llenvs3000

[llenvs3000]

Hi Janieka! Great post! I feel as if this prompt was a great one to have all of us reflect on our time this semester and what we have learned - not just about nature interpretation, but about ourselves. I have learned from the course content just as I have learned reading my peer's blog posts and replies, as well as taking the time when I write my own to really think about the prompt. For one, I learned that nature interpretation is actually something I'm quite interested in! As someone who really didn't know what the role of a nature interpreter was when coming into this course, I feel as if I've learned a lot. I learned quite a few other things too; I don't need to paint the next Mona Lisa to be able to consider myself an artist, unpacking my invisible backpack to learn that my privilege can benefit me in situations I haven't even considered, and more. You mentioned in your post that you think it is important to have strong beliefs and to carry these beliefs into your role as a nature interpreter - and I wholeheartedly agree. I believe that passion is a HUGE part of being a nature interpreter and being able to convey your message to others. Have you ever been in a conversation with someone about something that they're really passionate or excited about, and the energy that they exude is contagious? In these kinds of situations, I can't help but feel interested in the topic as well. As the saying goes, "practice what you preach", but it even goes beyond that. Having strong beliefs is something that I believe is important to excel in a career such as nature interpretation, and I like to hear that one of yours is stewardship! I, personally, am extremely interested in conservation myself! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with everyone!

Growing as a Nature Interpreter

As this semester winds down and comes to an end, I have taken the time to sit down and reflect over the past 11 weeks. Not only have I learned so much about nature and nature interpretation, but I have also learned a lot about myself and my role in the natural world. The question that we have been asking ourselves each week, “Who am I as an interpreter?” is very prominent now as I reflect on what I have learned throughout this course (Hooykaas, 2021). Seriously… who am I as an interpreter? 

To begin to answer this question, I think it is important to understand my own personal ethics as a nature interpreter. Before beginning the important work of interpreting nature, it is crucial to be able to see the interconnectedness of the natural ecosystem, and to also believe that conservation must be an integral component of being a steward of the environment we interact with. Being able to see this interconnectedness of each aspect of the ecosystem, and how certain aspects complement each other and help each other grow, allows for me to truly understand and appreciate the natural world. I am also better able to define my own approach to stewardship and also my role in interpreting for and educating others. In Beck et al. (2018), the authors discuss the Moral Development Theory devised by Lawrence Kohlberg. From a personal standpoint, I believe that as a child I developed “preconventional morality” by lessons taught to me by my parents (Beck et al. 2018, pp.115-117). As a child, I vividly remember the first time my parents taught us the importance of not picking trillium flowers. The fear of picking these provincial flowers from their natural environment and getting in trouble was engraved into me very young, and it became one of my morals to protect these flowers. Although it is not necessarily illegal to pick these flowers in Ontario, I think this fear instilled into me was beneficial in a way because it allowed me to understand how we as humans can have negative effects on our ecosystems. This was the beginning of my stewardship role. Even though my moral sense of right and wrong in terms of the environment developed as a child, my beliefs in how this could be accomplished, and my own particular role in it as interpreter and participant, continues to evolve.

This is a photo that I took at Wildwood Conservation Area showing the blooming trillium flowers! Taken by J. Droog, 2017. 

As a nature interpreter, I think it is important to have strong beliefs and to carry these beliefs into your role as an interpreter. One belief that I have when it comes to being a nature interpreter is good stewardship. It is important to understand the uniqueness of each individual environment and local ecosystem you encounter because this will allow you to share with others and be able to educate future generations. Without this understanding and appreciation for the environment and nature, it is difficult to truly be a steward of the earth. I also need to learn about the local ecosystem and continue to learn as it evolves, so that I can clearly and accurately translate the story to others.

Another belief that I hold is that it is possible to create and maintain sustainable natural areas for the education and enjoyment of all while still serving the needs of the economy. For example, conservation areas do a fantastic job at preserving and protecting these local ecosystems, both the plant and animal species that reside there, at the same time, these conservation areas also provide us with educational information about nature through signage or even a tour guide per se to help us to interpret the nature around us. Another example of this can be shown through our efforts to preserve natural species, such as pollinators. When we try to create habitats that promote and attract pollinators, not only are we benefiting these insects, but we are also benefiting ourselves. The beauty of the habitat provides us with a sense of awe and quiet, giving both a physical and mental boost, while simultaneously creating an environment where the pollinators can thrive, create byproducts that can be consumed, and ensuring that plants that depend on these insects for propagation can also thrive. As an interpreter, it is my responsibility to ensure that this complete story, and the balance of a healthy, functioning ecosystem, is clearly told.                    

As I continue my journey in becoming a nature interpreter, I have to remind myself of what my responsibilities will entail. Although my time as an undergraduate student is coming to an end, I know that will never be finished learning. I think this is important to realize in any profession, but especially as a nature interpreter my responsibility is to continue to build on my own personal knowledge and appreciation for the natural world so that I can bring accurate and relatable information to the table when I am helping others to interpret. Another responsibility I have in this role would be to instill a sense of connection to nature in others through story-telling, stewardship participation, and nurturing awareness in subsequent generations of people. 

One last point I would like to touch upon when it comes to my responsibility as a nature interpreter is to pay attention using all of my senses, recognizing that everything is connected and that there is a way for everyone to benefit while retaining the integrity of the environment (Beck et al. 2018, p. 405). 

ENVS*3000 has been a beneficial course by allowing me to grow and understand the importance of nature through a different lens. This interpretive blog has allowed for me to express my thoughts and beliefs to my peers, as well as hear the thoughts of my peers which adds to the diversity of my own knowledge and the story I am able to share. Although we may all share different beliefs and responsibilities of nature interpreters, we all seem to have common ethics when it comes to nature and preserving our earth. 

Thank you for joining me on this amazing interpretive journey and I am excited to see my fellow classmates excel in the natural world!

Cheers,  Janieka

References Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For a better world. Urbana, Illinois: SAGAMORE Publishing.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 10: Nature Interpretation’s Role in Environmental Sustainability [Course Website]. University of Guelph Courselink.

[llenvs3000]

Hi Melissa! I quite enjoyed reading your blog post, and I feel like it was a strong way to finish the semester. I also enjoyed blogging and corresponding with everyone for this class, especially since we are doing distance learning and it's hard to do so on a regular basis for a few of my other classes. It's so cool to hear about your interest in wildlife and ecosystems from a young age because I was the same way! I have mentioned this in a few of my posts, but I grew up visiting the aquarium nearly every week when I was younger. I was deeply fascinated with the wildlife there, and I was all too eager to learn new things to share with my family. Now look at me - I'm just a couple of weeks away from graduating from Marine and Freshwater Biology! I've come a long way since that little girl looking through the aquarium glass.

I absolutely love your paintings - the colouring on them is so beautiful! I especially like the one of the woman with her feet in the water. I also think that it's a wonderful sentiment that you started incorporating humans into your nature paintings in hope that humans and nature can coexist. After all, we don't have any other choice if we want to last! It's not news that humans have been causing a great deal of damage to the planet and all of the other species living on it - and in doing so, we only damage ourselves. We humans haven't been great at this whole "coexisting" thing as of late, but I hope that it's not too late to change that. We are seeing baby steps in the right direction, but now we need some big ones. It's great to see that you're looking into conservation because that's more important than ever these days! Are there any particular species you have a special interest in? Thanks for sharing your beautiful work!!

