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Journal 8

Post-Conceptions

In journal 1, I talked about how my group, myself, and the whole class had about almost the same preconceptions about Colloquium. Now, I believe we all have our own conception about what Colloquium really is. When I think of Colloquium, I think about the discussions we had as a class and how we all brought so many different ideas but still managed to agree in some way. Journal 1 was the first time I talked about my sense of place. I recall saying that it was Nokomis Beach and was very broad about how I felt about it. Learning about how we can keep the world sustainable has changed my viewpoint on how to help my sense of place stay clean. I realized that sense of place is not only about how much you enjoy being there, but about how it makes you feel as a whole. Our field trip to the nature trail was the moment I felt the most connected to nature and the same place where I realized what sense of place meant. While standing in the deepest point of the nature trail, I was called on to talk about what I felt like in that moment. I said I felt connected to nature, I could hear the birds chirping, the light breeze, and the water flowing peacefully through my legs. It was very peaceful to not hear the traffic on the highway, or the music from cars, it was just quiet.

One of my favorite assignments was the service-learning assignment. Although I did not get to do my original pick due to hurricane Ian, it allowed me to reach out to my community in a better way. I saw how much hurricane Ian destroyed the homes of these people. I realized that change is inevitable and resilience is necessary in order to move forward. I helped the elderly with moving and picking up the debris from their lawns and backyards. This was an experience to remember, I learned so much from these people and decided to take a chance and get to know them a bit more. I saw that what mattered most to them wasn't the materialistic things but the bond of helping each other during this tough time.

Overall this semester was a realization of what I can do to better sustain our Earth for future generations to come. If I just do enough, I am able to help with just a little. One important aspect I also learned was to not just stop here. I think it is important to continue to talk about what is going on in our world and what we can do, even if it is just the minimum. People need to know why there are so many more homeless people in our country, the richest country, as many say. It all begins with just doing our best. I enjoyed making new friends throughout this semester and learning how to be more green!

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Journal 7

Journal 7- Document 2

In the virtual field trip of Fort Myers Beach I saw how people utilize Fort Myers Beach as a place to relax, enjoy, and share. I could see how this place is so important to people, this is where people take walks and spend time trying to not only connect with their families but also nature. Fort Myers Beach is also so important to our planet because without it, like we have seen after the hurricane, it can lead to dangerous debris for animals and humans.

One of the settlers that Mrs. Hughes mentions was the Spanish. Their connection to the Island is when they arrived to the island in boats with guns, the Indians went out to meet them and that is where the massacre happened. We now have a bridge called the Matanzas Pass Bridge, in spanish "Matanzas" means massacre.

Mrs. Hughes is concerned about the canals built on the island because of previous hurricanes and seeing what those hurricanes in the past have done to the barrier islands. I don't think we should build on barrier islands because by nature it is bound to be destroyed. Barrier islands are meant to protect the mainland and if it begins to be built on, the next hurricane is going to devastate anyone or anything on that island.

Fort Myers Beach used to be a fishing village, however now it is a tourist destination. This is because of the 26th storm and the town of Fort Myers was under water. They had to reconstruct and as they began that process, innovation was coming in and built it as a touristic beach. Mrs. Hughes talks about the grass bed had died because of the pollution that comes down from the Caloosahatchee. I could possibly agree with her because the grass bed could have been contaminated or just have too much pollution from the water coming down into the Gulf, however, because there is not a direct flow of water straight into the Gulf because of the Causeway, it hurt the grass.

Mrs. Hughes explains that the cottage that sat in the front of the beach was something she got asked a lot on whether there was any difference between hurricanes. Donna was the first named hurricane in 1960 however, this was before all the condos were built so there wasn't too much destructiveness. However for Charlie in 2004, there was much more debris to be picked up, more drywall and fiberglass insulation. The way to remedy this would be to use wood, however, there may not be enough wood for there to built houses.

