FGCU Campus Field Trip

Journal #19: July 26, 2010

Topic: Reflections on FGCU Field Trip

This field trip was extremely eye opening for me, and it’s without a doubt the closest I’ve been to nature.  I used to spend a lot of time outside when I was younger and lived in New Jersey, but since moving to Florida I’ve spent most of my time inside.  I learned a lot about our campus and gained a better appreciation for everything environmental FGCU has to offer.

When we entered the nature trail, I was extremely nervous about what was ahead.  But as we started walking, I actually started to enjoy myself (despite the fact that I was on the lookout for snakes).  We saw some areas that were torn up by the wild hogs on campus, which are a non-native species in Florida.  We also saw some Melaleuca Trees, which are also not native to Florida.  We learned that they are extremely aggressive and when you try to cut them down, they spread their seeds everywhere.  As we continued our walk down the trail, the path became more wet and muddy.  Soon we were trudging through deep mud which eventually turned into a water trail.

Before long, I was up to my knees in water.  Even though the water looked dark and muddy, our tour guides let us know that the water was extremely clean and only looked gross because of the dark mud.  I made my way through the trail nearly falling a couple of times.  Between my shoes being old and continually getting stuck in the mud, the rubber soles of my shoes completely came off!!

After what seemed like forever, we finally exited the wet trail and walked over to where the hammock usually is.  The student naturalists said that walking through the wet trails can be extremely relaxing, and even though I laughed at first, I’m starting to think that they’re right.  I’m actually looking forward to doing another one of these wet trail walks in the fall.

Field Trip #4 - FMB & Matanzas Pass Preserve

Journal #16: July 19, 2010

Topic: Reflections on Fort Myers Beach Cottage and Matanzas Pass Preserve

When I think of Fort Myers Beach, I think of the Lani Kai, parasailing, jet skis, gift shops, and a giant tourist trap.  Never once have I thought of a cottage and a preserve.  This field trip really opened my eyes to the things that Fort Myers Beach really has to offer!

I loved learning about the history of Fort Myers Beach from someone who grew up here in the 1930s.  I loved hearing about the first school and how they loved to stay after because their teacher would drive them home.  She told us about how the University of Miami got their mascot from the 1926 hurricane.  She taught us about how this hurricane, along with several others, destroyed part of the island and how she fears that future hurricanes could do the same.

After visiting the Cottage we took a walk through the boardwalks of Matanzas Pass Preserve.  It was such a relaxing walk, and I had the opportunity to see red, black, and white mangroves!!  I also got to see crabs along the sides of the boardwalk.  My favorite part is when we got to stop and stare at Estero Bay.  It was such a beautiful day and there was a nice breeze to go along with it.  Unfortunately the water was so murky that you couldn’t see much.  Now whenever I think of Fort Myers Beach, I’ll think of sea grape jelly, Matanzas Pass Preserve, and a sweet old lady in a cottage telling us about growing up on Fort Myers Beach.

Fort Myers Beach Cottage:

View of Estero Bay:

Red Mangroves (left) and Black Mangroves (right):

Field Trip #2 - Downtown Fort Myers

Journal #7: June 30, 2010

Topic: Reflections on Downtown Fort Myers

I can honestly say that our field trip to Downtown Fort Myers was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in a class at FGCU. While I’m disappointed we didn’t get to go to the Fort Myers Waste Management facility, I had an incredible time on the trip, and I actually learned a lot.

Our group’s task was to learn about the businesses in Downtown Fort Myers. After talking to several business owners and people at the Chamber of Commerce, I was able to gain a lot of insight into businesses in the area. I learned about the problems local businesses face and how business could improve.

Most businesses believed that a large problem in the area was the renovations in the area.  With all of the road detours and areas blocked off, businesses have lost customers – either because it’s harder for the customers to get to the store, because of the lack of parking, or because they don’t come to the area anymore because of the construction. On the bright side, business owners say, the area looks a lot nicer than before because of all the construction going on. My group came to the conclusion that if the area and the businesses were better marketed to the public, business in the downtown area would greatly improve. The new and improved Downtown Fort Myers is a beautiful area, and I think the area has a lot of potential for increased foot traffic and business.

Walk around the Neighborhood

Journal #5: June 28, 2010

Topic: Walking Trip Around My Neighborhood

At least once a week I take a walking trip around my neighborhood.  Sometimes it’s to clear my mind, other times it’s to take pictures.  I love taking pictures of nature, and there’s always beautiful scenery to take pictures of.  There are so many beautiful flowers around, including the red hibiscus.  I found a purple flower (I don’t know the name of it) in our neighborhood, which is strange because you usually see red/pink/orange flowers and never really any purple/blue flowers.   I thought it was kind of interesting and unique.  Our neighborhood also has three large lakes, which are the home to several alligators.  I didn’t see any on this walk, but I’ve seen them many times before.  A few years ago they had to remove and kill one because kids were feeding it (apparently their parents said it was okay to do that).  At the time I didn’t care, but now that I’ve learned more about the environment and the behavior of alligators, it really saddened me.  I also saw some egrets by the front of our neighborhood, but I didn’t get a close enough look to see whether it was the Great Egret or the Snowy Egret.  I’m looking forward to going on another walk around my neighborhood in a month to look at our neighborhood through a “Colloquium Lens.”

Field Trip #1 - Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Journal #3: June 23, 2010

Topic: Reflections on Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

The idea of walking around the swamp in the Florida heat was not something that initially interested me.  Surprisingly enough, we spent most of our time covered in the shade of the Big Cypress Swamp area, and I really enjoyed my time there.  I found the trip to be educational and personally beneficial.  On the personal level, I reconnected with nature and found a lot of solitude in it.

Environmentally, the field trip to Corkscrew was very informative.  While on the trip we saw many different kinds of plants, including the Alligator Flags, Water Lettuce, Crinum Lilies, Saw Palmettos, Big Cypress Trees, and Swamp Apples.  All of these plants play a crucial part in our ecosystem.

Corkscrew is home to many different animals, and even though we didn’t get to see alligators and snakes, we saw many unique animals that I had never seen before.  Among my favorite were the Lubber Grasshopper, the Carolina Anole, and the Pileated Woodpecker.  Towards the end of the trip is when we saw the Lubber Grasshopper.  It was so close to us and I was amazed at how beautiful it actually was, especially since I hate bugs!

Wetlands are so important in protecting the quality of water.  When the water sits in the swamp area, it is able to purify itself before making its way to the watershed.  This area is a unique and diverse setting that is needed in order for many plants and animals to survive.

I found the trip to Corkscrew to be extremely informative and relaxing, and I learned a great deal about wildlife and plants on this trip.  I loved walking along the boardwalk in the Big Cypress swamp area.  I had such a great time that I’m considering taking a trip back there with my family!