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Echo and the Food Footprint

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Last week saw the class take a trip to the ECHO Farm, an organization that aims to help feed people around the globe. ECHO stands for the Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, and they have a few impact center locations in areas like Africa and Asia. By exploring different farming techniques around the world, EHCO spreads this knowledge to help equip people in impoverished areas with the tools necessary to sustain a food source. On our trip to this location, we took a tour around the farm to explore some of these intuitive designs that have been thought up throughout their existence as an organization. Entrance to ECHO Farm There are close to a billion people living on the planet at this instance who are suffering from hunger complications, even more disturbing is the fact that a child dies from hunger almost every twelve seconds. Many people around the world do not have access to high end grocery stores or even a simple market which they can go to buy food. A good perc
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Journal Six: Urban Environments

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The City of Fort Myers On the surface, Fort Myers does not seem like a city which would be so rich in cultural history. Going back as far as 1513, Ponce De Leon explored areas around what is now lee county and it is believed that Fort Myers was one of his many stops. In 1821, Florida became a US territory and with is came the attest from settlers demanding protection from native Seminoles. Fort Myers was built along the Caloosahatchee River as one of the first bases of operation during the Seminole Indian wars. The name "Myers" comes from Colonel Abraham C. Myers, who was the son-in-law of the commander of Fort Brooke. After the wars had passed, the Fort was disassembled in 1876. Cattle herders marched their livestock to Punta Rassa, often traveling through the old fort grounds. Cattle, farming, and logging were the early mainstays of the area we now call Fort Myers, but it would flourish as time went on. In 1885 Fort Myers saw a lively population of 349, and in that sam
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Journal Four: Healing the Earth's Scars

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On the topic of endangered species and promoting the sanctity of wildlife in the world, Jane Goodall is at the forefront of the fight. She is a British primatologist and anthropologist who is most noticeably recognized for her leaving society and turning to devote her life to chimps and monkeys. She sets the bar for environmental activism and connecting with the world around us, as she devoted more than 50 years of her life to chimps. Jane Goodall doing what she loves Jane Goodall embodies hope, she is a woman who has achieved a lifetime of accomplishments that one would call her crazy to even attempt. In her teachings, she specifies four reasons that there is still hope in the world. We will delve deeper into these reasons, but to state them first:  The energy, commitment, and hard work of young people once they understand the problems and are empowered to discuss and ACT upon solutions. The human brain. The resilience of nature. The indomitable human spirit - the peop
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Journal Five: Six Mile Cypress Slough

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Our most recent field trip saw the class take a trip through Six Mile Cypress Slough, a beautiful preservation reserve not too far from Florida Gulf Coast University. A slough is generally referred to as a swamp, but it acts as a natural water drainage system that sustains life and beauty within it. The slough itself is divided into five main sections: The Amphitheater, Gator Lake, Wood Duck Pond, Otter Pond, and Pop Ash Pond. The amphitheater was a generally small area that overlooks gator lake. Six Mile Cypress  Amphitheater At the front of the amphitheater is a quote from someone I have become quite familiar with in the class, Chief Seattle. The quote reads, "We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." This quote echos the message conveyed by Chief Seattle in his letter to the people who tried to buy his land years ago. We do not own the land we live on, we are interconnected with it, and it is not to be mistaken with ownershi
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Journal 3 - FGCU Sustainability Efforts, Nature Trail Walk and Ecological Footprint

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  Florida Gulf Coast University is a treasure trove of self sustaining biomes and environments. There are many beautiful places around campus, but my favorite would have to be the boardwalk connecting parking garage two and the main campus, by Whitaker Hall. There are a number of different reasons why this sticks out with me the most, one being that it is the path I have walked every day for the past four years on my morning commutes. Each morning I take in the fresh air and peek out over the railings to see what kind of secrets I can find that day. Sometimes you can hear a woodpecker going at a tree, other mornings birds can be seen on the banks of the lake drying out their wings. Night time brings the sounds of crickets and other loud night crawlers, and no matter what time of day it is there is always something unique to be found. This helps me understand and appreciate my sense of place, it puts things in perspective.                                                            
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Journal Two: Nature Deficit Disorder (Louv), Restorative Environment (Orr)

     Over the past two weeks, we have been discussing the teachings of Richard Louv and David Orr. These two individuals are ideologists and big procurers of biophilia and staying in touch with our environmental surroundings. A total of six groups in the class were assigned some readings, and presented the material in those readings to the class. Each reading was a little different, but the overall umbrella of the information was how humanity seems to be slowly losing touch with the environment. In his writing, Orr says "We will not enter this new kind of sustainability until we allow our children the kind of childhood in which biophilia can put down roots." This quote resonates with me for a number of reasons. It is of the utmost importance that we allow our children to see the outside world and all of the wonders it has to offer, for themselves. Biophilia is something rooted within us all, but also a choice one must make for themselves. Orr stresses the importance of a natu
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Journal Entry One

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I started attending Florida Gulf Coast University almost four years ago now, this semester being my final before graduation. I moved over to this coast from Fort Lauderdale in hopes to pursue a Software Engineering degree. Before signing up to take this Colloquium course, I had a few preset ideas about what it all entails. My understanding is that Colloquium is the focus on our environmental surroundings, and how we as a people can play a role in  its sustainability and conservation. Our environment is unfortunately overlooked at times and taken for granted, and it is our moral duty to preserve its well being for generations to come. As far back as I can remember I have loved exploring the outdoors and all the mysteries that come along with it. I have been to some beautiful National Parks, but one that stands out the most can be seen below: Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio. Winter 2017 I took this picture on my last trip up north, something I like to do whenever I get an opportunity to do
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