Courtney's Blog

I honestly did not know what to expect when I drove out to the Nature Center for our canoeing adventure on that chilly Wednesday afternoon. I have kayaked and canoed a few times and have definitely enjoyed myself, so I was looking forward to the venture. However, I am not a huge fan of the cold weather, so I was not sure I’d enjoy the experience this time around. We got in the canoes and began rowing down the river in the direction of the area we placed the erosion mats. We had walked the banks of this part of the river 5 or 6 times at this point, so it all looked familiar but also different due to thew new perspective. The water was fairly calm despite the cool wind that came down across the water. Once we passed the area of the erosion mats, the mouth of the river narrowed and began to wind. The trees covered us like a tunnel as we navigated our way through fallen tree trunks, rocks, and debris. The dense forest softened the wind and the water was so calm, it had a glassy appearance...

The grapes on this grapevine are dark purple and very tiny. They sit in clusters of about 30-50 grapes, but the whole bundle can fit in the palm of my hand. As I picked up the bundle, it was heavier than I imagined it to be. They are probably densely packed full of juice in order to make wine. Each bundle drooped lower towards the ground as the grapes continued to grow and weigh down the arms of the vine. There were approximately four to five bundles on each vine. I figured that it must be time to harvest the grapes soon. The vine in which the grapes sat on was as tall as me, climbing up a trellis in order to reach a little closer to the sun. At the base, the vine was about four inches wide. This must mean it was an older vine that has been producing grapes for hundreds of years. The leaves were still green on this vine because the grapes had yet to be harvested. The leaves were so large that they covered up the grape bundles and made it difficult to see from a distance. They were ...

Before my trip to Sonoma, California, I would not consider wine country to be “real nature”. However, I was definitely mistaken. The vineyards in this area consist of hundreds, some even thousands of acres of beautiful grapevines. The amazing part about visiting in the fall is that all of the leaves on the vines also change color along with the trees. Kunde Family Winery was my favorite winery that we went to and had by far the prettiest estate vineyard. As we walked through the rows of vines, I was stunned at how many different colors there were. Vibrant orange, red, and yellow interlaced with dark maroon made for the most picturesque landscape. Each vineyard we went to consisted of about a 45-minute drive up a small two-lane road. Normally when someone else is driving, I typically look at my phone or talk with the other people in the car with me. But this time, none of us were talking, we were all looking out the window at the infinite rows of vines. We pulled the car over and hopped...

The first thing that comes to mind about the Redwood Forrest is WOW! My family and I are staying in Sonoma, CA for the weekend and today we went and explored the Armstrong Redwood Forrest, which is a small pocket of the much larger (and further) Redwoods. The trees of this forest are up to 2000 years old and their size truly shows their age. The park service did a great job of marking some of the oldest trees and explaining their age and size. I felt so small standing in this forest full of giants. I stood at the base of one the giants and looked straight up but couldn’t even see the top. It was over 300 feet tall! There was so much history that can be seen just by looking at a cross section of one of the trees. You can tell if it was a wet year or a dry year. The rings even tell you how much growth occurred, and which years fires have occurred. It’s amazing how much nature can tell you just by examining it closely. It really brought me perspective on the sheer magnit...

In class, we read and discussed some pieces written by Edward Abbey. I loved his humor and how he described the beauty of Arches National Park. While reading, I was instantly taken back to my trip to Arches about 10 years ago. At the time, I was only 11, so I didn’t have a huge appreciation for National Parks and how amazing Arches actually is. My parents wanted to go mountain biking and hiking through the whole park in the dead of summer, but my brother and I were not having it. We would’ve much rather stayed in town and gone to the shops or do an activity that involved being inside in the AC. Looking back on it now, I can’t imagine ever not wanting to go explore the beauty of Arches National Park. I would love to go back now. Deserts are usually described as desolate and flat. There’s not much greenery and life, yet Arches is so striking. I think it’s important to have perspective when you’re observing nature. If there are any preconceived thoughts in your head, it ruins...

Last weekend, I decided to go home for a few days. I live in Lakeway, TX, which is just west of Austin and located right on Lake Travis. My neighborhood is pretty big and developed, but there is a large golf course right in the middle of it. I drive past this golf course every single day and I even worked there last summer. Despite seeing it every day, it never really dawned on me that this was a big nature-filled area in the middle of a large, developed area. Besides playing golf, people also often walk their dogs, go for walks, and go for runs on this golf course. It truly is beautiful, with creeks and waterfalls running all throughout the course. The trees are so large that you can hardly see the surrounding houses and streets. My parents walk the course with my dog every single day, they love it! I think that people are drawn to areas like this because people are drawn to beauty. Edward Abbey refers to nature and wilderness as a “necessity of the human spirit” and I de...