Ashlyn's Wilderness Blog

 Journal Entry #5  Fossil Rim Wildlife Center  As part of my spring break plans, a couple of friends and I decided to visit the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas . This is a drive-through wildlife center where we had the chance to see a variety of animals and even feed them—all from the comfort of our car. Upon admission, we were given a bag of food that we could toss onto the road for the animals to enjoy. However, for the giraffes, we had the special opportunity to feed them directly from our hands. The center made it easy to identify the animals through both an app and a brochure. If the animals got close enough, we could use the Fossil Rim app to snap a photo and receive the animal's identification. The center was also organized into different “pastures” , each designed to support the specific species living there. Conservation is a core mission of the center. Their goals include not only the conservation of species but also scientific research , profe...

     Journal Entry #4 3/13 Trip to Fort Worth Nature Center  Today was an eventful day at the nature center. I originally came in expecting to cut more privet, but that quickly changed when I learned we had the opportunity to go alligator catching. Naturally, this sparked a lot of questions in my mind, like: How big are these alligators? Why do they need to catch one? How do you even catch an alligator? And so on. After loading up into trucks, we arrived at a pond where we could immediately spot the heads of a couple of gators in the water. We had the chance to walk around the pond, spotting several alligators, as well as other animals like birds and turtles. During this time, some of the FWNC workers had successfully hooked an alligator, and the process of pulling it out of the water began. I learned that the reason they catch alligators is to monitor the population in the area. They catch the alligator, weigh it, measure it, and tag it to better understand the popu...

   Journal Entry #3  3/6 Trip to Fort Worth Nature Center  Today's habitat restoration work, focusing on cutting privet, was quite similar to last week's task. However, I felt much more productive this time. It seemed like everyone had a better sense of what to expect and how to approach the task. For me, the progress we made far exceeded what we accomplished last week, and I felt more confident in my efforts. One reason this week felt easier was that I had already developed a strategy for tackling the privet and knew the most effective way to reach the base of each bush. Below are some photos that capture highlights from the day: One of the photos I took was of a privet bush before we cut it down. It shows just how tangled the bushes can get, which adds a level of challenge—and excitement—to the task of removing them. In the end, we successfully cleared this area of privet.  This time, I also made an effort to take in more of the surroundings beyond just the pr...

 Journal Entry #2  2/27 Trip to Fort Worth Nature Center      Today was our second day at the Fort Worth Nature Center, where our class focused on cutting privet, an invasive shrub. I saw firsthand how this plant can quickly dominate an area, as it was nearly taking over the small patch of land we were working on. This experience helped me understand how privet can disrupt the ecosystem by hindering the growth of native plants and affecting the overall habitat. Despite the hard work, it felt rewarding knowing that our efforts were contributing to the restoration of the area. It was a productive day, and I appreciated the chance to make a positive impact on the nature center. Throughout our efforts today I had a few takeaways:  1) My biggest takeaway was realizing how important teamwork is in making tasks more enjoyable. Working alongside such great people made todays experience at the nature center much more fun and rewarding. The conversations were lighthe...

       Journal Entry #1 2/13 Trip to Fort Worth Nature Center          Today marked the first day at the Fort Worth Nature Center and we got to see everything that we had discussed in the classroom come into fruition in real life. My favorite part of the whole day was getting to see all of the animals and wildlife they had on the premises, including the alligator. I honestly never thought I would get to say that I have held an alligator and so I found that really awesome. The bison and prairie dogs were also astonishing and I was shocked as to how close we could get to the bison. While I did find myself questioning the strength of the wire fence that was separating us, I found the experience so cool and was able to snap some good pictures. In addition to seeing the bison, we also got to feed the prairie dogs. We got to walk around and leave a pile of food outside each of the burrows (I will admit I found my self craving some sweet potatoes - ...

Plants and Identification from Google Image Search Live Oak  Nandina Tuscan Flame Live Oak (another view) Sacred Bamboo                                         Purple Pansies Animals!  Squirrel! Bea's Dog!