Final Impressions

My final impressions of University Colloquium are that I really enjoyed it. When looking at the syllabus at the beginning of the semester, I have to admit that I felt a little intimidated. It seemed like there was going to be so much work to do. I was not wrong. It was a lot of work but it was not repetitive boring work. I enjoyed the readings and the videos. I especially enjoyed the reading about the Everglades and my favorite video was Food Inc. I learned a lot from that video that I will never forget. I would keep all the field trips except for the Matanzas Pass Preserve. The only reason why I did not like that field trip is there is no one to show you around and the signs are not helpful. I would suggest that Rookery Bay be considered for a field trip. I went there once for a field trip in high school and it was a lot of fun and very educational. Honestly, I thought this class was going to be difficult and frustrating judging from what I heard from other students but I was proven wrong. I really enjoyed myself in this class and I learned so much about the environment around me.

picture: http://www.burbanksportnets.com/burbank%20sportnets.data/compo nents/FGCU1.jpg

Sense of Place Interview

My grandmother does not live close to me so I emailed her the following questions and below is her repsonse.

What is your philosophy on sustainability, ecological perspective and sense of place? How did your upbringing differ from mine? From what I have told you about the class I am taking, what is your perspective on what I have been learning about this semester?


"I feel that we, in the world, are not being smart about our future. Most of us seem to only worry about the here and now. We want cheap energy sources and don't necessarily concern ourselves with the consequences. At the turn of the century we had few cars or other means of polluting the earth. In a relatively short amount of time we have developed conveniences that put a strain on natural resources. Take the gulf oil leak for example. The repercussions of a company trying to take a few shortcuts will have an effect on the ecosystem for an undetermined amount of time. I don't think we can live in this world anymore without doing damage, whether large or small. We can try to do our best to make choices that have the least harmful impact. I think that we owe it to the planet we were given to take care of it as best we can and do the things we know are right. It is a shame that thirty years ago there was hardly any emphasis on recycling and things like there is today. If we had been more aware as a people maybe less damage could have been done. When I was younger there wasn't the awareness by most people of the need to be responsible with our resources. It seemed to be assumed that resources were never ending. There was less talk of saving the planet because we didn't realize what danger the planet might be in. I don't think the average person was as informed as we are today. There was less media coverage. Today there is media coverage 24/7. You can find out anything, anytime. Had this been the same, say in ww2, I wonder what the thoughts on the war would have been. Today, things are much more in your face."

I think that my grandmother is very in touch with the problems that we have in society today. She has a different attitude than I thought she would. I kind of thought she was going to say that children should stop playing so many video games and that people should spend less time on the computer. She really suprised me by how much she knows and pays attention to. I think her generation was a lot different than ours is today. Like she said, there is so many more resources for news and information about the world around us. We know the damage that we cause yet we still do wrong things. I wish that younger people had the same attitude as my grandmother and maybe we all would be a little better at helping the planet.


Bird picture: http://geography6.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/oil_spill.jpg

News stand picture: http://www.thetechherald.com/media/images/200852/papers_1.jpg

