Nature Journals I - Entry 9

Today at the nature center, we went back to the same field and continued cutting down more privet. When we first got there, it was actually really cool to see how much progress we have already made. Compared to last time, you could see way more of the field, and it made me realize how dense everything used to be when it was covered in privet. Before, it felt almost closed in, like you could barely move through it. Now it is a lot more open, and you can actually walk through the area without constantly getting caught in branches. It made the work feel more worth it because you could clearly see the difference we were making. 

The weather also made a big difference today. It was cloudy and pretty windy, which we are not really used to, but it honestly helped a lot. The breeze made it easier to work for those two hours, and it made the whole environment feel more alive. You could hear the wind moving through the trees and see the branches shifting around, which is something I usually do not pay attention to. 

After we finished at the nature center, I went to my brother’s tennis match at his school. It was still cloudy, and the sky looked like it might rain at any moment. In the picture I took, you can see the court surrounded by trees with clouds hanging low above everything. Even though it was a completely different setting, it still felt connected to being outdoors. After working for a couple of hours, it felt good to just sit, relax, and enjoy the breeze.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nature Journal II

Image
My favorite photo from these 10 is the one with the cows with the mountain range in the back. I took this photo when I went to Switzerland. I chose this photo because it captures a moment that felt completely different from anything I am used to. The cows are just calmly walking across the open field, and behind them are these huge mountains that almost do not look real. The contrast between the green grass, the blue sky, and the rocky peaks makes the whole scene stand out. What I like most is how peaceful everything feels. This picture reminds me of how big nature is and how small we are compared to it, which is something I do not usually think about in everyday life.  
Read more

Nature Journals I - Entry 1

  After our first Treks and Texts class, I took a short walk around campus and made a conscious effort to slow down and notice the natural environment around me. It was a mild January afternoon, with temperatures in the  6 0s and a steady breeze pushing clouds quickly across the sky. Students moved in every direction, filling the sidewalks as they rushed to class, and I was reminded of how busy campus life can feel even when surrounded by green space.   I noticed several large live oak trees, which are common in Texas and easy to recognize by their wide branches and thick, curved trunks. Their dark green leaves contrasted with the lighter grass below, and fallen leaves covered parts of the sidewalk. I also saw crepe myrtle trees beginning to lose their flowers, with faded pink petals scattered along the grass.   As I walked, I heard birds moving between branches and the faint sound of insects, even in winter. The air felt calm, and a light breeze moved the leaves and...
Read more

Nature Journals I - Entry 8

Image
This week at the Fort Worth Nature Center felt a lot more intense than the first time we went out. Instead of bamboo, we were working in a field that was completely overrun with privet. Before this class, I did not even know what  privet  was, but now it is easy to recognize. It grows in thick clusters and spreads everywhere, creating these dense walls of shrubs that block everything else. It looked like the privet was taking over the entire area. Our job was to cut it all down, and we spent about two hours out there doing that.  At first, it just looked like we were clearing random bushes, but once we got deeper into it, I started to see how much it was  affecting  the environment. The privet was crowding out other plants and making it hard for anything else to grow. In the pictures, you can see how thick the piles got after we cut everything down. There are branches stacked on top of each other, forming these huge piles that will eventually be burned. It was...
Read more