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I thought your post was quite interesting, and challenged some of my perspectives.

I agree that our class consisted of very like-minded people, all appreciating nature and admiring its beauty. However, I think that Amanda used this knowledge and challenged us throughout the course to think of nature through different views. Whether it was through the lecture material, labs, or assignments; I was introduced and pushed to understanding nature in different ways. The labs taught me to look at nature through music, art, or history. Lectures taught me to think of how nature interpretation would be different for different learners or how risks and rewards would be different 30 years ago. The book review assignment and presentation showed me how nature is looked at differently from people of different cultures, backgrounds, and places around Canada.

I am curious as to what you mean when you say your responsibilities are nothing. I understand that global change is a much better solution to protecting single entities, but I don’t think you can achieve global change without individuals putting in effort towards smaller causes to influence others. I think everyone has the responsibility to do their small part in protecting the environment and lowering their negative impacts. In that way, if every individual were to make changes, a global change can be achieved.

Lastly, I want to address the ‘cost at which nature should be protected’. In the case of renewable energy, it really depends on individual countries or cities. Those that have the capability of changing to renewable sources, such as most first world countries, should at least make the effort. It is unfair to ask those in places where they rely heavily on nonrenewable sources because they don’t have other options. For example, it is ridiculous to tell Puerto Rico not to use plastic water bottles right now because plastic is flooding and harming marine ecosystems. However, for a city like Guelph and most cities in Ontario, plastic water bottles should not be necessary as we have so much access to ‘clean’ water.

I hate to end off on a negative note, but I think differing opinions is an opportunity to have conversations and challenge perspectives.

Listen to everyone, question everything

Posted Nov 24, 2017

Nature is such a vague term that everyone you ask will have a different definition.  When asked during the first lab to define it was a stacked deck so to speak.  Almost anyone who took a course called “Nature interpretation” likely thought about nature as beautiful, serene area often undisturbed or untouched which were all themes brought up in that first lab. Asking a different class the same question would almost certainly have provided a much different answer.  Even more striking would have been to ask people from other countries and areas the same question.  Yet throughout the semester the class was focused on this narrow view of what is nature.  

           My responsibilities are nothing.  While it might seem as though since I have been learning about nature and protecting nature that I should have a responsibility to protect it but from what?  Is it important to protect a forest from loggers?   Perhaps it is more important to protect loggers from famine.  When considering any wild landscape, it is more important to focus on the direct threats to that one area or is a global change what we need to do.  So often you hear about protecting a single entity while ignoring the whole.  It seems true that when considering a population “If only one man dies of hunger, that is a tragedy. If millions die, that’s only statistics.” (Stalin 1947) a sentiment repeated in varying ways so often it has become almost cliché.

           Its easier to focus on the symptoms rather than the cause.  Rather than trying to figure out why and how to prevent global issues.  James Gordon talked about the felling of silver maples and the deep impact that had on him.  However, globally there was almost no change.  

           The last consideration is at what cost should “nature” be protected.  Around the world there are people who rely on wood or coal to cook or provide heat.  Is it fair to demand that they go without heat and cooking to protect what we feel is nature and should be protected?

           Throughout the course the focus has been on reaching the audience and changing the method of presentation so as the be most accessible for audience members with different ways of learning.  Yet throughout all of this I couldn’t help but wonder if this was somewhat backwards.  Is it not the job of the audience to try to learn from the different forms of presentation? A term I hate is when people say “I’m a visual learner” it always sounded like an excuse to me.  Yes, it might be easier but isn’t education about challenging yourself and learning new things?  So why close yourself in a box about which ways you can learn?  There is so much information out there and maybe the best skill to learn is how to learn.    

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Future Nature Interpreter

Three months later and I’ve learned much more than I expected when sitting in the Conservatory Gardens for our first lab. At first I thought I already have the experience and knowledge about nature interpretation, and this class will just reassure what I already know. However, I learned quite a lot about nature interpretation and about myself as a potential nature interpreter, and was reminded that there’s always room to grow.  

Through the many labs and concepts discussed in this course, I realized that I place a very high priority in being open-minded. As we talked about privilege and acknowledging invisible backpacks, I was reminded of how diverse we are as a group of students. Within an environmental science class, I expected most of us to have similar interests and opinions, but when labs surrounded topics such as art or music or history, our differences were shown. As a nature interpreter, I will encounter audiences with many different backgrounds and interests, even if they all are nature nerds, and being able to recognize these differences can play to my advantage.

As an interpreter I also strongly believe in walking the talk and leading by example. 

This almost sounds too obvious, that if you were an environmental educator, you should also love the environment. However, having volunteered/worked in the field, I can say that there are people who don’t live ‘green’ lives, yet preach to others about lowering their impacts on the environment. I think as an interpreter, I am responsible in leading others not just by my words but how I live my daily life. There is always room to improve and changes can always be made to lower my ecological footprint.

Personally, there are some audiences I favour over others, and there are some topics that I favour over others. I think nature interpretation for the younger generation is so crucial, to inspire and develop their passion for the environment. I also like to focus my attention on introverts in the group, because in a society biased towards extroverts, introverted people really do get the short end of the stick. In terms of topics for nature interpretation, I feel as though I am responsible for speaking for those that are misunderstood or under appreciated, as not many people will. Everybody loves the cute and fluffy things, but I enjoy challenging people’s perspectives, to appreciate the ‘not so cute and fluffy’ creatures like snakes and vultures.

It is difficult to determine a specific approach to how I will interpret nature, as I would like to think I’m adaptable and would adjust accordingly to the audience. However, I know that as an environmental educator, I like to encourage the participants to have a personal experience. Rather than pouring out information, being observant and understanding where an individual might develop their own connection with nature is very important to me. Whether that may be giving some alone time for reflection (as Amanda did in the Conservatory Gardens) or assigning small tasks to complete (as the guide did at the Art Gallery of Guelph), I would like to approach nature interpretation being as adaptable as I can. As every audience will be so unique, finding how they will personally understand and relate with nature will make the biggest impact.

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”

- Baba Dioum

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First of all, I love that you enjoy debriefing even though you have identified it as a difficult thing for you to do. Most people don’t like what they’re bad at, or like what they’re good at, never a cross over.