Field Trip #5: Southwest Florida Museum of History

Even though I do not live very far from Ft. Myers I have not really been there very much. I have driven up the coast but I have not seen historical Ft. Myers. I have always associated Ft. Myers with office buildings and legal offices. There seems to be many state and county office buildings that, in my experience, have overshadowed the historical side of Ft. Myers. I never really thought about the history of Ft. Myers and how Calusa indians used to live in this area. Giant sloths walking around and mammoths roaming the land never crossed my mind when I thought about Ft. Myers. I did not know that Caloosahatchee River means river of the Calusa. It make a lot of sense I just never realized it before. The cattle industry in this area I did know about because of reading A Land Remembered. There is so much history in this area. I really enjoyed the museum. It was the first historical museum that I have ever been to and it made me want to go to more. By far, my favorite part was the very beginning where the bones were. The first picture is of a giant sloth and it is kind of scary because it is so big when you are standing right next to it. I am pretty sure that the second picture is a mammoth skull or something like that because of the size of the head and tusks. I liked how the museum provided devices that told you all about things in the museum. Whenever you came across a picture of a sound symbol and a number you just typed the number in the device and listened. My cousin enjoyed the firefighter section the most. She thought it was cool that there was a old fire truck in there and all of the tools they used to use were hanging on the walls. It was an interesting exhibit. The King Tut exhibit was very interesting but it does not really have much to do with historical Ft. Myers. I think the museum depicted Ft. Myers well and there was a lot to learn. The city has changed a lot over the years. The courthouse has been renovated and now holds the office of county commissioners. The downtown area has went from the hot spot to shop and party to an area concerned with sustainability. More places are within walking distance so the amount of toxins that cars release are lessened. The downtown area is a place where all types of people can come together. It has came along way from the Calusa indians and cattle industry days.

Field Trip #4: ECHO

ECHO was an amazing place. I had never been there before and I am very glad that I went because I learned so much. My little cousin, Jessica, learned a lot too and she liked seeing the goats and chickens. ECHO travels the world teaching third world farmers appropriate techniques for their area so that they can have the most success with their farms. ECHO provides farmers with sample seed packets. I think this is interesting because I would have assumed that they just give the farmers tons of seeds but they don't. They encourage the farmers to experiment and find what works for them. Everywhere is different and not all crops grow in all places so it is important to understand the land know what crops are goingto survive and become the most profitable. Third world farmers face many challenges, some they can control and some they cannot. The main thing they need is education because they need to be taught techniques that can help sovle their problems. For example, some farmers face the problem of sloped piece of land where they need to plant crops. ECHO teaches these farmers how to make the land work in their favor. The tour guide showed us a very basic piece of equipment made of wood that is shaped like an A and has a rock that hangs from a piece of string from the top of the A. You put one leg of the A in the ground and turn it until the rock is perfectly in the middle and that is where you plant the crops. Another problem faced by third world farmers is predators. Many animals can destroy crops easily and the all the farmers' hard work is ruined. ECHO suggests live fencing. Live fencing is a fence made from live tree limbs. When the limbs are planted in the ground they will sort of grow together and it makes a barrier that is difficult for animals to see through and if an animal can't see it then it doesn't exist so they don't mess with it. The biggest problem in these third world countries is hunger. One of the main things that ECHO concentrates on is keeping the people fed. They do this by having them plant food that is a "belly filler". These are foods high in carbohydrates like rice. The problem of hunger sometimes results from the fact that the people have to work so physically hard every day that they use up their energy. One of the ways that ECHO solves this problem is by the technology they have people

use. One piece of tehcnology that is a low energy burner waters crops. You step on two platforms and pump your legs up and down which pumps water through tubes that leads to you crops. This is something everyone in the family can take turns doing so it does not use a lot of energy.

One of the most interesting things I learned was that plants do not need soil because all they need is air, water, and nutrients. I learned that you can plant plants in almost anything. An old tire can be a perfect pot. You cut the "top" off and line the hole on the bottom with the rubber and put plastic over it. Then you can fill it with soil and plant your plants. Another way to plant plants is to build a wooden frame around a piece of carpet and cover the carpet with empty soda cans inside socks. The seeds can be plants right into the carpet and the socks give the roots something to cling to. So, you don't need soil and everyone has items lying around their house that can be used to plant plants.

I was most intrigued by what I learned about the Neem tree and the Moringa tree. It has been discovered that the Neem tree can prevent and help cure gum disease and other mouth problems. A long time ago, a group of people chewed on twigs from the Neem tree and they had no mouth diseases. Today, they make toothpaste from the Neem tree that is one of the most succesful in helping to prevent mouth diseases. Picture to the left is a Neem tree. The Moringa tree has so many amazing properties. Each gram of the leaves contains seven times more vitamin C than oranges, four times the vitamin A of carrots, three times the potassium in bananas, and four times the calcium in milk. This tree can be a lifesaver. When children are malnourished and on the brink of death, they are fed one crushed up seed three times a day and are well nourished and in good health within two weeks. Mothers who have lost the ability to produce breast milk due to malnutrition can

regain their milk within three days just from ingesting one crushed up seed three times a day. This tree can be very important in many third world countries. Picture to the right is a Moringa tree.

