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."