Journal #5 - Worldview

In getting my grandfathers perspective on his generation compared to today, his answer was as I suspected..."las cosas eran mas facil" which means "things were a lot easier". He mentioned how you had to work hard to live but it was much more simple, you simply worked to live, survive and have what you needed. He mentioned that he grew up eating from the crops and animals he planted and cared for along with his dad. Stores were in people's homes and you only went there if you needed something you couldn't make or cultivate yourself. For the most part you sold what you had and bought from what others had, for example, if you had cows you sold the milk or if you had donkeys you carried water from the wells in large jugs to peoples homes. He explained that you learned how to be responsible and care for things, you didn't take the land for granted and you just learned how to live by what you had and at that time the land and animals is all you had.
I then asked him what he thought about today and what he thought his sense of place was. He said that he now feels that he's trapped, he can't just have animals or crops as when he was growing up. Thinks are more complicated and expensive! He said he wishes he could afford a little piece of land where he could have some animals and crops and just live simple as before. I then felt a little sad hearing how excited and proud he felt of his upbringing and now he seemed a little sad of what he no linger has or will more than likely not have again.
This made me realize that just as he felt sad for what he no longer has then maybe one day I will probably feel the same. I wonder how much more destruction we will continue to do and how much we will continue to loose simply because we refuse to make simple changes. Will I one day sit there like my grandpa did and tell the same sad story to my own grandchildren? Now more than ever am I more concerned about what our future will look like and what it will not look like for future generations. This course has opened my eyes and my mind about what we can do to make things better. If we all put our voices together and actions to work we could do so much!
I'm grateful for what I've learned and I will think of what I've learned every time I get ready do something that is not good for our environment. Professor Macbeth, thank you for being passionate about what you do and thank you for being a student at heart and teaching us at the level that we needed to understand it all. its one thing to simply teach, but it means much more when someone really cares and wants to make a differenceand iis actually a part of what their students are doing, like the service learning and field trips....Thank you!

Journal #4 - Food Footprint

After taking the Ecological Footprint I was a little disappointed that it would take 7.6 Earths to provide enough resources. I was disappointed because after everything I have learned through this course and how we humans have destroyed much of the natural world and here I am using up all of these resources. I am pretty sure that most of the resources I use are not really things I NEED, yet I'm using them everyday! This also made me think of my family and future generations...I am almost sure that I am not the only one living this way and to think that one day our entire earth could practically give out because of people like me is something to really worry about! My future kids can possibly not have anywhere to enjoy nature or they can have more health problems because of the many things that we keep on doing to the earth...that is what really worried me! I think now would be the perfect time to begin to make changes in the way I live and begin sharing what I've learned with others. Some of the small changes I have made are to stop buying bottled water, making a better effort to recycle, and simply enjoying nature.

Unfortunately, when the picture above appeared on my screen which resembled where I lived, it was pretty accurate. Just to think of the amount of natural things that have been destroyed to make all these things available for my needs and the needs of others it really makes me a little upset. The area above looked so nice and clean and natural when there was nothing, then as I started adding more and more it became crowded and began to look dirty. There has to be more changes that can be made and much more education to teach not only myself, but other about the destruction we are all causing.

ECHO

In visiting Echo I was able to learn so much about plants and how we could use our earth to survive off of it. Although a few things that I saw were relatively new and had no idea that you could make such things, like the hand washing laundry detergent jug other things like planting food to survive and raising animals and taking care of the land were something I was more familiar with. Growing up my family and I would work in the fields picking fruit and vegetables to feed others. The sad part was that most of the time the fruits and vegetables were to expensive for us to purchase at the store and sometimes would not have a chance to eat any. After picking crops all day and not being able to eat some yourself was hard for me to understand sometimes. After so many years I think of all the people picking crops in the fields, yet barely having a chance to feed themselves and their families. This is why I have decided to make a small, but big change by purchasing fair trade coffee.

HERE IS ONE OF MY FIRST SMALL, BUT BIG CHANGE!

