White-Tailed Deer

SO, for this journal entry I had drawn a picture of deer I had seen a couple days ago. However, my scanner has decided not to work and the scanned picture I have of it isn't able to be put on here. Instead, I'll just tell you what I saw.

I now work at a stable that is in East Fort Myers, a little past CREW if you know where that is. I have to be there at 7 am, which is also when a lot of wildlife is out. As I was driving, I saw a doe with her 2 fawns. They were just grazing on the side of the road where right behind them is a large, open field. I was inspired to draw them because they were just so beautiful and calming. One of the fawns was just laying down taking a nap while the other was exploring(I drove slow so I could watch them for a little bit). I just hope that with all the building going on in Florida, we don't loose the deer. Although there are a lot of them, they are very important to the habitats they live in because they provide food and they create fertilizer, which helps the plants grow. They are such an important part of the Florida wilderness and I always love it when I get to see even one of them.

Sense of Place

Through this class, I have established a sense of place here. I didn't realize how amazing and unique SW Florida is. I went to Ocala for the holidays and that's when I realized how much I appreciate the habitats here. Up North, there was only one habitat, and that was large large trees everywhere. Although beautiful, it was all the same. Down here, there are pine flatwoods, cypress hammocks, wetlands, and more. Plus, there is so much wildlife every you look here, up there I didn't see any animals...other than the occasional squirrel. SW Florida is a remarkable and beautiful place, and I feel lucky to live here.

Sustainability...To Me

From this class, I have learned what sustainability is and what I can do to become sustainable. My idea of sustainability is that we can get all we need from our natural environment. I think of ECHO Farm when I think of this topic. They showed how somebody could grow a garden in any type of environment. They also showed us how to get clean water, irrigation systems, what plants could be used for what, farming animals, and so much more. After visiting there is when I really understood what it means to be sustainable. It is working WITH the land instead of AGAINST it. I have actually started my own garden to try to be more sustainable.

The Florida Panther

(Courtesy of http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/animals/images/fl_panther_all.jpg)

The Florida Panther is a beloved and treasure animal to the state of Florida, as a matter of fact it is our state animal. Many people know that the panther is endangered but there are more reasons to it other than these animals ending up on the side of the road. In this article, http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/article1087962.ece, a scientist finds explains that the main reason are birth defects. "In his May 2008 report, Dr. Mark Cunningham listed three genetic defects — a badly kinked tail, an undescended testicle and, most troubling, a quarter-inch hole in the big cat's heart. Such defects were supposed to be gone from the panther population, vanquished by a bold experiment 15 years ago that involved crossbreeding with Texas cougars". I have never seen a Florida Panther in the wild, and this news is upsetting because I would love to see one. Also, as we learned in this class, that every animal in a habitat has a role to play. If that animal becomes extince, than the food chain becomes unbalanced. With this being such a large predator, this could become a huge problem in Florida if they ever did dissapear.

Water Bottles...or Brita?

I was watching television and a commercial came on explaining about how harmful plastic water bottles are to the environment. It reminded me of the powerpoint we read that was all about this topic, and it had an impact on me. This commercial explained how these bottles end up in oceans and pollute the environment. It also explained if we lined up all the water bottles that Americans use, it would circle around Earth 190 times. It then gave the option to use a Brita filter instead. I think it's fantastic that the Brita company is informing the general public about how water bottles can bring harm to the environment and the animals that live there. I hope it makes people think, like how I got to thinking after I read the powerpoint.

Collier Seminole State Park







(courtesy of chicagokayak.com)





(couresy of wahoohiker.com)



(courtesy of explorenaples.com)

(Courtesy of mappery.com)

This past weekend I went camping at Collier-Seminole State Park, unfortunately my camera died so the picture posted are from websites. It was beautiful there, with all sorts of plants, animals, and was also rich with history. There was an original dredge there that actually helped build I-75 from Tampa to Miami. There was also a monument to Mr. Collier where it explained his life and mission. He came to Florida because he loved the nature here and the state park is part of the original land he had bought. He bought over a million acres and didn't build on part of it so that it could be saved and turned into a park. In the park, there were activites like hiking and canoeing so that people could explore the nature. Animals that could be found in the park were panthers, bears, raccoons, and other natives. It was a fantastic trip and a beautiful area and I recommend to anybody that loves the great outdoors to visit here!

