Maddie Goes Outside!

This morning, I was lucky enough to be able to fly to Israel for fall break. I originally flew from Dallas to New York, then from New York to Tel Aviv. I absolutely adore an evening flight because sunsets are my favorite time of day and it's fun to try to pick out specific cities below based on all their lights (if you couldn’t tell by now, I’m SUCH a window seat girl).  Looking out the window, it’s interesting to watch the cities pass by. I like to see the juxtaposition of the huge cities with lots of lights versus the more rural areas with maybe only a few streetlights- signs of life, but a life less touched by industrialization. Below is the exact moment when we flew over my very own hometown! It was surreal to see a place I know like the back of my hand from a perspective that took away any familiarity I thought I had. I couldn’t pick out my street or favorite places to drive around. This got me thinking- how are flighted animals always able to return home? How do they keep tra...

Last week, our class had the opportunity to clear out some privet at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. I had been to the Nature Center before, but it was cool to be there as a helper. I like the idea that I’m enhancing the experience of the next person that comes along and thus, hopefully, encourage more people to experience and enjoy nature (clearly I enjoyed arguing for "accessibility" our class debate).  For those who may not know, privet is invasive shrubbery in the genus Ligustrum. It is particularly prevalent in the American Southeast and thrives in areas with lots of sunlight that have experienced disturbed soil. Though not necessarily an eyesore, the privet we encountered at the Nature Center absolutely took over the whole scene. It overran all the plants that were meant to grow and thrive in the environment and took away from the scene as a whole. Not only were we unable to see the flora and fauna that the privet engulfed, but we also could not see through th...