Fort Myers Beach and Estero Island are so important to the people that live around here and because of this it is important to keep it preserved. The habitat in both these places are unique and apart of the environment and they are also part of keeping them sustainable. Without animals or humans it isn't possible for Fort Myers Beach and Estero Island to be seen for future generations.

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Journal 6

Waste to Energy Facility

As soon as we arrived at the Waste to Energy Facility we could see the big trucks with loads of garbage entering the facility from the side. This is a magic plant which brings in trash from Lee and Hendry county. They take household garbage, recyclables, yard waste, and bulk. They sort through these materials to see which are reusable and recyclable materials. They use a single stream system which means everything that is brought in can be thrown in one container and after they are collected they are brought into the Material Recovery Facility for sorting. The facility can process more than 350 tons of recyclable materials per day. They have a scale house to weigh to trucks when they enter and leave the facility in order to comply with state and federal regulations.

In this same facility they create energy through their mass-burn combustion system, where waste is combusted at temperatures over 1,800 degrees F. The energy created is then transformed into electricity. The facility also has a metal recovery system that removes ferrous and non ferrous metals from the ash and whatever is recovered is recycled. The ash residue is then disposed of at the landfill in Hendry County. Lee County is the leader in sustainability in North County. Lee County has hit 80% in 2020 for recycling and historically 75% in Florida in 2020. There are about 42 similar operations worldwide however they are striving to build more to stop the over use of landfills.

This facility is great because it does a wonderful job at pollution control. The Resource Recovery Plant has extensive air pollution control systems and have won multiple awards recognizing the well designed facility. The facility emissions are monitored and strictly regulated by state and federal agencies.

We talked about what they allow trucks to take in order for the facility to actually get through all the waste. The single stream recycling plant has specific rules to follow like, everything that is being recycled must be clean and not contaminated. This means that it cannot be brought in with a bag or it is classified as contaminated. Recycled material represents 1/3 of all waste generated. Tires are the worst possible material the facility can receive just because tires burn 3-4 times more than trash. Citizens can only put out 2 tires a week. Finally, the reuse center opened in December of 2018. This is a place where they offer free materials like paint for the community or to whoever needs it.

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Journal 5 ECHO

E.C.H.O. stands for Educational Concerns for Haiti Organization.

The mission of ECHO is to train, transform and thrive. ECHO is partnered with local NGO's which help train farmers and volunteers to be more efficient with resources. They focus on small-scale farming solutions to be able to feed the most families. Their goal is to empower families with knowledge and equipping them to grow hope from the group up.

ECHO operates in 190+ countries over the world. Some including places like the United States, areas in West and East Africa, and parts of Asia and Thailand.

Reflection

Sustainability is important to help others not only ourselves. I also learned that we could take an unused hill and create something where you can create lots of trees.

Organizations like ECHO are important to the world because not everyone in the world is able to go to the grocery store and pick up some fruits or veggies. It's important to educate the less fortunate so that they are able to come up with ways to grow their own foods with the limited resources they have.

An example of an adaptive technology is the bio gas digestor. It takes waste material and create a 50% slurry for about 10 days. Then it becomes a biogas in the barrel. This is important to talk about because this is a way to cook and with modern technology we now have stoves. With the bio gas digestor families will be able to cook their food.

In the ECHO farm I learned about the Neem tree, which was very interesting to me because it is used for skin care. I love to focus on my skin and to hear that this tree is good for your skin is interesting to me. I love learning about new things I can use for my skin care routine. I also learned that part of the Neem tree is used as a "natural floss". This could be a natural way to floss my teeth before the dentist if I grew this tree in my backyard.

I am a plant mom. I love growing plants, I have my own aloe plant and it's been about 2 years and my aloe is now grown. I would love to one day have a big garden of my own. My life would be very different and I feel like my mindset would also change dramatically if I had to find or grow my own food. I think I would have to be more creative and consider any possible aspect of trying to get food or grow a farm. I would also consider learning new ways like the farmers.

