“Defining Nature Through Art, Myth, Folklore and Community Involvement ”

“Defining NatureThrough Art, Myth, Folklore and Community Involvement ” By: Holli Campbell

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere they can be quite alone with the heavens...amidst the simple beauty of Nature.” ~Anne Frank (Casey, 2009)

Waterloo Summit Huntsville, Ontario In one week, various students from the University of Waterloo gathered together at the Waterloo Summit in Huntsville. They embarked on a journey through art, myth and folklore to explore the meaning of nature and their connections to the natural world. Through self reflections, group discussions and community involvement activities, the group united as one. Through this experience, each student learned something new about themselves, where they belong in nature, and how nature can be perceived through various types of art. This journey led to participatory learning where students were able to engage and learn more through discussions and presentations, as opposed to a traditional lecture approach.

The Journey of Discovery Begins No matter how short the journey may be, never underestimate the values in the lessons you learn, and the influences of the people you meet along the way.

Before the course began, each student was asked to define nature and what it meant to them individually. One may initially think answering this question is relatively easy – think again. Everyone has their own views on what nature is and what nature can be; it is impossible for nature to have one specific meaning that can encompass each person’s unique perspective. So, what is nature? How do you define something that can be interpreted in many different ways?

Defining Nature According to the Oxford Dictionary (2014), nature can be defined as “the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to human creation.” This definition only examines the physical aspects of nature and neglects the fact that nature is much more than what we can see. But what does is mean when it says “opposed to human creation”? Are we not apart of nature? Have we lost our connections along our path of evolution?

Interpreting Natures & Its Values Nature is the essence of our existence It is the heart and soul of our world Nature is the fuel that keeps us going It is the cure we need the most ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ But how do we show our appreciation? How do we interpret our world? How can regain our lost connection? How do we return to our home?

What is Nature? How do we interpret nature? Where’s our place within nature? Where does our connection come from? How do we find our way back?

Nature interpreted in Huntsville Nature has various distinctive sounds. From complete silence, icicles dripping, trees blowing, snowmobiles passing and animals scurrying, these sounds come together to create an nature orchestra of sound.

Community Service Project As a component of the course, students were grouped and pair up with various age groups at Tawingo College, to create an activity that would engage the students in defining their connection to nature. Our group chose to use “sound” as a way to for the students to engage and observe their natural surroundings. Through sound the student were asked to make their favorite winter noise and share their noise as well as an action with the group. Further on we used these initial sounds as the foundation of our lesson. A nature orchestra was conducted and sculptures create to represent the children individual perspective on what nature mean and sounds to them. Our activities were successful in engaging the student with the natural world and defining what nature means to them.

Nature Through a Child’s Mind “The earth has music for those who listen” ~George Santayana (Goodreads, 2014)

How do I Interpret Nature Throughout this experience my personal interpretation of nature has evolved into a well rounded perspective, acknowledging that there is no single right or wrong definition for nature. Nature is more than what one can physically see, it is also what one feels, hears, experiences and remembers when their in the natural world. Nature can be expressed through various forms of art, myth, folklore and experiences that connect one with the natural world. We as human beings are apart of nature, we steam from its source of life. Without nature, our sense of self worth and being are skewed. It is essential to reconnect and embrace the beauty nature beholds. This course, ERS 360 sheds a new and forgotten light on what nature is, and what it can be. Through this course I have rekindled my passion for the environment, and I have once again found my place within this world, within nature.

References Casey, Allan (2009). Lakeland Ballad of A Freshwater Country. Vancouver, Canada: Grey Books, D&M Publishers Inc. & David Suzuki Foundation. 2011 edition. Pages 1-272. Goodread.(2014). George Stantayana. Goodreads Inc. Retrieved March 1st 2014. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/56610.George_Santayana. Oxford Dictionary (2014). Oxford University Press. Retrieved March 6th2014 from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

“Defining Nature Through Art, Myth, Folklore and Community Involvement ”