Waking Up to the World Around Me

I always loved the outdoors growing up. Most of my childhood was spent outside, whether it was wandering the neighborhood with friends, heading to West Beach for the day and exploring the sand dunes (before they were closed), or running around fields with my cousins in Ireland. I loved the feeling of being free outside with no boundaries or walls to limit my curiosity. Everywhere I went there was always something new to find or somewhere new to explore. 

Even with all the time that I spent outside, I never took the time to learn about the world around me. I knew very little about what it takes for these natural spaces to stay natural, what animals and birds are native to the regions I was in, what plants I was looking at everyday, and so on. I loved the feeling nature gave me but I never had the motivation to find out about what was really going on around me. 

When I came to DLC, a lot changed for me. I learned about the unique forms of life in the region and how everything that is native to this area has different adaptations to survive here. I found out that Cowles Bog was one of the best spots for bird watching because it is a resting area for many birds that are migrating. I learned that some of the very plants that I walk past every day are edible and have different uses for humans, from medicine to gag gifts. It has given me a new sense of everything that is happening around me and makes me realize that whatever issues I am having that seem big, the world is still continuing to go on around me. It helps me quiet my mind and pay attention to this amazing ride that we are on.

Aoife Burke

Environmental Education Fellow