William McDonough

Entry # 21

Extra Credit?

:)

4-14-12

        I greatly enjoyed the video Cradle to Cradle Design featuring William McDonough. The video was very thought provoking and informative. He touched on a number of topics with such passion and enthusiasm I could not help but be drawn in. He made a number of great points. For example, he urged everyone to think about tomorrow and build with an eye towards the future. He unveiled cutting-edge building designs which took countless hours of meticulous planning. These structures were designed to disturb the surrounding ecosystems as little as possible. For example, the roofs of the buildings were used to grow grass. This was a practical way to replace the grass that was lost due to the laying of the building’s foundation. Another part of the video I found very interesting was when he spoke about all the chemicals that are in so many of our household products. For instance, I was mortified when he mentioned what chemicals make up a rubber duck that a child would play with. I had never even thought of that until he pointed it out. I know I don’t want my kid potentially putting something in his mouth that was made in a lab of unnatural synthetic material. I definitely think we need more regulation and better explanations about the ingredients in materials we buy. Manufactures should be mandated to put clearer descriptions of ingredients. It does the buyer no good to read labels if he doesn’t know what the words mean. I was glad to see Mr. McDonough was so respected in his field. I hope his innovative ideas spread and are applied all over the globe. He demonstrates a clear understanding of what measures we must take to responsibly co-exist with nature.

Corkscrew Swamp

Entry # 20

2-12-12

(Almost forgot to include this one)

     I enjoyed the trip to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Having lived in Florida most of my life this trip brought back memories from my childhood. My mother used to take my brothers and I there. My favorite part of this trip was seeing the towering cyprus trees that were hundreds and hundreds of years old. To be able to put your hand out and touch something that old has a deep intrinsic value; which I can't adequately describe. I also enjoyed seeing the abundance of different types of animals sharing the same lush ecosystem. The call of many songbirds could be heard all throughout the trip. I saw several alligators both big and small, several large wading birds like blue egrets and herons. I also observed turtles lazily sunning themselves. When I was able to break off from the group I also had the pleasure of observing a wild rabbit. It almost felt like I went back in time. It made it much easier to in vision the Florida which the MacIvey's lived in. Being so deeply immersed in undisturbed nature was really an eye-opener. It lies in sharp contrast to the hurried, very technologically-centered lifestyles that we are currently caught up in. It made me wonder if we haven't lost something very valuable by leaving the simpler times of yesteryear behind for our current lifestyles. This was a very engaging and thought-provoking experience.

 

Simply be Grateful

Entry #19 

4-9-12

      I have many things that I am grateful for in my life. First and foremost would have to be my family. I belong to a very loving and funny family who is always there for me when I need them. I am also grateful that I live in America where food, shelter, and drinking water are in abundance. As this course has taught me, that is a precious luxury that many people all over the world can not enjoy. Furthermore, I am grateful to be born in America. While, I will be the first person to say the United States isn’t perfect, it is defiantly a privilege to be born here. It is unquestionably the land of opportunities.
      I am grateful to have fiercely loyal friends who provide me with unlimited laughter and love. I am also grateful for being born in America because I probably would be dead if I were born elsewhere. I was born three months premature, weighed 2lbs, and have cerebral palsy. If it wasn’t for the advanced technology of New York hospitals I likely wouldn’t have made it. Similarly, I had an operation when I was four called a dorsal rhizotomy which helped lessen cerebral palsy’s grip on my body. The surgery allowed me to have a normal life. 
     In conclusion, I am immensely grateful for my family and friends, and for always having a roof over my head and food in my stomach, and for all of the wonderful benefits that are associated with being born an America.

Matanzas Pass

Entry # 18

4-6-12

     I enjoyed the recent trip to Matanzas Pass. Mrs. Hughes was a gracious host who offered us cookies, crackers, lemonade, and sea grape jelly. I was hesitant to try the sea grape jelly because I thought it was going to be salty. However, the fact that it wasn’t sold in stores gave me the courage to try it. It was very sweet and tasty. I enjoyed hearing about the past events that shaped Fort Myers Beach. For example, the church and school houses were erected in the 1930’s. Interestingly, I had no idea that matanzas meant massacre. Matanzas Pass is the site that marks the bloody battle between the Caloosa Indians and the Spanish. Another story she shared was about how the fishermen lost their livelihood due to legislation enacted by uninformed politicians. They outlawed the use of dragnets because of the death of a small amount of dolphins. Mrs. Hughes explained that dolphin deaths were few and far between and posed no threat to their existence.Another fact that struck me was how bad the mosquitoes must have been growing up on Ft. Myers Beach before the invention of mosquito planes and bug spray. Also, I had no idea the population of FMB shrinks from 60,000 to 6,000  from winter to summer. Learning about the Koreshans was also interesting because I had no idea we formally had cult-like people here in Fort Myers. Lastly, I enjoyed seeing all the mangroves and sea grape trees. Being amongst this largely undisturbed habitat was very refreshing. It made it easy to envision the type of lifestyle the Caloosa Indians had in years passed. This was a very informative trip. On a side note, I hope I age as well as Mrs. Hughes. She appeared to be in great shape and her mind was still very sharp. This was undoubtedly my favorite of all class trips.