I am glad you brought up that listening is still participation. I had a teacher in high school who always reminded us that there is a difference between listening and just hearing. You are still actively taking part in the discussion when you are listening, even though you may not be saying anything. This also reminds me of how society and the culture today revolve around extroverted people. Because of this, sometimes introverts can be misunderstood, just as people think silence means you’re not paying attention/participating. The strengths of introverts are often forgotten and regarded as less important than those of extroverts, for some reason. Extroverts get praised for being able to direct their energy outwards, being more social and outgoing. However, I think there is a great advantage in being an excellent listener, evaluating your thoughts, and then talking.

That being said, do you think there are ways that nature interpreters can make debriefing sessions a more comfortable environment for introverts to state their own opinions? Even though actively listening is a valid way to participate, it would make an even more effective and purposeful debrief if not only the extroverts stated their thoughts on the program but the introverts as well.

Debriefing: silence is okay

I’m not someone who tends to speak out and talk about my opinions a lot, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have any.  

For me debriefing is probably the hardest thing for me to do, however, it is one of my favourite things to be apart of. I love listening to other people’s opinions, trying to make sense of how others think and try understand why they might see something one way while others might see it another way.

For me to come to a conclusion, I tend to want to know all the facts. That might be why I love listening to people talk about their opinions. I love hearing everyone’s points of views and listening to all the facts they find (which means I don’t have to do the research :P) before speaking my opinion. That might be why debriefing is difficult for me to do.

I’m not someone who can process information fast. I need time to think, find connections and order my thoughts. So having 1 minute or so to think of three words that describe my experience of the day just doesn’t work for me. Instead of debriefing being a positive experience, it makes me anxious.

This is how my brain is when I have a time limit. Image from: http://www.acupuncturehealthcalgary.com/anxiety-and-the-spleen/

For example, in lab on Tuesday, when we were asked questions all I was thinking about was “please don’t pick me”. I know that might be disappointing for someone to hear, especially someone who is asking the question. It might make them feel like I’m distracted and not contributing to the conversation. To be honest, you’re probably right. I was distracted, I didn’t want to talk, I wanted to listen.

When I was in high school I attended a community youth group for about five years. During these youth group events we would talk, discuss and debrief about all sorts of topics. I remember a time when we were talking about something that was very controversial and I made a comment. Now you have to understand, through my 5 years of being at this youth group, I think I might have stated my opinions maybe 5 times. So naturally, one of my youth leaders came up to me after the debriefing session and said “Thanks Maxine for participating today.” I know this was to be a compliment, but for me, I was completely offended. What? My presence and me listening isn’t considered participation in the conversation?

For conversations to occur there are two parts that have to accomplished: talking but also LISTENING!!!

Image from: https://massolutions.biz/turn-it-up-to-11-11-ways-listening-to-spinal-tap-can-increase-sales/

It’s not like I can’t carry a conversation but when there are 30+ people in the conversation, there are going to be some people who do a lot of talking and there’s going to be some people who will just listen.

All through school, I always got “S” for satisfactory on my report card for the “participation” section. This always made me think that because I don’t talk a lot in big groups that I’m not contributing anything. I think the world has a way with favouring the “outgoing” people, I mean from the time I started grade 1 I was being evaluated on how much I talked.

I know debriefing is important. Like I said, I do really love being apart of debriefing, and as we discussed in class it helps us reflect on what we did and what could be done better. It allows us to reflect and make improvements to programs. I know it’s necessary. However, what I know that isn’t necessary is requiring everyone to talk and state their opinions. It’s okay to have some people who may not seem to be “contributing” or “participating” in the conversation, but they are, it’s just not a noticeable contribution. It’s not a contribution that is easily measurable but I think the world forgets that listening can be an asset and talking can be downfall. I mean, just look at Donald Trump.

Image of Donald Trump talking too much. Image from: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/08/donald-trump-white-house-dump

The next time you lead a discussion, just remember, trying to make someone talk may not be a beneficial approach. It might distract them and decrease their contribution of listening instead of increasing their contribution of talking. People are afraid of silence. But silence is okay, it just means people are deeply thinking. That too is a form of contribution.

Get use to silence, I think the world needs more listeners, but I’m just biased.

Posted on Nov. 19, 2017 at 2:51pm.

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Pointless Art...

Last week’s lab of watching the film ‘Rivers and Tides’ has been on my mind constantly. The document follows artist Andy Goldsworthy’s process in creating his art and might have been boring for some students in the class. The debrief gave an opportunity for students to be quite brutally honest with their opinions of Goldsworthy and his art pieces.

Andy Goldsworthy, 1986

I understand that people have different interests and some specifically have a difficult time making a connection with art. But to debrief the debrief, I thought it was quite disrespectful to use words such as ‘pointless’ or ‘over it’ when describing Goldsworthy’s art. Yes, people are allowed to express their opinions however they wish, but as Amanda said we should approach everything as a learning opportunity even if it bores the shit out of you (not Amanda’s words).

I think it is easy for us, especially as environmentally conscience people, to think that we are doing more important work than others. I personally sometimes think to myself: ‘I am studying to save our dying planet, what are people in art majors or English majors doing with their lives?’

However I was always surrounded by the arts; going to an arts high school, having friends who are artists, and my brother being an artist himself. This gives me a bigger perspective to understand that the arts are so important and evident in our world today. So I could not imagine if somebody were to tell my friends or my brother that their work is boring or pointless (unless it’s a drawing of a circle hah).

Now I don’t want to spend time trying to reason why art is so important or how cool Goldsworthy is, because that probably won’t get anywhere. Instead, I’ll try and convince you that artists and environmentalists are pretty similar. At times, people will not understand the intentions behind your work. A few people posted about Donald Trump this week, and understand the frustration when people don’t believe in climate change. I’m sure many of us feel discouraged or frustrated at times when we work to decrease negative human impacts on the environment, yet it feels like society has not progressed at all. When I read the  article of scientists’ warning to humanity about climate change, I felt that everything I was doing was pointless. 

None of my efforts as an environmental educator or a Wildlife Biology & Conservation student was making a change. And I think artists regularly feel this way. There is a constant worry that their art will go unappreciated or nobody will recognize their efforts.

In this way, I think it is important to be more sensitive during debriefs and especially when talking about someone else’s works and efforts. However I am not implying that you should be dishonest, but rather state opinions respectively and have intellectual conversations.

