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Hey @rgenvs3000f23,

Reading your post, I think everyone can relate on how stressful it is thinking about what you want to do career wise following university. I completely relate with not wanting to do a desk job the rest of my life, I also not completely sure I want to do a research job either because I find writing scientific papers very boring and dry. At the beginning of this post I like that you showed your integrity and self-esteem in stating that your are not interested in just going with any career direction based on the salary that comes with it. That you can not work for a place like PepsiCo because it does not atone to your personal morals and ethics.

I agree that nature can have a profound impact on mental health, at the same time though I think it is ignorant to group everyone in the same boat in terms of mental health and nature being the only cure they need. At least that's how what you said came off. I think that although there are people that can significantly or completely improve there mental health through outdoor means this is not true for everyone. There are people that need additional professional help whether that be talk therapy, EMDR, etc., this would be mental illness probably beyond depression, sometimes also depression. Apart from this it was an enjoyable read, good luck discovering what you want to do career wise. As well as good luck with the rest of the semester!

Blog 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?

Hey! For our final blog post, we were asked to write about our personal ethic as we develop as nature interpreters.

I’m currently in my final year of university, and I’m beginning to look for jobs. And for the first time in my life, I’m looking for career jobs, instead of part-time of summer positions. So needless to say I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what jobs I ideally want, what jobs I’m willing to do, and what jobs I’m not willing to do. Our course readings for this week mentioned a fear of a desk job being a potential motivating factor for pursuing a career related to environmental interpretation. That one did admittedly resonate with me a bit. My last job was more or less of a desk job, where I worked as a research assistant in a lab. And even though, on paper, it was closer to what I want to do as a career, I didn’t enjoy it very much. I missed working in the service industry, I missed the high-energy, social atmosphere, I missed getting to work with my hands and see the results right in front of me. Spending most of my working hours not only indoors, but in a dim lab staring at a laptop just made me irritable. So I’d love to find a job in the sciences that’s more hands-on and active, but I’ve realized I’d happily move away from research if I can’t find a job in that field that lets me move around.

Every week or so I get an email from the university describing job opportunities. It hasn’t been very useful in finding jobs, but it sure has been useful in helping me figure out exactly what place/companies/fields I am not willing to work for. There’s always plenty of decently paying opportunities working for mega-corporations like PepsiCo, and the like, as well as their countless subsidiaries. I know now that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I worked for a place like that. I would much rather go just about anywhere else, including back to the service industry. I might have a less prestigious career, but I care about having a job that I enjoy doing and that I see as important. During my last job, it was difficult to get up and go to the lab in the morning when I couldn’t really see the effects and importance of the research that was being done. I know that whatever I end up doing, it needs to be relatively active, and even better if I get to spend time outdoors as part of it. As long as I’m still able to spend my free time outside, that much is negotiable.

I wanted to go into more details about my beliefs/motivations/self-assigned responsibilities. First, the rather apparent role of nature in mental health and our current culture around it. Not that I have enough space to go into all of my thoughts on that, but I’d like to include a few of them here. One, on mental health being treated like an individual problem, when it really should be recognized as a systemic one. Even if people admit that it’s systemic, the “solutions” and treatments that are currently popular tend to be highly individual. Take mood-regulating medication, go to eternal therapy, isolate yourself from others in the name of self-improvement. In general, mental health has been both commercialized and capitalized upon. Like I mentioned, I don’t have the adequate space to go through my thoughts on the systemic causes of mental lack-of-wellness. But as I’m sure many of us are aware, spending time outside and spending time with other people (or even both at the same time!) have been shown time and time again to be beneficial to human well-being. Honestly, I don’t think we need more research in that area. We already know, and as much as I like numbers, more statistics aren’t going to save us.

So for me personally, all that means that I don’t want to have a job that drags down the health of other people, or my own. I would love to have a job that helps remove some of the barriers that have been put up between nature and people, which I don’t think should belong in different categories in the first place. But an important caveat for me is that I don’t want my career to be a constant fight. I’m quite tired of war analogies. There’s less of a point in destroying something if there’s nothing better to work towards. I don’t want to dedicate my life to fighting climate change, because I’ll make myself miserable and make everyone around me a little less happy. That’s not to say I don’t care, but I do think that a bunch of sad and lonely people aren’t going to bring about much positive change. Like the video with David Suzuki and Richard Louv mentioned (I think it was Richard Louv who mentioned it), it’s hard to make change if people don’t have any sort of positive idea of a future to look forwards to.

So to summarize as neatly as I can: If I end up doing something related to nature interpretation, I want it to get people excited and help people feel more connected to the world around them.

Picture: One of the Arboretum gardens after a snowstorm

On the same note as working towards something rather than solely working against, I have a book recommendation for anyone looking for a sci-fi story with a positive outlook: Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers (and its sequel)

Thanks for reading!

[alisondraenvs3000blogposts]

Hey Lauren,

I decided to repost another one of your blog posts because I very much enjoy reading them. I like that you were able to fulfil the prompt of the blog using a very simple yet effective topic—just going for a walk. I think this topic was a great way to effectively connect with your readers since this is an online course, and with the time constraints of school in general, it is easy to neglect mental health. Reconnecting with nature by going for a walk is a great way to take a break from school, give your mind a break, and allow your body to reset and relax. It was important that you added research-backed evidence to support your claims that walks, going out, and experiencing nature have mental health benefits. 

I have personally never been camping, referring to the camping photos you were talking about. This being said, I have always wanted to go! The main reason is that neither of my parents like camping, but I have taken advantage of living in cottage country and camping in my literal backyard, which is a lot of fun. From the camping stories that others have told me, it seems that a lot of core memories related to nature occur in regards to camping. Probably because there is more isolation than going on walking or hiking adventures and returning to your house after the fact.

Also, the bridge photo that you included in this post looks like a professional photo. It is stunning! Is photography an interest of yours, and are you interested in incorporating it into future aspects of your career, or do you just want to focus on research in environmental science? The photos you included in this post make me curious as to what other photos you have taken on your camping trips. Do you take photos on your regular walks too? I have taken a ton of photos while going on walks. I have so many photos I have either taken on my phone or my camera of either different species I have found on the trails around my house over the years or the sunsets and sunrises I have seen. Summer walks are definitely top-rated, especially walks at dusk when you can hear all the crickets and the toads making music. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read; it was in fact relaxing and reminded me of how beneficial walks have been for my personal mental health. This was a short read, yet it felt like I was going for a walk with you while I was reading.

Blog post 9

"Interpret (through this blog) the most amazing thing you know about nature – get us excited. This is your blog – you audience isn’t out in the field with you so bring the field to your armchair reader."

The first thing that came to my mind was the adaptability of fishes (specifically freshwater fish such as goldfish, in particular) but I already explained/rambled about that in a previous blog so I will talk about something else I guess. *sigh* 

I don't know about you, but whenever I'm in a bad or low mood, going for a walk outside always seems to help. Something about seeing critters going about their daily lives - like a squirrel curiously scavenging around, or a chubby turtle dove perched on a branch - brings me joy. Sometimes I like to think they're a sign from my loved ones who have passed. What amazes me about nature is the positive effect it has on humans, both physically and chemically in the body and mind. We're actually chemically hardwired to reap benefits from looking at greenery and nature scenes! Many different studies have shown that spending time out in nature (e.g., taking a walk in a forest) has not only positive mental health benefits such as improved mood, but physical benefits such as reduced blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels as well! Nature apparently also has the ability to soothe/distract us from pain and help us concentrate on tasks better! I've attached some of my favourite nature photos from my last camping trip for your own personal stress relief!

Hope this blog helped you feel more zen, and happy sunday :-) Thanks for reading, have a good week!

Source: https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20nature%20not%20only,health%20researchers%20Stamatakis%20and%20Mitchell.

