By: Damaria Abreu
This semester at Tri-C, I enjoyed so many things, but one special experience was outside, where I did my usual observation of the beautiful landscaping at the Western campus.
I was walking between two ponds, and I saw a pair of wood ducks swimming together. One was a graceful female wood duck called a hen, and her body was grayish-brown. The other was a distinguished male wood duck called a drake, and his body had amazing bright colors. But I was too far away to see the exact colors without binoculars. What stood out was his iridescent green head, brown chest, and white around his neck. It was so peaceful seeing them swim together.
As I walked closer to the other pond, I saw a drake bobbing softly by the bank, its head lowered. I later learned mallard ducks actually sleep on water!
Afterward, I walked some more to look at the trees. I’ve stopped to examine tree trunks before. In the fall, some of the branches have brilliant berries and leaves in varied colors. I couldn’t believe I found some trees I hadn’t seen before. My favorite is the weeping willow, and there’s a large one facing the ‘B’ parking lot. I usually park right in front of it to enjoy how the leafy branches sway with the wind.
They reminded me of my wedding day pictures with my husband in Brooklyn Memorial Park. We took photographs, me and my husband, right under a willow tree. So, finding a similar tree with willow-like branches reminded me of our wedding day. The leaves were bigger and darker green, but they stretched far down. They also resembled ferns, with long, mop-shaped foliage curving down to look like a head with a lot of hair. It was neat to be able to reach this new tree’s branches because I’m only 5’ tall. Like Thumbelina, most things, including trees, remind me that I am “vertically challenged.” I ended my nature walk having enjoyed my peaceful time at Tri-C.
