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Effectively communicating the information that I already have or have just learned was something I loved about this course, as few courses teach you how to do so. Further developing these skills is something I, and I hope many, will continue to do as they are important skills to have in life. Which is why I enjoyed doing the podcast’s, as it allowed for us to use and further develop those communication skills to two different audiences.

I think creating programs to accommodate everyone, regardless of their invisible backpack, is an amazing idea as it would ensure that inclusivity and put everyone on equal grounds. Passion is absolutely an important ethic and belief to have as an interpreter. It allows for one to capture the audience’s attention by being passionate and enthusiastic about whatever it is that you are talking about or teaching. I take Ken Irvine, the history tour guide, as an example. You could clearly tell that he was passionate about his job and the subject and it truly captivated me and got me listening that much more closely. He also related to his audience, us students, by sharing the alcohol history of Guelph, which I am sure intrigued many.

Respect is a wonderful ethic to have, something that I did not think about. I believe that it would be a great idea to instill respect of the environment in others, teaching them ways that they can help reduce their carbon footprint.

Sabrina

My Personal Interpretation Journey

          Throughout this course, we have learned a variety of interpretive skills that range from improving our communication to learning about effective ways to engage your participants in programs. Ethic is described as being a set of morals that are related throughout a specified field. With this in mind, my personal ethic as a nature interpreter surrounds being the most hard-working and inclusive interpreter I can be. I want to continue to develop skills that allow me to take information available and communicate it effectively to a variety of individuals. In terms of the beliefs that I bring to nature interpretation, I want to focus on three main ideas.  

One: Effective interpretation occurs in a place of inclusivity and encouragement  

         The first one is my belief that effective interpretation takes place in a space that is inclusive and encouraging. With that being said, I think by creating inclusive opportunities for individuals, it creates a space where connections with nature can occur freely. As mentioned in the course lectures, each individual contains an “invisible backpack”. This is where each of us contains a set of tools in our backpacks that we have, these tools can either be advantageous or the lack of tools can put us at a disadvantage. I believe it is important to create programs where it can accommodate as many people as possible. While keeping in mind that not everyone has the same resources, this definitely makes it difficult to create programs but is well worth it! Especially if it means that you can help to create as many nature connections as possible.  

         In the same mindset, I believe that it is important to have an idea of your audience’s background. This is critical when delivering effective programs as it allows you to better achieve your purpose. By knowing the background, you can create a better space of inclusivity that ultimately allows you to most effectively encourage your participants throughout the program. I feel that knowing your audience helps to create a space that includes everyone.  

Two: Communicate your passion  

         The second one revolves around my belief that nature interpretation stems from the ability of the interpreter to take their passions and communicate effectively. In the textbook, authors describe one of the gifts of interpretation to be passion. This describes effective communication stemming from the passion of the interpreter to share their knowledge in an effective way. I believe that it is important to have not only passion for the subject that you are sharing but also passion for wanting to connect participants to that subject. In the lab with Chris Early, I found it extremely interesting how he expressed that it would be excellent to have both of those passions all the time when delivering programs. However, you can help to create nature connections in areas that you are less passionate about (for me this is soil applications) by containing a passion or drive for connecting people to the environment. In my personal ethic as a nature interpreter, I believe that you need to be passionate about creating connections with people and the environment (in whatever area that may be).  

Three: Creating respect through connections  

         The third belief that I have is sparking a connection between an individual and nature. This allows the individual to connect through experiences and helps to teach them that we should respect the environment. It is well known that our anthropogenic influence can drastically change the environments in which we interact with. Thus, through nature interpretation, I believe that it is important to instill a sense of environmental stewardship or respect. As interpreters, we should be able to take the place that we are delivering a program in and create a connection between the participant and the environment. Thus, by creating this connection we are encouraging the participant to deeply appreciate and respect the environment through personal experience. An effective way to do this would be to deliver programs that focus on providing hands-on opportunities. Events such as tree planting, water studies, or bug studies are excellent ways for participants to connect to the environment. It is important to instill a sense of respect and love towards the environment and I believe that nature interpreters can do this through helping to create nature connections.  

         Overall, I feel as though my ethic or set of morals related to the field of nature interpretation throughout the course has definitely changed from what I would originally have expressed at the beginning. I feel as though I have a deeper understanding of the amount of passion, dedication, and research that it truly takes to effectively communicate or connect people to nature. This being said, there are some main responsibilities as a nature interpreter that I believe are important to always keep in mind. Some of which include: 

Being inclusive and adaptive  

Encouraging nature connections through self-exploration or guided tours  

Providing a safe space for learning and expanding knowledge  

Accepting that you will never know everything and to continually learn and grow  

Conduct background research, prepare, and plan out programs (to the best of your ability). This will allow you to deliver the most effective program.  

And many more!  

         Lastly, I will touch on the approach to nature interpretation that I feel is most effective for myself. As most of you know, there are three major learning styles. The first being visual learners which include individuals that learn best through seeing and watching. The second is an auditory learner which learns best with listening. The third is a kinesthetic learner that connects best with touching and interacting with things. It would be most effective when interpreting nature to incorporate all three of these learning styles into programs. However, I understand that it is not always practical to do this, and some activities work best with specific styles of learning. Throughout the course, we have experienced a variety of labs that include, the arboretum (parts aimed towards auditory learners, through the bird game), the downtown walk (also aimed towards auditory learners but also visual through a tour style), the art gallery (auditory and visual), and the indoor lab (aimed towards kinesthetic learners through participating in activities that involve interacting with objects). After being able to observe other interpreters deliver programs throughout a range of subjects, I have concluded that there is not one approach that I feel is most suitable to myself. Although, I have found that I prefer to incorporate or have programs incorporate hands-on learning activities. In terms of being a participant in programs, I prefer that they incorporate some aspects of kinesthetic learning. However, I also enjoy when those programs utilize visual and auditory cues. If I were to deliver a program to a group of participants, I would prefer to incorporate a hands-on activity. Although, I do see the benefit of incorporating auditory and visual cues to help connect the most amount of people I can to the content being shared.  

         To conclude this course, I have realized that what I thought I knew about nature interpretation was only the surface. To ultimately understand and appreciate the reach that nature interpreters have is far too much to do in this short period of time (one semester). However, I do feel like I have gained a deeper appreciation for those who share their passions (more specifically environmental ones) with the world! The main takeaway from this course for me would be that interpretation covers a wide range of subjects. But, to become a successful nature interpreter it only requires you to have a passion (of anything) and a passion to communicate and help create connections within others!  

         I am interested in your main take-aways from this course. Please share them with me, since interpretation can take on so many different forms and touch people in different ways, I am interested in how you feel with this course concluding.  

References

“The Gifts of Interpretation” by Larry Beck and Ted T. Cable. 3rd Edition, Copyright 2011.