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Six Miles Cypress Slough

The new grove cypress is about 70 years old and 1,000 acres big, and because it is still so young, lots of the trees are still smaller compared to the older grove cypress. The water is high and there are only cypress trees here. The welcome center building is LEED certified with the silver award which means they are sustainable. The building itself and the boardwalk are made out of reclaimed wood.

Gator Lake had a quote from chief Seattle that the class discussed about in the Amphitheater. The slough had flowing waters which the cypress trees filter. Walking through the gator lake we were breathing the most pure air. On the trees there were white dots which is an algae/bacteria mix. There were lots of epiphytes and air plants seen on the trail as well. The deeper in we walked, we began to see the white dots turn red which are called blood lichen. We were also lucky enough to see a baby gator on the boardwalk however, there was too much noise and it ran away right before we had time to get a picture. This is why it is very important to stay as quiet as possible while walking through because there are wild animals and they are afraid of people.

In the Wood Duck Pond I saw lots of lili pads, slough, and more air plants. The water looked a lot more clear which shows how the cypress trees filter the water throughout.

In the Otter Pond we continue to see how the water flows down from Lake Okeechobee and is being filtered once again through all these trees. Here we see alligator flags and this is where the animal's prime nesting area is at. We see some animals like lady birds, snake birds, and gar fish. I also spotted more of the blood lichen on the trees and see how they become more prominent than the regular lichen.

In the Pop Ash Pond there are pop ash trees and we also see lots of clear water. I saw a woodpecker bird in action. I could hear the sound of the woodpecker pecking at the tree and it sounded so natural and real. I enjoyed seeing animals out and living freely. I am very thankful to have seen so many new animals.

In conclusion, the slough is such a significant preservation to our region because it was purchased by Gary and Charlotte Maidhof and saved by them for future generations to see. Some threats that continue through the existence of the park is natural disasters as this could affect the animal's habitat. The board walk is just above the animal's waters and the wood could be blown into the waters and hurt or trap animals from getting somewhere safe. This trip helped my understanding of sense of place by showing me somewhere new where I could connect with the environment and animals. Being inside the home of other animals helps me understand why we need to preserve places like Six Miles Cypress. It also helped my understanding on ecological imprint and sustainability by seeing how my usage of electricity and water is seen through nature. It's so amazing how our waters get filtered through the trees, it's something I find so amazing.

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Journal 2 Nature Trail Walk

FGCU SUSTAINABILITY

The Veterans Pavilion is at the heart of FGCU. In this area there is free speech and freedom for everyone. This pavilion is put in the middle of FGCU because not only is this a place for anyone to be in but it is a special place for people to get to know each other. There are lots of social events that happen around the Veterans Pavilion where anyone can meet someone new. In this area there is also ways it is staying sustainable. For example, the solar panels FGCU uses and all the trash can compactors in which compact trash and reduce the amount of times the bags need to be replaced.

In the Archway there was a beautiful piece of art which reflected our area’s natural ecosystems with recycled materials like glass. FGCU’s effort to continue to reuse items in order to make artwork for our school proves that we can be just as sustainable by using recyclables to create something beautiful and meaningful.

Seidler Hall is the most sustainable building in all of FGCU. They are ranked at platinum which is the highest a building could be ranked through LEED. There are a few reasons for this, including the motion lights in their classrooms in order to save some light. They also have showers to encourage students and staff to bike to our school. Seidler Hall’s ranking in platinum is led through the LEED Certification council. LEED Certification has a few requirements which are improved indoor air quality, promotes better health, improved work force, fosters public relations, money saving, and faster to obtain green goals. These are all in efforts to be as highly sustainable as possible and minimize waste.

The Egan Observatory is located behind Whitaker Hall. In the observatory it is possible to see stars from the inside of the building. In this area there are ponds which are interconnected with all the other ponds in FGCU so that animals can move from one to another. These ponds are also all interconnected because they are apart of the filtration system of SWFL. This area also serves as a decompressing area as there is lots of greenery. In research it has been seen that being around green spaces can reduce depression.