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Hey Lauren, I hope you are having a great week! I really enjoyed reading your final blog post. I liked that you allowed yourself to open up about personal aspects of yourself to get your perspective on what your values of interpretation would be. Everything personal that you added to this post really allowed me to connect with what you were saying. 

I actually did not know that eco-nihilism was a thing until I read your post. I mean, I knew that the perspective of the earth being better off without humans because we are destructive was something I just did not know was the word for it. I can tell from your post that you resonate more with the concept in eco-nihilism of minimizing and ridding the earth of trash and damage done by humans over the extremity of ridding humans of the earth to save it, because apparently that's also a perspective. I personally think that, just like all major climate disruptors that have occurred throughout the historical existence of the earth, if we do not change our ways, it will just find its own way to balance itself out like it always has. If we continue to speed up the process of climate change, this may sadly mean that the majority of species that exist today, including our own, will not exist when the earth goes to reestablish a new equilibrium. So, essentially, I do not think that the world is literally screwed, just the species that are alive on it currently.

I was also vegan for 3 years and had to go back to an omnivorous diet for the same reason of becoming malnourished. I think veganism became popular in 2016, and there was a lot of information out there that it was the best lifestyle choice for the planet because of farming practices and crop agriculture using less water. I personally think that eating more seasonal foods and shopping more locally from Canadian farms is actually more ethical. I completely agree with this part of your post that guilt is a well-known method used in media, especially when it comes to veganism. From this entire part of your post, a profound take is that you highlighted that you do not have to be perfect in environmentalism to have an impact. Yes, there is importance in limiting your carbon footprint on an individual level, but you should not feel guilty about upholding a vegan diet to ensure you are limiting your carbon footprint. Humans are not meant to be perfect; that's why there's unique individuality in all of us. 

Overall, your post was a great read, and hopefully you had a positive semester. Good luck on your exams!

Blog Post 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?"

My personal ethic as a nature interpreter is to be as intersectional, inclusive and accessible as possible, but also realistic. Call me an eco-nihilist if you will, but as a queer, leftist woman who grew up in a religious, right-winged environment- while also facing financial and non-visible disabilities- I feel I have a good understanding of the flaws of today’s society and can look at it through a critical lens. I also am white and have had the ability to attend university, so I must acknowledge that privilege or “invisible assets” as we spoke about in the earlier units. Therefore, I have a responsibility to use my privilege and knowledge for good, through advocating for those who haven’t been as fortunate in the lottery of life, in terms of social/physical privilege. Obviously societal norms, ethics and attitudes are important because they impact the way we as humans, interact with the world and nature around us. I am an existentialist in a philosophical nature, therefore I believe as humans, we create our own meaning and purpose and we have a moral responsibility to use our free will to do good. Or whatever drives us intuitively. I initially got into this field through my love for animals and ultimately wanting to protect those who cannot protect themselves (e.g., the earth and its critters). I’ve since never regretted a day of this decision. I often ponder what it would be like if I had pursued another field like medicine or engineering, but I think environmental science and research would always be in the back of my mind. I feel a very strong pull and calling to nature, and sitting in a cubicle all day 365 days a year sounds torturous. I strongly believe we have a responsibility (or rather, obligation) to protect the world around us as we know it. I actually completely agree with the indigenous values around honouring nature and I think as a society we could benefit largely from incorporating indigenous knowledge and practices. 

Do I have minimal faith in how much longer mankind can continue in the ways we are, and not pay for it? Do I feel personally that the world is screwed? Do I believe that big corporations and industries are completely and entirely at fault for the destruction of the planet? Do I hate that the blame and guilt is placed on the individual for it? The answers to all of those questions would be yes. But not in the way you would think. 

I’ve kind of made peace with my feelings on these things - they used to bother me and make me so upset in my teens. I was actually on a strict vegan diet for 6 years because I felt I had such a personal responsibility to lower my carbon footprint. I ended up becoming pretty weak and anemic by the end of it. I applaud vegans and have so much respect for them; I sometimes contemplate going back to it sometimes, but it’s not realistic to be 100% perfect all the time.  Climate anxiety is a real thing and I’ve made peace with it. Some might call it being complacent or ignorant, but in today’s society sometimes you just need to protect your mental peace and sanity. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is just accept that you can’t change the world all by yourself and that’s okay. I will vote to protect the climate, fight social injustices, drink almond milk, use reusable bags/straws/etc., take public transit, and do anything I physically can for these causes, but I will no longer spend waking hours ruminating on it, and feeling guilty. If I’m dedicating my life to a career meant to help the environment and protecting it for future generations - that’s enough for me. Not to say that we shouldn’t (Or I wouldn’t fight for it), because I would. I just feel that a lot of today’s environmental activism is very performative, has toxic positivity and not realistic a lot of the time (e.g., virtue signalling on instagram). Overall, in a capitalist society, environmentalism is the last priority and it’s extremely hard to have these two things coincide. Not to say that it’s impossible, but there are so many issues at play, a large one being socioeconomic status. It's expensive and not accessible to be "eco-friendly" a lot of the times, and this isn't the consumer's fault! This isn’t an environmental ethics or philosophy course so I won’t delve into it further, but social and environmental justice is very important to me. I just think it’s more of a multi-faceted and extremely complex problem than people think. And this should be widely communicated! I don’t want our youths of today to feel like the burden is on them, because it’s not. 

This is why, going back to what I said at the beginning, an accessible and inclusive approach to nature interpretation is my main goal. Whether its explaining scientific concepts as simply and concisely as possible, incorporating the different learning styles, or using accessible learning for disabilities. Everyone has a right to an equal opportunity to pursue nature and environmental education!! Everyone should feel welcome and like they belong, because they do! The world needs future researchers, consultants, environmental interpreters, engineers, etc.,. I’m not sure if I will pursue nature interpretation as a career, as it isn’t in my current plans at the moment, but this course has definitely shown me its importance in guiding the people of today and also of the future. 

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Unit 10: Nature Interpretation's Role in Environmental Sustainability

Final Blog Prompt:

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?

This is the last week of blog posts! I would just like to start by congratulating everyone reading this for making it through the semester; hopefully everyone has had a successful one! I have had a ton of fun writing these blog posts. It has helped me realize how much I enjoy writing about nature from a non-scientific paper perspective, but instead from an everyday person's perspective. In this final blog post about my personal ethics as a nature interpreter, I will be diving into the core beliefs that guide me, the responsibilities I acknowledge, and the approaches that resonate with my individuality. 

Personal Ethics:

Personal ethics refers to our interactions with other people on a daily basis. How one chooses to act and interact with others, morals, and values can atone for the very framework in which this occurs. In terms of nature interpretation, personal ethics benefits how we make choices and decisions as to how to showcase our knowledge on the topic at hand. What do we want the message and outcome to be for the audience we are interpreting? What positive change do we want to instill in others? What are my personal ethics? In my day life, I strive to be honest, loyal, reliable, respectful, hold integrity, have self-respect, and be empathic toward others and myself. As I have mentioned in earlier blog posts, I have been interested in National Geographic since a very early age. When I was a little kid, that's what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to go on all these travel adventures and turn my research into articles that anyone could read. At the beginning of this course, everything that National Geography does, from magazines to online articles to documentaries, etc., is what I initially thought nature interpretation was. At this point, I know that there is more to it, but using technology and writing articles like National Geographic does is still how I would personally like to present the beauty and power of nature to others. 

