#UofG

[nickstanley]

Rutherford Conservatory

University of Guelph, Ontario Canada

[cbenvs3000f24]

Unit 07 blog post

Hi all,

To answer the question, “Where is music in nature?” and “Where is nature in music?”, I think there is more than one response. Music in nature can be found, in my opinion, quite literally everywhere. Whether that is the sound of trees rustling on a windy day, birds communicating while flying overhead, waves crashing into each other, or even rain during a heavy thunderstorm. Although this isn't quite like the music we like to listen to on our headphones every day, I find it can still be just as enjoyable. These natural sounds can even inspire the composition of music we hear today. Many different cultures across time have incorporated animal sounds, fire sounds, and many more natural melodies into their own musical traditions. It goes to show that music and nature are intertwined with one another.

Many natural rhythms are influenced by the sound of the sea, wind, and rain, which serves as a reminder of how deeply ingrained nature's melodies are in music. According to the article by Gray et al. (2001), musical sounds observed in nature indicate a connection between any living things, and that this relationship can be understood as a shared language among species. On the other hand, when it comes to music, there is so much more to reflect on when it comes to nature rather than just purely imitating the sounds. Composers often write their music according to the landscapes they see. This includes mountains, lakes, or even a thunderstorm. It can be a way of portraying the place, where the listeners feel themselves there when they are far from it. For songwriters who have enough talent to capture the wide range of feelings, narratives, and visual beauty found in nature and transform them into sound, it can be a constant source of inspiration. For artists, songwriters, and composers, nature is an endless source of inspiration. It offers a variety of feelings, stories, and visual beauty that may be transformed into sounds. Tilden's principles state that interpretative programs that combine art and information can have a profound emotional impact that leads to a sense of connection with nature, which should then inspire responsibility. Incorporating bird melodies into beatboxing is one example of how Ben Mirin uses his skill to capture the sounds of specific species. This gives audiences a new perspective on animals and ecosystems that they might never get to see firsthand.

One song that immediately takes me back to a natural landscape is “Good Days” by SZA. The reasoning for this is that I find the song to be really dreamlike as if I’m walking on a beach at sunset or nighttime. SZA has been one of my favourite artists for a long time so I am definitely also a fan of her voice, in this song specifically. The song is about how even though things might be tough right now, “good days” are coming. I love the meaning of this song because it is a reminder to not be more present and to not focus too much on the things that stress us out in life.

This is a picture I took two summers ago, walking along the beach at around 11pm, listening to "Good Days". I love this picture because even though the quality is not the best, it takes me back to that time when I felt so at peace :)

Thanks for reading!

[jacqui-dennett]

Behind the scenes

A wee bit of off camera flash practice

[peachy-sxnrise]

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[uofgminecraftsociety]

Minecraft Live returns this Sunday [15th October] at 6pm!

Tune into this official stream with us while we hear of news, sneak peeks, the mob vote, and more. Votes for the crab, the armadillo, or the penguin open in 24 hours on the Minecraft Launcher and website.

Come along, watch with us on our Discord and take part by creating your own Bingo card too!

[ielts-toefl-1]

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[msdenvs3000f24]

Unit 10

Describe your personal ethic as you develop as a nature interpreter. What beliefs do you bring? What responsibilities do you have? What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?

Through writing this blog, I’ve been pushed to develop a more concrete sense of my personal beliefs and ethics within nature interpretation. I’ve found that at the core, I feel nature interpretation is most powerful in its ability to create lasting connections with people and the natural world, rather than simply an avenue for education or entertainment. These were thoughts I brought with me before starting this blog but were immediately reaffirmed in Chapter 1, where Beck et al. (2018) explain how good interpretation expands awareness and understanding, leading to enriched experiences. As such, I continue to view interpretation as a vehicle for connecting diverse audiences with equally diverse aspects of nature, from towering mountains to molehills.

