Lover's Key

I had never been to Lover's Key State park, and I learned a lot about the estuary environment during our field trip. An estuary is a partially closed body of water with a connection to the sea and it has rivers and streams that flow into it, which I did not know before this trip. It is also interesting how the mangroves, grasses and other species of plants and animals are so important. I had no idea that mangroves could be somewhat of a barrier to winds during hurricanes, or that fish used them for breeding ground. I am glad that mangroves are a protected species because they are important to humans as well as animals. Walking on the beach gave me time to reflect on this park and my surroundings, and it added to my sense of place of southwest florida.

This is completely off topic, but I was thinking about the solar panels at FGCU...how many trees did they cut down to be able to put those in? Isn't that kind of counterproductive?

Downtown Fort Myers

I did not think this field trip would be as exciting as I found it to be...but I learned SO much on Tuesday! I have only lived here since August and I've never made it downtown(I didn't even know it was on the Caloosahatchee River), but taking this trip made me like and appreciate Fort Myers a little more. I liked learning about Edison, Ford and Firestone, the old buildings, and all of the Civil War history that this city holds. I read A Land Remembered so i could picture the MacIvey's doing their cattle drives through first street or going to the local saloons downtown. This field trip definitely contributed to my sense of place in Fort Myers. I think educating yourself about the place you live or the new place you move to is imperative in order to gain a sense of place of your environment.

Dr.Morris also made a good point about the city environment being "natural." When beavers build dams, people look at it as just something that occurs in nature. When people build houses and buildings, even though it doesn't seem natural, it is because we have to build shelter for ourselves too. We have to live somewhere too, I guess people just take it to an unnecessary extreme.

Paddle-In

Recently, I participated in an event called a paddle-in. It is where hundreds of kayakers come from all over Florida and participate in a group kayaking trip in Everglades City. We paddled from Chokoloskee Island to a small island called Slade Key a few miles out into the gulf. We all ended up in different spots along the route rather than crowded all in a clump, so I really got to reflect on my surroundings. I appreciated everything more than usual that day--the plants and animals, the ocean, and even the sunrise (we started our trip at around 6 in the morning). When we got to Slade Key, we all had lunch and got to explore the island. I took a mental note of all the native species around me. It had been so long since I wasn't in a suburb or city environment, so I was very appreciative of this opportunity to kayak in the ocean all day. I grew up taking trips from the east coast to Everglades City. I spent a lot of my childhood on these waters, so it was nice to be back and remember my roots!

Thoughts on Colloquium

I have had the chance to learn and reflect on a lot of things in this course, and especially develop my "sense of place" in Florida. From the papers, frield trips and journal entries I have explored many things that I never would have if I wasn't enrolled in this course. Dr.Morris has made me think about a lot of things. Why am I going to school? Am I a creationist or an evolutionist or a little bit of both? Why am I not familiar with native Florida species of plants and animals? He said he might say things that would offend us throughout our time together, but I never got offended, it just got me to think a little harder about my own philosophies and opinions. A class is pointless if you leave with the same ideas as you came in with, and I definitely have reflected on some ideas of my own in this class. To be honest, I got more out of this class than I expected to. I never knew what was going on in Africa with the farmers, I had no clue about ECHO, Corkscrew or Lover's Key, I had never reflected on my idea of success...the list is long! The idea of reflecting is something I only started doing since we went to Corkscrew and reflected on the environment around us. I never even knew what colloquium meant! I will try harder not to be such a follower now.

Oh, and I'm going to make all my friends, especially the native Floridians, read A Land Remembered!

Success

We were told in class to think about what we think it means to be successful. Are we getting an education solely to make money? If we get a beautiful house and car, will that mean that we have reached success? I think material items indicate monetary success, but thats it. Most of the time they don't even indicate monetary success because people are in so much debt, they don't own them. What about emotional success? I personally will not be fulfilled unless I am affecting others lives somehow. ER nursing is my calling, and if I can help others and make them happy, it will make me happy and fulfilled. It's a win-win situation. :)

A Land Remembered

After years of my grandfather and father telling me to read this book, I finally got a chance to read it in my Colloquium course. It depicts 110 years of rich and interesting Florida history, starting with pioneer Florida in the 1800s. The book takes us through three generations of the MacIvey family. They start out with nothing in the scrub, starving and dealing with the American Civil War at the same time. They eventually become successful in the cattle industry, orange grove industry, and real estate. I think the main theme of the book was how the generations changed over time in regard to their relationship with the environment and native land around them. They go from living off the land and not taking more than they need, to taking advantage of the land and pushing it to capacity just like everyone still does to this day. Look at Ft.Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, etc. There was actually still some wilderness and nature in those cities, and I think people would have a hard time picturing that. I am thankful that my grandparents were living in Florida in the 40s so they can tell me about how it was over 70 years ago. Even when my dad grew up here in the 60s, he said it was completely different than it is today.