As a child my family and I would travel to Mexico every year to visit family. During those "times" when technology hadn't exploded things were different we would spend most of our time doing things outside in nature. We would often say, "Gosh, its so different here in Mexico than in the US, we feel more relaxed and we can go anywhere we want and feel relaxed and calm". Now as an adult I realize that it was because we use to spend all of our time outside in nature. We would walk up the hills, get water out of wells, feed animals, and even wash clothes outside! There were no rules, and no limits to what we could explore and do. All of our food that we ate was planted by my grandfather and the animals were all raised by him as well. If we wanted eggs we went to the chicken coop, if we wanted to make something with herbs or plants we went to the garden, if we wanted corn we got it from the many acres of corn my grandfather had, if we wanted to get to the corn we rode on a horse or we walked through all the green hills of plants and trees. (Oh, how I miss it!) I wonder now how many people still live that way and if they are able to survive off the land as much as we did on those trips to Mexico. In seeing what Echo is doing I am wanting to do more and educate others of different countries, although this may seem like something that is far from possible I think one day I would love to do some type of mission trip and take what I have learned and will learn.

Hand Washing (my favorite!) :)

Journal #3 - Natural Areas and Campus Ecosystems

 

Before taking this course I was aware that I would do several things outside and learn more on the environment. I thought all the field experiences would take place outside of FGCU campus, simply because I was not aware that we had so much going on right in our “backyard”. I truly enjoyed walking through campus and seeing the trails, walkways, and boardwalks I had not come across in the last two years I have been at FGCU.  It was great to see everything that FGCU is doing for the environment and how much they care to make a better future for everyone and everything that lives in it! The one thing that impacted me the most during the field experiences was the food forest. I didn’t know it existed and probably would have never known it existed if it wasn’t for this class. I think it’s great that we have organic fruits and vegetables that anyone can have at any time. In a world like today where buying junk food is so easy to get a hold of, I think the food forest provides the same idea but with a healthy and clean alternative. I felt that the food forest not only provided food but also a sense of community, where many people have come together to create this area for many others to enjoy. This comes to show that we can all help in some way to help each other be healthier and our environment healthier.

 I must say, now that I am aware of all that is happening at FGCU, such as the food forest and the trails, I am a little disappointed because I am now in my last semester and will not be spending as much time here to enjoy these areas. I wish I had known about the food forest and all that it had to offer and the same for the trails. I feel that FGCU’s mission is all about being environmentally aware and it homes many things that your typical students would probably not even know about, yet some of us are left out of the loop and not informed well of what we could experience or know about. I think one way to better make people aware would be to have areas where classes can meet and simply have class outside instead of inside the classroom. For example, during one of my science courses I would’ve loved to have gone outside and see a real tree or insect for a lesson plan we could do in our future classrooms when we become teachers. Why not use what we have to make it more real and interesting? I hope to one day have a garden for my pre-k or kindergarteners and the food forest is a great example of what I can plant and not plant and a way to learn about the different things that are there.

 

 

 

The Living Machine!

Corkscrew also had so many more things that I thought could even exist! For example, the Living Machine was pretty amazing because it is a water treatment system which purifies wastes and recycles water back into the restrooms for reuse in the toilets. To think that plants with a little help from people can do such thing is pretty amazing to me!  Corkscrew is very important because it houses many animal and plant species that cannot perhaps not be found in other places. They provide tons of information and education to all people of all ages.

What I learned about the Plume birds was pretty sad and cruel. I thought that it was even gross that some put the whole bird on their head simply to show how much money someone had. The Plume birds are one type of information that perhaps not too many people would know about unless they walked into Corkscrew. It allows us to see how we as humans can destroy something so beautiful and important for the sake of wanting to feel and look superior to others. Having such things and educating people is what will allow future generations to think more of what they are doing and what they need to take care of for a better future. When I think of all this I wonder of how many other people are missing out on learning and seeing what we have so close to home!


 

  

My favorite part was simply walking on the boardwalk and trying to look for interesting things. It made it interesting because it’s almost like a scavenger hunt, you have to watch carefully in order to see something great…and you just never know what you might find!

 

 Can you find what's hiding in the swamp cabbage?

 One change I have already started to implement since I've started this course is that I’ve decide to no longer buy bottled water. Just the other day my husband and I were shopping and he began to pick out a case of bottled water he was going to place in the cart. Just then I stopped him and told him we could use our water bottles that we had a home. He looked at me strange and said that bottled water was more convenient, so I told him that all he needed to do is put water in water bottle and he would be fine! We haven’t purchased bottled water for about three weeks, I’d say that is a good start! My next change is going to be to purchase Fair Trade coffee. My family and I  picked tomatoes in the fields and got underpaid for all the hard work, so this hits close to home when I think of the people who are picking coffee bean, doing all the hard work yet they are getting paid close to nothing. This will definitely will be a change I make right away on my next purchase of coffee!

