The Last Leaf

About twenty yards away from the coast of Wright Patman Lake at the Atlanta State Park, there sits a single tree struggling to hold on to its last leaf before winter. At some point, this sad sap of a tree was full of life and full of leaves. Now, it is bare and trying to retain its last remains of the fertile spring.

This is all for the sake of survival. Winter conditions can be harsh for the tree. Even in Texas, temperatures drop, sunlight is sparse, and it becomes necessary to conserve energy to survive. This type of behavior isn't only found in trees. Certain animals hibernate. Others burrow. Humans take certain measures to survive in the winter as well. The heat comes on, and food gets stored up in case of emergency.

I waited for a while to see if the wind would finally take its last prize from the tree, but it did not. The leaf hung on. Maybe I should have done it a favor and taken the leaf for myself. It takes energy for the tree to push the leaf off of its branches, and it might be tired of providing for the stubborn leaf for all this extra time. Who could really know the mind of a Tree?

Don't worry, little tree. Soon, spring will return, and you will be fruitful once more.

Daddy Long Legs

A couple of weeks ago, I was wandering around outside after class for a Nature Observation. I sat down on a rock, and I didn't really know what I was looking for. I looked down at the ground and saw a spider, which frightened me a bit at first. Then, I realized it was a "daddy long legs." Technically, it is a Leiobunum, but I have called it a daddy long legs since I was a kid.

This arachnid had a small, pebble-sized body with eight skinny legs. Its body was a reddish-brown color with a thick black stripe going from its hind end to three-quarters of the way up its back. Its visual appearance was creepy, but I have seen plenty of creatures like it before.

As a kid, I was bolder than I am today. I used to pick up daddy long legs by their legs and let them crawl on my hands. I wouldn't even consider doing that today. It seemed to be terrified of me when I approached it. It ran a couple of yards to a nearby tree and climbed until it was out of my reach. It's probably difficult to stay intact when your legs are so thin and your body is so small, so I get why it would be scared of me.

The most impressive aspect of this particular daddy long legs is its ability to camouflage itself to its surroundings. If I weren't looking closely, I wouldn't have been able to see it crawling along the ground, and while I was chasing after it, I lost it several times against the bark of the tree.

Tivoli

Last semester, when I was studying abroad in Rome, I had some of the most enjoyable experiences of my lifetime. The city of Rome is so beautiful that I walked or ran over five miles every day just to experience more of its beauty.

About three months into the spring semester, I had traveled to other cities, I had explored the narrow streets of Rome, and I needed a break from city life. So one weekend when I did not have travel plans, I bought a train ticket to a small Italian town about an hour outside of Rome called Tivoli.

On the train to Tivoli, I got my first taste of the paradise that is Italian countryside. As the train winded through the hills, I saw miles of vineyards, the greenest pastures I have ever seen, and acres upon acres of olive trees. The houses near these massive vineyards and farms were gorgeous, yet quaint. Reflecting on the readings for the semester, I think Wendell Berry, with his "Making of a Marginal Farm," would be elated by the Italian countryside.

Tivoli itself was breathtaking. The town was on the side of a mountain and was where several ancient rulers built their villas, just far enough from the city of Rome but close enough to retain power. I was able to visit one of the villas called Villa d'Este. This villa was built in the 16th century and is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There were massive gardens, waterfalls, extravagant fountains, and several terraces with a spectacular view of the city. You could tell the people of that time had a greater appreciation for nature than our society does today.



The villa was incredibly beautiful, but the best place to visit in Tivoli is undoubtedly Villa Gregoriana. It is a complex of weeded parks, paths, waterfalls, grottoes, and vegetation. It was commissioned around 1834 by Pope Gregory XVI, and it is a gorgeous place of unspoiled nature. The most famous site here was the Great Waterfall created by the River Aniene. The park has a complex system of trails and provides an incredible view of Tivoli's town center.



I have never felt so in tune with nature as I did exploring this park in Tivoli. It might be because I had just spent a few months in one of the largest cities in the world, but I truly believe Tivoli is a magical place of wonder, and most of the land is beautifully untouched.

