Final Impressions

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 When I first walked into this class I was not sure what to expect. I did know that I had heard a lot of things about this class that was not good. After doing a whole semester of this class I have learned a lot about my community and my world.

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I did enjoy this class somewhat. I thought some of the field trips were a lot of fun except when we had to go through places like the swamp where there was no boardwalk to walk over it. My favorite trips were the Matanzas pass preserve, the Ft. Myers Historical District, and the Vester Marine Lab canoe trip. I really liked those because it was relaxing and a lot of fun.

The one thing that I did not like was having to have ten hours for community service. It wad really hard to work around my work schedule. Though I did like doing it the community service projects because they were a lot of fun.

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I liked the Wiki projects we got to do, I know that not many people in the class liked those but I really did. I thought that it was fun. I really understood how to work it right away. Maybe to make other people that are not like me happy is to not have so many projects on Wiki and try other types of sources.

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Some of the readings were okay. Some of them just kept being repetitive and just became boring real quick like the David Orr article Love it or Lose it.  Some of the articles were just really long and boring. Though I did like the Land Remembered novel. I thought that it was very interesting and was more interactive than just an article.

Thank you for taking the time to teach us everything you knew about sustainability and the environment. I enjoyed it.

Sense of Place Interview

I had interviewed two older people who I worked with named Gary and Linda Vigar. They are a married couple from Indiana and moved down about a couple decades ago.

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Back when they were children they said that their mother stayed home and took care of them. They said that their neighborhoods were like those that you see on Leave it to Beaver, one where everybody knows everybody.

This is different from me because I was raised around having both of my working to make a living. In my neighborhood I did not know everybody who lived in it.

Their definition of sustainability is making sure that we have all the resources we need in order to survive. Their ecological perspective is different from the people of this generation. They like to be outside and not inside. Their sense of place is different because they see what they had when they were younger as part of their sense of place instead of how it is now.

When I told them about this class they thought it was interesting. They certainly did not have this kind of class back in their day. They know that this world is becoming more and more unstable and they feel that this type of class is good for this generation coming up so we can try to save the world.

Field Trip Marine Area - Estero Bay Historic Cottage and Matanzas Pass Preserve - Conservation 20/20

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This was also one of my more favorite field trips. I did like going to Ft. Myers beach and learning about the history of it. I thought our presentator, Mrs. Hughes, was a sweet old lady. I thought that it was neat that she knew all about the history. I thought that it was interesting that not all the buildings were there only a couple decades ago.

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I thought that the trail was really pretty. I liked all the mangroves. It reminded me of my home in Key Largo because there are a ton of mangroves there. I also liked the rhyme that went with it:

Red, red pointy head
Back back lick the back
White, white bolt on tight

I also thought that the overlook was really pretty. That truly reminded me of home because it was like looking out into the ocean with all the mini mangrove islands. It made me miss home a little bit.

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The Conservation 20/20 is a program that is dedicated to preserving Lee County lands by getting investors to buy lands to use as preservation sites. This is the first time I have ever heard of the program. I think it is a great program. I have heard of a couple of the sites in the program including Koreshan Preserve, Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, and Matanzas Pass Preserve. I think that I will visit these preserves again. I think that CREW and Matanzas Pass Preserve is really pretty and I want to got there again.

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I do not know of any preserve programs anywhere else. I do know that there are a lot of places of nature in the Florida Keys like John Pennekamp and lots of beaches. In the Keys there are a lot of programs to preserve the coral reefs in the ocean. You can also go out to those reefs by snorkeling or scuba diving.

I do not know how I really feel about using tax dollars to preserve land. I do know that it is important to preserve our lands and make sure that they are there for future generations. Yet it seems like there are more important things to worry about right now, like getting our economy back on track.

Field Trip – Urban area and local history museum or Fort Myers and Southwest Florida Historical Museum

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 This, I believe, was the most unique trip out of all of them. We did not really go into any swamps or go into a place that was agricultural but we went into an actual urban area into the historic Fort Myers. I liked the tour that we did in the historic district but I did not like the trip to the cemetery. It was pouring down rain and the rain was cold.

Though it was interesting how there were a lot of famous people buried there like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone. I had no idea that they were all great friends and had places down here. I knew that Ford and Firestone were great friends because one was a tire maker and one was a car maker.

When we got to the Historic Downtown part it did get better. The sun was shining and it was real pretty out. I liked the 'uncommon friends' statue. I thought that it was interesting the many things that were in there like the fish, a manatee, and dolphins.

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The next thing that I thought that was interesting was the history of Page Field. I had no idea that it was an air force field that was used during WWII. I drive by it everyday and I always think that it is just a private air field.

The next thing I thought was interesting was the mural on the outside of the hotel's wall. I thought it was interesting that it depicted how the Indians were treated during the Civil War. I also thought it was interesting how the tiles that they used was one of the first types of pictures to be depicted like that.