Journal #2 - Conservation 20/20 Program

Conservation 20/20 (C2020) Program was named after the grass roots committee that fought for its creation. The main goals of the program is to protect and preserve natural wildlife habitat, protect and preserve water quality and supply, protect developed lands from flooding, and provide resource-based recreation. All of Lee County's Conservation 20/20 preserves are open to the public. Recreation opportunities for hiking, bird watching, nature photography and nature study exist at all preserves. Several preserves offer advanced recreation opportunities including fishing, kayaking/canoeing and horseback riding.

Matanzas Pass Preserve is located on Estero Island (Fort Myers Beach). The total acreage is over 57 acres and includes the only maritime oak community left on Fort Myers Beach. It also includes mangrove forest that borders Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. The preserve  includes facilities such as a historic cottage, boardwalks, trails and a canoe/kayak landing. 

During our visit to Matanzas Pass Preserve I enjoyed the lecture given by Mrs. Hughes. I thought she was absolutely sweet and I enjoyed listening to her personal stories along with the tidbits of history about the preserve. Although she spoke and gave a lot of good information about the preserve, such as when the first bridge was built and how is was destroyed by a hurricane, the cottage that we sat in was built in 1921, electricity was brought to the island in 1934 and the first mosquito repellant was introduced in 1949, I think most of what she spoke about was mostly from experience and what she has seen during the years. Although I am sure the preserve has endless interesting information for some reason her stories such as how many students attended the school she went to as a child, how many teachers taught, and her fathers false teeth falling out and being rescued by a diver is what stuck the most!

Mrs. Hughes was very nice and I appreciated the time she took to simply speak to our group. I think she cares for the environment and what it means for our future, but I thought that most of the information she spoke about was more of the experiences she has had during the years rather than scholarly information. I do think that sometimes listening to someone who has lived through the actual changes of time is a little more interesting rather than reading it from a book that heard it or read it from somewhere else. It was a good experience and I thought it was pretty amazing that this preserve existed in the middle of Fort Myers Beach. I have been to this beach millions of times and never would I have imagined that this existed here. I find it a little odd of where it is located, but I think it is a really good thing that it does exist and people have thought to preserve it. I think that more preserves should be funded and taken care of because this means that we will have more areas that we can visit with native plants, animals, and trees that one day could easily be gone if we don't do something now to take care of them.  

Mangroves

Needle Fish (maybe!?)

 

 

One of the preserves that I absolutely love to visit is Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. I think I mostly enjoy this preserve because it is literally in my backyard. When I think of this beautiful place surrounded by new construction everyday it almost makes me feel how horrible it would be if no one would have cared to save it. Although I'm not much of a nature person, I truly enjoy this place. I love that it has dry areas, swamp areas, and you see different types of animals. So far I have seen alligators, a raccoon with its babies, different birds, turtles, and all of the natural shade from all the trees. I think this place is pretty awesome and should definitely continue to be preserved.

 

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

(November 2013)

 

 

 

 



Journal #1- Restorative Environment and Your "Place"

I am excited to be taking this class during the summer and with a professor that seems to be passionate about what she is teaching. I am also glad that I am taking this class this far into my education rather when I first started at FGCU. I feel it will make a difference now that I have grown academically and professionally. I feel I have grown as a person and a student and will view this course much more in depth than when I first arrived at FGCU. I think I will very much enjoy this course because we will be able to experience nature outside of the classroom rather than simply through a screen or book. I know I will end this course knowing more than what I knew and appreciating more of the natural world!


Oahu, Hawaii
The first thing I think of when I think of appreciating nature and feeling restored is when I visited Oahu, Hawaii on vacation! I will never forget how peaceful, beautiful, and relaxing this place was.

I remember seeing the mountains covered in green and thinking "How on Earth is something so beautiful this natural!"

 It was a moment to reflect on how there are bigger things than us humans and how these amazing mountains, trees, rocks, plants, and even the sky didn't need us humans to build any of it just as we build skyscrapers and bridges. The Earth is able to do something so magnificent on its own!

The mountains looked as if someone had draped a green fluffy blanket over a giant rock and the blanket just fell in the perfect places and crevices of the rock. It was also amazing how the sky came together with the top of the mountain, it was the most peaceful I have felt in nature!


Playa Sucia, Puerto Rico
Another place I  visited on vacation that has allowed me view nature as a peaceful setting was in Puerto Rico. I had never seen the endless ocean without any interruption of boats, buildings, or such things. Standing on top of this magnificent rock the earth had made alone and watch how the waves, the wind, the sun and nature took place was overwhelming. I loved listening to the waves crash, it seemed like many different conversations taking place at once, except these conversations were messages of peace and tranquility.

