“Class, meet the Chinese parasol tree. Chinese parasol tree, meet the class.”

So began one of the many discussions that Tony Burgess, professor of professional practice in environmental science, led among students in the Environmental Stewardship class during a day-long field trip to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden in January.

Fifteen TCU students and four faculty and staff members spent the day examining the intersections of humans and nature in the rose garden, Japanese Garden and other portions of the park.

One of the goals of the expedition — the first of four locations the class visited — was to coach students in writing effective field notes. Another goal was to give them a chance to observe, describe and reflect on the role of plants and animals in a place designed to enchant and resonate with human visitors.

Among other topics, Burgess talked about the Japanese concepts of wabi (imperfection), sabi (the beauty and serenity that comes with age) and kami, (spiritual essence) which Japanese gardens seek to embody. He asked students to find a place in the garden that attracted them and write or draw for 40 minutes, then share their work.

This semester will be Burgess’ last at TCU. He came to the university in 2004 after having served as a site naturalist for the Biosphere 2 project near Tucson, Ariz. In May, he will retire to Homer, Alaska, to be near his son.

In Spring 2014, the W.L. Adams Center for Writing will sponsor a creative non-fiction award, the Burgess Award, for a student’s written work that embodies the principles and ethics of environmental stewardship taught by Burgess.

On the Web:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram story about Tony Burgess