For me, I want to create a positive change with my nature interpretation. Climate change and helping the environment have always been a larger focus of mine. I am mindful of the impact human actions can have on the environment and believe in promoting sustainable practices that ensure the longevity of our natural resources. At the same time, I am interested in combining concepts that are at times viewed as unrelated. As I spoke about in the beginning of my previous post, I am becoming more and more interested in highlighting knowledge on climate change, not only through the impact it has on ecosystems and the planet but also the impact human actions have on other humans. Essentially. I want to focus on environmental ecology, geography, humanities, and political science aspects under that umbrella. I think this is an aspect that benefits the science community and the greater creation of environmental awareness because it re-establishes the connection of humans with nature from a lens outside of ourselves. Hens, how are other humans being impacted by our contributions to climate change, and what are others relationships to nature instead of just focusing on how we ourselves resonate with nature and climate issues? For example, the stories and traditions of indigenous communities offer invaluable insights into the deep connections between humans and nature. I saw this perspective in the novel This Changes Everything Capitalism vs The Climate by Naomi Klein, where the author illustrates how indigenous communities have been impacted by capitalism and also allows indigenous people to tell there stories. Parts of the novel sounded like I was reading an ethnography that also spoke on climate change, which really interested me.

What responsibilities do you have?

In the early days of nature interpretation, interpretation was used at national and state parks to spark interest, curiosity, and knowledge in visitors. At the time, this was known as an intellectual accommodation (Beck et al., 2018). Although nature interpretation can still be this, I feel that the definition of it has definitely been expanded on since it now spans outside of protected regions. I think my responsibility is to educate at the forefront, insure that my education level fits the developmental levels of my audience, insure that everything I am teaching holds factual based truth and is not just the view of my opinion, create awareness, spark curiosity in conservation, climate change, and the impact on humans and other species, among other topics that are related to my interpretative goals. Interpretation should invoke change in other people; it should spark something deep inside them—a desire to experience and learn more about what's being taught or related topics. At the heart of my perception of nature's interpretation ethic lies a profound intention to explore the interconnectedness of all living things. Nature is not meant to be just a backdrop for human activities but a vibrant, complex web of life where every organism plays a unique role. The ecology of nature is beneficial to incorporate into my interpretation. I would love to teach the importance of understanding and respecting the delicate balance that sustains life on Earth because life is fragile and rare. 

What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?

Approaches that I found in the text book that I think would be most suitable in my interpretation are varying my approach depending on the uniformed age groups, such as children, teenagers, adults, and seniors, on the A Further Developed Set of Principles and Associated Gifts; this is the Gift of Targeted Programs (Beck et al., 2018). This way, I can ensure that the information I am providing is completely understood by my audience. Having programs based on different teaching styles—auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic, allowing for the correct methods of learning for the listener. The Gift of Illumination through Technology uses technology as a means of creating storytelling, spreading information, and allowing people to experience environments that may not be found around them. Technology will also allow me to find ways to incorporate my love of art into my interpretative work. When using technology in interpretation, it is important to not overuse this method since nature through technology is not a direct physical connection to nature (Beck et al., 2018). I want to incorporate diverse perspectives, recognizing that the relationship with the natural world is deeply rooted in cultural and historical contexts. Essentially, an anthropology view also allows for others to have their voices heard. I think that multiple perspectives outside of my own are essential for creating change and incorporating a humanities perspective.

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For A Better World. Joseph J. Bannon/Peter Bannon (Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC).

Klein, N. (2015). This Changes Everything Capitalism vs The Climate. Vintage Canada.

[alisondraenvs3000blogposts]

Hey, I thought I would respond your Nature Interpretations post through music since you responded to mine, I was interested in reading your initial perspective before reading my post. Also, what your song choice was for this unit.

To start off while reading the entirety of your post your word choice allowed for an illustration that allowed me to vividly picture everything you were saying in my head:

"Music

is in the life cycle of all living things.

In the steady roots of the trees, and the rustling of leaves outstretching their gaze towards the sun."- @agenvs3000f23blog, is an example of your wording in your post. It was like reading poetry.

I found that in my interpretation I focused more on the literal aspect of nature in terms of noise. In your post you were able to also focus on lyrics and how they can be used for humans to express and describe their experiences with nature, or similes or metaphors using nature comparisons. I found it unique that you continued later in this post with taking your song of choice 'Exhale Inhale' by Aurora and broke down parts of the lyrics that you resonated with while listening to it during a real-life memory of being in nature. How the song effected you emotionally/your physical body and presence with the storm that you became caught up in while being on your venture walk.

I listened to the song and added it to my dance playlist, we have similar music tastes, plus I dance too and really resonated with that part of your post!! :)

Week 7

Where is music in nature?

Music is in the life cycle of all living things.

In the steady roots of the trees, and the rustling of leaves outstretching their gaze towards the sun.

As autumn beckons leaf shedding, the rustling and crunching of the leaves, sound out the memories of summer days as trees utilized the sunshine for carbon transfer from atmosphere to biosphere.

The scurried foraging of various species preparing energy stores for the long winter months. I believe can musically evoke emotions of hopefulness, as these species prepare to endure and survive.

Where is nature in music?

Nature is within the lyrics:

The expression of the human experience & human nature. When a singer details personal events that many can relate to, such unclouds notions of isolated experiences.

Beats, Tones, and melodies:

As speculated in this unit "Is music-making in humans defined by our genes?" (Gray et al. 2001) I believe music is universal, and individuals hold a natural affinity to certain styles based on the conditioning of our surroundings, and lived experiences. I believe music is universal because I have witnessed a Northern Mockingbird mimic various car alarms in a park. Species implement new styles into their musical communication.

Experimental melodies:

I am a dancer and often we do improvisation exercises to songs. I've noticed I can find my best movement pieces to songs without lyrics. Songs that are quite abnormal in that they do not follow a formulaic composition. Instead, the song is always evolving akin to nature.

This medium of improv always makes me ponder the duality of nature. Nature is harmonious. Seems to have a role for all organisms in both life and death.

Yet the processes of nature can be quite macabre and unrelenting.

Species must evolve adaptation for survival in ever-shifting ecological filters. I feel the songs without lyrics force a similar process. Such songs shed the practiced anticipation of lyrics and open the stage for mind-body connection.

Song that brings me back to a natural landscape:

Exhale, Inhale ~ Aurora

During the summer, I went on a solo excursion to a trail along Lake Ontario. This excursion felt necessary to my sanity, as I had been working, and socializing with little time for solitude. I attempted I.D'ing plants as I walked, and I noticed how the species composition of this familiar trail had changed over the years.

I revisited a marsh under a bridge that I had discovered in the past to view the frogs, spiders, etc.

As I continued my walk, I noticed the wind pick up, and dark clouds rolling in. I backtracked and returned under the bridge. Just as I got there it stormed.

I saw on my weather app, that this would last for about an hour. So, I decided to play 'Exhale Inhale' by Aurora.

The storm was exhilarating and nerve racking as thunder rumbled, and lightning struck in the distance. I kept an eye on the raising water levels of the marsh, hoping I would not have to relocate.

This song calmed me, lyrics such as:

"We are stood, and somehow calm, Within the madness of a storm. With no solution for the scared, Tasting pollution in the air"

I felt one with the various species navigating the storm to find shelter. Watching the frogs dive to safer waters, songbirds calling to navigate towards shelter.

“I was a moving thing before I was a human being”

Events such as being caught in a storm remind one of the commonalities within nature. I believe this song really heightened the depth of my reflection in those moments.

“If you could fly and be the bird then you would see the forest burn.”

As we discussed in this unit music can act as a gateway to nature. I believe this song exemplified how lyricists can transform the experiences of species at risk into tangible music so that people can obtain emotional and intellectual understanding through empathy. This song, in particular, heightens my climate anxiety, while simultaneously deepening my awareness and connection to the ecology around me.

[alisondraenvs3000blogposts]

Unit 09: Sense-Making of Nature Interpretation

Blog prompt: Interpret (through this blog) the most amazing thing you know about nature – get us excited. This is your blog – you audience isn’t out in the field with you so bring the field to your armchair reader.

