Week Three at the Fort Worth Nature Center

Week Three at the Fort Worth Nature Center 

Week three at the nature center was my favorite thus far, because the weather was gorgeous. It was my favorite kind of the weather. The cool front brought by the rain was nice, but the sun helped warm the air—making it just the right temperature for my liking. I could’ve worn a sweater in the shade, but working in the sun I was comfortable in my t-shirt.

I arrived about a half an hour early to class and was not sure where we were meeting, so I took the liberty of driving around the park, exploring other areas we have not yet been to on our weekly visits. I drove by the water and observed people with their boats and other equipment. However, I did not pass many cars or people on the road, which I suppose had to do with the day of the week and time of day. I assume the park yields more visitors on the weekends. For the fear of getting lost and being late to class, I didn’t explore for long before I made my way back to the class meeting spot.

When everyone arrived, we were split into groups of 3-4 and tasked with clearing mesquite in the bison pasture. Two people were asked to cut the mesquite, one was asked to clear the brush into piles, and another was asked to follow behind and treat the base of the plant with herbicide. I have never used herbicides, so I was hesitant to volunteer for that task. Therefore, I grabbed a pair of gloves and began chopping small groups of mesquite. In my group, we rotated tasks by each taking turns cutting mesquite trees and hauling the limbs into a pile we had created. Someone would then come around and spray the base of the trunk with herbicide.

It was fun and easy to cut the small plants; however, it was more challenging to cut the trees with a thicker trunk. I attempted to use a saw to cut a larger plant and nearly had it cut, before needing assistance from Dr. Williams. I discovered using the saw tool was not my strength, so I switched tools and spent the remainder of the class moving the branches into piles. I found this task most enjoyable because I got to move around and observe how much progress we were making. I am always impressed with how much brush we clear during our couple hour visit.

The only negative aspect of the experience was the vast amount of thorns covering the entirety of the plant. I was constantly getting poked through my gloves. I got a splinter stuck in my hand, although thankfully it was small and it didn’t hurt. I had to strategically select where I gripped the plant to remove it, for fear of being poked with the long thorns. There were several times when a thorn would get stuck in my glove. Thankfully, I dodged a few of the thorns from sticking me, because my gloves were too big for my hands.

My favorite moment of the class was during the water break, when Daniel and Michelle shared stories about their experience with bison. I cannot imagine working with such large animals. It’s so kind of Daniel to invite us to volunteer for their Halloween night and to watch the bison vaccinations. I’m not sure if I will be able to attend either event yet, but I appreciate that he invited our class. I haven’t gotten to know the staff well yet, but I can tell they are such kind people. They are so friendly and welcoming. I appreciate that they welcome us with such positive spirits each week and allow us to work on different projects. I like not knowing exactly what I’ll be doing when I arrive for the day. It keeps things interesting and gives me something to look forward to each week.