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Hi Kyle,

I agree with you on how everyone experiences the beauty of nature in their own way. I think its wonderful to keep having that belief, even when faced with someone who harbours no interest in the topic. It, unfortunately, never crossed my mind about inspiring others through one’s own motivation. But it is a wonderful thought and belief to have, to be able to inspire others through your motivation. You are absolutely correct about enthusiasm. Passion is such an important characteristic to have when teaching others. It is a way to inspire and intrigue others with your passion on the topic. It actually kills me when professors don’t show enthusiasm or passion when teaching, because that diminishes my want to stay in that class and makes it become that much more of a chore. The reason that I got into science was because my High School chemistry and biology teachers showed enthusiasm for the course, which drew me in and kept me wanting to learn more about the topics.

I would go on a hike with you in a heartbeat if it meant being told personal stories that you yourself experienced on that exact trial. I have a love for being told stories and would be intrigued by your personal experiences as it would help to decrease any tension or awkwardness that there might be. Sharing stories would also be a great ice breaker, gets the audience to laugh and perhaps ask more questions about your experience.

Sabrina

#10/11: Last but not least

Throughout the entirety of this course, we have been given  numerous lessons and ideas about what it takes to become a good nature interpreter. It is interesting to reflect on which of these lessons have stuck with me and which ones I plan on keeping with me as I continue to progress through my academic career in environmental science and further. Although I have been able to experience nature throughout my life in my own perspective, it wasn’t until I started this course that I began to  understand the power one can have by effectively sharing their perspective. Through this blog, I will share those lessons as well as the beliefs and responsibilities I have gained that I will continually exemplify as I develop as a nature interpreter.

(Photo of a river that I pass during my runs. Photo taken by me) 

My beliefs as a nature interpreter

Understanding that although we all come from different backgrounds, we are all able to experience nature in our own beautiful way. This is what I think is the most important belief that I have come to accept through this course. Because every single person has had different experiences throughout their life, the way that they view something will be completely different from the way another person views it. As a nature interpreter, being able to understand that should be your motivation to continually inspire. Even in a situation where you are teaching somebody something who seems completely uninterested, if you have the belief that they can find beauty in what you are teaching, then you will continue to share different perspectives of your lesson until you can create a connection in that individual.

My second belief is that in order to inspire others, whether that be through nature interpretation or through any other type of communication, is that you must always tackle the things you face with enthusiasm. This can be applied to your job, your school, the relationships in your life, and many other things. However, inspiring others as a nature interpreter is not possible unless you are enthusiastic about what your interpreting. This is evident in our everyday lives. Just think about the difference between your least favourite professor and the professor who has inspired you the most and I’m sure that one of the main differences was the levels enthusiasm and passion that each one brought. Additionally, with enthusiasm comes longevity. If you are enthusiastic about your job as an interpreter, coming into work everyday would be extremely fun for a very long time. How would you be able to tackle your job as a nature interpreter if you don’t care for the things that you are trying to teach?  

My responsibilities as a nature interpreter

The first and most important responsibility that I will bring along with me as I continue to develop as a nature interpreter is the idea that the safety of myself and those around me comes before anything else. Obviously, ensuring safety is important to avoid physical harm and fatal outcomes in extreme cases, but safety is also important because it allows you to fully indulge yourself and focus on the beauty of nature and the things you intend on learning. Safe environments provide the opportunity for people to learn without holding back. Without any restraints, enthusiasm and creativity can go wild and the finer details that can change a person’s perspectives can be observed.

Building on my first belief that we all come from different backgrounds and we are all able to experience nature in our own beautiful way, a responsibility that I will always do my best to uphold is understanding who my audience is and how I can best present ideas and information that will resonate with them. As a nature interpreter, meeting all different types of people is inevitable, and being able to engage listeners is a part of an interpreter’s job. By communicating with your audience, you can learn whether a group of people would like things to be more hands-on or whether they would prefer to learn visually for example. Additionally, it is important to always monitor the engagement of your audience and to be adaptable in how you present information based on how people react to what you do.

Lastly, this course has opened my eyes to the responsibility that I have because of the privilege I was given. As I mentioned in my beliefs, we all come from different backgrounds and we all carry unique individual backpacks as we learned in class. The privilege that I experience may never happen in somebody else’s life, and therefore, being sensitive of the feelings and aware of those around you is important in making deeper connections.

What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?

As an individual, the approach that is most suitable for me is being able to relate to others based on past experiences. Sharing similar stories with others is how the majority of my relationships have been built. For example, while leading a group of people down a trail that I have hiked in the past, I would most likely tell stories that have happened or things I’ve seen while walking down that trail. Hopefully somebody listening will have seen the same animal or plant that I describe, or have experienced a similar situation while hiking, which I can then build a connection upon. Not only will this increase engagement with my audience but it will also help me stay enthusiastic of the things I teach.

All in all, this course has taught me a lot of things whether that be through actually interpreting nature or through communication with others. I have been able to create deeper and more meaningful relationships with new people that I meet and I have been able to change my perspective while outdoors in order to see the finer details of the environment instead of just the peace and quiet that nature provides. As this semester comes to a close, I want to thank all of you for reading my posts and for making my time in this course an experience to remember!

Kyle

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Nature Interpretation

Over the course of the semester I have learned several things regarding nature interpretation and the different ways in which an individual can interpret nature. The podcasts were a perfect way to get one thinking about how you present information to an audience, by using specific terminology, longer pauses, or including inclusiveness. It allowed for us to really think about the different methods of relaying information based on your audience.

Something that I never realized was an important aspect of nature interpretation, and I am grateful or learning about, would be learning about your audience. The more you know about your audience, such as their age, or the reason why they are there, the better that you as an interpreter will be able to convey and relate your message or story. A great example of this, that we were able to physically see, would be the Art Gallery and History tour. Both these tours had an interpreter informing us of the meaning or history behind the objects. It was wonderful and informing to see an interpretation first hand, as I have never before had one/realized these individuals were interpreters. It was also just an overall wonderful experience that took me out of my comfort zone, as I am not one for art but most definitely gained an appreciation for the meanings behind art pieces.

My personal ethic as a developing nature interpreter would be to treat everyone as equal. Something that resonated with me was the invisible backpack. It wasn’t something that I ever really thought of, that some individuals have an advantage in life because of certain aspects that they cannot control. Because of this, I would treat everyone equally, as one always should. My responsibilities as a nature interpreter would be ensuring that everyone has a fun time, learns something from our time together, and also ensuring their safety and every point of the way. As a nature interpreter, I want to make sure that everyone has an awesome time and gets something out of it, even if its just a couple of facts. It is also my responsibility to ensure that everyone is safe, and I would ensure that by using risk assessment for any of the activities that might occur. I doubt that I would be well if something ever happened to my group because I was not doing my job correctly and assessing for potential risks.

Beliefs that I would bring would be that of the Gift of Beauty. That everyone has a different definition of beauty and that what you might think is beautiful others may not. I would therefore, ensure of a broad generalization of the beauty of the area or object to allow for others to make their own judgement on its beauty. Another belief would be that each nature interpretation is that of a story, to inform and enlighten individuals of the history and future. It would be great if they went home with a thirst for more knowledge on that particular object. In telling a story, I would need to be aware of my audience and the different ways that I can relate to them, perhaps telling a joke or two about something we have in common. I take inspiration from Ken Irvine, who did the history tour with us. He was passionate and relatable to students by sharing information about the alcohol history of Guelph, which caused laughter and peaked interest. I would hope that if I ever became a nature interpreter, I would have some of the same qualities as Ken and be absolutely passionate about my work.