This marks the second last week of blog posts. The photo above is a representation of me writing this post from my room and my chaotic brain from this semester. It can be easy to become consumed by school work and neglect the environment around you, such as your room. There is an age old saying that says your space is a reflection of your mind. If you are reading this right now and you notice your space is messy, allow yourself to clean it up a bit and come back and continue reading.

Now that your space is more clean, it is free to intake more information; this includes everything I'm about to talk about. So get comfortable in your now clean space, take a breath, and let's begin.

I wanted to focus on the material items scattered around the room, specifically all the clothes, blankets, and shoes left around the room (in the photo above). This week I decided to talk about fast fashion, its impact on the environment, and the mistreatment of workers. I thought this would be a great topic to speak on, first and foremost because it is a very important topic that needs to be talked about. Secondly, because it is a great incorporation on my kind of nature interpretations Climate change has always been a big focus of mine since I was a child, and because humans are the drivers of the velocity of climate change in this era of time, I think it's important to focus on topics that bring in the social, political, and humanitarian aspects of climate change as well. I also love to find ways to incorporate art into my interpretations, and fashion and design are art, and art should not come at the cost of the safety and livelihood of others, as will be spoken about.

What is fast fashion?

Fast fashion is a high speed production of clothing to keep up with the latest societal fashion trends. These trends are replicated by large brands using rapid production and low quality materials so that the middle class public can afford to wear them. This is not done through fair trade and has a massive impact on the environment. These companies create these clothes under brutal worker conditions and sell the garments at a drastically higher price than it took for them to be produced. These are well known brands such as Zara, H&M, Chanel, and Ralph Lauren. So yes, even more expansive brands participate in these methods.

The condition of the factories where these clothes are being manufactured is very poor. The buildings are most often not up to date like the factory at the Rana Plaza in the Savar district of Greater Dhaka in April 2013. The building collapsed in on those working in the factory. This is known as one of the deadliest garment-factory incidents in history, with a death toll of more than 1100 (Hobson et al.,  2013). In this incident, the factory owners readily asked the factory to be shut down due to structural concerns prior to the accident. The building was knowingly not structurally sound; other businesses' on adjacent floors were sent home a day before the accident due to these concerns. Following this tragedy, thousands protested against the poor safety standard's set by these clothing companies, Matalan, Primark, and others (Hobson et al.,  2013). These practices with the exact same safety regulations still occur today, in 2023, ten years later.

Below is the article supporting the above information if anyone's interested in reading more on the issue:

Here's a BBC News clip from three years ago from a factory in India showing that workers in high brand clothing companies are still being exploded and safety regulations are still in dire need of a change:

What is the environmental impact of fast fashion?

Fast fashion is a supply chain operation, and like all supply chain operations, it is a heavy contributor to environmental pollution. Fast fashion relies on cheap manufacturing in order to keep up with high demands and the short use of garments, along with these ever changing trends to uphold (Niinimaki et al., 2020). The fashion industry produces 92 million metric tons of waste per year and uses up 79 trillion litres of water per year (Niinimaki et al., 2020). The United Nations has labelled the fashion industry as being the second most polluting industry of all industries, producing 8% of all carbon emissions and 20% of all water waste on a global scale (Bailey et al., 2022).

Methods Used and Why They Are Harmful: The production of garments goes through three main cycles, the production of raw-materials, the preparation of materials, and the processing/creating of the garment. To make a single cotton shirt, it takes about 3000 liters of water (Ontario Nature Blog, et al.,  2023). The dyes used in the processing material stage of the process are incredibly chemically toxic to ecosystems and have had major impacts on biodiversity loss, aquatic environments, and atmospheric air pollution. Roughly 20% of the water waste on a global scale comes from the dying process of clothing (Ontario Nature Blog, et al.,  2023).

Microtrends have had a massive impact on the fast fashion industry. Quick shifts in fashion trends mean that clothing ends up in landfills on a faster scale, which has an impact on the environment. Society has an impact on how quickly what is cool and trendy remains that way, and by going out and always and only buying what is in style in the moment, each individual on a larger scale is contributing to this. On a global scale, less than 1% of all clothing thrown away is recycled (Ontario Nature Blog et al., 2023); this is a staggeringly low amount. Garments that can not be recycled remain in landfills and can take up to hundreds of years for the fibres of the fabrics to completely breakdown. Statistically,  37 kg of fabric waste per person can be found in Canadian landfills per year and 80% of clothes can be found in landfills around the world per year (Ontario Nature Blog et al., 2023) So before just throwing away clothes because you think they're outdated, please instead bring them to the Salvation Army or anywhere where they can be thrifted instead. Actions and choices have a massive impact on an individual and global scale.

If you want to read more on the topic, I linked to a great article on the fashion industry's environmental impact:

A lot of big clothing brands, like the one found in Devil Wears Prada, such as Chanel, participate in fast fashion. Although these brands are very popular and trendy, it is important to remember that this comes at the cost of ethics and morals. I know we see a lot of well know actors and models in movies and modelling for these big brands wearing these clothes, but as discussed above, these brands will just keep going along the same route because it's effective for them; they do not actually care about the impact, sadly.

Shopping from sustainably and ethical brands or thrifting is the best way to not contribute. The great thing about technology is that there are thrifting apps that now exist, so you can even thrift online if that's your desire, and you can also save money. These are apps like Depop and Poshmark, among others.

I hope you enjoyed listening to this blog post. Maybe you even learned something new. Regardless, I hope you have a great rest of your day! :)

Niinimaki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020, April 23). The environmental price of fast fashion. Retrieved from Nature reviews earth & environment: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9).

Bailey, K., Basu, A., & Sharma, S. (2022, March 29). The Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion on Water Quality: A Systematic Review. Retrieved from MDPI: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/7/1073

Gonzales, J. (2020, April 21). Fast Fashion 101. Retrieved from Qloset Queen: https://qlosetqueen.squarespace.com/blog/2020/2/26/fast-fashion-101

Ontario Nature Staff. (2023, March 9). The Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion. Retrieved from Ontario Nature: https://ontarionature.org/environmental-impacts-of-fast-fashion-blog/#:~:text=The%20apparel%20industry%20supply%20chains,processing%2C%20and%20end%20of%20life.

Hobson, J. (2013, July 2). To die for? The health and safety of fast fashion. Retrieved from Oxford Academic: https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/63/5/317/1451439?login=false

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Unit 08: The Role of Technology in Nature Interpretation

Blog prompt: open ended...

This week’s unit is all about nature interpretation through technology. I know there is not a required blog post for this week, but I still felt like witting something. I thought I would talk about the pros and cons to technology and its impact on nature and nature interpretation.

Quote taken from Unit 08: The Role of Technology on courselink:

"What could our lives and our children’s lives be like if our days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?" - Louv, 2005

This quote reminds me our what life was like as a child before I owned a computer, iPad, or a phone, and only had minimal access to television usage. Due to humans being creatures of habit now a days I find that after spending hours doing school and being on my electronics in general, I feel this weird anxiety over taking a break and doing something else, such a going outside. I also have found that I cannot use Bluetooth headphones for extended period now, only for working out so an hour a day tops. If I want to listen to music while doing school now I either listen to the music aloud or plug in headphones into my computer and use those. Otherwise, I get unbelievably bad migraines and I would experience elevated levels of exhaustion way faster.

Has anyone else found this or is it just me? It just makes me think what the real impacts on the brain from high exposure are to today’s technology and what are the impacts of Bluetooth.

I think the amount of technology we are exposed to will show its health consequences on adults in future studies, especially since the amount of technology has increased so much in such a short amount of time.

