Nature Center

Tuesday October 5th like every other weekday I find myself painfully crawling out of bed at the last possible moment, rushing through my morning routine, shaving time from my departure anywhere possible. However this was no average Tuesday at 11:30 I reported to the Nature Center instead of my usual classroom and immediately recalled fond memories of previous school and family trips involving picnics, games, looking through the microscope, and feeling the animal pelts which were soft and fun to hold just as I remembered. The class and I listened to a short speech about the core values and the mission of the nature Center which to my disappointment did not include rehabbing injured animals anymore.

By this time I was wide awake and excited to get outdoors. We were taken through tall grasses that let one imagine that there was nothing but boundless wilderness on all sides. In the sea of grass it is easy to notice the beautifully colored small purple and white flowers that decorate the edges of the path. After the initial walk some students had to return to face more to their responsibilities for the day. The luckier students and I remained and walked down a nice trail in the woods under some railroad tracks and across a boardwalk to view the Kalamazoo river which looked calm and inviting. Unfortunately even at a place such as the nature Center you are confined to the trails and I obeyed the sign that told me not to go down the steps to the water though I wanted to.

Though I did not want to leave the Nature Center my next class is not one that I can miss. I had a quick walk out of the woods back to my car and back to my everyday life, which seems to be busier than ever as I have lost all time management skills over the long summer. Escaping into nature even just for a couple hours changed my whole day. I was more relaxed and peaceful throughout the rest of the day and so grateful that places like the Nature Center exist and that I am lucky enough to visit them.