UNIVERSITY COLLOQUIUM REFELCTION

The Alternative Mural in Downtown Ft. Myers

I can say that without a doubt the University Colloquium class does not have the best reputation around the Florida Gulf Coast University campus. I can also say that without a doubt University Colloquium is misrepresented.

This class has been a great experience and I am sad that it is coming to an end. This was a class I looked forward to going to. Actually, it is my favorite class of the semester and I’m sad it was only one day a week! Professor Borden taught me the importance of going outdoors, as well as, environmental education, awareness, and protection. University Colloquium and Professor Borden also taught me about Ft. Myers, Naples, Estero Island, and ECHO on our field trips.

My favorite field trip was the Downtown Ft. Myers field trip (free pizza!!) followed by the field trip to Estero Island where we got to see a baby dolphin J.  I enjoyed ECHO farms because they taught us about the struggles that people living in other countries are going through. Also, I liked learning about all the different contraptions that they make it easier for people in third world countries to live. Not to mention, all the plants and vegetation that they grow there were pretty cool as well. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was a neat place to visit because of all the animals we go to encounter, from alligators to red shouldered hawks.

I also discovered a great book through this class, A Land Remembered. The stories of Tobias, Zechariah, and Solomon are stories I will always carry with me because they are so fascinating, enlightening, and eye-opening. That little book taught me how important it is to value the land and not take it or the little things for granted.

All in all, I would not trade my University Colloquium experience for anything. This class was a breath of fresh air and I truly enjoyed every second of it. (Okay, that 85-degree trail walk was something I could live without!)

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Word Count: 335

UNIVERSITY COLLOQUIUM SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SPECIES

Throughout my University Colloquium class I have learned about as well as encountered many different types of plants and animals. Here is a collection of some of my favorite species I learned about in University Colloquium and some fun facts to accompany them!

ECHO Farms Field Trip- Week 3

• The Neem Tree:”Pharmacy Tree”- This tree, from India, has microbial properties that provide many benefits. It can act as a mosquito repellent, soap, lotion, and take care of the bacteria in your mouth.
• Moringa Tree: “Miracle Tree”- cures water from impurities.
• Bamboo: Can be used to make floors, pipes, buildings, fences, etc. And can grow up to 3 feet in a day!                                                

Campus Trail Walk- Week 4

• Sabal Palm Tree(Cabbage Palm):  The state tree of Florida.
• Spanish Moss: A bromeliad, in the pineapple family.  

 
Ft. Myers Beach Field Trip- Week 5

• Red Mangrove:  Has distinctive roots closest to the ocean; slim with a pointy head. “Red, red, pointy head.”
• Black Mangrove:  Has a strong root system, checkerboard looking bark. “Black, black, checkerboard back.”
• White Mangrove: Furthest away from the shore, distinguishable leaves. “White, white, bolts on tight.”
• Dolphins: Mammals; can grow up to 8 feet in length and weigh 300- 400 pounds. Eat 15- 30 pounds of sea life in a day.
  

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Field Trip- Week 8

• Red Shouldered Hawk: Has an average wing-span of 3-3 1/2 feet.
• Alligators: Can be found in freshwater shores, lakes, swamps, and rivers.

Downtown Ft. Myers Field Trip- Week 10

• Purple Martins: Geographically loyal, will always return to the same nesting site year after year.
• Banyan Tree: First planted by Thomas Edison in an attempt to produce a more effective rubber for tires.                                                                            

Campus Trail Walk- Week 12

• Barred Owl: the nocturnal counterpart for the Red Shouldered Hawk.

Word Count: 303

DOWNTOWN FT. MYERS FIELD TRIP REFELCTION

My field trip to downtown Ft. Myers was absolutely my favorite field trip of my University Colloquium class. I have lived in Naples, Florida my entire life and I have visited downtown Ft. Myers many times; however, I have never learned as much about Ft. Myers' history until this field trip. I learned about the ships Nina and Pinto (yes, the ones Christopher Columbus sailed on) and got to see replicas of them. Here are some pictures I was able to take of them:

I also learned some more about Thomas Edison, the man of the millennium who had a winter home in Ft. Myers. For instance, did you know over the course of his lifetime he collected 1,069 patents? Crazy, right! He patented everything after his idea of a stock ticker was stolen from him right out from under his hands. Among his many patents are his inventions of the light bulb, phonograph, and movie. Also, he was surprisingly friends with Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and Harvey Firestone, the godfather of tires. The Uncommon Friends statue resides in Centennial Park representing the camping trips Edison took with his unlikely friends.

