Corkscrew Sanctuary

 

Our Class recently visited the Corkscrew Sanctuary in Naples, FL. Our professor said that this was a chance to see Florida as it used to be. It was a beautiful and enlightening trip. I learned what a "strangler fig" is and how big our trees would be if we hadn't cut them down. Also, I learned that they have to burn areas of the sanctuary every so often so that everything can grow properly. I saw a gigantic spider, numerous species of birds.. that I can't name.. and a baby alligator covered in green slime. It does frustrate me that I know so much about the human body and so little about environmental species. Unless it is an herbal supplement or some sort of poison, I can't tell the difference. It also makes me feel dumb when the environmentalists in our class can name a bird by its call and I have no idea what they are talking about. I cannot look at a species of fern and know the difference or two similar birds and tell them apart. However, I did feel like I learned a little more about different species in nature. I could now name a Resurrection fern and a strangler fig, and a cypress Knee.
During the trip we walked along a boardwalk (Pictured) into a forest of very old cypress trees. some of them were so big around it would take three of us linking arms to surround its circumference. It made me think about what our school would be like if they had never cut down the cypress trees. I love FGCU, but in some ways, our school is extremely hypocritical. We are the "Eco friendly" campus, and yet we are located smack dab in the middle of a wild life reserve. This area was full of wild animals and forests and we have replaced them with "green" buildings and solar fields to make ourselves feel better. Just a thought.

Overall, it was a good trip, and I'm glad I went.