Down Town Ft. Myers

I love history and this trip to down town Ft. Myers was super fun and interesting! It was great to see all of the old buildings and think about what it must have looked like twenty to thirty years ago. The museum was beautiful and all of the information was new to me. I enjoyed looking at the fish and thinking about all of the creatures that may have swam by that very spot so long ago. I was amazed at the size of some of the animals that were in the museum. I did not realize that rodents had ever been that big. The water table that showed the rise and fall of the water levels of Florida was very clever. I really enjoyed learning about all of the native americans and their culture. I wonder if they were here now, what they would they think about us and the way we live. My favorite part of course was the iron lung and all of the old EMT equipment. There were even old intubation starter kits and it amazed me that even then they were doing complex medical procedures. I adore science and mostly all things medical. The view from the top of the hotel was breathtaking and the whole trip made me feel a sense of pride for living in this area. I feel like through this course, I have connected a bit with my life in Florida. I still can't wait to leave, but it does make me proud to know that there is a history and a meaningful past here, and I am glad to be a part of it.

Challenge Group Projects

I actually really enjoyed all of the group projects. It was a much better way to learn about the Plan B. 4.0 book than just reading it. It was really nice to see every one's creativity and how they all put their little spins on the assignment.

My topic was about world hunger and poverty and how to fix this global problem. the main idea of the chapter I read was that we cannot fix hunger without fixing poverty. and we cannot fix poverty without educating everyone first. the book stated that we need to create a standard school system and make sure every child has at least an elementary school education. I thought that the chapter was interesting and worth reading.  

Another topic of the group projects that I really liked was how to retrofit our homes to be more Eco-friendly. I did not know that some of the new lights were dangerous if smashed. I also did not know why it was so hard for everyone to use solar panels. It was interesting to learn about LEED certified buildings and talk about  what our school is doing right and wrong. Their "PREZI" was very interesting and kept my attention. I usually do not like group projects and they can be quite boring but this group did a great job of keeping me intrigued and engaged in the topic.

 

 

 

I thought that these group projects were a beneficial part of our curriculum in the class. I learned a lot about backyard farming and sustainability, and it kept us from having to read an entire book. I think this should be retained in the course and repeated in future classes. 

Everglades Readings

The everglades readings were a creative and detailed description of the everglades and the ecosystem within it. The list of birds, reptiles, and plants was diverse and intriguing. The readings taught me about the grass, and the all of the different types of grasses that are planted in the everglades. I was amazed at the diversity of the species and how much detail the author went into about them. The readings talked about the saw grasses and the alligator flags and many other types of species. The author clearly has a passion for this special environment and wants to share her knowledge with the community.

 

The author also spoke a lot about the birds. There are hundreds of different types of birds in the everglades. many of them have been removed due to hunting of the birds for their plumes. There are egrets and woodpeckers and all types of water birds that feed off of the fish and insects in the everglades. The author was very descriptive about the sounds of all of the birds, and I can imagine what it would sound like to wake up to a thousand bird calls in the morning. the details of the birds were stunning. I could nearly see all of the beautiful species from their beaks to their wing span.

 

 

The other interesting thing about the readings was all of the history of how the lad was formed. from the rock and the pores in it and what it was made of, to the tiny creatures that live in the rock, and all of the water that fills the rock and flows on top of it. The water was described as nearly alive because of the diverse culture that resides in it. The water is teaming with life from the birds, to the grasses, to the creatures below the water line. I hope our country's leadership plugs in soon and helps do something to protect this amazing ecosystem. If they don't, all of these beautiful and miraculous discoveries could disappear forever.

 



 

 



Campus Hike

I am in no way a nature lover, nor have I ever claimed to be one. Although I have to admit, the nature walk was no where near the worst experience I have ever had in my life, it is definitely not one I am willing to repeat in the near future. Unfortunately I do not have much to report on the subject, it was sticky, and warm, and wet. I am still shaking the sand out of my running shoes. It was however, fun to laugh and enjoy a crazy experience with my classmates and friends. I did enjoy getting to see parts of the campus that are usually closed to the public, learning about the sand crabs, and seeing plants that are native to Florida. My favorite part of the trip was seeing the owl that was hiding up in the trees. That was a very cool experience. Overall, it was a short trip and not too traumatic. I don't think it is a necessary part of the course, and I would not do it again.

ECHO Field Trip

ECHO is a christian organ ization inventing and distributing new ways to produce food in developing countries and urban areas such as New York City. At the ECHO farm we were taken on a tour by a very kind, farmer/Cardio-thoracic surgeon. He explained all about their beautiful and useful gardens of fruits, vegetables, and other plants.  

It was interesting to see the techniques they were using to help grow food in developing nations. we saw things like roof-top gardens and homemade goat houses. my favorite part of the trip was learning about the different types of plants that they used. From banana trees, to giant bamboo plants, they are all very specifically useful. We learned that bamboo is a great commodity because it can be used for the main structure of houses in other countries. All of the volunteers and staff seemed genuinely happy about their jobs. They are doing wonderful things for the community in the way of education, as well as for the world as a whole as far as studying and distributing ways that food can be produced in poor areas.

There were many animals at the farm. There were goats in little wooden huts. One of them was pregnant. Goats are a prized commodity in developing nations because they produce milk that can be made into a variety of products and sold. There were also some chickens. the chickens provide fertilizer for the soil, and produce eggs that can be eaten, or sold for a profit. There were also many many ducks in a pond. All of these animals are useful and serve a purpose in a developing country. I thought this trip was a valuable experience and should be taken each semester. I learned a lot and I am glad I went.