I think that the earth charter is realistic. I mean, this is our planet. I do not think that we can go too far to saving our environment. I know that is is kind of a short post, but I feel that that just sums up everything. I just think that there is much more we can do. I think we need to put aside our picky ways of living and really try to make a difference.

Second Time Around...

As I walk around my neighborhood, I notice a lot more than I normally would have. I noticed little details like an overgrowing plant or tree. I also noticed the colors more in nature. Since I live in Tampa in a very strict neighborhood, the upkeep was pretty....kept. I noticed also that a lot of my neighbors owned expensive SUV's and cars like Mercedes.

Another thing I noticed was that my neighbors really liked to garden and do things outdoors. They would wash their own cars, plant flowers, and pull weeds. One neighbor of mine, Wally, is ALWAYS picking his lawn. It's kind of weird.

Also, my neighbors tend to be athletic. I saw a lot of jogging, walking, walking dogs, walking babies....

BREAKING NEWS...

When I went on the field trip to downtown Fort Myers, there was some random woman taking photos of us. I just found out...WE ARE IN THE NEWS! AHHHH! Check it out!

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=ff054bc812a44865a373fc856e31baa3&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3aff054bc812a44865a373fc856e31baa3Post%3adfdbcf39-e43d-4294-a015-328c27a1b5c1&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending&sid=sitelife.news-press.com

YAY!

If you look waaaaaaay down the page, I posted links to both my podcast AND my pics from this class. Check it out!

Corkscrew

Corkscrew Swamp was located in a beautiful setting. The grass was a lush Kelly Green that coordinated with the wooden pathway. I was hoping that I would be able to see animals, and to my luck the first thing we saw were deer! They were so adorable! As we continued the path, we learned about the sturdy Brazillian wood that the path was made of, and how they built the pathway with the tree growth in mind. There were randomly grown fruit everywhere. I learned that these were called Pond Apples. They can be eaten, but as I learned from experience, you really don't want to unless you are starving.

There were a lot of Alligator flags, but because of the drought, no alligator. We saw Moon Vines and a lot of other cool plants.

Again, pics will be posted!

Field Trip to Downtown Fort Myers...

I had a different experience downtown because I went with Professor Morris' class. Professor Morris had a lot of fun historical facts for us and I learned a lot about Fort Myers that I never would have learned. For example, apparently Fort Myers was the place to be in the 1920's. The Pleasure Pier was the hottest place in town!

I really liked the arts center. Out front are two GIANT candles. One tells a story in Seminole, and the other says a lot of words in Latin, I think. Anyway, at night, the lights reflect and the words are displayed on the building. I would LOVE to see that.

Another cool thing we saw was the Mural. I thought it was so cool how the artist did that, and how detailed it came out. I also thought it was creative how he combined history into one mural.

Pics to be posted....

My Ecological Footprint

The first link did not work, but I took the quiz and received a score of 32! Go me!

Gas Mileage today=(

Today I drove a total of 157 miles. I went from Tampa to Brandon, from Brandon to Sarasota, and then from there I went to Fort Myers. I started out with 29,594 miles and my final mileage was 29,751. My total miles driven would be 14,875.5 miles. My carbon output is 7.3.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm

FOOD!!!!!!! One day's food intake

Morning: Oatmeal=1 bowl/1 packet

Afternoon: Dinosaur nuggets, 2 slices of provologne cheese, blue cheese dressing, soda

Evening: grilled chicken, italian seasoning, provologne cheese, blue cheese, soda

provologne cheese=70 calories
dino nuggets=180 calories
grilled chicken=80 calories
blue cheese=120 calories
oatmeal=130 calories
Italian seasoning= ....
coke=105 calories

TOTAL: 760 CALORIES

My Project...

Ok, so since I am technologically challenged, I was unable to get my podcast on here. So, here is how my project connects with what I've learned in this class as well as University objectives.

