Week six of the
fall semester has come and gone, marking the term as more than a third
complete. We have now traveled to the Fort Worth Nature Center three times, continuing
to work on our trails each visit. This week we met directly at our trail head, giving
our group more time to work during the class session. Our trail has a few major
maintenance issues, including trail erosion and overgrowth. The main issue is
the mass invasion of privet, especially in the areas bordering the fence. This
is the problem we tackled this week, with our group working together in a small
area to remove a bulk of the privet. In our time, we removed several large and
dead branches. By the end, the fence was visible, providing users with a
clearer view of the areas off-trail. Our work made a noticeable difference in
the look of trail. It was very rewarding to feel like we were having a real
impact through our work. It also gives me a deeper appreciation for the work
the Fort Worth Nature Center employees, and all trail maintenance officials, do
daily. Maintaining our outdoor spaces is of high importance and assures that
future generations will be able to enjoy this nature too. On our trail, the
invasion of privet threatens to kill off many native and beautiful plant
species. I am glad I can play a part in preserving these unique plants.
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| An after photo our trail! |
This week we were
accompanied by a FWNC employee during our time on the trail. He provided us
with some unique information on the plant species growing at the center. We
learned about the difference between Red and White Oaks, and how to recognize
the leaf of each tree. We also learned about the White Locus, a plant with some
rather dangerous-looking thorns. I will be on the lookout for this plant as I
continue to work on the trail to avoid any mishaps! It was great to learn more
about the foliage on our trail, especially to identify a clear difference
between the desire plants and the invasive weeds. This will aid us as we continue
to maintain the integrity of the trail.
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| Red Oak leaves with "arrowhead" shape |
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| White Oak leaves with "bullet" shape |
I am excited to continue
our work at the Nature Center in the coming weeks, hopefully seeing even more
progress on our trail. My goal is to leave the Nature Center better than it was
when we drove in this August. Hopefully we will be able to accomplish this goal
as individual groups and a class to help keep Fort Worth beautiful!