What are some reasons or challenges that cause you to have a disconnect with art? What are ways to ensure that a respectful environment is established during a debrief? How do you handle opposing opinions if they are brought up during a debrief?

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I really enjoyed your analogy of using a toy that a child is not allowed to play with, to relate adults with nature. My first thought would not have been to view nature as a ‘toy’ for adults, and this was a very unique way to highlight the importance of play in nature interpretation. It was very effective for you to even further that analogy and explain how not playing with nature will easily lead to its destruction because of a lack of appreciation for it.

This led me to think about how nature interpretation is beyond just sharing your passion for the environment with others. Your audience must be able to ‘play’ with nature and feel a sense of enjoyment when experiencing nature. However, I think many factors are limiting people’s opportunity to play with nature these days, especially for adults. It seems like playing and just being out in nature takes such a big time commitment in an adult’s ‘busy’ schedule or takes too much effort to plan a hiking or camping trip. And even if they successfully make it out into nature, they might not even be able to ‘play’ and feel enjoyment, as they might be constantly thinking about errands to run later on in the day. However, it is as simple as going to a neighbourhood park and relaxing for 15 minutes or so. 

What other factors are stopping adults from ‘playing’ with nature? Are there strategies to suggest making it easier to go outside and play?

Playing in nature

           Play, the word brings to mind kids running around maybe playing hide and go seek or tag as the warm sun shines down on a cool spring afternoon.  Equally play could refer to children driving toy cars around a room or dressing dolls in elaborate gowns.  As you get older that playing changes and often disappears into young adulthood.  However, play can also be interpreted as any enjoyable activity so play never really disappears it just changes as people get older.

           Play changes from toys and games to recreational activities such as: camping, canoeing, swimming, hiking, biking, climbing and innumerable others.  These recreational activities provide an exceptional opportunity to communicate the importance of nature and potentially conservation.  By adding value that people can understand, natural areas become more important.

           Going back to the idea of a child, imagine having the most amazing toy in front of a child yet telling them they were never allowed to touch it, never allowed to play with it.  Initially the child might respect it and ignore it.  Yet as time continues the inability to play with the toy would begin to annoy the child eventually to the point where the child no longer liked the toy or perhaps even hated it.  Allowing people to use a river for canoeing or to swim in adds value and helps people understand the importance in protecting that area.

            Humans only care about something for their own gain.  Nothing has intrinsic value.  Even those who wish only to view nature and appreciate its beauty must be in and around it to actually experience the beauty.  Blocking access to an area would inhibit these uses of the area and cause it to lose value.  Once that value is lost there’s nothing stopping its destruction or exploitation. Along with the destruction of countless habitats and species there potentially a greater loss.  The loss of history.

           As discussed last week, history is made up of fragmented stories pieced together.  As the pieces, such as a forest, holding those fragments together become damaged and destroyed, the history can become lost.  And once lost history can never be restored.  Which is why despite the impact humans have by enjoying a natural area by littering or even just walking; it is essential to allow people to continue to use and play in natural areas.

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Embrace Your Inner Child

Has anyone ever told you to ‘embrace your inner child’? I’m sure most of us have heard of this concept by now, especially in this day and age where everyone is searching for true happiness. Psychologists and researchers have written many articles about embracing your inner child to find true happiness or to heal your mind and soul; there’s even a WikiHow page on ‘How to Embrace your Inner Child”!  The first step on this WikiHow page is to revisit childhood activities such as play. But how do we use play to assist in learning and nature interpretation, rather than finding true happiness?

Cutter-Mackenzie and Edwards (2013) states that play cannot be defined, as the meaning constantly changes depending on the context. Some may think of play as a physical activity such as a dodge ball or basketball game, where as others may consider a group activity as play such as card and board games.  Whatever form play takes, as described by Cutter-Mackenzie and Edwards (2013) it allows the audience/children to interact and examine a material that is suggestive of the learning concept and provides meaningful learning.

The use of play in nature interpretation for adults makes whatever they are learning more interesting. Even though adults may have a longer attention span compared to children, concentration is still needed to sit and listen to someone spew out what feels like never-ending information. By playing an activity surrounding a concept being presented, it gets adults moving and physically participating in something, rather than just sitting on a chair for an hour program.

During a nature interpretation program, using a game for adults to play contributes to making the program or concepts more memorable. If the interpreter uses the game to introduce an idea, sometimes when you come up with the idea yourself, you tend to remember it more compared to being told a specific fact. One of our first labs early in this semester with Chris Earley, we played a game where we tried to find our ‘mate’ using our species-specific birdcalls.  

Two months later I can still remember the purpose of birdcalls, the challenges, and the specific bird songs. Chris didn’t directly tell us why birds use calls instead of just physical plumage coloration for mate attraction or why different species have different calls, but by playing the game and asking us follow up questions we were able to come up with these ideas ourselves.

Finally, play helps the audience feel more relaxed and comfortable with each other. By encouraging playful behaviour this helps ‘break the ice’ within the group of participants that may all be strangers to each other. As adults, we tend to be more ‘independent’ or closed off, and we might go to a nature interpretation program with a friend or two, only talking to them throughout the whole program. However, children become best friends within 5 minutes of knowing each other, simple because they both like Elsa from the movie Frozen. Playing for adults can make a more open learning environment, which makes it more comfortable to ask questions and make comments.

How does play help you learn better? Have you embraced your inner child?

Cutter-Mackenzie, A. and S. Edwards. (2013). Toward a model for early childhood environmental education: Foregrounding, developing, and connecting knowledge through play-based learning. Journal of Environmental Education, 44 (3), 195-213. 

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Awesome post, I love the Hamilton reference (and really excited for them to come to Toronto in 2019)! The most important point I got from your post is that we remember history so that we can learn from mistakes made in the past. I am glad you brought up the horrors from the Holocaust, as this week is Holocaust Education Week. Remembering historical events like the Holocaust is so vital to realize what hatred and discrimination can lead to, and how to avoid history from repeating itself. One would think that a massacre so cruel and disgusting would teach future generations about the damage that hate can cause, yet events such as the Orlando shooting still happen in this time. Last year's Holocaust Education week's survivor speaker began his talk by emphasizing that he is one of the few survivors who are still alive and capable of sharing their story. It is so important that they share their experiences and stories with as many people while they're still here, and that their stories are passed on by our generation. These stories and the specific details of the survivors' experiences depend on our generations to continue being told, or else they would be lost just as "believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it".

