Final Reflections

Virginia bluebells carpet the ground along the creek's edge in early spring. Photo Credit: Coral Keegan

Wandering the trails of Rock Creek Park these past few months, watching nature thaw from winter’s grip, bloom into a fruitful spring, and thrive in the heat of DC’s summer, I have reconnected with nature in a way I didn’t know I needed. The park has become my place of meditation and escape, during a time when peace seems distant and we are not able to use travel to escape from the stresses of daily life.

In my travels, I often use Airbnb as it allows me to connect with places in a way that standard hotels cannot. More recently, I began using the company’s newest feature Airbnb Experiences. This platform allows travelers to participate in activities designed and led by locals. I first used it in Japan to tour Tokyo’s famous fish market and had such a wonderful time that I started to think about creating my own AirBnB experience back in DC. As large and beautiful as Rock Creek Park is, DC’s more iconic sites tend to grab all the attention. So I thought, why not set up guided nature tours of the park? Of course, little did I know that a global pandemic would soon put a hitch in these plans. However, after using this semester’s coursework to investigate the different biotic and abiotic features of the park, I feel more prepared than ever to start this new venture…as soon as conditions allow, of course. 

I strongly believe that experiences and education lead to advocacy. One of my favorite quotes is from Baba Dioum – “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” I first saw this quote outside the rainforest exhibit at the Bronx Zoo in New York and it has influenced the way I view conservation and the way I live my life ever since. I believe that people who have experiences that connect them with nature will have a deeper appreciation for it, and therefore a desire to preserve it. For this reason, environmental education is so important. By leading nature tours through Rock Creek, I hope to help others appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of this place, and hopefully, in their own small way, help preserve the park as well as other natural places they hold dear.