Week 10: Final Fieldtrip to Downtown Fort Myers

            Our last and final field trip of Honors Colloquium was a trip to downtown Fort Myers, Florida.  We got on the bus and headed down to the heart of Fort Myers.  Our first stop was the Southwest Florida Museum of History in historic downtown Fort Myers.  Here we learned all about the different Indians and natives, as well as the collection of antique artifacts scattered around the Museum.  In addition, we learned that Fort Myers was one of the first forts built along the Caloosahatchee River in order to serve as a base of protection.   

            We then traveled to the main streets of downtown Fort Myers, where we found streets filled with historic buildings, restaurants, antique stores, and boutiques.  Downtown Fort Myers is home to the Burroughs Home and Gardens, the city of Palms Park, the Edison Ford Winter Estate, and much more.  Professor Wilkinson gave us the opportunity to go out and explore historic downtown Fort Myers on our own.  Classmates, Tessa, Morgan, and I decided to venture out together.  First, we went window shopped along the main street and went into a few of the boutiques to shop.  The window shopping made us hungry, so we decided to stop in the local pizza shop for a bite to eat.  Peers from other classes had told us that the pizza place had the best pizza in town, so we decided to give it a try.  Inside, we saw other fellow classmates as well as Professor Wilkinson.  After dinner, our class met up as a whole and went to the top of one of the tallest buildings in Fort Myers.  At the top of this building we were able to see almost all of downtown Fort Myers!  As the sun was setting, our class we took pictures and were in awe of the beautiful scenery that was before us. A wonderful ending to a great trip!

            The Honors Colloquium course is a class that is worth taking!  I learned so much about our natural environment, widened my ecological perspective and developed my own sense of place.  Thanks Professor Wilkinson for a great semester!

Week 9: Are you willing to take the Challenge?

           During the Honors Colloquium Course, students had to participate in group projects called Challenge Group Projects.  We had to group up with other students in the class to work together collaboratively as a cohesive team in order complete the project.  The project consisted of teaching the class about the "challenges" or issues presented in a specific chapter of the book Plan B.  My challenge group consisted of fellow classmates, Shannon, Gretchen, and Myself.  We had to thoroughly read the chapter, propose solutions and conduct research as well as put a thoughtful presentation together to fully understand the issues in the chapter and make sure that the class understands and gets a full synopsis of what the chapter has to offer.  Our chapter incorporated three main issues of Chapter 2: Population Pressure: Land and Water.  First, overpopulation leads to more demand for food which leads to overuse of land for crops and soil erosion. Another issue from our chapter is so much stress on grain dependability has decreased the water supply.  The final issue included the elimination of aquifers and cutbacks of crop production could come at the same time. 

            It was a fun experience to teach the class about our particular issue and show our classmates what we researched and worked hard on.  It was also particularly interesting to see the concepts that the other groups had worked on for their challenge group presentations.  I liked learning about the other chapters and seeing the similarities and differences between the different groups methods of presenting.  On our guidelines, Professor Wilkinson suggested that we try to incorporate some sort of humor for comic relief and Saksham, Jessel, and Andrea's group did that successfully and kept the group entertained and alert.  I feel that this project gave us the opportunity to further learn about sustainability, the government roles, social, political, and economic perspectives as well as what we can do as individuals to improve our environment and achieve sustainability.

 

Week 8: FGCU Nature Hike!

Professor Wilkinson leading the campus hike!

           Our class field trip, which was a campus hike through the nature trails of Florida Gulf Coast University, was definitely a unique experience and one of my favorite trips we made as a class.  Florida Gulf Coast University has over four hundred acres of land dedicated to the preservation of nature and the environment at large.  The land serves as the wildlife's habitat to many Florida native plant species and animals.  In addition, the nature trails can be a place where students can seek relaxation and develop appreciation for the aesthetic surroundings.  Our Honors Colloquium class began our journey into the woods on a Wednesday afternoon.  The class started the trip by walking right out of our classroom, past the Student Union building , and across FGCU Blvd. making our way to the preserve area and the FGCU nature trails. 

