Discovering Nature in Our Neighborhood

Written by Rocky Xu Cheng

Publish Date: June 25, 2023

Photo by Ying Wei

On June 24th, Blossoming In Nature held an event that took place in the heart of the neighborhood, with the goal of exposing children with autism to the wonders of nature right under their noses.

Starting at a playground near the trail, the volunteers and special kids mingled while enjoying pizza and ice cream. After splitting off into groups, a unique scavenger hunt where each group would try to find 12 unique plants was introduced.

Photo by Rocky Xu Cheng

As we embarked on the hike, we saw enchanting sights such as the winding buffalo bayou and heard various sounds of nature, with summer cicadas in particular. During the trail, the meticulously designed scavenger hunt that included natural scenery ranging from the giant mushroom Ganoderma Lucidum to the illustrious Elderflowers captivated everyone’s attention.

At the near conclusion of the event, the participants were confronted with their most challenging obstacle - a steep descent into the river bed followed by an even steeper ascent onto the opposite river bank. Powering through, stopping for only a short while at the bottom to catch our breaths, the party safely arrived on the opposite trail and began the journey home.

The experience was enjoyable and insightful for everyone involved, and above all, we hope that the unconventional location of this event will demonstrate that even in urban environments, nature can be found and explored.

Thanks to the six families with special needs attending the event. The event can only be successful with your trust.

Special thanks to Fei Feng, Dan(Dannie) Xiong, Haoyu(Rob) Feng, Xinyue Stephanie Dong, Esther Chen, Sarina He, Catherine He, Yang(Connie) Pu, Emmy Zhang, and Lori Zhang, Justin Xu for volunteering at the event and making the experience for every participant even better.