History has its eyes on you

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)”

 As we approach Remembrance Day we, as Canadians, begin to wear poppies and think about those who have given their lives for us to live in a free and peaceful country. It’s a simple and easy thing to say, harder to really do. Wearing poppies and donating to veteran charities are excellent things but what I believe the most important part of Remembrance Day is the chance to take a moment and learn. Learn about your ancestry and who may have fought in the war, learn about the battles and innovation create to overcome the tyranny in Europe, and most importantly, learn from humanities mistakes. Let knowledge of the horrors of the Jewish genocide, the nuclear devastation in Japan, and the horrors of the Trenches of WWI be the barrier that prevents a third world war.

The Quote by Edward Hyams encapsulates this message by saying “The is no merit in ancient things” in which he meant the past is unchangeable and history without context has no deeper meaning. The value of history is obtained through the lessons that are learned. “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.” Is an excellent metaphor for the very real fact that you are the futures history, what happens today is the history books of tomorrow, we must learn from what has occurred and better ourselves so future generations can learn from us and better themselves some more. A Lin Manuel Miranda Would say “History has its eyes on you”

In the grave yard this week I was struck by the sheer amount of history that goes unlearned. Thousands of human lives in that park alone, reduced to nothing but a stone and maybe a story of two. It Terrifies me, but excites me, so much is unknown about humanity and life (let alone death) which simply means there is so much more to learn. I has no desire to be specifically remembered but simply to better the world and make this earth better for my children and their children to come. After all, “Legacy, what is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see” – Lin Manuel Miranda

So, “Take two minutes would you mind? It’s a pittance of time” Learn about what has happened and what can be done to prevent horror from ever occurring again.

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Merit in Integrity

“There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. .... To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it.” (Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation).

This quote for me brings about many stories of injustice, unfairness, and anger. I think Edward Hvams is emphasizing the importance of remembering history and making it more than just something of the past. Understanding, learning, and constantly recalling history is important, as history should shape the way society and the world functions today. It is almost dishonest and disrespectful to forget about the history of a place or a culture or a society, especially with negative events in the past.

Through this quote, I am reminded of the injustice colonial Europeans have put upon indigenous communities. “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 part of the quote stands out to me, especially when thinking about Canada’s relationship with its indigenous people. It was a problem in the past (though it is rarely brought into the light) and is still an occurring situation to this day. 

Photo taken from Simon Fraser University, 2014.

I remember throughout elementary school years I was never taught about residential schools, not until I researched about it on my own in high school. We were always taught that Europeans sailed over to Canada and found a new home for themselves. For me to be a Canadian citizen and not know about Canada’s real history is embarrassing and shameful. Forgetting about Canada’s past with First Nations is damaging to the present relationship we have.

This past summer I learned of a new little piece of history about the Toronto Islands. The islands are considered sacred land, as the Ojibway and Mississaugas used to bring their sick to recover in the ‘healthful atmosphere’ of the islands. The Government of Canada eventually gave the Mississaugas cash for the claims of the land, many years after already taking the land.  

Margaret Sault, director of lands, membership, and research of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, toured the island and wrote in a recent article: “Even though the written history can't always tell you where native people were, the earth can, because the plants will be there. The people planted them. So you will always know where the Mississaugas were.”

Taken from Centreisland.ca

To think that the Toronto Islands, especially Centre Island, is now used as a tourist attraction with amusement rides and a petting zoo, without knowing the history of the land is very disrespectful. However knowing the past of the land allows me to better appreciate the area and the culture that once filled the place. “There is merit in integrity” reminds me that not only remembering a history is important, but to understand the true and real history.  

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Art, Nature and Beauty

Who are you to interpret nature through art?

My first reaction to this question was “I am not nearly capable enough to use art as a way to interpret nature”. However, putting more thought into it and reflecting upon our trip to the Art Gallery of Guelph, made me realize that we all use art in some aspect to interpret nature. During the lab, we all utilized our assigned piece of art to explain the work and how it relates to the environment or nature. We all have used some form of art, through pictures, videos, or GIFs, in our blog posts to write about nature interpretation. Many of us most likely suggested using props in our interpretive walk proposals, whether it may be photographs, or cut out silhouettes of bird wings, or leaf outlines. We all use art in some way to interpret nature. It does not have to be your own piece of art, everyone has the right to look at someone else’s piece of art and use it as a platform to communicate and connect an audience to nature.

Personally, I do not consider myself an artistic person.

However, as a daughter of an architect and brother of a PhD student in art history, I definitely do appreciate the arts- but from a distance. I think with this appreciation, taking the time to understand and learn the background behind a piece of art, would be enough for me to be able to utilize it to interpret nature, in a respectful manner to the artist.

How do you interpret ‘the gift of beauty’?

In the chapter of our textbook ‘The Gift of Beauty’, the author says “beauty defies definition”, “beauty is too personal”, “beauty is dynamic”. I think beauty, like art, is very subjective. Just as the textbook discusses, nobody can really define beauty as it means something different to each person and it is constantly changing. For that reason, I think art and beauty can be interchangeable terms. Anything someone identifies as art can be considered beautiful, and anything someone thinks is beautiful can be perceived as art.

Nature Interpretation and Art

Taking these three concepts we’ve discussed, art, beauty and interpretation, we can see the use and importance of art in nature interpretation. From our reading, Dr. Boeckel says, “Arts-based environmental education can engage us with natural phenomena in unfamiliar ways, make space for the unforeseen, and enhance ability of participants to have direct experience of feeling connected to natural world. When someone perceives something as art or beautiful, it causes him or her to care a bit more. Art is a direct bridge to allow the audience to see beauty in nature, so that they develop a personal connection with the natural environment.

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Like yourself, I also realized how little I know about insects especially after taking ZOO*2700 Invertebrate Morphology course with Alex Smith. As the ‘ant guy’, Alex always showed us exciting new research on ants and other insects. Before university, I really only thought that there were ‘main’ groups of bugs; ants, moths, beetles, spiders, etc. But finding out that there are more species of insects than all other animal species combined, blew my mind! Majority of these insect species are types of beetles, making up an estimate of 250, 000 species!

