nicole, I hope you enjoy your reading week!

In my opinion, the most important part of being an interpreter is having passion for whatever you are teaching your audience about. When an interpreter is passionate, often it is contagious and is something that cannot be faked. It doesn’t really matter what you’re talking about, as long as the audience is engaged. We have talked a lot about how to interpret in this course, but haven't actually done too much interpreting yet. Personally, I find arctic animals fascinating; I spent my summer working with them! My aim in this blog post is to get you excited by learning about two of my favourite arctic animals, by incorporating topics, lenses, and techniques we have learned about this semester. 

Firstly, I’ll introduce you to musk oxen:

Retrieved from Mark Newman/FLPA/Minden

Musk oxen, though sometimes a little hot headed, are some of the most fascinating Arctic animals. They are native the true North - the Arctic circle that is nearly nothing other than snow and ice, meaning they must adapt to harsh conditions (Woodford, 2021). Qiviut, the undercoat of the musk ox, is one of the warmest (and in turn most expensive) materials that can be found (Woodford, 2021). This insulating wool is part of the musk oxen's two-layered coat, allowing them to stay toasty up at the top of the globe.

Though musk oxen are fast, when a predator approaches them, they don't have many places to run to in their plain landscape. Instead of flight, musk oxen opt for fight, in which they form a circle, put their young on the inside, point their horns out, and charge any brave predator that comes too close (NPS, 2020). 

Here are the regions musk oxen are found. Most of this is in the Arctic circle, though they can also be found in other regions such as the Yukon. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Current-global-distribution-of-muskoxen-The-exact-distribution-of-muskoxen-around_fig1_317268906

Next, we will discover the many ways in which Canadian lynx have adjusted to their cold environment: 

By Keith Williams - originally posted to Flickr as Lynx Canadensis, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11394713

Lynx are a great example of the extreme adaptations that animals must have to thrive in Arctic conditions. Their paws are massive in proportion to the rest of their bodies; it reminds me of a German shepard puppy however, lynx do not ‘grow into’ these paws as they stay this large as adults. These paws act like snow shoes to allow these cats to walk gracefully on top of deep snow, rather than sinking down into it (Vea, 2014). Lynx also have beautiful tufts of fur on the tips of their ears which is believed to aid in their hearing (San Diego Zoo, n.d).

Their coat acts as camouflage, allowing them to be ambush predators. Ambush predators sit and wait for prey to approach them while they blend in with their surroundings. Once the prey is close enough, a short burst of energy is used and soon enough it’s lynx dinner time. In other cat species, their long tails are used for balance, especially when running long distances. However lynx run sprints, not marathons; having a long tail would serve little purpose and just be another extremity to keep warm in the cold, so they have short tails instead (Vea, 2014). 

I hope you learned something new about these beautiful mammals. I’ll leave you with a question to think about - what other adaptations may be vital for the survival of some Arctic animals? I’d be happy to answer any questions about lynx or musk oxen, I could talk about them all day!

Note: All the facts I listed are things I’ve learned across 4 months this past summer. Below I included a few sources to back my claims, though they are not directly where I retrieved any of this information.

National Parks Service. (2020). Circle defense. https://www.nps.gov/gaar/learn/nature/muskox-circle-defense.htm 

​​Woodford, R. (2021). Captive muskox and exquisite Qiviut, Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Captive Muskox and Exquisite Qiviut, Alaska Department of Fish and Game. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=1009  

Amazing post! I love how you decided to talk about something you're passionate about, and your enthusiasm throughout your post shone through and was very engaging, I learned a lot in such a short time!

How did you get the opportunity to work with these cool animals and learn so much? Was this a field course over the summer that you took? What made you decide to chase this opportunity? I'm assuming you already had a love for arctic animals, what fostered this?

The musk oxen are absolutely massive, they look like some beautiful creatures. If they're built for fighting, do both males and females have horns to form that protective circle? Would females ever be on the inside, say if they were pregnant?

I'm glad you also included the lynx, it's such a cool animal I didn't know much about before! You said their coat acts as camouflage, and I hope this isn't a dumb question, but does it change at all to blend in with the snow and ice landscape? Or does it mostly live in the trees and wait there to ambush prey? I love the explanations you provided about their paws, it really painted a picture and I think will help me remember this information about them!

