Ecological Footprint

After taking the Ecological Footprint Quiz, I found that if everyone on the Earth lived like I do we would need 4.3 Earths. I found this quite shocking because I have always found myself such a environmentally conscious person.

At first I was doing quite well. I always try to unplug unnecessary appliances, like my toothbrush and my cell phone charger. It wasn't until I quized myself on what I ate and how I drove that I truly understood how bad my habits are. For example, I drink a lot of coffee, and I never knew it has such an ecological impact on the planet. I also drive a lot by myself. I live so close to campus it now seems ridiculous not to ride my bike to class (I'm sure I would get a better parking spot!).

As I monitored my food intake, I realized that some reductions could be made. I like to snack on fruit all day, and although this may be healthy to me, it could be unhealthy for our planet. All this snacking can defenitely add up and have very taxing effects on our planet.

I also paid attention to the packaging of items. When I opened my lunchbox today, all I saw was plastic sandwich bags with snacks in it. I could have just as easily put my snacks in Gladware containers that are re-usable. I also bought a pre-made sandwich today, it was wrapped in Saran Wrap. All of this things could be eliminated without any harm to me.

My fuel usage was a shock as well. I could not believe that I drove one-thousand miles a month. I only drive to school and to work! I realized that I need to have some serious changes in my communiting if I am going to alter my impacts at all.

This quiz was extremely eye-opening. I have always tried to do my part in my household. I have put bricks in our tanks on top of our toilets, and I unplug appliances. What this quiz helped me realize is that there is plenty to be done outside of the household as well. There is a "green" way to do everything in your life.

Field Trip - Campus and Trails

As a kid I always loved field trips, no matter what they were. To this day my favorite field trip is when I went to the Edison home when I was in the fifth grade. I always love learning something new, and especially seeing the new scenery.So when I heard this class had a lot of field trips I was beyond excited!

My first stop was the Nature Trail on campus. When I first read the syllabus my initial reaction was "there's a nature trail on campus?". I could not believe that something so neat was just a few yards away from my classroom. The tall trees and overhangs made it perfect for picnics.

My next stop was at the Corkscrew Swamp. This trip was definitely my favorite. The day I went on this field trip it was a smoldering ninety degrees outside and not a breeze to be felt. At first I was completely dreading this long walk in the blistering heat. But from the moment I walked through the double doors, I slowed down. I stopped to look at the little things and sat at every park bench. The trail was filled with the tallest trees I have ever seen, and some of the loudest bull frogs I have ever heard. By the end of the trail I was dripping in sweat and covered in mosquito bites but I was still strolling with a smile on my face. The environment had completely melted my stress away.

Then, just this past week I made the trip to the cottage on Ft. Myer's Beach. I actually had the fate of coming at the exact same time as another Colloquium class and they were nice enough to let me join them on their field trip. As I sat in the cottage and listened the woman speak of the "old Florida", I couldn't help but think of how amazing it must have been. She spoke of a great childhood, playing in the Gulf of Mexico and seeing straight through to the ocean floor. To me the most appealing thing she said was how the community backs a lot of their funds. Before the trail there is a big sign of all the people who have made this place possible. I was completely in awe of how strong the community is and how they all see how important a place like this is.

Incoming Reflection

To be completely honest, I am scared of this class. My whole Florida Gulf Coast University career I have heard stories of the "dreaded Colloquium". People always complain of the journal and the terribly hot field trips, and to some extent they're right. But what I have come to see in my short time in this class is that these people are the one's that don't appreciate their surroundings. They are the ones speeding in their cars and begging City Counsil for another shopping mall.

I am a born and raised Southwest Floridian. I grew up in Naples and was practially raised on the beach. Even to this day I love to jump in the water and just dive under to see what life forms are swimming amongst us. One of my fondest memories in my childhood was when we went to The Keys for our family vacation. We went out on a boat and when snorkeling in the reefs. Being with all the fish, manta rays, and baracudas (yes, baracudas!) made life seem so simple. They just swam around going about their business and they seemed so happy. On the mainland everything gets so complicated and even to this day when I get overly worked up I just think of how soothing that experience made me feel, and I am back to normal.

After that snorkeling experience I realized how relaxing nature can be. So from that day on whenever I got anxious, I just went for a nice long walk on the beach. The feeling of the sand on my feet and the sound of the waves crashing gently on the shore made me feel so peaceful. No matter what was going on in my life, a sunset and the water on my feet could make all those worries melt away.

I am hoping this class can even further that love and appreciation I have for nature. I am graduating this spring and hopfully beginning my master's in the fall. With this comes a whole new set of stressors. I, of course, will turn to nature to help soothe my worries and I am hoping Colloquium will give me a completely different appreciation for the beauty around me. Maybe when I go for my long walks now I will see something I never noticed before and say "Oh, I learned about this in Colloquium", and forget about whatever it was that I was worried about.