Plastics & the Environment

Many of the things in our homes are made from plastic--it is everywhere. However, it has damaging effects from manufacture all the way to disposal. Here are some of the things I've learned through recent research: production requires high levels of energy which depletes non renewable resources. Production of chemicals produces dangerous VOCs into the air. Also, they do not degrade which means more and more landfill space is being taken up. Recycling is always a better alternative than just throwing water bottles away, but it really isn't saving any energy or resources in the water bottle industry. This is because recycled water bottles are "downcycled," which means they are recycled into something less usable. They are not recycled into more water bottles, but if they were it would save energy and non renewable resources. Also, it will not be recycled into a third our fourth thing, which means that the secondary item that is made will go directly into a landfill. There is a lot of waste either way.

Is Fake Leather Really More Eco-Friendly Than Real?

In an article by Kate Sheppard, she brings up some interesting points about pleather vs. leather. Most people think that buying faux leather items is more environmentally friendly because it doesn't involve the killing of animals. While this is true, there are many negatives to purchasing cheap knock-offs. First of all, they don't last as long and will probably end up in a landfill (as will your next two or three pairs). Real leather lasts much longer and in the long run this means less production and less waste. What about the fact that the pleather items are made somewhere in China with "all man-made materials"? Are these materials smart and sustainable? Probably not...they are synthetic chemicals and dyes. Not to mention that petroleum is a depleating resource for making plastics, which is what pleather is made out of. If we applied the "natural vs. synthetic" principle to our shoes and bags instead of just our foods...people may be re-thinking their choices. There are pros and cons to both, of course. For example, processing of natural fibers (animal hides) involves a lot of chemicals as well as water. 


Overall, neither choice is really the 'best' choice. 


A quote from the article really got my gears grinding: "When you start the conversation with 'How
should I shop?' rather than 'Should I shop?' then you've already given in a little bit."




http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/01/fake-leather-really-more-eco-friendly-real

Ecological Footprint

I never viewed myself as a wasteful person, but apparently if everyone lived like me we would need EIGHT earths. That is crazy! I guess turning the lights off when I leave the house just is not enough. I should probably start recycling too. I recycle the occasional aluminum can or plastic water bottle, but there are so many other things in my trash can right now that could be recycled. The video "The Story of Stuff" really got me thinking. What really put it all into perspective for me was the idea that we are working on a linear system, but we have a finite planet. It really made me realize that all of this is going to eventually run out if we don't get our act together. All I can do is my part, but it all adds up and even the little things count toward a sustainable future. I was also in shock when Dr.Morris showed the logos of popular brands and then showed pictures of different animals and plants in nature...most of the class doesn't even know our state tree! (I actually knew that one--Sabal palm). We need more environmental education...this last class really justified the reason for this course at FGCU.

Dead Zone

8,500 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico will be lacking sufficient oxygen to support marine life--larger than the biggest recorded dead zone in history. This in addition to the BP oil spill, the "chronic stressor," is detrimental to the gulf. At first I thought dead zones were due to fertilizer killing marine life, but what actually happens is the nitrates and the phosphates in the fertilizer runoff provide good conditions for algae. It then overgrows and then takes all of the oxygen for its survival. The other sea life must either escape or die. Dead zones have been a problem for a long time, and I think its time to start preventing it. The least people could do is use the fertilizer that isn't harmful to the environment, it says it right on the bag! How long can we all just watch these problems go on? In order to make a difference, everyone has to do their part.