My Last Blog Post

As I write this final blog post I look back on everything I have learned. I have thoroughly enjoyed this unique, creative and expressive way to communicate myself and my development with my classmates. Without this platform, I would not have had the opportunity to get to know my classmates and their interpretations of nature throughout this semester – they would have remained strangers as many of my classmates from other classes have. I feel like I made new friends along the road to nature interpretation as I have met individuals who share similar interests and passions as me. I am especially grateful to have made these friends during a time where meeting new people is pretty much impossible!

I am sad to be leaving behind this amazing community as the semester ends, however perhaps I’d be fortunate enough to continue to discuss the vast wonders of nature with other nature-lovers through the platform of this blog. I hope that as I develop as a nature interpreter, I can meet new people who can introduce me to new skills so that I may share the gift of nature with as many people as possible. I would say that my journey through this course has really helped me develop as a nature interpreter. I would say I am rather different than the nature interpreters I had in my life growing up such as my mother, my father even my aunt and grandparents all played important roles and taught me about nature in my youth. Not to mention other more famous nature interpreters that I learned of as I grew up such as Steve Irwin, Sir David Attenborough and Jane Goodall who are all huge role models for me as I begin my journey as a conservationist, zookeeper and nature interpreter.

I’ve had many opportunities in my life to express to the people in my life how amazing nature is. Growing up I was the child that obsessed over it and craved to learn more and more everyday – I couldn’t get enough. I often thought to myself “Nature so is so cool! How come not everyone knows about this”. And at a young age I took it upon myself to tell my younger siblings stories about wild animals and ecosystems. Eventually – and rather quickly I might add – I soon knew more weird facts about animals than even my parents! I distinctly remember visiting a zoo with my family and my mother and I were looking down into a pit where a capybara was resting. For those of you that don’t know what a capybara is, it is the world’s largest rodent! As my mother stood there wondering what that animal could be, 11 year old me turned to her and said “that’s a capybara” she looked at me doubtful and asked how I knew that, and I told her it was because I had seen pictures of them before and quickly told her that capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. Still doubtful that what I was saying was true, she walked over to the sing outside the enclosure and sure enough it stated exactly what I had told her. Needless to say, she was rather impressed!

When it comes to nature interpretation, I believe that everyone has the right to know about the natural world around them. I believe that the more people understand the vast complexities of nature, the more they will be appreciating, and the more people will want to protect it from further damage. As we all know the ecosystems of are planet are being destroyed due to human activity and consumption and it is my life goal to try to mitigate these effects. I believe that if more people became aware of the problems, we as a species are causing, the more people are to change their habits in order to help. This class has however taught me the importance of invisible backpacks when it comes to nature interpretation which is something I had never considered before. It goes without saying that life is not fair, and some individuals are born with advantages others do not. The differences in these advantages and disadvantages across humanity are a big reason behind why some do not know much about nature. As I continue with my journey to becoming a nature interpreter as well as a conservationist, it is extremely important to me that I consider the invisible backpacks of my audience members. It is my objective to be able to reach as many people as possible and to do so accommodations need to be made so that we may all appreciate nature to the fullest before it is too late.

The approaches I like to take to share nature is definitely through art. I’ve always been more artistic and creative than scientific, and I think that quality will help me reach out to a wider variety of individuals. Although I am expressive in various art forms, I think my favorite for expressing nature is by far through art. If you guys have been following my previous posts, you will have noticed I have discussed this under our weekly topic of Nature Through Art in which I shared a few of my favorite painting. I remember ever when I was kid, I used to strictly only paint and draw images of raw nature, meaning there were never traces of humans in them. That goes for houses, powerlines and people themselves. I used to think like this because I didn’t think human belonged in such beautiful landscapes since we often ruin them. Although that same sentiment is present in my art today it has since evolved in the sense that there is still hope humans and nature can coexist. This is seen in a few of my paintings such as the one with the woman with her feet in the water of the simple boat out on the water during sunset. These small inclusions of humanity in mainly natural settings is my way of expressing how beautiful nature is if we take care of it and that synergy is possible.

I hope you all appreciated this class as much as I did and learned so things that can help you al develop as nature interpreters!

-Melissa

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What Does the Future Hold?

This has been an interesting and intriguing semester for me. I have always been a fan of writing, so being able to do so for this class, especially on topics that are so interesting to me, has been a great experience. It has also been a great way to interact with my peers during a time of distance education, and I enjoy seeing how everyone has a different approach to things even when we are all writing about the same topic. I feel as if this has expanded my horizons because in some cases I approached a particular topic a certain way and was able to read someone else’s interpretation and reflect upon my own ideals (and sometimes even change them). Because of this, I wanted to thank everyone for an amazing class this semester and for making these blogs so much more enjoyable.

When I think about the term “ethics”, I think about what is important to me and what I believe in. While not exactly the same as morality, the two are very closely connected. Morals are typically what drives a person’s ethics; to me, morals are what you believe in, and ethics is how you act upon those beliefs. I, personally, like to consider myself a very morally driven person – I have a very strong internal sense of right and wrong, and I am not afraid to voice this if need be. I feel as if this may affect my role as a nature interpreter in a number of ways.

As a nature interpreter, I believe that I have a responsibility to remain inclusive and respectful to anyone I meet while working in the field. Inclusivity must be met in a number of ways, all the way from different learning styles to our inherited privilege (Beck et al. 2018). Going back towards the beginning of the semester and the importance of “unpacking your invisible backpack”, as someone who is privileged, there are some things that I don’t understand when it comes to the struggles of others because I have never had to deal with it myself (Gallavan, 2005). It is my responsibility to work on myself, to rid myself of any unconscious discrimination or bias that I may have learned due to the systemic nature of many of these issues. This is something I am all too familiar with – some of these ideals get internalized from a young age, and it is our responsibility to make the effort to unlearn them. I may not be perfect, and there are still things that I need to learn and mental roadblocks that I need to overcome, but I consciously make an effort to make myself a better person so that I can be respectful and inclusive to all, and I feel as if that is very important if I am considering a career in nature interpretation.  

Another way in which my personal morals and ethics may influence my role as a nature interpreter is what motivates me to do this work in the first place. As mentioned in the course content, there are so many issues impacting the natural world that we need to be worried about. These are ongoing issues that have been changing and shaping our world since before I was even born and will continue to do so after I die. Many of these issues can feel very discouraging and may lead to feelings of helplessness. I will never forget when my mother said to me: “Don’t have kids. Don’t bring children into this world, because it is going to sh*t.” She meant it, and I can see where she’s coming from; sometimes it feels like we are taking a step forward, other times it feels like we are taking two steps back. Every day, we watch human greed trump morality, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t discouraged at times as well.  

What’s happening in the world isn’t pretty. Photo retrieved here.

However, kids are the future. We as students are constantly told that we are the future, and this is true – it is our responsibility to try and change the things that have been implemented before us, even if it seems impossible. As mentioned in the course content, we need to pass down hope, hope that future generations will go past sustainability and into regeneration (Hooykaas, 2021). If we pass down the message that this is the way things are and that things will never change, no effort will be made to make that change. This is why I want to become a nature interpreter – I want to pass down that message of hope and the feelings of wonder when it comes to the natural world, just as those before me have done for me, because if it isn’t, nothing is going to change.

Of course, I worry when I think of the future. I even worry about things that will happen long after I am no longer alive and therefore have no personal effect on me. But I would rather pass down feelings of hope, hope that the next generation will be better than we are, take bigger steps and achieve bigger things. Because if they don’t, there may not ever be people that will.

