FGCU Sustainability Efforts & Nature Trail Walk Field Trip
I never realized just how much FGCU incorporates sustainability into so many aspects of operations, and right from the get-go I discovered new things about our school’s initiative. For one, I learned that the blue and green garbage and recycling bins I see around campus are actually Belly Solar Compacting Trash Cans, that run on solar energy to compact the trash inside when the lid is opened and closed.
During our second stop, I had fun looking around at the giant cooling containers that provide FGCU’s main campus with air conditioning. This was insane to see up close, and even more insane to learn that the plant is water-based, meaning the cooling method they use includes water as the primary coolant, like the thermal ice storage the plant uses to cool down the buildings, rather than using a toxic coolant that could harm us or the environment around us.
On the third stop, we went behind Whitaker Hall, where I learned that the ponds around campus are actually man-made and not natural, which I found surprising. This stop was so scenic with the ponds, the trees, and the sun shining on our beautiful school. I enjoyed learning about the fact that even though FGCU’s ponds are not natural, they are still designed in a way that will support the growth of aquatic plants and wildlife. It’s a simply incredible thing to know that my school takes the extra initiative to truly incorporate the environment into our school, rather than push it out with industrialization.
Stop number four was at Seidler Hall, which was awarded a Platinum-level LEED certificate, proving seriously impressive, as it shows the kind of dedication the people here have towards promoting and utilizing sustainability. Especially because Seidler's a science building that has notorious energy-draining labs and practices.
The fifth stop was informational because I learned about the native plants that FGCU has brought to our campus, in attempts to attract native animals, and creating our own habitat on campus. I appreciate FGCU the most for the various green spaces they provide, where I can do everything from homework to exercise, all while being encompassed by nature.
The sixth stop was nice because it was at the Veteran’s Pavilion on library lawn where I can see most of the school. This allowed me to look at my school from a new perspective, with a more profound appreciation for their sustainability efforts than I had prior to this field trip. At this stop, we discussed the multiple services and programs offered by FGCU, like the Office of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, that can help students like me become involved in the community.
I enjoyed my time during the nature trails and Cypress Dome mainly because it was what I was hoping to get out of this class. What I mean is that at the beginning of the semester, I told my professor that one of my goals with this course was to become more immersed in nature, and I would without a doubt consider this an immersive experience. When walking through the water, I felt a sense of place there, where I could only see trees all around me, and the only things I could hear were the sounds of nature and the flow of the water. This field trip connects with the concept of ecological perspective because I made various observations in biodiversity, from the aquatic animals and plants to a cypress swamp. Making so many observations from an ecological perspective on this field trip also made me realize the importance of wetland conservation and how we should work towards protecting these valuable areas, for the sake of the ecosystems there.
This field trip was extremely insightful in terms of just how many sustainability initiatives FGCU takes towards keeping the environment around us clean and doing our best to reduce our school’s ecological footprint as much as possible. FGCU utilizes things like solar energy and water conservation to preserve the quality of the environment surrounding our school. The triple bottom line refers to maintenance and care of People, Planet & Profit, which is connected to what I learned from the field trip because I witnessed a successful organization utilize the triple bottom line to implement practices that are the most efficient. FGCU is dedicated to the involvement and success of their students, providing several supportive services. FGCU also takes sustainability into consideration with almost every decision they make, from trash collection to habitat support. FGCU provides over one thousand jobs, partnering with local businesses for events, ongoing research and continuously utilizing new innovative ideas and practices.
My tree, tall and thin, the sun’s reflection brightly gleams onto wide, wet, continuous streams, where I stand and feel timbered wood on my skin the quiet of our silence echoes like a scream.
