Wide Variety

My eyes have really opened since I took this naturalism class. One of the most meaningful things I have picked up from this class has been my ability to recognize and observe what other people may not. This first couple of weeks I walked through campus I really didn't notice the wide variety of landscape. As I strolled through campus looking for some naturalistic observation I realized that there was an enormous amount of different plants throughout campus. There is such a wide variety here compared to other campuses. I have visited many other universities and no other university seems to have as wide of variety as Willamette has to offer. The majority of the students here do not appreciate this. We as naturalists are slowly learning more and more about organisms and have built a curiosity among us that lets us truly acknowledge the wide variety of specimens around campus. Now every time I walk by a certain plant I start wondering if there is a plant near it that is the same or have I seen that particular plant somewhere else on campus. Ever since the class trip we took to the wintergreen berry bush has made me want to know more about the variety of plants on campus.