Colloquium - IDS 3920

My Experiences & Me My experiences throughout this course have taught me a lot, while I cannot say my opinions, beliefs, or ways of life will change as a result of this course, I am undoubtedly much more educated on sustainability than I was previously. In my first journal, I stated, "It was truly interesting to think about the different perspectives all of us students had and how the course is intended to be a place for free discussion amongst students". I believe this still holds true, as this course undoubtedly connected all sorts of people from different backgrounds, which enabled us to foster many unique opinions. The field trip around campus, in particular, taught me a lot about what can be done at the local level and inspired me to move forward with a sustainable lifestyle. These field trips we took taught me a lot about how sustainability is something we can work toward right now, and that a lot of efforts are being taken near me. (Matthew Magrone) My Change in Ec...

  Centennial Park I learned some critical information about how Centennial Park is a green space and how it used to be a home for a fairly large collection of homeless individuals in the area who were forced to leave once a fence was put up around the park. The serene landscape definitely enhanced my engagement with the site as I was attracted to how it was both urban and peaceful. I chose to photograph the fountain/statues here as they seemed to stand out the most to me amongst all things present here. These statues serve as a reminder of history as they identify important figures that are a part of the history of this region. I also took a photo of the amphitheater, as it serves as a reminder of community identity, as it is often the home to many events that take place in the area. (Matthew Magrone) Detention Basin Some critical information I learned is how the detention basin was created to treat stormwater runoff before it enters the Caloosahatchee River. I found that this site...

Introduction & History Located at  7751 Penzance Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33966, the Six Mile Cypress Slough is an important nature area that offers a unique view of our regions natural wetland ecosystems. T he nature preserve stretches approximately 9 miles in length and is about one-third of a mile wide, encompassing over 3,500 acres. The preservation of the Six Mile Cypress Slough began in 1976 when a group of Fort Myers high school students, known as the "Monday Group," raised awareness about the rapid loss of Florida's wetlands. Their efforts led to a local referendum, resulting in Lee County residents approving a tax to fund the purchase and protection of the slough. This initiative marked one of the county's earliest land conservation projects. Over the years, the preserve has expanded through additional acquisitions, including a significant addition in 2009, which increased its size to nearly 2,500 acres. Today, it encompasses over 3,500 acres, thanks to conti...

(Matthew Magrone) Pine Flatwoods Our first stop introduced us to the pine flatwoods, which are predominantly made up of needle-leafed slash pines. They earned the name slash pines due to the fact that early settlers used to slash the pines and collect their sap for its various uses. It also happens to be the habitat with the highest elevation and driest soil found at CREW. (Matthew Magrone) Seasonal Pond Our second stop introduced us to a seasonal pond which typically only has water during the summer/fall rainy season or the wet season. This area was interesting due to the fact that it had plants more accustomed to wetlands growing toward the center more wetter areas and slash pines or plants accustomed to drier areas growing along the outskirts. (Matthew Magrone) Fire Our second stop took place in the pine flatwoods and it was at this stop that we were informed about the usage of fires. Due to the fact that the lands at CREW are managed by people, the fires that take place there are c...

ECHO Reflection The Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization(ECHO) taught me a lot about sustainability through their efforts to move toward a sustainable society. The most important thing I learned is how important a role the spreading of information plays in moving toward a sustainable lifestyle. ECHO gathers information from different regions, figures out what methods work utilizing that information, and then, after conducting their own research, they share that information with others, benefiting everyone involved and truly enabling everyone to thrive on their own. Organizations like ECHO are important because, truthfully, we need someone to be willing to take that first step toward sustainability for others to be on board with the idea, and when an organization as large as ECHO takes that step, they can utilize their vast resources to make a valiant effort in spearheading our journey to sustainability by truly bringing the vision to life. By discovering the importance of shari...

Where Are We? I found the section on Where Are We very informative, as it touched on topics I knew some things about and covered them extensively, such as our current overconsumption of natural resources. It also covered social injustice, which isn't something we commonly think about when discussing sustainability and the environment. Majora Carter, during the Delving into Social Justice and Spiritual Fulfillment video, stated. "Environmental Justice is the belief that no community should have to bear the brunt of a disproportionate amount of environmental burdens and not enjoy any environmental benefits". This made it clear to me that even when looking at our society from an environmental perspective, we are currently in a state of injustice, whether you consider the quality of life from one country to the next or the way people are treated compared to one another in the face of discrimination. This section made it clear overall just what a poor state our world is in. Ho...