Below is a video I found talking about the consequences of technology exposure to babies, also well as the article from the video:

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The article highlights the amount of hours a 1 year old baby spends on an electronic will impact developmental areas such as, fine motor skills, personal and social skills, communication skills, and problem solving skills when they are at age 2 and 4. With more than four hours of screen time daily the study showed that babies at age 2 were three times more likely to have delays in problem solving and communication. Babies who had four or more hours of screen time daily were 4.78 times more likely to lack communication skills for their age group, two times more likely to show underdeveloped social and personal skills, and 1.74 times more likely to have lacking fine motor skills. This study show that technology defiantly has a negative developmental impact, no wonder so many people have developed so many mental health problems from being isolated with their electronics during covid, if this is just a study showing the impacts of 4 hours of screen time of developing minds.

Technology also has its benefits. In terms of nature interpretation, technology has improved conservation methods. The implementation of drones has allowed for fast and more efficient tracking methods. More species can identify tagged and followed that were previously. Check it out:

Technology advancement has also aided in ocean researched and ocean conservation. Deep sea research requires advanced technology since the environment is complete hostile to humans.

In general technology has allowed for more ways of communicating nature to the public, either through videography, photography, documentaries, live governments conference on conservation and climate acts, more ways to instruct children about nature and vaster way to experience nature without being in it. Technology has become important for bring awareness to climate issues and endangered species. Technology both brings us back to nature and takes us even further away from it in diverse ways.

There are positive and negatives to technology and technology with nature interpretation. At the end of the day will technology bring us closer to nature and allow us to further understand it in ways we've never have, or will it completely isolate us from nature and have drastic impacts on the brain, or both?

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Hi @otenvs3000f23, I really enjoyed reading your blog post for this weeks topic on Nature Interpretation through Music. The entire post flowed beautifully, even though you said you do not have much direct relation to music in that you do not play any instruments you were still able to connect with this weeks content on an impactful level.

I am surprised that you do not feel a connection to your folk music playlist while being in Ontario. I wish you went in depth about why this is in your post. Is it the landscape change? I'm asking this because I grew up in Ontario and wrote that I feel a connectiveness through folk indie music, but then again I have never traveled to another's Canadian province which makes me interested in your perspective.

Also, I find that I connect as well to nature through instrumental music, although if you look at my post I could not stick to just one genre, artist, or song because if a song has the right feeling to it, then I instantly feel connected to nature through it. Do you feel drawn to instrumental music just when you are in Ontario, when it relates to nature or is this a general thing that you also feel when your are in Vancouver alongside your folk music? 

Aside from this I like how you incorporated history aspect and real life animal examples such as, how whales, birds and various insects can interpret and feel rhythm.

Alisondra :)

Hello everyone, 

I hope you are all enjoying our last few days of the beautiful autumn weather – certainly my favourite season, so I’ll be sad to see it go! 

I am not much of a musically inclined person, I never even learned how to read music in school! Nonetheless, I absolutely love listening to music, if you are anything like me, I have about a million different playlists for various moods, ‘vibes’, and activities on my Spotify. My family is in Vancouver, so I spend a good amount of time in the mountains, and I always find myself listening to ‘folky’ and rock songs that embody the whole “granola-girl” aesthetic whenever I am out there (I find it funny how I rarely listen to that playlist when I’m in Ontario). In my opinion, nature interpretation is all about gaining an appreciation for nature and being fully present and in tune with it. Listening to the music of the trees blowing in the wind, birds chirping, and the crunching of leaves beneath your feet is probably the best kind of music for being present and one with nature. Still, if I had to pick a genre of music that spoke to me most while outdoors – or elicited a feeling of being fully present – it would have to be contemporary classical music. The absence of lyrics allows my mind to take in all the beauty around me. The calming melody of the classical instruments kindles the sense of “presentness” that I find so important about being outdoors – and in any aspect of life. In the same way photos and social media can push for immediate interpretation (as stated in the textbook), I would argue that music has the ability to transport you to another realm of awareness and presence, one where you can tune out some of your incessant thoughts that consume your day, and one that can evoke feeling and emotion. I think it’s super cool that we humans aren’t the only species who communicate through music, for example, think of whales or birds, even insects have the ability to feel rhythm! There is a reason music can induce great emotion and memory, it is ingrained in our history as a species and we wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for nature and our great ancestors evolving animal vocalization into the sounds of music we hear today. If I had to pick some songs that transport me to a space where I can be fully immersed in nature – sticking with my contemporary classical genre – the following are what I would recommend: 

Sunken Dreams by Alban Claudin & Esther Abrami

Minerva by Akira Kosemura

Avril 14th by Aphex Twin, Daniel Hope, Jacques Ammon, Christoph Anacker, Jane Berthe, and Kaiser Quartett

I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this week's prompt because I sort of struggled with it haha!

All the best,

Olivia

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Hi guys,

I reposting this repost to continue the conversation because this is another very important perspective that did not include in my own post. Especially, since women in STEM a growing amazing thing and it's great that we can talk about topics on here like this. I think it's also important to add that there is also levels of privilege within women in STEM. This is also a different direction on this topic, minorities that are women will have different experiences than white women. This is not the direction I'm going to go in-depth on in my responses here, just thought it should be highlighted.

I've personally already had a tone of experiences where I've been spoken over and it's been assumed that I do not understand what's going on, just because I'm a women. When talking about this with people with an outside lens who has not experienced this first hand, it's assumed that it's just a perspective that I've made up in my head, until I bring up that I've also been told it to my face. I'm not gonna lie a lot of the time I feel more conformable dressing down now so my intelligence level is not questioned because of this, which is so sucky that, that's where my brain goes now.

I listened to a live stream on the DAMS Instagram for Dalhousie University a couple weeks ago and they openly talked about this topic, they had five different speakers all women and all at different levels of either education or experience in STEM. Everyone had their own very similar/comparable experiences, for example, an undergrad student talked about an experiences being in groups in courses with just guys, the guys would take advantage and rely on them (the speaker) to do all the work. The professor that was there speaking on her experience talked about how on research vessels because DAMS at Dalhousie is for marine science, anyway she spoke about how here research and intelligence was always questioned by the men she worked with. Also, that back ten years ago there was a very big concern harrassment/assualt on the research vessels. The professor did say that it a lot better now, but the only thing to prevent anything now a days are buddy systems when the vessel is mainly men and thats so problematic for so my reason. It's also this whole other topic I could go into because of how insane it is.

Overall, this was a great read, very educational and relatable. Privilege and the lack of privilege has so many layer, and is so crucial to talk about. I am enjoying reading everyone's response on this topic because there's so many varying perspectives and experiences.

Hope everyone reading enjoyed the read. If you want to continue the conversation and add your own perspective please do!! As well as if you want to do that on any of my post or my reposts please feel free to.

Unit 3 Blog

Prompt: What role does “privilege” play in nature interpretation? Please include your working definition of privilege.

I think privilege is a central tenet of nature interpretation. A comprehensive understanding of what privilege is as well as how it touches every aspect of our lives is crucial for effective programming. To my understanding, privilege defines the advantages someone may have that they might not even be aware of. These advantages can provide an edge for gaining opportunities that others may not have access to based on different barriers.

Personally, I think I've been on both sides of the privilege coin. I come from a middle-class family in the suburbs and had access to good schools while growing up. Due to my family's financial status, it allowed me to participate in expensive extracurriculars (ballet, swimming, skating), explore my passions (National Geographic subscriptions) and provided me an education at one of the district's top-rated high schools. I had the resources to really figure out my direction in life. However, some might have not been as fortunate. Oftentimes someone of a lower economic status can't afford to throw money at hobbies, they need it for rent, food, and utilities.

On the other hand, I feel as though being a woman in STEM presents its challenges. I like to be feminine, wear makeup, and wear nice outfits. Doing these things makes me feel like myself as it provides some structure and routine to my day. Despite this, I feel like presenting this way gives off preconceived notions about my intelligence. People may think I'm trying too hard or that there's no reason for me to get dressed up. These thoughts are often fueled by misogyny by those who don't believe women have a place in science. And if they do, well then the woman has to minimize herself as much as possible to make them comfortable. How I dress and the makeup I wear does not and should not affect my ability to be a scientist.