Even though you called the parasitism story gruesome, I actually think it’s pretty funny and fascinating! Nature has such unique ways of doing things for different species. Imagine if this host-parasite relationship existed on different species, like in a small mammal or a fish, which would seem a bit out of ordinary. But for me, hearing about a fly that makes it’s way through an ant’s rump to pop their heads off sounds almost normal…

Thinking about insect diversity, and any animal biodiversity for that matter, leads me to think about conservation. Insects are important pollinators for plants, help to break down and dispose of wastes that would otherwise accumulate in the environment, play an important role in many food webs, and much more. Do you know of any insects that are currently a species at risk that can affect larger ecosystems? Are insect populations as greatly affected by human disturbances as amphibians, reptiles, and mammals are?

The Tale of the Headless Horse...ant?

One of the most interesting classes I have taken in my university career was Insect Diversity & Biology. Every class I would learn some crazy fact that changed my perspective on insects and I would find myself telling these facts to people close to me, who may have not been as fascinated, but would definitely spur a reaction. It is amazing how little we know about the insect world and how diverse and abundant these species are.  Even today new species are being discovered and most of the discovered ones have never been studied to properly understand their basic biological traits. My prof always said if you want to name a species, become and entomologist.

I knew if I looked through my notes I would find something amazing to share, and I found a lot. In general, I found interest pulled towards ants. I admire the way this group of organisms act as a community to accomplish tasks we would think to be impossible for such a tiny creature. If the human species was half as productive as ants, I believe we could overcome many of daunting issues of today. We as humans overlook the importance and uniqueness of ants because we usually think of them as pests and because they are everywhere, nothing too interesting to look at.  However, as stewards of the land and nature lovers we should always try to take a second look and try to understand every part of nature for its role.

Now maybe it’s because Halloween is around the corner, but I wanted to share one of the more gruesome stories of ants. Well really its about a subgroup of phorid flies that act as ant-decapitators. That’s right, they decapitate ants. This is because these flies are parasitoids, meaning they need ants to complete their life-cycle in order to survive and unlike parasites, which use living hosts, parasitoids kill their hosts – usually from the inside out. Female phorid flies prey by detecting chemical scents (i.e. kairomones) secreted from the ants.1 Once they have found a host, they attack and inject an egg into the ant’s rump. From there, the egg hatches and the larvae begin to feed on the ant making its way to the head where it finally emerges and decapitates its host.­2

Fire ants and leaf cutter ants both have to deal with these pesky flies. However, leaf cutter ants have evolved an interesting defense strategy called “hitchhiker ants.”3 These are worker ants that are too small for the phorid flies to infect and ride on the leaves carried by the larger ants. These ants play an important role of keeping a look out for decapitating flies and to warn their ant brother of any striking females.

I think this tale relates well with our textbook reading this week “The Gift of Wholeness.”4 For me, learning about insects and their behaviour humbled me as a human because you realize humans are not the only amazing species out there. I especially think that by sharing wisdom of everyday critters liked ants, we gain a better appreciation and can begin to see them, and ourselves, as one of the many components of an ecosystem. On a walk, this fact could be used to help express and overarching theme expressing the significance of the small world of insects and the importance of observing phenomena not easily noticed.

Nicole Bitter 

October 22, 2017 10:30pm

References                                                                                                              

1 Simon, M. (2013, December 6). Absurd Creature of the Week: This Fly Hijacks an Ant’s Brain — Then Pops Its Head Off. Wired, Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2013/12/absurd-creature-of-the-week-this-fly-burrows-into-an-ants-brain-then-pops-its-head-off/

2 Jeffs, C. (2015, April 6). The ‘humpbacked’ phorid flies – meet the ant-decapitating brain eaters. Accessible Ecology, Retrieved from https://accessibleecology.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/the-humpbacked-phorid-flies-meet-the-ant-decapitating-brain-eaters/

3 Elizalde, L., & Folgarait, P. J. (2012). Behavioral strategies of phorid parasitoids and responses of their hosts, the leaf-cutting ants. Journal of Insect Science, 12(1), 135.

4 Beck, L., & Cable, T.T. (2011). The Gifts of Interpretation: Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing.

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Incrowdible Intelligence

When asked to write about the most amazing thing I know about nature, like many others, I could not decide on just one. Almost anything about nature is amazing, in my opinion, once you evaluate it more carefully even something simple like a leaf is fascinating. I thought about writing about how trees can communicate with each other using their roots, how bees dance to tell each other the direction and distance of a new food source, how American kestrels have one of the highest kill rates among raptor species despite their small size, how the diving bell spider can stay under water for an entire day by creating a bubble to trap oxygen, how an octopus can shape shift and camouflage with incredible accuracy even though it is ‘colour-blind’, and the list goes on and on.

(left: photograph by D. J. Hemmings, right: photograph by S. Hetz)

Nonetheless, something that is higher up on my list of ‘cool nature things’ is the intelligence of corvids, specifically in crows. However, when people are asked to list intelligent animals, the usual list of mammals is thought of; humans, dolphins, apes, elephants, sometimes even pigs. Much of society views humans as a ‘higher’ species because they are more intelligent than the rest of the animal kingdom. So whenever I read or learn something new about crows’ intelligence, I’m humbled by the fact and reminded that there is no ‘higher’ species only equal beings that share this planet.

Enough of why I want to talk about crows, let’s just talk about them! Crows are known to be one of the few animals that use tools to get food, especially the New Caledonian crows. In the wild, Caledonian crows, native to the Loyalty Islands, use sticks to fish out ants from their nests. The following video shows a NC crow given a straight wire to access food on the bottom of a tube. The crow figures out that the straight wire will not function properly, and creates a hook in order to pull the food out of the tube. For reference, humans cannot solve that problem until around 3 years old.

Crows can also use ‘common sense’ to solve multi-step problems, not just by trial and error. It has been shown that crows can understand water displacement and know how to make it work to their advantage.

This video shows research from the University of Auckland, where crows were presented with tubes filled with water and a floating chunk of meat. Crows learned to use heavy erasers instead of light polystyrene objects, solid instead of hallow weights, narrow tube instead of a wide tube to manipulate water displacement to get the food. For reference again, this puzzle solving skill is equivalent to children 5-7 years of age.