 

 

Walking the Boardwalk

I must say that I do often find myself looking at the different plants, trees, water, and animals while walking the boardwalk from garage three to Merwin. Although I often get the urge to just stop and watch a bird or sit and listen to nature itself I never do. I think that I am almost ashamed and embarrassed as to what others may think of me enjoying nature as if it is taboo. I think nature has become something so distant and unknown that it feels as if we are doing something so out of the ordinary and we don't want to get caught doing it! Just two days ago I saw a squirrel on the boardwalk and thought it was "cool" and began to take out my phone to take a picture of it, but before I did I looked behind me to see if anyone was coming before I got "caught" enjoying nature. I felt as if I were doing something weird and thought what would others think? I continued to think of how something so natural could be unnatural.

I do often wonder if many enjoy walking the boardwalk and how many feel that sense of peace and relaxation. Are we all secretly enjoying the walk on the boardwalk hoping someone will admit they love it first in order to break of our own secret for the love of nature? 

 

 

No Access

I often think of how much technology takes of our lives. I have seen myself how I rely so much on simply my phone for EVERYTHING! When I don't have access to internet on my phone or my phone alone I almost feel like I'm missing something and can't function the same. It's easy to say that we don't have to use our phones or we don't have to be so attached to technology, but now a days it is so difficult to do anything without technology. The truth is that is it sad that we have to rely so much on technology that it has become the center of everything we do and we are. I was raised in the time when I used to play outside every day with the kids in my neighborhood until the sun began to set and I often wish I could or would do that more often. I think simply enjoying the outdoors is a great stress reliever and I wish I would take the time to do more outdoor activities. Even on airplanes if you are not able to use your phone you can watch a movie or play games on your phone, ipad, computer, so we are still connected to technology anyway! I think we all have a deep love-hate relationship with technology and how it revolves around our lives.

 

Relieve the stress and relax...

 I think one of the times that I purposely left my phone behind in order to enjoy nature was on our trip to the Diamond Head National Monument in Oahu. Diamond Head is a crater that is about 300,00 years old and is super amazing! The hike up to Diamond Head took about four or five hours and although it was a little hot and the walk was a little difficult on the way up we enjoyed it so much. When we first began the hike my husband and I didn't think we would make it all the way up since we had never really gone hiking ever before, but we learned that we loved it and we made it all the way. The view from the highest point of the crater was amazing and like nothing I had ever seen before. I must admit it was a little scary to think what if we rolled down from where we were, but sitting at the top of the crater and watching the endless ocean and how it outlined the island of Oahu was breathtaking and it was impossible to think of anything else except how beautiful nature is so and how much it is needed in order for us to just release stress. It makes you think as if nothing else matters and your problems seem so small and unworthy of the space it takes up in your mind because there are bigger things out there like a crater and the endless ocean who continue to live and take place regardless of what else may be going on. It is an amazing feeling what nature can do if only we could take more time to see what it can really do for us instead of looking at it as what it cannot.

 

 

Sense of place called home...



 

This is the closest I come to nature and where I call my sense of place. There is nowhere else I feel this comfortable, safe, and relaxed. Although I have seating outside my lanai I tend to often sit on my couch next to the glass door to feel the sense of nature. This is where I sit to do some reading or to release some stress. Somehow just sitting here makes me feel like I am a part of nature although I think in reality its not. Perhaps the thought in my mind of almost being close to nature and seeing nature from the inside out tricks me to say I love nature even though all that I see has been placed by man. Have I fooled myself into biophobia instead of biophilia? I unconsciously have placed all of my biphilia outside of this glass and concrete box where I unnoticeably extended into biophobia. The sense of place is perhaps has me safe from the natural and more into the unnatural.

As much as I would like to think that my own community has placed nature to surround us I never have believed it! I feel like I am being fooled when I see man made ponds with homes sitting a few feet away. The sad thing is that most of the time we come here, to the man-made pond, and trade it for the real nature and natural thing. we sit by this big hole in the ground that we replaced with homes, a swimming pool, and sidewalks and we call it nature. I wonder if its better that we have these things than if we didn't. If we didn't have such things would we even bother to use a sidewalk or go outside to at least breathe a breath of fresh natural air? Somehow and in some way I think its a fifty-fifty situation, we have to fake it in order to have people, like myself, enjoy nature.