Our field trip this week was to Calusa Nature Center and planetarium located in Fort Myers, Florida. Made up of more than 100 acres of property, it had a museum, three nature trails, a planetarium, butterfly and bird aviaries, a gift shop, and a picnic area.  Inside the museum we learned about Southwest Florida’s animals such as lizards, snakes, turtles and tortoises, amphibians, fish, and even a talking bird. I remember specifically a snake called Philip, a large water moccasin who had accidently broken his jaw when he tried to attack something outside his glass tank.

Just outside and still a part of the museum, they had the estuary touch tank. In the estuary touch tank, you could interact and touch a variety of species including horseshoe crabs, oysters, hermit crabs, sea stars, various fish, and many different types of mollusks. Also outside they had permanently injured birds of prey such as hawks, vultures, bald eagles, owls, and many more.  I remember sadly, an owl that was missing one of its eyes.

Being cool & cozy.

The field trip officially started with the planetarium, which had the Calusa Dome Theater inside.  Now equipped with a new digital projector, we experienced a film on astronauts. The film was not projected in front of us on a screen, but more above us. It was a 360 degree, full dome experience that allowed us to feel as if we were one with what was happening in the film. Although not very relevant to the class, the film entitled, “Astronauts,” was about the conditions the human body goes through while preparing for space.  It also touched on the precautions astronauts should take in space.

After walking around upstairs, we walked downstairs where they had a fox, boar, chickens, rabbits, turtles, mature alligators, and the butterfly aviaries. 

Moringa olefera

The tour started in the butterfly aviaries, where we learned that the butterflies were free to come and go as they pleased, and about the different plants that are in place for the butterflies. Some were useful to humans even, such as the Moringa olefera, edible from the roots to the leaves and having higher vitamin C content than the widely known and perhaps more palatable orange.  

Melaleuca

Our tour guide then lead us through the big cypress swamp boardwalk, about a half mile long, travelling through both pine flatlands and wetlands – a difference of only inches in elevation. We spoke about different plants and brought a lot of attention to the invasive species such as Melaleuca and the Brazilian Pepper. Melaleuca, more commonly referred to as the paper tree, was introduced to Florida and Hawaii in order to help drain low-lying swampy areas. The consequences were overlooked however, as their population has nearly quadrupled in the past decade, resulting in dehydrated swamps and fueling aggressive fires, as they are extremely flammable

Brazilian Pepper

              After the boardwalk our tour guide took us back upstairs to talk about the caged animals, allowing the class to handle a baby alligator and observe the Florida Pine Snake, one equipped with a frightfully nasty hiss, but harmless to humans. Once we had observed other venomous snakes and some cranky birds, we had to run outside and quite literally catch our bus before it left. Not that we would have minded spending some more time exploring. :)

Bromeliad

Milkweed - Poisonous!

The Bayberry - Sometimes used

for candle wax or insect

repellent. 

Bald Cypress 

Swamp Maple

Thalia geniculata Linnaeus - Commonly
known as the Alligator Flag.
A beautiful native warning of
a gators habitat!

                        

Slash Pine

A Convenient Truth!

If the syllabus didn't explain it well enough, we're beginning to understand (and adjust) to the  amount of exposure we'll receive to controversial documentaries. Professor Segal held true to his word this week by showing the first hopeful film, one fit with an inspiring model for cities worldwide. A Convenient Truth (Written and directed by Giovanni Vaz Del Bello and produced by Maria Terezinha Vaz) challenged the norm for urban design by making an example of the city of Curitiba, Brazil - a municipality capable of transporting 2 million people every day in a cost effective and sustainable manor. 

They have employed the trinary road design, one which caters to rapid bus transport. The system employs a high speed bus lane bordered by one way lanes for auto traffic with additional one way express roads just a block away on either side; three lanes in width. The image to the right shows the Biarticulated buses used for the express route, twenty-five metres long and equipped with 5 doors, capable of transporting 270 passengers at a time! Coupled with their pay before you board tube stations, they have quickly become the transport method of choice for commuters of all kinds, just as much for those with or without a personal car. Adding to the appeal is the pay once go anywhere system, no matter the distance or transfer, even between different routes and/or lines! 
We as a group agree that if Lee County were to adopt a system such as the one proposed by professor Segal, with one lane of traffic on each major roadway being sectioned off for busses with unilimited daily (or peak) transfers, we'd all be inclined to use public transportation. I, Jonathon, have used Lee County public transportation maybe half a dozen times in the 13 years I've been here, Jessica and Jason, never. 
A Convenient Truth also documented other major areas of concern such as recycling and waste management, housing, and parks and natural areas.  

