Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

When entering the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, the sounds of the city were almost nonexistent, except for the occasional plane flying overhead. Mostly, it was the sound of the leaves rustling from gusts of wind or the chirping of birds in the trees. The landscape, sunlight, and weather made the walk through the park extremely serene. The gravel trails moved through dense trees and wetlands, and as I walked deeper into the sanctuary, I noticed how the pathways encouraged a slower pace. Other visitors spoke more quietly, and they would pause to look into the trees or toward the water. At one point, I stopped at an observation deck to spend time watching some birds perched on a piece of driftwood in the center of the river stream. I found quality in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary through the unique atmosphere created. Instead of relying on dramatic gestures or carefully curated landscaping, the naturalized landscape created subtle moments of observation and awareness of things that might typically go unnoticed. There was a calming, tranquil, and serene experiential quality produced by this location.