Finally, the energy plant is also very important to mention because of how sustainable it is and how it impacts all of FGCU through its air conditioning. This energy plant was built in 1986 and it is a chiller plant meant to only hold 2000 tons however, it now hold more now and will hold more in the future. The way this works is by freezing blocks of ice during the night and throughout the day the sun and heat melts the ice which then cools the buildings.

NATURE TRAIL

Pine Flatlands was our first stop on the nature trail. This ecosystem is the highest elevation we were at. In this area there are animals like gopher tortoises which are a keystone species. A keystone species is an animal who if becomes extinct, their ecosystem will collapse. This is also an ecosystem who is prone to wildfires. However, the palm and pine trees are built to resist fires. This ecosystem was also very dry.

At our second stop, the Oak Hammocks were a much cooler ecosystem with a muddier trail. There is more decomposing material on the floor. There was also different plants in this area like ferns on the trees. The ferns are epiphytes which are air plants and they have a symbiotic relationship with the trees as they drink water from them.

The Fresh Water Marsh ecosystem had more sunlight as there was no trees and more water rising up to about knee high. It did feel cooler in this area and the water at times would feel cool and then warm. The reason for this is because this water is standing water so there could be spots where the sun hits more light than others. The water did seem dirty but it was because of the movement through the trail. The water was actually quite clear at times.

Our final stop was the Cypress Dome, this ecosystem had a few more trees like the cypress trees. The water elevation was higher, right under chest high. Water did feel a bit cooler because there was more shade. In this ecosystem I heard a few more animals like birds chirping.

During my time standing in the water I was reflecting my learning experience. In that moment I was really just enjoying the nature and the quiet moment because we live in such a fast moving world that sometimes there is no time for reflecting with some quietness. While I stood the water I could feel the water throughout my body and I could hear the birds chirping in their natural habitat. I learned from my classmates as well during this time, I learned that some people were very uncomfortable being in the water at first but then they realized that it was almost surreal to be in that position. This connects with sense of place because sense of place reflects a place that you connect with. At this time, everyone that was standing in the water and were reflecting, had an experience of sense of place. We all had the experience to feel and enjoy the moments we had in the water without any other outside disturbance.

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Journal 1 Introduction

Colloquium is something I've never understood since my freshman year. Most of my preconceptions about Colloquium came from small talk and eavesdropping. I thought Colloquium was mostly about the environment and what FGCU has done to help keep our environment ecologically sustainable. I was also a big fan of hearing that we had field trips, I think that this is going to be one of the best parts of the class. When comparing my preconceptions to the ones of the members in my group, I was a bit surprised we all had around the same answers. Not many of us knew the real answer behind what Colloquium is. I already know from the first few classes that this class is going to be filled with new experiences and lots of communication within our classroom and outside of the classroom. I expect to learn more about how differently everyone perceives the different aspects of the environment and how it can better be sustained. I know that everyone in my classroom is not from the same major and I would like to understand their point of views based on their major. My name is Michelle Balcazar and I am a junior now at FGCU with a passion to pursue my degree in Entrepreneurship. I can connect Colloquium to my major very easily. I would be interested in working with companies that are trying to be more sustainable. I also can connect Colloquium with my personal life. I personally try my best to stay green and recycle and use non-chemically based products. I try to do some research before buying a new product because of all the artificial chemicals that are added to lots of them. My sense of place is something very important to me, I would say that my sense of place is the beach. I enjoy spending my time there and connecting with the ocean itself. I feel at peace when I’m at the beach, it gives me time to reflect on anything that I have on my mind and brings so much positivity to me. Through Colloquium I believe I can find some other type of sense of place at one of the locations or even learn something new about the beach that gives me something else to learn and reflect on every time that I am there.

(Picture taken by my mom of myself and my sister)