Early in the Spring I had signed up to volunteer at the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve here in Austin. So for my April blog post I decided to do it over my experience at Wild Basin. I had heard of the Wild Basin before but it was my first time ever visiting so I didn’t really know what to expect. When I first arrived the people working there were so welcoming and down-to-earth, you could really tell they cared a lot about Wild Basin.
Before I began my shift I was able to talk to some of the people for a bit and I came to find out some pretty awesome things about this organization. First off, Wild Basin provides habitat for the endangered Golden–cheeked warbler as well as many other native plant and wildlife species. Secondly, St. Edward’s owns a part of it and they conduct research there as well! The Creative Research Center, which is owned and operated by our school, “functions as the information and welcome hub of Wild Basin. It serves both the visiting public and facilitates student education and research at Wild Basin” (Travis County Parks). I thought it was really cool how St. Edward’s facilities research here and gives St. Ed’s students a chance to really interact hands-on with nature.
After talking with the workers for a while, it was time for my shift. For two hours, it was my job to sit in the entrance of the park and count people as they walked in. It was a beautiful day outside, sunny with a slight breeze. Weirdly though not many people came into the park that day, I remember counting only about 6-8 people. With not much activity going on I had about two hours to myself to sit in silence with my own thoughts and reflect for my very last nature blog. I pulled my chair out and sat down on a nice shady spot where I could easily see both entrances. My job was to basically record any one who came into Wild Basin, how many in a group, did they have dogs, bikes, were they smoking? (thankfully there was no smoking, bikes, or dogs– as they’re not allowed inside the park).
With finals and the end of the year coming in close, I has been feeling pretty stressed out so this break was much needed. As I sat down comfortably I took in my surroundings and relaxed. What I took notice of the most during my reflection was the breeze. There was something about the breeze that day that just made me feel so at ease.
Wild Basin is in a pretty hidden spot. There where so many trees and plant life all around you couldn’t see or hear the highway right next to it. I decided to take this time and disconnect myself from the outside world. With everything we had been learning in class about the environment and as my last blog, I really wanted to exert my full attention on this reflection. With this in mind, I decided to turn my phone off and put it away.
Sitting there, I could hear birds, trees rustling, and the occasional voices and footsteps of hikers int he distance. After a while, it began to seem as if I was in a complete different world. I felt so relaxed and with not a care in the world. If it wasn’t for me having to keep an eye out on people walking in, I would’ve probably asleep. Since it was from 4-6 it was at a perfect time during the day; as the time went by Wild Basin seemed to grow farther and farther away from reality. Those two hours seemed like a dream to me, they went by so quickly the next thing I knew the next person was showing up for their shift.
One thing I really liked from A Sand County Almanac, was when author Aldo Leopold stated how “We all strive for safety, prosperity, comfort, long life, and dullness.” In thinking about it, he’s right. In being so focused on having the perfect successful life, we become dull or blind to the things that really matter and are of importance.
I have to admit, I had much better experience recording these blogs than I thought I would. It was very positive and eye-opening for me. At first I wasn’t really understanding the concept of it, and struggled to stay concentrated during that one hour. But as the semester continued, my interest and effort for the assignment significantly increased. Personally I’ve never been “in-touch” with nature. My mom has always encouraged me and my family to spend more time outdoors because she strongly believes nature can contribute a healthy lifestyle. At first this didn’t make much sense to me but after having visited several parks, observed numerous things, and had different experiences for each one, I can now see what she meant.
This assignment as well as this class, has truly taught me the importance of our environment and how without it, we cannot survive. I specifically remember during the climate change debate, I read an article that said “we need nature to survive, but they don’t need us”. This really impacted me because it never occurred to me that this was actually true. In visiting all the different kinds of nature sites, I realized how unique each and every location was and how they all made me experience different emotions and feelings. Through the nature I was able to see the true value of the environment and all the benefits it brings us. I noticed how my most referenced word in my word cloud critique was “relaxing”. I cannot agree more, my one hour with nature made me nothing but relaxed. I never felt stressed, or tiered, or angry when doing this blogs. It was as if something in the environment took over my body completely and made me forget all my worries and stress. I always felt a sudden wave of calmness wash over me as I would begin my one hour with nature. I truly feel this assignment (also my research paper) benefited me in ways no theory assignment has before. I now realize how precious and beautiful our environment is and will strive to continue to expand my knowledge over environmental issues.
sources:
“Travis County Parks – Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.” Travis County Parks – Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. Travis County Parks, 2014. Web.