References Beck, L., Cable, T., & Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world. Sagamore-Venture Publishing. Gallavan, N. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks.” Multicultural Education (San Francisco, Calif.), 13(1), 36–. Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 10: Nature Interpretation’s Role in Environmental Sustainability. University of Guelph Courselink. Retrieved from https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/666945/viewContent/2597605/View

[llenvs3000]

Hello! I really enjoyed reading your blog post about turtles and precocial animals in general. Here's a meme that your post made me think of that I think you'll enjoy:

Photo retrieved here!

I agree that precocial animals are quite fascinating to me as well. It's amazing that animals such as sea turtles are driven by instinct since the moment they hatch - I also find it interesting that because of this lifestyle, not many of these animals survive to adulthood. Due to the fact that the turtles are left on their own on the beach, they have to face many predators on the beach before they even make it to the water, and even more in the water after that! In fact, it's estimated that only one in 1000 to 10000 turtles survives to adulthood, yet these animals are still plentiful (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2015).

I've had an interest in precocial animals ever since a young age. I had a family friend that lived on a farm, and I was able to witness a goat giving birth at a young age - soon after birth, the goat was already walking! Many ungulate species including the goat are precocial, with horses being a prime example of precocial species (Rodrigues et al. 2014). However, a lot of these animals still receive parental care, unlike the turtle - only highly precocial animals typically leave their parents soon after birth/hatching, while sea turtles are born entirely on their own. It's quite astounding to think about, especially when you think about how reliant humans are for YEARS after they're born!

References National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015). Sea Turtles: Fascinating Facts. US Department of Commerce. Obtained from oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/june15/sea-turtles.html. Rodrigues, M., Carvalho, R., Franciolli, A., Rodrigues, R., Rigoglio, N., Jacob, J., Gastal, E., & Miglino, M. (2014). Prenatal Development of the Digestive System in the Horse. Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007), 297(7), 1218–1227. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.22929

The mad dash to the ocean

Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you were the only human on earth? Maybe a more digestible question is have you ever thought about being stranded alone on a deserted island? Personally, I would probably accidentally eat poisonous berries and die. Especially if I was young, I don’t think my survival instincts would keep me alive for very long. Humans can thrive when they are able to rely on the teachings or inventions of one another. Some animals like bears also rely on some degree of parental teaching and guidance. However, many other animals are just thrown out into the world right from birth and survival is contingent on their ability to follow their instincts. These species are known as precocial. Turtles are precocial and their natural instincts have specifically always amazed me.

Turtles are fairly isolated creatures but an aspect of being born into a large group benefits them. When they are hatching, the process of getting out of the buried nest requires many turtles working at once and can take a day or two (Spotila, 2004). Turtles near the top to move the sand around, causing it to fall to the bottom of the nest. This slowly raises the bottom of the nest up, making it easier to get out (Spotila, 2004). This video shows what the crazy emergence looks like.

Turtle hatchlings emerge from their nest to start their journey to the ocean. Source: Associated Press

Once they emerge from the nest its all about cues. I’ve always found it amazing how turtles find the ocean and how they move with a sense of urgency, like they know a predator is lurking. The first cue they have to travel is temperature. They travel to the ocean at night because of their preference for a cooler temperature. Second, they have a preference for light and so they move towards the ocean where the sky above is generally lighter (Spotila, 2004). Weather and humans can impact the light cue, luckily there are other cues to direct them. They also have a preference for moving downslope, which usually brings them towards the ocean (Spotila, 2004).

On a clear night the ocean is especially reflective and bright, attracting the hatchlings. Source: Santee Cooper

Once entering the water, they naturally begin swimming. I find it fascinating that turtles can not only crawl, but swim as well, all in the first day or so of their lives. They are experts at navigating waters. They swim head on into waves which propels them forward (Spotila, 2004). In the open ocean they may exploit currents like ocean gyres to navigate migratory routes with minimal effort, like the turtle in Finding Nemo!

Crush, the turtle from Finding Nemo turtle uses the Eastern Australia Current to navigate easily. Source: Flickr

As they get further from the coast they follow earth’s magnetic field (Irwin and Lohmann, 2005). Female turtles also rely on the magnetic field to return to the same beach they were born at to lay their own eggs (Irwin and Lohmann, 2005). This may be ten or more years later, but they are able to navigate using their internal compass they derive from these environmental abiotic cues.

Evidence! Turtle trails in the sun are evident when the sun begins to rise and their journey is complete. Source: Pinterest

Precocial animals have a pretty harsh start to their lives, yet nature is amazingly abundant with these species. What other types of precocial species are there? How do you think humans influence the abiotic cues these animals rely on?

References:

Irwin, W. P. and Lohmann, K. J. (2005). Disruption of magnetic orientation in hatchling loggerhead sea turtles by pulsed magnetic fields.

Spotila, J. R. (2004). Sea turtles: a complete guide to their biology, behaviour, and conservation. The Johns Hopkins University Press.

[llenvs3000]

From Stars to Seafloors

To me, the most amazing thing about nature is how much we truly don’t know about the universe, and even just our planet alone. There is so much that cannot be explored and/or studied due to human limitations. We continue to discover more and more previously undocumented species every year, and there is still much more to be discovered. As well as species being discovered, there are also hundreds of species going extinct each year due to human activity. The current rate of extinction is over a thousand times faster than the estimated natural rate of extinction (Lees, 2015). This number also doesn’t account for undiscovered species, and it is likely that many species have gone extinct before they can even be discovered by humans.

Of course, the first thing that may come to mind when you think about the unknown is space. There is nothing more mesmerizing to me than looking up at the stars and thinking about all of the planets, stars, and even entire galaxies that exist outside of our reach. I often think about what’s out there, how everything came to be, and of course, the age-old question: is there life out there? In my opinion, the universe is far too large for us to be the only life there is, but that’s a whole other question for another time (and thinking about it too long gives me an existential crisis).

It’s estimated that there are billions of galaxies in the cosmos. Photo retrieved here. 

Deep-sea life is another example of how much that we don’t know about the natural world of our planet. There have been many technological advances made to allow us to explore further into this territory, but there are still many limitations that we face when it comes to the study of deep-sea marine life due to the fact that it is so expensive and difficult. Even though the ocean covers over 70 percent of the planet’s surface, 80 percent of it is still unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2021)! You can’t tell me that that’s not intriguing!

There is a lot that we don’t know about deep-sea fish and animals, and much of it cannot be uncovered without conducting behavioural experiments, such as whether or not they can even see colour (de Busserolles et al. 2020). However, these experiments are nearly impossible to conduct due to the high pressure at the bottom of the ocean – the fish cannot be brought to the surface without causing rapid tissue damage and eventually death (without expensive equipment such as pressure containers), and humans cannot withstand the pressure at the bottom of the ocean without being crushed.  I’m sure you have all seen the pictures of the “world’s ugliest fish” the blobfish pulled out of water, but here’s the thing: the fish doesn’t actually look like that. It’s actually the rapid change in pressure causing them to bloat and essentially fall apart (Hale, 2019). Trust me, you’ll never look at a picture of that poor fish the same again.

These poor fish get a bad rep from the pictures spread of them on the internet. I bet you wouldn’t look too hot if your tissues exploded, either! Photo obtained here. 

Overall, there are so many fascinating things about the natural world, but it never ceases to amaze me just how insignificant we are in the scope of the universe. Do you think we’ll ever have the technology to actually explore the unknown, or are some things never meant to be discovered?