            As we entered the nature trail, Professor Wilkinson warned us about walking through the swampy area, as the water could get to be knee deep!  I felt anxious to plough through the murky, knee-deep water, but also excited to experience nature in this unique way in the backyard of our own campus.  I could feel the cold water seep into my converse shoes and felt the long grass wrapping around my ankles.  As we made our way through the swampy area, our class, led by Professor Wilkinson, made our way to a trail on dry land surrounded by tall trees.  We followed the path which led to an area with picnic tables for students to gather and hang out.  Through binoculars, I saw a large owl perched at the top of a tall tree.  I was particularly excited to see this because it is my sorority's, Chi Omega, symbol.   I was pleasantly surprised with the beauty of the nature in our university and how our university preserves nature.  I definitely look forward to returning to the nature trails of FGCU!    

Week 7: Can you hear my ECHO??

Recently, my colloquium class went on a field trip to the local ECHO farm, formally known as the Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization in Fort Myers, Florida.  ECHO is a non-profit Christian organization that practices effective and sustainable agriculture.  ECHO farm is not government funded. 

The Class Listening to Vic

            When we arrived to ECHO, we were greeted by our tour guide, Vic who started the tour by leading us across the street and into the farm.  As we embarked on our tour, I saw a awe-struck by the variety of different plants, fruits, and vegetables.  For example, there were surprised that there were eleven different types of lettuce!  We learned interesting facts about banana leafs including that they are brittle which can shred easily and wilt at first, then when exposed to flame they become strong and can be used to wrap food.  One of my favorite plants grown at the ECHO farm is the miracle fruits.  Miracle fruits are a type of fruit that has the amazing ability to change tastes so that sour foods taste sweet.  This was evidenced by one of our classmates when Vic asked for a volunteer to eat a Calamondin sour citrus and then rub it with the miracle fruit leaf.  My classmate shared with us that the sour fruit had changed it's sour flavor to sweet!  Later on the tour, our class made friends with the ECHO farm goat. I even got to feed the goat! Vic explained to us as our class was gathered around, that the goat was used for a zero graze unit method of goat production. This allows for easy collection of manure to use as fertilizer.  Similar this method, the duck tilapia system, takes duck waste to produces algae for tilapia in the pond.  We also learned about Zai Holes and how they prevent wastes and minimize loss by placing manure and organic matter directly into planting stations. As we finished the tour, we learned about sloping agriculture, which caught my eye in particular, because it uses hedges and slopes for agriculture to prevent soil erosion.  Another cool aspect of the ECHO farm is the rower pump in which you pump water through a rowing motion to draw water from a larger source of water.

            My trip to ECHO farm was one that I learned about the different techniques and methods that farmers can use to create a more beneficial and effective farming style.  We learned about the different innovations and information that ECHO provides farmers in third world countries.  I would love to come back to ECHO farm for another visit sometime in the near future. 

Week 6: Hungry for Change?

In class, we viewed Food Inc. a documentary focused on food ethics in the United States.

Food ethics involves ethical and moral issues within the food industry.  This documentary was pretty compelling.  It made me think of the expression that you don't want to know what goes on in a sausage factory.  The camera panned an entire grocery store focusing for a moment on different departments to include dairy, produce, and meat.  Graphics popped up with interesting factoids and in depth examination of different food items.   Some of it appeared beneficial; Tomatoes are offered year round and have no seasons anymore, meat is mostly boneless, food and produce is rarely grown on individual farms anymore, but rather in massive factories.  It is quite an achievement that food can be produced on a mass scale with relatively few workers.  The economies of scale achieved is mind boggling. Slaughterhouses that used to number in the thousands has been reduced to just thirteen and production is higher.  Some fruits and vegetables are genetically modified so that they grow bigger, are resistant to pests, and shorter ripening times for quicker turnover.   

However, like most "Frankensteinian" experiments there is a dark side.  Chickens and livestock live their entire lives in small booths where they are pumped up with antibiotics and hormones to hasten their maturation period.  I was surprised to learn of quick chicks and triple breasted poultry to yield greater white meat.   

One aspect of the film that really resonated with me was the tragic death of a little boy after eating an e coli tainted hamburger.  A family vacation turned nightmare.  Kevin's passing inspired his mom and grandmother to appeal to the US Congress to regulate genetically modified beef.   

Advances is food development and preparation is an important field to meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population.   However, it is important that food ethics are adhered to and both government and industry cooperate and collaborate to develop foods that are nutritious and safe to consume for all not just the affluent that can afford to buy the best.

