I have enjoyed the trails and landscape features at Wild Basin for many years. It is a blessing to have such a wonderful nature preserve in the midst of a booming metropolitan area like Austin. It’s amazing how the traffic and development along Loop 360 is constantly changing, continuously becoming more congested. But Wild Basin remains unchanged, a remarkable place, revealing the wonders of nature, tens of millions of years in the making. When I had the chance to become a trail guide this year, I took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the preserve while helping Wild Basin host more school groups and having a great excuse to spend more time hiking the trails.
The kids are always excited and full of energy. Each group is different; sometimes there is one in the group that has been to Wild Basin and knows the trails, and provides commentary. Sometimes, there may be the smallest, quietest kid in the group that always tries to get ahead of me along the trail. I am more confident than I was when I started and it has become easier to keep the groups together on the trail. I am getting better at asking them leading questions about the differences between the foliage at the top compared to the riparian zone closer to the creek as well as talking about the history of the early inhabitants and how they used the plants for their subsistence. Spending a memorable hour or two with these groups, I sense that these kids, who spend all day together in class, seem to bond more closely from the experience of hiking down, learning a little about the visitors from the earlier days, crossing the creek, and hiking back to the top. I can sense that their visit to Wild Basin is a time they will always remember.
Helping children get out into nature and connecting their experience to the science and history that abounds at places like Wild Basin has been a great experience this year. I believe that connecting children to nature is an important responsibility, and that it is vital for everyone to have a close relationship to the natural world. I appreciate having the chance to volunteer at Wild Basin to help build those connections, and I look forward to continuing to serve as a guide for many years to come.