Entry #3

The distinct ecosystems I saw at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was the flatwoods, which was a field with no trees, just swamp grass. Then we saw the verdant cypress trees that have thinner trunks. After passing through the flatwoods and verdant cypress for a brief moment, the rest of the trail was mainly swamp cypress. One of the ecosystem services that Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary provides is the living machine. The living machine is a natural water restoration system that restores waste water to near-drinkable quality using native wetland plants. Conservation is official supervision of rivers, forests, and other natural resources in order to preserve and protect them. Stewardship is similar to conservation, it's conducting, supervising, or managing something. The role of private non-profits in conservation and stewardship is to protect the natural resources and ecosystems from being destroyed. Like-minded people can affect change by getting together and involving the community to do their part to help the ecosystem and create places like Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Civic engagement factors into it because it promotes the bridging of communities with socially conscious thought and action. The motivation to preserve Corkscrew was to protect the nesting colonies of wading birds in the Corkscrew swamp area. From an ecological perspective, we should not bulldoze Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary because it is a vital part of Southwest Florida's ecosystem. Without it, there would be many animals without homes and there wouldn't be a place where people can get educated.

Entry #2

On the campus trail walk we saw sable palm trees also known as cabbage palm (Florida's state tree), palmetto trees, pine trees, cypress trees, oak trees, and Melaleuca trees (paper tree). Melaleuca's, native to Australia, were first planted to soak up water, but became an invasive species. In order to kill them they have to be debarked to spray the center of the tree with herbicides, this technique is called hack-and-squirt. Florida's state wildflower is the Coreopsis Tickweed, because the seed resembles a tick. We saw an inactive hornets' nest and poison ivy. We learned how control burnings puts the nutrients back into the soil. I think the selection of the site for the Florida Gulf Coast University campus is perfect; it's right in between University of South Florida and Florida International University. Yes, it is consistent with the "eco-empowerment" mission of the university. FGCU has the land to have solar panels to generate electricity, zero use of CFC-based refrigerants in educational building air-conditioning, trash compactors, motion sensitive lights, and buildings used out of recycled materials. I do not have any predisposed viewpoints. 

Entry #1

My expectations for Colloquium are to learn how to go completely green; in my house, my car, clothing, and other daily uses. I also hope to learn how to go organic; by growing my own food and to know what organic products to buy such as, make up, hygiene products, and cleaning supplies. Sustainability is the quality of not being harmful to the environment or diminishing natural resources and supporting long-term ecological balance. Sustainability relates to a variety of considerations in the environment. Sustainability would relate to school counseling by using nature as a method for children to relieve stress and go somewhere to think. I could also teach students to conserve resources, recycle,  and properly dispose items such as, battery acid, motor oil, and harmful chemicals. Some of my unsustainable personal behaviors are that I leave lights on, I have more than one light on, I do not always recycle, and I run the water while brushing my teeth. My unsustainable attitudes are, "I'm just one person", recycled materials all go to the same place as the garbage,  et cetera.