Journal Entry #7: Canoeing at the Fort Worth Nature Center!

  Journal Entry #7

Canoeing at the Fort Worth Nature Center

    I was really excited for the chance to hit the water on the canoes at the Fort Worth Nature Center. During the trip, we spotted some wildlife, soaked up some sunshine, breathed in the fresh air, and tested our canoeing skills. Overall, I thought canoeing was the perfect way to kick off my Saturday morning—enjoying the outdoors with great company.

    Some of my favorite sightings out on the water were the turtles and the alligators. As we passed by a variety of tree stumps in the water you could see many turtles laying out - trying to catch as much sun as they could. It appeared as though on any stump there was always at least two turtles, and it was fun seeing they always seemed to have a companion. Another cool spotting was the alligators. I was not expecting to see any while we were canoeing, so it was kind of a surprise. Thankfully, after our time catching an alligator at one of our prior adventures, I was not too frightened of the alligator. I know it was more scared of me then I was of it and would not make any move to hurt me. That being said it was still important to be careful. One factor that prevented us from being as careful as I would have liked was the unpredictability of the wind. As we were passing one of the two gators we saw it felt as though a huge gust of wind passed pushing us all towards the gator. Thankfully, it crawled away. It is always important to consider factors outside of your control when on the water for prime safety. 

There are two turtles laying out on the bottom of that log

    This adventure also challenged my canoeing skills. I had been canoeing once prior, approximately two years ago. I think I took a turn at both the front and the back of the canoe; however, I seemed to have forgotten my skills at both spots. During this trip I decided to take the back and work on my steering. Overall, I do not think that the steering was too hard, but then again I might have been doing it wrong. I started to get the hang of it towards the end and feel I was generally able to point the canoe in the right direction when things started to get dicy. 

    Once again, I had a fantastic time on the water. Being out in a canoe always feels like a perfect chance to connect with the people around you. My friend Avery was visiting from out of town, so it was great to spend time with her away from the hustle and bustle of the TCU campus. I was really glad I could bring her along. I also came to appreciate the importance of safety, like not standing up in the canoe and always wearing a life jacket. As the wind pushed us along, I realized just how unpredictable things can get, which is why it's so important to be prepared and stay safe. My biggest takeaway? I definitely need to get out on the water more often!

Caroline prepared to go on the water - life jacket on and all!


Kate and Caroline killing it in their canoe

Views from the water





Comments

  1. williams.dan76May 1, 2025 at 7:19 AM

    Thanks for the reflection on our canoeing excursion. Sharing the water was meaningful for me. Glad you enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete

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