Nature's Fragility

We were on our way to our third visit to the Fort Worth Nature Center with no idea what to expect. The past two weeks have been physically tiring but rewarding to see the progress that we had made. From setting the foundation for a big water jug to clearing the bush and weeds from the Bison Viewing Deck, we had certainly found satisfaction in seeing our progress. We looked forward to whatever challenge was next on our docket.

            We passed several bison, thankfully firmly inside the fence, and pulled into some spots outside a previously gated area. After everybody arrived, we were told what our next mission was. The area we were standing in was one of the several feeding areas for the thirteen or so bison. These bison fed on the grass and were rotated throughout different areas of the nature center to keep having abundant grass available.

            Our task was to clear a specific type of plant that had taken over these parts. It was preventing grass from growing and needed to be removed as soon as possible. The issue was that removal was a several step task. First, we had to find the specific plants, and then we had to cut or saw it down to a stub. Finally, we were to spray herbicide over it to prevent further growth and ultimately kill it.

            I was tasked with using the herbicide. I had to sign a contract and was told that one day of herbicide was harmless but continual use could lead to cancer. Certainly not what I wanted to hear as I signed my name on the dotted line. It was clear to me how powerful this chemical concoction was.

            While I carefully sprayed the newly exposed plant after it had been cut, I could not help but think how potentially damaging this spray was to the greater environment. My mind went back to Leonardo Di Caprio’s documentary on the devastation our Earth was experiencing. Even though the herbicide spray and mass pollution creation are in two totally different realms, there was this truth of how easy it is to damage the environment. While nature’s finest images might seem indestructible, they seemingly aren’t. Our ability to break down Mother Nature is happening at an alarming rate and with great easiness. It can be experienced by something as simple as some chemical mixture used to kill harmful plants. The fragility of nature is what I will remember from the Nature Center that day.