Week 2

Week Two, 8/29

           

I have never been much of an outdoorsy, nature person, but I really enjoyed being at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. I’ve never been camping or hiking, but when I was younger, I remember walking on trails with my sister and friends, seeing what animals we would run into and simply where the trail leads. That was back when time was at my disposal and there were no textbooks calling my name. Things have changed, and I feel somewhat nostalgic thinking about the time nature and I were more acquainted than today. I guess since I spend so much time indoors nowadays, it was something truly special to just spend time with Mother Nature for an hour. The occasional ray of sunlight through my apartment window just doesn’t suffice. This was a great time to put school aside and focus on something literally bigger than myself.

Before we got to the nature center, I had in mind that we were going to walk down trails and simply record what we saw, but that was not the case. The class was divided into groups, with each group being assigned a specific trail/section of a trail. Ours was the one with the buffaloes, so I was glad that my group could at least be kept company by our hairy friends. It took us some time to find the trail, as we drove right past it. I saw the sign of our trail as we passed, but assuming the driver knew where she was going, I didn’t mention that we were heading the wrong way. Eventually, we did find it, and as I got out of the car, I was kissed and embraced by the hot sun. I’m not much of a sun person or heat in general, so that part was not as fun. All I could initially think about was how much sweat my body will have produced at the end of this undertaking.

We got to the start of our trail, and after debating about what should be cut and what stays, we began to beautify our trail. It honestly seemed like we were being put to work without getting paid, but then I started thinking. Nature, in its entirety, is often neglected. Nature does not take care of itself. It’s humans that share the duty to this. Therefore, I knew I was doing my part in fulfilling God’s instructions in saying that we have dominion over the plants and animals. The plants don’t have dominion over themselves. I was glad I could bring religion into this situation.

Each member in my group began hacking away at the shrubbery. I, as usual, silently made this into a competition, wanting to have the highest stack of shrubs possible compared to everyone else. I guess that’s how I decided to make it interesting for me. It almost felt like a work out because the tool I was using was not the best, so I really had to put my arms into it. My biceps and triceps were feeling the burn, and I was glad  I could get the day’s workout in. I completely forgot about staying hydrated, as well as the fact that I was carrying a backpack on my back as I was cutting the branches off. Now that I think of it,  never paused for more than five seconds. I was on a mission, an no one or any conversation could stop me. It was Mother Nature and I at our finest.

It was really nice that my group used this opportunity to get to know one another, since this would be our group for the rest of the semester. I almost forgot that I was cutting branches as we continued to chat. As we talked, I accidentally cut the wrong foliage, and I could tell because it did not match the rest of the shrubbery that laid abondoned on the ground. It’s leaves were smaller, thinner, and greener. I just kicked it aside. Some parts of the trail looked like a storm swept by because I saw some pretty large branch that lay maimed on the floor.

Time seemed to fly by, and for some reason, when it was time to leave our trail, I didn’t want to go. I really wanted to stay and finish clearing the rest of the trail.  We ended up getting a lot done. The stack of shrubbery we were able to compile was quite fascinating. We should have taken a before and after picture to note the difference, but all is well. We then talked about erecting a small bench in our memory.

I’m excited to go back to the nature center to see what new things I’ll discover as we progress along the trail.