Public Recycling Bins! From left to right: Paper, Plastic,
Metal, Organic (compost!) and Glass.

Their impressive recycling system was implemented by the hands of Nicolau Kluppel, a civil engineer, and the mayor himself. Kluppel spoke in the documentary of having been part of a team of 4 guys who volunteered their personal time to construct a recycling/sorting center by reusing old machines and conveyors from local factories. Additionally, having seen so many old computers run through their facility he decided to not just recycle them for resale, but for every 15 computers processed one was rebuilt for use by the employees, all low income citizens, recovering addicts or "problem people". This helped teach them practical skills which they could use to their advantage in moving up in the workforce. A skill that they would most likely never have been exposed to otherwise. 
It's terrible, really, what a foreign idea it is for us to imagine politicians and citizens coming together and physically laboring for a good cause. We'd be tickled to see the same out of the suits and ties of this country. Perhaps we'd then receive the sort of recognition as Coritiba; a United Nations Environmental Award (UNEP) in 1990 (the highest available), the Worldwatch Institute Prize in 1991 and the CITIES Award for Excellence in 2002.

Coritiba has also done a magnificent job of relocating weathered and flood prone housing areas to government assisted communities, leaving parks in their place. Studies showed city planners that it would be 5 times cheaper to relocate these families and homes than it would be to construct a concrete canal for water diversion!
Although us Ninja Sharks haven't ever attended a city council meeting nor participated in flood planning, we also have never heard of  such a concept in the US. We all agreed that Lee County could use a great deal of help in designing people friendly parks and recreation spaces. While we have many preserves and beaches, they seem geared towards lone rangers and vacationers, respectively. We want to know what has happened to good old Frisbee and picnics!? Like Professor Segal suggested, our voice can have more of an impact than we may initially imagine. Attending local council and/or community meetings could prove to the old codgers that there's a youthful presence that wishes to preserve the natural beauty in life and the fun that coincides. We have been shown the remarkable transformation that can transpire from a little determination and dirty work, and after last weeks video, that's just what we needed. Every week provokes a new thought in us all, and this one really hit home. 

A Sweet Beach Cottage

3 types of Mangroves: Red, Black, and WhiteSaw Palmettored and white mangove podsair plant

This week we visited Matanzas Pass Preserve and the Estero Island Historical Cottages. A wonderfully cheery old woman named Jo greeted us with a sweet spread of cookies, lemonade and sea grape jelly, a local delicacy and a hit amongst the class. We learned about the incredible change of local culture and environment from the early 1900's till today.
Jo told her story with a reminiscent intimacy as she experienced it all first hand, having inhabited the island since her birth early in the 20th century. She has experienced the introduction of the electrical grid, the construction and destruction of 3 bridges, the rise and fall of the fishing industry, and a couple life changing hurricanes. (Of those hurricanes, an infamous one in 1926 inspired the University of Miami to name their football team as such).
Estero Island was once a simple fishing village with sprawling beaches and sparkling blue/green waters, a haven for mosquitoes but just as much the same for those disinterested in the city life. Mullet was the prize and luxury meant having the "cadillac" of mosquito repellent sprayers. Jo Hughes grew up in a town of about 400 people, one that now has a year round populous of 5-6 thousand and a winter season of 50-60k! It should go without saying that the activity has severely altered the environment for not only the early settlers, but those that were creating a history well before humans; plants, sealife, land animals, etc. Jo told us that when she was young you could stand on a boat and clearly see 15 feet below, all the way to the sandy bottom! Since people began meddling with major bridges and dams, well, there's now a terribly unfortunate silty foot or two of visibility. Mullet used to be so thick that she swore she could walk across their schools, and oysters and scallops abound- not much to be said of them anymore. Fortunately there is a ongoing effort to restore the oyster reefs as they are capable of individually filtering 9 gallons of water per hour!
Now although the changes have produced many adverse reactions there is still plenty of hope for the area. Conservation 20/20 is a major organization committed to restoring and/or preserving properties of environmental significance, and has done so with Matanzas Pass by aquiring nearly 60 acres at a cost of 1.4 million dollars. Check it out! Conservation 20/20 - Matanzas Pass
FGCU and local residents have also contributed hundreds of volunteer hours towards cleaning the area of debris and restoring those oyster reefs, with many more hours to go.