ECHO taught me so much about farming that I never knew and they have inspired me to be more conscious of what I consume and how I consume it. I am imspired to start a garden with no soil using their rooftop gardening techniques. I hope that ECHO can reach as many third world countries as possible so that millions can benefit from their knowledge.

Link to ECHO's website: http://www.echonet.org/

Neem tree picture: http://addins.kwwl.com/blogs/thedirt/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/neem-tree.jpg

Moringa tree picture: http://images.stltoday.com/blogzone/off-the%20menu/files/2010/04/Moringa-Tree.jpg

Field Trip #3: Matanzas Pass Preserve

Matanzas Pass Preserve was interesting because you got to explore on your own which was also difficult because I do not think you learn as much that way. What I liked most about this field trip was the mangrove section by the water. It was cooler there and seeing the water through the mangroves provided a calming feeling. Unfortunately, the rest of the field trip was hot and sticky and the sun was brutal. I think I would go back but only in the winter when it is not so hot. Florida is famous for the amount of mangroves that line our waters. Florida has so many mangroves because of the warm climate. Mangroves are tropical plants that will die in freezing temperatures so they are perfect for Florida since we rarely see freezing temperatures. There are three types of mangroves including: red, black , and white. Red mangroves grow closest to open water, white mangroves grow closest to shore, and black mangroves are seen in the northern parts of Florida. Mangrove systems are very important because they provide protection for smaller species of animals. Below the water, animals like sponges, oysters, and mussels make the mangrove roots their home, whereas, above the water the mangroves provide shelter for snails, crabs, and spiders. Another variety of the mangrove is called the buttonwood. The buttonwood is only considered an associate of the mangrove and it is shrubby by the shore and turns into more of a tree form as it grows further inland. The first picture is of a red mangrove, the second picture is of a white mangrove, the third is a black mangrove, and the fourth is a buttonwood. Estuaries are important for many species because they provide protection for endangered and small animals. The mangroves help the estuaries provide this important protection. Lee County's Conservation 20/20 program was started by a group of citizens who were concerned about the amount of land set aside for conservation. They were displeased that only ten precent of land was set aside for conservation and they wanted to do something to change that. They started chaning this by buying undeverloped land and turning them into preserves and all of the preserves are open to the public. A few preserves include Matanzas Pass Preserve, Flag Pond Preserve, and Gator Hole Preserve. I think that what this program is trying to do is great for South Florida. If these concerned citizens had not stepped in to change things it is possible that Lee County would have had very little conservation land. I am not aware of any other programs like this but I certaintly hope there are programs like this in every state. With the rate at which America is using resources, we need to conserve as much land as possible. Matanzas Pass Preserve was acquired on January 20, 2006 and it cost $1,400,000.00. It is sixty acres filled with a variety of species that need the preserve. The preserve is broken into three natural communites including maritime hammock, mangrove swamp, and coastal grassland. The preserve is open to anyone wanting to take a look at these natural communities. It was an interesting and beautiful place to visit.

red mangrove: http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/images/photos/ecos%20ystems/ak_redmangrovee.jpg

white mangrove:http://www.butbn.cas.cz/hajek/africa/Photo%20Gallery/KwaZulu%20Natal/Kosi%20Bay/White%20Mangrove.jpg

black mangrove: http://www.finexpeditions.com/images/bestblackmangrove.JPG

buttonwood:http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/images/photos/blowingrocks/br_buttonwood.jpg

conservation 20/20: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAs2VJnzPgN4Bv3kS4r9z2NaRpHI394Wiz3xG6Fl1G0YGPw5uL3m80wO5hP79dOFRIPXly4PjuJNOimXMm8Tlnazy7Y2vsxRSvlr8MZHCj45oZmFx0cmtdzEe9Q2D2VeDKE7c7iTmGdQ/s320/2020

