geologyisall-blog

[geologyisall-blog]

That’s a Wrap

For the past 15 weeks, the University Colloquium class has taken us on a journey, an environmental journey.  Through discussion, field trips, community service and readings, the personal aspect of environmental concerns was explored. 

This course to me was more of an emotional based course than I had expected. You have students from all walks of life coming together with a combined goal of discussing the environment but what is the common ground? I say reach everyone on an emotional level. 

The field trips brought us students together under a common umbrella of environmental exploration. I think nature not only soothes the soul personally but also creates bonds. A collective group brought together in peace is good and creates bonds that can foster a united environmental front. 

Although my scientific viewpoints on the environment and the issues we face have changed, I do feel that my horizons have been expanded in respect to the viewpoints of others around me who are not scientists. I used to think that only scientists and tree huggers were environmentally aware but I know realized that there are other ways that people have concern and other methods with which to create a more sustainable future. 

We are part of an complex and interwoven system, humans and nature must work in unison. Humans from all walks of life must work in unison to promote sustainability, not just for ourselves but also for the future of humanity. 

[geologyisall-blog]

Lovers Key

Lovers Key State Park is comprised of four islands; Lover’s Key, Long Key, Black Key, and Inner Key. Only accessible by boat, the islands were rumored to have been only accessed by lovers as they looked to find a secluded area until the first road was built in 1965. It is also rumored that pirates had inhabited the area hence the name Black Key after the pirate Black Augustus. In 1983 the state acquired the lands and it was merged with the adjacent Carl E. Johnson County Park thus becoming Lovers Key Carl E. Johnson State Park.

There are several boardwalks that span the channels between the islands. Both ends of the boardwalks are flanked by mangroves. Red mangroves are closest to the water and are distinguished by roots hanging into the water. To rid the tree of salts collected by the brackish water, the mangroves push the salts into various leaves that then turn red.  Black mangroves, generally found behind red mangroves, are distinguished by roots that poke up through the sediment into the air. Their leaves are shiny on the underneath of the leave from the formation of salt crystals. Mangroves serve important ecosystem functions along the coastlines. They provide protection from powerful storms and surge. They are also an important fisheries nursery providing protection among its roots from larger predators that would eat the small fish. When you peer into the waters below the boardwalk you can see the seagrasses and other flora and fauna. Crabs are abundant and can be seen rustling for food. Small fish fly through the waters.

As you leave the boardwalk and its relatively protected areas, you are immediately hit by the breeze blowing in off the water. The smell of the salty sea air always soothes and relaxes.  I think most people find some sense of peace when going to the beach. Even though I wasn’t feeling well the sea air still breathes life into you. You can hear the crashing of the waves, distant voices of people enjoying the day, laughter, birds, and the wind. 

Walking along the beach shells are everywhere. The rack line or drift line is seen along the length of the beach and is marked by the deposition of shells, seaweed and other debris. Another line of shells is being actively deposited by wave action along the foreshore.

The above picture is an example of the deposited shells. I like this picture in particular because of its expression of the vast quantities of life that live along and with in the islands. Here you see coquina, slipper, banded ribbed cardita, spiney jewel box, and cockle shells as well as fragments of others, feathers, and seaweed.  

The Black Island nature trail  is approximately 5 miles long and winds along the estuary. As you walk along the pathways its as if you have entered another world. The waves can no longer be heard even the the scent of the sea air is on the wind as it rustles the leaves above you. Palms, sea grapes, and mangroves line the walkways. You can see gopher tortoise holes along the path. At the head of the path is a butterfly garden. 

Lovers Key is an interesting state park. I had never previously been there before so it was an adventure. 

[geologyisall-blog]

Urban Environments

Fort Myers, named in honor of Colonel Myers, son-in-law of the commander of Fort Brooke in Tampa, was a main base for the Seminole Indian Wars. It was also the cite of the southernmost battle of the civil war. The town then became a hub for cattle and agricultural trading. In 1885, Thomas Edison became a resident bringing with him, Ford and Firestone forever changing the landscape of Fort Myers.

In several ways, Fort Myers has planned with the environment in mind. To combat pollution from water runoff, retention pods were built. Fountains help aerate the water allowing microbes to kill the pollutants within. The water is then used for watering landscapes around the city among other things. 

Wider walkways and brick roads were installed to slow traffic and increase pedestrian activities. Parks, like Palm Park, embrace the native landscape and provide a natural space within the urban environment. 