References 

Beard, D. (2019). How Many Species Haven't We Found Yet? National Geographic. Obtained from www.nationalgeographic.com/newsletters/animals/article/how-many-species-have-not-found-december-26. de Busserolles, F., Fogg, L., Cortesi, F., & Marshall, J. (2020). The exceptional diversity of visual adaptations in deep-sea teleost fishes. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 106, 20–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.027 Hale, T. (2019). You Have Been Lied To About The Blobfish This Whole Time. IFLScience. Obtained from www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/you-have-been-lied-to-about-the-blobfish-this-whole-time/. Lees, P. (2015). Species, extinct before we know them? Current Biology, 25(5), R177–R180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.12.017 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2021). How Much of the Ocean Have We Explored? NOAA's National Ocean Service. Obtained from oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/exploration.html.

[llenvs3000]

Hello! I really liked what you said about instruments such as guitars being made from nature and was this was an interpretation that I didn't really consider! Humans use all kinds of different methods to make music - I find it really interesting that making music is a universal human trait that dates back thousands of years across all the continents (Smithsonian Institution, 2021). This, to me, is clear evidence that music exists in nature and instruments are made as a human's attempt to recreate it! There are many different instruments that can imitate natural sounds; the flute imitating a bird's song, or percussion instruments such as drums imitating the crash of the ocean or natural weather events such as thunder. Instruments aren't even necessarily needed to recreate these events; at one of my old summer camps, everyone would participate in "making a thunderstorm". This was done by different groups of people stomping and rubbing their hands together to imitate the sound of rain and thunder - and with over a hundred kids participating, it sounded like a real thunderstorm! It was amazing to experience, especially since I love the sound of thunderstorms. 

As for your question - I think that any animal that uses sound to communicate could be considered music. From howling wolves to the trumpet of elephants, I find many different animal calls intriguing and interesting to listen to, just like music! Sometimes I wonder if animals feel the same way about our "music", but I think they might - the first thing that comes to mind are those videos of dogs that will howl along to music playing as if they're singing! I love those videos :)

References Smithsonian Institution. (2021). Musical Instruments | The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program. Obtained March 7, 2021 from humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/behavior/art-music/musical-instruments.

Can music originate from nature or only a recording studio?

Music as is referred to as “patterns of sound varying in pitch and time produced for emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive purposes” are not only created in a studio they are also created in nature (Beck et al., 2018). Music can be found almost everywhere in nature you just have to listen carefully (Gray et al., 2001). I hear music in nature all the time and I’m sure you do as well, some of the ways I hear natures music include birds chirping in the morning, the wind howling, rain beating on my bedroom window and lastly waves crashing against the shore. What’s actually quite interesting is that advances in technology has revealed that the music composed by nature actually resembles some of the music we as humans create. For instance when birds compose songs they tend to us the same rhythmic variations, pitch relationships as many human composers (Gray et al., 2001). In addition to this music composed by humans and nature can serve a similar purpose which is to communicate a message (Mallarach et al. 2011). We as humans often use music as a form of communication and fellowship with other, to share idea, thoughts, feelings and inspirations similarly to how animals communicate (Mallarach et al. 2011). Take ducks for instance they will often produce sounds varying in pitch and time to communicate a message such as in the form of a mating call.

Similar to how music can be found in nature, nature can also be found in music. For instance many of the instruments we as humans use to compose music are products of nature such as the guitar. The guitar is made of wood and metal strings which originate from nature so it can be said that nature allows us to make music. Nature can also be featured in music through the use of sounds originating from nature in types of music such as electric dance music. Additionally nature may be in music by being the underlining message of a song such as in folk music where it has shaped human cultures (Mallarach et al. 2011).

Songs like other interpretive media can not only communicate a message but can also bring someone back in time to a found memory, for me the song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane does this. This song takes me back to this prior summer where me and my friends where listening to music and looking at the stars on a crown land camping trip. The reason this specific song brings me back to this place and time is because this is one of the odder songs we listened to on that trip so it stands out and now whenever I listen to it I am brought back to this camping trip.

 Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnJM_jC7j_4

Some question for my readers:

Can you tell me of any other way nature influences or is a part of music that I didn’t speak about?

What other animals use music as a way to communicate a message besides ducks?

-Filip

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage (First Edition). Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The music of nature and the nature of music. Science, 291(5501), 52-54.

Mallarach, J. M. (2011, November). Spiritual values of protected areas of Europe. In Workshop held from (Vol. 2, p. 6).

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Music and Nature: Hand in Hand

There are many ways in which music can be found in nature and vice versa. For starters, songbirds are a prime example of music in nature, but these are not the only instance. Music can be heard in many things in nature such as wind through the trees, the crashing of waves on the shore, and more. This further translates to nature in music; as said in the course content, sounds from nature such as animal calls are often sampled to help the artist connect the listener to species and environments they have never personally experienced (Hooykaas, 2021). One of the first things that comes to mind when I think about nature in music is the soundtrack to the Disney movie The Lion King. This was my favourite Disney movie when I was a child, both because of the music and the plot of the movie itself – they complement each other extremely well. The music from this soundtrack does an amazing job of setting the tone of the movie and immersing you into the wild setting, using natural sounds such as the splashing of water and animal calls to make you feel like you’re on the wild plains of Africa!

Circle of Life from the Disney movie The Lion King. This to me is a beautiful example of the combination of nature and music.

Music is also a powerful medium that many people use to share a message with the world. When I was a child, I was essentially raised on Michael Jackson’s music. My family owned the video DVD “Michael Jackson: Number Ones” that contained the songs and music videos for all of Jackson’s number one hits up until its release in 2003. My brother and I used to listen, dance and watch the music videos on this disc frequently – listening to this as a child, this was one of my first exposures to nature (and the dangers to it) and other cultures from music videos such as Black or White and Earth Song. Earth Song and it’s music video gives powerful imagery of the natural world and how humans threaten it, while also showing a glimmer of hope of how we can maintain it if we change our ways.  

Earth Song by Michael Jackson, a song and music video that has resonated with me for over a decade. WARNING: This music video contains some graphic and upsetting imagery of human’s impact on the natural world.

Music is also a powerful connector of mind and memory. The main reason for this is because music evokes strong emotions, which enhances memory processes (Jäncke, 2008). Because of this, certain songs can take you back in time to a specific moment – music has always been an important part of my life, so this is especially true for me. Because of this, even songs that aren’t specifically about nature can take me back to a natural landscape. A prime example of this is the song Drive By by Train. This song immediately takes me back to when my family and I drove past the Grand Canyon on our Arizona trip. We heard this song MULTIPLE times a day on this road trip, and listening to the song still makes me think about the fascinating layers of red rock because of it, even though the song itself has nothing to do with nature.  

Drive By by Train, one of 2012′s songs of the summer that takes me back to my family’s trip to the Grand Canyon. 

What songs take you back to a specific point in time?

References  Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 7: Nature Interpretation through Music. Lecture Notes. Retrieved March 5, 2021 from https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/666945/viewContent/2593375/View Jäncke L. (2008). Music, memory and emotion. J Biol. 2008;7(6):21.

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Hello! I enjoyed reading your interpretation of this quote. I feel like you've hit the nail on the head by saying that without the ability to interpret, artifacts are merely old things, historic buildings are just old buildings, etc. As stated in the course material, interpretation breathes life and meaning into past events, architecture, and artifacts. We see this every single day - the intrigue of some of the most well-known and fascinating sites in the world (such as the northern lights, the Grand Canyon, Stonehenge, etc) is how they came to be, and in the event of man-made monuments, what they were used for. As you put it, nature interpretation through history is a means of unifying the past and present. 