Nested closely with my core beliefs is my personal history, where, as a new Canadian (having only lived here since 2022) I deeply value conversations which highlight the diverse cultural perspectives on nature. From a purely personal standpoint, moving continents meant a VERY steep learning curve in terms of the species I now share spaces with; allowing (aka forcing) me to take things way back to basics and appreciate natural spaces in a way I had certainly taken for granted. For example, even after more than two years, an up-close interaction with a black-capped chickadee in the UofG Arboretum or cautiously passing the neighbourhood skunk on the way back from my mailbox never fail to make me smile, despite being some of the most overlooked species. In a way, I feel this is what makes them most exciting! While settling here has encouraged me to reorient myself to Canadian species and landscapes, it has also encouraged me to explore differing cultural attitudes towards wildlife and conservation. I distinctly remember being saddened but not surprised to learn that the Woodland Caribou (mentioned in an earlier post), which hold great ecological and cultural significance to many Indigenous people, face dire threats of habitat destruction by humans: despite the continued efforts towards their protection by Indigenous communities (Viswanathan, 2023).

Knowing that humans are so frequently directly responsible for the loss of wildlife and subsequently indigenous culture around the world has led me to reflect on my biases. As an interpreter, it is my responsibility to share knowledge in an accessible and captivating way, but also to ensure my delivery and practices are equitable and inclusive. The concept of the “invisible backpack” mentioned in Unit 03 reminds me to consider the varying privileges and barriers people face when accessing natural spaces (McIntosh, 1989). For example, as someone navigating new cultural norms in Canada, I’ve noticed how environmental experiences often reflect dominant cultural values, sometimes overlooking other traditions of engaging with nature. Recognizing this informs my efforts to craft experiences that resonate with diverse audiences and honour multiple ways of knowing; which have led me to realise the power of nature interpretation as a tool for change.

A photo of Buzz, a non-releasable Turkey Vulture at Mountsberg Raptor Centre. Here, he’s ‘sunning’, a common behaviour among vultures where they save energy by using the heat of the sun to maintain homeostatic body temperature.

I am especially drawn to advocating for species that are often misunderstood, like Turkey Vultures. Their scavenging lifestyle means they are commonly associated with death and decay, meaning that many people think they are unpleasant or even ugly! But this species and other scavengers around the world play a vital ecological role; they are nature’s clean-up crew. By consuming and digesting carrion using stomach acid that has a pH slightly above zero, they prevent the spread of disease and help to recycle nutrients back into the environment (Greaney, 2017). By sharing remarkable adaptations like this, I hope to shift perceptions and inspire admiration for a species often dismissed. Advocacy for such misunderstood creatures aligns with my goal of broadening people’s appreciation for all forms of life, even those that might not immediately captivate their attention.

In Unit 2, I learned that I am an auditory learner. As an auditory learner, I can bring a unique perspective to nature interpretation by embracing sound and storytelling as powerful tools to connect people with the natural world. Storytelling through sounds allows me to craft vivid narratives that bring ecosystems and wildlife to life, weaving tales of resilience and interconnection, and lends itself to my particular interest in birds. The bird-nerd phase started young and never left, thanks to these wonderful species. Take a listen!

I love the idea incorporating the sounds of nature into my interpretation, whether it's guiding audiences to pause and listen for a chickadee’s cheerful call or playing recordings of natural phenomena to deepen understanding. I also find the absence of sound to be incredibly moving, for instance in a dense woodland. It’s moments like this where I personally feel most able to connect to nature, and the peace that comes along with it, and I hope to one-day share that with people. Experiences so far have showed me that my strength in active listening helps me engage with audiences, valuing their insights and tailoring my delivery to species or phenomena they can relate to; encouraging dialogue that fosters a collaborative experience. My aim is that using these approaches allows me to share my passion for nature in a way that reflects some of my personality, while also resonating with others and leaving lasting impressions.

Ultimately, my personal ethic as a nature interpreter is rooted in curiosity—sparking a sense of wonder in others while encouraging them to explore the natural world with open minds. My experiences as a new Canadian, my fascination with misunderstood species like turkey vultures, and my dedication to inclusive storytelling inspire me to approach this work with my own curiosity and wonder. Whatever the medium, I strive to create experiences that ignite curiosity and invite audiences to ask questions, make connections, and see nature in new ways. I am lucky to have already gained experience in this field, but as I continue to grow, I hope to refine this ethic by keeping my passion fuelled by learning of others’ perspectives and new experiences.