I think some other adaptations that could be useful for living in the arctic would be more compact body shapes, as longer limbs would lose heat faster. Another one that I think is pretty common is hibernating during winter to save energy.

Throughout essentially all of the course materials so far, it has been reiterated that the interpreter is supposed to be an inspiration and aid, not indoctrinator, for visitors to look within themselves and appreciate nature in ways that are meaningful to them. Using art would simply be a tool to help me accomplish this. I do not need to be an artist or art critic by any means, only able to carefully employ a piece of art as a component of the message I am trying to convey.

Of course, both the message and the medium will differ depending on what I may know about the audience. For example, when describing the history of the land, a group of children might benefit from a puppet show where the takeaway message is the feelings of a character (e.g., a tree wishing not to be cut down). On the same land, a group of adults may benefit from a historical re-enactment, where the message is the political history intertwined with the region.

In Beck and Cable’s The Gifts of Interpretation, they describe the gift of beauty as such: “interpretation should instill in people the ability, and the desire, to sense the beauty in their surroundings – to provide spiritual uplift and encourage resource preservation.” To me, this means an interpreter must draw attention to an element of nature that they find beautiful, and guide the visitors to see it as beautiful as well, whether by the same definition of beauty or their own. Once seeing this element as beautiful, visitors will feel a stronger sense of attachment and duty to preserve it through conservation.

I can think of one specific “gift of beauty” that I have appreciated since I was young, that I may wish to pass onto an interpretation group of children.

Growing up, and even still now, I felt the most beautiful days outside were the ones where the sky was so clear and so blue that if you looked up at it, without seeing anything on the ground, it kind of looked like a big expansive ocean. If there were a few clouds, to me, I imagined those as tiny, frothy waves crashing on the shore.

While leading the children, I would encourage them to take a moment and see this themselves. I’d have to employ childlike imagination – perhaps I would bring towels and ask them all to lay on their backs, and look up at the sky. Then, I might speak to them in a poem, or teach them a song we can sing together as we do this activity. For example, see below for a fun poem I just wrote to demonstrate how art can be used in interpretation, and a picture of the beauty I am referring to.

I’m no Shakespeare; though I felt a little silly writing that poem, that is exactly my point – you do not need to be an expert to employ art in interpretation. It is just a vehicle for your message. In this case, my message is to appreciate healthy air, or a healthy ocean, and feel inspired to keep it that way through conservation. After this activity, perhaps I would discuss with the children how this can be done in ways that are realistic to them.

Nature can be so beautiful through the eyes of a child. What elements of nature did you find beautiful when you were younger?

I really enjoyed the reflection your blog provoked, especially with your poem! Even though you felt silly writing it I'm glad you included it, I think it was really well written! It really drove home your point that art can add significant value to the interpretative experience regardless of experience level. I agree with your point that art is an excellent supporting medium for interpreters to guide their audiences through experiences and create meaningful relationships with nature themselves.

I also really appreciate the examples given and how you elaborated on how you would use art as an interpreter yourself, really reflecting on the three key questions we're asked at the end of each unit:

Who am I as an interpreter?

Who is my audience?

How can I make this experience meaningful?

This combined with the prompt you provided, "what elements of nature did I find beautiful when I was younger", left me thinking about what I would do as an interpreter. I've always had a sense of wonder when it came to trees: admiring their leaves, climbing them, sitting under their shade, and listening to them blow in the breeze. I think just listing out what I loved about that part of nature there's already so many options to explore interpretive activities to share this love and make connections with audiences.

From a brief preemptive reading of my colleagues' blogs from ENVS3000 for this unit, everyone started by describing their working definition of privilege as prompted. As expected, some common terms are repeated, even though these definitions are all coming from different perspectives and experiences, whether they focus on those at an advantage from privilege, or those at a disadvantage.

But these two terms in particular, advantage and disadvantage, are just as critical to break down if we want to address privilege.

