"I don't understand the question..." I got a lot of that during my interview with my grandparents, I spent a lot of time explaining what I was asking almost too much so that I might have given them an answer.
What is your philosophy on sustainability I asked them only to be answered with well that's broad what are we sustaining. I then continued to explain to them what we have been going over through out class and rephrased the question to my grandfather as what is your philosophy on sustainability in that are you willing to make the compromises in your life to help ensure resources for future generations?
"At my age I'm gonna life the rest of my life the same way I am living now. I am not going to change, hell I’ll be 75 in July"
When I continued on and asked to know what they thought about their up bringings versus mine they both shared the same answer,
"Kids have it too easy today, my parents were much more strict."
I continued on to clarify, in regards to the environment and being outside how do you think our up bringings differ. Again they both gave me the same answer stating,
" We were outside all the time, kids now a days just sit inside and play with their games."
I pushed the question further by asking them whether or not they thought this was because the ratio of urban to rural areas has increased and there is less nature to play in or still because of the technology.
My grandpa said " I lived in a urban area and 9 times out of 10 you'd find me outside."
My Nana had sympathy for children now a days because as she sees it they have it harder than they did back in the 50's, she expressed that children have more to worry about with sex offenders and drug every which way you turn.
I then went on to explain everything we learned and did this semester and ask my Nana for her opinion, she agreed that our lifestyles do need to change to a more sustainable way of living, she does not however think that there is any such thing as global warming and she does not think that if the world were to be getting hotter humans are to be blamed. She explained that in her opinion the Earth is just going through a cycle.
After talking to my Grandparents I would say that they are not very informed in regards to the environmental issues we currently face. They could not give me an answer for their sense of place of ecological perspective. I feel that it is my responsibility to take the knowledge I have gotten from this class and also other classes I have taken and pass it on to them.
Thanks Nana and Grandpa for your time!!!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
It is the Mark of an Educated Mind to Entertain a Thought Without Accepting it...
I think that if I had taken colloquium my very first semester or second semester at FGCU I would have gotten more out of it. A lot of the stuff that we learned about I had gone over already in another class. I did like however that the class got students out of the classroom and in the environment, to me experience is everything especially when it comes to something like nature. You are not able to fully appreciate everything nature has to offer without going to it and seeing the extremely complex network of how everything works together.
The one complaint I have about the class would be how everything is online, I did not like the wiki and I did not like doing blogs. I feel like it takes up extra time for me to have to learn how to navigate the websites and possibly taking away from my grade because I am not as fluent as some with the capabilities of the sites. I feel like I could design a better journal in a notebook that I could hand write and draw in. I feel almost a disconnect from the class work by doing everything on the computer, I much prefer sitting with a journal and a book and hand writing something out. Times are changing though and I should probably just get used to the more computer based classes.
I absolutely loved "A Land Remembered", I am not gonna lie I judged it by its cover and did not plan on reading it at all, but once I started I honestly couldn't put it down. It will be a book that I keep and will re read again later in life I liked it that much. The Colloquium reading was painfully boring but educational...I guess.
All in all this was an OK class.
Pictures Cited:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/ndemers/colloq_files/image002.gif&imgrefurl=http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/ndemers/colloquium/colloq.html&usg=__oevprfVNU0RFg9AQIasOAZhyAV8=&h=111&w=466&sz=6&hl=en&start=20&zoom=1&tbnid=1T_7GytmQxZHVM:&tbnh=38&tbnw=159&prev=/images%3Fq%3Duniversity%2Bcolloquium%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D564%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C211&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=209&vpy=390&dur=202&hovh=88&hovw=372&tx=245&ty=47&ei=UID-TLbdHpKuvgPL6pmzBw&oei=Q4D-TN-hC4P-8AbG0b33Bw&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:20&biw=1259&bih=564
Lead the Way Professor Snape
This was another field trip that was foiled by the rain, I would have really fully enjoyed this field trip too had it not down poured on us while in the cemetery. There was so much to be learned about regarding the history of many of the well known families to the area. I would have been completely engulfed in all the stories and drama that involved these families had it not been for the incredibly cold pouring rain, it kind of distracted me a little.