Approaches that are most suitable for me as an individual would most definelty be knowing your audience and also being expressive when talking. Knowing your audience allows for a better suited tour in which you can better express your information for them. It would also help in being able to do ice breakers to ease the awkwardness, if there is any. Being expressive is something that I already am. I love to put emphasis where its required and move my hands and arms everywhere. Being expressive would be a great approach to ensnare and captivate your audience of what you are telling them, as it is very important to have and keep your audiences’ attention.

I did not know what to expect from this course, as I was not aware or into nature interpretation, did not even know that it was a job. But throughout the course, I have grown to love it. The fact that the course was more about teaching students’ viable skills was amazing, because it is something that very few courses teach. I loved that the labs were out of the classroom and showed students first hand the different types of interpretations that are out there. My absolute favourite lab would be the improv one. Doing the improv forced me out of my comfort zone, which I like to be in, and got me doing crazy wacky things that I would usually never do in front of others. When it came down to presenting our science machine, there was no nervousness, which is something that I always have when presenting, and I chalk that up to having just finished doing random interpretation dances.

I want to give my gratitude to Aaron for doing the lecture on resume’s, as that is something that every student is going to have to write in the future for whatever purpose. Not everyone is aware of what you should or should not put on a resume and so it was great to have a class on how to.  It was amazing to be given tips and tricks on what to put on your resume and how to conduct yourself during an interview, such as informing yourself about the company before the interview. These tips and tricks will surely be used to ensure that I have a fantastic resume.

Thank you for an awesome semester everyone!

Sabrina

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Hi,

I am actually glad that someone else had low expectations for the museum tour. I was not expecting much from it as I know first hand how boring history can be, and to be then informed that it’s a walking tour on a cold and rainy day was not the cherry on top that I wanted. I actually woke up sick that morning and was debating on whether or not I should go because of the weather and not wanting to get even more sick. I can wholeheartedly say that going was one of the best decisions I made because I had such an amazing time seeing new sites of Downtown Guelph and learning more about its history. One of the greatest labs I’ve ever had.

I agree with you that Ken did a fantastic job informing us of the history of Downtown Guelph. I found him to be very animated and passionate about the stories he was sharing which got myself excited about hearing them. I also loved that Ken told storied or facts that he knew the students would be able to relate or enjoy, such as the Albion Hotel being haunted by Al Capone’s mistress, who doesn’t like a good ghost story. My favourite fact that Ken told us would be the one about the University having sold the most alcohol and making into a list. It was such a shock to hear because of how the University only allows Brass Taps to sell alcohol, major difference between then and now.

Sabrina

Every Place has a History

Ever wonder where the term “hat trick” came from? Or how about where John McCrae, the author of the famous poem In Flanders Fields, was born? Have you ever been to the Albion hotel? Well, apparently so has Al Capone! This is all stuff that I learnt while touring downtown Guelph with Ken Irvine, the education organizer for the Guelph Civic Museum. All of these pieces of knowledge have stayed with me and will forever be in my memory.

Going into the tour I had very low expectations. I thought it was going to be boring, as I am not much of a museum person and when I found out that we would be walking around outside on that wet and cold day, it’s safe to say I was even more unimpressed. BUT I am happy to say that I had a great experience on this historical tour and would recommend it to anyone.

“Story is the umbilical cord that connects us to the past, present, and future.” (Beck and Cable, 2011)

The first “gift” that I can identify from this lab activity is the gift of a story. Ken spent that afternoon sharing the stories he knows about most of the buildings still standing and those that are no longer standing. Now, instead of mindlessly walking around our city, I think of the incredible things that have happened here in the past that have gotten us to where we are today. Beck and Cable (2011) suggest that you “use concrete illustrations to assist the audience to understand and relate to the message.” This method was used on our tour, as we were given a pamphlet with pictures to help us compare how everything looks now to how it did in the past.

Guelph’s City Hall in 1951. This building is still standing today and has been named one of the five National Historic Sites in Wellington County. Image taken from the Guelph Mercury website.

“To be effective, interpreters of history must personalize the past and relate it to the present with an eye towards the future.” (Beck and Cable, 2011)

The second “gift” we received from the history lab is the gift of personalizing the past. Ken did a tremendous job of presenting historical events in ways that would appeal to a group of university students. He often referred to alcohol, which I am sure relates to most people our age. Also knowing that we are in a nature interpretation class, Ken knew that sharing his story of the snake being eaten by a bird during one of his tours would catch all of our attention. Although that story had nothing to do with history, it was a personal story that stuck with many of us. Beck and Cable (2011) say “interpreters play an essential role in keeping that memory alive and in making those memories speak to the issues of today, which is the gift personalizing the past.”

“Historical interpretation allows humanity to celebrate our astounding achievements as well as remember our errant ways. For reasons of both celebration and introspection, we must not forget our past.” (Beck and Cable, 2011)

The final “gift” that I received from the tour was the gift of hope. Learning about the past allows us to reflect what humans have done in the past, both good and bad. From this we can apply what we learnt to better the future. We can continue the good things and hope we correct the mistakes we have made. This is the one gift that I think could have been developed more. To do this, our interpreter could have really emphasized the mistakes made in the past and explained how we have or could improve for the future generations to come.

References 

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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Gifts In Art

The lab activity that I will always recall is the Art Gallery one. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to go the Art Gallery and see the Deer Road Exhibit. As someone who is not at all interested in art, this Gallery was the perfect introduction to art as it was more than just the art that was presented. It was a wonderful mixture of art, story-telling, and history that made the experience that much more amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the Art Gallery experience as it was more than just looking at art and trying to interpret it. It was art that told stories of their history or real-life incidences that had occurred.

The first gift that is easy to identify would be the Gift of Story. Our guide, or interpreter, did such a wonderful job of telling the story of Glenna Cardinal and her son Seth. It was incredibly informative to learn about their own personal story and the way that the art exhibits mirrored or showcased that story. The story telling was also enthralling, it would draw me in and capture my attention, filling me with this need to know more about what was happening, to be told the next part of the story. One of the things that we were told that has stuck with me is the fact that the reason for some of the childish looking drawings was because those individuals had the same experience with a pencil has a child did.

I personally think that this would be Gift that could have been further developed. An important aspect of telling people a story is being heard, and there were moments when I was unable to hear what the guide was saying, which took away from me being able to follow along to the story.  

Another gift identified would be the Gift of Beauty. The Gift of Beauty is meant to instill the ability to sense the beauty in one’s surroundings, which is exactly what an Art Gallery does. Everyone interprets art differently, some may find specific pieces to be beautiful while others may not. There were some pieces that truly inspired me because of not only their beauty but also because of the story they told. One such pieces was the ‘deer’ skin art piece that told the story of the government deforesting their land and the impact it had.