As always, conflicts between environment, history, and economics play a role in the downtown area. To preserve historical buildings, the facades and buildings must be kept in their original state. This can be quite expensive to maintain. The Pleasure Pier building is a prime example of keeping the old but trying keep up with the changing economics of the city. The building sits on a prime piece of water front property. The remodel will cost a large sum of money and blocks the view of the water however the building must be preserved. On the other hand, removing the building will allow for condos, hotels, restaurants, etc. For now, the building and the land sits as the city tries to find a solution.

Urban environments, according to Louv, create a nature-deficit disorder. Concrete builds walls, metaphorically and literally. Increasingly, city planners look to create ways to bring nature to these environments. Creating a park like Palm Park, gives people a change to connect with nature even in the busyness of the city. A little slice of heaven, so to speak, to create biophilia. 

Urban environments are a way of life, an ecosystem. The trick is to create an ecosystem that does not create more harm than good. Creating parks within concrete, expanding walkways, using sustainable practices can make urban environments a more ecologically friendly atmosphere for all. 

[geologyisall-blog]

Reflection: Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva is a scholar and environmental activist in Delhi, India. She received her love of environment from her parents whom loved and conserved the natural world. Highly educated, she focused on the philosophy of science and later went on to interdisciplinary research in environmental studies. She founded Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology which eventually led to the creation of Navdanya, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources. Navdanya is an initiative of the RFSTE to educate farmers of the benefits of maintaining diversity and individuality in crops. The movement has established more that 40 seed banks throughout India.  Much of her work centered around biodiversity and ecofeminism.

To Shiva, biodiversity is the “very fabric of life, providing the conditions for life’s emergence and maintenance, and the many different ways in which that life is expressed”. The diversity of life forms is becoming the ‘green oil’ or raw material for the the next industrial revolution that is sure to occur as industry moves forward and the debate begins on the worth of all lifeforms. The ethical conflict between intrinsic worth and commercial value has become a major issue. 

Assessed at three fundamental levels of biological organization: genetic, species and ecosystem, biodiversity is under threat as humans fail to understand the interconnectedness of our complex ecosystem. Even the smallest microbe plays a critical role and its loss could have wide ranging ecological impacts that we do not fully understand. “Human beings are clearly highly ignorant of other members of the Earth  Family and, at least, in the Western worldview, have thought of themselves as sitting on top of a biodiversity pyramid or tree rather than forming a part of a complex web of life” (Vandana Shiva).  Shiva feels that the approach to biodiversity based on the ecological web of life created by species interactions is more important that the number or variation of species. 

Biodiversity prevents genetic uniformity. As globalization and human populations increase, we increasingly turn to monocultures.  We are creating genetic uniformity increasing the risk of crop failure as crops become vulnerable to pests and disease.  Unfortunately, those at immediate risk from biodiversity loss are the third world citizens. Third world citizens rely on fishing and agriculture to provide food for their families and money for goods. Worldwide, as forests are turned into farms, commercial fishing is depleting fish stocks, and climate and weather patterns change, the ability of these citizens to meet their basic needs is in jeopardy. The empty earth syndrome of colonization, where our lands are full so we will expand to those that appear empty, is changing these third world lands and destroying the biodiversity that, if we would only realize, humans all rely on. 

The threat to biodiversity is a risk to everyone. Unless we take a hard look at what we are doing as a species, we will face struggles that we scarcely can conceive of. 

[geologyisall-blog]

The Earth Charter and Global Efforts🌎

The Earth is a self-regulating system, a set of interrelated components that work together governing itself without assistance. That is until humans came into the equation. In the class discussions, we spoke of the division of the Earth into four systems: atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. The influence of humans on the Earth has changed its self-regulating system. The Earth, instead of self-regulating is now governed by humans. Humans have become so influential that a new geological epoch has been named, one that describes the era of change humans have brought about since the industrial age. It has also been suggested that the Earth be divided into 5 systems with the addition of the human system or sphere. Because of the change the human population has brought about, the Earth Charter came up with a set of principles that aims to return Earth to a self-regulating system with humans as part of the system, not the governing body of the system. What does this mean to me? Humans needs to ask for a “do-over” and that is what the Earth Charter lays forth; guidelines for a do-over. We need to seek Earth’s forgiveness and learn to work with the gifts Earth has given us. Using the principles of the Earth Charter we can move toward a healthy coexistence with the environment. For example, principle 4 says that we need to secure Earth’s bounty and beauty 🌲for present and future generations. I like that it is included as part of respect and care for the community of life. If we appreciate and respect the environment in which we live that naturally translates to community and vice versa. We learn to respect or community and environment by accepting and recognizing the roles and interconnectedness of the systems we are a part of.