Hermann Park

Last summer, I lived in Houston for ten weeks. I was there for a summer internship, and I spent most of my days locked up in an office. Thoreau would be disappointed in me. Most of my weekends were free, and since I spent most daylight hours indoors during the week, I tried to spend as much time as possible outside on the weekends. I tried visiting several parks in and around Houston, and for the first few weeks, I struggled to find one I really liked. The city is huge, but it is so urbanized that I wanted to feel like I was escaping from the city for a few hours.

After a few weeks of searching, I found a place called Hermann Park that was exactly what I was looking for. It was not too crowded. It had a pond, plenty of secluded spaces, and a lot of trees for shade. I would guess on the average Saturday, I spent at least six hours sitting at the park jogging and reading, occasionally breaking out my laptop to finish up some work.

In the fourth largest city in the United States, it can be difficult to find much nature at all, but if you keep looking, you may find a small sliver that will help keep you sane. The people I saw enjoying the outdoors at the park, whether they were running, having a picnic, or just sitting around talking, always seemed to be happier and enjoying life more than the people I met in the concrete jungle that is downtown Houston.

There is a portion of Hermann Park called the Japanese Gardens, similar to the Japanese Gardens in the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. This section of the park is my favorite place to sit and read since visitors are encouraged to be quiet and respectful when they enter the Gardens. In the Gardens are beautiful assortments of flowers, a stream, a small pond with koi fish, several benches for sitting, and small bridges. From this part of the park, you can’t hear cars driving by, people yelling by the pond, or children crying. It is total peace and quiet and a perfect place for reflection and relaxation.

Thank God I found this place, or I may have gone insane.

Niagara Falls

Second to the Grand Canyon, the Niagara Falls are the second most beautiful natural wonder I have ever seen. I went to see the falls with my Mom, Dad, and my brother before the semester started. Honestly, the falls were never high on my bucket list, but after seeing them in person, I realized that I severely misjudged them.

The family and I flew into Buffalo, New York and rented a car to get to our hotel in Niagara Falls, New York. As we approached the city, I noticed a mist above the skyline. It didn’t take long to register in my brain that the mist was being produced by the falls. I wasn’t surprised by the amount of mist being produced, but I was surprised about how close the falls were to the heart of the city.

Thinking back on it, I am reminded of two of the class readings. One was the song “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell. This is a prime example of people “paving paradise and putting up a parking lot.” The area immediately surrounding the falls is a park, but there are several parking lots and basically a major city on each side of the falls. The second is the excerpt from Edward Abbey when he states that we need to take cars out of National Parks. I don’t fully agree that we need to ban cars from National Parks, but there was an overwhelming amount of traffic right by the falls, and the parking was right on the edge of the falls, so it took away from the natural beauty.

Nestled right on the American-Canadian border, Niagara Falls is one of the most visited tourist destinations in North America. I heard before going to the falls that the best views are from the Canadian side, and this statement held true. As urbanized as the falls have become, they are still well-preserved and breathtakingly beautiful. The horseshoe-shaped arch was the prettiest of the three falls that make up the Niagara Falls. It looped around and make a sort of semi-circle waterfall that was clearly visible from both sides, but the best view was from the Canadian side.

I wish I had taken this course before going to Niagara Falls, because I feel like I would have appreciated the natural beauty more than I did at the time, and I would have felt the irony of holding a Tim Horton’s iced coffee while I stood on the edge of the falls.

Mena, Arkansas

On November 10^th, my family and I took a short road trip from our home in Atlanta, Texas to the mountains of Mena, Arkansas. I went with my Mom, Dad, and my Grandma, who we call Granny. The drive was pretty much a straight shot north from Atlanta, and it took about three hours to drive there, then another half hour to make the drive up to Queen Wilhelmina State Park on the top of Rich Mountain.

This trip was only the second time in my life that I had been to Mena. The first time was when I was a lot younger. I couldn’t have been any older than 10 or 11. My Granny, however, has been more times than she can count; Mena was one of her family’s favorite destinations when she was younger. During the drive, Granny told us stories from when she was younger and how much the small towns through much of Arkansas had changed.