Advantage: some thing that puts a person in a better position than someone else, increases chances of success. Associated words: benefit, superior, elite. (2)

Disadvantage: some thing that puts a person in an unfavourable position compared to someone else, increases the difficulty of achieving success. Associated words: inconvenience, drawback, hindrance. (3)

This thing that causes such a divide, could be any number of things that we can't necessarily control or choose. Class (economic, social), age, gender, race, education, relationships, religion. This list could literally go on forever and we could list things together until every characteristic that makes up a person and their life is listed.

The sources I used above to define advantage and disadvantage, I used intentionally. When I looked for a dictionary definition of privilege using the same source, their first entry was "a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed by a particular person or a restricted group of people beyond the advantages of most" (4).

Now this is where I explain my working definition of the word privilege. I do not think it is the same as a right; we say many things are a privilege, not a right: driving, owning a pet, having a credit card, etc. Privilege is something where the people that have it, don't speak up about the inequality in opportunities that result from it.

I found this quick 2-minute video (1) that I think brought up a really good point on the topic. The only ones that complained about fairness were at the back of the room, and the ones at the front were otherwise unaware of the privilege they were born into. In order for people experiencing privilege to speak up and advocate for the others, they have to have the self-awareness to reflect and realize their advantages.

I think this concept makes it all the more difficult in addressing privilege in nature interpretation. For an interpreter to cater their messages to all audiences, they need to be aware of not only their own privileges that led to them being there providing interpretation, but also the privileges of their audiences.

Privilege in nature interpretation dictates who shows up to listen, how your message is received, and ultimately the resulting action that comes from your audience's experience.

The last thing I would like to bring attention to with my own blogging platform, is one of my classmate's blogs about the relationship between nature interpretation, privilege, and child development (6). Normally I would reblog and reflect on someone else's post and share my own thoughts that were provoked on the topic, starting a conversation. But I wanted any readers of my blog to go have a look at theirs because it stopped and made me think and reflect on a different perspective I didn't have otherwise.

Here is the link to Manar's blog: The Link between Privilege, Nature Interpretation, and Children's Development 

References

Buzzfeed Video. “Students Learn a Powerful Lesson about Privilege.” YouTube, 9 Dec. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KlmvmuxzYE. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

2. Dictionary.com. “Definition of Advantage.” Www.dictionary.com, 2023, www.dictionary.com/browse/advantage. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

3. Dictionary.com. “Definition of Disadvantage.” Www.dictionary.com, 2022, www.dictionary.com/browse/disadvantage. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

4. Dictionary.com. “Definition of Privilege.” Www.dictionary.com, 2023, www.dictionary.com/browse/privilege. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

5. Maguire, Angus. “Equality vs Equity Cartoon,” Juliana Bicycles, www.julianabicycles.com/en-CA/file/equality-vs-equity-cartoonpng. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

Also, thank you for bringing my attention to Manar's post!

I thought your definition of privilege was unique, however, I don't know if I completely agree with it. There are plenty of people who have privilege who are actively aware of how that positively impacts their life in comparison to those who may not have it. However, I really enjoyed how you brought up our rights as a comparison.

I like to think of it similarly to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is a privilege that we have these rights as Canadians. For example, the right to equality is stated as:

"Everyone is equal and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination, especially discrimination based on race, national or ethic origin, color, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability"

It is a privilege to everyone that we have this right, however a young, cis, white, heterosexual man has the additional privilege of not having to be worried about how this fundamental right is enforced. However, if he recognizes and even actively uses the privilege he has to help others, that does not absolve him of having privilege, it just means he is using his responsibility as a privileged person to help those around him.

Thank you again for sharing! Wishing you all the best this semester,

I do want to thank you as well for making me go back to rethink my post, because I didn't mean to say people with privilege are never aware of their advantages and that's why it exists. To me I feel privilege would be less of a barrier if the people with privilege acknowledged its existence. I think the weight of this task falls on this particular group of people because with their privilege they have a platform to address it. This seems to follow what you were saying with your example of the cis, white, heterosexual man, how he would not have to worry about his rights being enforced but would have the platform to help others who aren't as privileged.

