In today’s technology-driven world, how often do we take the time to actually enjoy nature? With the ongoing threats nature has been facing for a millennium, it may be gone before we fully appreciate it. When I was younger, I used to love exploring the woods and listening to the birds chirping. I then moved to a place that didn’t care much for recreational activities outside, and I began to spend my time mainly indoors learning. My attitude changed again when Swarthmore allowed me to love nature again. 

You may know that Swarthmore is an arboretum, and they spare no opportunities mentioning ways to get involved with mother nature here. It’s through these many activities that I have begun to appreciate the world around me a little more. In my first fall semester, all the freshmen were given plants to choose from to take back and raise. I chose a dumb cane and just seeing it every day brought a smile to my face. Having that plant led me to name all my plants afterwards with the last name “Cane,” as if they were a family. My very first plant was hence named Emerald Cane (Emerald for the fact the plant was green and Cane because it was a dumb cane).

All throughout the semester, the Scott Arboretum organized many events. I always enjoy the little workshops because apart from learning so many interesting facts, you never leave empty-handed. My first workshop was for collecting honey. A local beekeeper came in and showed us the honeycombs, taught us how to collect the honey without damaging the honeycomb, and talked about how he got into beekeeping. I never knew how heavy honeycombs actually were. He held them like they weighed nothing, but I think the weight could be comparable to a small watermelon, or maybe a 5 lbs. flour bag. The honey collecting was very messy, but it was fun to do, and very satisfying to peel off the wax. Under the encouragement of some of my friends I actually ate the beeswax. It was like gum, but with less chew time before it got hard. The honey flavor had a rich sweetness with hints of caramel and a thicker texture, much better than packaged honey. I took two honey jars and left very satisfied.

Moving just off the main part of campus, we also have access to the Crum woods, a beautiful space that invites lots of walks. I love the guided tours through the woods that the arboretum offers because one—it’s guaranteed I won’t get lost, and two—I hear someone knowledgeable about the woods point things out and teach me about the wildlife. The first time I entered the woods on a guided tour, I felt like I was transported to a new realm. Being there was very peaceful, and as the sun was setting, the beautiful glow against the trees made me wish I could paint out that scene. I definitely want to take advantage of the guided tours more, and I can’t wait for the Scott Arboretum’s “foraging in the woods” series to start up again.

This summer, I attended a workshop on the mint family. We learned about the different plants in the family, like lavender, lemon balm, oregano and catnip, and their uses. I never knew how people could use catnip to relieve fevers and stomach pain; no wonder cats love it! Afterwards, we were given dried lavender and lemon balm to make infused honey with. I can already imagine how great the infused honey will be in my upcoming baking adventures. There was also time to make a really simple sugar scrub with the dried plants, and as a “thanks for coming” gift, we were allowed to choose some mint plants to keep. Thus, I added 3 new plants to my arsenal; lavender, sage, and basil, and named them Lillian Cane, Serenity Cane and Beatrice Cane. Having these learning opportunities with the Scott Arboretum always adds excitement to my days. I have even taken time to begin going through their website, and now I can find the location of the different plants located all over campus! Definitely a great scavenger hunt activity.

In all, I have been enjoying my time reconnecting with mother nature. I go outside more often and just by walking around, I get to see squirrels, chipmunks, deer, American robins and hummingbirds, to name a few. I hope I can navigate the woods as well as my arboretum staff tour guide by the end of my time here, and take more beautiful pictures of the stunning scenery surrounding me.