If that’s not enough to convince you that these birds are fascinating creatures, some crows will even keep their favourite tools cached away in ‘toolboxes’. They can count and have quantitative skills. They have complex social structures called murders. They have the ability to share and pass on information within the murder, so that every bird is kept up to date about the gossip around town. Their incredible memory allows them to remember human faces and will share this with the murder. “If Betty doesn’t like that human, we ALL don’t like him.” They have been seen to gather around their dead as if holding a funeral, but actually using the situation to look for the source of danger and to learn about new dangerous areas and predators. Now that is just incrowdible. 

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It felt like you were reading my mind and my exact thoughts when I read your post! My parents, the older generation, and even some people in our generation do not understand where a career is possible outside of being a veterinarian or a zookeeper, if you like nature and animals. However, being a ‘tree-hugger’ would not be so bad, any job that allows me to inspire others to appreciate nature and want to protect it would be a good job to have.

Growing up I also spent a lot of my time outdoors, compared to this next generation that seems to be entertained by iPads, tablets, and phones. Maybe they are watching Planet Earth 2 but that does not compare with spending time outdoors and interacting with other forms of life. I think there is so much importance in building up an environmentally conscience generation that is concerned for the health of our planet and works actively to make their impacts positive.

Of second importance after the next generation, is ours. We are still young and can make great changes in this world. However, I get so frustrated when I see people just oblivious to the environmental impacts they have, especially simple things like using plastic water bottles or leaving a light on. I know there are many young people out there advocating for nature, but at the same time it is a good reminder that there is still so much to be done. That’s why, like you, I would love to have a job where I simply have to share my love of nature and encourage others to develop their own relationship with nature.

Also that chubby chipmunk is the cutest thing!

Healthy Earth = Healthy Life

It took me a while to think about where I wanted my blog to go this week. However, one thing that is always in the back of my head is my future and where I am going to be. 

Sometimes I feel like this girl ^

Being a university student, I am always toying with the idea of my future. Many thoughts enter my head on the daily, including “what am I going to do with my life?”. Being the free-spirited nature-lover in my family, I often get a lot of worry from my parents and the older generation of my family about where my career is going to go. There is a consensus among those who are not involved in the environmental field that I am going to become a “tree-hugger”. However, to me, that does not sound like such a bad gig.  

Old-growth Forest on Vancouver Island 2015

 I have grown up loving the outdoors and anytime I was outside, I was my happiest. My parents always laugh about how if they could not find me, I was probably sitting outside in the mud, getting dirty. Throughout my childhood, I often turned to nature as a form of entertainment when I was bored, because back then, we did not have access to technology like we do now. However, the fact that we have so much technology present in the world, I worry that children that are growing up now will not turn to nature to entertain them. I believe that growing up playing in the outdoors was the concrete foundation towards my passion for helping the environment. That being said, I am inspired to help motivate children to go outside, because they are ultimately the future of this earth.

 Being a 21 year old, wildlife biology student at this time is a very exciting but intimidating and scary feat. Due to all the environmental change that the world is currently going through, it is time for people to try to change our habits in order to help the environment. However, I often get so frustrated when people do not have the same care about the environment that many of the other people in the world do, including myself. Whenever I see litter, I just want to find that person and yell at them and say “WHY? Why are you do lazy that you cannot clean up after yourselves?”. However, instead of finding the negative in situations like that, I have to remind myself that those people may not have been privileged to spend a lot of their childhood outside and lack that relationship with nature. Therefore, I find that it is part of my duty as a nature-lover to do my service to protect nature by trying to inspire people to find their relationship with nature.

Seeing wildlife in their natural state allows me to feel a deep connection with nature.

I think every single person on earth has the ability to connect with nature in a positive way. In my mind, people have evolutionarily connected through nature throughout time in positive ways. However, some people may not have found that connection with nature early on in life and are missing out on their relationship with the earth. Therefore, to connect with my original post about “what am I going to do with my life”… I can answer that by saying I just want to be an advocate for nature, whether is through research, education, or some other job. I want to be able to stand in the gap between nature and human activity to try to connect the two to occur in harmony because ultimately there would be no life without a healthy earth.

October 15th, 2017

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Searching for Environmental Optimism

When asked to write what I’ve been thinking about this week and what has been on my mind, my first thought was PLASTIC. This week I went to a Nature Guelph meeting with guest speaker, Jenn Pate, who focuses her time on learning about plastics and how it affects human health and the environment.

Jenn was once a geography student who was not completely sure what she wanted to do after university, very relatable. A few years ago she signed up for an Exxpedition to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, despite having no prior experience sailing. Exxpedition is an organization that hosts all female trips, consisting of scientists, activists, journalists, designers, and more, to research about pollutants and toxins in the environment.

Without using an engine and only the wind, the team traveled across the Atlantic collecting macro and micro plastics with Manta trawls. There was no trawl collected where plastic was not found; from nurdles (tiny plastic pellets that are made before being melted and shaped into plastic products), to microbeads (found in personal care products like face wash and toothpaste), to microfibres (from clothes made of polyester or nylon), to “bigger” broken up pieces of plastic.

However everyone is already aware of the oceans filling up with plastics, so they furthered their research into the toxins that are being absorbed by these plastics as they act as a sponge to these chemicals. When fish mistakenly consume these plastic bits, bioaccumulation occurs and these toxins eventually reach humans. Every single woman on that trip was tested, and they all found 29 out of the 35 toxins they were testing for in their bodies, which will then be passed onto their offspring.

Now everything that’s been mentioned so far has been quite negative, and I’m sure as an environmentally conscience group, we all can get pretty down thinking about the impacts we have on the environment. But this talk was titled ‘Searching for Environmental Optimism’, so how does this optimism come into play? Jenn eventually did an Exxpedition in the Great Lakes and found that they have even more plastics than out in the ocean, and was inspired to start Love Your Greats. This organization she cofounded inspires people to be aware of the pollutants in their own backyard water bodies. She organized a Love Your Greats Day and it ended up being the world’s largest simultaneous sampling for microplastics in history. Citizens joined in, whether they were walking along beaches, or paddling, canoeing, or kayaking, to cleanup waterways and collect data on microplastics.

