Connecting with Nature Around Campus
When courses get stressful, my favorite thing to do is to escape to nature—touching grass, as some may say. Here is a comprehensive list of my favorite campus nature escapes arranged in order of increasing time commitment.
- Fells Reservation - When I’m in need of a hike and some distance from roads, Fells Reservation never fails. The app, AllTrails, has so many options for different hikes of different intensities and durations, so there is something for everyone at the Fells.
- Mystic River - Whether I’m catching a sunset or going for a quick dip, Mystic River is good at giving me a complete reset. I frequently find myself bringing dinner and eating it on the sail pavilion docks with some friends. Because it has both a beach and a dock, you can choose between the two locations depending on your mood.
- Community Path - Sprouting right out of Davis Square, the Community Path provides a natural escape with a bit more structure. The paved path is perfect for walking, running, or biking. It features many local artists and has a bunch of art spread along the edges of the path. Because it starts in Davis Square, it is incredibly accessible to reach by either walking or taking the shuttle.
- Quad foliage - This is the perfect escape to nature when I am very busy with work. Given its location directly on campus and its proximity to Tisch Library, I often sit on Prez Lawn (Presidential Lawn) during finals week and enjoy either the spring leaves or fall foliage. The trees display a vibrant orange and red that beautifully decorate the campus with their leaves.
- Many gardens - by Harleston, Hillel, Tisch, tennis courts, and more! Throughout campus, many small garden beds with flowers and butterflies are beautiful to look at in passing. The gardens are the most casual option of all my ways to connect with nature, but therefore, they are also one of my most frequent. You can also further your involvement with these gardens by joining the Tufts Gardening Club, which maintains them!
I hope you enjoy the nature around campus as much as I do!!