Similar to the underserved populations mentioned in our text, economic, cultural, and communication barriers all exist in nature interpretation, and this results in some demographics not being reached (Beck, 2018). It's up to the interpreters then to increase the reach of their messages and interpretation. Whether that's through addressing accessibility and transportation concerns, reducing costs, using various forms of media, etc., making their content accessible to a wider audience is their responsibility, not the audience's.

I'm glad you chose that part of my blog to elaborate on, it was super helpful to reflect on it further and share a deeper conversation! Thanks again Rachel, and best of luck with your semester and podcast assignment!

Privilege can be a hard word to define, but I would define it as the benefits and advantages that an individual or group has that others do not. However, these advantages are not earned, but are a result of societal systems and biases based on factors like gender, race, class, and sexuality. A lot of the time people who are privileged do not like to recognize or discuss the fact that they are privileged because they do not want to admit they have these advantages. 

Privilege plays a big role in nature interpretation by impacting an individuals opportunity to explore nature and the experience they will have. A person who is privileged will usually  have more access to nature and will have better experiences with nature. This means that people who are privileged will be more connected with nature and understand it better. A person who is not as privileged will not have same opportunities to connect and experience nature. Some reasons for this may be a lack of finical resources which can mean no personal vehicle to get to certain parks and not being able to afford proper equptiment, or a lack of knowledge of where to go, what to do, and how to prepare. 

I would now like to discuss some of the advantages that have been given to me and unpack my invisible backpack. I am a white male, I speak english, I have a Canadian passport, and I was born into a middle-class family with parents who are highly educated and are still married. These are all advantages that I have no control over but they do give me an advantage in life. 

Another way that I am privileged is through the opportunities I had to connect with nature growing up. I had these opportunities mainly because I have parents who are so connected to nature. One of the earliest opportunities I had to connect with nature was through my dad. My dad is an environmental scientist and from a young age, I remember going with him to work to help with his fieldwork. This is where he helped me pick up many different skills such as learning how to identify plants and animals. Another way my parents gave me the privilege of connecting with nature was through traveling. My family vacations would often be based around different nature experiences such as exploring the icefields at Jasper National Park, river rafting in Costa Rica, or snorkeling a coral reef in the Dominican Republic. Having the opportunity to travel is something that when I was younger I did not realize how privileged I was to have, but now that I am older I realize how lucky I am to have seen so many different countries and different parts of Canada. Having all of these opportunities helped turn me into the person I am today, and I often wonder how different my life would be without them.

Gallavan, N.P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their ‘invisible knapsacks.’ Multicultural Education, 13(1), 36.

I think your definition and explanation of privilege is very succinct, and I agree with what you said about the advantages that come with privilege that aren't earned, it's one of those things that you either have or you don't. When you said that people who have privilege don't want to recognize or admit the advantages they have, it made me wonder why this happens. Do they worry that recognition of the privilege will take away the advantages they have? What's so bad about an even playing field? Or do they just simply believe that they haven't been given the upper hand in life, and everything is fair all the time? Just makes me wonder how we ended up here sometimes, having a conversation like how privilege affects nature interpretation.

You also brought up a lot of valid points that I thought about while writing my own blog, but didn't mention, so I'm glad we can have a conversation about them! Like when you were discussing those with the privilege to access nature freely have better relationships, making more connections to understand nature more. The way you described it, it seems like a feedback loop. Where people that start off with a positive experience and relationship due to their privilege, they can pass on that privilege, because they know how to navigate making those positive relationships. So they can help friends and family make similar connections. And this is pretty much how we get more nature interpreters, people that had that privilege to start, that fostered their relationship with nature and provided so much passion that they want to share their experiences and help others, like less privileged people, achieve the same thing. I guess my point is that while privilege can restrict our audiences, it can also grow the interpreters that we have that can increase the overall reach of nature interpretation.

Thanks again for the thoughtful blog, best of luck with the rest of your semester!

It’s taken me longer than I thought it would to write this post. I think this could be because I consider myself to be much more of a generalist than a specialist. I like to say that I can talk a little bit about a lot, which makes imagining my ideal role as an environmental interpreter difficult. When thinking about the things that are important to consider for the role of an environmental interpreter - setting, intended audience, learning and teaching strategies, the story I want to tell - I immediately think about those interpreters and communicators who have most influenced me.  