A lot of people believe time to be linear, that the past is entirely behind us, but I don't think that this is necessarily true. We are affected by the past, just as the present impacts the future. History is important, not only for nature interpretation but for the basis of our everyday lives (not to mention that time is entirely socially constructed, and "time" only exists because we as a society agree that it does, but that's a whole other topic for another time). I think that this a key part of why nature interpretation through history is so important. Humans are innately curious, constantly searching for answers to questions about our lives and the world we live in, some of which that we may never find. However, historical nature interpretation has been an exceptional tool to find some of these answers, answering questions about things such as evolution, the state of the past world, and more.

Unit 06 Blog Post – Nature Interpretation Through History: Why Delving Deeper Is Important

Many of us live in the present, but we constantly plan for our futures. Through this cycle of repetition, how do we truly appreciate the progress we’ve made? Well, through history! Simply put, history can be defined as the series of past events that connect us with either someone or something (Macfie, 2013, p. 401).

A great example of the history of our past juxtaposed with the modernity of a museum, indicating how the past informs our future (Parmiter, 2020).

So, what is nature interpretation through history? Interpretation breathes life and meaning into past events, architecture and artifacts (Hooykaas, 2021). In doing so it nurtures the development of not only a personal identity; but it also aids in forming values that guide us in the present. Without the ability to interpret, artifacts are merely old things, historic buildings are just old buildings, and ceremonies are merely entertainment (Beck et al., 2018, p. 326).

Thus, nature interpretation through history not only contributes to the unification of the past and present; but also allows an individual to consider themselves within the historical context of the past.

Delving deeper into nature interpretation through history, sheds light on the importance of the quote:

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)

Further “unpacking” this quote provides a unique look into how we view our past and how the past informs our future.

This is extremely relevant to the landscape of our world in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nowadays, it seems as though many people have an attitude that follows the notion of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, which enables an individual to forgo integrity. Consequently, without “merit in integrity … [that] entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things” it becomes difficult for an individual to learn or grow from their past.

Furthermore, history enables an individual to examine themselves, where they have been, and why they are there. Therefore, “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” sheds light on the intersection between an individual’s history, and the historical context of the past that feeds an individual’s identity.

This photo was taken on a walk I took with some friends while we were trying to find “cool” places to do a photoshoot. I remember clearly as we walked around, we tried to come up with different stories about the history of our surroundings. Guelph, ON – Photo taken by Agam Verma.

Consequently, in terms of nature interpretation, history, and storytelling play a large role in communicating the essence of a place (Hooykaas, 2021). Thereby shedding light on the importance that interpretive writing can play in allowing an individual to turn abstract words into a story (Beck et al., 2018, p. 322). Relaying this back to the “unpacking” of the quote by Edward Hyams elucidates the importance that history, storytelling, and interpretive writing play in nature interpretation.

I have linked a great video which delves into the intersection between interpretation and history (Be A Better Guide - Free Tour Guide Training, 2017, 0:00-7:39). Have a watch and share your thoughts!

References

Be a Better Guide - Free Tour Guide Training. (2017, May 4). Interpretation tips for tour guides - interpreting culture, the environment, history and heritage [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkhTY7UWi4M

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

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 06: Nature interpretation through history [Course website]. University of Guelph CourseLink. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca

Macfie, A. L. (2013). Towards a new definition of history. Rethinking History, 17(3), 401–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642529.2013.774730

Parmiter, C. (2020, July 22). People wearing facemasks in a museum because of the pandemic [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/RLQ0YYzQuis

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Nature Interpretation and History

“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 is a quote that I didn’t necessarily understand at first and had to read it a few times over to begin to interpret what it means. However, to me, this quote is saying that things that are old aren’t inherently special, but it is the way that we view them that makes them special. Taking, for example, trees; old trees themselves aren’t inherently interesting, but the stories they tell are. It is astounding to me that trees can live for hundreds, even thousands, of years, and even record the events of history such as climate and weather events within their rings (Climate Kids, 2021). These trees are so special not just because they are old, but because of what they can tell us about history.

Hundreds of tree rings on a tree. Photo by James St. John, retrieved here. 

As said in the course content, interpretation breathes life and meaning into past events, architecture, and artifacts (Hooykaas, 2021). Without interpretation, old things would not be any more or less special than things that are new. When we look at past events, architecture and artifacts, we are not just looking at them themselves; we are taking into consideration their history, how and why they were made, what they were used for, etc. As we were not present for their occurrence or creation, we cannot say with certainty why they occurred or were created, hence why interpretation is so important.  

The pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, one of the wonders of the ancient world. Photo by Sam Valadi, retrieved here. 

Take all of the wonders of the world; from the wonders of the ancient world (such as the pyramids of Giza) to the wonders of the natural world (such as the Grand Canyon) to the wonders of the modern world (such as the Great Wall of China), there are so many natural and manmade monuments that people still take the time to visit thousands of years later. The reason for this fascination is because of the way people interpret it; we use these monuments to learn about events and people of the past. The pyramids of Giza are fascinating to so many people because there is no definite answer for how they were built; there is only interpretation. The same goes for natural monuments such as the Grand Canyon, which was created through erosion by winds, rains and the strength of the Colorado River (Grand Canyon Visitor Centre, 2021). This occurred over millions of years and can give us a glimpse into the past when we think about how it was created.

The Grand Canyon, one of the wonders of the natural world. Photo by Grand Canyon National Park, obtained here. 

The second half of the quote states “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”. This, to me, means that history is not necessarily “a thing of the past”, but an ongoing event that holds significance across all time periods. As stated by philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Although this does not specifically relate to history in nature, I believe that it accurately represents the importance of keeping the past as part of the present. Without the past, the present has no meaning.

Works Cited

Climate Kids. (2021). What Can Trees Tell Us About Climate Change? NASA. Retrieved February 26, 2021 from https://climatekids.nasa.gov/tree-rings/ Grand Canyon Visitor Centre. (2021). Grand Canyon Geology. Retrieved February 26, 2021 from https://explorethecanyon.com/geology-of-the-grand-canyon Hooykaas, A. (2021). Unit 6: Nature Interpretation Through History. Lecture Notes. Retrieved February 26, 2021 from https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/666945/viewContent/2592718/View

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Hi Emily! I enjoyed reading your post about how the way you interpret nature has been affected by the current pandemic. All of your photos look amazing, and despite everything, it must be so awesome to be able to spend so much time up there! Over the summer, I stayed up with my dad in Calabogie, which is in the country, and was able to take some pretty awesome pictures there too. My dad even had an ATV that I would take down the trails every once in a while! The sunsets are so incredible there that we would sit and watch the sun go down almost every evening right from our backyard. 

Picture of the sunset taken from my dad’s back porch by me. 

I was also in the Limnology class where we used the leaf packs - however, my pack was in downtown Guelph, so you likely had much more diversity than I had in mine. Regardless, it was still nice to get out and do some sampling while we are all stuck at home. What kind of macroinvertebrates did you get? Any cool pictures? I had tons of snails in my pack!

A very blurry photo of one of the many snails in my leaf pack, taken by me.

As for your question, I don't really think anything really "changed" in my interpretation of nature, but more so it was amplified. Since we are stuck in the house so much, it gets me all that much more excited to be able to go for a walk down the trail by Speed River to get some fresh air away from my computer. I am in another class this semester that required me to get a sample from the river, which I enjoyed doing with one of my housemates this past week (despite the chill!). Although I have been having a wonderful time with my housemates in Guelph, I do admit that I am excited to go home and see those Calabogie sunsets again!