By the end of the talk, I’ve learned a couple of things. 1.) Take use of opportunities that come your way, Jenn had no sailing experience yet put herself on a sail boat to cross the entire Atlantic Ocean. 2.) There are people out there who DO care and want to help. Make use of this community to make great changes for the health of the planet. And finally, it takes sharing your passion and knowledge to those around you, to inspire them to make a personal connection with nature. The Love Your Greats day started with a group posting a picture at 5am of their beach cleanup, and for the rest of the day thousands of pictures poured in of people doing their part in cleaning the environment.

This is why nature interpretation is so important. By sharing your love of nature to those around you, you are allowing them to find their own interests within the natural world, so that they will want to protect it and make only positive impacts on the environment.

Here’s me ‘interpreting nature’ and sharing my love of ‘danger noodles’ to my friends on a hike in Bruce Peninsula NP. 

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Great post! I agree with you that these sounds we hear in nature do not necessarily create music, but when heard in a way that conveys emotion and memories, music can definitely be found in nature. As you mentioned, hearing birds and the wind makes you feel calm when you go outside. However, sometimes these sounds need to be searched for because of the surrounding ‘subnature’ sounds. Just like when we went out with James Corden, most of what we heard was cars driving by and the low hum of the AC from the science complex, which instead of making me feel calm when I finally heard a bird song, made me a little frustrated instead. It is weird for me to think that these sounds are constantly present, yet humans have easily masked these sounds so much so that we have to concentrate intently or even distance ourselves from society, by going into a less populated forested area, in order to find nature’s music. Have humans created so much other noise that if nature sounds were to disappear, we would not even notice? When James Corden mentioned that a few decades ago if we were to sit in that exact same spot in Johnston Green, we would probably be able to hear those bees that were flying around us, I was taken back a bit. It was a great reminder for me that the land we have used to build houses, and schools, and roads, was originally another species’ home. Just by listening for the sounds and music of nature, can tell you so much about that landscape and environment.  

Music & Nature

 Where is music in Nature?

I think, as many others have already mentioned, that music isn’t literally in nature in the same sense that music is embedded within our lives. The sounds we hear in nature, for example wind blowing through the trees, birds chirping, insects croaking, or a wolf howling, are often more practical. These sounds are mating calls, signals of distress, or alerting others. For these species it is part of how they live. 

That being said, I do think people can interpret these sounds as “music” per se. Music has the ability to alter moods, evoke feelings and memories, and truly touch people. I believe nature can certainly offer many of the same attributes. Being outside and hearing the birds singing, the wind blowing through the leaves and any other sound I might hear, makes me feel calm and peace. A particular favourite is listening to the waves crashing on a beach, or a waterfall furiously flowing. Although, I think this can also be circumstantial. There are some times when I just want to sleep in the morning and the geese outside my window, are making sounds that are not necessarily welcome. Also, sounds of “subnature”, for instance being on a city trail and still hearing cars, sirens, and the busy city life. The “music” nature plays can be interpreted positively and negatively. 

Where is Nature in music?

I think nature plays a huge role in much of old and modern day music. It can be a source of inspiration. Many artists have mimicked sounds they have heard in nature and try to recreate them using instruments. While some have also literally incorporated sounds into their songs. Certain melodies and rhythms can instil certain reactions and feelings in people. This is what draws people into songs initially, the catchy beat. Interestingly, nature can also inspire lyrics for many artists. They might use metaphors or imagery to convey a certain message or tone. For me, this is what I connect with in songs. I find myself moved by lyrics and many times I can relate to the picture they are portraying. Artists use nature as a muse. Music can also be used as means of protest, or to deliver powerful messages about environmental issues. For example, to express environmental concerns and to urge people be more environmentally responsible. Like we saw in lab this week. James used nature in music as a tool for activism. 

These are all ways I believe Nature is in music.

When I sat down to think of some songs that I enjoy that are nature inspired the first one that came to mind was All I want is you by Barry Louis Polisar. Here are some lyrics from that song that I enjoy:

“If I were a flower growing wild and free  all I’d want is you to be my sweet honey bee If I were a tree growing tall and green All I’d want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I were a river in the mountains tall The rumble of your water would be my call”

Though simple, these lyrics use nature to describe a relationship, symbiosis, love, and happiness. 

October 8th, 2017

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Symphony of Nature

Where is music in nature?

A quick Google search tells me that music is sounds that are constructed into a pattern with rhythms and pitches. By that definition, I would find it difficult to identify any music in nature, as the sounds are haphazard and without any pattern to them.  However, when you think of music as a form of communication that creates a connection to an experience of emotion or memory, then I can point out many occurrences of when I’ve heard music in nature.

When I hear a loon call, it reminds me of early mornings on many camping trips my family took every summer. Angry red squirrel chattering reminds me of fall hikes along forest of different colours.

These soft water trickling sounds remind me of orange sunsets on a quiet lake. Sometimes, very specific and exact memories are thought of when nature plays certain music; a white-throated sparrow song reminds me of a spring trip to Algonquin, because an individual was singing consistently while a group of us were out early for some ‘moosing’.

All these sounds combined create an entire symphony for Mother Nature’s orchestra. Each organism has it’s own instrument to make sounds, but when put together becomes an organic piece of music. The sound of wind travelling through layers of leaves would not be considered music. Waves crashing against rocks would not be considered music. Birds chirping and making single note calls may not be considered music. But when all these sounds are put together, it creates a song, a piece of melodious art.

Where is nature in music?

As I scrolled through my library of songs on my phone to find where nature is in music, I noticed numerous songs that make small references to nature. To name a few…

James Blake’s I Need a Forest Fire:

“To burn it like cedar,

I request another dream,

I need a forest fire.”

James Vincent McMorrow’s Killer Whale:

“Who am I to swim with killer whales?

Who am I to wade to sea?”

Maggie Roger’s Alaska:

“I was walking through icy streams,

That took my breath away.

Moving slowly through westward water,

Over glacial plains.”

The above artists use nature to make a metaphor and communicate an emotion within the lyrics of a song. They use nature to talk about starting anew, or about humility, or even just to set a scene for the rest of the song. These artists are not necessarily writing an entire song about nature or about being in the wilderness, to promote environmental stewardship like James Cordon’s songs, but rather nature is used to complement the story they are trying to share through their song. I think this subtle use of nature within lyrics, such as mentioning birds, or wind, or sky which is so common, is still powerful as it helps create an image for the audience to connect with the song more.

