Fort Worth Nature Center

Time at the Fort Worth Nature Center makes me appreciate nature trails and the complexity of nature. The hour and a half visits are usually spent maintaining the trails, especially fixing any holes in the trail and cutting down branches and plants in the way. This particular time was spent filling in dirt to sunken areas of the trail and creating dirt mounds to direct the water away from the trail. We learned that the damage to the trail is mostly caused by water running off from the grass and eroding the trail. So basically, all the did was move dirt for an hour and a half. This sounds like an experience straight out of Holes, the popular childhood movie. In fact, we even played the soundtrack of Holes the whole time while we dug, which added to the nostalgic experience. However, there was something so purposeful and peaceful about our task. While some could consider it monotonous, I enjoyed the routine of picking up and placing dirt. My mind got lost in the dirt, as it was the only thing I looked at for the whole time. Dirt isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of nature, but the more I thought of it the more I considered it's importance. It's the foundation to nature. It's what plants need to grow. It's what people need to walk on to enjoy nature. It provides stability and our task helped the safety and accessibility of the trails. After the hour and a half, I felt like I accomplished something; that I helped nature in a way. Though minuscule, our efforts furthered the preservation of an amazing environment. I respected dirt after the experience... it's colors, texture, smell, and ability to compact. Never have I spent so much time with dirt. 

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