My favorite statues in Centennial Park is the statue of the buffalo solider Sgt. Claymore. It is my favorite statue because it honors the African Americans that fought during the Civil War at Fort Myers. They sacrificed their lives so that their kin could gain freedom. At the time it was uncommon to honor African Americans and I think that is what makes the statue so beautiful and inspiring. Also, I think it is funny that the artist decided to name the buffalo solider Sgt. Claymore because he said that the statue continuously required more and more clay. Here is a picture of Sgt. Claymore:

There were many things I enjoyed about my field trip to downtown Ft. Myers but my favorite thing and by far the most delicious was the pizza we got at the end. Unfortunately I do not have picture of it because it was gone before I thought of taking one! Yummy!

Word Count: 360

Echo Field Trip Reflection

      My field trip to Echo Farms was very enlightening and educational, as well as fun. Echo Farms is an organization whose main purpose to provide knowledge to those working with the poor in other countries about agriculture. They also teach other helpful things, such as:

·         How to build a sonar dehydrator for crops

·         How to build efficient stoves

·         How to purify water

·         How to make a sonar cooker, otherwise known as a crock pot

·         How to make different kinds of pumps to move water from its source

·         How to plant and nurture tropical and  sub-tropical crops

·         How to make tools for everyday uses

(A clay oven made by some of the members at Echo)

     Our class was provided with a great tour- guide by the name of Vic Estoye. He kept the class entertained and on our feet, providing trivia every single second. Here are some interesting facts I picked up on Echo Farms along the field trip:

•  70-80% of grain is lost in some countries due to poor storage and distribution
• Cooking over an open fire is the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day
• The average small- scale farmer only harvests half of the food needed for his/her family
• A child dies from hunger- related causes every 12 seconds
• After wind and water erosion, the left over soil usually only has one- third the nutrients of the eroded topsoil

 (Some of the animals we encountered)

     The most important thing I learned on this field trip was something I was not expecting at all. Seeing what other people have to do to provide for the families is unfathomable in the technologically- dependent world I live in. Echo Farms made me think about all that I would have to give up if I lived in an economically poor country. This field trip made me grateful for what I have and the experience and knowledge I gained from it is priceless.

(Some of the crops at Echo)

Word Count: 327

My Kind of Neighborhood... Is the Best Kind of Neighborhood

     For as long as I can remember I've lived in this house and in this neighborhood. My neighborhood doesn't truly adhere to a regular "neighborhood" definition. My house is not confined in gates or fences, is not in a community, or small lot. I was very blessed to live in a house that is surrounded by 3 acres of land in what would be considered a more remote location of Naples.

      It-being my house- was built in 1995 and was constructed to my Daddy’s standards with trees and plants planted all around. It is crazy to think that they started as small itty bitty seedlings and are now big, green, and gorgeous pine and oak trees that provide lots of shade to anyone that will take it. Also, cypress trees grow like wildfire all around my house especially if there is water lying around.

      It is a safe bet to stay I have encountered many creatures in my twenty years. Here are a few species I can think of on the top of my head that I have seen: deer, bobcats, rattlesnakes, black snakes, water moccasins, raccoons, armadillos, bears, rabbits, and squirrels. Not to mention the millions of our state birds I’ve had the pleasure of meeting (mosquitoes, just joking!) and I am sure you would all agree that you could live without every single one of those suckers! 

     My childhood in my kind of neighborhood was a dream without a doubt. I played all day long outside until I was called in for dinner by my Momma. I was best friends with the girls next door, Amy and Kimberly. Every day was a new adventure, whether it was riding four wheelers, swimming, making our own slip-n-slide, making up our own games, running around the house, or just getting dirty in general and enjoying nature. 

      When I look back on my childhood almost all of my memories include the outdoors and my beautiful neighborhood, its trees, and its wildlife.