In terms of nature interpretation, I think this conversation really highlights the complexity of what privilege is. People are multi-faceted, meaning that one person's advantages may be non-existent for others. Or, some may be privileged in some way but disadvantaged in others. Careful consideration of how privilege affects the delivery of nature interpretation can provide equal access and opportunities to all. Nature itself has no boundaries-- it's everywhere. Neither should education about it. Having a connection to the environment is so important when even thinking about climate change mitigation and conservation efforts. This is simply not possible to do if only a percentage of the population is willing to do something about it. Creating accessible opportunities for all is key. I think it's so sad when children are unaware of the majesty of Ontario's ecology. Sure, it's not visually impressive like the Amazon but there is a wealth of information that makes the landscape like no other.

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This field course sounds like it was very interesting. What was the name of the course, and where did it take place? I’m wondering because of the types of species you talked about, like the otter. I liked that this was what you chose to talk about for the Unit 5 blog post; it definitely connects with the YouTube video with Kitty and Jenny in the abrotanum. You were able to create almost a short storyline with your choice of words for describing each photo. It really makes me wonder what your field course was on because you covered a lot of different species in this post.

When you were talking about your experience with holding the snake, I couldn't relate more. I cannot picture myself ever holding a snake that sounds so terrifying. What was also kind of eerie was the size of the bear paw imprint in the sand compared to the hand used as a reference beside it. Also, I learned something new from your post. I had no idea beaver ate mussels; that threw me off. I always thought beavers just ate various types of plants and were herbivores. The more you know! This was a very enjoyable read; it was refreshing in different ways. I cannot wait to read more of your work!

I hope whoever choices to read @secenvs3000w23 post enjoys it as well and has a lovely day! :)

Blog Post 5

So, after learning about animal signs from Kitty and Jenny I thought I would talk about some animal signs I found during my field course in Algonquin last year. In the first picture is from the first day of the trip is a shedding from a snake not sure what species it is, but from the abundance of Garter snakes that were frequently spotted, I assume it could be one of them. We also found a Ring-necked snake that we passed around carefully. This was unique and memorable experience to hold because I don’t think I have ever had the guts to hold one! Anyways, one of the Garter snakes that we would frequently see had a stubby tail which I thought it was very interesting, sad but made that snake stand out and I would always look for the same one around the same rocks. In the next picture is a picture of a mussel shell, which we found out that otters and beavers lived nearby where they would come close to the wildlife research station in the early mornings to feed on mussels and other crustaceans like crawfish. In the next picture is a Snapping turtle skeleton. There were a group of master students working on a turtle projects, mainly just tracking and tagging. I got to tag along one morning to help monitor and track tagged Painted turtles. I also got to hold them and it was really cute to see them up close. Anyways, they had all sorts of turtle shells of endangered species of Ontario and different charts about where we could find different species that are located all across the province. It was interesting to find out that all species of turtles in Ontario are considered threatened or endangered. In the next picture is a mold of a black bear footprint that was found in Algonquin, and next to it are Black bear claws. You could fit your whole hand into the mold. It’s crazy to think that these animals are walking around potentially right beside you. There was also conservation workers that were there to help supply the public a lot of information about the bear sightings and what they do when there is a bear close to the public. In the next picture there is a what I believe is a beaver print next to someone’s hand it was very interesting to see the finger patterns and how similar it is to humans but not quite. In the next picture is a lily pad full of eggs not sure what kind of eggs they are but I thought it was interesting that they’re on top of a lily pad leaf- I’m assuming for protection from predators. In the next picture is an old antler that was found right next to our cabin, which means that there was either a deer or moose right beside where we slept. This one seemed pretty old, but very fascinating to find it had deep ridges and the moss really added some character to it.

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I really enjoyed reading ejenvs3000semesterf23 post!! They were able to answer the blog prompt fully, clearly and from there own perspective. I liked that Eric's perspective when answering "the gift of beauty" was to talk about the way nature itself is art. Eric provided personal illustrative examples of volcanoes that exceeded the clouds and plant species that were unlike anything they've usually seen. To me, this demonstrates how dynamic art in nature can be globally. Additionally, just like art on canvas, art and nature can bring about different emotional responses and unique perceptions completely dependent on their audience.

I also like that instead of just speaking about art, they emphasized that art dates back in history, all the way back to when humans used to use cave walls as their canvas. It brings about the importance of art historically as a time capsule for what once was. Art in caves provides areologists now a days with insight on how people of those eras used to view animals, plants, and hunting rituals. The historical art in caves display depictions of society of that time and in terms of this course, they show us how we've interacted with nature in the past.

It would have been cool if photos they took in Hawaii or photos they have more recently taken of their new photo were included in this post. It would have added more of an additional personal aspect to this post and also added a little bit of colour. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I hope everyone reading there post enjoyed it as well.

Blog 4

Nature can be interpreted in any way that someone sees fit. Some may view nature solely as something that serves humans while others may see it as something to destroy. While I do not personally agree with this, everything is subjective and it is up to the interpreter. I view nature with wonder and beauty. Nature forms many patterns, with different materials, colours and backgrounds. There are unlimited combinations of plants and animals that will always create a different scene. This is the beauty of nature, you can take a picture of it anywhere and it will always look different. 

Paintings are a great way that humans can express themselves through art in association with nature. Cave paintings that show humans, animals and landscapes together date back thousands of years. Although this has evolved into canvases with paint using brushes, it is much of the same thing. Painting nature allows someone to connect with it and realize its beauty without even being within it. When someone paints, they can add their own spin on nature and take it somewhere nature would not typically be found. We have been capable of seeing the beauty of nature for quite some time and have found many ways to portray it. 

To me, the gift of beauty is subjective just like nature's interpretation is. I see the gift of beauty as having the want or need to connect with nature and that it provides some level of happiness. When I visited Hawaii this summer, I got to experience nature like I have never seen before. I saw volcanoes that were so tall they went above the cloud level. There were so many unique species of plants that looked so different than what I'm used to seeing in Ontario. I was in awe for much of my trip, just taking in all the beautiful scenery that surrounded me. This was me experiencing the gift of beauty. My trip had a rather large mishap that took place in the middle of it, but the things I saw put that experience in the shadows. Everyone will hopefully see beauty in some form of nature, but like I said before, there are many forms. 

I love to capture the beauty of nature within a picture I take on my phone. When I got to pick a new phone I made sure to get the best camera on the market so I could capture nature as authentic as possible. Photography is another way that people can artistically connect with nature. You can take a photo from any angle that you prefer to create a beautiful mirage of landscape, flora and fauna. There are so many ways someone can edit a photo as well to have fun while still keeping nature as a template. Being able to see beauty in nature can help offset the negative things in someone's life and provide a deep meaningful connection to something that most people crave.

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I thought this was a great interpretation for the Unit 3 blog prompt. khalilgskrsgenvs3000blog was able to cover multiple areas of privilege. Actually, even more than I covered in my own post on the topic, especially the part on personal disabilities and their impacts on privilege and nature. This is a topic that, as they said, is usually overlooked and was something I did not include in my own post, but I feel that it is important to be included. This quote from the post above says, "we need to treat them as people. By treating them as people, we give ourselves the opportunity to exist as they truly are", This is incredibly important on this topic. A lot of the time, we take pity on those with disabilities because we think we couldn’t imagine life if that were us or some bizarre thought process like that. When the reality is that's their norm, that’s their everyday, it’s normal for them, especially if they were born with the disability. More often than not, things like lack of physical accessibility, lack of technology, etc. are what's actually hindering; hence, the world is designed for the fullabled, not the disabled. I’m sure this applies to nature too, because, to be honest, the majority of equipment designed to aid in nature outings is designed for those who don’t have disabilities. On top of that, the equipment that is available for those with disabilities is probably twice as expensive (the economic factor).