---References---

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Publishing.

Greaney, D. (2017). Vultures have the pH for public health. Record Searchlight. Retrieved 14 November 2024, from https://www.redding.com/story/life/2017/07/26/vultures-have-ph-public-health/504630001/

McIntosh, P. (1989). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Peace and Freedom Magazine, 10–12.

My Birding Year (Director). (2021, January 29). UK Garden Bird Identification Guide—Bird Names and Songs [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfLIYOh8qEU

Viswanathan, L. (2023, May 15). Indigenous-led Conservation of Caribou. Indigenous Climate Hub. https://indigenousclimatehub.ca/2023/05/indigenous-led-conservation-of-caribou/

[coolestweirdgirl]

tb to when I took dalisays uofg virginity!

[awenvs3000f24]

Blog Post 07

This week's readings, especially the articles, really pulled me in and interested me. As a bachelor of arts and science student at UofG, I am particularly intrigued when nature and art come together as we analyze the relationship between the seemingly very different subjects in our core arts and science courses. When I tell people what my program is at guelph, I often get the response of “arts and science, wow those are two very different things to be doing at the same time,” and while yes they are very different subjects at face value, they intersect constantly and there is often not one without the other. The relationship of music with nature is a perfect example of these intertwined worlds, and as a lover of music and singing (even though I’m not a great singer), as well as a lover of nature and wildlife, this week's topic is very exciting to me.

The first question is “where is music in nature?” One of the articles for this week titled “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music” gives many fantastic examples of music within nature. This article describes different animal species and their version of music, such as humpback whales and birds. When discussing the whales for example, it was so interesting to discover how similar their version of “music” is to ours, as the article mentions that humpback whale songs have similar structure and rhythms to songs made by birds and even humans (Krause, G.P. et al., 2001). This is crazy to think about as whales, birds and humans do not seem to have much in common at all, yet somehow we all make similar music? The article even says “they use phrases of a similar length to ours -- a few seconds -- and create themes out of several phrases before singing the next theme (Krause, G.P. et al., 2001).” This sounds like whales, a part of nature and wildlife are spending time forming these songs, intentionally making them sound pleasant and performing them throughout the years, passing them on to their children just like humans have done for years (Krause, G.P. et al., 2001). Whales aren't just making random sounds and humans are interpreting it as music because they chose to, whales even prefer to use the technique of repetition just like music artists do (Krause, G.P. et al., 2001). They discover what works well, sounds nice, and is easily remembered and they use that material many times over. In an evolution course I took last semester I learned all about the evolutionary crossing of whales and humans, but this has not happened for millions and millions of years, which makes this even more outstanding that our creations of music are so similar. This is a perfect example of music within nature, music is a universal thing which is why it is so beautiful as almost anyone in the world has some sort of relationship or connection with music, and this article provides proof that this extends further than humans, almost every species within nature has a relationship with music. 

Here are some photos from when I was whale watching in Victoria, BC.

The next question is much the same but different, “where is nature in music? If you are someone discovering the world of music within nature, then you are likely someone who seeks out learning about nature and is passionate about the treatment and well being of nature, as well as a lover of music. Well, how can we get more people to pay attention to nature, to get excited about learning about it and to become educated and involved in the protection and well being of it. As we have discussed, music is a giant phenomenon and more people than not love to listen to music, play music, or have music as a big factor of their religion or culture. This means almost everyone is engaging in music in some form or another, much more than people are actively engaging with nature other than existing passively within it in their everyday lives. Incorporating nature within music is an extremely beneficial way to get people thinking about nature when they wouldn't have otherwise and is an enjoyable way to learn. An example of incorporating nature within music is described in the course content within this week's lesson. A musician named Ben Mirin found attempting to bring these two things together an exciting challenge, and he began to incorporate wildlife sounds such as birdsongs into his musical work. This is a genius way to plant a seed in the minds of the audience as they will enjoy the music, and find the mystery sounds intriguing. Most people won't be able to recognize what these sounds are or why Ben incorporated them into his song, but they will be interested enough to go find out, softly leading them more into the world of nature by curiosity. As said within the lesson, “How can a person connect with endangered species that they’ve never seen nor experienced? Create modern music featuring animals' sounds, calls, and songs, of course! (Hooykaas, 2024)” and this is such a great point. For non-nature people, music is a great gateway as it touches so many people in so many ways. This creates a positive ripple effect, leading to more attention towards issues surrounding nature and a bigger push towards nature and environmental protection. 