 The principle of education: Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way, is a powerful principle that I feel is at the root of all others. It forms the building blocks with which to build a sustainable future.  You can have a democratic system, you can have respect for community, it is even possible to be socially conscious and just, but education brings all these principles together. Education can unite people more than any other activity. Through education, whether in a classroom or by experience, people become powerful. Education opens one’s eyes to the world around them. Without it we would not have the skills to build a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society as the Earth Charter aims to do.  Another principle that I feel is important is to treat all living beings with respect and consideration. Respect and consideration, like education, can bring people together. To treat others with respect is something that, if done in all facets of life, would have lasting effects. Take government for example. If respect and consideration were an integral part of policy making, more care would be taken. Choices, although they may cost more money, will be made with respect and consideration of all organisms that would be affected.  The principle of promoting a culture of tolerance, nonviolence and peace is another keystone. If we strive for peace and tolerance in all aspects of life, then the natural progression would be that the environment would benefit. Overall, I believe the theme of sustainable living is education, respect, and peace. If, individually, we strive to live by these principles, not only will you personally be a better person but the world around us will benefit as well.

The primary driver of the sustainability crisis is economic growth💲. It is human nature to want to increase personal property whether that be in physical or emotional terms, however, we should do so in a manner that is not at the expense of the environment or others. Thus, I say greed is one of the greatest hindrances to implementing the Earth Charter and one of the most difficult to overcome. Therefore, to overcome this obstacle, we will have to look at the economics of sustainability. Sustainability efforts will need to be looked at in terms of cost/benefit and specifically those that efforts that will benefit both the economy and the environment. Attitude is another hindrance. Many people feel that sustainability only works when it’s a group effort. We need to change attitudes by showing individuals and communities that it works in many different ways, by making individuals realized that any small thing they do can turn into a big effort in the end. 

[geologyisall-blog]

ECHO

ECHO, aka Educational Concerns for Haiti Organization, was founded in the 1970′s by Indiana businessman Richard Dugger. Its role in international agricultural development was expanded in 1981 to function primarily by providing agricultural information, distributing seeds, and offering training to oversees workers. ECHO operates three regional impact centers in areas globally and the Fort Myers location is the headquarters comprising a global farm and research center, reference library, seed bank, fruit nursery, and book store. 

The ECHO farm in fort Myers is a 50 acre farm separated into 6 separate areas: tropical lowlands, tropical highlands, monsoon, semi-arid, rainforest clearing, community garden and urban garden. It is a hands on training ground as well an educational center. Also and information hub, ECHO works to solve hunger world-wide by finding solutions to promote sustainable farming techniques and appropriate technologies. The purpose is to teach farmers around the world to produce enough food to meet their nutritional needs as well as provide a source of income. 

Examples of plants grow for global research are the moringa or miracle tree. Possessing the ability to grow in arid climates and in a large variety of soil types, the Moringa has is one of the most nutritious plants on Earth. The Barbados cherry have more vitamin C than any other fruit and is able to be propagated without being grown from seed, reducing the growing time. Spices like the thailand leaf pepper, cinnamon, and tumeric shrubs are easily grown in many climates providing seasonings as well as a source of income. Technologies such as rolling drums for water collection, biochar for a heat source, chicken tractors, and pulley driven water pumps are developed, tested, and given to farmers who do not have the resources to obtain more advanced resources. Not only are these technologies effective but they also reduce the use of natural resources, such as petroleum and coal to power tractors, plows and water pumps. 

In urban areas, agricultural practices focus on using what little space and products are available. For example, using carpets as substrates for plant roots and a five gallon bucket for watering allow for small scale farming with little to no money involved. These methods can be used anywhere and even by students

like ourselves. 

Food Footprint:

I personally have the proverbial black thumb having difficulty even keeping a cactus alive. I am not sure how I would fair having to grow my own food to survive however, I believe that needs must. If faced with farming or starvation, most will do what is necessary. Its difficult in today’s society where we simply go to a store and purchase what we need to comprehend the difficulties many people face. We do not have to or don’t want to worry about where food comes from or what it took to grow the food. Most of our food is process and grown in ways that maximize growth but are not always sustainable. Farmers in poor countries who rely on what they grow cannot afford be practice unsustainable techniques. Other than some veggies and fruits bought at the local farmers market, most of the food I eat comes from a grocery store. We also, because it is so readily available, waste a good portion of what we bought. Small scale farmers in poor countries teach us that sustainable food practices can be profitable as well as provide all that is needed. We are lucky to have a facility like ECHO in our backyard from which to learn how to grow our own gardens. We have the perfect opportunity to learn and implement sustainable, not to mention affordable, agricultural practices at home and potentially share with others. Imagine what would happen is just one person in each neighborhood began an ECHO process and taught others. We would not only reduce our footprint but increase the health of all those around us. 