Fort Myers’ Mayor Henderson is “Taking it to the Streets”!

http://www.ugottagogreen.com/post/fort_myers_mayor_henderson_is_taking_it_to_the_streets/

At this website there is a letter written by the mayor of Fort Myers. It was a nine day project that asked people to walk, bike, and carpool to go green when it comes to transportation. And it wasn't long ago, this was in March of 2011. I think it's fantastic that the mayot proposed this idea. And the fact that this is happening in our area is starting to make me believe Fort Myers will become a green city.

Article Review

http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/26/magazines/fsb/green.fsb/

This article was written in 2007 and was about how buinsesses are turning "green". One buisness that is focused on in the article, was considered green and that's how they got so many customers. Their tips were to:
1. "Get Smart About Recycling"
2. "Review Your Energy Use"
3. "Think Outside the Gas Tank"
4. "Do Your Research"

They applied these tips to their own buisness and have made over $1 million in one year. If buisnesses just went green, especially the large chains, they could make even more than they are now...all while helping the environment!

Urban Fort Myers

              For this field trip we got to go somewhere that wasn’t so natural. Urban Fort Myers is much different than the natural settings we have been to. However, it still provided a lot of things to learn about, especially when it comes to the environment and the history of Fort Myers.

            As I was walking down the city, I was trying to think of how the city used to look like. When I walked down First Street I was trying to imagine the cows walking through, like how the city was when it was first built. I also thought it was funny how Thomas Edison tried to get the city lights but they didn’t want any because of how they would affect the cattle. Now, the city is filled with all kinds of lights.

            There were quite a few pieces of art in the city and I loved walking around and seeing these. In Centennial Park, there was a statue dedicated to three influential men that lived in Florida. It was the “Uncommon Friends Statue” and included Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and Henry Ford. Why were these 3 men so important? Thomas Edison, of course, invented the light bulb. Harvey Firestone, who made a big impact in the car industry by making tires for cars. And Henry Ford who is the founder of the Ford Motor Company. What’s more important is that all these men lived in Fort Myers. In this area are the Edison-Ford estates where people can go and visit. There was another piece of art in the city that I loved. It was the “Caloosahatchie Manuscripts” and it was 2 columns that had different plant species and the history of the Caloosahatchie. I’ve walked the city at night and the words are illuminated on the post office, and it’s really an amazing sight. The city has money just for these art projects and I definitely think it’s a good idea. The art adds character to the city and reminds people of the history of Fort Myers.
            Now, is downtown Fort Myers part of new urbanism? New urbanism is defined as “Giving people many choices for living an urban lifestyle in sustainable, convenient and enjoyable places, while providing the solutions to peak oil and climate change” (http://www.newurbanism.org/newurbanism.html). According to this site, there are 10 characteristics a city must have to be considered a part of new urbanism. It must have walkability, which means everything must be within a 10 minute walk from a person’s home. It must have connectivity, which means that is it easy to walk through streets to get to places. It must have mixed-use and diversity, which means there is not only a diversity of buildings, with different kinds of houses and shops, but also different kinds of people ranging in age, race, gender, and income levels. The others are mixed housing, quality architecture, traditional neighborhood structure, increased density, smart transportation, sustainability, and quality of life. Downtown Fort Myers doesn’t fit into all of those, but does work into some. Southwest Florida isn’t known for its diversity in people, and downtown Fort Myers was basically the same person. A lot of the people walking around were white, and a lot were white and elderly. While I was walking around, a lot of the cars were BMWs and expensive cars. In the PowerPoint, there was another characteristic, which was that a school is within walking distance. I looked online and it looked like there were some schools in the area, but not within walking distance. They were a couple miles away from the city and on the outskirts. It would be by some neighborhood, but not by the city’s center. As for walkability, it did have that. We could get from one end of the “city” to the other end quite easily. However, if the person’s apartment wasn’t in downtown then it would be quite a walk. The apartment would have to be in the downtown for it to be a short walk.