Finally I will touch on the third part of this blog prompt, a song that reminds me of a certain landscape. I have many examples come to mind when asked this question as I attach memories to songs constantly. This actually helps me remember more meaningful moments, as I am reminded of memories all the time when I listen to music. In 2022 I traveled all around Africa with my family for the second time. When we were in Cape Town, South Africa my cousins and I decided to go on a hike. Some of my cousins are very adventurous and definitely fearless, but me, not so much. This hike up a mountain had very narrow paths on the edge of cliffs and extremely steep areas that we had to climb up. It started to rain and become slippery and I was pretty scared. My cousins and I started to sing “Aint No Mountain High Enough” by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson to distract me from my fear of heights and to get us to the top of the mountain. All of us singing this song while taking in the beauty of the nature surrounding us, and the view once we made it to the top was something so magical. I don't think I would remember it as vividly without this connection to a song, and everytime I hear it, I am taken right back to that moment singing with my family and experiencing the beauty of nature.

I am excited to hear about all of your connections with music and nature!

[cbenvs3000f24]

Unit 06 blog post

Hi everyone!

As I read this 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…", one of the things that came to mind was our relationship with the past. The quote indicates that the past should not be valued simply because it is old, but the integrity of things that exist beyond a certain period of time must still be preserved. It is understanding and remembering what came before that provides the insight necessary to keep a coherent whole, whether in society, tradition, or our own private lives, together. “Integrity entails the keeping together of the parts”, this part of the quote produces interesting questions as to what extent the past continues to have relevance for the present. Take environmental issues, for instance. It is a very modern concern, yet deeply rooted in ancient practices. For centuries, indigenous peoples worked very hard to be in balance with nature, and failure to understand that might cause us to miss out on some key information about how to care for our Earth. Not learning from ancient wisdom compromises our current environmental efforts. On the other hand, not all things passed on from the past are worth preserving. For example, the old ideologies of sexism, racism, and colonialism need to be left behind. The quote recognizes that the value of all things ancient lies not in their inherent worth but rather in the wisdom they teach about what should be preserved and what should be let go. To maintain wholeness in the integrity of living today, we have to carefully pick which elements of the past support that wholeness and which elements do not.

I found the railway station analogy to be very powerful: “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 passage of the quote makes me think of a train ride I took last summer in Switzerland, through tiny villages and scenery that seemed to be only a brief glimpse of another world. But that does not mean the towns and people that lived in them disappeared just because I moved on. The past is similar to those towns: it does not get erased just because we have moved on through it, it continues to shape the present whether we like it or not.

This is a picture of one of the beautiful towns I passed by, while on the train.

This led me to think; how do we determine what pieces of the past are worth keeping? I think the answer lies in whether those pieces contribute to sustaining integrity. In my own life, I’ve let go of family customs that felt more like obligations than meaning, but I’ve held on to others, like gathering for family dinners, because they keep a sense of connection and wholeness.

Ultimately, the past should neither be idolized nor discarded. It is but a part of the whole, and integrity means knowing which parts serve us in staying in touch with our selves of today.

[kcenvs3000w24]

Blog 06: Nature Interpretation Through History

Hi everyone, and welcome to my sixth blog post! The topic we are focusing on this week is nature interpretation through history. There is a lot of information to unpack here, so let’s dive in!

This week’s discussion was based on natural history and the interpretation of it. Natural history involves creating stories and memories based on evidence. Interpretation is needed to give life to past events, as well as remember the importance those events may have had. Interpreters have the ability to enrich their audience by relating historical experiences to their own lives. 