Field Trip #2: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has always been one of my favorite places to visit. I went there a few times when I was a child and last year I took my cousin Jessica there for her first time. A few weeks ago I took her and my boyfriend there with me for this field trip. We had a lot of fun. We took the normal boardwalk pathway and saw several species of insects, birds, amphibians, and plants. The first insect we saw was a Southeastern Lubber Grasshopper and it was beautiful. The colors were so rich and he was huge. We saw several more after that and one of them is pictures on the right.

Next, we saw a Barred Owl. It was very large and it dove down underneath the boardwalk. When we saw it next it was flying away with a little snake in it's mouth. The owl we saw is up in the tree in the picture on the left. He is hard to see but he is sitting on the second branch up from the bottom of the tree right in the middle of the picture. A little later we saw a very large spider web. I could

not identify the type of spider that spun the web because I could not find the spider but I decided to take a picture and just hope that the picture turned out well and it did. The web is pictured on the right. It had just rained and was about to start raining again and we noticed that there was water droplets that seemed like they were sowed to

the leaves of trees and plants because they were so still. The picture to the left is water droplets on a giant leaf. In the early 1900s, plume hunting was very popular and it rapidly started killing off the species. People wanted their long white feathers. Thankfully, a group of people came together and put a stop to plume hunting. There is a sign at Corkscrew that teaches visitors all about the story of plume hunting and how it was stopped. The Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed begins in Immokalee and flows down through Corkscrew and out into the Gulf of Mexico eventually. Water is important at Corkscrew because the wet and dry seasons mean different things for the species that are around during those times. A major sustainable initiative at Corkscrew is the boardwalk itself. The boardwalk is estimated to survive for about fifty years and is made out of recyclable wood. I enjoyed the field trip to Corkscrew even though it did rain for half the time we were there and we got very wet. It was interesting though because we got to see everything like it was night outside because it was raining and the clouds and trees were blocking the sunlight. Everything seemed so much different once it got darker and it was kind of spooky in some areas but overall it was a lot of fun and I would definitely go back.

The following link is to a youtube.com video that tells the history of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XPQ5r_PO8s

Environment in the News

There was an article in the New York Times called "From Trees and Grass, Bacteria That Cause Snow and Rain" written by Jim Robbins. It is about a bacteria that has been found on plants, clouds, streams and in snow as well as several other places. It is called Pseudomonas syringae bacteria. The bacteria is thought to cause freezing at higher temperatures than normal. It does this to create water and ice that will damage plants so the bacteria can get nutrients. Scientists say that it is well known that the bateria helps to cause snow to form but a closer look is being taken at the role of the bacteria in precipitation. The ending conclusion is that it is difficult to pinpoint the effect of the bacterium. It could have less or more of an effect than scientists currently think.

I think this article is so interesting. I did not know that bacteria can create snow and maybe precipitation. One question that came to my mind is that if some plants have more of this bacteria on them would they aid in causing more rain? Could these plants be planted in places with drought problems? That way when the wind swept the bacteria up into the air and into the clouds maybe that area would see more rain. This is a good example of how everything in our environment relies on so many other things. Could it be possible that this bacteria is the key to rain? Would we have rain without this bacteria? We probably would, but maybe not so much of it. It is amazing how everything in our environment is connected and if one thing changes then thousands of things change that no one even notices.