Tobacco & the Environment

Being a nursing student, we are constantly being taught about the dangers of smoking to human beings. What we don't usually discuss is it's impact on the environment. All of the nursing students had to participate in a Florida AHEC (area health education centers) smoking cessation training seminar. They taught us about dangers to people as well as the environment. Here are a few new things that are an issue regarding smoking: To grow tobacco, people are clear cutting forests so that they can plant it. The fertilizer runoff is affecting bodies of water as well. Litter from cigarette butts and fires are also a problem. I never view smoking as harmful to the environment, only harmful to people. This seminar changed my view of the issue. This crop isn't even absolutely necessary compared to food crops, so if people didn't smoke, we wouldn't even have to grow it and there wouldn't be as much deforestation, litter, pollution or fires. Unfortunately, growing tobacco is strictly all about money (and I doubt everyone in the world is going to quit smoking).

Class 6/7

In our last class, we had a mock counsel meeting regarding proposals for hydroelectric and coal burning electricity. Each group had to convince Lisa and I, the mayor and chairperson, which method was better for the community. I did not realize how many things there are to consider when building something like this. The hydroelectric would be better for the environment, but would prevent salmon from spawning and would take land from homeowners. The coal burning plant would take away farmland and pollute the air in the community. The whole ordeal was very multi-faceted and it was not an easy decision to make--I could only imagine what something like this would be like in a real city or county. I assumed that both sides would present their cases and that Lisa and I would be able to decide quickly, but this was not the case. No matter which one we chose, it would affect a certain group of the community negatively.

 

For the record, though, I think I would chose hydroelectric if I was really a member of the city counsel. :)

Koreshan Day 2

Friday I volunteered for the second time at Koreshan State Historic Site. The first time I went, I only got to see the campgrounds, but this time my volunteering took place in the actual historic settlement. We were instructed to first take the tour of the site, walk through all of the hundred year old buildings and get a bit of background education. The history behind this park is very interesting. The last four living people of the settlement donated over 300 acres of this land to the state of Florida. The Koreshans settled on the Estero River, which was full of fish and crabs and quite pretty with all of the vegetation surrounding it. There are nature trails too, which is where we learned about all of the invasive species (we of course had to pick up air potato seeds during our walk through of the trail--they can grow up to 8 inches per day and are very invasive). There are enormous bamboo forests, and although bamboo is not native to Florida, it was my favorite part of the trails. The gardens were very enchanting; everything is in bloom from spring. I also saw many native animal species like the gopher tortoise and a few types of snakes (mainly the Southern Black Racer)...not to mention very many mosquitos! Even though I have completed my ten hours of service learning, I have a feeling I will return to Koreshan again to camp for a weekend or kayak on the Estero river.

air potato (dioscorea bulbifera)

ECHO

When I first heart about ECHO, I thought it had more to do with feeding hungry people than educating them. That was before I knew what it stood for: Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization. The whole concept of this farm is very interesting and useful. I thought it was really great that the people of this organization came up with ways for people who do not have the means to make a living to farm and feed their families. Someone in a village in Africa (or any country, for that matter) could really benefit from these methods of farming plants and animals. I also really liked how ECHO has a seed bank and a nursery. The seeds can benefit people all over the world because the plants can grow in areas where it is too dry, too wet, or too hilly. The trees at the nursery can benefit local consumers as well, and in turn their money benefits ECHO. I would rather spend my money at a nursery like this where I know my money is going to help fight world hunger as opposed to Lowe's or Home Depot. I am definitely going to go back to get some plants, and if not, the Moringa seeds were only $3.00...it seems like that would be three dollars well spent for all the nutrition in one leaf!

Paper or Plastic?

Most people think paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic bags. I learned that this is not the case when reading an article on the subject from treehugger.com, an environmental blog. I thought that paper bags would be more environmentally friendly because they are biodegradable, but what are paper bags made from? Wood. Where does wood come from? Trees. Therefore, paper bags are ultimately just another product of clear-cutting forests. Both paper and plastic bags can be recycled, but neither of the processes are simple and they both involve many harsh chemicals (not to mention fossil fuels to run the machinery and transport materials). Even the new "biodegradable" plastic bags aren't 100% biodegradable, so everyone's best bet would be to start using the reusable canvas grocery bags. From an energy standpoint, canvas bags work out to be better than both paper and plastic if used 500 times in their lifetime.