Week 5: Mangrove Mania

 Our class had the privilege of taking a field trip to Estero Bay where we visited a Fort Myers Beach Historic Cottage.  We walked and took a tour of the mangrove preserve boardwalk.  The mangroves' tangled branches extended towards each other forming a foreboding tunnel-like passage way to the ocean.  I took several photographs that really captured the beauty and mystery of these ubiquitous trees. The brown colored brackish water gave rise to my imagination that an alligator was going to spring up from the depths at any moment. We were invited to take a tour of a nearby cottage.  I was relieved take a respite from the heat and humidity.  We greeted by eighty-two year old, Jo Hughes, who brightened our day with cookies and home made sea grape jelly.  Ms. Hughes held our rapt attention with stories about Fort Myers over the decades. perspective, stories, and insight to what her life was like growing up and living on Fort Myers Beach.

As we strolled along the boardwalk through the Professor Wilkinson regaled us on the mangroves important roles in the environment.   Since we live in a hurricane active area is was comforting visualizing the mangroves standing guard at the waters edge to buffer this historic cottage from storm waves.  With the mangroves close proximity and twisting branches, it is easy to understand how it would serve many animals with shelter and breeding grounds. 

It was interesting to hear Ms Hughes  description of the ocean as an everlasting large swimming pool that was frequented by her and her friends during their youth.  However, it was a bit disheartening to learn that back then "the water was so clear that you could see all the way to the bottom."  Unfortunately, the water's visibility today was poor presumably because of pollution over the years.  Overall, I feel a bit inspired that our waters can be restored if we all come together and collaborate on solutions to our environmental challenges.

Going back to a simpler cleaner time sounds enticing but I couldn't imagine living without air conditioning!

Week 4: The Lost Child in the Woods

This past week in Colloquium, our class read a couple chapters from Richard Louv's The Last Child in the Woods and held our discussion outside under shady trees at Florida Gulf Coast University.  Louv extensively defined what he believes nature is and how he believes nature should be characterized. 

Louv makes some interesting statements when describing the forms in which nature comes in.  In particular, Louv explains nature as a creativity, a freedom, a separate peace, a fantasy, and a privacy. One of my favorite quotations that Louv makes include "nature offers healing and does not steal time."  This description of nature really made me think and reflect upon my own definitions of nature.   At one point, I thought nature was just limited to the outdoors, plants, animals and their surroundings.  Now after reflection, I have learned that it is much more.  I refer to nature as the umbrella term to everything that is on this Earth from natural habitats and environments to humans to even machines and technology.  The meaning of nature and the root word natura is birth, meaning that nature is the birth of new ideas and evolution of life. 

Louv further examines how children and nature interact today, and he discovers that children do not connect or spend as much time with nature than they did back then.  When he asked a child why they would rather spend the time indoors, the child responded "because that's where all the electrical outlets are."  Nature is not part of their everyday life anymore due to computers, lack of time, TVs, and even "lacked curiosity."

 

The readings made me reflect on my personal experiences as well as relationship with nature during my childhood. Growing up in Maryland with a large backyard, I had plenty of space to play and explore.  I vividly remember going on nature walks after school with my dad and sisters behind our house, playing make believe games outside with the neighborhood children until it got dark outside, and seeing deer prancing in the snow across our front yard.  My parents really wanted us to be well-rounded and experience all of the beauty that life has to offer especially experiencing each of the four seasons.  We spent the hot summers running through the sprinklers, raking the leaves then jumping in the big pile we created during the fall, planting flowers with Mom in April, sledding down the neighborhood hill, and feeling that magical moment when watching the gentle snowflakes hit the ground during the very first snow of the winter.  My parents encourage creativity, imagination and embracing the natural beauty of life.

Week 3: A Trip to Corkscrew Sanctuary

Last week, my colloquium class went on our first field trip of the semester. I was so excited and wasn't sure what to expect.  Our professor had just informed us that we would be going on a nature hike at the Corkscrew Sanctuary in Naples, Florida.  As our class arrived at the meeting spot at school to board the bus, it started to rain and a Florida thunderstorm began to take its course.  I was worried that our trip might have to be cut short.  Thankfully, the storm ended when we got off the bus and we soon began our adventure. 

