My Sustainable Future

My Views on a Sustainability in My Life

      After learning about all the ways in which people grow their own food and support their own families and then seeing it for my own eyes at ECHO, I truly could see myself growing my own crops.  Although I could never be completely self sufficient unless my survival depended on it, I have been inspired to utilize sustainable practices and partake in creating my own garden perhaps.  I don't have the time or the energy to put into a project that would feed my family or a small community, but if we had no other option I would certainly use what I've learned and even learn more about making this my priority.

Here is a photo of a family that has taken on the
responsibility of growing their own food.

My Future in Feeding My Family

      My sister and brother in law have a garden in their backyard that is filled with crops that they use to feed their family.  They grow corn, squash, tomatoes, okra, and many herbs that they use to add zest to their food.  These vegetables are delicious and I hope to follow in my sister's footsteps when it comes to growing my own food.  She truly enjoys watching these plants grow, harvesting them when they are ripe, and then cooking them for herself, her husband, her two children, and whoever else is over for dinner.  The food is fresh and nothing sold in a grocery store tastes quite like it.  I could definitely see myself having a garden of my own in the future that I would use to feed my family delicious and nutritious meals.

Source of photo:

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPC_enUS336&biw=1366&bih=677&tbm=isch&tbnid=wOsgHPg3PPslOM:&imgrefurl=http://www.growbetterveggies.com/growbetterveggies/gardening_classes/&docid=tiZrIi-7OxvIpM&imgurl=http://www.growbetterveggies.com/.a/6a00d8346ffdca53ef0120a69ca5c8970b-500wi&w=500&h=375&ei=OtH5T4uIKIaE8QSdx4XnBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=894&vpy=353&dur=776&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=151&ty=90&sig=116002542731047199648&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=204&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0,i:123

ECHO Adventures

      Our field trip to ECHO farms was definitely an interesting one.  I learned a lot from those who work there and they enlightened me with facts and situations that people in third world countries deal with everyday.  Although the mosquitoes and the hot sun were quite torturous, these are conditions that people are forced to deal with on a daily basis.  Who am I to complain after being exposed to these conditions for a couple hours?

      Overall, I really enjoyed the trip.  I was so impressed with the different types of environments they have created as well as the many alternative ways to grow plants, treat water, and use other forms of useful technology for farmers with low income.  It was an eye opening experience and I am glad to have had the opportunity to tour the facility.  I am very impressed with all of the people who dedicate their lives to growing plants and helping others, especially because I could never see myself doing so in a million years.  Not that I wouldn't want to help the cause, but I think I would be one of the ones donating money rather than all of that time and effort.

      Here are some pictures I took of plants and equipment while at ECHO!

Our class walking through the trees

Who knew that a mulberry bush was actually a tree?
Not me....

I think cacti are so cool!
This is the prickly pear we were introduced to.

Banana trees; excuse me, we were taught they are banana PLANTS.

Our tour guide, Charlie Brown!
I couldn't help but laugh at his corny jokes.

Bamboo

Rice-- I was so surprised to learn US uses more rice than China!
I never would have guessed.

Papaya

Raised beds that help plants grow in areas that flood.
Great idea!

This is the tree where we saw the snake chasing something.
Yuck! I hate snakes!

I ate this plant... Can't say I enjoyed it too much.

Ate this as well.
It's called a peanut plant, but it sure didn't taste much like peanuts!

An archway made of vines and twigs that caught my eye.

It's hard to imagine using this to get fresh water.
It's crazy to think of not having access to water at the snap of a finger.

I felt so bad for this poor chicken cooped up in this cage!
He seemed plenty content, though.

My favorite flower! I love sunflowers.

Moringa leaves!
Although they didn't taste very good,
I ate a bunch of these leaves for their vitamins, potassium, calcium, and protein.

Our class learning about moringa leaves with Charlie.

Aloe vera! We have this in my backyard back home.
 I often use it to treat my sunburns.

If you look closely, you can see a bee to the left pollinating the flower of the banana plant.

These little guys were so cute!

Couldn't help but take pictures of them.