From the cemetery we headed down town, now all of us completely soaked and freezing. Getting off the bus the first thing we saw getting off the bus in Centennial Park was the statue pictured below, it depicts a scene where Ford, Edison, and Firestone are sitting around a fire commercing.
I really enjoyed being able to get out and see first hand the history or our local area. We were shown the old post office, the old theatre, and a historical courtyard. It was amazing to me how some of these buildings were still able to remain and keep up with the times. South West Florida is a rapidly growing and evolving economy, buildings come and go, businesses come and go, walking through down town Fort Myers and seeing buildings that have been there for 10's of years and are still operating to me is very cool.
From the cemetery we headed down town, now all of us completely soaked and freezing. Getting off the bus the first thing we saw getting off the bus in Centennial Park was the statue pictured below, it depicts a scene where Ford, Edison, and Firestone are sitting around a fire commercing.
I really enjoyed being able to get out and see first hand the history or our local area. We were shown the old post office, the old theatre, and a historical courtyard. It was amazing to me how some of these buildings were still able to remain and keep up with the times. South West Florida is a rapidly growing and evolving economy, buildings come and go, businesses come and go, walking through down town Fort Myers and seeing buildings that have been there for 10's of years and are still operating to me is very cool.
I liked that in the field trip we hit the streets we got out and walked the roads, as the professors were talking and telling us about all the historical buildings I couldn't help but imagine myself back in those days running around in their daily life. I thought of what things must have been like back in those days, I imagine slower more time for the family, less time worrying about material possessions. I also recall thinking to myself how much smaller and condensed the town must have been back when it was first getting started, and how much it has probably grown. With the growth comes the disconnect from your neighbors and you start to drift away from community involvement because you lose your sense of a community as everyone spreads out over there area.
We see that a lot now a days in Urban areas, and even when people are jammed in close to together like big cities they are too busy worrying about their daily life, making money, buying expensive cars, keeping up with the Kardashians, all of this on top of the growth of our cities is causing us present day to lose our sense of community and disconnect with each other. I see a solution though, something that I have been harping on this entire blog. I complain and moan about being rushed through field trips and feed massive amounts of information, I felt anxious on field trips desperately trying to absorb every last thing that came out of my professors mouth. This anxiety I see follows us around day in day out, it has gotten so bad that people now rush even when they have no where to go. Nature is the key, if everyone could just slow down and take a breathe we might be able to re connect.
Nature is one place you can go to escape the hustle and bustle, if we can allows ourselves to relax and slow down then maybe our communities can move away from the go go go life style and more of a slow pace where economic growth doesn't control our minds.
Pictures Cited:
Rain Rain Go Away
Well this field trip was a flop form start to finish. On the bus ride there we were not able to watch the movie becuase it wouldnt play, then once we got to ECHO we were informed by the staff that we would not be getting a tour of the facility because of the lightning.
We made the best of it though we watched a very informative movie that describe that basic mission of ECHO which kind of follows the same concept of give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a life time. This organization works with poorer communties in 3rd world countries teaching them how to make agriculture work for them in their particular climate. At the facility is where they do a lot of the experimenting with what grows the best in each climate and how to best grow it. Once they have developed a good strategy they go and pass this knowledge on to people around the world who need it.
I did not care so much about for the movie, I mean it was informative and explained what the mission of the organization was very well but there were a lot of religious undertones and references that I didnt really like, but that doesnt really have anything to do with the class.
After the movie we made lemonade out of lemons and took a tour from the porch, Erica really made the field trip, she kept us all positive and was a wealth of knowledge. Her engergy and excitement was what saved the mood. What I found to be the most interesting about ECHO was learning about how you can landscape with edible plants so that you can kill two birds with one stone, beautify your lawn and sustain yourself also. Another thing that I found to be very interesting was that they were able to replicate many different types of environments right there at the facility, from wet to arid, they could experiment with agriculture for every environment.