Lastly, I would identify the Gift of Provocation within this experience. The Gift of Provocation is to inspire and provoke people to broaden their horizons, which this experience definitely did for me. As someone who walked in to the Gallery knowing they did not have a love or fondness of Art it was a provoking experience. It broadened my horizons on the different ways I could potentially interpret an art piece and decipher what the artist is trying to convey. While I still do not have a love for art, I have gained respect for it and have learned to appreciate the beauty and meaning of the pieces.

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Hi Kate,

This was an absolutely beautiful post to read. I love how supportive your grandmother is of your dreams and interests and how she would get all the latest information for you regarding your interests. Your grandmother sounds like an amazing woman who is overall a very kind soul. It must have been an absolute ball taking care of puppies, they are incredibly adorable, and it reminded me of when I took care of my own puppies, which is quite a lot of work.

To answer your question, I do not necessarily have a family member that is my scientific hero so much as they are my support team. Like your grandmother, my mom is incredibly supportive of my dreams and interests and encourages me to pursue whatever it is that I love. She was there to help decide what degree I wanted to pursue and then helped me choose which universities to apply that had the best science program. She is my support team for whenever I need help or am indecisive about something. I grew up with my parents telling me to pursue a career in something I love because then it won’t feel like job. That’s something that I have taken to heart and I am using in order to figure out what career path it is that I want to pursue.

Sabrina

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

I’ve had many scientific heroes along the way to develop my dreams and inspirations. Whether that’s been through the internet, TV, teachers, or even my parents. I have been so lucky to have such supportive guidance along the way. One person in particular sparked my interest in working with small animals and wildlife. My Grandmother has been a huge supporter of my dreams throughout my entire life. She sparked my interest in animals by letting my “fires of curiosity burn, which has led me to the thresholds of my own mind, where learning and inspiration occur.” (Beck and Cable 2011). She has been my role model in establishing my interest in science, specifically animals.

 It all started from when she would look after me when I was little. She is a breeder of soft-coated wheaten terriers and I have been helping in the whelping box ever since I was 3 months old! I cherish the moments when I get to socialize the new puppies and help look after them. This sparked my interest to become a vet from a very young age, which lead to my love for science. 

(My own photo of one of my grandmother’s wheatens)           

Throughout my high school years, my grandmother fuelled my desire to work with animals, especially dogs. She would talk to vets and get the newest information for me. She would introduce me to a number of vets and explain that I was interested in veterinary medicine. It was so nice to see how proud she was of me, always wanting to hear all the new things I’ve learned at school. She also taught me a lot about all the different dog breeds out there, by going to multiple dog shows with her. My grandmother got me into watching “Hope for Wildlife,” a neat show about wildlife rehabilitation. I am actually quite interested in doing an internship with Hope from watching that show together. When I said I was planning on going to Guelph she was so excited for me to finally be in a place that studied so much about animals.

    A few years ago, when I explained to her that I didn’t want to be a vet anymore and that pet nutrition and wildlife nutrition actually peaked more of my interest. She could not have been more supportive. She is proud of anything I choose, and really values my input as to why I’m interested in that field. So now she sends me all new information in pet and wildlife nutrition! She’s always told me, “Kate, you can’t work in something you don’t enjoy, what’s the point?”

           I love how supportive and interested that my grandmother is in all of my endeavours. She has always told me to never give up and to keep following my dreams no matter how tough it gets. I really strive to have the same drive that my grandmother has. She has taken injured wildlife to rehab centres, always following up to see how they are doing. Her love and care for all her dogs and wildlife is inspiring and I hope I have the same characteristics working with animals when I am older.

(Me in my element, helping out with my grandmother’s puppies)         

Every week, my grandmother texts me to see how I’m doing and what I’ve learned, especially in the animal field. I am overjoyed to have this kind of support from my family. I want to work with animals and went into science because of all the things my grandmother taught me and introduced me to. Someday I would love to influence someone as much as my grandmother has and help pave their path for the future.

Question: Do you also have a family member as your own “scientific hero?”

References:

Beck, L., & Cable, T. T. (2011). The gifts of interpretation: fifteen guiding principles for interpreting nature and culture. Urbana: Sagamore Publishing.

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Science Sparks

To me, my scientific heroes are the ones who got me interested in science. It all started when I was younger and got into CSI, very unrealistic, but it peaked my interested in science. My favourite parts of the show were when they did the autopsy’s because I was always fascinated by anatomy. It wasn’t until grade 9 in High School that my love for science really blossomed into what it today, and one of the main reasons that I pursued a Bachelors in Biological Science.

I had an amazing teacher for grade 9 and 10 science class and grade 11 chemistry. She was one of my favourite teachers because she was always prepared, had a great method for teaching, and was easy to approach if there were any questions. Grade 9 science class was the kick that pushed me into pursuing a science degree because of how easy she explained the content. She explained it in such a way that it was easy to understand. I was also stoked to go to science class because of how much I loved it. We used to do your typical experiments, such as acid-base neutralization, and then there were the demonstrations she would perform. There was the alcohol bubble one where students would scoop the bubble on to their hand and she would light, fun times. She was also one of the main reasons that I opted to choose grade 11 chemistry and biology, and grade 12 AP chemistry.

Another teacher that further piqued my interest in science would be my grade 11 biology teacher. I absolutely adored her and her method of teaching. It was one of the best classes I had that year because we got to do a lot of dissections and projects that were a lot fun. I remember I would always tell my parents about the dissections because of how much in enjoyed them. The best one would have to be the fetal pig dissection, where for an extra 5 marks you had to remove the brain without ruining it. She was an incredibly patient and kind women who only sought to see her students strive and was the reason why I chose to take AP biology in grade 12.

The aspects of their work that I would like to emulate is their dedication to their job. Both teachers were very passionate about the subject that they were teaching, and that is something I would like to emulate in every aspect of my life. It’s a desired trait because not everyone is passionate about the job that they are doing, and it could affect them in the long run. I’ve always been told growing up that you should do a something that you love because then it won’t feel like a job.

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Hey Kayla,

Very informative read on the differences of how long it takes an animal vs a human to walk (or run). I had no idea that human babies took 9 to 12 months to take their first steps, I actually thought it would be much longer than that. You raise an excellent point on how humans are very much behind the times when it comes to vulnerability and being able to protect oneself, especially compared to animals. After reading your post about how it takes animals minutes to get up and walk, it truly makes human babies that much more behind the times.

You are absolutely right, the wildebeest is quite the magnificent animal, particularly baby wildebeest. The fact that they take between 5-10 minutes (or the record of 3 minutes) to get on their feet is astonishing and makes me very intrigued as to how that can occur so quickly, as the first steps are usually very wobbly.

