Nature Center Day 2! (#5)

     This week my group set off again for the nature center. I still have not gotten used to walking across campus in my hiking boots and full covering outfit to meet my carpool but I guess that will come with time. It is kind of fun getting used to having this outing in my schedule and getting to meet new people my senior year. My project group all rides together and we get to recap our weeks and plans to come. At this point in college it its nice to still get to meet new people and share time together. Outside cleaning up nature, it really is a good bonding experience for many of us before we all leave to start our new lives post graduation. Many of the people in our class I met Freshman year in Milton Daniel Hall so it is cool to all reconnect and work together on a project such as this. 

    This time at the center was a little different. We all knew the game plan for the most part and got right to work. We all gathered our branches, brush, trees, twigs, and any other assortment of plan that just didn't look quite right. The only limitation this week was our wood chipper started to give out. It would run stop and keep alternating between all kinds of noises. We all stood there branches in hand so ready to watch the machine turn our labor into dust just like the week before. After getting it to work for a solid 10 minutes, the wood chipper gave out on us. We all took a water break and assessed the next plan of action for our remaining time. It can be hard when the main technological component of your work stops working and you really have no control over it. We reworked the plan and moved into the chopping phase. We either got a double saw or some clippers and went off cutting down privet and making a collection for our next week.

    This week did not show the same results as the previous. We could not see the cleaned our area or huge dust pile of wood as before. If anything, since we were making piles, it almost looked worse. The one thing about this job is that it is a continuous project. It makes your resonate withe the saying, "Rome was not built in a day." I think that is something that is good for me to reflect on. In my life, I studying, test, get a grade, and move on. If I want entertainment I go on my phone and find anything and everything at my finger tips. If I want something, I get in my car and pick it up or order it. The thing about nature is that it is so vast, changing, and moving that it can be hard to keep up. Last week, we only worked on a few yards of land but we saw a difference. This week we were able to chop a lot down but could not see the results of our work as noticeably. I think because of this it can be hard to keep up the stamina and determination to keep going back and working. For the people that run the park, their work is never ending as new privet grows right back where they had worked previously. I have a lot of respect for the work they do but also recognize the lack of passion in myself. I think I have taken for granted the environment around me and the efforts many people take to protect and care for it. I want to use this class to push myself to get more involved and learn from people who dedicate their life to this work. I want to work on getting myself our of civilization and connect more with the wilderness.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mary Oliver: Hawk

      This poem had a way of bringing me into the entire scene of the hawk along the lake. I loved how she was able to see the beauty in the hawk describing it as, "admiral," and "this is not something of the red fire, this is heaven's fistful." I feel like certain animals in nature, especially predators, have a connotation as being mean or bad. Oliver is able to highlight on the power, intent, and freedom of the hawk as it soars on some unknown mission through the lake. You feel the tension of the piece as she describes the, "hawk hooked one exquisite foot onto the last twig to look deeper into the yellow reeds." It had this image of suspense as we watch the next move of the hawk. One line that stuck out to me was, "it cruised along the lake- all the time its eyes fastened harder than love on some unimportant rustling in the yellow reeds." The way she highlights his focuses being "harder than love" both shows the value of his missi...
Read more

Treks and Texts: A Trip Down Memory Lane (#1)

Image
      Theres are not many days when I get some time to myself and even fewer where I just get to be alone. Today, by chance, my 8 hour clinical was surprisingly replaced by a quick hospital orientation and I was out by 9 am. With practically a whole day open that had been previously blocked off I took sometime so run errands and take time for myself. On my drive home I decided to take a quick walk and spend some time outside. I drove over to the trinity and started towards the path.     Walks are something I grew up doing with my family, friends, or dogs. Nowadays my outside activities are limited and I spend most of my time in doors or watching outside from a comfortable window. As I walked from my car to the trail the first and only thing I could focus on was how hot it was. Growing up here this was my biggest deterrent to going outside but I was determined to keep going. As I walked down the side walk I was reminded of the little things around me I had always...
Read more

Mary Oliver: Wrens

      I think this poem was a bit amusing to read. Oliver starts in almost a pessimistic mood as one wanders through gardens filled with glass and other rubbish. She then goes to describe the little wrens that spend their days filling pails with sticks, diving into the water, and whistling throughout their work. Her last line to describe these wrens is, "foolish birds." I understood this as almost being unamused by the simplicity and contentment in the life of a wren. They spend their days doing small tasks that in the grand scheme seem unimportant to us while moving on in pure bliss. I sometimes find myself feeling a bit of envy for birds and other animals when I am caught up in my life and stressed. How nice it would be just to gather sticks and sing all day. How unbothered and content a life of no expectations must me. I wish to be a foolish bird without a care in the world. We might envy the simplicity of nature while we build a world revolving around innovation....
Read more