The early summer weather has gone on sabbatical and true spring is here! In Richmond, that means sheets (more like thick blankets) of tennis-ball colored pollen covers absolutely everything that comes outside for more than 2 minutes. On the walk over to my reflection spot, I saw it accumulating in one stagnant corner of the lake and giving my friend the white duck a greenish hue. As I take my seat on the bench by the edge of the lake, I see tiny, neon leaves erupting from the branches of nearby trees and the vibrant purple blossoms of the redbud tree adding splashes of color to the growing scenery.<\/p>\n
I reflect on our Earth Lodge field trip this past weekend to a cozy cabin nestled in the Shenandoah mountains where we ate (nod to the generous Shannon), hiked, grew closer, and played (a lot). Though the weather was uncooperative, I had an amazing time bonding with everyone on the trip, as well as noticing how much I have learned through our course. When we stopped to examine trees, I could actually identify them by their bark or structure, and consider the purity of the stream water given our lectures on sedimentation and the hydrologic cycle. I love sharing what I\u2019ve learned (particularly tree names) with my non-lodger friends on runs and walks around the city and enjoying a deeper sense of environmental stewardship instilled by this experience.<\/p>\n
As I look forward to spending the summer in Richmond, memories of little orange lizards, toasting baguettes, crazy Grizzly bear man, and campfires bring a smile to my (now pale-green) face.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The early summer weather has gone on sabbatical and true spring is here! In Richmond, that means sheets (more like thick blankets) of tennis-ball colored pollen covers absolutely everything that comes outside for more than 2 minutes. On the walk … Continue reading