Pictures and article taken from: Robbins, Jim. (2010, May 24). From Trees and grass, bacteria that cause snow and rain. New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/science/25snow.html?ref=science

Field Trip #1: Campus Trails

Last Saturday I took my six year old cousin, Jessica, with me to walk the campus trails and boardwalks that can be found around the buildings. Honestly, I thought it was going to be hot and sticky and miserable but I had a lot of fun. I think that bringing Jessica was the key to having a good time. She thought that everything was amazing and she pointed out wildlife and interesting things that I might not have noticed if she was not there. The first thing that we did was go to the Nature Trail across from the parking garage. I had never been there before so it was as new for me as it was for her. We walked past the picnic tables and hammock to what I thought was the main trail but it was covered in water so we had to turn around. The picture shows the water that was blocking our path. So our next idea was to walk toward the entrance and turn left but we did not get very far until our path was blocked by water again. So we turned around and took the path that would be to the immediate left upon entering the trail. That trail was not blocked by water so we walked the whole thing and ended up all the way by the dorms. Along the way we saw several insects and a large variety of trees. The insects we saw were hard to capture in a picture because they usually moved before I could get my camera ready. The picture shows a lizard that I did happen to get a successful picture of. Our next stop was the boardwalks that go from the buildings to the parking lots. The last picture is of a turtle swimming under water by the boardwalk by Whitaker. Unfortuantely we did not see any birds which seemed unusual to me. We didn't see any alligators either. I think that our campus is more in touch with nature than any other campus that I have been to. I never really paid attention to the trees and wildlife before this. I usually just walked by them on my way to class and did not think much about it. We took a look at the sustainable initiatives on campus too like the Eagle Tap Water and the recycling bins. I showed Jessica the Eagle Tap Water and explained to her why I bring a reusable water bottle to school and fill it up at the water fountain instead of buying a new plastic water bottle every day. It is interesting that the school has put in plants that are native to our area. It is good because walking by bamboo in southwest Florida would be a little strange. One thing I observed is that nature is in many ways unpredictable and without pattern. Trees are not usually lined up prefectly and plants are not all the same height. The native plants on campus are planted strategically to line pathways and they are kept well groomed. I think that the way nature is normally with all of its unpredictability is much more beautiful than anything we do to try to make it look beautiful.

Ecological Footprint

I took the quiz and my results were not that appealing. It turns out that if everyone lived like my family and I do then we would need 4.7 planets in order to survive. I definitely think that changes need to be made. We need to recycle more and not drive ours cars so much. Everyone in my family, besides my six year old cousin, drives their vehicle everyday. I drive mine to and from work; my mother and brother drive their cars for their job since they deliver newspapers; and my dad drives a dump truck all day. Since we need to drive our cars we should cut down in other places like our food habits. We do not buy organic or locally grown food because it is more expensive and difficult to afford in this economy. Maybe we should rethink that and start buying local produce. I compared myself and my family to the people in Florida, females, and people born in 1988 like myself. Compared to Florida we are pretty close totaling 4.7 planets with Florida totaling 4.6 planets. The average across all females is 3.7 planets and the average for people born in 1988 is also 3.7 planets. Since we are close to the average of Floridians maybe there is something to say about that. Maybe people in Florida use up more resources than people in other places for a reason. Or, maybe we are just more wasteful. I took a look at my specific consumption for an entire twenty-four hours and this is what I came up with. My cell phone charger and alarm clock stay plugged in everyday along with my television and DVD player. My television stays turned on all night while I sleep. I do shut my light off in my room unless I absolutely need it for something. I drive my car to work and back totaling about forty-five miles or forty minutes. I drive to eat lunch somewhere every day usually less than five miles away. I do not eat breakfast before work. I drink water from a water cooler all day until lunch then I go somewhere to eat fast food. When I get home I eat a home-cooked dinner made from food bought at Wal-Mart or Publix. I use water when I shower once a day and I wash my hands at least four times a day and brush my teeth. For packaging, at work I handle remotes that come in cardboard packaging and food that is usually in plastic packaging. Looking over my consumption for one day I have came to the conclusion that there are places where I can cut down. I can unplug everything in room for the times when I am not there. There is no reason for my television, DVD player, alarm clock, and cell phone charger to be plugged in when they are not in use. I can also turn off my television at night since I am asleep and not watching it anyway. I do not have an option as far as having to drive to work but I can bring my lunch to work that way I do not have to drive somewhere to get food. I should stop eating fast food and bring my lunch since it would be cheaper and healthier and I will know where my food is actually coming from. Those home-cooked meals could be made with organic or locally grown food. Taking a shorter shower and using hand sanitizer instead of soap and water would cut down on my water consumption. I cannot do anything about the products I handle at work but I can control what I buy at home so I can start buying products made with recyclable packaging. Maybe making these changes would reduce the number of planets we would need if everyone lived like me.