Interpretive writing of natural history has the power to change the world. It has the ability to both persuade and entertain (Beck et al., 2018). An example of this would be Rachel Carson and her novel Silent Spring. Last semester I explored the impact Rachel Carson had on the use of pesticides in the United States in another Environmental Science class here at UofG (ENVS 3020). Through her book, Rachel Carson was able to bring attention to the adverse effects pesticides have on the environment and wildlife (Beck et al., 2018). Through her writing, which she used as an interpretive tool, Rachel was able to influence public perception and reconstructed movements towards protecting the environment. 

Rachel Carson's novel Silent Spring

"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."

The above quotation is from Edward Hyams in the 7th chapter of his book, The Gift of Interpretation. When unpacking this quote, I think of the importance of both the past and present coming together. There is not necessarily significance in things just because they are older, but the real value lies in seeing the bigger picture (both the past and present). In order to maintain integrity, we must consider memories and knowledge of the past. Sometimes we live our lives without thinking or remembering what or who came before us. 

What I have taken away from this quote is to consider the importance previous history and events have on us in our modern day lives. By understanding history, we are able to learn valuable lessons that allow us to make informed decisions in the future. 

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing.

[smenvs3000f24]

Unit 2 Blog #2

Two more topics related to this prompt that I wanted to delve a bit more into are another specific interest I would love to promote as an environmental interpreter, and further discussion of the learning styles that need to be considered and catered to in interpretation.

First, as an environmental interpreter, I would ideally teach groups about the importance of insects in our world. Many people have negative connotations with insects, whether out of fear or inconvenience, but I have always felt positively towards these creatures, and after learning more about them in an insect biology course (I would be curious to hear if anyone else took this course at UofG) I have an even greater appreciation. In recent years, the importance of pollinators has been pushed more which is a very encouraging development, but this has largely focused on bees and butterflies which—while important—are not the only relevant pollinators. The role of many flies and even beetles in pollination is something that many people would not know, and I would love to share this passion of mine with others through education about nature. Although I doubt I would be able to convert everyone to an insect lover, I would enjoy the experience of educating people about a side of insects that they may not be aware of to at least earn them some respect or understanding.

Secondly, I have heard discussion of the types of learning styles many times, and this application in environmental interpretation is one that I feel can be integrated well. During a tour of an environment, activities and structure can be created to allow each of the three main learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) to benefit. A story can be told during the tour with information and messages you are trying to send integrated throughout, seeing the environment around you as well as informational posters/signs, and hands-on activities such as direct interaction with specimens of plants or animals while learning about them can be included. This integration would be a main goal for me as an interpreter, and I feel this is a subject in which collaborating with others with different learning styles to design the best method of interpretation could be very beneficial. I am primarily an auditory learner, and consistently show the least bias towards kinesthetic learning, so it would be important for me to check with people who do learn this way that interpretation I am leading successfully caters to this method.

These discussions also highlight for me why the “Where might it be?” line in this prompt is not as important as the others to me. I feel strongly about many types of nature in many ways, and thus I prioritize the learning that I would be able to instill and what skills I would need to do this successfully.

Out of interest, I have also included a poll to hear from you all about what type of learner you are as it would be interesting to know how variable the class is on this!

[bkenvs3000w24]

Killer Whales

I have always been obsessed with marine animals, especially killer whales ever since I watched the movie Free Willy, back in grade two. And of course, since there is no prompt this week, I thought what better way to conclude this week by talking about Northern Resident Killer Whales (NRKW) and the ongoing efforts for their wildlife conservation. 

To provide some background, NRKW can only be found in Canada, specifically, on the coast of British Columbia, as well as some parts of Washington State and Alaska. They are under the Species at Risk Act as there are only 332 NRKWs remaining in the entire world as of 2022 (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Back in the late 1900’s, NRKW populations used to grow by the hundreds but their life expectancy has been slowly declining due to a decrease in prey, impacting their survival rates (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Having said that, they only feed on chinook salmon but it is not always available due to commercial fishing, climate change and river blockage (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). This results in the NRKWs traveling away from their natural habitat (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Since then, there has been an increase in conservation efforts towards NRKWs as they play a critical role in the ecosystem. 

Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a non profit based at the University of Victoria has been working for years to educate the public via science and through courts to help the NRKW population thrive once again. They have led many legal battles against businesses like fishery companies in Federal Court to protect killer whales. One of their most notable cases which they won was against the company Kinder Morgan and their TransMountain Expansion through the Salish sea where these killer whales reside. 

A petition led by Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, an alumni of UofG, proposed ideas for protecting killer whale populations. Suggestions included increasing chinook salmon in critical habitats. This can be achieved by eliminating commercial fishing in feeding areas important to the killer whales (Rainforest Conservation Foundation). Using various scientific models, they were able to prove if fisheries were closed, it would improve their populations (Rainforest Conservation Foundation). If measures were taken to reduce physical and acoustic disturbances by prohibiting commercial and recreational whale watching at critical times of the year would allow NRKW to forage food (Rainforest Conservation Foundation). As well, establishing 200m distance and speed reductions for whale watching vessels in key foraging areas would allow killer whales to freely hunt and not be driven away (Rainforest Conservation Foundation). Measures like such would gradually present an increase in killer whale populations and allow their species to thrive. 

In all, many environmental groups and government agencies are understanding the impact of losing killer whale populations native to Canada. Experts like Dr. Barrett-Lennard and many other research collaborators used their experiences and scientific observations to draw out conservation plans which they presented to the government of Canada. They proposed emergency measures based on available science which Fisheries and Oceans Canada have been educated upon, resulting in an increased effort to preserve killer whale populations in Canada. 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (n.d.). Population status update for the northern resident killer … https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2023/mpo-dfo/fs70-7/Fs70-7-2023-031-eng.pdf 

Rainforest Conservation Foundation. (n.d.). Petition for an emergency order for the southern resident ... https://www.raincoast.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/SRKW-petition-for-Emergency-Order.pdf 

[lacenvs3000w24]

evolution & everything happens for a reason.

Okay, so pretty much everyone since Darwin has heard about evolution by natural selection. BUT this does nothing to change the fact that it’s still such an interesting and exciting topic!! I’m not going to drone on about the theory of evolution - no, Charles did that for us. Instead, I really want to talk about how having some knowledge of that theory makes my time in nature that much more magical. In this way, I hope to bring the three guiding facets of interpretation together - education, recreation, and inspiration (Beck et al., 2018).

(Side note; I bought a copy of “On the origin of species” when I got accepted to UofG, and still have not managed to make my way through it. No hate to Darwin, but I think we could’ve taken some notes from this class to make that read a bit more engaging - jokes, of course. If any of you have read it in its entirety, I’d love to hear your thoughts…is it worth the read? did he include anything that would be deemed a “hot take” in our modern day?).

In biological studies, we come back to evolution all the time, and we blame it for nearly everything. At this point, I’ve learned the more mechanistic view of evolution, the misconceptions about it, and where we see it in ourselves and the rest of the biological world.

And yeah, makes sense, right?

But for me, it all really clicked last semester in my Animal Behaviour class, which pulled a lot of ideas from economics, cost and benefit, and the prisoner’s dilemma (cue loud groan). I know, I know, booooring.

But honestly, it really put it all into perspective for me –  the grandiose concepts of evolution finally had a really solid foundation, such that the story of any natural sight I see is clearer in my mind.

Like, okay, why do parents take care of their young?

Silly question, right? But really think about it for a sec. Well, we know that offspring are genetically related to their parents – if a parent doesn’t take care of their young, the young (and the parent’s genes, and even potentially the act of providing for young) does not persist.

We also know that in some species, one parent (mother or father) puts way more energy into raising the young than the other parent does. Again, why? If they’re both equally related, why isn’t this behaviour equal between the two?

There are a lot of “it depends” here, but one example is that the mother can be 100% sure that those babies are hers, while the father can’t be quite as sure – what if the mama snuck off with another fellow and those kids don’t have any of the “father’s” genes?

