In 2022, our Conservation Crew high school interns built a simple wooden journaling bench together with our seasoned Conservation Crew volunteers. The journaling bench was hidden at an undisclosed location where it was soon found by new and returning visitors. On top of the journaling bench, they placed a journal with an invitation: pause for a while, take in your surroundings, and if you’d like, leave a few words behind.
Since then, we’ve gone through quite a few journals, each one of them serving as a time capsule. Their pages hold observations of birds and wildflowers, reflections from difficult days, the occasional inappropriate drawing, and quiet moments of gratitude. People who have never met have found themselves connected through a shared place.
Norman Bird Sanctuary means something different to everyone who visits. For some, it’s where they first spotted a Red-tailed Hawk in the wild. For others it is the place that they got engaged. Some come to exercise. Some come to learn. Some come when they need a break from the family during the holidays. Some simply come when they need a quiet moment to reflect.
One recent journal entry captured that feeling beautifully:
“It’s truly lovely here.
When you quiet the mind, something magical happens. You can hear nature, hear you, and when you notice you…your thoughts, your body, your feelings, you start understanding its all a moment, and life, is full of these moments.
So if you stop, hear and feel…you are LIVING!
And I think that’s why we are here, to live!
So I feel grateful for this time, this space, this body.
Enjoy.”
– Donnalicious
Reading through the journal reminds us that conservation isn’t only about protecting wildlife, restoring habitats, or maintaining trails, although those things are essential. It’s also about protecting the opportunity for moments like this.
Every page in the journal tells a different story. Together these pages remind us why protecting places like the Norman Bird Sanctuary matters. Healthy habitats don’t just sustain birds, pollinators, and wildlife – they give people the space to wonder, reflect, and build a lasting relationship with the natural world. Those connections are where conservation begins.
The next time you pass the journaling bench, we invite you to sit for a while. Listen, look around, and if you’re inspired, turn a page and add your own thoughts.
