New Beginnings

              Senior year of college is almost halfway through and I find myself pondering major life questions. I find myself peering into the future and retrospectively gazing at my past at an increasing rate. I am trying to cherish and take mental pictures of each day that I am blessed with in college. I believe it is important for each person to take a step back and reflect and make goals for the future, especially in times of a major life transition. These same questions I have spiraling through my mind appear in my mind’s eye when I am surrounded by nature. Nature has this calming effect that reminds me of what is really important in life and that my momentary stressors are just that momentary.

                Nature is 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 humans or human creations.” I love the descriptors used in this definition it is the world COLLECTIVELY. This is how humans should view their surroundings. Not as superiors, but as a collective unit that is a part of this Earth. I believe nature calms me for it brings me back to my Creator. It reminds me that I am a part of something much bigger then myself and that is invigorating.

                This summer I was able to camp with some of my closest friends along the side of the lake. One morning I woke up earlier than the rest of my friends so that I could read scripture among the light of a new morning reflected in the lake before me. It is a treasured memory I hold for in those moments before the rest of the world was a wake I was able to spend intimate time with my God and be among His creation. It is extraordinary to look out onto the lake and see the sky and sun reflected on its surface. It seems to entice the human eye to stare even just for a little longer. It is mesmerizing to think that the grand bodies of water on this earth are dated far before even the elders of my family that first came to North America.

                I believe all humans have this inner pull to nature. To some this may just be observing the friendly squirrel on TCU’s campus while others natures pull brings them far deep into the wilderness untouched by human hands. This gravitational pull to the other inhabitants of this great earth is what I believe keeps us sane. Life would be quite dull in dreary if it was truly centralized around me or any other one person. The beauty is in the collectivism of this fine earth. All inhabitants are meant to live in a type of unity that is hard to express on the mere typing of these keys.

                With this reflection on my draw to nature I hope to continue to ask the big life questions, and to never take myself too seriously. I pray that my worldview is always focused on those around me and the inherent community we all share. Here is to new beginnings. 

10/24 Fort Worth Nature Center

               This week we returned to the Fort Worth nature center to continue our work on the Prairie trail. We had three main objectives. 1) Repair the damaged water bars 2) continue to fill in the eroded trail 3) shovel a thin layer of gravel over the trail. My team had a clearer picture of what the water bars must look like to prevent future erosion to the trail from the rain fall. By the end of the class period we repaired the previous water bars that did not withstand the recent rainfalls and covered the entirety of the trail with gravel to further compact the newly laid ground.

                While repairing the trail I began to ponder the importance of protecting trails such as this. Until this experience I was unaware of the intensive labor that was involved in maintain hiking routes. I merely trekked along the trails that others prepared for me without a second thought. Trails such as this have brought me so much solace over the years. Being out amongst nature has allowed me to take a step outside of myself and reflect on the greater world I am a part of.  I am immensely thankful for those who tirelessly work to provide moments of serenity in nature for us city folk.

                While at work on the trail I took a moment to take in a deep breath and actually breathe. I go throughout each passing day without a passing thought on what surrounds me. I am incredibly task oriented and move from activity to activity without taking a moment to truly use the beautiful gift of sight that I have. I made sure to not allow the time working on the Prairie trail to be another fleeting moment or task. I took a breath and gazed at my surroundings that encompassed tall prairie grass with an array of insects that peered out to observe us the intruders of their serenity. The bug life that I noticed included dragonflies that weaved in and out of our utensils and the surrounding blades of grass and black crickets that decided to join in on our fun and danced around our feet.

                I believe it is critical that we all take a moment to take in our surroundings. I believe the world would be a much better place if people sat back and realized the world is much greater then themselves. I find that taking moments in nature gets me out of the selfish ruts that I sometimes find myself in. 

10/10 Jarvis Lawn

             Today’s class took place on the manicured lawns in front of Jarvis. I adored the opportunity to enjoy the crisp fall breeze. As I walked from the Sandage parking lot I was able to take moments to actually take a deep breath and look at what was around me. Being a senior I already feel myself becoming nostalgic about my time at TCU. I know I am going to miss the ever changing flowers in the immaculate flower beds and the yellow brick that is everywhere I gaze. The trees and plants that are planted on campus culminate the beauty that is TCU. I am especially thankful for the home the trees provide for a friendly neighborhood squirrels that have entertained me on more than one occasion.

                During today’s class I took a more introspective approach. I found that cultivating words seemed to be of little value. I found more value in today’s discussion to play a role as a true active listener. I find that many times I am too eager to formulate my own opinions and interjections that I miss the perspectives my classmates share. I found this experience to be quite rewarding. Although at many points I found it hard to bite my tongue when there was a lull in conversation, I found value in taking in my surroundings and appreciating those still quiet moments that led up to the next speaker.