Basically, to hedge his bets, the father doesn’t spend his energy on raising young, and instead spends it looking for other potential partners.

who woulda thought that evolution would explain why there's so much drama and gambling in the natural world??

A Friend in Need (1903) by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge

My other favourite example has to do with food caching behaviour in red squirrels vs. grey squirrels. Grey squirrels hide food all over the place, spreading out their cache. Red squirrels make one big stockpile. So, if a grey squirrel defends its caches, it wastes a ton of energy, almost for nothing. It physically couldn’t manage to guard all its nuts at once, so defending one cache leaves an opportunity for other caches to be robbed.

A red squirrel, though, benefits a lot from defending its cache. If it does, it stands a much higher chance of keeping itself fed through the winter, and if it doesn’t, it has lost all of the eggs from its single basket. This explains why red squirrels are the angry little guys they are – they aren’t just evil little devils who’ve escaped from hell. Instead, they just got out of their econ lecture!

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12144772@N06/1700328393

So, while it might seem that going through the mild pains of learning the theory and its economic/math-y/mechanistic intricacies would make nature as a whole feel less magical, I think it does the exact opposite. I feel like knowing these connections paints a really bright hue on my view of nature. “Why is that thing the way it is?” is such a cool, whimsical question to get caught up in, and I love it.

We've been educated, we've had some fun looking at some silly animal examples, and hopefully there was a hint of inspiration in here too!

Mother Nature really said “everything happens for a reason” and I think that’s super neat.

Anyone else have an "evolution epiphany" moment to share?

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Chapter 3: Values to Individuals and Society. In Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (pp. 41-56). Sagamore Publishing.

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06: The Railway ‘Walked’ So The Train Could ‘Run.’

For this week, we are to unpack the quote by Edward Hyams – I found I had to read it several times to grasp the poetic wording and metaphor! In doing so, I also had to rethink its meaning each time I reread it which provided a deeper understanding. Here is how I initially unpacked the quote:

The quote begins by speaking to the idea that old items generally don’t have much worth (aside from the cool vintage finds at Value Village). Following is a seemingly different topic, integrity. Edward says that to have integrity (honesty, moral principle), one must keep together the smaller factors that come together to create the larger outcome. He then brings it back to the idea of “ancient things” by describing how the parts he is referring to are actually history or “scattered through time.” With this in mind, ancient things are indeed of importance, as the knowledge they provide upholds integrity.

In summary: History may seem unimportant, yet it provides knowledge and memory of the parts of our past that have come together to make up the whole of our present.

So, what’s this got to do with nature interpretation?

Well, every single inch of land on our Earth has a story that accompanies it and in knowing its past we are more equipped to interpret its present. For instance, the University of Guelph was once a 500-acre farm, focused purely on agriculture studies; knowing this I can see why the term “aggies” is so suited and niche to the University of Guelph (UofG, 2024). Fortunately, this information was documented and is easily accessible, along with much more information on the history of UofG. However, this is not always the case – there is often controversy on the accuracy and authenticity of history (Beck et al., 2018). This is an issue to interpreting nature in various ways, for instance, even if experts find history to be authentic, interpreters have found that visitors do not necessarily believe in the authenticity (Beck et al., 2018). If visitors do not find the interpreters' knowledge to be credible, they will be less likely to participate and enjoy the nature interpretation (Beck et al., 2018).

Reflecting on the implications of Edward’s words, I think how so many pieces of land, particularly land where humans do not reside and nature is the true focus, have limited documented history. I would love to learn the stories and evolution of the forestry behind my house, however this knowledge on ancient things was not documented, taking its integrity away too. This inspires myself to take pictures of nature and write about what I see, as one day when the present becomes history, I will be able to refer to the knowledge and experiences I have gained and share that with others.

To conclude for this week, I think an important takeaway is that the present would not be how it is without the past, and thus we should acknowledge both. Or, in other words, the railway ‘walked,’ so the train could ‘run.’

Thanks for tuning in,

Kiera

References

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

University of Guelph [UofG]. (2024). University of Guelph History. https://www.uoguelph.ca/about/history/