For the month of February I wanted to visit outdoor areas I have never been before. The first two Friday’s of the month I went to Wild Basin Nature Preserve, and the last two Fridays, I spent at Blunn Creek. The first trip to Wild Basin was Friday 6, 2015. I went with two friends, from 5-6 pm. The weather was 57 degrees upon arriving, but dropped about 5 degrees by the time we left. We set out on the trail making our way to a really cute bridge where we crossed and were greeted by a large overlook of the entire preserve. The trail would be a good place to run and hike, but the real fun is when you explore off into the depths of the preserve. We jumped, scaled, and descended down the steep preserve. With no sense of direction, we came upon many hidden areas, and small cave like structures that had small amounts of water. We then heard running water, and set out to find it. Using purely our hearing we followed the sound of a waterfall until we found it! It was covered by green algae and was just too cold enough for me to not put my feet in. The waterfall was the highlight of this adventure. The second Friday of the month, the 13th, I went back to Wild Basin with a few different friends to show them around. Coming back the second time I began to show my friends the sights I previously saw. I then convinced them to go off the trail and explore. I heard water again and alone, crawled down to a section of a stream. I did not know where I was in the preserve in relation to the waterfall. I actually had no idea where I was at all! I took this moment of being purely lost in nature to sit and meditate. The stream lulled my thoughts until I was at peace with my surroundings. I felt centered and returned to my friends. In A Sand County Alamanac, Alfred Leopold states, “Parks are made to bring the music to the many, but by the time many are attuned to hear it there is little left but noise”(159) . Listening to the stream, I felt connected to this quote. There is so much nature has to offer the human spirit, and we do not even realize! The last two Fridays of the month I couldn’t make it over to Wild Basin, so I spent my time at Blunn Creek. I was able to compare the two spots. While Blunn is much smaller, you still see some of the same native plants as in Wild Basin. Reflecting on my time this month spent in nature, I can conclude it acts as a de-stress activity. My stress level numbers were fairly high during the week. The work of school especially at this point in the semester can be overwhelming at times. But every Friday my number was lower than the previous weeks data. In the month of March I plan to try and visit more nature places I have yet to see. I hope to eventually visit the greenbelt. I also hope to see a positive relationship between nature and my stress level. Learning this information about myself can help the way I deal with my stress, and hopefully make me a generally less stressed person.