                From this week’s readings I enjoyed the “Judgement of the Birds.” It made a point that creation itself is miraculous. Just the fact that anything exists is a wonder in itself. Carbon is the unity of all life. It is one of the many similarities that can be gleamed among creation. We are a part of such a beautiful entanglement. We are a part of nature and nature is a part of us. I am going to be more aware of what I am passing by. I want to engage in the happenings of the world right beside me. The worlds I may overlook, such as the flower growing at the base of the tree I was beside or the restless squirrels that follow one another up the branches. Life is so precious. 

10/03 Rec Center

             Today’s class took us to unique location, being that the forecast told of impending rain showers. We did not journey from our horned frog home. We found refuge outside the recreation center under a decorative umbrella covering. We circle around a dirt mound that looked to have once held a large tree. Speckled throughout the dry ground was items of foliage that most would call weeds. This scenery I believe to be perfect for our discussions on John Muir of civilization’s role in conservation.

                In Nature Writing John Muir describes going out and climbing a tree during the storm. When the average individual would seek shelter from the power of the elements he rushed out to meet them. This captivated me. I wondered if I truly have ever marveled at the omnipresence of the wind during a storm as he has. My favorite description of the wind was Muir’s depiction of it as a musical ensemble. He stated “nature was holding high festival, and every fiber of the most rigid giants thrilled with excitement” (p. 254). The glorious phenomenon of a storm brings blessings and life to the occupants of the forest.

                As a class we also read John Muir’s writing in Wilderness and the American Mind. In his writing in Chapter 8 he describes the importance of wilderness preservation and how there should be no attempt to compromise with forestry. This electric ideal made me take a moment to assess my own surroundings. How would Muir feel about the even decorative tree being uprooted from the ground we encircled? Yet happenings such as this occur without a slight thought towards the existence of the plants.

 I was enchanted by his notion that “in God’s wildness lies the hope of the world- the great fresh, unblighted, unredeemed wilderness.” I believe that nature screams the existence of a loving all powerful God. This type of reverence that springs forth in me when I gaze over the edge of a mountaintop just cannot occur even when taking in the site of the most treasured human architecture. I am thankful for those who have come before me and have preserved the raw and untainted wilderness that God crafted. It has allowed me today to marvel in the wonder that is my creator. 

9/26/17 Fort Worth Nature Center

             This week we returned to the Fort Worth Nature Center Prairie trail to continue restoring the water eroded trail. As we walked to our supplies and the dirt mound we came across a snake. I was so wrapped up in conversation though, I was unaware that it had slithered a mere foot behind me. The snake journeyed up into a nearby tree and kept a careful eye upon us. It was a curious fact that as we were trying to identify and observe the snake it was completing a similar assessment on us. My initial reaction was to view the snake as an outsider that did not belong on our trail, but it is in fact I who was entrenching on its natural habitat. To the snake I am the one to be feared.

                After standing and pondering the snake nestled into the tree and we continued to walk down the trail. I made a conscious effort to stay alert to my surrounding, not only to avoid a snake but also to not miss any skeptical that was happen right before me. The waters bars we made two weeks ago are still intact and doing their job. We began work on the remainder of the path that was still worn down from the waters. Understanding what our job was we all went to work immediately and picked up our shovels wordlessly and worked in beautiful synchrony.

The dirt mound left for us gave us an increasingly difficult time. The mound was of tough clay rather than the soft dirt of weeks prior. The men in our group worked at the clay with a pick ax and then we continued to shovel dirt into the eroded trail. By the end of the class period I was proud to see that we created two more water bars and almost completely filled in where the water had eroded the trail.

As I type this journal entry the rain is hitting the sliding glass door beside me. I wonder if the newest water bars are holding and preventing water damage to the Prairie trail. It is a satisfying feeling knowing that the labor we put into the trail is going to help preserve it for rainfalls to come. By preserving this trail we allowing for others to experience nature as we have been blessed to. Although I am not a fan of the heat I always leave class with a sense of peace. Being in an area where for a moment I am electronic free and do not see cars or buildings is refreshing. It gives me a moment to catch a breath and truly breathe. 