One day I do plan on going back to get the full experience from ECHO I was honestly bummed that we couldn't take this tour, I had heard a lot about this field trip from other Colloquium Alum. When I think about how people around the world HAVE to grow their own food it is kind of mind blowing, I do not think that I would be very successful at having to grow my own food. I bought a nine yrs old bonzai tree about a year ago, I killed it in six months, this tree was happy and healthy for nine years and I managed to kill it in six months, I still get kind of upset when I talk about it. It has been about eight months since the tree died and I am about to try again, I have been doing research on possibly growing my own tree from seeds. Hopefully this will work out better than my first appempt.
Pictures Cited:
-http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.isavo.com/pic409/stormy-weather4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.isavo.com/pic409/stormy-weather-pictures.htm&usg=__XnRHT81wrFq1cOck5RmnbZa86S4=&h=488&w=650&sz=35&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=Mfr2gV6kTxjXxM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=165&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstormy%2Bweather%255C%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D564%26tbs3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=828&vpy=243&dur=1342&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=124&ty=64&ei=kW-TL-UE4L_8AbgyrXpBw&oei=kWH-TL-UE4L_8AbgyrXpBw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0
-http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.echonet.org/data/sites/2/Main%2520Site%2520Images/gse_multipart46408.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.echonet.org/blog/echo_blog/ECHO_WA_Networking_Forum_Day1&usg=__PvQhw7NQ6mVUoO7akep03NdSMIg=&h=160&w=240&sz=19&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=IsgOveipV6CSfM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=191&prev=/images%3Fq%3Decho%2Bfort%2Bmyers%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D564%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=499&ei=-2H-TJGoFcL98AbXyKX8Bw&oei=-2H-TJGoFcL98AbXyKX8Bw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=94&ty=94
-http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://lh5.ggpht.com/_N9Q-kv9JEts/S1ZfMNz2DJI/AAAAAAAAI-Y/4vOohMlRD-A/IMG_3524sm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UARBbTUWB0sEhDxW0AN2-A&usg=__T8ODmjfKdkTrBw4zMQggLzzjDWM=&h=750&w=1000&sz=187&hl=en&start=138&zoom=1&tbnid=f_sw5dCkZ-X5XM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=168&prev=/images%3Fq%3Decho%2Bfort%2Bmyers%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D564%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C3130&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=717&vpy=291&dur=47&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=76&ty=196&ei=D2P-TLahC4n0tgOf8M2vCw&oei=-2H-TJGoFcL98AbXyKX8Bw&esq=8&page=8&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:138&biw=1259&bih=564
History and Nature What Could be Better???
From the field trip at the cottage I would have to say the best thing I took from it was a different
mind set towards Florida, I don't see it as this giant blob concrete constructed solely for tourists anymore. I can see that it does have history, it does have a story. The woman that greeted us at the cottage was extremely nice, entertaining and knowledgeable. I would go back definitely, I would bring my family, maybe they too would enjoy a little history lesson on Florida.
The boardwalk we took at the cottage on Fort Myers Beach was also my favorite walk we took all class. Not only was the weather absolutely perfect but there wasn't a lot of talking. We walked, we looked and we listened. Our Professor stopped a few times for some quick explanations, I believe this was the field trip where we learn the infamous song "Red red pointy head, black black lick the back, white white bolts on tight.", but most of the walk you were able to just enjoy the weather and nature. The boardwalk ended over looking the water, it was so beautiful and peaceful.
Conservation 20/20
Administered by Division of County Land and LCPR Conservation 20/20 aims to help conserve natural land in hopes to protect the environment. This is done by purchasing of undeveloped land that is then set aside as a preserve, land that can not be disturbed in any way. The money that is used to purchase the land comes from the tax payers, I agree with this method because it is not solely the government that lives and uses the land but rather everyone, so there for it should not solely be the governments responsibility to protect the environment it should be everyone's. The Division of County Land is responsible for acquiring the land and LCPR is responsible for management and day-to-day running.
This is not the first time I have heard about this program but it is the first time I have heard what this program does. I have heard it many times in passing but was never really explained what it was. It turns out in fact that I have actually been to two of the local preserves unknowingly, CREW and Matanza Pass. I would definitely go back to these and allows if the opportunity presented itself go to the other preserves we have locally.