For this class, we learned about sustainable living. The Gulf Coast Humane Society, by taking in these abused or stray animals, help create a balanced living between humans and other animals. I took a tour of the facility, and while I think it's a great organized place, I wish that they had enough money to expand. For the animal's sake. However, in order to expand, I'm not quite sure where they would put the animals. Luckily, GCHS does not euthanize animals. If they do not have enough space, they have to turn animals away. That can be both a positive and negative thing.

Communication, provided problem-solving abilities, ethical responsibility, making community aware of our involvement, and experienced personal growth and development. These are the objectives we accomplished. We had great communication throughout and were able to be on the same page the whole way through. Since a lot of people were not too keen on helping us out, we had to use a lot of problem-solving abilities. We could have had better advertising, but all in all, we made people aware of what we were doing. Also, since we worked really well together, we grew together and individually. We really put ourselves out there and made a difference.

Final Impressions...

I learned so much from this class. I loved each and every field trip and hope to bring my family and friends to the places we visited. I became more in touch with nature as well as more aware of the environment, thanks to this class. I was skeptical in the beginning, but kept an open-mind and made new friends.

My favorite trip would have to be our trip to ECHO. I learned so much about simple things I could do to help. I also learned about new plant species. Not to mention, I got to see goats! All in all, I am glad that this class is required. You learn a lot and are more aware. I really loved Professor Davis' teaching style as well.

Swamps

When I think of a swamp, my mind automatically thinks of Louisiana. Louisiana has a lot of swamps, and I think we have all seen "The Water Boy." I then think about the Everglades. While I believe the Everglades is an important part of Florida history, I think one of the biggest mistakes made was somehow allowing pythons and other non-native species to come in. I don't know if anyone remembers this, but a python SWALLOWED an alligator! Or at least tried to. I think they just exploded. ANYWAYS...

When I think of swamps I think of dark, with fog rising from the water...something out of Princess Bride, perhaps?

Unintended Consequences...

I think that many of us are guilty of providing unintended consequences. I know that I leave lights on many times while I go out. This wastes energy, causes the electricity bill to go up, and can cause the lightbulb to burn out quicker.

Another example would be to leave the water running while you are brushing your teeth. This wastes a TON of water. By wasting all this water, we are using up a valuable resource. While the earth is covered 75% by water, it will not be here forever at the rate we are using it.

Also, I think a great example of this can be found at www.trashtoash.com

Goin' Green For God...

As a Christian, I believe that religion and spirituality play a large role in protecting our environment. Not just for our generations, but for those who come after us. Saving our environment cannot be a short-term thing. We need to realize that what we do now has consequences later. As Christians, we must realize that God gave us land and beauty in nature as a gift. It is not really "ours", so to speak. We must treat it with respect and take care of it. God would want us to make sure that we know land is not going to be around forever. We must take action now to protect our environment so that future generations can enjoy it.

Lifestyles...

My family is conscientious about the environment. We recycle, have limits on our water usage,(ie, watering the lawn) and we do not litter. I think that our lifestyle is eco-friendly for the most part.

I was surprised to learn yesterday, however, that my father thinks that Global Warming is a farce. Those were his exact words. It really hurt me to hear him say that. I do believe that Global Warming is a real issue and one that needs more attention.

Speaking of which, do yourselves a favor and check out www.trashtoash.com

State of the World

I really loved the fact that Professor Davis allowed us to do the teaching. I think that it got everyone into it and allowed us to be creative. I felt that each presentation provided a lot of insight and information.

First and foremost, I have to say that I learned a lot about my own presentation. With chapter three, the text discussed Biomimicry. I had never even heard the term until Kimberly researched it and provided a TON of info on the subject. I truly believe that what chapter three was trying to get across was that we need to return to nature. We need to be more connected with it and surround ourselves in it. While the chapter seemed mainly geared at businesses, I believe it speaks to the individual as well.

The second issue I felt made a lasting impression on me was the presentation on meat and fish. While I do not eat seafood of any kind, I realize that this is a huge problem. Fish are very important in our food chain and it would be devastating if something is not done about all of this.

The third presentation that I felt was very well done was the presentation on water conservation. It made a lot of sense and I did not realize just how much water is used!