Image 1: http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect16/full-20earth2.jpg

Image 2: http://teachers.greenville.k12.sc.us/sites/dmiles/Blythe%20pictures/car_clipart_3.jpg

Image 3: http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/organic-food-usda-9451.jpg

Sense of Place- Your Neighborhood

I have lived in the same house on the same street for my entire life. I used to want to move around and live in other places but there is a lot to be said for having a strong sense of place. I know my area so well that I am comfortable and being comfortable in one aspect of life gives you the green light to take risks in other aspects of your life. I live on a normal residential street in the Golden Gate area of Naples, FL. It is nothing fancy but there is a lot more nature here than there is in other places. I live on about a half acre of land. There are several very large trees in my front yard including palm trees and the backyard has pine trees, palm trees, an avocado tree and orange trees. The picture is of an orange tree in my backyard. There are several insects and small animals that hang around. I looked up the specific species that I see on a regular basis in my National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. Some insects I see often include the Great Pondhawk Dragonfly, Two Spotted Lady Beetle, Love Bugs, Red Fire Ant, and the Monarch Butterfly. Some reptiles and amphibians that can be found in my area include the Florida Redbelly Turtle, Gopher Tortoise, Black Racer Snake, the Ring-Necked Snake, Corn Snake, and the American Alligator. Common birds I have seen around my house are the Black Vulture, Blue Jay, and the Northern Cardinal. Some mammals include the Virginia Opossum, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Striped Skunk, and the Common Raccoon. All of these animals and insects have been spotted around my house and down in the canal at the end of my street. The picture is of the canal at the end of my street. I think that my sense of place would be at the hammock in my front yard. It’s placed under trees that are dozens of feet tall that have been there probably hundreds of years. I feel safe sitting in the hammock under those trees. The trees protect me from the sun and it is easy to just fall asleep and enjoy the noises of nature.

Incoming Reflection

My initial expectations have come from what I have heard about Colloquium from other students. The usual descriptions include lots of field trips and a ton of writing. So I guess I expect to go on field trips and do a lot of journaling. Judging from our syllabus, they were right. It makes sense to journal after a field trip because there is no point in exploring nature if you do not reflect back on your experiences.

I live on a residential street with a lot of trees. Growing up my experiences with nature was just climbing trees and playing in the yard. I have not done very much traveling but I have been to my grandparents deer hunting camp in Mississippi a few times. My boyfriend bought a kayak a few months ago and it was the most amazing purchase. We have been to Clam Pass, Wiggins Pass, and the Estero River in Koreshan State Park several times. It is so relaxing being on the water and just looking at all the trees and animals. We see birds mostly and a few weeks ago we followed a dolphin around (they are very fast). Taking out the kayak has been my best experiences with nature. The picture was taken while kayaking in Koreshan State Park.
I do not really have any anxieties about this class. I am excited about the field trips and I am looking forward to learning more about nature. My personal goal for this class is to get in touch more with Southwest Florida nature. I have lived in Naples my whole life but unfortunately I do not know a lot about the natural surroundings. I want to know the types of trees that are around here and when I see a bird I want to know what kind it is. I do not think that this class adds to my major all that much since I am a psychology major but it does relate a little to one of my minors. One of my minors is Community Planning and Development. If I decide to go into a job in that field in Southwest Florida then it would be beneficial to know about the surroundings. I hope this class helps to deepen my appreciation for nature.