Schob Nature Preserve Observations

Our time at the Schob Nature Preserve in College Station actually surprised me. In the days prior to the field trip, I had done research on the location (directions, photos, reviews, etc.), and it seemed a bit boring to look at online (of course, everything is until you arrive in person). When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see how lush and wonderfully open it was. The many small trails that surrounded the preserve took you on a mini journey all their own.

Seeing as how it is a nature preserve, it it obvious that there is typically a human presence around most of the time. At the Schob Preserve, a previous human presence was apparent: beautiful frameworks and fun crafted signs nailed onto a tree that told us how far away major cities are next to a small wooden bridge.

Unfortunately, human presence means just that. While most spots noted the gentle touch of our species, some spots reminded us how negligent our fellow man can be. Right off the line of a small pond towards the back brush of the preserve was a hefty sprinkling of litter: water bottles, beer cans, paper trash. All scattered around as if one lone person came and just emptied their garbage bag right onto the ground.

Luckily, that was about the extent of the negative portion of the morning at the preserve. Noticing how natural a lot of the landscape was turned out to be more intriguing than simply relaxing. It seemed every pathway had a different mini phenomenon than the last. One had a leaning tree right across the pathway and one even had just the bottom half of a dead tree still standing straight up as if nothing had ever happened to its cap.

A final peaceful element that one could not help but noticing was the crunching of the gravel under walking feet. It reminds us of our previous nature walks, summer camp, and other fun outdoor adventures we have experienced. Along with this, the layout of the preserve was neat and formulated with its wide open center and its mini pathways on the side, almost like limbs extending from the center. This environment made for a perfect final observation.

HOWDY Farm Observations

At the HOWDY Farm on campus, we, the students, were introduced to just dirt and dead roots. A great lack of presentation and vibrancy bored me from the beginning.

Of course I knew the blandness of the farm was a mere result of it being the end of the summer season, the prime of a gardener's year. It would not stop me from being able to picture the potential that I knew this chipper farm holds the rest of the year. I saw blooming walkways beyond the dead roots on the ground.

However, there were a handful of fully-bloomed flowers remaining that kept us entertained: purple ones, yellow ones, red ones. They all sprinkled about the farm and provided a bit of a glow to the place.

We learned that the farm started off as a vegetable production class and then became a community garden for the Bryan-College Station area. This would serve to be effective because the contributors would end up meeting their initial goal of promoting sustainable agriculture and connecting the community back to food through veggie and fruit planting.

Further into the garden, the active profile of it appeared: banana trees, bean plants that never go out of season, and even corn stocks! We got to see an active farm! The front provided a bit of a false hope, so we were excited to see the heart of it all. We were told about an incredible man-made irrigation system that utilized the slope of the land and how the farm uses a 2,000-gallon bin that allows the gardeners to re-purpose rainwater. Every element shone through to us.

What started off as a letdown turned into something to really write about. Witnessing the traditional desire to be fed directly from the earth was relieving. Everything was organic and everything was recycled in some way or another. The gardeners value their earthly practice so much that they ensured that the farm simulated a natural ecosystem to a T. They have grown to be so popular that one would need to be in line at their market an hour early to purchase their fresh produce. Or, another option is to just simply take a visit to the farm, walk around, and appreciate its natural radiance.

Research Park Observations

Research Park in College Station provided some rather intriguing natural elements. From creek beds to catfish, it holds a certain entanglement of itself through its many components.

Though it was quite hot outside, the trees gave a nice cool shade. A pond sat in the middle of the park, drawing most of the students' attention for the morning. Here, a handful of turtles and a family of ducks could be found rummaging among our shadows on the water, hoping for a snack.

Something that I noticed almost immediately was our interaction with the wildlife. While feeding ducks and pond turtles is commonly done and seen by people, we individually tend to not connect with free-roaming animals daily or even monthly. We were strangers to their home yet they seemed next to unshaken.

Animals aside, I wound up finding the most tranquil spots. The coolness of big rocks and the trickling of a small stream made a particular spot irresistible. Sometimes we find relaxation with a cup of tea and a few chapters of our favorite book on the couch, but this spot in the park provided the exact same outcome, only better: you can dip your toes in this one.

As the morning went on, I noticed a sort of "island" that had a wooden swing tied around a tree branch that a student was sitting on. As I stared for a few moments, I couldn't help but think about how much more common it was for people to interact with nature in past centuries: swinging away on tree swings was once a daily activity children took advantage of, finding the time to stare at one's refection in the river made women smile, and outdoor windy picnics were a weekend priority.

Unfortunately, we have grown too busy for nature. We have grown too busy to appreciate what contributes to our very lives. Our lack of acknowledgement towards our natural environment has grown, and the most we find ourselves enjoying a landscape is behind a phone camera. It is assignments such as these Nature Writings that take us out of our norm and into the norm.