Matanzas 5/3/08

Matanzas pass was really cool. I learned so much and took a ton of notes! The women greeted us in this small little house and had cookies and lemonade for us. They told us a lot of the history and then we walked on the trail. I was not too impressed with it, however. The history was great, but the path seemed to just have Mangroves. Anywho, I thought I'd put my comprehensive notes on this post.

I. Calusa Indians-first people
-Mounds
-Layered room
-Massacre is Matanzas in Spanish.
II.Koreshans- Believed we lived INSIDE the earth
-Museum
-Commune-style living
-Cyrus Read Teed was believed to be the Messaiah
III. Bridges
A. 1921-wooden bridge
--washed out by hurricane in 1926
B.1928-Second Bridge
--San Carlos Blvd.
III.Depression and Rebirth!
A. 1929-Depression
B.1950's-expand
C.1934-Estero Blvd. electricity!
D.1936-silent film
--pay for second half!
IV. Schools and chapels
A.1937-First School!
--40 people max.
--open for ten years
--three grades in each room
B. 1948-second school
--under 200 students
C. Chapel By the Sea
--Nautical themed
--Fish or bird stainglass windows
V.Commercial Fishing
--Mullet
--December is their spawning season
--They live in Grassbeds- Japan/Roe
--Early '90's-Ban on Net fishing
--Pollution killed grassbeds, and Mullet are vegetarians. It also killed clams, quahogs.
--Mangroves andoysters filter the water.
--turn off the lights for turtles
--DDT powder was used to kill mosquitos
--no aerial spraying
--1950=shrimp ("pink gold")
VI. Library
--"Lending Library"
--Super small
--now a bright yellow souvenir shop
VII. Here
--built in 1921
--wood=no insulation and NO MOLD
VIII. Other Critters
--Black Crown Night Heron
--Manatee
--Ibus (Red is not native)

Sense of Place

A few years ago I went to England over Christmas break. I stayed with my friend and her family in Surrey. One of the places we got to visit was Leeds Castle. Leeds was both fascinating and beautiful. I loved the old architecture and the sprawling Kelly Green lawn with the lake in the background. Along our walk, we saw peacocks roaming around and I even saw a black swan! These birds were so clam, you could walk right up to one and it would not even notice.

I really felt at home in England. As I walked the paths of Leeds, I pictured myself in my late twenties, writing while sitting on a bench just outside the castle. I could picture myself living in that time and being a guest of Henry VIII at Leeds.

ECHO

ECHO was an amazing experience. My friend Christina, who had taken this class before, had assured me that I would like it. We all met up at ECHO's office and were eager to get started. We watched a video about the founding of ECHO and what they were all about. I liked that this organization was based on trying different approaches to solve everyday problems. I also liked that they went overseas as well as trying things here in Fort Myers. Our tour guide's name was Justin (at least, I'm pretty sure that was his name!)

Anywho, the first thing we saw was the Duck Hut. The ducks were put in this hut thing and their poop droppings fell into the water, in order to feed the Tilapia fish. We then learned about two different types of bamboo. Running Bamboo is bad! It can get out of control! The next things we saw were the worm composts. I did not really want to look too closely because worms gross me out.

I learned a lot about the environment and ways to do things to help with just a little imagination. For example, their water purification system, growing plants in tires, as well as housing for third world countries!

I'll have a link up for pics soon. I just have to figure it out...

Grow Garden Grow...

Since I do not really like dirt and things like that, gardening has not ever been a hobby of mine. Our neighbor, Jill, does our gardening because she enjoys it. However, I can account for numerous weekends in which my sister and I did the weeding. I think that growing vegetables would be pretty cool. I remember my sister used to grow some tomatoes and peppers in our backyard until my father accidentally ran them over with the lawn mower.

In the sixth grade I had an experience with grafting two different types of flowers. I thought that was pretty cool. I do not remember the type of flowers we used, however. I could definitely grow my own vegetables. But one cannot live on veggies alone. What if we could grow meat? Sounds kind of gross, but it would be cool if it were possible.