How a global Pandemic impacted my interpretation of nature

I saw someone else’s post about how nature affected their life during this pandemic and it got me thinking about how it affected my life this past year. It is crazy to think how things change so drastically in 1 year and I never thought I would be living in a pandemic and several lockdowns. Starting the pandemic, I was still living in Guelph with a few roommates while we completed our winter semester. As the weather began to be nicer, we started spending more time outside, especially going for walks with my dog boo. It was great having the opportunity to spend more time outdoors, enjoying what nature has left for us to appreciate.

(Photo taken by myself during one of many walks in Guelph with my dog boo and roommates. We throught this tree looked very different from the rest. It started a lovely conversation about how nature is so amazing in the sense that it does crazy things like this)

Once the semester was over, I moved back home to North Bay to try and save some money while everything was still closed. We are fortunate up here to have many places that are not overly populated with the public which allowed me and my family to go on much different nature walks with our 4 dogs. With all of the hikes also came many drives to our waterfront where we could watch the lovely sunset on the lake. It dawned on me at this point, how I needed to appreciate the little things within nature that I noticed even when times are tough (and in this case living during a pandemic).

(A video I took of our dogs playing with some other dogs we met on the trail. Spending some fresh air and viewing new places while making some new friends is what I love most of being outdoors)

I would find something beautiful in every moment spent within nature, even when I would be hyperventilating while hiking up a hill. I would start to notice all of the different birds chirping and how happy my dogs were to be going for a walk, or swimming at the beach. I was able to take in all that was around me during the summer and explore more within our province.

(Photo my mom took of me and my dog boo after hiking to the Firetower in Restoule,ON. One of the many hikes that boo and I went one during the summer)

Once the fall came around and the new semester began, fewer exploration adventures were happening and more local admiration occurring. I was fortunate enough to have a lab where I could go to a stream within my region and collect a water sample using leaf packs. From here I would pick through all of the leaves and identify the macroinvertebrates found. It was such a fun time and education in understanding what lives in the water within your area. This opened a new fascination of mine to understand more of the things living within my area. It was great getting to share this experiment with my family as I showed them all of the different macroinvertebrates living just around the corner from our house. I have always wanted to go to the ocean (and really, I still do), but learning and sampling the lakes and streams here opened a new world to interpret and understand.

(Photo of myself taken by my mom while I was writing the information of the stream chemistry when placing my leaf pack. This was for my Limnology and Natural Pollutions class)

This pandemic ultimately changed my perspective on the natural world around me and I love being able to share my knowledge and desire for it with others. I hope that even when this pandemic is over that I continue to interpret, appreciate and share my knowledge with those around me.

My question for you is:

What is something you noticed changed with your interpretation of nature during this pandemic?

Emily😊

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The Importance of Documentaries to Nature Interpretation

I think that nature documentaries are extremely important to nature interpretation and the education of the public. Although nature is available to the majority of the population in their everyday lives, there is so much of the world and its creatures that we do not see for various reasons, whether it is where we live or where we are able or unable to travel to. From the depths of the ocean to the freezing arctic to the tops of the mountains, there are so many sights that we do not see on a day-to-day basis. This is why I feel that these documentaries are so important; it is too easy to have an “out of sight, out of mind” mindset. This, to me, is not acceptable. Nature is too amazing, too bizarre, and too beautiful to be ignored. It should be appreciated, and nature documentaries provide an excellent outlet for doing so.

Photo of a New Zealand landscape - a view not many of us get to see in person. Retrieved from Creative Commons here. 

To begin, these documentaries are important to be able to interpret and appreciate nature in their natural habitats. As we all know, animals in captivity do not act the same as those in the wild – not to mention that there are certain animals that I do not believe should be in captivity at all, such as whales. I think showing these species in their natural habitats gives us both a better understanding and a greater appreciation for these species and the things they must do to survive. I watched a nature documentary called “North America” a few years ago, which featured a segment on mountain goats, and this gave me a newfound appreciation for the animal – I can even go as far as to say they are one of my favourite animals for this very reason (this often gets some interesting reactions when it comes up in conversation!). Their resilience and agility are amazing to watch – here is a clip that I recommend watching if you are interested in the activity of animals.

I have never been climbing in the Rocky Mountains, and I don’t know if I ever will, so the fact that these documentaries allow me to observe these animals in their natural habitat from the safety of my home is fascinating to me. 

As I said previously, not everyone gets the opportunity to experience nature on the same level; those who live in the country will likely experience more nature than those in the city, and those with the means to travel will be able to see and have more experiences than those who do not. Although not everyone has the means to watch these kinds of documentaries, I do feel that they still help break down the barrier and allow more people the chance to appreciate nature in its true form.

More mountain goats! These animals are fascinating to me. Retrieved from Creative Commons here!

Another reason that these documentaries are so important is because it is important to see how our choices and way of life impacts these animals and the natural environment. As we all know, human activity is continuing to destroy the earth and endanger its species due to things such as human-induced global warming and waste pollution. It is important for us humans to see how nature and its inhabitants are being affected by our actions rather than ignoring it and putting it on the back burner. By knowing how we are damaging nature, we can work towards trying to heal it. If you cannot see how you are damaging the earth, how are you supposed to feel motivated to rectify it? Every single person can make a difference, and I believe that these kinds of documentaries are a strong motivator for people to change their ways into those that are more eco-friendly. 

As we do not live in the arctic, obviously we cannot see firsthand that we are melting their habitat, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not happening. Photo from Mario Hoppmann.

Are you a fan of nature documentaries? What kinds do you watch, and is there anything that you feel we should have more of? How do they apply to nature interpretation to you?

[llenvs3000]

I found this blog post interesting and insightful to read. I especially like what you said about how any small piece of art made by anyone can play a role in nature interpretation. As a perfectionist, I can be extremely critical of my own work, but I often do not critique others the same way I do myself. Because of this, while reflecting on my own post on this subject, I realized that it may have been a bit biased - I feel as if I am not an artist because my work is not "perfect", but as you have stated, not all work has to be perfect. In fact, imperfections are what give so many things personality and bring them to life. Hopefully someday I will manage to apply this way of thinking to my own work. :) 

After reading your post, I agree that even small pieces of art can play a role in nature interpretation. Something that speaks to me may not speak to someone else, and vice versa. As the saying goes: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". 

For me, I love any pictures, paintings, videos, etc. of animals in action. The behaviour of many animals is so cool and fascinating to me, and if I can't see it personally, I may as well get the next best thing!

Photo from Steve Hinch

Thank you for opening my eyes a bit on this subject. I found what you had to say very interesting and quite different from the other posts I've seen - and that's great! Another point of view is always intriguing, and as I said, you have managed to sway me on this particular matter.

Relationship between art and perfectionism, and how it relates to nature.

Recently I started working on this project with a group of folks in Guelph, called F*ck Perfect. It works with you on a journey of self discovery and finding growth, or achieving whatever you want. They also break pre-existing notions set by society around art and perfectionism. We grow up feeling and learning that to do art, we need to be perfect, or the end goal is something perfect. It works towards breaking these notions and starting on a journey of creative risks.

Art Not Shame, Guelph- Fuck Perfect Workshops.

Ever since I started working on this workshop, I realized how many times when we are expected to do something, we try to be the best or feel like we failed. During lockdown (all the versions of it :D), I started working on a new type of art. I have done water-colour, acrylic, soft pastels, repairing jewellery, journalling, crochet, embroidery, craft, drawing, and what not! And every time I did something new, I would be too focussed on the end product- to make it beautiful and perfect. I never reflected on how the process made me feel, why was I doing it. By journalling for this workshop and later processing things, I realized that it was during the times that I was painting, I was processing my feelings with COVID-19, being isolated, struggling with work, and being burnt out. While I was stressing about making that piece perfect, I forgot about the fact that the process of making that piece of art (moving the brush on the canvas, needle on the cloth) was actually very therapeutic and was actually the best stress buster. 