I’ve already mentioned Steve Irwin, David Attenborough, the Kratt Brothers, but I would add to that list people like Bill Nye, the Mythbusters, Jane Goodall, Carl Sagan, Jay Ingram, Ziya Tong, Dan Riskin, Richard Feynman, Hank Green, people who wear their enthusiasm for the world around us on their sleeves, and who share that enthusiasm with all of us. Not all of them are strictly speaking ‘naturalists’, or what you would think of first when asked to describe an environmental interpreter, but in unabashedly showing us that enthusiasm, they have all engaged and inspired millions of people, including me. 

By showing us the farthest reaches of our world, zooming in on tiny micro-organisms, giving us sweeping shots of vast savannah plains, dense rain forests, and frigid tundras most humans will never see, inviting us to look up as they peel back the curtain that lines the night sky and give us with a peak at the cosmos, and by taking the time to explain all of the invisible forces at play so that we can have a more complete understanding of how all of it works, they are all natural interpreters. My proclivity for drawing from many different fields can be a great asset to my role as an environmental interpreter, but the idea of trying to transfer all of that understanding to the intended audience is slightly daunting, and I will have to be conscious of getting across a good mix of vital information and interesting, but maybe less related facts. 

I also think of people like my Uncle Tom. Tom Browne is my Mom’s older brother, who has been a constant role model for me since I was little. Because I don’t think he’ll ever read this, I will describe him like this: I think deep down inside, a part would have loved to have been born two hundred years ago so he could have lived on the plains, able to take all the time would ever need to appreciate the natural world for what it is. He is one of the kindest and most giving people I have known, and he is also one of the biggest reasons for my love of the natural world. Over the years, he has rescued or helped to rescue dozens of animals that he happens upon. Turtles from the side of the road, racoons and opossums in neighbour’s backyards or chimneys, birds caught in fishing line, he goes out of his way to help whenever he can. 

He also tries his best to learn as much as he can. Many times as he has been telling me a story of finding a gull with a lure tangled around its legs, or a turtle that’s been hit by a car, he’s suddenly gone off on an excited tangent about what he had learned in researching whatever it is that he was dealing with. This constant desire to learn and share that new knowledge is another aspect of being an environmental interpreter that is extremely important, and one I want to make sure I do effectively. 

The role of environmental interpreter is linked very closely to the role of  teacher. As my plan after my undergrad is to pursue teacher’s college and then eventually become a teacher, I can’t help but picture myself taking a group of student’s on an interpretive walk, sharing my love for the world around me and helping students appreciate the greatest and most important resource we have, our planet. In order to be an effective environmental interpreter or a teacher, an understanding of the diverse theories surrounding learning and teaching styles is vital. Beck et al. (2018) describes a variety of these in some detail, and I would be interested to try different interpretative activities in order to determine which strategies I am most comfortable with, and which ones I may need to put more effort into using effectively.    

Works Cited:

I enjoyed reading all about your experiences that lead up to your decision to go to teacher's college, and I think it's a great thing to be a generalist with so many sources of inspiration. One thing I think all of those 'natural interpreters' have in common (aside from their contagious enthusiasm and passion) is their ability to clearly communicate with their audience, and break down the complex science they are teaching, into digestible material. It seems you have a great resource though to help you make this less daunting, like your Uncle Tom!

I was once asked, what role does inspiration have in education? Maybe your experiences with your uncle and watching all of those natural interpreters could help you answer that question for yourself. It provoked a very deep conversation between me and the stranger that asked me this, and I think it could remind you that sharing your passion isn't as unsettling as it seems!

By the time you become a teacher, you'll have many more resources and experiences backing you to share your own stories like your uncle. One thing I would agree that makes a successful, relatable interpreter, is someone who never stops learning. You mentioned the importance of this constant desire to learn, keep learning, and share what you've learned, and you also mentioned it's a skill you want to do effectively. What would effective versus ineffective continuous learning look like? I guess this would tie nicely into the earlier question about the role of inspiration and education, as it relates not only to students, but also teachers like yourself.

Thanks again for sharing Ryan, and best of luck as you work towards teacher's college!