Spending Time Outdoors

Ever since my childhood, I was never very big on the outdoors. My sister had always been the "tomboy", playing street hockey and collecting lizards with the neighborhood boys. I, on the other hand, preferred to spend my time indoors with Barbie and Ken. My dislike for playing outside has still not changed. While I no longer play with Barbies, I continue to have a strong dislike for bugs and the sunshine and sweat.

I know that bugs are a necessity to both our ecosystem as well as the food chain, but I do not understand why they must co-exist so closely! Also, I am not one of those people who can be in the sun for hours and tan. Or burn and then tan. I just burn. It is annoying and painful. I could be wearing SPF 85 and I would still probably get sunburned. Not only that, but I would probably sweat all of that sunblock off anyways! I sweat A LOT. These are the main reasons I do not spend a lot of time outside.

A Walk Around the Block...

I went home to Tampa this past weekend. My parents were both in Jersey, so I had to stay with my sister. She has two puppies, and I watched them while she went to work. I took the dogs out many times during both the day and night. Since my sister was having a fence put up, I was able to observe a lot.

The grass was green and taller in some places than others. I saw lots of ants, beetle-looking bugs, and even a lime green frog. The cows behind her home mooed loudly during the day, and the Sandhill Cranes whooped at night. Since my sister lives waaaaay back in the neighborhood, driving to get there provided a lot of observation opportunity. there was grassy fields and people walking. More than once I passed a group of children riding bikes and playing football in the street on my way to her house.

My Initial Thoughts...

I had been regretting taking this class. I had heard that it was not just boring, but also a lot of busy work. Two of my friends had taken it previously, and had both complained about the John Dewey book. Also, I am in no way an "outdoorsy" sort of girl, and had had a bad experience in the class of Marine Systems. Needless to say, I was not too thrilled.

However, the moment I walked into class, I could tell that it would not be so bad. What we first did was go out on the trails. Assuming it would be gross and buggy, I braced myself for the worst. It was not bad at all! The trail was very pretty, and I got very excited when I learned we had trees that were native to Australia, where I have dual citizenship. I know this sounds cliche, but I really did learn a lot on the trail.

Key Terms(some defined by www.merriam-webster.com)

These are some notes and/or definitions of the key terms we learned in the first class. I don't have all of them, so feel free to comment if you know some that I have left blank.

Restoration- the act of restoring or the condition of being restored.

Keystone Species- examples: 1) Alligators- without them digging holes, there would be less animals around. 2) Sea otters- eat urchins and kelp. 3) Gopher Tortoises.

Umbrella Species-

Mitigation- Allowing natural systems to survive human impact.

Growth Management-

Green Building-

Habitats- where animals live (duh!)

Conservations- places designated to help save animals.

Watershed- Examples: Streams, lakes, Lake Okeechobee.

Carrying Capacity- The ability of land to hold a population.

Aquifer- "a water-bearing stratum of permeable rock, sand, or gravel (www.merriam-webster.com)"

Preservation- Kind of self-explanatory, no?

Sustainability- "of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged (www.merriam-webster.com)"

Sense of place-

Ecological Perspective-

May 5, 2008

Today we walked the trails around our campus with Professor Davis. I'm not really a nature kind of gal, so I wasn't too thrilled to "explore the wilderness." However, once we got out there, I realized just how beautiful our campus truly is and learned a lot about some of the animals and trees along the way. I actually enjoyed learning about our ecology here in Southwest Florida.

We also watched a video about how our school came about. I cannot believe how much planning, money, and lawyers it took to get our school started. It's actually really inspirational. Thank goodness for Ben Hill Griffin!

So, I thought I'd post some pictures and information about some of the things we saw along the way on the trail. The first, is the Melaleuca tree (see above, it's from www.killerplants.com). The Melaleuca tree is also known as the "paper" tree as well as the "punk" tree. This tree is native to Australia, and has a paper-like bark texture. It is indeed a "punk", in the sense that it dries up water and is difficult to get rid of. My father, a fellow Aussie says they are, "bloody nuisances."

Another "species" we encountered on our journey was the Common Grackle. Professor Davis explained that the bird can often be confused with a Crow, but the Grackle has a distinct difference. It has a yellow ring around the eyes.