[geologyisall-blog]

6-mile Cypress Slough

6-mile Cypress Slough is a an area in Fort Myers that was preserved by the Monday group to prevent industrialization and preserve the flow of water that occurs in this area. The entire area is approximately 3500 acres.Visitors are able to walk the 1.2 miles of board walk and view the native flora and fauna. The walk can be divided into 5 sections. 

Section 1: Gator lake to Wood Duck pond

Gator lake is one of several ponds in the slough. It is the only man made pond as evidenced by the geometrically shaped shores. Here you can see Anhingas, Cormorants, Egrets, storks, herons and other birds as well as alligators. Along the boardwalk, cypress trees dominate. Lichen, a combination of fungus and algae, can be seen growing on the cypress trunks. Their presence is indicative of good air quality. Caeser weed, and invasive species also found on the FGCU campus can also be seen.  

Section 2: Wood Duck pond to Otter Pond

Here you can see fish and turtles swimming in the waters. During the dry season the waters recede significantly thus making it easier for birds to catch fish and other organisms to eat. This pond is not man made. 

Section 3: Wood Duck pond to Otter pond

Here it is possible to see otters and other wild life. As you walk along the boardwalk from wood duck pond to otter pond you can see cypress knees. Their purpose is not known although there are two reigning theories: 1) is that they are  present for structural reasons and 2) they are oxygen gathers similar to mangrove roots. The second theory is considered more likely. Cotton mouths and banded water snakes can also be seen along the path. Banded water snakes are often confused with their poisonous cotton mouth neighbors however they lack the lack the indent along the neck. Resurrection ferns are found growing abundantly on the trees. The ferns will shrivel and appear to be dead when water is scarce. When introduced to water again they become lush and green. Some can last for 100 years without water. 

Section 4: Otter pond to Pop Ash pond

Along the path, a palm tree is visible. The presence of palms, not naturally found in environments with standing water, indicate the encroachment of other environments into the slough. Ecosystems can change naturally. A limpkin (bird pictured above) was spotted eating invasive apple snails. Pop Ash trees are abundant as we near pop ash pond. 

Section 5: Pop Ash pond to Gator Lake

Pop Ash pond got its name from the surrounding pop ash trees. This pond will completely dry up in the dry season. Pond apples are seen hanging from the branches of trees. The pavilion that overlooks the pond has placards that provide information about the animals and plants found in the slough.

Wrap up: 

The slough was preserved due to its importance in contributing to the flow, filtration, and subsequent release into Florida’s aquifers. The Monday group, with funding from the county and the Conservation 20/20 bill recognized its importance and wanted to save this slice of environmental uniqueness from the surrounding industrialization. The group also tries to impart the importance of this area by placing poetry along the boardwalk. It has been shown that poetry allows for a greater emotional connection with nature. 

My favorite was “the frog does not drink from the pond in which he lives”, meaning the frog will not bring harm to the environment that is his home. He is connected, it is his sense of place. This particular field trip was educational in that it brought you face to face with conservation efforts and sustainability practices. It also brought to mind how nature can warn humans that it is powerful. It was hot and muggy making the walk difficult. Nature can “knock us down a peg” reminding us that it deserves respect. 

[geologyisall-blog]

FGCU Focus on Sustainability: Florida Gulf Coast University is known as the environmental school. On its website it even proclaims the following: With 400 acres of protected nature and LEED-certified buildings, FGCU is a living environmental lab with sustainability at the core of our mission. Our award-winning initiatives in education, energy production, research and sustainable practices make us one of the nation’s greenest campuses. Even our emerald green and cobalt blue school colors reflect earth and sky.

