Estero Bay- Field Trip

One of the most interesting things I found out on this field trip was that it is the first aquatic preserve to be established in Florida.  It is also one of the most productive estuaries in the state. The Estero bay preserve has a wide variety of wildlife.   Some of the wildlife includes: the bald eagle, gopher tortoises, fiddler crabs, slash pines, and live oaks. This preserve includes the water, inlets, and islands the surround the area. The preserve was beautiful and I hope to go on a bike ride that ends with a water front picnic there soon.  But my favor part of this field trip by far was listing to the elderly lady talking about the way Fort Myers Beach used to be. 

She made me realize how much damage and reshaping of land a hurricane can do.  It did make me worry though about how much more damage a big hurricane can do to the current Fort Myers Beach.  There is so much more growth and homes and people to be affected if a storm was to hit our area. 

It also disappointed me to hear how clear the water used to be on Fort Myers Beach.  Hearing that along with seeing the old houses reminds me of my grandparents’ house in the Bahamas.  All of my mom’s family lives in the Bahamas and in my time since a kid I have watched the water progressively get dirtier and harder to see through.  This has a lot of consequences for the sea plants and animals that depend on the sunlight for survival. 

I found this while research more about the early days of Fort Myers Beach.  "This land is free..." so the rumor ran."Come to Florida, come to Estero Island. Live on this land five years; clear it; farm it; improve it---and it is yours."

            Learning about the history of the island was much more interesting hearing it from someone who actually lived in that time and remembered it for how it was, rather than reading about it in a text book.  The sea grape jelly and lemonade was much appreciated too.  The only thing I would have changed was that I wish I had taken your advice and used the mosquito wipes.

Misunderstandings and the importance of Alligators in SWF

Alligators, in varying forms, have survived since the age of the dinosaurs and through extreme planetary and temperate differences.  They are one of the oldest and most powerful creatures on the planet but are now facing their biggest challenge.  Humans are taking over their natural habitats because they like the warmer weather.  The alligator is one out twenty five crocodilians in the world.  One common misconception about the alligator, that I also thought wrong, was that alligators aren’t green.  They are a combination of black, grey, and brown.  They just appear green because algae, vegetation or duck grass is covering them. 

One of the scarier facts I learned was that nearly all of the fatal alligator attacks have been in Florida.  I believe this is because this is one of the areas they thrive the most; and it is also one of the most over populated areas by humans.  We are literally building and moving onto their homes and they are attacking in order to protect themselves and where they live.  The American alligators are extremely important for the ecosystems in which they occur. Their nesting activities create peat and species, such as the Florida Red-bellied turtle, to keep their eggs inside alligator nests. By making alligator holes, the alligator helps a lot of animals to survive the dry season. Alligators also keep other predatory species in check.  

Many people ignore Alligators benefits to the environment because they are territorial, and they can and will eat just about anything that has meat on it.  Alligators have the capability to live up to 80 years in captivity and have so many ecological benefits that they are considered to be a keystone species.  This is because: it regulates animal pollution by being able to eat basically any prey, they dig holes in the dry season to provide irrigation, nesting birds use their presence as a place to lay eggs away from raccoons, turtles lay their eggs in alligator nests, and more.  Alligators are also highly important for our economy.   Their commercial use has made a lot of money in tourism and business.  And they have been a cultural influence because of their use in movies and as mascots.

Echo- Sustainable Living

What I took away most from our field trip to the Echo farm was the idea of using what you have to create what you need.  I found Echo’s ability to overcome challenges to be incredible.  They have to test their seeds/ food so that they can thrive in many different ecosystems.  To do this, they made six different areas to cultivate, harvest, and use its resources to the best of their ability.  These different systems include: Tropical Monsoon, Urban Gardens, Semi-Arid Tropics, Tropical Highlands, Tropical Rain Forest, and Hot Humid Low Lands. These different ecosystems each had their own difficulties to overcome.

 The interns found innovative, sustainable and extremely creative ways to find a multitude of food that can be shipped as seeds, grown in these areas, maintained by tools and techniques (which they provide) and provide education on how to make there food sustainable.  Some of the other things I found to be really interesting was their ability to turn cow manure into gas for cooking and lighting, the sawdust cooker, solar food dryer, and the use of bicycles for power. Echo also incorporated the used of local animals in these areas to help create and sustain their food.  Some of them include: sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, tilapia, and rabbits. They used these animals to help main tain the different ecosystems.  The idea of using what you have to make what you need is what Echo is all about. 

This type of education is necessary to help the poor the hungry and us.  I think the food source around the world is going to continue to decrease and we are going to need to start adapting these types of technology and resources for sustainable living. Having our own backyard of urban gardens would greatly reduce our carbon footprint, allow us to feel closer to nature, and become healthier.  This may also help to have people conduct their lives in a manner that is consistent with sustainability and better respect of humanity’s relationship with the Earth and its ability to take care of us as long as we take care of it.