Reading about that 6-foot drop that newborn giraffes have to make was frightening and makes on think about how tough these newborns are because it is known that a newborn human baby would not survive that type of fall without major injuries. However, it did make me chuckle that mother giraffes will just continue to eat as if nothing is happening. Even more interesting is that the fall is supposed to kickstart the giraffe’s heart, would you happen to know why that is?

oh baby! the coolest things I know about baby animals

A human baby takes 9 to 12 months to take their first steps. And even when they do, they are very wobbly and often topple over, which is super cute. For an evolutionary perspective, humans are behind the times when it comes to fleeing danger and would be very vulnerable to predators in our early years if it weren’t for the dexterity in our hands and fingers. Our ability to build and create tools which enable us to defend ourselves is the main reason we’re at the top of the food chain (From Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, a great read by the way!). Human children are dependent on their parents from birth until (at least) adolescence. This is so different than many members of the animal kingdom. I start this post with our own species early stages of life to give you some perspective as you read through. I hope you’ll gain new appreciation for the other animals we share our planet with, and their unique starts to life. I’m intrigued by developmental biology, so in this post I’m going to talk about the infancy period of some of my favourite animals: the wildebeest and the giraffe.

               The wildebeest, or Gnu, is the fastest hooved animal to get to their feet after birth. Usually it takes about 5-10 minutes, but the record is actually 3 minutes! 3 minutes! Isn’t that incredible? These little wildebeests emerge into the world and right away have to get up and run to escape predators. They perform the world’s second largest land mammal migration, and the little ones must keep up with their mothers. Can you imagine if human babies got up and ran? Kind of scary to picture actually! When we compare the development of human infants to these juvenile wildebeests, we look pretty primal! Wildebeests will forever be my favourite animal because of their amazing natural ability to get up and run right away.

Image 1: A mother and baby wildebeest. From Colorbox

               Young giraffes on the other hand, start their lives with a 6-foot drop! That’s right, momma giraffes give birth while standing up, usually munching on leaves! Don’t believe me? There’s plenty of YouTube videos that you can watch, though they aren’t for everybody. Now a 6-foot drop for a human baby would be terrifying! But this drop during birth actually kickstarts the giraffe’s heart and allows them to pump oxygen through their body. Might I add that an adult giraffe’s heart is about the size of a basketball? After the drop, juvenile giraffes are quick to their feet, about 30-60 minutes! They’re 5-6 feet tall at birth too! They truly are beautiful, gentle giants.

Image 2: An incredibly cute baby giraffe. Photo from Colorbox

               As humans, we often think of ourselves as the rulers of this planet. We’ve lucked out in this role thanks to our apposable thumbs, but it’s so important to remember we’re not the best thing since Tiktaalik. So many other living things do extraordinary things every day, we’ve just have to take notice.

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Amazing Facts About Nature

Because there are so many amazing facts about nature, I thought instead of discussing one why not discuss about many amazing nature facts. Found in the African savannah, Acacia trees have one unique defense mechanism. Acacia trees are able to tell when they are in danger and properly react to said. For instance, if an animal starts to consume its leaves, then the tree will increase its tannin production to levels that are toxic to animals (Daniel, 2019). But that’s not the only thing that Acacia trees will do in the face of danger, they will also release a cloud of ethylene gas that will travel with the wind and reach other Acacia trees in order to warn them of the danger, so that they too can produce increased levels of tannin (Daniel, 2019).

Acacia tree. From https://bestlifeonline.com/facts-about-natures-wonders/

Now, this nature fact very much intrigued me because I had no idea such a ‘flower’ existed. There is a plant genus called Rafflesia, also known as corpse flower. It’s a rare type of jungle plant that attracts pollinators by smelling like, you can kind of already guess its scent based on its name, death and rot (Danial, 2019). Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But there isn’t just one type of this species, because that would be too normal for nature, there are actually 28 different species of the Rafflesia (Daniel, 2019). These plants take between six to nine moths to grow and will deteriorate within a few days (Danial, 2019). Got to love nature!

Rafflesia plant. From https://bestlifeonline.com/facts-about-natures-wonders/

For all those penguin lovers out there, this is the fact for you. Approximately 37 million years ago there used to be a penguin species known as Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, or colossus penguins that lived in the Antarctica (Danial, 2019). Weighing at about 250 pounds (or 113 kg) and standing at about 6 feet 6 inches, very tall especially compared to the emperor penguins that now roam Antarctica standing at 4 feet (Daniel, 2019).

Lastly, found across all of the United States, this mushroom, Hydnellum peckii, has quite the appearance when its nothing more than a young lad. The mushroom has a variety of nicknames, such as devil’s tooth and strawberries and cream. This is because the mushroom secretes a thick, dark red sap across its white cap, making it seem as if the mushroom is bleeding (Daniel, 2019). The sap occurs due to a process called guttation. This is when water is forced into the roots of the mushroom and creates enough pressure for the liquid to secrete from the pores (Weird & wonderful, 2016). Scientist are still not aware of what the sap is exactly, just that its red due to a pigment found in the mushroom and that its poisonous (Daniel, 2019).

 Hydnellum peckii “bleeding”. From https://bestlifeonline.com/facts-about-natures-wonders/

References

Daniel, A. (2019). 50 Facts About Nature's Wonders That Will Take Your Breath Away. Retrieved from https://bestlifeonline.com/facts-about-natures-wonders/

Weird & Wonderful Creatures: Bleeding Tooth Fungus. (2016). Retrieved from http://sciencenetlinks.com/blog/snl-educator/bleeding-tooth-fungus/

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Hi CJ,

I truly think its amazing that you can tach and engage children by teaching them songs for different topics about nature. I will admit, that poison ivy song would have been helpful for me when I was a child and unaware of what poison ivy looked like. I really enjoyed how you described the connection between nature and music. I too believe that nature and music can put people at ease or provide a means to express themselves. I like to think its because music and nature reaches more than just our senses, that its able to reach our souls and help calm us or life our mood. Reading about your peaceful memories actually made me remember about all of the times that I have sat in front of a camp fire and been completely at peace, from a combination of the warmth and that crackling noise that wood gives off.

One of my personal regrets is having given up on playing the piano. When I was younger, I really wanted to learn how to play the piano because to me it was such a beautiful instrument that made even more beautiful sounds. Sadly, practicing piano become chore-like for me as a 9-year-old child, something that I deeply regret as an adult. I would say that it is one of my music goals to get back into playing piano, because I distinctly remember enjoying learning how to play piano, it was the practicing part I wasn’t too fond of.

Music and Nature

I worked at an outdoor school in Toronto this summer. Every weekday, I would gather in circle with about 10 other adults, and my co-worker would have a new song for us to sing. Frequently we would sing in rounds, which would add another layer to the song. It was the part of the day that I’d look forward to the most.

We would use song to address different topics and engage the kids by bringing them together. For example, we had a death song, for whenever we encountered a dead animal. There’s also a poison ivy song:

Leaves of three let them be

Don’t you get too close

Poison Ivy you protect the forest the most

And you can be itchy

And you can be scratchy

Thank you poison ivy you protect the forest well

It teaches the kids that although poison ivy is harmful in some ways, we can learn to identify it, and really it grows where the forest needs to be protected. Each song has its own message, and nature songs pull us deeper into the spirit of nature.

One rainy day, all of the kids were trying to huddle under umbrellas, and some people were getting agitated by the rain. I got about 20-30 children to gather close together, and sing a song repeat-after-me style.