This and the fact that I thought that this blog post and the rest of khalilgskrsgenvs3000blog blogs were beautifully written and deserved a read are why I'm reposting this! They mention in their unit 4 nature interpreter through art posts that they enjoy writing poetry, and that is definitely evident in the way they are able to get their message across in these posts. 

I hope everyone has a great day and enjoys the read!

Blog post 3

Blog Prompt:

What role does “privilege” play in nature interpretation? Please include your working definition of privilege.

For as long as society has existed, there has been the presence of the oppression, discrimination and privilege. Privilege has clothed itself in various forms and has wedged itself in almost every nook and cranny of society. Privilege, in simplistic terms, is the reality that there are disparities in the opportunities a person may be able to attain due to their race, gender, class and religion among other things. From racial bias to the economic disparities, privilege tempts us to either be oblivious to it all together and often leaves us unable to properly empathize with those around us. Privilege has often been used to oppress others instead of building other up, this was seen in acts such as slavery or residential school and has left lasting wounds on those who have encountered it.

 Privilege also finds itself in nature interpretation in a number of ways such as economic barriers and the need for accessibility. Privilege often makes us forget that not everyone can afford university, to repay student loans, rent or even food. We often forget that not everyone has a two-parent household or a childhood where our parents can afford to take us to trails and museums where you’ll often find nature interpreters. Due to this economic barrier, only a certain amount of the population will be able to experience the magic nature interpretation. 

Privilege also impacts nature interpretation as many individuals within our society are persons with individuals who may experience blindness, deafness or an inability to walk or use their appendages among others. Due to this, many people are unable to experience trails due to the uneven pathways or grass, and their need to use a walker or wheelchair. Our privilege often makes us forget that these people exist or they tempt us to pity them. We may often find ourselves aiming to overcompensate these feelings by being excessively kind but I’ve recently learnt that this is not the way— we need to treat them as people. By treating them as people, we give ourselves the opportunity to exist as they truly are—as individuals who experience difficulties and struggles just like everyone else. The sad reality of life is that privilege impacts us in various ways. You can be both unprivileged and privileged, for example one person may privileged economically but unprivileged ethnically. Privilege makes it difficult to see things for the way they are but even harder to connect and interact with those around us.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

[alisondraenvs3000blogposts]

Disclaimer:

These blog are created for ENVS*3000, University of Guelph. 

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the University of Guelph. 

The University of Guelph is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by these blog posts.

Thank you for reading hope you enjoy the posts!!

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Unit 07: Nature Interpretation through Music

Blog prompt:

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

As a follow-up (focus on the above two before you tackle this one), what song takes you immediately back to a natural landscape? What is the context? Share it with us – I would imagine many of these ideas may have similar underpinnings of a campfire, roadtrip, backpacking journey, etc.!

Earlier on in this course, we talked about how art implements itself in nature interpretation. Music is a form of art; it is a specified art form. Music can relax, instill fear, pose emotions, create societal shifts, create peace, teach, and so much more. It is no wonder every TV show and movie relies on music to create atmosphere and add deeper connections to storylines.

I watched this in another course that I am in this semester and thought it fit perfectly with this weeks content and how music cam help with activism in advocacy for animal and ecosystems:

Where is music in nature?

Music within nature can be found in the singing of birds, the whistling of wind, the music of crickets and toads on a summer night, in pouring rain or light showers, in waterfalls, in hurricanes or tornadoes, etc. Just as any art form, music is perceptive, meaning nature's music can be captivating in different ways depending on its listener.

Where is nature in music?

Nature in music is usually found in instrumental music more than anything. This music may be implemented during yoga or meditation as it provides a calming atmosphere that makes the participant feel like they are reconnecting with themselves and possibly even with nature just by hearing nature's sounds alone. In the same light, instrumental music may be used in documentaries to add atmosphere to what is being taught, for the purpose of making people feel like they are there with the videographer capturing the documentary. 

Originally, I clicked on this video thinking it was only going to be about the sound of butterfly wings, but it ended up developing into much more than that. Paul Cheese, the speaker in this TEDTalk, shows how, on his travels, he was able to capture moments in what he calls audio photographs. As the video goes on, one can see how he is able to capture nature around him and implement it in his music.

In this week's reading on Courselink, this is similar to Ben Mirin (DJ ECOTONE), who uses wildlife samplers in his beatboxing.

I grew up in a small town, constantly surrounded by nature. I am blessed to be able to go for a ten-minute walk from my house and find a beach. I walk into my backyard, and I am  surrounded by trees. It does not take much for me to reconnect with nature when I am at home. That being said, there are varying songs that I put on, and I instantly want to go outside. To me, being in a natural landscape does not have to be this lavish camping trip or rock climbing hike.

The first song that I think of that connects me to nature is Rooftop Dancing by Syvan Esso. There may not be any sounds of nature in this particular song, but the lyrics of this song instantly make me want to go outside. It reminds me of the joy I used to feel as a kid playing outside with my friends; this was back before electronics were as much of a thing as they are now. Instead of calling or texting friends, I would just go and knock on their doors, and we would spend the whole day outside using our imagination and creativity to keep ourselves busy.

Rooftop Dancing by Syvan Esso, alongside any instrumental song with nature sounds, reminds me of this very specific memory I have of laying on my back deck at home. This was back when I was in high school; it was summer break and 5:00 a.m. The sun was slowly beginning to rise, and as it was, I could hear everything begin to wake up with the sun. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge flock of blackbirds flew overtop of me and then over my house. If I were sitting up instead of lying on my back, the birds would have hit me square in the face. Whenever I tell this story to people, they always say if you recorded the moment, but I'm actually happy that I did not. It is my favourite moment I have ever experienced in my life, and I am happy that it is one I have just with myself in my mind.

I know that I was only supposed to choose one song, but I find it hard to, so in addition to this list, I also find that a lot of folk indie music reminds me of nature and makes me want to be in nature. Again, these examples may not use nature sounds in their work, but they still place me mentally in an outdoor landscape. Some folk indie artists include The Lumineers, KALEO, Bastille, and George Ezra, amongst others.

I honestly love music; it can connect us with each other and with nature in so many ways. I think another point that is important to add is that humans are a part of nature, and so us creating music, either through instruments, singing, or both, is us showing our nature in music and our music in nature.

[alisondraenvs3000blogposts]

Unit 06: Nature Interpretation through History

Blog prompt: unpack 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)

Hi guys, this week's blog prompt stumped me a little on how I wanted to go about writing it. I wrote it out a couple times, and every time I re-read the quote, my brain went in a different direction. So essentially, this final submission is the meaning that I resonated most with.

This quote can be broken down into various lenses. From my perception, one could either go in the literal direction of integrity of historical antiquities or integrity throughout history through actions and how those lessons learned from history are implemented today, either on an individual or societal scale.

From the first perspective (integrity of historical antiquities):Edward Hyams is trying to get us to rethink the value we place on items based on the fact that they're ancient. The integrity of history is important. True merit lies in integrity. How much value should we place on those history books? Without them, how would we even be able to place value on artifacts? Historic texts provide us with insight and storylines into the past. From this additional view, we can see the aspect of integrity Hyams is talking about; without historic text, there is no historic integrity to the antiquity of the artifact. 

Hyams begins by saying, "There is no peculiar merit in ancient things", In saying this, he means that just because something is ancient does not mean it necessarily holds intrinsic value. The age of something does not determine its merit. Merit is defined by quality, impact, contextual value, temporal factors, innovation, authenticity, longevity, relevance, utility, cultural significance, ethical value and subject value.

This part of the quote, "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," makes me think of the discoveries of fossils and antiquities that are not found by archeologists in one piece. It makes me think about the fact that the artifact tends to hold more value when it is not found whole and there are still pieces missing. The pieces not yet found hold more value than what was already found. It is like the value we place on lost/undiscovered treasure that has been written about within history but never physically found again. 

