My family and I took a trip to Sansom Park, where we walked along the trails and let nature encompass us in a stress-free zone. Taking these nature walks with my parents has been a true joy as I have been able to explore nature with them and discuss my learnings from Treks and Texts. While on this walk, we discussed the importance of nature and how tranquil setting yourself in nature can be.
I remember this trip well as we spotted a few deer hiding behind a large tree. I smiled as seeing wildlife along this trail had been foreign to me until now. The deer was particularly skittish, and once the deer noticed my camera zooming in, the deer dashed away quickly. The sight of one deer encouraged me to look for its friends. I was happy to learn that this deer was not alone and, in fact, had two other deer accompanying him. Watching from a far distance now, I tried to snap photos, but some other hikers startled them away.
Seeing these deer within 15 feet astonished me because I had never been that close to a deer before. Usually, I spot them when in the car as they try to cross the road. However, being nearby made me think about our discussion about conservation and appreciating the wilderness. In that moment of locking eyes with the deer, I understood the timidness since a human was so close. I loved watching the deer stagger away into the depths of nature as a retreat or safe space, similar to how my family and I venture into nature in hopes of a retreat to relaxation. It's all about balance.
This scene of the deer and I reminded me of our discussion over Leopold's Land Ethic. The Land Ethic was described as a policy that humans should treat the land with respect as the land is of equal importance to any other organism. The Land Ethic led me to encapsulate the deer and its quietness instead of trying to provoke or instill fear in the deer. I didn't mind being feet away from the deer. I understand the mutual respect for nature and humanity.
Along with the deer, I spotted many dried bushels and grasses. The grasses were low on the ground but were in abundance. When overlooking the trail's edge, Lake Worth was glittering as the sunlight beamed into the water. What took my breath away was the plentiful trees that seemed to span for miles. The greens of the trees merged into a massive span of land and captivated me as I spotted true beauty. Trees express a sense of resilience and hope as they live for centuries and play a significant role in the ecosystem. In a place like Texas, where the weather is primarily hot and drought is a common concern, you would think these green trees would be nonexistent. The trees symbolize adaptability as they must have a mechanism to retain water to keep their leaves looking prime.
Connecting my experience to Aldo Leopold, I believe that Sansom Park is an example of the "Thinking like a mountain" idea because the ecosystem that exists in the park has been native to this area for lifespans. Although urbanization does exist throughout the perimeter of Sansom Park, the wildlife present can exist and co-exist with the development of artificial systems. The trees that resonated throughout Sansom Park are the "mountain" in this area because the trees have been there for centuries. Therefore, my gratitude towards the trees, deer, and other species in this biotic community is endless because these ecosystems thrived through persistence and adaptability, which is a heavy task that should be noticed by humans.
Overall, my time walking through Samson Park was rewarding and thought-provoking because I have developed a deep and empathic understanding of the areas that make genuine efforts to preserve natural habitats. As Stegner professed, we need to take action to conserve and protect nature at all costs because, without it, we would be lost as a species. I remember his comment comparing the land to a beehive and the people as bees. If the beehive were to be disrupted, then the bees would be impacted as well. This is true with nature, as humans will be negatively affected if we don't care for our planet. People must come together as a community to spread the word on conservation and reflect on their actions to make changes that will benefit the good of all life.
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