Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

     

Visiting Corkscrew Swamp is a calming experience. If you stop and just listen, the first thing you notice is that you don't hear any vehicles. None of that annoying honking of horns or squealing of tires. When you close your eyes and listen you can hear the wind blow through the trees and the sounds of the birds, insects and animals. Corkscrew Swamp is 13,000 acres of untouched natural Florida habitat. It provides a habitat for many of the State and Federal listed species. Being in Corkscrew Swamp gives you a snapshot of what biodiversity really is, and it makes you more aware of the impact that some issues in our everyday life reduce our biodiversity. For example, the use of fertilizer and pesticides. These pesticides run-off into our ground water supply and effect the quality of our soil. They can deplete the nutrients in the soil making it harder to grow plants and produce food. Even the depletion of our smallest organism will have an impact on the largest organisms.

FGCU Food Forest

 

 



On March 30, 2016 our Colloquium class took a field trip to the Florida Gulf Coast University Food Forest. It is amazing to think that this abundant garden, less than 5 years ago, was a dirt parking lot. The thought that in that short period of time sapling plants can grow into the lush vegetation that is in the Food Forest today is pretty incredible. The Forest contains over 27 different types of fruit plants and many more plants native to our area. Students can go to the Food Forest and pick anything from lychee nuts to star fruit or mangos to jackfruit. The student run facility promotes permaculture, which is the "ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of humans endeavor", which teaches growing our own food, restoring diminished landscapes and ecosystems, to catching rainwater. The Food Forest is a perfect fit with FGCU's mission of sustainability, and provides a hand on volunteer experience for students to help them appreciate the cultivating process.

Journal 4- Ding Dargling National Wildlife Refuge

 

 

A trip to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is an expedition that everyone should take. Our class was lucky enough to be visiting the Refuge when they had another special guest who had come from thousands of miles away.  A Great White African Pelican had miraculously made its way to Ding Darling, much to the amazement of all. The presence of this special bird made our trip there even more exciting. I had never been to the Refuge and greatly appreciated the educational introduction the staff presented prior to our touring the facility. They gave us background information on the Refuge, its vegetation and wildlife. We were lucky enough to actually see the Great White African Pelican, in addition to our white and brown pelicans. We also saw anhingas, double crested cormorants, egrets, white ibis and even an alligator. The 6400 acre facility is run by the non-profit organization The Ding Darling Wildlife Society, it provides visitors with a rare pristine glimpse at Florida's natural mangrove/beach habitat while providing education on environmental issues and being an excellent example of a land conservation area.

 



 

Water conservation is a major issue all over the world and I realize now that I had no comprehension of how much water I actually use.  I went on the Southwest Florida Water Management District Website and was able to calculate how many gallons of water I use daily.  I was astonished to see that I used approximately 155 gallons of water per day.  I would have never guessed that I was using that much water in a day. I do take some steps to conserve water, like turning off the faucet while I am brushing my teeth or washing my hands.  After actually seeing the number of gallons, I realize that I need to make a conscious effect to cut back in more way.  Like changing the shower head in our shower, cutting the length of time I am in the shower, filling up the sink with water first and then washing the dishes, and avoiding washing clothes until I have full load. Tourism is one of the main income providers in our area, a large portion of that income is generated from golf courses.  People want to play golf on green courses, keeping courses green requires a lot of water. I think that conservation of water is everyone's responsibility, and like everything else in conservation if we all make a few small adjustments, they can add up to significant changes.

Journal 2-Lee County Waste to Energy Facility

 

Lee County Integrated Resource and Recovery System Journal

 

 

On January 20th, 2016 our FGCU Colloquium class took a field trip to the Lee County Waste to Energy and Recovered Material Processing Plant.  To say that this was an enlightening experience would be an understatement.  We were told by the facility staff that they process 615,000 tons of trash each year.  The entire reprocessing procedure entails twenty five different steps.  There are so many different types of materials, and they need to be processed in different ways.  All of the materials arrive mixed together and it is a painstaking, time consuming task to sort it all.  The goal is to reuse or repurpose as much of the material as possible from shredding tires to separating out nails that can be used to make money.  The massive amount of materials was staggering.  It truly is amazing to see the efforts that Lee County goes through to manage their waste in a manner that has the least impact on the environment, is the most beneficial to the community and actually produces energy.  This facility is the number one waste to energy facility in the whole country and this process should be the goal of all counties in the United States.  I grew up in Naples and made a couple trips to the landfill as a kid, it is an experience that you never forget, the big mound of garbage, the smell and all the birds flying around.  Collier County, like many other counties, is still using landfills. Seeing this processing facility first hand has definitely made me reassess my views of the waste disposal process.  We throw things in our recycle bins sometimes, maybe cans, bottles or new papers, but how many times do we just get lazy and throw things in the trash can without really thinking about whether is can truly be recycled.  Personally, I know I that I can be more diligent about how much I recycle.  The positive impact on the environment if each individual makes a more conscious effort will be significant.

Journal 1- Sense of Place

 

 

 

I live in a small residential community in Naples, Florida.  The subdivision is located in the middle of the city, and our house is situated on a short cul-de-sac.  There is a limited amount of community green space, the main area of environmental appeal in the neighborhood is the above pictured lake.  The lake is the habitat for several families of Muscovy ducks, turtles, bass, carp and an occasional alligator, until they are removed.  The lake provides enjoyment for the neighborhood children who like to fish there.  Although this is where I live, if someone were to ask me where I feel a true sense of place, I would have to say that is depicted in the picture below, Hiawassee, Georgia.  Hiawassee is where my family spends every summer vacation.  Hiawassee is a beautiful town located on Lake Chatuge, one of the lakes that makes up the Tennessee Valley Authority.  I am so much more aware of my environment there, because of the large amount of undeveloped, protected land and the beautiful lake.  It is beautiful, peaceful and where I truly feel my "sense of place"