From the second perception (integrity throughout history through actions): I feel like Hyams could also be talking about how important it is to use history as knowledge for the present. This is the social and personal aspect of the quote. What role does historic text play in the coherence and stability of the way we live our lives today because of the past? Even though history naturally repeats itself, from a personal aspect, would you rather keep repeating something that you know better for now? Why would you put yourself through it again? This is why, in general, it is important to learn and preserve history.

There can be intrinsic merit found in cultural traditions passed on generationally through out history, “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.” Cultural traditions can become lost or scattered, then rediscovered and practised again, such as Indigenous traditions being lost due to European settlers. 

Integrity in the modern world in relation to this quote brings up aspects of the fast pace of our current society, and the way in which information is placed in front of us shows that we must use knowledge of people in the past to help us navigate our current society. This reflects the line, “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", in Hyams quote. An example of this is what takes place in places like Palestine and occupied parts by Israel. Modern technology sends out information so fast and because of this, it is so easy for information to be misconstrued, bias to the point of being damaging. There is a lot that we can take from situations in history to situations like this, and our actions show our integrity and merit.  

Edward Hyam’s quote demonstrates that the merit of integrity stands at the foundation of the intrinsic value of items and actions (knowledge) in and throughout history. If we use layers of historical wisdom, we can utilize the fact that the past and our past are integral parts of our present and future. What better way to navigate our lives and establish what holds value than by unpacking the significance of integrity? 

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Unit 05: Nature Interpretation through Science

Blog prompt: This week is open ended writing!

Uniqueness of Wings:

In terms of design, insect wings are more fragile than bird wings. An example of this is butterfly wings. Growing up, you were probably told that the oils on your hands would breakdown the tissues of the butterflies' wings, leaving them flightless and defenseless. Although it is important that you're genial when touching butterflies, their wings can break if the lepidopteran wings (scaly wings) lose two main scales, which will lead to tearing or breaking. So they won't breakdown regardless, but they will if you are not gentle. The saying is true, but not so extreme.

If you want to learn more about this topic and information regarding safety when touching other species, check out this link below:

Twisting makes Hummingbirds Resemble the Flight of Insects:

Unlike other birds that use lift against gravity by flapping their wings downward, hummingbirds can create lift in both directions when flying. This is a flight trait similar to that of an insect. Hummingbirds have bones just like every other bird, but insects do not. To combat this, hummingbirds twist their waists to gain the ability to create flight lifts in both directions. They are able to do this due to their body structure, specifically how close their waist is to their neck.

This does not occur in other birds because on the upstroke following the downstroke that raises them in flight, the wrist on every other bird collapses, forcing the wings into the body. This restricts other birds from being able to flap their wings constructively in both directions. This adaptation in hummingbirds allows wing rotation.

If you find this topic interesting and want to read more, check out this National Geographic article on the topic: 

Things I have learned, as well as takeaways from this chapter:

When watching the Animal Signs at The Arboretum Youtube video, I learned that the closer you look at the world around you, the more you will find things that you would not expect to be there. Kitty highlighted this with the remanence of species that can be found in an old tree trunks; instead of just seeing the dead tree as being cut down, Kitty was able to showcase it for the nutrients it once provided for the Piliated Woodpecker (which I learned is the largest woodpecker in all of Ontario) and beetle larva.

Also, Jenny from the Animal Signs at The Arboretum Youtube video taught me that female goldenrod gall flies lay there eggs on goldenrods, and when hatched, the larvae trick the plant into creating a sheltered bulb of plant tissue (a gall) for the larva to grow through the winter. I had no idea that this was where these bulbs came from. A takeaway from this part of the video for me was the fact that the fully grown flies use blood that bursts out of their frontal lobe to escape the pod. Unlike Jenny, I did not find that cool; I frankly found it disgusting! 

Another takeaway was from the For the Love of Birds TED Talk, where Washington Wachira demonstrated that instead of just talking about species, in this case birds, in a scientific way in their environment, you can also talk about species in terms of how they benefit another species. In this case Washington Wachira speaks on how these different birds relate to humans and how they benefit humans. This is a great way to adapt to the wide variety of audiences on the TED Talk stage. You do not have to be completely scientific in your speech to teach something new; sometimes this even grabs the audience's attention more.

Washington Wachira talks about how unique a bird's feather is to each individual bird to create a relatable visual for his audience, because if you have seen a lone feather in your life, you can definitely relate to knowing what bird it's from just based on the patterns or colour(s) of the feather alone. Especially if it's a bird you have seen fly around a lot. He also emphasizes that birds are the only animals on the planet that can produce feathers. His talk overall is an insightful, mentally interactive listen that speaks on birds themselves, how they are being impacted by climate change and global warming, and how humans relate to and rely on them (historically, symbolically, culturally, behaviorally, for clean up, etc.). To create an empathic connection to birds so that when talking about the global warming impact on them, the audience fully listened. The approach to how Washington Wachira said what he said was incredibly smart and impactful. It really displaced how, as a nature interpreter, one's approach to how they say what they say to teach matters.

Overall, this chapter left me with more insight than I had prior and a desire to dive in deeper on the topics spoken about. Like species with the ability to fly. 

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Unit 01: Launching Into Nature Interpretation

Blog prompt: Describe your current relationship with nature. How has this developed/evolved? Who offered you “a sense of place,” as described in our textbook?

Nature feels/is grounding to me. I know that I can go for a meaningful long walk or run anytime, walk barefoot in the grass, and feel comfort and relief from my anxiety and stress.

This development has been enhanced over time and has been shaped and mended by various experiences that have taken place over the span of my life. It comes from my mom gardening; I joined her while gardening and gained a connection through being in nature this way. Also, I have memories—I'd say core memories—from grade 1 of listening to the baby beluga song and learning about the bees being endangered, how important bees are to ecosystems, and why species conservation is so important due to the endangering of species.

I grew up in a small town a little less than three hours north of Guelph. Because this town is far from the city, nature has always surrounded me and been a big part of my life. My dad grew up in Parry Sound, and my mom grew up in Toronto. So, a common ground between the two was essential to be found to raise kids: my sister and I. Although technology is a big part of today's world, I was not allowed any electronics until I was thirteen. In contrast to a lot of the kids growing up today, this meant that I spent the majority of every day playing outside, exploring nature, and coming up with creative games with my friends.

In school, I had the chance to go camping and explore caves. Having these experiences allowed me to further my connection to and love of nature. The experiences furthered my depth with nature; the camping was a week away from my parents; canoeing, kayaking, and learning camp—some of this brought on new experiences for me. The caves showed me that there are different genres of emotion captured in nature. The darkness and depths of the caves instilled fear, but at the same time, a desire to be exposed to more. These were guided experiences by nature interpreters themselves that helped me further develop my connection with nature.

I found "a sense of place" in national geographic and nature documentaries as a kid. Still now, but more so back then, I used to love watching all kinds of nature documentaries. I got my first natural geography magazine at nine and was instantly hooded, so much so that as a kid, my ultimate dream was to write and shoot for National Geographic when I grew up. The celebrealities of my focus as a kid were Jane Goodall and David Suzuki. To me, a sense of place sounds like something that just feels right, safe, comfortable, and aligns with one's whole being. For me, there's definitely a sense of place when I feel fully in touch with nature. This is how I feel when I'm barefoot in the grass; there's a connectiveness there, one that I may or may not participate in throughout the entirety of every summer since I was little.

My connection with nature is so profound at this point in my life that I am able to just stop and listen to the sounds of it. I am like an anthropologist, creating their ethnographies of research. I am able to stand still and, for a moment in time, experience the touch, smell, taste, and sound of the nature surrounding me—the five senses.