Journal # 10

Over the course of this past semester I have learned many things in colloquium. Being an environmental studies major obviously made me somewhat biased to the course, but I felt it was very important to learn about the FGCU campus and the environment of southwest Florida. I also enjoyed the fact that the class is made up of a variety of majors who each have a different way of looking at environmental issues and sustainability. The combination of different majors, the different field trips, and hands on approach in this class created a very progressive feel. Instead of dreading this long class on Thursday, I always looked forward to it because it was not traditional and boring like some of the other classes I take full of busy work. I really had fun at the “side stop” field trip when we looked at the manatees. I did not realize the numbers of manatees that congregate at warm water discharge areas like power plants. Seeing the docile manatees lumbering around in the water made me realize how important it is to watch out for these animals while boating. Another trip I thoroughly enjoyed was visiting ECHO, they do so much work helping nations in need like Haiti, and I never even knew about the organization. The campus walks were also very informative and fun as well. Walking back in the cypress domes on campus was a great experience because a lot of the students never experienced anything like that before. The water was surprisingly clean, and the system appeared to be healthy and productive. Seeing this cypress dome right here on campus gave me a greater appreciation for FGCU. The unique cooling system that the school uses was also really “cool”. Going down to Mantanzas park was also very interesting hearing the lady speak of her heritage and the whole gill net fishing industry that her family was involved in. Overall I just enjoyed meeting some great people with different views on the environment and learning about the area I live in.

Journal # 9 Corksrew Swamp

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. In the club house I found in eye opening when I looked at the chart of Florida showing the historical flow of the everglades compared to the flow today. Some of the things that stood out to me was the fact that the Calossahatchee was never connected to Lake Okeechobee until the early 1900s. Historically the river had a system of waterfalls, but these were dynamited and replaced with levies and weirs to help with flood control. These unique systems of waterfalls would have been an amazing point of eco-tourism if they still existed today. The over all “sheet flow” of the Everglades ecosystem was also drastically altered with the creation of highways and canal systems that criss-cross the flowing river of grass. When we walked out to the boardwalk I enjoyed observing the transition of ecosystems as we moved from a slightly higher elevation to a lower one. We began walking in the pine flatwood where fire plays an important part in keeping the ecosystem healthy. The Slash Pine’s were so adapted to living in a fire prone area that they have actually developed fire retardant bark and pine cones that only burst to release their seeds when heated by flame. This system was dominated by an understory of saw palmetto and grasses and Slash Pines spread throughout. The next ecosystem type was an ecotone between the Flatwood and the Cypress Swamp, it was the wet marsh. This area was dominated by sawgrass and was wet for most parts of the year. There was not many birds because of the wet winter which prevented them from nesting in the area. The final ecosystem we came to was the Cypress Swamp. This was home to the extremely rare and valuable ghost orchid. The orchid is in bloom in only certain parts of the year for a short period of time. In the cypress dome we say lichens, epiphytes, Red Shouldered Hawks with their chicks, alligators, turtles, anhingas, and many other birds. It was a nice to see such a healthy environment so close to home. I look forward to visiting the area again this summer.

Journal # 8 recent news/ Environmental

A large oil spill off the coast of Louisiana has many people worried, and rightly so. In an effort to contain this oil slick authorities say they will start burning some of the thickest areas of the oil slick. Fire resistant containment booms will act as a corral system in an effort to control some of the fire on the gulf’s surface. The Deepwater Horizon, which was the name of the drill site, was located some 50 miles off the Louisiana coast, eleven workers are still missing from the giant blast and are presumed dead. Hotel owners and fishermen are not the only ones nervous about the sticky oil slick creeping towards shore. Louisiana is also home to delicate wetlands and extensive oyster bed systems which are both important economically and ecologically. Both of these extraordinary ecosystems serve as a buffer that protects the terrestrial environment from the harsh aquatic elements. They also provide a perfect nursery for young birds, especially waterfowl, and are extremely nutrient rich and productive areas. If the oil slick were to reach the coast, the loss of wildlife would be catastrophic. The effect that a burn like this has on marine life is unclear, and the burning of crude oil will also cause air pollution. But it is crucial to try every option we have in an effort to contain the oil spill in the gulf.

Journal # 7 Downtown Fort Myers

The trip to downtown Fort Myers was very informative. I really enjoyed stopping at the Edison Estate area. I had no idea how much of an impact people like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison had on the this area of Fort Myers and Southwest Florida. Another aspect of Edison that I found quite intriguing was the fact that he came up with a new invention every year for nearly 60 years of his life. The Banyan tree was also something completely foreign to me. The way it the giant tree seems to spread across the earth reminded me of a tree you would find in Africa or some foreign place, not South West Florida. Fort Myers has an incredibly rich history and it was very nice to see a portion of that during our trip. When we visited the Olympian museum, started by Al Oerter , I was touched by how proud his late wife was of this truly unique museum her husband had begun before he passed. There was very talented art work in the museum, be it abstract colorful paintings or medal welded figures. The location of the museum was also amazing, sitting adjacent to the Coloosahatchee. The museum appears to have great potential for growth in the future. When we left the museum I liked the enormous mural on the side of the building that showed the African American soldiers who served in this area during the war. The environmentally friendly hotel was also very innovative and sustainable. From all of the small things they did like recycling of paper towels and using the energy saving in all of their lights. To finish the trip off we had some nice local flavor at a local ice cream shop, besides enjoying a good treat I was also able to sit down and enjoy the architecture of the buildings around me in the ally way.