Field Trip – Agricultural Area - ECHO

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 This field trip we did not get to do everything that we were going to be able to do. Since it had rained most of the day that day it was impossible for us to do much of anything. We did get to watch the video on what ECHO does and what they stand for. I liked how they were a Christian organization and were dedicated to stopping world hunger by teaching people how to prepare for natural disasters by teaching these people how to make certain crops during those times.

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Since we were not able to take a tour of the farm, Erica took us out to show us around the parts that we were able to access without supervision. She showed us the little pond that they had that was cute. She then showed us the bamboo trees that they had. These trees were huge! Another thing she showed us was all the little plants in the front and how they are good for spices. One of the things she mentioned was a cheese plant. She said that it tasted nothing like cheese and was really bitter.

I also liked how you could buy different plants, fruits, vegetables, other foods, and seeds. Though I did not buy any I did like how they were promoting their own locally grown food that they also give to other countries who are in need of learning how to grow their own crops.

Field Trip - Freshwater Area or Corkscrew Swamp

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 The field trip to the Corkscrew Swamp was fun. I learned a lot about how the place was made and what Fort Myers looked like before humans who wanted to bring tourism to the area and changed the waterway here. Before humans got here there was more animals than humans but after they arrived here and the homes of the animals were destroyed the amount of wildlife dissipated quickly. Now we are having to learn the hard way by having to restore the Everglades in order to bring the flow of the water back to the way it was.

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One of the things that had caught my attention was that Erica said that some of the Bald Cypresses in this place could be over 500 year old. We also saw one that one of the students pointed out and she said that it was probably 200 years old and it was pretty big. So I wondered how big a 500 year old one was.

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 Another thing that caught my eye was how at one part there was water with green leaves sitting on the top. I found out that it was in fact called water cabbage. It was the most interesting thing that I had seen in a long time. It covered the whole water. Apparently this is what hippo's eat, which I think is cool. I do not think that humans can eat it though, it does not look like something humans can eat.

Another thing that I liked was the observation tower. It was a nice overlook with lots of area from farther than one can see. Though it had started to sprinkle so it had become not as fun though and we all just wanted to go back already.

Sense of Place- Your Neighborhood

Where I live is somewhere more in the urban area of Fort Myers. I live in an apartment complex just down the street from the the Edison Mall. My neighborhood is always busy. There is always traffic going by and emergency vehicles speeding by.

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Yet in my apartment complex there are some ways of sustainability. We have a recycling bin for everybody to use. Our apartment building is kind of run down though. While being close to Downtown Ft. Myers it is not one of the best places to live. Even our gates that are supposed to work to keep non-residents out at night do not work anymore because they see no point in having it there.

We do have a tennis court, a playground, a pool, and a fitness center. They are both pretty well kept and people use it often, especially the pool during the summer.

We do keep our landscapes clean though. We always have maintenance out keeping our place clean and nice for the most part. We have a lot of different trees planted around our complex. We also have many different wildlife around. The other day I saw a opossum walk in front of my car as I was pulling into the complex. We also have a pond full of different types of fish, turtles, and ducks swimming around.

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 The one area that I would have a sense of place in is the beach. I love the beach! I love the sand and  the waves crashing on top of each other. I love that it is full of different types of wildlife like birds and sea animals. I always feel so calm when I go there. It helps me relieve stress when I have been stressful lately. I do wish I could go more than I do though.

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Calculating my Ecological Footprint

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 When I took a look at my quiz results, I was shocked. Right now it would take 3.4 earths if everybody lived by my lifestyle to sustain in this earth. One of the things that I thought would be one of the more sustainable was the highest, food consumption. I know I do not eat a lot, I eat little portions and most of the time I do not even finish that, but I know that I do not eat organic and I eat a lot of meat, poultry, and pork. I have been hearing lately that eating meat can actually hurt the environment more than just eating vegetables and fruit.

The one that surprised me the most was the my public and personal transportation. it was the second highest in my rating for consumption. Earlier this year I had gotten a new car that gets thirty some miles to the gallon compared to my last two cars that only got around 13-18 miles per gallon. I was surprised because I do drive a lot and I never take public transportation. Though, if I had taken this last year it might of been around the same because I live on campus and I do not live with an extra person who uses my car.

I have been trying to make sure that things are turned off and unplugged when not used like fans, lights, computer, cable box, etc. I used to recycle all the time when I lived with my parents and sister but now I do not at all. I really have been wanting to change my ways and recycle again but it is hard because I do not want to walk out and put it in the recycling compactor plus my finance does not do it so there is no inspiration there.

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 One thing that I know is going to be harder is eating organic foods. I have wanted to go organic but being a college student and the prices for these types of foods. Sometimes organic food does not taste as good though. I think personally that the world in general should ban pesticides and other products that harm the earth. One thing I know will probably never happen is me eating meat. I like meat and the only thing I think of that I could change is eating organic or natural meats.