Before going on the field trip, I did some additional research to see what the Corkscrew Sanctuary was all about.  I found it particularly interesting that the sanctuary covered over 14,000 acres of land in a watershed. Also, I learned that the Corkscrew Sanctuary is home to many native Florida plants and animals by serving as their natural habitat including over two-hundred types of birds, Egrets, Panthers, Alligators, and even the Florida Black Bear! In addition, I learned that the Corkscrew Sanctuary is a National Aubudon Sanctuary that focuses on maintaining Earth's biological diversity.

Our class toured the sanctuary by walking through the boardwalks in the natural habitats. Every twist and turn on the board walk was covered in green.  Trees were so tall that when you looked up it looked like they touched the sky. Professor Wilkinson pointed out the different species and wildlife to us including different types of birds, a baby alligator, saw grass, huge spiders (ahhh!), and a large multicolored grass hopper to name a few.  At one point. he showed us a large tree with scratch marks on it and said that those were the markings of a bear! This made me feel amazed that I was standing in the exact same spot that an enormous bear was just standing in not to long ago.

Bear Scratch Marks

Professor Wilkinson

I feel that it is important to have places like the Corkscrew Sanctuary in order to preserve and provide a natural habitat for species in Southwest Florida.  In addition, this field trip made me realize and understand that this space is crucial for sustaining the natural plants and animals by conserving the special areas in which natural processes having been taking place for years.  Thanks Professor Wilkinson for a great trip!

Week 2: Hot, Flat, & Crowded

The chapters in the novel, Hot, Flat, and Crowded  were certainly eye-opening and paint a pretty grim future. While I believe this information is valid and has merit, I believe that concepts impacting our planet should not be politicized, but rather scrutinized using hard, objective science not only to evaluate the problem, but also to propose solutions.  I find it equally non-productive when one side dismisses evidence and call global warming a hoax, while others tell the masses that we should become a vegetarian, grow our own food, and use a bicycle for transportation, while the ruling elite hops on their private jet. We must evaluate both sides.   

We are living longer and eradicating diseases, so consequently the population is growing.  Is population increase necessarily a bad thing?  What is the Earth's limitation before their are not enough resources to support the population? 

There are certainly a lot of problems facing our planet and society as people.  Scientific advancements have addressed a lot of problems that people have asked throughout history and we need to continue to apply these principles to solve these present and future problems.  Moral compliance and cooperation is necessary.  I am confident that we as a people can come up with solutions for the planet's sake!

Week 1: First Impressions

Every student attending Florida Gulf Coast University must enroll and complete a course that is unique to the university called University Colloquium. Florida Gulf Coast University is one of the most "green" campuses across the country. Environmental awareness and sustainability are emphasized in our community.

Over the summer, I ran into FGCU's Director of Sustainability for Student Government and he was on his way to our school's "Food Forest" and asked if I would like to join. I said why not, jumped in the golf cart, and off we went! I had never been to the Food Forest, and to be honest, I wasn't really sure what to expect.  After a quick ride down FGCU Parkway, we arrived at the Food Forest.  When I first caught glimpse, it was a vegetable extravaganza.  Over an acre of organic produce, ranging from cherry tomatoes, bananas, basil, herbs, and more.  A veritable vegan's paradise!  I helped replant some beautiful sunflowers that were as tall as me, pick some tomatoes, and sampled one of the mint leaves.  My mouth's watering just thinking about the experience.  My happenstance tour of the Food Forest made a lasting impression on me and gave rise to a greater interest in learning more about the environment.  I look forward to building upon this experience during my Colloquium class this semester.

Being a Junior and a member of the FGCU Honors Program, my advisor suggested that I take Honors Colloquium this semester.  I am excited to take the course with some familiar faces, and also to further my education about the environment.   Before going to the first class of the course, I thought that University Colloquium is a course that teaches sustainability and facts about the environment that surrounds Florida Gulf Coast University through field experience and textual materials.  I also believed it would be an in depth study of the Everglades and it's wild life.  Friends, who already took this course said it was eye opening and very interesting.  I think this class will provide me with my own ecological perspective, and a foundation to develop opinions about what I believe is important in the environment.  Professor Wilkinson ended the first class with the thought provoking statement: "this course will provide you with a sense of place."