What makes FGCU the “environmental school”? First is its use of natural landscaping. All plants and trees are native to the area cutting down on landscaping costs and bring a natural feel to the campus. Second is the use of solar-powered trash bins (first picture). These trash bins compact the trash decreasing trash collection. Also, recycle bins are located adjacent to the bins to increase recycling.  LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certified buildings are also another sustainability effort. It aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. Using chiller plant operations to cool buildings, special lighting, window covering to decrease heat influx, and using recycled materials for flooring, to name a few, all contribute to FGCU’s LEED certified buildings. Encouraging the use of bike transportation (see middle pic) to get to and around campus is another. Bike racks and servicing areas strategically placed around campus are methods of encouragement. aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. The campus also increases awareness of urban development and the environment through education such as the University Colloquium class and signs such as the last picture above. Much of the campus has been set aside for preservation; approximately 400 acres are to remain undeveloped. These are just a few examples. Following the readings of Louv and Orr, nature calms and restores. FGCU sustainability efforts aid in helping students find peace and be productive students.

Learning from the Nature Trail (pic 1 above): The campus of FGCU has several trails that wind through what could be separated into three similar yet distinct environments based on the types of plants and elevation. The first section is known as the pine flat woods (pic 2 above). Here we have the highest elevations. It is characterized by sandy soils, scrub pines and saw palmetto trees. A typical pine flat wood is prone to fires during the dry season and, in fact, fires promote a health pine flat wood environment. FGCU does not do routine burns due to the proximity of these woods to campus buildings. The presence of the endangered shoe string fern as shown here in the second picture above indicates a stable environment.The second section is called the ectone ( see third pic), also known as the transition zone or oak hammock. Here there is a blending of ecosystems; pines and palmettos are here but also we begin to see oaks. This environment has the greatest diversity of the three areas along the trail. Vines and air plants abound here as the fight for light is in full swing . The soils are darker and the canopy is thicker. The third and final section of the trail is the cypress dome (see last picture above). It is the lowest and wettest of the three sections with most of the land under water. Cypress is the most common vegetation along with alligator flags. The area is called a cypress dome due to the shape of the canopy as seen from afar. Nutrient richness occurs in the center of the area thus the cypress trees will grow higher and will decrease in size as you move out from the center.

FGCU Campus and Sense of Place:  Whitaker Hall is my favorite place on campus. As any marine science major will attest, a large portion of my courses take place in this building. Also my involvement in numerous research projects have all required a significant amount of time in the labs in Whitaker Hall. After spending six years at FGCU, Whitaker Hall has become a second home to me. My sense of place is anywhere I feel at peace. On campus, that is in Whitaker Hall, at home that is on my couch, and on vacation that is out on the water.

Ecological Footprint: Assessing my ecological footprint using www.footprintcalculator.org/signup, I have found that if everyone lived as I do we would need 5.8 earths. It would only take 3 months and 5 days to consume one earth. My ecological footprint (in global hectares) is 9.9 meaning that it would 9.9 gha of biologically productive area to provide everything I consume. My carbon footprint is 15.6 tonnes per year and is 54% of my total ecological footprint.  The average of the Unites states in terms of earths is 5 while other countries such as Germany are much lower yet still exceed one earth. Humans as a species are using the Earth’s natural resources excessively in a manner that cannot be sustained forever.

 My Ecological Footprint Reflection: Two areas where I can improve upon are transportation and food. I live quite a distance from school and next year I will live even further away. I can make an effort to carpool at least part of the time to reduce my carbon footprint. Living closer to school or work is also an idea but not feasible as I own my home and the schools are not close. Another area to improve upon is consuming locally sourced foods. This will decrease the carbon footprint as well as increase sustainable agriculture.

[geologyisall-blog]

“Our brains are set up for an agrarian, nature-oriented existence that came into focus five thousand years ago” - Michael Gurian

So what happened to us? What happened to our agrarian, nature-oriented existence? Our brains are being rewired; instead of nature-oriented it’s now technology-oriented, work oriented. We want instant gratification, money, power and prestige. In the hunt for these things, we have become robotic, medicated, and directionless. Richard Louv coined the term nature-deficit disorder to describe the resultant behavioral problems stemming from humans spending less time in nature. Louv believes that electronics, parental concerns, and restricted access to natural areas all play a roll in contributing to the disorder. An apt description for sure and one I can attest to with teenaged children of my own. I have two teenagers at home that are attached to cellphones. You would think the world was ending if we lose the internet, or worse, be in an area with no signal or without electricity to charge the cell battery. David Orr describes it as biophobia, “the culturally acquired urge to affiliate with technology ad solely with human interests regarding the natural world” (ORR 187). As any parent can attest, it takes a monumental effort to make them put the phone down. I think that this may also be a contributing factor the nature deficit disorder; it’s exhausting sometimes and easier to give in to letting children use their electronics. Parenting has changed since the 50s when there was one parent working and one at home. We have moved to Moreno a one parent family structure increasing the provider burdens. Going to work has taken on a new meaning: work more, less play. We are tired when we get home, electronics have become babysitters so we can get other things done in the short 24 hours of the day. The effort to get a child outside is just too much for our busy lives as parents, not worth the fight so to speak.