Reflect on Colloquium

Entry #17

4-4-12

      To be completely candid, I enjoyed colloquium more than I had anticipated. For example, I found the principles of direct-attention fatigue and the restorative environmental effect to be very interesting. As a social work major I could defiantly use the nature as a tool for helping to calm clients with ADHD as the text illustrated. Before taking this course I didn’t think I would learn anything that could be applied to my field of study. I enjoyed the trip to ECHO and learning about the ways they help the down-trodden, this is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart. Also, doing my ecological footprint was a great way to quantify how my actions directly impact the planet. I’m glad that every student FGCU has to do one. It is a great tool to help spread change and awareness. I also enjoyed some other aspects of this course but I fear I am being repetitive, because I mention them in earlier journals. So I will answer the question of,”What would you change.” One thing I would change is making the class periods shorter when we spend the entire time in the classroom. No disrespect, but it is practically impossible to pay attention for that long when the majority of the material is videos. I feel the students would learn more and pay attention better if briefer videos were shown. Also, this may be impossible, but since the course is mandatory I feel it should be cheaper. Part of the student body’s resistance to this course is the price tag it caries. We begrudgingly pay for our core classes because we know they will help us in our future professions. Lastly, more clearly defined writing assignments would be helpful. I felt there was some vagueness about what was expected and it caused me to get a lower grade than i would have liked. I felt I had a clear understanding of what was expected but apparently I was wrong. In conclusion, I enjoyed Colloquium more than I had expected and think with some slight modifications it can be an even better course.

Florida Panthers

Entry #16

4-4-12

Source: http://news.discovery.com/animals/florida-panthers-texas-rescue.html

      In the 1970’s Florida’s panther population was thought to be extinct. However, after receiving a tip, a scientist found approximately two dozen panthers in southern Florida. Unfortunately, they were not healthy. Such ailments included: poor sperm quality, low fertility, undescended testicles, heart valve defects, and kinked tails. These issues led scientist to believe that rampant inbreeding took place due to the lack of panther population. In 1995 scientist introduced a similar species of cat from Texas. The introduction was successful and the Florida Panther is doing much better. It is estimated that 90 panthers inhabit Florida. Also, these mixed panthers are much healthier than their predecessors. The article states, the hybrids have twice the genetic variety and far fewer of the genetic defects that were known in Floridian panthers before the introduction. I am glad to know that the Florida Panther is growing in numbers.Also I am happy to know that some of the funding came from Florida residents donations and license plate purchases. We often only hear about how tax dollars are being wasted, so it was nice to hear about people doing something good for a change. 

Alligator Poachers Arrested

Entry #15

4-2-12

Source: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/sep/17/2-arrested-after-36-poach-alligators-truck-glades/

        Two men were arrested after being pulled over in Moore Haven. When the deputy approached the vehicle he observed that 35 dead alligators were stacked in the truck bed. Upon further inspection, 19 alligator hatchlings were also found. The men were immediately taken into custody. As the article explains, American alligators are protected under state law. It is unlawful to kill, injure, capture or possess, or to attempt to kill, injure, capture or possess an American alligator without authorization from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The hatchlings were reintroduced to the wild. However, without a mother I imagine their rate of survival decreases greatly. In my opinion, these men deserve to serve time in jail. The American alligator is a keystone species and integral part of maintaining the proper homeostasis for life in southwest Florida. It is clear these men weren’t just hunting to live; they wanted to make a profit off a protected animal. This reminded me of the wading birds who were killed in grossly irresponsible numbers just to provide decoration for women’s hats. We must learn from this past mistake and try our best not to repeat it. If rampant poaching continues we may see the extinction of animals whose ecological impact will have a devastating ripple effect on the environment. I am glad these men were arrested to send a message to potential poachers about the seriousness of their crime.