Feel the rain reveal the truth

Hear the thunder crack and use

Your heart to hug a crying cloud

I love it when the sky gets loud (x2)

And the second part is a repeating of “Boom, clap, rain fall”. One group of people would sing the first part, while the other group would simultaneously sing the second part. Just by getting people excited and increasing the anticipation of the song by building up the intensity, can bring people together. Nature and music have the similarity that they can bring people together, they put people at ease, they provide a space to express how we are feeling to others. Nature is rhythmic as music is. Songs can inspire a sense of peacefulness, of gratitude for those around us. Personally, nature does the same for me.

Song is powerful. In all of my camping years, including working as a camp counsellor/coordinator and going tree planting up north and in BC, music and singing has always been a constant. Some of my most peaceful memories are sitting on a beach, or around a fire, singing songs or listening to friends sing together. I think there is so much that nature has to teach us, or that we can teach others about nature, and music is a great way of engaging people and building community.

I’ve also been told that some people go and do plant sits, plant meditations of sorts, and ask the plant for a song, and some message or teaching will come to them once they allow themselves to relax in nature.

One of my goals, probably after graduation or maybe after this semester, is to learn how to play guitar. The question I will leave you with is: How does singing in nature create community for you? Do you have any goals in regards to music?

- CJ

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Melodies in Nature

As someone who has a love for music and uses it for a variety of things, such as studying, lifting my mood, and for casual enjoyment, music is an important aspect of my life. To some, the very sounds of nature are music. The sounds of the trees rustling, birds chirping, leaves crunching, and the wind whistling past your ears. Those are the sounds that make up music in nature. Truly a wonderful and calming experience to some, to be grounded and feel completely immersed in nature. I for one, enjoy the sounds of rain and trees rustling. And if we are going to mention our favourite nature sounds, its best to also mention our least favourite, which would be pigeons cooing and cicadas, I have always had a strong dislike to these sound as they are quite annoying to me. That, and I was always woken up 6am because of pigeons cooing outside my window. I find them to be very calming, and sometimes they can truly lift my spirits and enhance my mood by making me feel more at peace with myself. There is something about nature sounds that is very peaceful, that allows one to escape from reality for a few minutes and to just enjoy the music mother nature provides for us.

Nature in music is everywhere. There are tons of videos online that are compilations of nature sounds to help individuals’ study, focus, relax, or to help them fall asleep. Artists have also made songs that include nature sounds, such as rain, waves crashing, or wind howling. They add these for the extra ambiance that they create to really get one immersed into the song. There are also those that produce songs that are all about nature, whether in the lyrics or the melody of the song itself, which was to be found in our lab with James Gordon.

The connection between music and nature, for me, is that they are interwoven. There is music in nature, and there is nature in music. Music in nature, which would just be the sounds that nature produces, is completely untouched by humans. One can’t change the noise that trees make when they shake, when waves crash against a bank or when wind blows. These are noised that are untouched and will continue to be made so long as they exist; they will be eternally there for our descendants to listen and enjoy. Nature in music can be a variety of things. From artists using nature sounds to produce songs or producing songs about nature, to the compilations of nature sounds on the Internet that are meant to help individuals focus or fall asleep. Nature in music is ultimately there because people listened to the natural songs that earth provides and found melodies that they could include in their music, perhaps because it spoke to them and they wish to share it with others in hopes that speaks to them.

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First off, I wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoy your artwork, I love how you incorporated plant/leaves as the hear (or at least that is my interpretation of it), it really shows how you incorporate nature in your art. As someone who is not an artist, I never thought/knew you could make art with mediums that are environmentally friendly, by that I mean like the watercolour paints and inks that you use. I think its truly wonderful that one can now use environmentally friendly mediums for art. I agree with you on how it takes a certain eye to see nature as beautiful and as art, I for one never thought that the patterns on plants was beautiful or complex, whereas you do. Then again, I am not at all artistic or really into art, so I struggle with seeing things as art or even making sense of art.

Answering your question is quite tough since I’m not at all an artist or even artistic, it’s something that I struggle with.  I believe that if I were the artistic type, I would interpret nature through photography. I enjoy wildlife, specifically the animals, and photography would be a great means of interpreting them with the added bonus of being able to keep it forever. I would say that that would be my favourite way of interpreting nature through art, being able to look back at all of the photos I took and reminisce about those moments.

Now I walk in beauty

I am an artist myself, so I personally interpret nature through art almost every day. My drawings and paintings center around my interpretation of people and their connection with nature. I aim to express my feelings about nature and people through my art.

I also work to create art with mediums that are more environmentally friendly, including handmade watercolour paints (by a lovely Indigenous woman in Manitoulin Island), and black walnut ink that I made myself. I know there are many other natural dyes and inks you can make from plants, but with the winter quickly approaching, that will be a project for next summer. I think it is important to realise that most art mediums come from some natural form at its root and learning how to create these mediums ourselves allows us to have a deeper appreciation of the art we are creating.

A piece of art I made the other day, using my tablet.

I personally believe that we are all nature in itself, and we are deeply connected to the rhythms of the earth. Many other animals are known to be in tune with fluctuating rhythms of the planet, so I personally think it makes sense that we are too. The reason I make these connections (relating wonder and connection to nature), is because we intricately are nature and it is important to interpret and express that to others.

Nature also has patterns that can be extremely beautiful and complex, seen in geometric patterns of plants.

I believe it takes a certain eye to see nature as beautiful and as art. As nature interpreters I believe it is our job to bring that beauty to light to the people we are interacting with. I think the best way to do so is to bring a sense of wonder and imagination when we are out on walks, hikes, or showing nature to anyone else. Also, taking hikes slowly and pausing along the way to really appreciate a view creates that sense of wonder too. Doing creative activities either in nature and about nature connects people more deeply to this sense of wonder. Creating with natural materials, painting a landscape, making art on the ground through a sculpture of rocks you found, etc. There are so many different ways of creating.

I deeply agree with this quote “Interpreters can carry out the profound act of interpreting beauty only if they first perceive it themselves and know strategies to bring it to the attention of others” (Beck and Cable, 2011). Having a sense of wonder and imagination shows others how there is beauty in simple things, in everything that is around us – nature. This can inspire us to create more, as we can create beautiful things.

Art can express nearly anything and everything we want it to, if we just put our heart and soul into it.  Creating connects us with our bodies, our hands, our mind, and our heart. It connects us with our “interior landscape”, also known as our self, our thoughts and moods, as well as the “exterior landscape” of the world around us. Creation invokes feelings inside of us, just as beauty does. Having creativity as our skill allows us to look at the world with a new perspective.

My question to you is: how do you interpret nature through art, and what are your favourite ways of doing so?

-       CJ

References

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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Art in Nature

I personally don’t believe I am anyone special or even the right person to interpret nature through art. That’s only because I don’t have a passion or connection to art. I struggle in everyday life trying to decipher what artistic pieces are trying to convey, with absolutely no success do I manage to discover what the message or meaning of the artwork is. The one thing I’ve always been told is that everyone conveys art differently as we all view it or connect with it differently. And as someone who doesn’t have an artistic bone in their body, I have never been able to connect with art. Therefore, I don’t think I am the right person to interpret nature through art. To me, nature is nature and art is art, they are two distinctively different things that I would struggle with tying one in with the other.