Every time we make the drive north, whether it be to Mena, Hot Springs, Fayetteville, or Branson, it always astonishes me at how quickly the terrain changes from flat Texas countryside to a hilly and mountainous region of Arkansas. Most of my younger experiences were throughout Texas where everything is relatively flat compared to Arkansas’ Ozarks. On the way home, I tried intently to notice when the terrain changed, whether it was sudden or more of a gradual change. I found that about halfway in between Atlanta and Mena, things started to change drastically. There is a mountain range that borders the town of Mena, so the landscape goes from mountains to hills almost immediately upon leaving the area. But about halfway, there is a road that winds around what feels like a large hill then as you approach the other side, the land is flat for as far as the eye can see.

My love for mountains is probably due to my being raised in the piney woods region of Texas where everything is flat, and I spent at least 10 years of my life before actually seeing a mountain in person. And that was just the Ozarks. When I was 15, my family and I drove to Tennessee to the Great Smoky Mountains. That was when I found out what real mountains are. We got a cabin in Pigeon Forge, and I sat out on our porch for hours just sitting and staring off into the distance.

Compared to the Great Smoky Mountains, Rich Mountain in Arkansas might as well have been a small hill, but to me, it was still just as captivating as it was when I was 10 years old. The fact that I could experience the trip again with my family made it even more enjoyable.

Final Video Assignment

Victoria, Noah, Danielle

Wildness, Conservation, and the Environment

              For our final project, we decided to focus on wildness, conservation, and the environment. These themes resonated with us throughout the class and featured some of our favorite writers. The video features readings and interpretations of our favorite excerpts and ends with a call to action. We want the class to realize that even though we are just college students, we can make a big, positive impact on the environment by completing small tasks.

              Below is a list of the passages we enjoyed learning from and reasoning for its inclusion in our video:

1.      “Beds are Burning” by Midnight Oil

“Beds are Burning” was one of the first things we read as a class. This song/poem highlights how the Earth as we know it is deteriorating and it is time for us to fix it. We must “pay our rent” to the Earth we call home. We liked this song because it is catchy and has a call to action. It demonstrates how subtle messages are hidden in pop culture to help our environment.

2.      Preserving Wildness by Wendell Berry

This passage demonstrated environmental stewardship. It suggests that humans need to stop taking nature for granted and appreciate where it comes from. To be a steward of the Earth we must preserve wildness and practice conservation. The quote we use in the video describes how humans need to have a certain love for the earth and what we take from it. Berry suggests that environmental stewardship is the most important factor in conserving the planet.

3.      “The Wild Honeysuckle” by Philip Freneau

We chose to read this passage from Freneau’s poem because it highlights how fleeting human life is in the large scheme of the world. Humans are here for a limited amount of time just like flowers. It is our job to leave behind a beautiful, healthy Earth, because it will go on forever (hopefully), but we will not.

4.      Industrial Tourism and the National Parks by Edward Abbey

Abbey is one of our favorite authors we read this semester. This passage highlights the importance of wilderness preservation. We need to limit urbanization and industrialization to save nature. Edward Abbey claims he would rather live in a thermonuclear war than a world without wilderness preservation. It is a cry for action.

5.      Before the Flood featuring Leonardo DiCaprio

Before the Flood features climate change issues and environmental destruction. Our class took this film to heart. Most notably it featured the need to reduce our pollution as Americans because a lot of the world has yet to receive the same technology we have. When the rest of the world does, the outlook for our environment is grim, unless we change our ways and limit our carbon footprint. Additionally, this film featured the harmful effects that the use of palm oil has on the environment. We included this film because, although grim and sad, it is a call to action.

              We used Before the Flood as a grim transition to the more uplifting part of our video. Over the semester, we did read many works that discuss preservation, preserving wildness, and the environment. A lot of these works could be viewed as sad, but we found that these works are more of a call to action and are incredibly positive. There is still time to reverse our carbon footprints and make a large effort to bring awareness to our environmental issues.

              As a college student, we often times find ourselves asking what could we ever do to help such a large problem? Our video answers this question in an educational and humor-filled way through the usage of environmental tips and tricks. We listed the following tips and tricks in the video:

1.      Walk to class instead of driving. It will help eliminate air pollution

2.      Spend time outside. The CO2 you emit is actually great for the environment.

3.      Purchase products that do not contain palm oil. The only way to stop destructive palm oil farming practices is to not buy items containing it.

