Immersion

 

[caption id="attachment_110" align="alignnone" width="300"] Refuge Entrance[/caption]

Greetings from Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge! We arrived here in late December to do a 90 day tour volunteering here in exchange for the privilege of living, working and having access to the  27,000 acre backyard that the general public will never see.

[caption id="attachment_108" align="alignright" width="300"] Path we walk up to the RV pads from HQ[/caption]

We joined 2 other couples and two single volunteers. We occupy 5 RV pads located a half mile walk uphill from the headquarters complex that houses refuge biologists, managers, and a large regional fire management crew.  Getting the rig up here was our first challenge.  Like many older campgrounds, the roads leading to the sites were built back in the days when 30 feet was considered large for an RV and 40 feet was unheard of.  Needless to say,  our 1-ton dually hauling a 40’ 5^th wheel up very steep, rutted and narrow gravel roads with several sharp 90 degree turns and trees up against the side of the road put even Champ’s experience to the test. But we are situated nicely on our site and enjoying this little slice of heaven that is our home until April.

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1992 specifically to preserve and manage nesting habitat for two endangered song birds who’s nesting area is exclusive to this area of Texas Hill Country.  They are the Golden Cheek Warbler and the Black Cap Vireo.  Over 90% of the 27,000 acres here are not accessible to the public.  There are however 2 public areas that provide over 20 miles of trails of various difficulty and views of the terrain and wildlife.

[caption id="attachment_109" align="alignright" width="300"] View of Lake Travis from the Sunset Observation Deck[/caption]

A third area provides a viewing deck over the very specialized nesting habitat of the birds, but no trails so as not to disturb the area and discourage them from nesting.  The balancing act of protecting the habitat and providing opportunity for nature lovers to come and experience the refuge is where we come in.

Our duties are widely varied. Everything from manning the desk and reception area at the Visitors Center to cleaning vault restrooms at the trail heads, to performing repairs and improvements to the facilities.

Our RV volunteer group has meshed well and we have become quick friends and do things together socially as well as enjoy our time working together.  One of the biggest draws to the full time RV work camp lifestyle was the opportunity to meet people from all over.  We have not been disappointed! Our group represents eight professional backgrounds and 5 states between us and share the common thread of a desire to be outdoors and give back to these beautiful areas of the country that we have previously enjoyed as tourists.

During our first thirty days here, I have contemplated the lesson that will take with me when I leave. For me it has been a lesson in immersion.  I wonder how much of the world I have missed in my lifetime whizzing through each day on my way to whatever the day required and only really skimming, at best, the world around me.

This lesson took hold after we had been here for about 3 weeks and I participated in a morning bird walk led by another volunteer who is something of an expert in birding in this area. I was in a group of 4 bird enthusiasts who signed up and another volunteer along to help John and take pictures. We spent 3 hours walking in a 20 acre area of the refuge headquarters area that I move about in everyday.  I marveled at the variety of wildlife, mostly birds that occupy this space! As we walked into a large pollination field that lies in front of the headquarters building, John rattled of a list of birds we would see. As I looked with my untrained naked eye all I saw was tall dormant grass, large bare limbed trees and scrubby bushes.  He said we would see Bluebirds and he had my attention.  As I stood there looking through binoculars at the trees in front of me I was astounded at what was there that had gone completely unnoticed by me all this time. Very quickly I found a beautiful Eastern Bluebird. Overall, we identified over a dozen bird species in that small area. He also pointed out the starts of several wildflower species that are starting to wake up and will fill the field with a kaleidoscope of color soon. Up to this point, as someone who prefers the outdoors to sitting inside and believes I’m paying attention to nature, I realized how much I was missing, simply because I apparently have never understood what ‘taking time to smell the roses’ really means.  This wonderful place is teaching me that finally, at 51 years old. If only I could have learned this lesson earlier in life.

Since that morning,  I have made it a practice to be more ‘present’ as Eckhart Tolle teaches in his book The Power of Now, that I read several years ago. The seed planted in my heart by is words is finally starting to germinate.  Each time I walk a trail, to pick up litter I don’t worry about how long it might take I pay attention to where I am at that moment and play a game to see how much I can identify around me at any given moment.  If I’m out hiking or taking pictures I continue to be amazed at the activity going on around me.  One generally perceives a place like a park or a hill top away from the city as a quiet, peaceful place and indeed it is to our urban perceptions of what it means to be busy.  I sit in front of my camper in my lawn chair and watch the thicket in front of me and realize how many creatures are living in there going about their daily task of survival and it is as busy in the 100 sq.ft. area as any busy urban area of the same size.  The only difference is organics vs industry. Among the many birds is a Cardinal couple currently fully engaged in courtship. My guess is there are around 20 birds. I've managed to identify 5 species, thanks to the birding field guide I borrowed from the office and who knows how many rodents. The snakes are still hibernating. Soon enough, the thicket could indeed become quite a densly populated neighborhood as the birds begin no nest and hatch babies.

In its own subtle, quiet way the flora and fauna here go about their busy existence all the while teaching this burnt out professional how to slow down and smell the roses.  Not only will I take away pictures of this beautiful place and the people we currently share it with as memories of my stay here, I’ll take away the beginning of this wonderful lesson in how to ‘be more present’ and understand the space I am occupying at a given time and my role in it.

A person doesn’t need to live on a wildlife refuge to learn this. I challenge everyone who reads this to take note of some area they occupy regularly. Maybe it is a tree that shades your car, or your back yard deck. Sit in that place for at least 15 minutes, use binoculars if you wish. But sit and really listen to the space you are in, look deeply into the tree or the patch of grass under you and note as many things as you can about what is going on around you.  You’ll be surprised at what you miss on a given day.

The lesson of my first 30 days here is simple.

“It’s not where you are but ‘how’ you are a part of it, that really matters. “

Until next time….