      That basically sums up my trip to ECHO!  I stopped photographing my journey towards the end of the trip because the sun got the best of me.  Plus, I was too busy slapping the mosquitoes that were feasting on my flesh.  But overall, I enjoyed the trip and I would definitely recommend visiting in order to gain a better understanding of just what life is like for so many people in the world.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

      Since the stomach flu forced me to miss class on Thursday and I was unable to see the Food, Inc. video, I decided to do some research on the garbage island in the Pacific that my brother in law recently informed me about.  He said he heard about a mound of garbage in the middle of the ocean that was the size of Texas.    I told him he was crazy and he told me to look it up, so I did.

      According to Mother Nature Network, there is a convergence zone in the Pacific Ocean where two currents meet.  Overtime, these currents brought so much garbage together that it formed a huge patch of garbage.  And when I say huge, I mean hundreds of miles.  This Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now the largest landfill on earth.  Its exact size is still unknown, but it is estimated to truly be about the size of Texas.

Yuck

      Majority of this garbage patch is made up of plastic, which is a big issue since its not biodegradable, meaning it will float in the ocean essentially forever unless we do something about it.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does not see much hope in cleaning up this mess without creating even more problems, so they have focused their efforts on preventing the patch from growing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTZUVjF69eg&feature=related 

      The narrator of this video is not very enthralling, but this information is absolutely astounding.  I had no idea just how terrible plastic is.  If only we could ban the production of plastic forever....

Sources:

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-is-the-great-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch

http://www.youtube.com

My Water Usage

      Due to the unfortunate cancellation of our field trip to Corkscrew Swamp this past Tuesday, I decided to post about my water usage instead of the trip in honor of Debby, the tropical storm who rained us out.

The wrath of field trip party pooper Debby

Water Controversy

      After reading There Will Be Water regarding big businessman T. Boon Pickens and his controversial water supply, I see water in a new light.  Living in Florida, it's so easy to forget that water is not abundant in many areas.  Water is a pretty consistent resource for the most part around here, so reading of people fighting over water was enlightening.  The statement that stuck with me the most in this article was made by Pickens' neighbor, Warren Chisum, who chose to keep his water local instead of looking to sell it like Pickens, which I think is a wise, respectable idea.  He wants his grandchildren to have water in that area when they grow up, thinking of the well being of the future instead of his bank account like Chisum.  

      Ownership of water is a big controversy because people do not see eye to eye on the matter.  The scarcity of water is a growing epidemic.  Therefore, in my opinion, a single person should not have control over it.  It's tough to think about someone not owning something that is part of the land that they do own.  Yet, because humans and animals rely on water for survival, I believe it should be accessible to everyone.  Local residents should have priority of nearby water, and I don't believe it should be able to be sold for profit.  Seems like a truly evil plan to make people pay for a water supply.  

      The more we use water, the less there will be.  As time goes on, water will become more and more scarce.  With this being said, I love the idea of using every water resource we possibly can.  Some day, we will have to tap into every water supply on earth.  Therefore, regardless of all of the controversy, ancient aquifers will have to be utilized someday for the survival of mankind.  

  

I didn't see a link to this article on Angel, but I did find the article on the Business Week website:

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-06-11/there-will-be-water

Water & Me

      Unfortunately, I have not been the most apt to water conservation so far throughout my lifetime.  My conserving habits have only included limiting my water bottle usage and making sure the faucet is turned off while I brush my teeth.  Yesterday, I decided to record my water usage and see how much I truly use on a daily basis.  Of course these are rough estimates over a period of 24 hours, but I tried my best to accurately record my water usage.  These readings began at 8 pm on Friday and ended at 8 pm on Saturday. 

Let's see just how much water I waste...

      15 minute shower- 105 gallons (Wow, what a horrible way to start off)

      6 toilet flushes- 30 gallons 

      6 hand washes- 3 gallons

      1 load of laundry- 50 gallons

      1 load of dishes- 20 gallons

      Drinking water- 0.5 gallons

            Total: 208.5 gallons

I can't even imagine 208 of these...

      After seeing this number and imaging this much water sitting in front of me, I was shocked.  I knew I used a lot of water every day, but 208.5 gallons?  There are children in third world countries that haven't seen that much water in their lifetimes.  There are so many simple steps I could be taking to save more water, such as using water saving devices and taking shorter showers.  After reading this article on the water debate and imagining myself using 208.5 gallons every day, I have a new perspective on the true importance of water.  