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 Here are some of my consumption habits in the past twenty-four hours:

1. Energy Consumption- In the last 24 hours I have used the television for a few hours, the fan is constantly on in the bedroom, my phone was on the charger all night.
2. Fuel Consumption- I drove to work and  back, I put gas in my car last night, drove to school and back today, drove to Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express.
3. Food Intake- I ate Stuffed Crust Sausage and cheese Pizza Hut pizza with a small coca-cola, ate a hot dog and chips with milk, and ate chicken from Chick-Fil-A with a large coca-cola today.
4. Water Usage- I drank a cup of water last night from my PUR container and took a shower this morning for about fifteen minutes.
5. Packaging- I made a ton of subs in the deli and I wrapped them in paper and put them in paper sub bags, put meat and cheeses in plastic bags, used paper today to take notes which were in a binder, my food last night was in a plastic Ziploc bag and today I ate Chick-Fil-A in paper bag and the nuggets and fries were in waxed cardboard, I also drank my one coke in a wax paper cup and my other in a foam cup.

Field Trip - Campus and Trails

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 The Campus Field Trip I had at the beginning of the year was interesting. Our tour guide Erica mentioned a lot of things that I had never known about the school before then. Like that Howard Hall was considered a sustainable building just by how the lights are different, the air conditioning, and how the building was built in general. Another thing that I thought was cool was the advertisement boards they have outside and how they have solar panels on top so that way they can capture the sun and then during the night they are lit by no electricity at all.

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The first field trip we went on I thought was a nice trip. I had pretty much had a stressful week by having a paper turned in earlier that day and having the field trip was a nice way for me to calm down and actually not stress out so much. One of the things that really caught my eye was the three pictures of Florida from before humans, when humans started taking over, and present time. I thought it was horrible how humans had come into the Everglades and started to take over by draining out the swamps and marshes to make neighborhoods and cities for the benefit of humans. Even though we learned the hard way, I liked how now humans are starting to put the Everglades back together.

Another thing I that caught my attention was how Erica pointed out that some of the Bald Cypresses in the Corkscrew Sanctuary could possibly be over 500 years and the fattest/largest ones are the oldest. We did see one that was around 200 years old and it was a pretty big one.

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I also like the water lettuce that we saw as we walked by at one point. There was so much of it and it covered all of the water that we could see. I am not sure if you could eat it or not, Erica never said. Probably not though it does not look like something you could eat.

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The recent campus trail field trip was interesting. I liked how it was a nice day outside. One of the things that I learned that I had no idea about was the huge water collector that froze water overnight and then during the day it melts and cools off the buildings around campus.

The trail was a nice at first. I felt like I was in a jungle. Then though it started getting really muddy and wet and it was not as fun anymore. I could not see what was in the water so it was a lot harder to walk around and it kind of made me paranoid on whether or not I was going to get eaten or bitten.

But it's okay I survived the swamp!

Incoming Reflections

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My first expectations coming into this class was low. I did not like the fact of having to take a required course that I knew I did not want to take in the first place. I had heard many bad things about this class like that this class shoves information down your throat without giving you a chance to think about your own opinion to what you were shown or told.

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My experiences in nature before this was just being a kid and going out and playing in my neighborhood all the time on my bike or rollerblading. Since I also lived near the Southern part of the Everglades I have gone on fun trips there like on air boat rides (which is my favorite experience), canoeing, camping, hiking, etc. One of the experiences I have had that has turned me away from liking the fact of me trudging through mud is my fourth grade camping field trip and the first thing we did when we got there was go slough slogging. I hated it and almost lost my shoe and ruined my then favorite pair of jeans. Which is why since then I have never gone on a nature field trip in jeans or in sneakers unless I know the trail is going to be paved or wooded.

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While on that camping field trip my fourth grade class, my ranger, and I went on a hiking trip at night and on our way back we encountered an alligator laying out in the middle of the trail. We all had to stand back as the ranger walked up to it and tried to get it out of the way. We stood there for about twenty minutes until the alligator moved and we were on out way back to the cabins.

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I have taken a class similar to this my Freshman year called Environmental Biology of SW Florida. It was a good class, but since I am not a girl that likes to tread through the swamp and the mud at all so I did not really enjoy it that much.One of the things that turned me off from that class is the fact that the teacher did not even care about the whole fact that we were in knee deep water and it was thundering and lightning outside. I really did not mind it until a bolt of lightning struck right in front of my face. I jumped ten feet in the air and screamed and when my teacher asked what was wrong, I told her and she told me to stop being a baby. I really did not appreciate the fact that she did not care for my safety.

My fear and anxieties about this class is that I am going to get hurt somehow, get struck by lightning this time, or get bit by an alligator, snake, etc. Even through I grew up on an island I have a micro-sized fear of dark, murky water that I have no idea what is in it.

The goals for me in this class is to become better acquainted with nature and to get over my fear of dark, murky water. I would also like to learn more about what I can do to make this plane better for the future. Also, I would also like to get an A in this class.

This class would be an important part of my education because I can become a better citizen of this world by being educated on how important it is to take care of my world to make this a better place. It is important for my major because it will make me a better politician by knowing some of the important things we need to take care of in this world.