Earth Day Hiking and Treasure hunting

Written by Rocky Xu Cheng

Publish Date: April 23, 2023

The weeks leading up to Blossoming In Nature’s 4th event, a planned Easter day hike at George Bush Park, was marred by storms and inclement weather. The persistent severe weather reports were a source of constant stress for everyone in Blossoming In Nature. Even on the day before the rescheduled event date of April 22nd, there was a severe weather warning. However, believing that a second rescheduling would compromise the overall experience, the team decided to proceed with the event on April 22nd. Luckily, the rain over the course of the night was minimal, and the trail was completely dry when we arrived at George Bush Park.

Before the hike began, a special activity was introduced to meet the theme of Earth Day, which occurred on the day of the event. All of the volunteers were given a large trash bag, and the participants were instructed to pick up the trash that they saw on the trail.

The George Bush Park Hike and Bike trail was notable for a unique distinction between the beginning and the middle: the start was completely uncovered and open to the sky, while the rest had a dense forest cover. This contributed to a varied and exciting experience throughout the trail.

At the wooden bridge, a planned resting place in the middle of the trail, we were greeted by a thrilling sight. On the river bank, a hundred feet away from the rungs of the bridge, laid an alligator bathing in the sun. As if it noticed us watching, the gigantic reptile, ten feet at least, stayed completely still as we took pictures.

After the climax of the trail, we were greeted with several other interesting sights, including a river glistening in the sun and caterpillars crossing the road.

Upon arriving at the end of the trail, we set to work straight away hiding the eggs for the Easter Egg hunt. After eating, all the participants enthusiastically began to search, scouring for each and every egg until they were all found.

This event demonstrated to everyone at Blossoming In Nature that outside forces, weather in particular, can play a significant role in the timing and location of the events. We hope that everyone had a great time at George Bush Park, and we will do our best to work around the weather next time.

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

Special thanks to Esther Chen, Owen Ge, Claire Ge, Long Ge, Jerry Lu for volunteering at the event and making the experience for every participant even better.