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.
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