The painting that I made through the university’s art stress buster series, December 2020- photo taken by me. 

Why am I talking about this when talking about nature interpretation? Something that I noticed while reading through multiple posts was folks fixation on “good art” by “great artists” can create feelings/connection with nature. I don’t think that is true. I think every small piece of art, made by anyone, can play a role in nature interpretation. While my favourite poem is by Oscar Wilde, I do enjoy the random rhymes that slip into conversations, and honestly its these rhymes and not poems by great poets that I remember with a smile on my face. I think every small piece of art- grainy/unfocused pictures, undeveloped music, a kid’s stick figure drawing, journal entry- literally anything that speaks to you, can be a great interpreter. You just have to allow yourself to appreciate it. 

As a way to incorporate this in my life, I took a little advice from my friend, and I no longer throw away art that does not look like what I wanted it to be. I used to call it mistakes, but now I just call them creative opportunities! I will paint over them or try to draw something with a black marker on them and integrate it together. Or, I just leave them as is, just cause they still remind me of the sunset I saw! Others might not see they same sunset as me, but I know what it means to me and what it remind me of. Hopefully, to others, it reminds them of something else they saw! In my small ways, I am fighting the urge to be perfect and embracing my imperfections. 

How do you think you could break the pressure to be perfect and embrace yourself?! 

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Art and Nature Interpretation

I think art is an important medium when it comes to nature interpretation. It is an important form of expression, and great artists are able to capture the beauty of a scene as well as any emotions and auras that the scene may omit. For me, a tranquil painting of the seaside is only rivaled by the location itself. I can stare and these kind of paintings for ages, appreciating every single brush stroke. This translates to other art forms, such as photography, as well. Anyone can take a photo, but I feel it takes a keen eye to be able to take great photos.

I don’t necessarily consider myself an artist. I have always been quite interested in art, ever since I was a kid; for the most part, it is the colours that intrigue me the most about art. I remember in primary school, I used to go into the art room at lunchtime to make various splatter painting, interested to see how different colours combine and complement each other. Even to this day, I enjoy colouring, an activity that is typically seen as childish, because I enjoy creating new colour combinations. This is also why I am such a big fan of things such as autumn leaves and sunsets; not only are the colours gorgeous, but they melt and blend into one another, creating something picturesque and breathtaking. Despite my inherent interest in art, however, I don’t have quite the natural knack for it, although I wish I did. I do realize that art isn’t 100% born talent, and that you need to put time and effort to improve your skills. I have tried this in the past, whether through classes or on my own time, and I just feel I don’t have the gift that others have for the activity – and that’s okay! I don’t mind sticking to my colouring books and enjoying the art I see made by others. 

I do, however, consider myself a writer, which I suppose is another art form in itself. I had wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember and have had an aptitude for it since a young age. I adore reading and creative writing; however, throughout the past few years in university, I admit I have not had much time for it. Instead of fiction writing, I have been using journalism as a creative outlet. I am currently a writer for Her Campus at Guelph, an online magazine for college students (specifically women) and have been since my very first year in university. My writing skills are something I hope to be able to use later on in my career – as a marine biology student, I would love to be able to interpret nature using journalism. There are many biology magazines and websites (as print seems to be becoming less and less common as the years progress), and it has been my dream for many years to write for one. 

Do you have any creative outlets or hobbies that you feel will be useful to your career in the future?  

[llenvs3000]

Hi Janieka! I enjoyed reading your blog post. I, too, think that is very important for individuals to "unpack their invisible backpack" and recognize their privilege. By understanding that these systemic injustices exist and how they affect others, it can help put us on the right track to abolishing these injustices. Of course, this is a long battle, but one that must be fought nonetheless. As privileged individuals, I believe that we have a moral obligation not to speak over those without privilege, but to amplify their voices. Although we have been progressing as a society to try to level the playing field, we still have a long way to go. From the women's rights movement to the black lives matter movement, it is up to ALL of us - not just the underprivileged - to incite change. 

It was interesting to read your statements on how where you grew up gave you more access to nature, and therefore an advantage in interpreting it (I love some of the photos you've taken, by the way!). I can relate to this; I grew up in Bermuda and would visit the beach nearly every weekend, having opportunities such as snorkeling or boating in the sea. I believe this gave me a very strong bond with nature, namely the ocean, that not everyone gets the chance to have. I also grew up traveling a lot with my family - from cruises in Alaska to hikes in Yosemite Park and the Grand Canyon, I have been to some amazing places that I feel have strengthened my bond with nature, and I feel extremely lucky to have been given these opportunities. I'm glad that this week's blog posts have been encouraging everyone to reflect on their privilege!

Reflecting on Privilege

Privileges are when a certain group of people in society have special benefits or advantages without doing anything to merit those advantages. These privileges can be due to factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, class, ability, etc.

Most of the time, privilege is innate - it is something we are born with. Many of those that are privileged are not even aware of the fact that they are. For example, for most of my life I was unaware that I had certain privileges due to my race, sexual orientation, etc., reinstating the fact that we need to continually educate ourselves about privilege, and remember why it is important to have an understanding of it.

I think it is important for everyone to unpack their invisible backpack, to allow yourself to see the opportunities and experiences in life that you have had access to. By doing so, it allows for individuals to expand their views and understanding of systemic injustices at play. It is vital to be cognizant that not everyone has had the same opportunities in life due to their social location. This can be helpful on an individual level to not take small things in life for granted. Simply having access to clean drinking water every day is a privilege many of us do not even realize that we have.

So what is in my invisible backpack you may ask? What privileges do I have? Well let’s unpack our backpacks together.

To start off, I am a white, cisgender, able-bodied woman. I am a Canadian citizen, with English as my first language, and have had access to higher education due to having financial support from my middle-class parents. These are just a few factors that have contributed to my privilege, and as such, I have been given opportunities that I did not necessarily earn. As a result of these opportunities, I have gone through life taking these advantages for granted and not recognizing them as privilege.

Personal Photo: This is a photo of me that my mom took during one of our walks over Christmas break. Taken by P. Nowak, 2020.

Unpacking your invisible backpack can be an uncomfortable and difficult task for many. However, it is important for people to reflect and challenge their thinking surrounding privilege and truly recognize the systems they have been benefiting from. By doing this, it has allowed me to realize the opportunities in nature that I have had the chance to experience due to my privilege, and recognize that others may not have had the same opportunities.

Growing up, I lived in a rural area surrounded by nature and farmland. Admittedly, this has allowed me access to quiet country roads to walk, run, and explore. Additionally, with access to family vehicles, I was always able to accompany my family on walks and hikes through local forests or conversation areas. In being able-bodied, I have had the freedom to hike whenever it was convenient and without assistance. I am able to interpret nature with all of the five senses, and I feel that many able-bodied people fail to consider this a privilege. Moreover, ever since I can remember, my family has owned a sailboat and has had access to the open water of Lake Huron in Goderich, ON.

Personal Photo: This photo of the beach in Goderich, ON. Taken by J. Droog, 2020.

Personal Photo: Photo of snow covered trees on the edge of our property. Taken by J. Droog, 2021.

During my youth, I never recognized any of these things as “privilege”. However, as I continue to expand my knowledge on this topic, I now see these things as an immense privilege that many people in our local and global communities do not have equal access to. One thing that is important to remember is privilege can look different for everybody, and it is important to continually reflect on where we hold privilege in the various spaces we occupy.

