TFTT: Ifs, ands, and butts
From litter to learning: Applying nature journaling to a less inspirational discovery.
Tales from the Trail (TFTT) is a series I began in May 2023. You can read more about its origins here.
My first reaction was annoyance upon spotting ~50 cigarette butts within a ~30-foot section of the trail near "Quail Corner" during a run in July. Quail Corner (my nickname for this spot along the trail) is where multiple families of California Quail and their offspring call home. I know summer is on its way when I begin seeing more male quails posted like little sentries on the fence posts.
It's secluded and dotted with tall, wild grass and brush — perfect for dashing into for safety when passersby and predators approach.
Now, it was littered with cigarette butts. My mind began jumping to conclusions. I had planned to nature journal during my run and would have otherwise passed this spot over for something more "inspirational" (like the stilts), but then considered what I might learn from spending more time with this discovery. What was the story here? How were the surroundings being impacted? How was the wildlife impacted?
I began forming questions about the human subject(s), too. Was it one person? Two? Several? What clues might be on the cigarette butts themselves? Were some pinched differently than others? Was there a pattern? Did any have lipstick? What determined the radius of the litter itself?
Could it be that what attracted the quails to this spot (privacy?) was also what drew the smoker(s) to this spot? All the butts were on the other side of the perimeter fence between our community and a nearby canal. This section is the most secluded section in our area... the perfect spot for clandestine behavior (or journaling about said clandestine behavior, of course).
Another quail entry — this one, from Drawing Day. More quails darting around and making their presence known.
The more I nature journal, the more I find myself applying the core principles of the practice to my everyday life. I notice (IN), I wonder (IW), it reminds me of (IRMO). What will you observe? What can you infer? What connections will you make? What questions will you come up with in the pursuit of noticing all things even just a little bit more?