Image sources: 

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/what-we-do/water/

http://lucasformula.com/

http://rawstory.com/

My Homewood Road Home

Adjusting to My New Environment

At the beginning of the summer, I finally moved out of the dorms after 3 years and settled into a house in San Carlos with two of my teammates.  It has only been a few months since I have moved in, but I have quickly adjusted and I now feel at home on Homewood Road.  One of my favorite features of my neighborhood is that every home recycles.  The city of Fort Myers provides free recycling containers for every household, which is a convenient plus that allows residents to recycle with ease.   Although it's not the nicest of neighborhoods, I enjoy finding the beauty around me when I go rollerblading with my roommates or ride around on my skateboard to collect my thoughts.

The place where I feel most at peace is out back by my pool.  This is one of the places where I find it easy to clear my head and just relax.  I enjoy dangling my feet in the pool and looking out into the yard.  It might help that the pool came with the Miami Dolphins logo on the bottom, my favorite NFL team!

My sense of place

Except when there is a snake in it! I love wildlife, but I sure do hate snakes.

A nice snake surprise

Go Dolphins!

The most abundant wildlife around me may be the thousands of stray cats that roam the neighborhood.  Or perhaps it's the millions of spiders, most of which sneak their way into my house.  But besides that, my roommates and I are constantly spotting wildlife around us.  Just the other day we saw an osprey chasing a tiny bird around the trees behind our house, hoping to make him a tasty snack.  There seem to be birds everywhere, as these guys were just hangin out in front of my house when I got home today.

A group of ibises plucking our grass for worms

The most rewarding experience I have had since I moved onto Homewood Road was finding four stray kittens in the woods directly across the street from my house.  When we saw the tiny critters wandering from the shelter of the woods, my roommates and I were immediately concerned.  Where was their mother?  They seemed to be starving.  They also had obviously never been in contact with humans before, as they hissed and spat at us with terror in their eyes.  After a few hours of searching the woods for a momma cat, we decided to rescue these kittens from lives as strays searching through garbage cans for food.

The wooded area by my house where we found the kittens

Saving these little guys was one of the best decisions of my life, as we immediately became attached to these little guys, who quickly adapted to human contact, eating sold food, drinking from a bowl, and using a liter box.  Although these kittens may not actually be considered "wild", they would have been if we had not saved them. I was so thankful that we found them each a good home with food, shelter, and vet care to get rid of those fleas and ticks!

Me and my kitty friends-  I sure do miss these little animals

Incoming reflection: Take a walk in my shoes

My Previous Experience

       From 2006-2009, I was lucky to be enrolled in South Plantation High School's Environmental Science and Everglades Restoration Magnet Program. Through courses such as Environmental Science, Everglades Research, Biology, Chemistry, and Magnet Senior Symposium, I learned in depth details about the Everglades ecosystems.  Not only did I gain knowledge about the ecosystems of Southeast Florida, but I also gained appreciation for them.  My field trips to places such as Everglades National Park, Billy Swamp Safari, the sugar cane fields of Clewiston, and Everglades Holiday Park gave me hands on experience that helped me see the beauty of the world around me. 

The Paladin logo of South Plantation High School

Click here to explore my magnet program's website

My Expectations of Colloquium

       Walking into Lutgert Hall on Tuesday afternoon, I was under the impression that I was going to be introduced to a professor of biology or ecology professor who would force me to begin taking notes on the local environment of Southwest Florida.  I was surprised to meet Professor Cornelius, an English professor at FGCU, who admitted that the biology of Southwest Florida was not her specialty.  This instantly made me more excited about the course, since as a non-science major, I would much rather learn to appreciate our local environment rather than learn the intricate details of it.  My anxieties had been geared toward the science aspect that I was relieved to learn would not completely control the Colloquium curriculum.  I came into the classroom dreading this six week course, and walked out of it looking forward to the upcoming semester.  Now, I plan on gaining more appreciation for my campus and I hope to learn ways in which I can live a more sustainable, ecofriendly life.

The boardwalk on our beautiful FGCU Campus

Sources

http://www.southplantationhigh.net/

http://www.sphsmagnet.com/

http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/everham/KnowYourPlants/