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Goodbye for Now, FWNC

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When we showed up to the Fort Worth Nature Center for the first time at the beginning of this semester, I was unsure what to expect.   Each visit after, there was still a part of me that was unsure what to expect for the two hours (give or take) that we are at the FWNC. Sometimes we were cutting away privet with dangerous tools or pulling twisted thorny vines off the fence with our bare hands. Other times we were filling water-pooling holes with clay dirt. Here are the memories I cherish most: 1.)   Twice being attacked by vicious fire ants. My mistake for wearing open-toed Birkenstocks…I had bites all over my feet and ankles for a solid week. 2.)   Destroying the privet with huge sheers. Who knows if I actually made any visible progress but either way I enjoyed doing it. 3.)   Removing the vines from the trees along the fence. I put my back into this. It took much more energy and strength than you’d expect. I definitely felt accomplished when we finished an...
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Canoeing-Camping in Big Bend: Off the Grid & Out of Commodities

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Nature offers a plethora of spiritual, physical and emotional benefits. These benefits are amplified in a place so far out as the banks of the Rio Grande River. There is no cell service that reaches this land. Communication to my loved ones and friends at home was entirely cut off. I had no access to Snapchat, Facebook, or Instagram. There was no social media clutter in my conscious or sub-conscious mind. We actually lost cell service before we reached our first campsite. In the car, we kept ourselves busy with riddles, road trip games, and conversations. Cameron even read us parts of Edward Abbey’s excursions in Big Bend. It made Abbey’s experience much more relatable being in the same desolate desert. I cherished the bonding the most. It was genuine. There were no distractions in conversations so I knew my words were always heard by the people around me (except when the wind blocked them out). I also never got sick of anyone. Since we all chose to go on such a trip it meant that...
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Canoeing-Camping in Big Bend: Leave No Trace

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Visitors of Big Bend National Park are asked to adhere to the Principles of Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics. There are Seven Principles that Leave No Trace is built upon. 1.     Plan Ahead & Prepare 2.     Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces 3.     Dispose of Waste Properly 4.     Leave What You Find 5.     Minimize Campfire Impacts 6.     Respect Wildlife 7.     Be Considerate of Other Visitors I’ve already mentioned adherences to Leave No Trace (LNT) in previous posts, regarding cooking, fires, and trash. Ground campfires are prohibited in Big Bend for LNT purposes and to minimize the possibility of human-started wildfires.             The policy of Pack It In, Pack It Out, is significant to Leave No Trace. Everything you bring into the park must be brought with you out of the park. This includes foo...
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