Pictures Cited:
-http://www.world-guides.com/images/fort_myers/fort_myers_matanzas.jpg
-http://www.pbase.com/jkrnm5/image/107554036
Corkscrew Swamp
Being entirely honest with this post this was my least favorite field trip this semester only because I have taken it so many times prior. I have to say though that every time I have been there I have seen something new that I didn't see the time before. One year when I went to the Corkscrew Swamp I was lucky enough to be there when the extremely rare Ghost orchid was in bloom, it was kind of disappointing though because the guide talked it up soo much and then when he finally showed it to us I was expected this flower to WOW! me, it didn't. It was a plain white flower, not what they built it up to be .
On this trip to the swamp though I did learn about the endangered Wood Stork and that the sanctuary is working on on bringing their numbers back up. Progressively the number of storks that are breeding are increasing.
What I did not enjoy on this field trip was being guided, as I have heard much of what I was told previously in other classes. All about the watershed and how the swamp is a vital piece of our regional watershed by helping to move the water and further filter it. Also all about the different ecosystems we were passing through as we walked through the different elevations. Some of the ecosystems we encountered were the pineflatwoods, they were the highest and driest and the cypress dome which was lower in elevation and higher in water level. We also walked across a boardwalk that took use through a wet prairie(see below).
For this field trip I would have enjoyed it much more if I had been allowed to simply walk, look, and listen. Take my time, look at what I wanted for as long as I wanted. Being as I already had the background on the sanctuary I think I would have gotten more out of the trip if I had just went out on my own and just observed.
Observation is my favorite thing to do, I often catch myself staring at someone or something just trying to figure out why it is doing what it is doing or maybe how it is doing what it is doing. I felt that on this field trip we were rushed, it was a whirl wind tour with massive amounts of information being thrown at you. I feel like I would have gotten more out of the trip had I been given more time to just look, listen, and ponder.
I would most defiantly visit the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary again, I find it to be extremely relaxing when you have the time to stroll through it. Also the less people you go with the more likely you are to actually see something living!! We did though, on our class field trip, manage to see some wildlife. We saw a Lubber Grasshopper, a Pig Frog, and also some juvenile alligators.
-http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/images/photos/corkscrew/css_boardwalk.jpg
-http://www.naplesnews.com/photos/2006/jan/26/4823/
-http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www2.stetson.edu/~pmay/woodruff/ranagry.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.stetson.edu/~pmay/woodruff/frogs.htm&usg=__Qzd1cQpcCnq0yMbqzqXh3x1IFA=&h=582&w=800&sz=83&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=RwyCtesd84bcIM:&tbnh=141&tbnw=187&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpig%2Bfrog%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D564%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=970&vpy=80&dur=203&hovh=191&hovw=263&tx=159&ty=110&ei=20T-TMbcMML68Abj1tDpBw&oei=20T-TMbcMML68Abj1tDpBw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0
-http://bugguide.net/node/view/8811
-http://www.bluechameleon.org/Reptile%20&%20Amphibian%20Photography.htm
Sense of Place
Finding something that Stratford is doing that could be considered sustainable or environmentally friendly was a bit of a challenge but I should give it some credit for the small, tiny, ittybitty steps they are taking. Above in the picture I have outlined an area of the community where they have designated land that is to be protected and not built on. They have it mark off with a sign advising people of a nature preserve and not to enter. My condo backs up to this nature preserve and whenever it rains I can hear the frogs peeping away, it always amazes me too the wall penetrating power those little peeps have. Also there are a ton of rabbits running around the neighborhood and we see the occasional stork by the ponds trying to catch some little fish. Below you will see a picture I was able to take of one of the rabbits in my community.
Stratford also has very nicely maintained landscape,the plants they use to boost the cosmetics of the development however could be seen as a small step in sustainable living. Many of the plants that are used in Stratford are native species such as the Sable Palm and the Cootie (seen below). This can be seen as being sustainable because native plants are more adapted to the Florida climate so they use less water than a non native.
Another step Stratford is taking to helping reduce is by only allowing two cars per household. This will help to reduce emission, now I do not know if they are doing this for the sake of the environment or because they don't want to have to worry about parking but either way its benefiting the environment.
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