When I think about nature being interpreted through art, I think of artworks that contain nature, whether that be forests, oceans, wildlife, or aquatic life. Now that I have had the opportunity to visit and receive a tour of the Art Gallery, I can say that there is more to that interpretation then what I originally thought. I remember the artworks that at first didn’t really make any sense until an explanation was given on said pieces. It was stunning, in a way, to first hear the story behind the artwork and to then see it as it truly is. I explicitly remember the hide piece that told the story of how their land was destroyed, to make room for the road, and how they were forced out of their home and land.

I interpret the gift of beauty as one being able to appreciate and resonate with the beauty that is their surroundings.  Beauty differs for each person as we all interpret things differently. This means that what I think is beautiful someone else may not think that. I completely agree with Beck & Cable (2011) that beauty is personal and subjective and therefore does not have a universal definition. Articulating beauty is quite the task because of how tough it is. Beauty is much more than looking at something and thinking it’s pretty, as it goes beyond our senses. When one truly finds something beautiful, it consumes them, fills their soul, and can overwhelm them. I truly like Robert Marshall’s thoughts on natural beauty and how it is timeless or aesthetically pleasing, something that I never thought of. An example of both would be Mount Everest. Mount Everest came into existence centuries ago and is still here to this day, several inches taller than what it started as. When we gaze upon the mountain we are awed by the sheer size and beauty of it and wonder on how it was created.

 References

Beck, L. & Cable, T.T. (2011). The Gifts of Interpretation: Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing. ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-57167-636-8;

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Its always fantastic to hear that others are also uncertain about what they want to do after they graduate. Like you, I am always getting asked by my parents on what I want to do or peruse after I graduate, and frankly I have no idea what I want to do. I was the same as you, walked into university thinking about pursuing Medical School and then threw that idea out the window as I realized that might not be for me. Since having declared a Political Science Minor, I have been incredibly interested and thinking about pursuing a Masters in the Political Science area, though I am unsure if that’s the route I want to be taking because I have a love for biology. So many choices, not enough time. You discussing about taking a year off as got me thinking if I should do that, just to wrap my mind about what it is that I want to do for the rest of my life.

Regarding your question about students rushing to find jobs after university, I think they do. I believe they rush to find jobs because its kind of expected. Many students will have loans they need to pay off after they graduate and so they will immediately attempt to find a job within the area of their degree. I think the worthiness of doing so depends on the individual. There are those that are unsure about what they want to do, and it might make finding the finding the job the want difficult. But there are those that know exactly what they want to do and so it would be worth it for them to go get the job they want.

Embrace Uncertainty

The most common question I receive from friends, family and even strangers right now is “oh, you’re graduating this year? What do you plan on doing?” Well, let me tell you something…I cannot stand this question anymore! It’s stressful being pressured to know exactly what you want to do with your life and I think about it non-stop! My grad photos are coming up in a couple of weeks and everything is beginning to feel more real. April is coming a little too fast for comfort!

I have a few different ideas of what direction I want to go into for the future, maybe that’s why I’m struggling so much to make a decision. Nutrition has started to interest me in the last couple of years, especially pet nutrition. I’ve always had a love for dogs ever since I was little. Currently, I have a 3-year-old Golden Retriever named Ceilidh (pronounced “Kailey”-my family is Scottish), who I am super excited to see this weekend! I came to Guelph, thinking “I want to be a vet.” Well, that changed as soon as I came to the university. I realized there is so much more out there then just vet school if you want to work with animals. Even coming out of grade 12 I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to be a vet. When I came home after the first couple weeks in first year, I remember telling my mum, “Mum, I’ve always liked the idea of becoming a vet, but these people REALLY want to be vets.” That’s where I decided to turn to another route.

(Photo of my dog Ceilidh, taken by me)

Making a decision for your future career is not an easy one! I’ve decided to do a Master’s program in the future (don’t ask me in what, I am not too sure!) I was going to go right into a Master’s, but recently I’ve decided to take a year off. I realized “what’s the rush?” I feel like as young people we feel we have to always be on “the go” and have a plan. This year I’ve understood that sometimes not having a plan is actually a good thing. You should enjoy yourself and do things that interest you, before pressuring yourself into a job, schooling, etc. I plan on going traveling next year, volunteering and working abroad. I haven’t really gone travelling around by myself before, so I am a little nervous, but super excited! I would really like to volunteer in a wildlife centre, dog kennel, or somewhere I can work with animals.  

(I would really like to visit Italy!) 

I took this class to explore my interest in environmental science. Working in a provincial park has got me thinking about working outdoors. Recently, honeybees and pollinator conservation has also peaked my interest! I like trying new things and discovering what is best suited for my future.

My blog ties into what we have talked about in class in terms of risk. We talked about how society has gone towards becoming more cautious. I think this is how people act about graduating and looking into the future. We don’t embrace risk very much anymore and are too afraid to take that leap of faith. I do think that sometimes taking that risk is worth it.  

So, as you can see, I have lots of interests to pursue and see what is the best fit for me. Who knows where they’ll take me? I am one of those people who likes to have a plan and know each step along the way, but I am here to tell myself, and you, that we need to embrace uncertainty! 

(A quote by Jodie Foster) 

Question: Do you think students tend to rush into finding jobs after university? Is it worth it? Why or why not? 

References:

https://www.azquotes.com/quote/524072 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/sgp/en/cruise-to/venice-italy?country=SGP

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Rhinoceros

Because this week is a free talk about what you would like to week, I thought why not discuss my favourite animal, the rhinoceros. Since I was a child the rhino has always been my favourite animal and its weird because I’m not 100% certain as to why they are my favourite animal, they just are. Whenever my family went to zoos, I always wanted to see the rhinoceros’s’ and would be disappointed if they didn’t have them or they weren’t outside where you could see them.

Photo by Keith Markilie on Unsplash – White Rhinos in South Africa

Rhinoceros are considered to be an endangered species with there being less than 30,000 living in the wild today, which is a huge difference from the 500,000 there were at the start of the 20th century (“Why Are Rhino”, n.d.). The main reasons for the decline in the rhino population comes from poaching and habitat loss (“Why Are Rhino”, n.d.). Rhino poaching has always occurred, even though it has been banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species since 1977, as there is a demand for their horns, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and also signifies someone’s wealth (“Why Are Rhino”, n.d.).  The other reason for their population decline, habitat loss, is because more land is being used for agricultural purposes and therefore diminishing land use for rhinos (“Why Are Rhino”, n.d.). Habitat loss causes the populations to be split with no safe routes to travel through, which means that successful breeding and recovery will decline (“Why Are Rhino”, n.d.).

