Whispers of the Wild by Christian Robert

   Out of all the photos I have taken this semester, I think by far this picture is my favorite. It was specifically located on Laughing Bird Caye Island in Belize. It is a national park declared in 1991, and it operates as a “no-take zone,” which means you can’t collect seashells, coconuts, sand, etc. from here to take home. They sustain the coral, environment, and natural elements of the island to the utmost extent, which is so important and respectable. The Belizians have meticulously constructed this island to be like that because it is the only way to conserve natural beauty. My favorite part of this picture is the differing brackets of water as you look out further from the island. It goes from extremely shallow and crystal clear, to a little deeper, and you can notice where the coral starts to naturally form, then the drop-off is a dark blue, which we got to specifically see on our snorkel tour. The palm trees were beautiful, as well as how smooth and pearl white the sa...

  For my Outside Lies Magic extended time outdoors, I embarked on a camping trip with seven of my friends to Broken Bow, Oklahoma, from Friday to Sunday. It was about a four-hour drive, and we arrived later in the evening on Friday. Immediately, I felt the peacefulness and soundness of the campsite, Coyote. The stars were glistening in the sky, with the Big Dipper clearly in sight. Coyotes howled in the distance, and the trees moved in a unique rhythm with the wind. Even though there was so much going on, nature had a way of bringing an overwhelming sense of peace, filling my soul, mind, and body with positivity and purpose. We set up camp, made a fire, and toasted marshmallows. Throughout the trip, we cooked all of our own food on a skillet and had to be creative with what we had, which made the experience even more memorable. We woke up early on Saturday, drank black coffee, and set out on a 10-mile hike. As shown in the pictures, the views from the tops of the hills overlooked r...

I didn’t get to take any pictures today because I was so focused on the work getting done, but I wanted to write a journal entry about my experience because I learned so much. Today was a beautiful day out in the Fort Worth Nature Reserve. It was great bonding with my friends while carpooling, getting to learn more about them along the way. When we arrived, we were directed to cut down all the long, overgrown bamboo while leaving the younger, growing shoots alone. After cutting, we organized the bamboo into piles and grouped them into segments. At first, I was a little confused about our purpose, and no one seemed to ask, so I decided to speak up because I genuinely wanted to understand the reason behind our work. That’s when I learned that bamboo is considered an invasive species here. It isn’t native to Texas and actually originates from Asia. Because local wildlife doesn’t rely on it for food, it spreads aggressively and disrupts the natural ecosystem. I had never fully understood w...

  In this journal entry, I want to reflect on nature as a community. I truly believe that God’s creation of nature is not separate from us, but something that brings us together. In the same way nature is interconnected and life-giving, so are community, culture, relationships, and love. They all flow together. You can’t fully have one without the other. Over the course of this week, I found myself in the Belizean jungle, painting the inside and outside of two churches, interacting with and praying over members of the community, and spending time with kids in local schools. What struck me most was how natural it all felt. Serving others, having deep conversations, laughing with children, and praying with people I had just met felt just as life-giving as being surrounded by the beauty of creation itself. It was emotional in ways I didn’t expect. There were moments filled with joy, but also moments where emotions were high and heavy, where we prayed over some of the darkest and deepe...

  Nature is truly one of the most beautiful things in the world. This past week, I’ve learned so much about different natural elements, cultures, and experiences. One of the most memorable days from my trip to Belize was when a group of us went snorkeling at Laughing Bird Caye. It was honestly magical. It took about a 45-minute boat ride from the mainland to get there, and even the journey itself was beautiful. We passed several small islands, and the views were unreal. Once we started snorkeling, we saw things I had never experienced before. To preface, Belize is known as one of the best snorkeling spots in the world, and now I understand why. We saw two lemonhead sharks, barracudas, and glowing fish with bright yellow and deep blue pigments. There were also groupers with vibrant colors that almost didn’t look real. One of the coolest things we got to do was hold sea cucumbers, which are these squishy echinoderms similar to sea urchins. I also learned that they are commonly eaten ...

  Many people believe that the big city and nature can’t coincide, and my time in downtown Fort Worth with my cousin this weekend proved otherwise. This past weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to show my cousin Adrianna from New Jersey around Fort Worth. On Saturday, March 7th, we decided to spend the day downtown. The sky was bright blue with not a single cloud in sight, and the weather was a perfect 72 degrees. It was a beautiful day in the Fort. We grabbed coffee, and the first thing my cousin noticed was how clean the environment and streets were around the city. There wasn’t a single piece of trash in sight, and as people who care about nature and the impact of environmental degradation, that made us happy. We then approached Sundance Square, and before I could even say anything, my cousin mentioned how surprised she was by the greenery in the city. We both agreed that’s how it should be. Green trees, bushes, flowers of all different kinds, and vines were sprawled all...