But is it? How do we change this we ask? Make time is my cure, my rebuttal to the business of our everyday lives. In my household we have what is called a fish camp. It is a cabin that sits in the middle of Bull Bay in Charlotte Harbor. The only access is by boat. There is no running water, electricity is provided by a generator should we choose to use it, and, as it is in the middle of a bay, it is isolated. Every 4-6 weeks we make an effort to go to the camp to spend family time. No phones, no electronics, just the family in nature. If you want something to do there is fishing, swimming, shell hunting, etc. That is how we connect our children with nature. It may sound ideallic but let me assure you that its not all fun and games. The children are not happy to be away from electronics. “I’m bored” is a comment I hear often. There is the fight to even get them in the car to go, “Do we have to go?”. Ugh, it is a fight but a necessary one. For the most part, everyone has a good time. We are free from technology, able to spend time together out in the sea air and engage in biophilia, or the urge to affiliate with other forms of life as E.O. Wilson calls it. That is where our memories are made. Those are the days we remember for all the fun we had and the time we have spent together. No one remembers spending the day on the couch snapchatting or watching youtube on our phone.

We are continually asked to define our sense of place, why? What does it mean? Dr. Thomas Woods says that a sense of place emerges through knowledge of the history, geography and geology of an area, its flora and fauna, the legends of a place, and a growing sense of the land and its history after living there for a time. Does a sense of place create biophilia, reduce biophobia, promote the restorative environment, or cure the nature-deficit disorder? I would say yes, a sense of place will do all of those things but is “sense of place” just biographical, a buzzword as intimated by Jennifer Cross, or is it cognitive and ideological? I must admit that I have difficulty with defining “sense of place”.  In my experience that most common definition is biographical. I do not agree with that definition. For me, I do not have one “sense of place”, I do not find solace in the restorative environment in one specific location. I see a sense of place as more of a spiritual and ideological relationship with nature. I love my time at the camp with my family. Out in the air, hearing the dolphins and fish splash, watching the birds or the way the moonlight sparkles across the water at night. Here I feel a sense of place but then when I take a trip to the mountains to do research I feel the same sense of place. Listening to the snow fall on the ground, feeling the wind rustle the branches. Louv and Orr both feel nature is healing, it is there that we find our true selves. Do we need to define a “sense of place” as one location or can any place in nature be healing and restorative?

[geologyisall-blog]

Florida Gulf Coast requires all students to take a colloquium course as part of degree requirements. The purpose is to combine environmental, economic and sociological perspectives into a one cohesive discussion, one integrated topic of discussion that would bring students of all majors and walks of life together under one commonality.  The expectation is that by bringing students of varied backgrounds together, different perspectives, we will reach a mutual accord and understand the complexity of the environment in which we live (economic, social, ecological). We would work together to create something better, a more interconnected world that will be beneficial and respectful to all components.

I am a senior marine science major. My curriculum is heavily based on the environment, as you would assume, and touches on the economical and social aspects to a lesser degree.  My preconceptions are many. This course is, for many, the only environmentally based class they will take. By now, I have formed my opinions and views on the environment although as a scientist I would like to think that I am open to new ideas and likewise for my fellow students that have chosen another path. While I understand the concept of the course and applaud the attempt, I do not think it will have the intended results. The shear complexity of our environment is one that cannot be tackled in the 16-week time frame of one class. Many students, myself included, view this class as forced, a money grab, and an unnecessary, irrelevant course. The one expectation I have for this course is that I do not feel as though it was a money grab or irrelevant.

Now, we are asked at the beginning of the course to define our sense of place. What does that mean, sense of place? We can assume that means a natural space given the context of the course. And as follows, a sense of place is a place in nature where one can feel free, be oneself, and be at peace. Well, I love geology: the earth, soil, and rocks of course. I define my sense of place as being outside surrounded by the rocks and dirt I love. The earth tells a story of how we came to be here, how we exist and that inspires me. I ask, as I’m sure all students do, how is this course applicable to my intended career path and myself as an individual? How does this course fit with my sense of place? At present, I am not sure I can answer that question so for now I will say that I will keep an open mind.