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The rapidity of change and the speed with which new situations are created follow the impetuous and heedless pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature.

Rachel Carson

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Journal 10: Final Reflections

As the semester comes to an end, I can honestly say I feel responsible. I chose that word, because I learned about my role in this world and community. I learned about the decisions I make and how it can make a drastic difference—good or bad. My perception has changed a lot actually. Before taking this class and experiencing the trips we took, I figured “going green” and the “environmental” movement was depressing and hopeless. All you ever really hear in the media is how “global warming” did this or that and you almost feel like you can’t do anything. But books like Plan B 4.0, and the Colloquium reader, give detailed insight on the possibilities of what can be accomplished through one person(s) decision to make a change. And books like “A Land Remembered” help us to understand the history of what use to be and what could possibly be again, if we make environmental issues our focus. That quote, “Be the change you want to see” isn’t cliche after all… it’s a determining factor in the future world and society we want to thrive in. From here, all I can do is remain responsible and consciously aware of my sense of place. 

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(Photo taken from FGCU Physical Plant webpage) 

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Journal 9: Service Learning

For my service learning project, I worked with the Physical Plant on campus. I learned what the Physical Plant is and what it does, for the FGCU community. I also learned a lot about FGCU’s campus in terms of it being environmental. I worked with the recycling department, also known as the recycling party. I learned how something as small as recycling plays such a big role within the grand scheme of things. As well as the things you can recycle and what cannot be recycled. I will most definitely be continuing my service learning work with the Physical Plant, because it was a really great experience. 

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(Photos taken by Danielle on her blog) 

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Journal 8: Downtown

I actually missed this field trip, so I had to make it up alone. Simply stated, I did not expect downtown Ft. Myers to be as interesting as it was and just full of history. I started my trip off by visiting the Southwest Florida Museum of History. I was briefed on the portable audio device and went on my way. The museum was so neat, because it literally focused on southwest Florida, all the way down to the first animals in Southwest Florida. My favorite part of the museum tour, was The Esperanza. This train was so well kept together and uniquely laid out, it was mind blowing. I have never seen the inside of a train before and so it was super cool to see what it was like for the very wealthy to travel around in. I also loved the history section during the time of heavy discrimination. To hear the stories of the Floridians who made a big difference in their small communities, was neat. Through stories like these, you can really see how far we came as a nation. After I visited the museum, I took the trolly around downtown. I was dropped off at some random location and just walked around for 2hrs, taking in the landmarks and street art, as well as the layout of the buildings. All in all, it was a relaxing trip and full of interesting sites to see.

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(Photos take by Danielle on her blog) 

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Journal Entry 7: ECHO & Estero Island

Part 2: Estero Island

We took a trip to Estero Island and I had no idea what to expect. I figured we would be taking a walking tour of some sort, but I had no idea what was going to be discussed. We began our tour with an informational session. We did not get to hear from Jo Hughes-- who grew up on the Island and has lived there since she was a little girl, because she had something happen with her hip. But the lady who taught us about the history of the island, did a pretty good job of taking us back in time to a land remembered (see what I did there). After our informational and refreshments, we were guided by an FGCU student, who was interning at the cottage. She taught us about the crabs that are literally in every tree we passed by. Also about poison ivy and the different plants that grow in Estero. The most interesting part of this trip was the story about the cult and how they had a sustainable little town on the island. It was so strange that it was interesting.  To summarize the island for you: Estero Island is a part of the Gulf Barrier Island chain, which is a system of lagoons and islands formed by the erosion and movement of sand along the shoreline. The gulf and bay waters are shallow, and for this reason, Fort Myers Beach is one of the finest and safest beaches in the world, with a sub-tropical average temperature of 74 degrees F (http://www.esteroislandhistoricsociety.org/10.html). Estero Island is also known for the variety of mangroves as well as wildlife that seeks shelter in it. Since it was Spring, we didn’t get a chance to try their famous homemade seagrape jelly, from the seagrape plant. Overall it was a pleasant field trip and very educational.

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(Photo taken by Danielle on her blog)

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We cannot know what sustainability means until we have decided what we intend to sustain and how we propose to do so.

David W. Orr

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(Photos taken by Danielle on her blog)

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Journal Entry 7: ECHO & Estero Island

Part 1: ECHO

Before our trip to ECHO, I honestly thought it was going to be boring. Just a group of students walking through a random garden and learning about different plants and whatever else. But I was honestly surprised at how much I really enjoyed the trip. Our guide was super sociable and his pet kitten followed us around, so it was never a dull moment. ECHO turned out to be fun and inspirational! It was cool to actually see replicas of things ECHO builds for people around the world. Things that are affordable for the average Joe in that country and sustainable for their way of life. I learned a lot of cool things about this organization and what they do. I also learned a lot about some really neat plants, for example Neem. Neem has a ton of uses. Not only is it used as an insect repellent and fertilizer, but also for minor burns, sprains/ bruises, headaches, and teeth/gums. I ended up buying Neem toothpaste before we left! It was really neat to see structures of buildings and how you can grow food utilizing recycled materials. Overall, my trip to ECHO was fun. It was cool to see how ECHO is successful with redesigning cities/ ways of life for people.

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(Photos taken by Danielle on her blog)

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Journal Entry 6: Six Mile Cypress Slough

Before my trip to the Six Mile Cypress Slough, I had no idea what to expect. My only concern was making up this field trip, since I missed class the day we were suppose to go. In a way, I’m glad I missed the group trip. Taking that field trip alone was like, taking a step back into the Florida that used to be. My trip turned out to be rather zen and educational. It was as if I channeled my inner Toby Cypress- from A Lad Remembered. 

The slough is basically a linear ecosystem, which is home to a diverse population of plants and animals. You can take a guided tour or pick up a book guide and go alone (which is what I did). The slough has a few species that are considered to be endangered. So it serves as a corridor for wildlife, by providing them with a safe route to travel. 

Walking through the slough you see a lot of creatures just living and enjoying life haha. The most shocking being a giant black alligator! 

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(Photo take by Danielle on her blog)

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(Photo taken by Danielle on her blog)

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Journal Entry 5: Earth Charter

Earth Charter, found at: http://earthcharter.org/discover/the-earth-charter/

“We must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities .” (earthcharter) 

The quote above was from the Earth Charter website touching on universal responsibility. I believe this is an important perspective to have, when it comes to having a sense of responsibility. This brings me to why I chose the “Respect and Care for the Community of Life” principle as the most important, in the charter. Fact is, “all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings” (earthcharter). I think we lose sight of this concept, because we don’t fully grasp how everything interconnects. Humans, for the most part, focus on what we can do to make life easier or how we can benefit from it. Never considering the consequences of taking this selfish approach, in life. If we realize it is our responsibility then we can truly start to respect earth and all that inhabit it.  

The way I implement this into my life is simply by becoming, conscious of what I do and considering the consequences (good or bad) of my choices. This plays out in how we treat the environment, other people, and animals. When you are responsible, you take into consideration how things will affect whatever scenario you’re in.   

I feel like the “Promote a Culture of Tolerance, Nonviolence, and Peace,” principle is not feasible. Only because it touches on borderline issues, that are sticky in the world of politics. I feel as if it does have a set place in the charter, just more so on the “I hope for world peace side while I’m at it.”