I can't necessarily name a favorite experience in nature, there simply have been too many. However, I can name one that happened most recently and was quite unexpected. Recently some friends and I found a spot on Nevada ave. where the road diverges and a section of woods from rock creek park opens up. In front of the woods is a long section of an open field. In the clearing there is one tree, stripped of all its branches. This tree is a single simple trunk shooting towards the sky. It is really quite beautiful to sit and look at the night sky and see the tree shooting up towards the moon and stars.

Of course, none of this area is in a pristine state. The clearing we found exists only because it is most likely maintained by man. However, this goes to the question of who decides what is a natural state. More importantly it begs the question, should such an unnatural clearing be saved. I am sure that this area could be bought and developed should the price be right. However, it would truly be a shame to lose some open greenery in the heart of the city. While I was there a famiily of four deer- a Buck a doe and two fawns- grazed past while my friends and I stood almost in awe of how brazen and unafraid they were. It was the closest I had ever been to a wild animal, within 15 feet. It would be a true shame to lose that.