Poaching statistics of African Rhinos from 2006-2018. From https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino-info/poaching-stats/

There are five species of rhinoceros that roam the Asian and African plains. The Javan, Sumatran, Black, White, and the One-horned also known as the Indian rhino (“All Species”, n.d.). The Javan population has an estimated 65-68 rhinos remaining, all of which can be found at the Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia (“All Species”, n.d.). Fortunately, there numbers have increased due to habitat expansion (“All Species”, n.d.). The Sumatran population has less then 80 rhinos left in the wild, due to poaching, unsuccessful breeding, and habitat loss (“All Species”, n.d.). Because of the low numbers, there has been an invest in captive breeding. The Black rhino population has between 5,366 to 5,627 rhinos remaining (“All Species”, n.d.). The reason for this large is because of the conservation programmes across Africa, and their geographical range increasing which has caused previously inhabited areas to become repopulated by the rhinos due to the reintroduction programmes (“All Species”, n.d.). There are approximately 3,588 One-horned rhinos remaining in India and Nepal, and this is because of their conservation efforts (“All Species”, n.d.). The White rhino is split into two groups; Southern and Northern White rhinos. The Southern White rhinos have a population between 17,212 to 18,915 remaining in the wild, with the reason for such a high number being due to the extreme conservation efforts implemented to get the species out of near extinction (“All Species”, n.d.). However, the Northern White rhinos were not as fortunate, with only two females remaining to this day, after the last male passed away in 2018, it makes this subspecies functionally extinct (“All Species”, n.d.).

Photo by Ron Dauphin on Unsplash - Black Rhino in Kenya

Since rhinos are considered to be critically endangered there have been multiple approaches implemented to conserve the rhino populations. In certain areas where rhino population are there is constant monitoring and tracking of them by rangers to ensure that they are safe and to prevent poachers from getting near them (Volunteer, 2015). There are also protected conservative areas, which allows for rhinos to roam free in their habitat without having to worry about poachers (Volunteer, 2015).

 References

All Species. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino-info/population-figures/

Volunteer, N. (2015). What Is The #1 Reason Rhinos Are Endangered and What Are We Doing To Stop It? Retrieved from https://www.nikela.org/what-is-the-1-reason-rhinos-are-endangered-and-what-are-we-doing-to-stop-it/

Why Are Rhino Still An Endangered Species? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.helpingrhinos.org/why-are-rhinos-endangered/

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I absolutely agree with you on history not having a significance or relevance in our lives in today’s times. I personally believe its because we are much more focused and worried about our futures to be thinking about what our past and history used to be. My personal opinion on history is that it’s a powerful piece of knowledge that allows us to learn from past mistakes in order to not make those mistakes again. However, this can only be done if we know what our history was.

I love the example you give about the gold chalice because it is very true. A chalice made from gold is something you would get money out of. However, a chalice having belonged to someone of historic significance would be placed in a museum as an artifact that others could learn from.

I would like to say that some students will remember a couple of the stories Ken told that involved alcohol. Such as how the University used to have 18 liquor licenses and was in the top 10 for most sold alcohol. My personal favorites of the tour was Al Capone staying at the Albion Hotel with his mistress and how she still “haunts’ the third floor and Ken’s story about the tour he did with the fifth graders and they came across the garter snake that got taken by the bird.

Illuminating history leaves lasting light

The value of learning history is not present at the first glance. The changes from long ago in society’s views, people’s rights, people’s lives, and in our cities and landscapes don’t seem to have relevance in our daily lives. Upon learning about history (especially with a skilled interpreter), the significance is evident, and I would say, it does directly affect out lives and our choices.

How can this be?

Beck and Cable’s perspective in the 7th chapter of The Gifts of Interpretation (1) outlines reasoning behind the value of learning and teaching history as a whole.

A quote describes this importance:

“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

Hyams articulates that the significance behind ancient things is created through learning the whole story of them. Keeping this entirety creates knowledge, memory, emotional significance, and magic to the things around us.

Things might be valuable in the sense that a chalice is made of gold, and that gold is worth money, but with the knowledge that this chalice belonged to an emperor or king hundreds of years ago, this item becomes priceless. Especially if the history of the item relates to your culture or ancestry.

This is Locomotive 6167, a historical landmark in Guelph, Ontario. The railroad brought booming businesses to Guelph such as piano manufacturing. This locomotive was in service from 1940 - 1960. Photo from GuelphMuseums.ca (2). 

I moved to Guelph three years ago and have spent some time exploring the beautiful buildings and landscaping of downtown. This week, I was privileged to attend an interpretive walk of the history there and the value of the information is incredible. With insight into the past of buildings and historical occurrences, there is now much more reverence and reflection in the time I spend there.

The integrity of preserving and communicating this history passes on the knowledge and memory to me.

I now share things that I’ve learned with peers when we’re in the area.

Our interpreter Ken did a great job of communicating to our audience. The stories were articulated with connections to our present lives and to the interests of a group of students (a lot of talk about alcohol).

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This is why teaching and learning about history is so relevant: learning about efforts and struggles of people before us, horrible and unjust decisions and brave activism gives us insight to our civic responsibilities of today. We can see astounding achievements and as well as the grave errors and are guided to not repeat historic mistakes from being able to see lasting trauma and suffering.

Hyams’ metaphor about the train is simple and direct, allowing understanding of this topic that requires reflection. It is ridiculous to ignore the existence of material things that we don’t experience in the moment, and this is related to the importance and continued presence of history.

References:

(1) “The Gift of Personalizing the Past.” The Gifts of Interpretation: Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture, by Larry Beck and Ted T. Cable, 3rd ed., Sagamore Publishing, 2011.

(2) “Locomotive 6167.” Guelph Museums, Guelph Museums, guelphmuseums.ca/venue/locomotive-6167/.

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History: Never Forgotten

“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).

The first time I read this quote I was quite confused as to what Hyams was trying to say. However, the more times I read it and broke it down into sections the easier it was to gain some understanding of what Hyams is saying, or at least my perspective of what is said.

My perspective on this quote is that Hyams is saying that history can be easily forgotten if we, as a society, don’t keep its integrity. A lot of the history that we learn or are taught is passed down through the years, in order to keep record and memory of the past. Because it is the past, something that not everyone is always thinking about, it can be easily forgotten about. A majority of individuals in today’s society are not thinking about the past because we are constantly worrying about our future and what it potentially portrays.

The history walking tour was an experience to learn more about Downtown Guelph, a place I have visited on occasion but never knew anything about its history. To be told that Al Capone stayed at the Albion Hotel with his mistress and that when he was caught and sent to jail and his mistress committed suicide and “haunts” the third floor of the hotel was definitely not something I was expecting from such a quant place.

As someone who holds an interest in history, it saddens me to know that it can be easily forgotten about, by simply no longer teaching it in school. The past isn’t something that society should ever forget about, its something that should be constantly taught and spoken about because it is such a powerful piece of knowledge to have. Without the past, we wouldn’t know how our ancestors lived, how societies and land formed, and how laws were made and changed. To me, history is a story that paints a picture of what our pasts used to be, it gives you an understanding of how everything used to be and gives you an even greater appreciation of what you have.

One of my favorite quotes is “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” by George Santayana. The reason I love it so much is because it is true. When we forget about our past, our very own history, we run the risk of repeating those condemned actions. By learning more about history we are able to prevent those actions from occurring.