Journal #1: Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge

Today was our first day at the Fort Worth Nature Center. The Nature Center is a “hidden gem” in the Fort Worth community, as not many people are familiar with its location or beauty. It covers over 3,500 acres and includes over 20 miles of trails. The park is a quiet escape amidst the hustle and bustle of the growing Fort Worth urban community. I must admit that when we arrived, I thought we were lost. And when the two guides gave us free reign over our trail sections, I was a little nervous. It was up to us to use our good judgment and creativity to do what we thought was best for the trail. “What’s good judgment? And do I have it?” I began to think to myself. I surely am no landscaper by any means. With clippers in hand, and little direction, we were off to our trails. When we first got to our trail, I noticed how quiet it was—no traffic, no people, nothing. I was fond of the tranquility, it made me feel at peace. Our trail section begins alongside a barbed-wire fence. On the other side, there is some dense shrubbery and trees that hug the trail. Many of the branches have slowly started to creep onto the pathway. Meanwhile, the buffalo graze peacefully in the bright sunshine in the tall grass. Their full, dark coats acting as sweaters in the sweltering Texas heat. I instantly feel guilty for complaining about how warm it was outside. I begin to wander some little ways down the trail, noticing how the trees fold inward, forming an archway. Not wanting to waste any more time, I grabbed my sheers and decided to get started.

At first, I was a little hesitant. “Should I cut here? Should I leave this?” My lack of experience left me cautious about trimming any of the trees or shrubs. After a little while, I started to get the hang of it, and my group started to jive as well. We had some music playing too, which always helps the mood! Before long, we had a rhythm, and a waist-high stack of dead head to show for it. As we were working, I kept noticing this large dead tree laying on the ground, its roots still twisted and tangled in the ground. My group tried and tried to get it out of the ground, but it would not budge. Finally, we were able to detach the roots and yank it from the ground. Little, red ants were obviously upset that we had deprived them of their shelter and began to march out of the ground, scurrying in all directions.

Before long, we were packing up our tools and heading back to the main campus. At first, I had been a little apprehensive about spending the afternoon sweating and trimming trees, but by the end of the day, I was genuinely excited. I feel passionate about and responsible for our section of the trail, and I am eager to see how much we can improve it in the coming weeks that we volunteer. I have already begun to think of different ideas for creating a trail sign and where would be the perfect spot to build a bench. I feel connected to my trail (and the buffalo neighbors). I also noticed that it was a little bit of a stress relief to spend time on the trail. I had no assignments to worry about, no investments to determine the rate of return on, nothing. I also had noticed little intricacies about the trail, that I would not have noticed otherwise in a quick passing. There was a small tree that was covered in a green-brown fungus; its leaves were wilting and it had a sad demeanor. The trees condition sparked my curiosity, and I want to do a little research when we return. I may also pose the question to the iNaturalist community or Dr. Williams. Rainlily lined the barbed wire fence in little white speckles. In a few places, the Rainlily was intertwined in the fence, which was preventing it from flourishing. I am not familiar with different the different types of greenery and weeds, but I could tell there were distinctions in leaf size, shape, and color, among many other things. I am interested in learning more about some of the native plants and species on our trail section, and if it varies by location in the park. I am eager to return and explore more of our trail!