Nature in music also reminds me of musicians that are making use of their fame to help environmental causes. They may not be writing about these in their songs, but using the music industry and the platform that they have to promote environmental stewardship. The more ‘well-known’ ones that come to mind include Jason Mraz, who started his own foundation to help fund environmental preservation programs like Surfrider, Maroon 5, who helped developed the Green Music Project incorporating environmentalism in the music industry and making touring more green, and Coldplay, who partners with ClientEarth which enforces environmental laws and is the cofounder of Global Citizen focusing on social change including environmental issues.

Nature is a platform for better understanding of alternative forms of music through sounds, and music is a platform for inspiration and appreciation of nature around us.

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I am very glad that you brought up this specific privilege issue regarding the differences in values that national governments see as important, it definitely needs to be brought into the light and talked about. Especially during this time where the planet needs more human beings caring for conservation, being a Canadian is such a great privilege, especially when comparing to our neighbours in the United States.

This year being Canada 150, national parks were flooded with crowds of Canadians and non-Canadians wanting to enjoy the beauty of the country’s natural ecosystems. Our government allowed free admission to celebrate these parks and allow everyone to have access to experience Canada’s nature. While just on the other side of the border, their government sees no value in conserving natural spaces but rather wants to make profit that will result in the destruction of many ecosystems.

This also brings up a reminder of how important government is and how much control they have over conservation issues. They hold so much authority and make decisions that affect the entire population. Many people, including myself, always say they do not want to get involved with politics but ultimately you must, in order to make the changes you want to see happen. Thinking about this issue allows me to recognize how much of a privilege I have to live in this wonderful country.

Privileged Roles

Privilege:  a right, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most.

As Canadians, I feel that we are a nation that enjoys a large amount of privileges. I`m not talking about hot topic privileges that are often talked about now in social situations. I`m referring to the basic privilege of being in such a beautiful country, whether or not we were born here or came here recently. Canadians are privileged to live in the second largest country in the world, after Russia. We have violent and beautiful coastlines, imposing mountain ranges, large cities with their own type of (sub)nature, and provinces “so flat you can watch your dog run away for three days” (<-actual quote from a Saskatchewanite).  

Nature interpretation is not something only available to Canadians. One can find nature interpreters across the globe. However, I think we have a large population that has the ability to use their glorious privilege. So many people are able to go to their nearest conservation area and either be their own nature interpreters just by enjoying local hiking trails and taking in nature, or be guided along the same trails and see another view of reality. 

I don’t know how nature interpretation works in other countries, but I’ve had experience with interpretation in Canada and the US. Perhaps my view of NPS (National Park Service) interpreters is clouded by political issues during my visit, but all the interpreters I had the pleasure of meeting were concerned about their country’s future privileged access to parks. Change-over in the higher-ups running the Department of the Interior had most of the rangers and interpreters worried about the existence of parks for future enjoyment. There are people in charge of things in the States that aim to reduce or completely take away the privilege of wild, unadulterated nature for citizens. 

I’m not usually a political person, but I do believe that everyone should have the right to enjoy nature, should they wish to. In Canada, we are lucky that our natural spaces are not at risk of being dismantled for profit, but our neighbours to the south are not so lucky. The interpreters that work for NPS are not permitted to speak their minds on political issues surrounding the parks and monuments, but some do. They could lose their jobs if the wrong person heard them, but for some, it is worth speaking out. They wish to allow nature as a privilege to be available for all. 

In response to the changing bureaucracies, a “rebellion” is forming. The alt national park service. I highly recommend following them on facebook to keep on top of current events surrounding the parks. 

https://www.facebook.com/AltUSNationalParkService/

Photo of Joshua Tree National Park, which is in danger as it is a (relatively) new park. 

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Privilege

Privilege is having assets that are unearned, either being born with or into, that give you an automatic advantage over others. These characteristics, whether one recognizes it or not, have been placed at a higher value than other characteristics by society. As listed in Peggy McIntosh’s “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, these privileges consist of the obvious being white, male, heterosexual, and middle class. However, less obvious cultural characteristics can also be privileges, such as language, geography, religion, size, and education. The following cartoon, I think, explains privilege wonderfully and how easily it can go unnoticed.

Now in order to understand the role of privilege in nature interpretation, I think it is important to apply the concept to both sides; the interpreter and the audience.

As an interpreter your privileges will determine how your audience receives the information you are communicating to them. From a personal experience, as a short Asian female, some people do not accept what I say as valid, or give as much respect as if it were to come from a tall white male. I have to make a greater effort to sound more professional or knowledgeable in order to gain the same level of respect as others. However, this could also be seen as rewarding, as for those people who recognize the difference in privilege, may also recognize that as a minority you have worked harder and put more effort in order to attain the position you have. On the other hand, I am also privileged compared to many others, being raised in a household in Canada that is financially stable with many freedoms that others in different countries do not have.

Above is a picture of Olivia and I talking to a crowd about great-horned owls. Even though people will tend to listen and respect Olivia more, as she has the privilege of being a taller white female, I feel the privilege of being able to work with Einstein, the great-horned owl, outweighs the disadvantages I have as a minority in society.

Privilege also determines the experiences and nature opportunities the interpreter may have gotten. Some interpreters’ extent of experiencing nature remains within their backyard and the parks within their city, while others will have gotten the opportunity to travel across the province or even around the world. This also applies to jobs and volunteer positions to have nature interpretation experiences. A privileged university student may have the financial support to take a 2 month volunteer position shadowing a naturalist out in British Columbia being able to gain a lot of knowledge, while a less-privileged student with less financial support may have to depend on a stable customer-service job throughout the summer.

Applying privilege to the audience that will vary in different backgrounds and cultures will influence how they take in information from the interpreter, both positively and negatively. For example, from our activity in lab this week, some groups had audiences that did not speak English as their first language, making communication more difficult between them and the interpreter. Some groups had audiences that have never experienced a campfire, so the group would have been much more excited to learn how to build their first once, compared to a group full of experienced campers.

Are there privileges that you may not have noticed or recognized until later in your life? How have your privileges shaped your attitude and perspectives?

Oct 1st