Victoria's Nature Journal

The Best Picture        I chose this photo because it captures a sunrise following an overnight storm. The combination of the rising sun, water vapor, and untouched snow creates a quiet and still atmosphere. The pool remaining unfrozen highlights how recent the snowfall was. I am naturally drawn to sunrises and water, so the addition of snow made this moment feel especially unique.  The Ten Best Pictures 

     I think we need the wild. One of the most meaningful experiences that showed me this was a trip to Broken Bow, Oklahoma last fall. I had not been that immersed in nature for an extended period since I was younger. I had experienced nature before through trips to different countries, but those environments often felt more developed and tourist oriented. In contrast, Broken Bow felt less controlled and more immersive, making the experience more meaningful. Hiking along the river and swimming in it reminded me of how peaceful and beautiful the natural environment can be. Being surrounded by trees, water, and open space felt different from everyday life, which is often filled with noise and distractions.      After my experience in Broken Bow and what I learned in my ecology class, visiting the nature center for this course deepened my understanding of why we need the wild and how it is affected by human activity. I learned how complex ecosystems are and h...

     In my mindfulness class, we did an outdoor walking meditation by the FAB and music center. It was a cloudy day, and the wind made it feel cooler. As I slowly walked around observing my surroundings, I noticed things I had never paid attention to before. There is a beautiful water fountain in front of the music center that is copper and decorated with rocks. I found it minimalistic but relaxing, especially hearing the water trickling and the wind rustling through the leaves. Hearing moving water is calming to me, and I liked that the fountain did not splash. I also appreciated the plants around the fountain, including what I identified as skullcaps and grass-like plants from the order Poales, which made the area feel more immersed in nature. As I continued walking toward the FAB, I began appreciating TCU’s landscaping more and more. Since I am rarely in that area, I had never noticed that under the bridge there are rocks and plants like wax myrtle, which made it feel ...

     In my #SorryNotSorry course, we went to the zoo. It was an overcast and windy day, making it feel muggy and cold at times. When we walked in, I was surprised that we were not met with a strong odor as I expected. The first animals we spotted were the monkeys, which were climbing on ropes and structures and occasionally stopping to watch the people around them. As we walked through the zoo, I noticed that the plants and trees were lush and green, providing shade and adding life to the space. I also noticed differences in the water within the enclosures. The monkey enclosure had darker green water, while the elephant enclosure’s water appeared bluer. As we passed different animals, I paid attention to the variety of sounds, from quiet chirping to louder calls echoing across the exhibits.      Because of these observations, and a prompt from my class asking whether animals in zoos deserve an apology for how humans treat them, I began thinking more critica...

     Over spring break, I was able to go on a mission trip to Belize. For four days, I went to a small Catholic school in Bladen and spent time with the kids who attended. Their buildings did not have air conditioning, only open windows with blinds for some airflow. The classrooms felt warm and still, while outside the heat was intense, with dry dirt, scattered rocks, and even ant piles across the field where the kids played. Despite this, the kids moved constantly between the classroom and outdoors without complaining.      We spent most of our time outside playing with the kids, and I noticed how comfortable they were in the environment. Many of them ran across the rough ground barefoot or in slides, which I found impressive and eye-opening. We even saw and held lizards around the school and later at the resort, which made me realize how much was going on around us that I normally would not pay attention to. On the last day, we played full-field soccer ga...

     In class today we went to the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge and helped cut down privet to allow bison to eventually graze in that pasture. Privet is a major invasive species, so removing it and following up with a prescribed burn helps restore the land and create a healthier environment for native plants and animals. The week before, we cut down bamboo, another invasive species the refuge is dealing with.      As we worked, I noticed how dense the privet had become. The thick branches and tangled growth made it difficult to walk through the area, often forcing us to stop or change direction. It made me think about how much harder it must be for animals like bison to move and graze in spaces overtaken by invasive plants. Seeing this firsthand helped me better understand how these species disrupt natural ecosystems.      Before volunteering, I did not realize how much effort goes into maintaining these environments. Cutting through...