            Parking didn’t seem to be too bad. However, there was actually a boat show going on along the water so the main parking lots were blocked off. It was a bit of a problem finding one, but I think if those parking lots were open it wouldn’t have been an issue. I think the most it cost to park was by the park. It was also by where a lot of the big building and businesses were. I’m not sure how much the machines cost but there were a couple “Park All Day” parking lots and they were charging $10. There wasn’t much public transportation going around, and I only saw two people riding bikes. The actual downtown didn’t seem too bike friendly. There wasn’t a bike land and no bike racks, at least none that I saw. If there was public transportation, it would be helpful from getting to the park to the city and I would definitely take it.

            Although it didn’t have public transportation, it was a very clean city. I only saw graffiti on the building that was at the park. The statues were clean, the actual park was clean, along with the city. I didn’t see any homeless people walking around and there wasn’t trash or anything in the streets or in alleys. I would feel very comfortable walking around during the day and at night. Would I live in the city? No. Everything was so connected that I got lost so many times, and that was just trying to get from the park to the city. Then trying to find 41 was a nightmare. I also need greenery around me, not just at the local park. And I grew up in a rural town, where each house had a least an acre. So being in a crowded, small city isn’t my ideal living situation. To make it a better living situation, I think more housing needs to be added. I also think a trolley or some kind of transportation should be added for riding around the city. I think it the city could be changed to be more green. When I was there, a farmer’s market was going on which is a step towards that. So I think there are people who care and want the city to change. Will it happen anytime soon? Probably not because the majority of the people who live in the city are white, elderly and rich, and they aren’t too concerned about those issues.

            I walked around the city a lot, and there were a couple places I liked more than others. I loved walking through Centennial Park. I thought it was so relaxing and it was a nice atmosphere. There was a lot of greenery and art, and then the smell of the water made it a nice walk. The other place I loved was the top of the Indigo hotel. There were no sounds of cars, just birds and the wind. I could also see the whole city and the bridge, which made it a great view of the city. I didn’t like the edge of the pier, which I was surprised. I think it’s because the end f the pier was pretty much just a view of the underside of the bridge and all I could hear were cars going over it. I did like most of the actual city; just a few streets were a bit dirty and didn’t make me feel comfortable. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed walking through the city.

            Doing this field trip has opened up my eyes to how rich in history this city is. It also taught me about how greenery in a city can really influence how people feel. For example, I felt relaxed in the park with the trees around me but in the city where there wasn’t much green, I felt unsure. I’ve also learned that the city still needs a few changes to be a part new urbanism, but I feel like Fort Myers could become a part of it. Now, when I walk in Downtown Fort Myers, I will appreciate the city’s history, architecture, and nature.

Shy Wolf Santuary

I wanted to write about my volunteering experience. For this class I have decided to volunteer at Shy Wolf Sanctuary. It's an animal refuge in Naples that has rescued wolves, wolf-dogs, panthers, and foxes. I have already learned a lot about all of these animals just from the 2 times I have volunteered there. I'm already seeing big differences between my dogs and these wolves. Wolves do things in order to survive, while dogs don't really have to worry about survival so much as pleasing their owners. I've also learned that if it looks like the wolf has a curve in the tail, then it's a wolf hybrid. As I volunteer more, I hope to learn more about their behaviors. This is the first time I've ever seen a wolf and they are majestic animals. In the book "A Land Remembered" wolves were involved in it, not always in the best way. They usually chased the cows but that's because, like I said, they are driven by their instinct to survive. But the people in the book had respect for them, as do I.

The Sounds of Nature

The past couple weeks have been so nice, with the weather changing to the cool fall. So I have been spending a lot of time outside. When I was just sitting outside and relaxed, I got to hear so many sounds that I wouldn't have heard if I was rushing around. I heard:

Birds Chirping
Leaves Crinkling
Wind moving through the trees
Squirrels talking to each other and running around
Lizards running on the ground
Animals walking around, like rabbits and others
My own breathing


Everybody should take time out of their busy schedule and just sit outside. School and everything is stressful and after I did this I felt so relaxed.