Reflection on Group Presentations

I really enjoyed the group presentations. I am not sure if that is because I've taken such a great interest in environmental issues just recently or what, but I am soaking up the information like a sponge. I thought Ryan's presentation was awesome and stood out to me because he was well organized and an overall good presenter. I also enjoyed the presentations on urban gardening and all the facts about water. I think the videos were a nice touch to many presentations. There were a few to further explain topics or introduce concepts and then there were a few to make us laugh or pull on our heartstrings. But I really seem to pay more attention and be more attached to the presentation when there is a video involved. For instance, I hadn't heard about he hydrogen car until Ryan showed us that clip-how amazing! I was talking about that for the next week. Also, the video on urban gardening was enlightening because that too I never knew existed.
I thoroughly was impressed by Plan B. I liked that it was the reading we ended with and it did give me hope to many current problems. It is a shame that these ideas aren't happening sooner but we didn't get into this mess overnight so we can't expect to get out of it overnight either. I'm just pleased that we are at least headed in that direction.
I learned a lot from my chapter on sustainable energy. I was blown away by the statistics given about wind, solar, geothermal, etc. energy. I sit here and listen to the news talk about this oil spill every single night and I'm disgusted. I feel for the defenseless animals that didn't ask for this and sure as hell don't deserve. There is other ways besides fossil fuels and coal and we need to get to the point where enough is enough. It makes me sick to my stomach but that's the thing Plan B is getting at- you have to hope. The author presents a lot of feasible solutions in due time. I just have to be a part of that change and stay positive that we can get there- that humans as a whole will wake up before it's too late.

Downtown Field Trip

Our last field trip in Colloquium was to Downtown Fort Myers. Honestly I thought it was going to be pretty boring. I have been there several times in my life and didn't think the town itself had a very rich history beyond Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely proud of my city and think it's neat that I'm a second generation native. I just never knew there was more to it then palm trees, the Edison Home, and the reputation of behind the times when it came to desegregation. Also, my dad and mom shared with me stories from when they were growing up here. Many times my dad has pointed out the old movie theater, the old Sears building, and old Federal building. It's crazy to think when I was 8 I had a dance recital in that old theater, and today I currently have my art shown in the old Federal Building, which is now the Sydney Berne and Davis Art Center. I am part of my parents past in my present life. I went to high school and walked the same halls my dad did. Although I should say hall, because when he attended Fort Myers Senior High there was ONLY one hall.
I found it interesting to tour my instructors home built in 1922. Beautiful home that reflected his love of bugs well. :) Also, I loved seeing Fort Myers from the rooftop of the Indigo Room. Awesome view. Furthermore, the bus tour was also enlightening. I enjoyed hearing about Robb & Stuckey, and other historically local names/sites.
Overall, it was not a waist of time--far from it. The trip was very exciting and I most definitely made me feel more connected to my hometown.

National Geographic: A Special Issue, Water- Our Thirsty World

National Geographic has always been one of my favorite magazines to read. Last week I received an issue on water. Inside was an insert on virtual water: the amount of water used to create a product. I was shocked. The concept was developed by geographer Tony Allan of King's College London in the 90's. He had one question in mind... why were countries with limited water resources not in a war to fight for their share? Well, he found out that these countries were importing food-- food grown with other countries water.
For instance, the virtual water used to hydrate cows, grow their feed, and clean their waste equaled 1,857 gallons per pond. During the lifetime of that one cow approximately 816,600 gallons of water will be used in total. CRAZY. The list goes on, including dairy products, produce, etc.
Beyond that, common goods like a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, or bedsheets also use an immense amount of water. Cotton is a water-intensive crop--and heavily fertilized. It takes 2, 900 gallons of water to produce one pair of blue jeans. 2,800 for cotton bedsheets. 766 gallons for a cotton T-shirt. The list goes on and on. And that doesn't include the life of these cotton products one a person owns and washes them several times.
I thought this was very interesting. I take too much for granted. I wake up every day and choose a pair of jeans to wear while a girl my age half way around the world is walking 10 miles just for a clean glass of water to drink.

Louv Readings

After reading Last Child in the Woods I was able to remember plenty of natural experiences I had as a child. Till the age of 6 I lived off 41 in Island Park. Although it was your typical middle class family neighborhood I really don't remember not spending my days outside. My friends and I had a tree-fort, several vacant lots to dig in and play chase on. I remember catching Minos in the ditches, climbing trees, and playing in the mud. After that we moved off Daniels Pkwy and my nature consisted of the preserve behind my house. My dad cleared a path going a few miles back and we would always venture through there. One day my brother and I made a teepee hut out of thin logs and Melaleuca bark. When I was 12 and my parents got divorced my mom stayed there and my dad moved onto 5 acres of land. This was truly a great experience. We had horses, our own chicken coop, a pig, 3 dogs, and ducks. Every single day was an adventure and a definite learning experience. I have always been an animal lover, but to to have the chance to be around some that I would not normally have been able to was very rewarding. I loved every minute of it so a few years later when we moved I was heartbroken. Nothing compares to fresh eggs, a baby duck that follows your every step, delivering puppies, riding horses bareback, and having bonfires on every spare weekend.
Fishing has also been a big part of my families life. Growing up in Florida my dad had a boat that we took out at least 2-3 times a month. I was young and not the most patient child so fishing wasn't always at the top of my list. What I do remember with enjoyment was hooking the bate, swimming while anchored, and of course dad always bought me caned catfish to through off the back of the boat. When we weren't out on the boat we were at the beach or gone for the weekend camping.
Although things have changed in the past 5 years and I'm not very outdoorsy anymore I will always cherish the memories I have and would like to make an attempt to do more of these activities again.

Canoe Outing

Last Thursday the class and I took a canoe trip on Fishtrap Bay. At first I was pretty bummed at the idea of canoeing however it ended up being a lot of fun. It wasn't anything I haven't seen or done, but to have the entire class as a group out canoeing was beyond entertaining. At first Lillie and I were doing a really good job of steering and keeping up with the rest yet as soon as the class stopped at the turn around point we hit the mangroves with everyone watching. Just our luck, the first time we did something stupid and it had to be in front of everyone in their stopped canoes. I could not stop laughing watching Lillie freak out as we plowed into the mangroves. Luckily, we were not alone...the entire trip was filled with run-ins and mangrove colliding.
Besides the slight sunburn and cramp in my shoulder, it was for the most part smooth sailing on a pretty crisp day. I guess it would have been nice 15 degrees cooler, however it wouldn't be May in Florida if that was the case. The path was a little challenging with all it's curves and half way through I had wished I never chose to sit in the back. Steering is not as easy as it looks! I can not say it wasn't worth it though, because we had a lot of good laughs, were out in the fresh air, and it definitely beats a lecture hall any day of the week.
When I first signed up for this class I was weary about it being off campus, however in the end it turned out to be a great experience. In just one month i feel pretty close to this small group of people as we have spent a portion of our summer days together. I cannot believe it is almost over, it really did go quick. Looking back on it now, I 'm pleased with the decision to take Colloquium over the summer.