Why I Need Wild

Over the course of this class I have reconnected with nature in a way I haven't since I was young. From setting aside more time for going on walks to working on clearing privet during class, I have been able to spend more time grounding myself and noticing all the little things nature has to offer. Although I have gone a long time without noticing it, I believe I need wild in my life. 

Spending more time outside offers health benefits like getting fresh air and reducing stress, but these are not the only benefits I have reaped this past semester. I feel more connected with the Earth than ever before in my time in college. I gained a newfound zest for working towards environmental sustainability. I got to see species of plants and animals that I have never seen with my own eyes, both at the zoo and by slowing down and noticing more species around me in my day-to-day life. The advantages of spending more time outside, to me, are only limited by mosquitos and wasps. 

I believe now that if people spent more meaningful time with nature then the human population would have much more respect for our home planet. It is easy to read environmental poetry and literature and pretend to feel moved by it, however, actually going out and spending more time with nature garners a closer relationship. 

I hope to carry the lessons I have learned in this class into my future. When I am stressed or overwhelmed by work the first thing to go is usually time spent outside. I plan to be more intentional with my time in nature so that it doesn't fade into the background of my life. 

My Outside Magic

My extended outdoor experience was spent today at the Fort Worth Zoo. It is hard to call the zoo ordinary when it is filled with such extraordinary creatures, but for some that may be the case. I, however, was awed by all the animals I got to see up close today. 

I started off the trip with viewing primates such as bonobos, gorillas, and mandrills. The face of the mandrills immediately caught my attention due to their bright blue and red noses. I thought about the natural selection that must have led to this trait being selected for (perhaps sexually) and how it was unique compared to the rest of the monkeys there. Reading more about them, they actually use their bright noses for their advantage to easily find each other in the thick brush of jungles. The gorillas also caught my special attention because of how similar they appear to our common ancestors. Watching their behavior and their hands enthralled me since it mirrors us so closely. I even got to see the youngest drinking milk from its mother. I found myself getting more emotional watching them since I could picture more vividly the bleakness of living in a caged habitat. 

The habitat I spent the most time at was the elephants. The newest addition to the family, Ladybird, was lovingly following what was perhaps her mother. Another pair was playing in the water and using their trunks in a snorkel-like fashion. The elephants are the largest creatures I have seen which really puts how small we are into perspective. 

Other habitats I enjoyed were the big cats, although most were taking cat-naps. My favorite animal is the cheetah so I was particularly happy to see them basking in the sun. I saw a pair of African leopard siblings and could not decide which of their fur prints was my favorite. The brother had the typical spotted print while the sister had the recessive gene causing melanism. I was able to see some of the spots coming through the blackness of her coat which was beautiful. 

Ultimately, I did have a magical experience at the zoo today. I have not always been a supporter of zoos since it is hard for me to agree with the entrapment of wild creatures. However, it is clear that the Fort Worth Zoo goes to great lengths to take care of their animals and even fund research for ecological conservation. Today I learned more about species from all over the world and had the privilege of seeing them so up close. The humidity and heat did start to get to me towards the end - nature reminding me that I am not accustomed to spending long periods of time outdoors like the wild animals are. I left the zoo reflecting on how the diverse animals I had just seen deserve the same care and protection as humans. 

Melting

Today I went on a walk and it just about melted me. Every year I yearn for the heat and summer until I step out into the Texas sun and rethink everything. However, as I was walking today, covered in sweat, I thought back to only a couple days ago when I was watching flooded streets and golf ball-sized hail come pouring into the streets. This extreme weather is becoming increasingly normalized, but I can not imagine it has always been like this. 

I thought back to the nature documentary we watched in class: Before The Flood. The visuals and DiCaprio's monologue caught my attention and reminded me how urgent climate change is on our planet. From the melting ice caps in the Arctic to the severe flooding ruining farmer's crops in India. The extreme shifts in the environment do not seem to be making many even bat an eye. Texas is known for its heat and spring/summer storms are bound to happen (as an Oklahoma native I am especially keen to tornado season), however, the increasing extremes and unpredictability have me concerned and reflecting on the discussion we had after watching the in-class documentary. What I especially enjoyed about the documentary was that it gave practical practices that anyone can implement into their daily lives without having to wait for government action to occur. Ultimately, the heat today was a reminder to me and hopefully others to be intentional in choosing practices as simple as eating more chicken instead of beef. 

Ten Best Photos

My best photo: I chose this photo I took at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. We had just finished clearing privet for the day and I just loved the way the light was shining in through the branches onto the grass. The cart and water bottle are in the frame on purpose as I wanted them represent human interaction with nature, but the greenery that surrounds them is the real star of the show. 

      

             

 

 

Last visit at the Nature Center

Two weeks ago we had out last visit to the Nature Center and continued clearing out privet. Compared to our first trip, I felt more comfortable being out in the wilderness. Coming to the Nature Center the first time I expected the manual labor to be easier than it was. After a couple of hours of cutting the privet out my body felt strained but much more reconnected with nature. By the last session, it felt more repetitive and less mentally stimulating. The first session time flew by. However, by the last one my classmates and I began playing games to pass the time while we worked. I was reminded that environmental work can be slow and not to glamorous at times. It did feel rewarding to help the Nature Center out, but I do wish we got to see more of what it had to offer. I will definitely need to return on my own time for a chance to see some of the animals and perhaps go on a canoe ride. 

With that being said, this class has been different than any other I have taken before here at TCU. In one of our first classes we did an activity where we "grounded" ourselves by taking off our shoes and socks to physically interact with the ground. The experiences at the Nature Center were similar in that we got to physically reconnect with the Earth. I think that learning how to zoom out is important for students to see what really matters - like taking care our of home. 

Nature Center & Refuge Experiences

We have now spent 3 weeks at the Fort Worth Nature Center. The work is tiring but seeing the progress we make at the end of our sessions is rewarding. In past ecology classes I have learned about the harmful effects of invasive species and I feel like I am getting to now see it first-hand. I had not heard of privet until this class. It is easy to identify since it seems to grow as much as it can and spread far and wide. It is easy to cut once you can figure out where it is coming from. Seeing the base of the plant makes its impact more clear. No other plants are underneath where the privet is -- it is crowding them all out. I noticed that there were numerous dead trees around where the privet is and I'm not sure if they're related but I imagine that the privet is hogging a lot of the ground water for its roots. 

In the first class we were trying to tackle bamboo. This was a physically challenging day due to the thickness of the bamboo. I had not even known that it could be found in Texas, let alone that it was acting as an invasive species at the Refuge. After doing some research into it, I found out that bamboo has an aggressive underground root system. I was glad to hear that they got a machine to help them clear it out. 

I have really enjoyed feeling like I'm helping the Nature Center. What a team of us can accomplish in a couple hours saves them time/effort that they can now divert elsewhere. Moreover, when you can look back and see a clear area that was once completely taken over by an invasive species gives me hope that the native vegetation and animal life will be able to return. The photo I captured below is a region I helped clear!