Service Learning

I did half of my service learning at Koreshan State Historic Site on Friday. My assignment was to uproot and dispose of non-native invasive plant species that were taking over the campgrounds. The biggest problem at Koreshan is the Air Potato, which can grow up to 8 inches per day eventually killing native plants. Most of these were already cleared out by other students, so I had to pick this Brazillian vine that was all over the place, climbing up and strangling the native plants and trees. It is important to completely uproot the plants so they would not keep growing and to dispose of all of its seeds as well. I also learned that I could not just throw the vines in the dumpster because they will re-root when they eventually get to the landfill. The invasive vines were to be burned later on in the week by the staff, as well as a non-native bush we cut down. I will be going back to pick other invasive plants, herbs, and weeds this Friday. This is the abrus precatorius seed I was picking on Friday. All of these seeds are potential new invasive vines.

Videos

On Tuesday, we watched three video clips about different environmental topics. I was shocked at how much of the content of the films was new to me. The first one we watched was about erosion of farmland and other farming facts. 2/3 of farming land has been degraded, which seems like a huge chunk to me; it makes me worry about the future. The video also talked about the "dead zone" in the gulf at the mouth of the Mississippi river, which I also didn't know existed. I cannot believe that absolutely nothing can survive in those waters, but it makes sense when you think about all the run off from pesticides. I also learned about the "Farming the Government" program where the more money the farmers spend, the more money they get. This is contributing to pesticide use way too much.

The second video was about non native plants and how they consume the water supply wherever they are growing. This was news to me as well. 50% less stream flow is a lot, no wonder there is water shortages where native plants are found. The video said something that really made me think: "Within 25 years, half of us will face serious water shortages." This is so scary to me because my children and I will be alive in 25 years and I never thought any of us would really have to go through a water shortage. We really take clean water for granted.

The third video was about logging. I did not realize how detrimental clear-cutting is. I really prefer wood that is harvested in a sustainable way, and I would definitely spend the extra money to contribute to this instead of wood that has come from clear-cutting forests.

Times Beach, Missouri

This was the first time I have ever heard of Dioxin or its harmful effects on plants, animals and humans. After learning a little bit about this in class, I wanted to look it up and learn more about it. It was the largest civilian exposure to the chemical in the United States. Russell Bliss was ordered to oil the roads around town, and assured everyone that it was just waste engine oil(lies!). In 1982, the levels were 100 times higher than the 1 part per billion that is considered hazardous. He also used the waste to spray down stables to get rid of the dust, which resulted in the deaths of 62 horses. After the soil was tested in 1982, humans were still living in the town. They lived there until it flooded; 10 feet of water covered 95% of the city. Since everyone was already evacuated, the town was quarantined and demolished. The rest of the debris and contamination were not incinerated until 1996. People still question as to weather or not the evacuation was necessary. I think that if the dioxin could kill 62 horses (much bigger than humans), then it could easily kill a person.

The city now is a 419-acre national park along Route 66. There is a large grass mound, and beneath it is debris from the old buildings of the city.

Reference: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/mo-timesbeach.html

Class 5/24

I found out in class today that the chromium level in Lee county is seven times California's legal limit (Florida does not have a legal standard for this chemical). This kind of scares me because of the Erin Brockovich movie. I know that the chromium limit in Lee county is not nearly that high, but its still scary! I immediately thought, "I need to go buy bottled water." As soon as the thought crossed my mind, Dr. Morris told the class: "don't even bother buying bottled water because that comes from a tap that they didn't test either." Makes perfect sense. Now I want to know where the chromium is coming from...

I also learned something interesting about Corkscrew Sanctuary. They use a special kind of wood from Brazil for three reasons: 1. its dense and hard. 2. bugs won't eat it & 3. it is harvested sustainably. Trees being harvested sustainably is new to me. We watched a video on this as well. I actually would be one of the people to pay more for the lumber that was collected in an environmentally friendly way.

I also learned some other fun facts today in class:
-50% of jobs are farming
-Primary energy source is wood
-90% food crops would not exist without pollinators
-75% of fish are depleted from overfishing
-It will cost $8billion to restore the everglades

A Land Remembered is really good, by the way!

--Julie

The Living Machine

This water purification process was truly fascinating...I had no idea that this was even possible (maybe its been a while since freshman year bio, but I don't remember hearing anything about organisms purifying water that's that dirty). I really could not believe how nature went to work and how the water came out looking just as clean as it went in...all without chemicals. If this is possible at a place like Corkscrew, it should be implemented other places as well. I know that urbanized cities in the U.S. have chlorine regulations and rules, but what about places in third world countries? What about places where people are literally dying of thirst? I think this would be cheap compared to large water purification plants, it would need very little maintenance, and it would not take as long to set up or build as a large purification plant would. Someone needs to think about this idea...I know I've heard of people in other countries drinking extremely contaminated water because they have no choice. This sounds like a tangible solution.