9/19/17 Overton Park

               This week our class ventured in the 100 degree heat to Overton Park to continue our discussion in Wilderness and the American Mind by Roderick Frazier Nash and read some of Henry David Thoreau’s writing in Nature Writing. This week before we sat down in a shaded area I was incredibly aware of the elements. I felt the blistering heat against my skin and I seemed to attract every bug in the near vicinity. However as we began to dive into Thoreau’s writing I became less focused on the heat and the buzzing of wings near my ear. As my fellow team led discussion I found myself convicted by the words of Thoreau on nature. In particular he mentions how he would rather live in a swamp then the most beautifully crafted garden. He states that we do not appreciate the essence of nature. This statement stopped my thoughts right in their tracks. In my mind I was just complaining about the heat and itchiness of the grass beneath me. Thoreau was talking about mine sets like the one that I possess.

                The manner in which Thoreau writes captures the reader’s attention. He crafts statements, such as the swamp description, to question the lens that the readers interpret nature through. While reading his descriptions of his surroundings whether scenery, ants, or a friendly mouse I felt the sense that he was captivated by what he was beholding in his mind’s eye. I so desire to hold this same awe and wonder towards the fine details of nature that I am able to write on and on by what has made me stop and think outside of my own little world.

                As the class shifted to discussing Nash’s writing so did my perspective on the outdoor excursion I was a part of. The wind gently brushed through the trees surrounding us and softly nudged hundreds of leaves off their resting place. This created a wonderful snowfall effect and the leaves began to dance around us as if beckoning that we give attention to our surroundings. And give my surroundings attention I did. My perspective towards the outdoor class shifted to one of thanksgiving. I became thankful for the escape from the four walls that my eyes normally fell upon. In Chapter 3 of Wilderness and the American Mind the scientists in Europe of the Enlightenment era began to shift the view of nature from a dark and fearful place to sublimely beautiful and having a close relationship to God. The idea of nature being sublime really took hold in the hands of Romantics who would rather enjoy the wild than a cultivated garden. Romantics called Primitivists, “believed that man’s happiness and well-being decreased in direct proportion to his degree of civilization” (Nash 47).

                I find truth in the Primitivists statement of happiness in relation to the degree of civilization. I find that I can get wrapped up in the busyness of life and this can lead to a great deal of stress if I do not take a step back and put into perspective the happenings of life. Spending time in God’s creation has a way of calming my soul and allowing for reflection. This type of reflection and quiet time is vital to remain sane in this crazy thing we call life. It is important to remember that we are just a small part of this beautiful universe. It is humbling to think like this. 

9/12/17 Excursion to the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge

               I am on the team at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge that is assigned to the Prairie trail. Our main task this week was to fill in the land where the rain had eroded and create water bars to prevent future erosion. Some team members used shovels to fill in land while others came behind with rakes and tools to stamp the ground down. When I was first assigned to this project I felt incredibly unqualified and did not believe that a Nursing major could ever assist in a way that made a difference. As our guide, Nick, described to us the task at hand we gazed upon a trail that was worn with deep trenches from the torrential rain of last week and was lined by prairie grass and trees with branches reaching deep into the path.  The Texas heat was unceasing and my immediate thought was regret of not putting on sunscreen before heading out.

                My role in this task was to cut the arms of the trees that obstructed parts of the trail. It seemed like this would be a simple enough task. I quickly realized this conclusion was terribly wrong as I clamped the sheers on the first branch. With all of my strength I attempted to cut the branch down. However all that was left behind from my efforts was a slice that looked as if a pocket knife slashed the tree. After a comical couple of minutes Nick taught me how to properly use the tool. With guidance it was easier to accomplish the task at hand, but I still struggled with not having enough upper body strength to take down the limbs.

                As I was hard at work I looked upon the trail and admired the beauty it possesses. I did not realize that Fort Worth had such magnificent trails that encompassed nature such as this. I had blue dragon flies chasing one another around me, what I believe to be ground hogs squeaking in the grass, and unknown to me other wildlife scurrying around me. Honing in on different aspects of the trail around me I realized the importance of nature centers. The Fort Worth Nature Center has already given me the opportunity to see and experience wildlife I would never have if I stayed among my school books on campus. I know that the other 90,000 visitors that have walked these trails have also gained perspective and created memories among the wildlife. It is of great importance for citizens to come alongside the employees of the Nature Center and protect the wildlife that it holds.

                It was amazing to see what a little over an hour could do to preserve a trail. By the end of the class period my team and I restored about 30 feet of trail and created 3 water bars to prevent the same erosion. We were able to assist in preserving the trails that are teaching so many individuals to appreciate nature. Working on the trail has already given me a new lens to look at my environment through. Nick our guide pointed out to me a Leaf Hopper that I never would have even noticed had he not pointed my attention to the details of the trail. I am eager to continue to learn from the environment of the Prairie trail, and learn to appreciate to a greater extent the intrinsic details of God’s creation that culminate an ecosystem.