Making Refugia
by Anna Grace Varnell for Dr. Joshua King's ENGL 4365: Literature and Environmental Justice Class, Fall 2025
Welcome
Over the course of this semester, I have learned a lot about how we contemplate nature and how nurturing small pockets of life can make a difference. Throughout readings in class, I learned about how others contemplate their own place in this world through their faith, reasoning and beliefs. I have also learned how to make a positive difference to my surroundings and how to nurture life. I hope that by reading my reflection, you will also be inspired to make positive changes in your own life and leave the areas you exist in better than they were before you arrived.
Reflection
One of the most impactful experiences for me during this class has been nurturing life in the Teal Residential College garden. Up until this point in my life, I have had limited experience in gardening. Caring for a garden as large as the one at Teal was a stretch for me and there are a lot more considerations to take in. The garden is exposed to things like pests, weeds, heat, watering and providing enough nutrition for the plants to grow. However, while tending to a garden can be difficult, it is also very rewarding. It has also been a great way for me to slow down. College can be a stressful and busy time and during my visits to the garden have always helped me stop for a moment. Growing a garden on Baylor campus means that hundreds of students will also benefit from growing life there. It is a shared area that everyone has access to that would otherwise be barren. By taking part in growing plants in this garden, I think that it has also fostered a sense of community in the area. Through our collective efforts, we created something that might inspire someone else to take part and join our efforts.
The first day I arrived at the garden, I was excited to learn about the practical aspects of my class. I think that one of my favorite parts of tending to the Teal garden was growing the milkweed. They are grown from just a small seed, but they can still have a large impact. I had never heard about Milkweed before I planted its seeds in the garden. I learned that Monarchs use Milkweed in their reproductive cycle. During their migration, they make stops for food and to lay their eggs. It is the only plant that they can lay their eggs in because it contains toxins that harm birds and other insects that would otherwise eat their eggs. I remember seeing monarch butterflies flying around the area, but after learning this, it added another layer to why they might be attracted to this area. I thought that it was exciting to be able to take part in this.
Even after I finish this class, the experiences I have gained will stay with me. The more I learned about nature, the more I sought to make changes in my own life. They don't always have to be major changes, but they can even be small habits. One example of this is thinking of ways to reduce the amount of food that gets wasted. Instead of throwing food away, I went out of my way to find ways to use it or compost it instead. This is a change that is not very time-consuming, but it can still make a major difference. I also think that by taking an active part in the Teal Garden of Baylor campus, this has changed my understanding of refugia. I think that learning about refugia, specifically in urban spaces like Waco, is a different experience than actually having the opportunity to nurture small pockets of life is a welcome change. It makes me think back on my experiences working with SCRAP and learning about their efforts to create spaces like these.
They work to increase awareness about environmental issues and help their local community. This is done through many different means, but they all work towards the same goal. Through these experiences, I have come to realize that helping the environment can take on many different forms.
For my original composition, I chose to write a poem reflecting on my experiences in the Teal Garden this semester. This includes when I first visit the garden and my visits to care for the garden. I decided to use a poem because it is a concise way to express oneself. I think that this helps the reader reflect on refugia in a unique way. It expresses some of the thoughts that I wrote in my notebook after visiting the garden and after reading works in class that I thought were interesting or related to refugia.
The Garden
A place I used to pass by
In the courtyard
Red brick walls and green grass
Teeming with life
The noise of insects buzzing
Dragonflies in the air
Ants crawling across the ground
In the dirt
On the plants
Under the shade of trees
Crawlings on their trunks
Across the bark
Seeds sown in rich soil
Planted in the ground
By careful hands
Growing unseen
Creating a haven
Promising life
Tended to
Flowers blooming in the hot sun
Yellow and white
Sitting in the sun
Absorbing its rays
Bright colors interspersed in-between green leaves
Brightening its surroundings
Catching the eye
Bringing beauty
Surrounded by the chatter of people
Their voices
Their existence