Nature Deficit Disorder Week 4

            Today’s class was very interactive and seemed to go by rather quickly.  We talked about the topic of Nature Deficit Disorder and it seemed like everyone had something to contribute to the discussion!  At least 70% of the class raised their hands to say something, at some point.  I felt like the entire discussion was very relatable to everyone’s lives.   Nature deficit disorder is basically what happens when humans do not spend an adequate amount of time outside in nature. 

            It is sad to look at the youth and to see what this world is coming to.  Almost every child has an Ipod, TV, laptop, video gaming console.  Try to balance school, extracurricular activities, family time, social time, and the overabundance of technology and it can be a challenge.  For most kids nowadays, when given a free moment to do whatever they want, they will choose television or Xbox over going outside to play.  I liked how someone in class said they even saw a difference between how they grew up and how a younger sibling of 5 years is growing up.  When I was a child, I loved going outside and playing with all the neighborhood kids.  We would make up silly games that involved running from one person’s yard down the street to another yard or summersault competitions.  It was very rare that we were inside for more than an hour or two at any given time.  Now studies have been done that link nature deficit disorder to all kinds of diseases such as ADD, mental illness, hypertension, and high blood pressure.  This is not surprising to me, however it further proves the importance of spending time outdoors.  

Corkscrew trip Week 3

The Corkscrew trip was a huge step up from our swamp walk.  I actually didn't mind the tour and learned quite a bit.  It was a very hot day and the mosquitoes and fire ants were really bad, but I guess thats to be expected at a swamp.  
Upon arrival, we were taught about the "living machine" housed at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  I thought it was very neat how they chose to go this route.  It is so much more environmentally friendly than to put a water treatment plant at the swamp.  It also takes up a lot less room to house.  Essentially what happens is the waste water produced on site is filtered through the ground and the plants and purified, then recycled.  Someone would go to the bathroom, flush the toilet, at which time the water is sent to a holding tank with no oxygen.  It goes through that tank and into a tank with oxygen exposure, then through 2 manufactured wetlands.  The plants pick up more of the waste, however after all these steps, they are still required to chloronize and dechloronize the water before it is used again.  Then final step is to trim the plants and incinerate the trimmings to eliminate any toxins lurking on the plants. The chloronize/dechloronize step seems kind of silly and hypocritical to the mission of the living machine. It is almost as if they are saying the water isn't actually safe or good enough so they have to add chemicals, which is the opposite of what they are trying to do in the first place.  The idea of the living system is to reduce pollution created from a waste treatment plant.  It is literally a biological waste water treatment system.  I really like how the swamp chose to use this type of system and I think it is completely in line with their mission to be environmentally sustainable.  
After hearing about the living machine we were split into two groups for a tour of the sanctuary.  We learned about what an ecosystem is, which until that day I have to say I wasn't completely sure about.  It seems like such a simple word and a simple concept but without ever formally learning about ecosystems, I was not sure exactly what they were.  An ecosystem is basically all the living and nonliving parts of the environment.  There are many different types of ecosystems.  Corkscrew Swamp is home to four different types of ecosystems. 
All in all, I'd say my trip to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was very beneficial and enlightening.   

Week 2

                I did not enjoy the campus trail walk very much.  After the first week of class I decided to go into it with an open mind, however it still didn’t help much.  I did not like being up to my knees in swamp water and not being able to see through the water.  I felt things against my legs and I almost fell on my butt a half a dozen times due to tree hidden tree branches.  Needless to say, I was very happy when the walk was over. 

                I think the selection of this site for the FGCU campus was a good choice.  It is unfortunate that we did have to destroy some wetlands to create the campus here; however I still think it was a good choice.  The fact that we were able to designate an additional area of land as a preserved safe area was really great.  I don’t think the site choice was consistent with our “eco-empowerment” mission however.  It doesn’t seem possible that putting the site right in the middle of a natural wetland and destroying a huge part of the wetlands is consistent with an environmental sustainability mission.  With that being said, the school has still taken a huge initiative to be environmentally friendly.   Erica told us about the way we conserve power by freezing ice over night when energy is most efficient and using that as A/C throughout the day.  How neat!  I also think it’s great that we have a solar field at the school!

Week 1 blog John Dewey

                Nature walks, muddy shoes, wet clothes and constant sweating…… not exactly my definition of fun. Knowing that I would eventually have to take this class, I always dreaded the thought of dealing with the unusual syllabus.  That is probably why I have waited until my senior year to take this class.  The first day of class I was slightly relieved that my professor seemed like a very nice, down to earth guy.  He explained that the following class we would be taking a wet walk around the campus.  Again, not super excited!  He also explained that our grade would be comprised of a series of journals and papers about readings and our field trips.  At this point, I am trying to keep as open of a mind as I could. 

                A few days after class, I decided I needed to sit down and get the readings done.   It only took 30 seconds before I realized I was in hell with these readings.  John Dewey is probably the driest author I have ever read!  I do not like reading about educational styles and experiences in the first place, but this guy made it even worse.   However, after hearing one girl ask, “How do we get an A in this class?” And the professor answering, “by doing the readings/journals, coming to class and the field trips, etc.” I knew I had to keep going.

                I think what Dewey was trying to say was that a traditional education system is not effective.  He feels that the students are way too disconnected from the teacher because the teacher’s education level surpasses that of the student by so much.   It is nearly impossible for a child to learn when they cannot comprehend what the teacher is telling them.  I do not know if I totally buy this thought process, however I see where he is coming from. His main thought was that students need to experience learning hands on for it to be effective.  I think this is what we are supposed to be doing with the colloquium class.