Guiding Ethics and Beliefs as a Nature Interpreter
Through this course, I have delved deeper into the world of interpretation. Thank you for joining me as I shared my growing knowledge of nature interpretation. In this last blog post, I will share how this course has shaped my ethics as a nature interpreter and the beliefs that will guide me to be a trustworthy interpreter who can inspire people to see the beauty of nature.
As I continue to develop as a nature interpreter, one of my guiding principles will be respect. Good interpreters must show their audience respect. As an interpreter, I will see the moral worth of all visitors (Beck et al., 2019). I will continue to respect the beliefs of others even if they don't necessarily align with my values.
I will understand that everyone has a different background with nature and environmental sustainability. Not everyone has had the privilege to grow up immersed in nature like myself. It would be unreasonable to think people who have had little outdoor experience should feel connected to nature. It is my responsibility to recognize my privilege and work to help make the outdoors accessible to underserved populations.
I will consider the reasons people seek out interpretation and will strive to provide everyone with a positive experience. I will also respect when people come to different conclusions than what I may have intended. As an interpreter, it isn’t my job to tell the audience what conclusions they should come to. My job is to guide people to find their own conclusions.
Here is a picture I took of the Uxbridge Brook in my home town last summer.
Not only will I respect the audience I interpret to. I will also respect the environment and the traditional lands I interpret by sharing accurate and authentic information. My responsibility as an interpreter is to share true information about natural heritage sites and environmental themes.
It is my job to know the geological history and ecological diversity of life found at the natural heritage site. Visitors must be able to trust that I am knowledgeable and can provide them with accurate information.
Additionally, as an interpreter, I must be able to share the authentic and accurate cultural history of natural heritage sites. To be a credible interpreter I must work with Indigenous people to ensure I share their truth accurately and respectfully.
This is apicture I took of an aquatic plant growing on Six Mile Lake in Muskoka.
Nature interpretation must be more than just showing people a beautiful natural landscape or conducting fun outdoor games and activities. Nature interpretation helps visitors see the authentic and whole story of a natural or cultural heritage site. It is through entertaining, educational, inspiring, and accurate stories that interpreters can bring greater meaning to natural landscapes. Interpretation would be meaningless if it did not provide the audience with true information that they can use to build emotional and intellectual connections (Beck et al., 2019).
Integrity will be a leading focus of mine that will guide me as an interpreter. Not only will I maintain integrity through providing true, accurate and authentic interpretive programs. I will also maintain integrity as an interpreter by striving to grow and share my love for the environment. As a nature interpreter, I must appreciate the beauty of nature in my daily life. I will accomplish this by taking environmentally positive actions and taking time to see the beauty in our natural world. Interpretation would be meaningless if the person providing these experiences did not have a deep love and respect for the land and those who call it home.
Here is a picture of an insect that I landed on my finger at the Etobico*ke Outdoor Education Center.
Another belief that guides me as an interpreter is that everything in nature has intrinsic value. Intrinsic value is a mindset that means nature has value independent of humans (Rea & Munns, 2017). For example, through an intrinsic lens, a tree has value for simply existing and not because it provides humans with oxygen or lumber. As an interpreter, I would share my perspective that nature has its own value. I would do this not to change the way people value nature but to open people's eyes to a new perspective of nature. Interpretation programs should reach all audiences. Not everyone will connect with this type of thinking, so I must provide multiple points of view so people can draw their own conclusions. Some people may appreciate nature for what it does for humans. I can also relate to this as my love of nature stems from how it makes me feel.
This is a picture I took on a beach in Nova Scotia.
Environmental sustainability is one of my core values. I will continue to share my enthusiasm for the environment and stewardship with my audience. I will do everything in my power to provide audiences with interpretive programs that share the truth and beauty of a natural heritage site to provide people with emotional connections to nature.
Moving forward as a nature interpreter, it will be important that the interpretive programs I am a part of focus on giving people a greater appreciation of nature and environmental stewardship. It is my responsibility to provide visitors with positive interpretive experiences outdoors that build both emotional and intellectual connections (Beck et al., 2019). As highlighted throughout this course, positive experiences in nature are key to providing people with a deeper appreciation for nature. The appreciation people come to have for nature motivates people to find ways to sustain the earth's resources.
I took this picture of a beautiful sunset at my cottage on Six Mile Lake.
My job as a nature interpreter is to do more than just share information with my audience. It is my job to inspire people to think critically about nature. By showing an audience the beauty of nature, I can get people to care about the environment. As an interpreter, I will use a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes art, history, and science to share the earth's beauty (Beck et al., 2019). This could include guided biodiversity hikes, nature journaling, telling stories about the land and the people who call it home, and sharing art that captures the beauty of nature and other activities. Once I get people interested in what the earth has to offer, I will introduce topics of conservation effects, sustainability, climate change and ways people can get involved.
Here is a picture I took last summer of a honey bee worker foraging.
Nature interpretation is an opportunity to get people interested in environmental protection. It is essential to inform people about human's role in environmental issues. However, I have to share these topics in a way that creates meaningful and hopeful experiences. When addressing environmental issues, I will focus on the positive and get people excited about how society can become more connected to the environment. This could involve sharing positive advances in conservation efforts, habitat restoration, environmental policies and citizen science initiatives people can join.
I took this picture of a tiny frog balancing on a plant stem in my backyard.
The lessons learnt through this course will be vital as I interpret nature through my environmental science program, as a scientist or interpreter in a park. I will continue to use respect and integrity as guiding values to provide meaningful interpretive programs. I will use my knowledge and personal love of the environment to share the beauty of nature. As an interpreter, I will make it my mission to give people deeper emotional and intellectual connections to the natural world.
This is a picture I took of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.
References
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019).Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. Sagamore Publishing.
Rea, A. W., & Munns, W. R. (2017). The value of nature: Economic, intrinsic, or both? Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 13(5), 953–955. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.1924