4.      Turn off the lights when you leave a room. This will reduce your energy usage.

5.      Use reusable water bottles instead of plastic water bottles. This will save plastic and will save you money.

6.      Read class assignments on your laptop instead of printing. This will help save trees and eliminate paper waste.

7.      Buy your clothing from sustainably-sourcing companies.

These tips may seem simple, but it is important to be reminded of simple tasks we can do to help conserve and save the environment. Our video highlights that you do not need to come up with an Earth-shattering solution to an Earth-shattering problem, but rather we can make a collective effort to take small steps towards reducing our carbon footprints and enhancing the environment. If every college student practiced these seven tips, the environment would be better off. These small steps also have the potential to lead towards eventual greater steps to help the environment.

We had a great semester in this class. It really opened our eyes and taught us how to appreciate nature in a deeper way and that we are the future of environmental stewardship. Any effort we can make to help is well worth it. Thank you!

https://youtu.be/WkxwwWO7YAI

Sweet Gum

On November 21st, I returned home for the Thanksgiving holidays. Back to good ol' Atlanta, Texas. The day before Thanksgiving, not many people were out and about. Most were home enjoying the holidays. I decided it would be the perfect time to explore the local state park, Atlanta State Park. Just 5.8 miles from my house, it is a wonder I have never been. My parents insist that I have been, but if I have gone before, I was too young to remember.

The foliage on the way to the park was absolutely breathtaking. It always seems that the leaves on the trees wait until mid to late November to change colors in that neck of the woods. I assume it's because it doesn't get cold until around that time. I sat down by the lake and decided to start writing because water is the ultimate inspiration. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I decided to just take a walk and see what I could find. I walked into the woods for probably 10 minutes then stumbled upon this beautiful little duo of trees.

What first struck me about these two trees is that they have the exact same structure and type of leaves, but the colors are so different. After a little bit of research, I found that they are both young Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) trees. The leaves of the Sweet Gum are green all year until Autumn when they turn a bright reddish orange color. These particular trees look like they started their life at around the same time, but one has yet to realize it is Autumn. 

The Sweet Gum tree was one of the first trees I learned about when I was a child. Growing up in the country, I spent a lot of time outdoors, most of the time with no shoes on. That led to the quick and painful discovery of the Sweet Gum's fruit. I sat and watched these trees for several minutes, reminiscing on the memories of my childhood and thinking about the similarities between these two trees and the people I grew up with. Ultimately, it is our experiences and subtle differences in our lives that shape us into who we are. I can't wait to go back and check on these trees next month.

"How Flowers Changed the World" Reflection

For our class on September 12th, the class was assigned readings from Loren Eiseley, Rachel Carson, and Paul Ehrlich. I ended up reading through the Loren Eiseley passage twice because I was so fascinated with his essay, "How Flowers Changed the World."

To me, there is something beautiful and poetic about the way flowers have led to the existence of humans, of me in particular. Eiseley says that once upon a time, there were no flowers at all. What a dull world that must have been. He specifically states that without flowers, man himself would never have existed. One quote in particular stood out to me. Eiseley quoted Francis Thompson and said, "one could not pluck a flower without troubling a star."

Having grown up not even knowing what evolution was, I was dumbfounded when I finally started intensely studying about it in my freshman year biology class. I developed a fascination for the subject, and every once in a while, something like this essay takes me back to the way I felt during that biology class, small.

The entire human race owes its existence to flowers and so many other seemingly insignificant things in this world. When the earth was born, there was such a low probability that humans or even flowers would come into existence that it is, in every sense of the word, a miracle that I am alive today.

Eiseley has a way of writing that invokes fascination and wonder in the reader and gives him or her the ability to relate to his shared experiences. He finds the perfect balance of science and story-telling. If I learned one thing from his essay, it is that everything is connected in some way, and I should be thankful for flowers, and nature as a whole, for giving me the chance to live.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

On September 2nd, I took a trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Fossil Rim is a 1,800-acre drive-thru park with over 1,100 animals to observe. It is located in Glen Rose, Texas, which is about 60 miles from Fort Worth. I left Fort Worth at 8:30 AM and started my Fossil Rim adventure at a little after 9:30 AM. 

The first animal I saw at Fossil Rim was the scimitar-horned oryx, a white, antelope-looking creature with horns that curled back behind its head. This animal met us at the gate, and I knew I was going to see several unusual animals during my drive. 