Corkscrew Sanctuary

Today at Corkscrew Sanctuary, I learned a lot about Florida's habitats and nature. For example, the pine uplands/flatwoods, the grass prairie, and the cypress swamp. I thought it was really cool that the pine trees grow leaves very high up to avoid fires, but all the new knowledge about nature isn't what really blew my skirt up this time...

...it was the part where Dr.Morris explained that we all need to take more time out of our lives to reflect. He was exactly right--my life is spent checking things off my to-do list. While I'm busy making lists and checking them off...life is passing me by! When we took time to reflect today, I really took in every sight and sound around me. It was peaceful, and I should make time in my life to do it more often. Also, it is important that we remember how Florida used to be. I am happy that there are places like this, but there should be more of them.

Geocaching

Last night I discovered the awesome activity of Geocaching. It is a global phenomenon that I was totally unaware of. People hide "caches" in various places, sort of like a time capsule. The caches have a log book in them, along with whatever else the last visitor decided to put in there. There is a website with every geocache hidden all over the world. The post will contain latitude and longitude coordinates of the cache, along with any hints the hider choses to reveal. There are also logs by the people who have found the capsule. This whole concept is really neat! It is a great way to spend time outside because some caches are hidden in state parks, along river banks, in bushes, etc. It could be a difficult hike or it could be right in front of your eyes. Yet another activity to take part in when I get bored...and its fun! Last night a friend & I hunted geocaches for a while and couldn't find any--I guess its easier when you can just punch the coordinates into your phone and GPS the locations (cheaters!). We were literally running around in the woods and had so much fun. Everyone loves a good ol' fashioned treasure hunt. :)

Nature-Deficit Disorder

For paper one, we all had to read an excerpt from Louv's Last Child in the Woods. The main point of the story was that kids today are not spending enough time outside. I completely agree. I feel like every kid that goes to the doctor is diagnosed with ADHD, when in reality they probably don't have it and this disorder is  just over-diagnosed. When I was a kid, I played outside every chance I got and for as long as I could. I remember playing street hockey, going to the local park, and going to the beach. I participated in one or more of these every day. Kids these days sit inside and play video games and aren't very active (probably why childhood obesity is on the rise...they don't burn off any calories!). Louv brought up the fact that these children do not spend enough time in nature and therefore are not as calmed down as they should be. I can relate to this because growing up near the beach, I was always relaxed, soothed and calm when I went there.

Arcadia

In my Community and Public health nursing course, we have to drive an hour to Arcadia once a week for our clinical rotations. Very inconvenient, but very interesting. On the way home today I saw many places that I didn't even know Florida had. For example, the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, or something called the Shell Factory & Nature Park. There were a few other places like that along my 65 mile drive (including ECHO), and it made me happy to see that there are things to do besides go to the mall and the movies (which I can't stand). I just moved here in August. When I have down time, I am SO bored...so on my drive home I realized I can go to these places whenever I want probably for very cheap. I'm sure I will also be visiting Lover's Key and Corkscrew Sanctuary in the future as well, and not just for my colloquium field trips.

Today at clinical I also got to explore Arcadia to see what the town was like and how the residents lived. The town's employment is 95% farming, and everyone lives off of local food. This is something I have never really seen because I am from Fort Lauderdale, and there really isn't any farms or local farmer's markets. This makes me mad that I buy my produce from Publix, who probably imports it from some other state or country. I would rather go to a farmer's market--its more healthy, better for the environment & I would be supporting local farmers!

First Day of Colloquium

I have to be honest and say that I was not too excited for this course, but the first day changed my mind completely. It really helps that my professor actually wants to teach the course, because he makes the class more engaging than I thought it would be. I could see how this class could be a drag if it was being taught by an uninterested person. Instead, it will turn out to be a very well needed break from my nursing courses--my only field trips are to the hospital! The theme of the first class had a lot to do with what students ultimately get out of their college courses...if a student leaves the class with the same beliefs as he or she went into it with, it's pointless! In my three years of school, none of my professors have ever brought this to my attention and my mind was going for the rest of the class. This idea really got me thinking...some of my courses were a total waste of time. Or were they? I will definitely be getting everything I can out of courses from now on and challenging/exploring my beliefs more often.

Julie