"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.