Week 5 at the Fort Worth Nature Center

     After five long weeks of chopping, lopping, and wood chipping away, we have officially completed our time at the Fort Worth Nature Center. Although I was unsure what to expect upon our arrival, it has been a rewarding experience to cut back the privet that threatens the natural species who make their home on the land. Of course, in classic fashion, our final visit could not be anything less than dramatic and harrowing. Rain pelted our car as we made the long trek out to the center, and I was thankful that I had remembered to pack my rain coat and a hat. With no chipper, we turned to our trusty shears to cut down invasive bamboo. I was a bit nervous to do this type of work, as I had mostly focused on wood chipping while others had done the chopping. However, I found the work relatively simple and a test of strength. It was fun to create the big piles, and although not as satisfying as chipping, it was immediately evident how much space the bamboo was taking up. Besides a light poke in the eye by a stray twig, we escaped relatively injury free, albeit soaked and muddy. I was reminded of my dad's days working in the yard as a kid, and how he would return covered in dirt, sweaty, and yet our yard looked pristine. Although it took a solid 10 minutes to escape from the piles we created, it was a funny and fulfilling last day of work at the center that I will not soon forget.

The perfect culmination of our work was as we drove away in the bed of the truck and saw a single deer walking amongst the area we had cleared, free of barriers and able to walk through the woods without the invasive species. It represented all of the work that we had done and how our work would truly impact the wildlife in the area. Although grizzly and difficult at times, our work was a rewarding experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to get outside each week and serve Fort Worth.

Muddy and wet but still smiling!

Our team!