Final Impressions

My final impression of Colloquium is good because I am more informed of the environmental issues that the world is currently facing, than I was prior to taking this course. This course really opened my eyes to a lot of new things around Fort Myers, and a few places we went to I didn't even know existed.

I would make the course less writing-intensive and focus lesson plans on the environment instead. The assignments I would discard would be assignments related to the book "A Land Remembered." However, I enjoyed the readings out of the University Reader because they offered really interesting perspectives. In the future, I suggest more hands-on activities, every one seemed to benefit from those experiences the most.

Thanks for a great semester!

Creativity!

Spirituality, Religion and Sustainability

In the movie, "Renewal" I was most impressed that regardless the religion or the exterior of a person, everyone was accepting of each other and treat everyone as equals. Religion and spirituality tends to bring people together and hopefully other people can spark the idea of getting involved in the environment and communities. Word of mouth is contagious and if one person helps to create a sustainable planet, others are bound to do the same.

My personal beliefs are along the same lines in that a group is more powerful than an individual. In order for change in the environment to happen, everyone needs to work together to make it possible. This is an incredible task and there is no way for a person to tackle it alone. This must be completed by a culmination of efforts over a long period of time.

The Earth Charter

While reading The Earth Charter, I found many connections between the documents and what we have learned during Colloquium. The Charter's entire vision is to create a sustainable environment, which correlates completely with the goal of the Colloquium course.

According to The Earth Charter website, their mission is to: "Promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace."

I believe that the Earth Charter is realistic for individuals but maybe not necessarily as an entire nation. In this case, I think that patience is a virtue and in time this can be spread nation-wide.

Neighborhood Walk

My perspective has definitely changed since taking Colloquium and I have learned to appreciate my natural surroundings a lot more. I never realized all of the interesting things around me because I never really took the time to look and this class inspired me to. I was able to locate the different species of palm trees, including sable palm and various others.

I think in some ways that my neighborhood is sustainable. For the most part, everyone recycles and is required to sort the materials. This will allow for these items to be recycled properly and formed into renewable products that are efficient and sustainable. There is unfortunately no signs of green buildings or sustainable buildings, but there is tons of wildlife that my neighborhood supports. White egrets and alligators top the list, along with water moccasins and armadillos.

Fuel

(Round Trip) To FGCU: 24 miles (2 people in car)
To work: 16 miles
To a restaurant: 10 miles (2 people in car)
Total gas mileage for the day: 50 miles


Estimated miles per year: 13, 714 miles
Total carbon output: 6.3 annual tons of CO2




Besides the fact that this helping the environment, I am especially conscious of how I spend my gas because of the fluctuating gas prices. I try to carpool whenever possible with my roommates so that gas isn't wasted by everyone individually driving their cars. Making these sustainable decisions will hopefully encourage others to "go green."

Urban Fort Myers and Southwest Florida Historical Museum

At the Southwest Florida Historical Museum, I really enjoyed looking through the old train station and walking through the train. It was so crazy to see what people used to travel in back in the day and how segregated it was. This world has come so far in terms of racial discrimination, and this visit was really shocking. I didn't enjoy walking through the claustrophobic museum hallways as the speaker talked about jewels with bugs inside of them.

I have lived in Fort Myers, FL for almost 14 years so the walk around Downtown Fort Myers wasn't anything new for me. However, it was interesting to see the area from an outsider's point of view. Other people in the class were really interested in seeing where our Town Hall and different places were located, which was fun to see.

I personally would redesign Downtown Fort Myers specifically so that it is citizen-friendly. The streets are uninviting because they have small lanes and confusing designated parking and signs. I feel like this would encourage more community engagement, as I know that this is a concern for myself and others. This would make the area feel like a "town" and not the place you have to go when you get a ticket and have to pay a fine.