The next animal I saw was probably my favorite new animal I saw, the blackbuck. It had black fur, and long, spiral horns that it used to scratch its back. It had several scratches and scars on its body that I figured had to be from it scratching itself so much.

A European red deer, which is about as large as a moose, stuck its head in the window of our car to look for food, which surprised me because its rack of antlers was massive. I think if it didn't have as large of antlers as it did, it would have tried to climb in the car with us. 

About halfway through the drive, there was a rest stop with a petting zoo full of emus and sheep. While there, I learned about the unique digestive systems of the sheep and the history of the emu. When I pet the sheep, I didn't really know what to expect, but its fur was coarse and a lot thicker than I thought it was going to be.

The most exciting animal to see was undoubtedly the giraffe. I have seen a few giraffes in the Fort Worth zoo and a few others, but being able to see one up close was fascinating. The giraffe I saw was going from car to car, sticking its head in each sunroof and window trying to find some food. One of the strangest experiences of my life was feeling the giraffe's tongue when it ate food from my hand. 

The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a great experience that everyone in the DFW area should take advantage of. I have always felt wary going to the zoo, because I hate seeing the animals caged and not having enough space, but Fossil Rim gives the animals a safe environment and plenty of space to roam freely.

Trinity River Canoe Trip

Trinity River Canoe Trip

On September 19^th, the class went on a canoe trip along the Trinity River. We met at the Rec Center and all rode together to the site where we set the canoes in the river. We embarked on the trip on White Settlement Road, west of downtown. When we got out of the vans, we had to help the Rec workers unload the canoes from the trailer.

After we unloaded our canoes from the trailer, we had to partner up and carry our canoes to the riverbank about 300 yards away. Davis and I were the first ones to load our canoes into the river, so we waited around in the water for everyone else to get in.

As we paddled down the river, I think everyone was surprised about the amount of trash and litter was in the river. At times, it was difficult to find a way to get around without hitting trash. I think the city definitely needs to up their efforts on keeping the river clean.

My favorite thing about the trip is that I got to know everyone in the class better. In class, we don’t really have time to get to know one another, so it was nice having an outing where we could just float down the river and talk. The collective suffering of being destroyed by mosquitoes probably also helped increase the bonding experience.

On the last leg of our trip, we came into view of downtown. It was a great reward for the two hours worth of paddling we all had to do. Downtown Fort Worth is beautiful at night, and it was incredible to see it in a different way, with a group of friends on the Trinity River.

Fort Worth Nature Center (9/26/18)

Greenhouse Work

On September 26^th, our class took our first excursion to the Fort Worth Nature Center. After the half hour drive from campus, we met up at the Visitor’s Center and met Daniel and Michelle, the head staff at the Nature Center. They gave us a brief introduction to the Center and told us what we would be doing for the next several weeks. They also loaned us some rain boots since it had been raining and we were going to be working in the mud.

We all drove out to a different area of the Nature Center where the staff had begun constructing a green house. For some reason, the green house needed a large plastic silo next to it for water drainage or storage, so a few of us in the class had to pick it up and roll it next to the green house. The two hours that we spent working were spent digging ditches next to the green house. The staff needed plenty of room to lay some ground work, so we dug the entire two hours with pickaxes and shovels.

The rain seemed like it was going to be an inconvenience, but it loosened the dirt, so that made it a little easier for us to dig. However, it did make it difficult to walk around. It felt like we were walking in quick sand the whole time. I’ve done my fair share of shoveling, but using a pickaxe was a new experience for me, so it took some getting used to.

It was exciting to see all the new ideas Daniel and Michelle have for the Nature Center. They plan to use the greenhouses to grow several plants and have a few nurseries for the local community. They are also working to expand the bison viewing areas and having a local fundraiser. This first experience at the Nature Center provided me and the entire class with a great learning experience and an awareness of nature in Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Nature Center (10/3/18)

Clearing the Bison Viewing Area

On October 3rd, our class had our second excursion at the Fort Worth Nature Center. The previous week, we worked for a couple of hours in the mud digging ditches with shovels and pickaxes, so this week was bound to be easier.

The staff at the Nature Center told us about a trail, which had previously been a bison viewing area. It was left alone for quite some time, so the growth around the viewing area prevented guests from being able to see the bison. There had also been some issues with guests complaining about the condition of the deck that they walk out on to view the bison. There were some holes and areas that could cause injury if they weren't noticed.

