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Nature & Environment

Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston

Another in a series of perambulations and meditations from the director of the Human Rights Initiative
By Bill Holston |
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Photo of the author by Ben Sandifer
Photo of the author by Ben Sandifer

In beauty I will rest my heart
I beauty all will be in balance
I beauty all will be restored

I read this Navajo prayer this week while reading the Chester Nez book Code Talker, written by the last of the Code Talkers. The Code Talkers were Navajo Marines who confounded Japanese soldiers in the South Pacific during WWII because of a code developed based on the obscure Navajo language. The author recited this prayer as he dealt with the soul crushing rigors of combat on Guadalcanal. I certainly do not equate my life to the rigors of combat. However, my soul regularly needs restoring, and nothing does that better than a walk in the woods.

Last Saturday, Ben, Carrie, Scott, and I headed down to Lemmon Lake to see if we could find Spoonbills again, and if we were lucky, Wood Storks, a threatened species native to South America. We sometimes get to see them in late summer here. Because of its ugly mug and quirky personality, it is probably my spirit animal.

We arrived just before dawn and walked out a vague trail to the edge of the lake. The air was cool, and we all had that familiar Dallas hope, that we have survived another summer. We walked quietly, trying not to disturb any birds. Ben and I have walked here when it is bone dry, but the lake has been full for over a year because of rain, so it is a joy to see this as a functioning wetland. We stood and watched as a steady pink filled the sky, searching for birds with binoculars. As the dawn sky turned brilliant pink, I put down my binoculars and just soaked in the beauty. Our local treasure Krys Boyd recently interviewed Carlin Flora on Think about the power of awe. “Awesome” is an overused word, but it is the right one for my feeling as I watched a brilliant sunrise over this special spot. And it’s even better that this is about 10 minutes from downtown Dallas.

Ben’s eagle eye (he’s an Eagle Scout) spotted Roseate Spoonbills overhead, their pink color barely showing in the pale predawn light. They landed, and we were rewarded for our early morning walk with a glimpse of Wood Storks in the distance. We discussed and came up with a plan to approach the birds, minimizing the chance of spooking them. We backtracked and approached the birds from another direction. We found a spot shielded by some Willow trees, which served as a blind. We were thrilled to see well over 100 Wood Storks, with Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, and Roseate Spoonbills mixed in. We stood and watched the birds until something startled them and they took flight, forming an impressive sight as they flew off, landing in an unknown spot.

We decided we wanted to watch for the storks from yet one more vantage point and headed down a path along the lake. We ran into two groups of people along the way, including one on bicycles. That is a great sight. When we first started hiking here we never saw anyone. Like others, I struggle with not wanting to share these special spots. However, on balance, I think access is a good thing. The more people that see and use these spots, the more pressure on our elected officials to preserve and protect them. And of course that soul restoration just might benefit our entire community.

We cut through thick woods that were filled with poison ivy and found another spot. We used our Google Earth maps and made our way to a spot where we thought the birds had landed. Our hopes were increased as we spotted a solitary Wood Stork in an isolated pond. We crept along a path, and through the heavy tree covering we could see hundreds of birds. Here we were much closer and could watch the Wood Storks and Spoonbills feed. We all found spots and sat for a long time, just watching the feeding frenzy. Spoonbills, like I do, love crawfish, but they don’t wash them down with cold Abita beer. I lost all track of time, not really thinking about anything, just enjoying the quiet, broken only by the sound of the birds’ wing flaps and calls.

Lots of people ask about exploring down here. The paved trail from Trinity River Audubon to the Loop 12 boat ramp is a great place to start. After that, you’ll have to do like we did, look over Google Earth and explore. Please be careful, though. The dirt trails are barely trails at all, are not maintained by anyone, and are filled with poison ivy. Should you explore, be careful and be prepared. Be sure to take plenty of water.

We walked back to the cars. I needed to shower before I spoke at Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Plano about how faith communities could support our work at Human Rights Initiative. I’ve spoken there before, and it is a great and generous small congregation. One way to help our clients is doing toiletry drives, but so far churches have done far less than my friends at Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House. My friend Jenny Walker, a server at Goodfriend, just organized a toiletry drive for us as well as a fundraiser and art show. We continue to need large amounts of toiletries. Because of the extensive backlogs in the Immigration Courts, we have clients for much longer periods of time than we used to. I appreciate the fact that this small church in Plano is so serious about learning more and actually asking how to best help.

Speaking of soul restoration, it’s time I dropped by Goodfriend for a nice cold beer.
With beer all will be in balance. Amen.

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