Downtown Fort Myers

To me the word "downtown" reminds me of what the downtown where I live is like. Some parts are low-income and other parts are not. Downtown Clearwater is home to the Scientology headquarters and a lot of their members. They flock the streets and business on the main street in downtown Clearwater. Overtime, downtown communities have gone from very low scale and run down to in a constant up scaling change. Downtown isn't always seen as a "slum" in some areas because of the renovations that have been taking place. Downtown Ft. Myers is experiencing a "renaissance" because it is changing its appearance and common populates. It's turning into a fun daytime place with festivals and live music during the day and a bar and club scene at night, which is giving downtown an opportunity to attract more than just the older generations. Some of the prominent architectural features are the style of the buildings that line the main streets, they have almost a Mediterranean feel to them. There are a lot of bright, inviting colors and large windows for window shopping. Also, on the government buildings there are a lot of distinct architectural features such as large stair cases up to the main doors instead of just walking straight in. These features among others are designed to rekindle the pedestrian spirit because they are meant for looking and browsing as opposed to just in and out to get things done. The large waterfront parks and sidewalks with nice views, trees and parks are also for the pedestrians. They encourage people to come and just take a stroll along the waterway and hang out in the park. Some of the nods to history include the Olympian museum that has artwork of past Olympians and other artifacts. Also there are several monuments that are dedicated to Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone such as the statue of the three of them sitting around a fire right on the waterfront.  The economy of Fort Myers has evolved from being undeveloped and poor to an increasingly growing financial and cultural district. There have been more additions including houses, shopping centers and parks. All of these aspects relate to sustainability because even though the city is continuing to grow, it still promotes its history and culture and making everything pedestrian friendly as opposed to motor vehicular friendly. 

ECHO Reflection

I really enjoyed going to ECHO despite the poor weather conditions. I liked the idea of ECHO and all of the features they had. What stood out the most to me was that ECHO had animals, I was under the impression that it was strictly plants. To me, "American Agriculture" is fields of crops like in the midwest. At ECHO it was completely different. There wasn't any large machinery or tractors to take down large amounts of crops. ECHO changed my view in the way that agriculture isn't always on a large, unsustainable scale. American agriculture can be done in a very sustainable way if you take the time to do it properly. I believe that ECHO's work can be relevant to the developing world, maybe not so much in its entirety so much as taking bits and pieces and ideas from it. In developing countries this technology would be very beneficial for them to get started and have an eco friendly footprint right off that back instead of just having large scale productions brought in and built. "Appropriate technology" is technology that is best fit for certain areas or cultures. Different regions of the world use different types of technology because they know what is most efficient and suitable for the environments in which they live.I don't think I'd be that interested in doing my service learning here, not because I don't like the idea, just because I don't see myself working there. I read up on their website before we went and they identify with a specific religion and I don't so I don't believe that I would be a good fit for them. 

Corkscrew Sanctuary Reflection

The distinct ecosystems we say on the trip consisted of pine flatwoods, wet prairie, Pond cypress, Bald cypress, and marsh. They all provide "ecosystem services" such as a potential food source for organisms, pharmaceuticals, purification of water and air, and nutrient dispersal and cycling. One of the main ecosystem service provided at the Corkscrew Sanctuary was the living machine that provided a "clean" water pump for the restrooms and waterfountains in the aread but only used one small machine and some pipes, the rest was from the plants in the area and doubled as a butterfly garden. 

Conservation is the preservation, protection and restoration of the natural environment, ecosystems, vegetation and wildlife. Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources, in this sense in relation to the environment. Private nonprofit organizations that's main focus is conservation and sustainability of the environment are very important because the will not be regulated heavily by the government and most likely will not be bought out by major corporations because the people running them exhibit a certain stewardship that would not want their organization to be run to the ground and have apartments on it. 

Like-minded people can have a huge affect on change. The more people that are pushing for a change, the more likely it will happen. Civic engagement factors into this because when more people are civically engaged in a certain area, more things will be accomplished. The motivation to preserve the acreage at Corkscrew Sanctuary was because of the largest remaining bald cypress trees and the endangered wood storks that live in that ecosystem. From an ecological perspective we shouldnt just bulldoze and build condos because of how many endangered species and at risk species are living in that area and it would kill hundreds of tiny ecosystems that we wouldn't have anywhere else. 

Course Expectations

Over the course of the semester I expect to gain some brief knowledge on what sustainability really means and how much today's society really needs to worry about it. I also hope to explore some really neat areas both on and off campus but not have to venture through waist deep mud in the process. I want to learn about what Florida Gulf Coast University is really doing "behind the scenes"  to uphold the sustainability aspect and standards of the University. 

Sustainability to me is to make sure that all of the resources we have are being used to the fullest most useful extent and that they are not being wasted and taken advantage of so that they can last as long as possible. Eco-literacy is being able to understand what is taking place in our ecosystems and being able to recognize that we (humans) are not the only living organisms taking up the world. Sense of place to me is knowing where we are in relation to the rest of the environment and knowing where we belong in the ecosystem. 

I find myself being unsustainable a lot. I constantly leave a light on in my bedroom so that it is not pitch black when I come back. I leave things plugged in and sometimes I fall asleep with my TV on all night. I also see a lot of litter around and I do not pick it up even though I know it could potentially harm an animal or a part of an ecosystem. I do not recycle anything either even though it has been highly encouraged for as long as I can remember.