As a class, we had to remove all of the excess growth crowding the viewing area and make the other side of the fence visible from the deck. The staff provided us all with tools, so some of us used hand saws and others used clippers to try to clear the brush. Most of the plants in the surrounding area had thorns, so that made it difficult to clear them out. However, using teamwork, we were able to make some progress and hopefully make the staff's job easier.

The work we did during this excursion was a familiar experience for me, because I have had to help my dad and grandpa outside for years while growing up. I am pretty comfortable with handling the tools and avoiding thorns. I am hoping that I can visit the Nature Center in the near future and be able to view the bison from that area, so I can see how our work as a class paid off.

It really is incredible to think about how much the staff at the Nature Center gets done even though there are only three of them working there. As a class, we were able to do quite a bit in two hours, but they keep those hundreds of acres running smoothly every day.

Fort Worth Nature Center (10/10/18)

This week at the Nature Center, the class was assigned the task of getting rid of mesquite trees. Although the plants are beneficial to many different animals, they make it difficult for the bison to graze in the pastures. The workers at the Nature Center are trying to expand the grazing area for the bison, so they need to clear out as much of the mesquite as possible.

We were split into groups of four, three students cutting down the mesquite and one following and treating the root of the tree with herbicide. The herbicide was necessary in this case because there was so much mesquite, and it makes it so much easier to control the growth of the plant. I had to be trained to use the herbicide, which was slightly intimidating since I have never worked with chemicals before. But, I learned that it was one of the least dangerous herbicides available, and it had a minimal effect on the environment.

At the end of our work day, we ended up clearing out a large portion of the field. As we worked, I loved watching everyone get comfortable with their different jobs, slowly learning and getting better as the day went by. We got pretty efficient at clearing mesquite by the end of the day. Even if we got splinters and 50+ bug bites, it was a great learning and bonding experience for the class.

Nature Observation - Monarch Butterfly

Every middle school student in Texas and probably the United States undoubtedly learns about the life-cycle of the monarch butterfly at some piont. We learned about the transition from and egg to a caterpillar to a chrysalis to a fully-grown butterfly in the fifth grade. At the time, it just seemed like another science lesson, but as I reflect on it today, I realize just how fascinating the monarch butterfly is.

On one of my early morning visits to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens last week, I stopped to sit for just a moment, and a monarch butterfly landed on a flower about two feet from where I was sitting. I observed it for a few minutes until it flew away. Then, I followed it around for half an hour around the garden.

I had to do a quick refresher on the anatomy and life-cycle of the butterfly, but it came back to me relatively quickly. I followed the monarch around for a few minutes until it landed on a large bush of small, lavender-pink, daisy-like flowers called Coreopsis “Limerock Passion” (Tickseed). The center of the flower glowed with an orange hue, complimenting the monarch’s colors. The monarch itself flapped its wings slightly as it tried to sip nectar from the freshly-bloomed flower. The dark black veins on its wings and the two large spots on its hind wings indicated to me that he was a male. As I approached him trying to get a closer picture, he spread his wings and flapped them faster as if to scare me away or tell me to keep my distance. Either that or he was trying to show off, both of which I understand. If I were his size, I would want the giant human to keep his distance, too. On the other hand, if I had beautiful, bright orange wings, I would probably show them off, too.

He floated from flower to flower gracefully but still with a purpose. When he was feeding, he made slow movements with his wings. When travelling to another flower on the same plant, he flew slowly, but when he decided to find another source of food, his movements became more sporadic and purposeful. During the half hour I watched him wonder around the garden, he returned to the Pink Peppermint Lace Crape Myrtle the most. There was only one of these in the garden, so his patterns were fairly consistent. To the daisies, to the mist-flowers, and back to the Crape Myrtle.

Several other animals were wondering throughout the garden, such as lizards, hummingbirds, and black birds. The monarch seemed to disregard the other animals, even if they were competing for the same food sources. The hummingbirds would dive down and fight with one another over the same flower, but the monarch was left alone the whole time. Minding his own business, he floated from flower to flower. He didn’t bother anyone, and nobody bothered him. He was on a mission to survive, even if it is only for 2-6 weeks.