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Privilege and Nature Interpretation

To me, privilege is an inherent advantage that isn’t earned, but instead handed to you because of who you are. I am a white, low-middle-class woman who attends university with the assistance and support of my parents. Growing up, I have never had to worry about money at home or being discriminated against simply for the colour of my skin. This has already given me a head-start leaps and bound ahead of those that were not born into the same situation I was – this has been very prevalent to me over the years. I have had to watch friends take time off school to earn money because their parents would not or could not help them financially. Racial discrimination can be seen every day in person, on the internet and on the news; although I have always been aware of it, the events of the past year have certainly amplified my awareness of it. As much as some people like to deny it exists, privilege is very real and is part of the reason why I am where I am now. 

Source

There are also aspects of my life where I am not so privileged. I have struggled and continue to struggle with numerous mental health disorders, some of which have had impacts my social life and academic performance. I am also a lesbian who struggled for years to come to terms with my sexuality due to the heteronormative society I was raised into (I also wrote an article about it here a few months ago, while I was still coming to terms with it). This was a stressful time in my life that I had to overcome, as I felt like I didn’t know who I was. Although I am still quite young and still count myself lucky to have finally figured myself out so early, this is an obstacle that I would not have needed to endure if I was straight. However, my mental health and sexuality do not overrule the fact that I am privileged in my everyday life simply because I am white. 

I do think that privilege plays a role in nature interpretation; this is because privilege can determine your education and your experiences. I am privileged to be in this class learning about nature interpretation, as this is a luxury that many are not able to afford. Without this class, I would not have known exactly what nature interpretation was or what a career entailed. Furthermore, many of the experiences I have had that have enhanced my interest in nature would not have been available to me if I was not privileged – whether it was my vacation to Yosemite Park I mentioned in an earlier post or growing up in Bermuda which was in itself a privilege. If I did not have these experiences, I likely wouldn’t be taking the academic path I am now.

Thanks for reading my blog! How long have you been aware of your privilege?

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Hi Kat! I enjoyed reading your blog post and I absolutely LOVE some of the photos you’ve taken – the one you shared in your blog post is incredible, and I’m excited to see more of your work! I’m always excited to meet another Marine Biology major as I love to see that others find the ocean as captivating as I do. I especially liked your comparison of it to space – there is so much of the ocean we have yet to explore, and that’s a big part of what drew me towards it in the first place! 

I understand how it feels to be unsure whether you want to steer your career towards education or research. This is something that I have been struggling with as well, and although I have been putting it on the back burner for a while, it is something that I will soon have to face due to it being my last semester at the university. 

Initially, I planned to try and have a career in the research aspect of marine biology in wildlife conservation. However, over the past few years, I have also been considering a career in what I now know is nature interpretation! I grew up visiting the aquarium and Underwater Exploration Institute often and enjoyed the tours I received as a child as it is where my interest sparked in marine biology. Because of this, I have been seriously considering looking into working at a zoo or aquarium as an interpreter!

Let me show you the ocean...

I have always gone back and forth in my mind as to whether I want to focus more on the education or research side of nature. I love teaching and leading but I also love learning new things, especially discovering things no one else knows. I think in the future, my ideal role in society would combine these two aspects because I think there are advantages to being a “scientist” that the public can understand and actually learn from in a way tailored to meet them where they are at. As having been in a “typical” nature interpreter role during my time at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, I gained an insight into how rewarding it can be to inspire people’s love for nature and be able to give them new information in a way that gets them excited and allows me to share my passion. One of the unique things I wasn’t expecting to take away from my experience was how fun it could also be to be a heritage interpreter. I have sometimes felt that as a teenager, adults do not always value my opinion in some experiences and while most of my engagement was to kids, I also interpreted the heritage house to many adults on the weekends. I found that by providing interesting facts and history on the house, I was able to interact with this demographic in a way where I could bring something to the table. The other fun thing for me was learning how much more connected people were in the past to nature than our society today and what the take-aways are from the past, as well as how to share those ideas with visitors. Since one of my passions is also photography, I have also considered how I could use that as a potential skill. Feel free to check out my nature related Instagram at kphotos333 where I post pictures from time to time and play around with photo editing to hone my nature photography skills as another way to reach out and share nature with the world!

A recent photo I posted on my Instagram showing local Guelph landscape I took on a walk with my family this summer. Photo taken by me. 

 As a marine biology major though, my ideal way to interpret nature would have to be something related to the ocean. I would love the opportunity in the future to go to somewhere in eastern Canada to be able to teach people of all ages about the ocean and share my passion for tide pools. I think a good compromise between research and interpretation would be a similar role to the course instructors that taught me about marine biology at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in New Brunswick. These instructors were researchers who also got to run a summer course with high school students to show them all the interesting ways to engage with the ocean. They inspired me to pursue the path I’m currently on and I would love the opportunity to inspire someone else in a similar way. The ocean is like space, it is not well explored, can seem scary, large and daunting, but also offers so many unique and wonderful things. Helping people to understand the mysteries, wonders and -outlandish- ;) creatures that inhabit the ocean while getting to study it myself as well and bring that  constantly evolving knowledge back into teaching people would be the best way I could think to spend my life. 

My questions for you are: what do you see yourself doing in the future and how might you incorporate nature or maybe even other passions you have into a potential career? What was your favorite experience with a nature interpreter and what did they do that made it a great experience, and finally what is your favorite aquatic creature? 

I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences and plans for your future!

P.S. I am always down to see other people’s photos, feel free to send them my way. I love seeing what moments people can capture, especially if they involve cute animals.  

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My Role as an Interpreter

I went a long time without knowing what nature interpretation necessarily was. Even when I selected this course, I wasn’t entirely sure what it was – I thought that it sounded interesting and fit into my schedule, so why not? However, as we delve into this course, I am realizing that this may have been an excellent course for me to take and give me ideas for what I want to do after I graduate.

I am currently in my final semester of Marine and Freshwater Biology, and the graduation clock continues to tick down, but I am still not entirely sure what I want to do as a career. Over the past few years, however, I have been considering a career in institutions such as aquariums giving tours – and I have now come to realize that this is exactly what this course is about! Being an Aquarium Interpreter began as just an idea, but I hope that this course will give me a better idea of if this career path is for me!

As mentioned in my previous blog post, I was born and spent the first ten years of my life in Bermuda, which sparked my interest in marine biology. I would frequent institutions such as the Bermuda Aquarium and the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI), whether on school trips or in my own free time. Although the displays and specimens were enough to capture my interest on the subject of the ocean and its organisms, I can still remember some of the tours given to me by interpreters over a decade later. A good interpreter is someone that is enthusiastic and engaging (especially when it comes to children) while also remaining knowledgeable and concise. Although I am not the best at public speaking (hopefully one day I will work past this stutter), if there is one thing that I can talk about, it’s my interests! Despite my impediments, I feel like this would benefit me in the role of an interpreter. After all, I do believe that passion plays a big role in being an interpreter.  

Family looking at an aquarium. Source

I have been a visual learner for as long as I can remember. In school, I have always benefit from seeing an example of an assignment I am to complete, and I like having diagrams to visualize things that I am learning about. Being an interpreter is about combining the various methods of learning so that everyone – whether a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner – has something to take away from the experience. Although this is important for learners of all ages, I feel like this is especially important for children – as I mentioned earlier, a good interpreter can spark interest in a child that can stay with them for life. It would be an honour to do that for someone else, as it has been done to me!