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Reflection on Aldo Leopold & Thinking Like a Mountain

I found A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold to be interesting in how it differed from the writing of Thoreau and Abbey. Though he has some similar experiences to the two men mentioned, he takes a starkly different approach to his writing. Oftentimes, he presents his experiences not just from his own eyes, but also from the eyes of the land and wildlife that surround him. My favorite section from our reading was “Thinking Like A Mountain”. In this section he talks about his experience shooting a wolf and looking into her eyes she died. Leopold recounts how at the time, “I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise”, but he goes on to reflect on how the wolves kept the deer in check, and how without them the deer would scrub the mountain clean of much of the shrubs and edible plants.  This connected with me because I often am blind to how certain plants and animals are vital to their eco...
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Reaction: Before the Flood

Watching Before the Flood was nothing short of striking. DiCaprio and the filmmakers were able to not only explain why climate change is such a serious threat to our planet, but they also explained why it is such a challenging problem to solve and why it has been hard to make progress thus far. There were a few points from Before the Flood that I found especially surprising. For example, I had no clue that cattle were such a significant part of the equation when it comes to climate change. With Fort Worth being one of the most historically significant cities in the world when it comes to cattle production, I am extremely used to seeing all things cattle.  This past Friday I was able to get out and go golfing. It was pretty windy, but other than that, a lovely day to spend outside. Thankfully, I was able to convince my buddies to forego the carts and we walked the course instead. A few holes in, I hit an errant shot to the right that ended up going past a small fence. I considered ...
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Reflection on Abbey's Polemic

 Upon reading Abbey's polemic on what he calls industrial tourism in the national parks, I was struck by his view that wilderness is a basic human need. My whole life I have lived in an urban or suburban setting, rarely venturing away from the masses of civilization to encounter the authentic natural world. In fact, as I read this piece I came to the realization that I have never been in the wilderness in the way that Abbey means it. Sure, I have been on the odd camping trip, but my tent has never been far from a lodge or cabin with electricity and running water. I keep wondering whether I am missing out on something that is truly essential. Whenever I have gone to state parks or other places of great natural beauty, I have for the most part been the guy that’s wondering where’s the john and the coke machine. My parents are not really outdoorsmen themselves, so I guess I never really grew up with the opportunity to experience the true wild. I have yet to muster, “ the refusal to li...
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American Mistletoe growing throughout the branches of a North Texas Oak

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Sun Sets Over the Oaks of St. Paul

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Journal Entry #2 - A Walk Along the Mississippi

       This weekend I was in St. Paul, Minnesota visiting my girlfriend and we decided to go on a long walk along the river. It was an uncharacteristically warm day for February in Minnesota. The sun was beaming down on the snow and ice creating puddles of melt and heating the air to over fifty degrees. As we walked along the sidewalk, thin trails descended the fifty foot bank down to the frozen over Mississippi. In the summer these would be manageable foot trails but in the melting ice they were more like ice scutes. Continuing along the river, I was reminded of a painting I had seen during our excursion to the Amon G. Carter museum. The painting was a depiction of a tribe of the Dakota playing a lacrosse-like sport on the Minnesota river near Fort Snelling as women and children sat in trees surrounding the play area, and others stood among the teepees overlooking the river. It was by far my favorite painting I had seen during our visit, and now I was just a few mil...
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Journal Entry #1

     Following class today I had a walk home of a little over a mile. As I left Sadler hall, crossed University drive, and continued through east campus, I challenged myself to examine the flora of TCU which I have grown too used to to notice. Along the walkways and paths that weave through the library, Neeley, and the science building are various species of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers. Each seems to be thoughtfully placed in their specific area to create a feeling of luxury and serenity as you walk through campus. It is beautiful, but as I was walking I questioned if this is really “nature”. I couldn’t help but feel that these lovely paths are more of an intentionally curated experience than they are the way Fort Worth looked before we got here. I still ponder whether this excludes the plants and animals of TCU from what we consider to be nature. I passed the new construction project churning away with dozens of workers and 4 cranes overhead; a new experience bei...
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