Once we had enjoyed Jo's presentation and another round of treats, we headed out on the trails to identify some plant life and a few marine animals. We identified and observed mangroves, the treasured sea grape, some turtles and the scurrying crabs. Take a look!

scorpian tailwhite mangrovesblue crab hidingSea grapes

Our First Time

Ninja Sharks. There are four of us (all human). This is our class blog. We're enrolled in a course that may well try to open our eyes and jump start our unsustainable,  massive-amounts-of-toilet-paper-using asses towards action.

                                                                                    

*Neat documentary share*

Colloquium as it's called, seems designed by our university to explain by field and lecture, just how detached we've become from the only planet we currently rely on for life. Some classmates are fully engaged having the eco-centric instructor we do, but many, as their gorgeous lives command, stand indifferent and angry.

 
Our instructor, Dr. Segal, is a man who grows much of his own food and hasn't had a check-up by a doctor in over thirty years. His kids - never in their life. It's best when people are exposed, face to face, to living examples; this one proving that both kids and adults can maintan a healthy, agile mind, body and life should they enjoy a natural diet. 
Dr. Segal's discussion on oil (or lack thereof) was a bit scary, but eye-opening. People should be shown the reality of its finite potential as much as possible. Maybe that will dampen the shock. He explained how the start of agriculture and the Industrial Revolution could have been the greatest influence to many of the problems we're currently facing, such as a lack of sustainable resources and a well over populated planet. Using the tragedy of commons as evidence to support these ideas was very interesting. Although not to be related verbatim, the story can be very telling of today's society. Overall, Dr. Segal's introduction to the course was at times subjectively expressive, but with a personality that hit home. Next week should be easier. We watch a movie. 

WEEK: 2

Enter: Peak Oil, Climate Change, Mass Extinction, Population Overshoot and the general demise of the American Lifestyle as we know it! 

                                                                                  
                    

*Click this text for preview*

We were told it might be one of the most depressing movies we would ever watch. Dr. Segal repeated his disclaimer against being responsible for any discomfort or ill feelings, and assured us it will be solutions and proposals from here forward. It troubled me however to see the common reactions of those around the room, or lack thereof. For some, the movie seemed to not have as big of an effect as Dr. Segal's introductory lecture, which is fine, this could easily be contributed to learning styles and perspectives, or a calling for Dr. Segal to begin his film making career. 
With that being said, the film did a great job of challenging our ignorance and facing us with the real shit. It's not CNN, FOX, or Hollywood. It's the world; real life, today, right now, and did in fact bring some of the most important issues to light.
In 1950 we used up 1cal of fossil fuel for every 1cal of food produced, a balanced ratio.
We're now running at 10:1. 
Each day the ground relinquishes 84 million barrels of oil to human resources, and according to scientists that supply curve peaked in 1970.
Human population entered the 20th century with 1.6 billion people and left the century with 6.1 billion. 
Now, focusing on these numbers, it is thought that the world population didn't hit a billion until about 1800 but Anthropologists suggest the human species is about 3 million years young. 
So if they're right, it took 3 million years to reach 1 billion people and a mere 200 years to gain 5.8 billion more. 
Read that twice. 

Those aren't his...

Some argue that third world countries have grown to unmanageable proportions, the cause for our demise. What if we said that a common American leaves 32x the footprint of a common person in India, or that a man in Bangladesh has 75x less the impact on the world than a wealthy American? So we raise a better question; are we overpopulated, or simply over addicted? 
Actually, we're "over" a lot of things. There is a superiority complex, one fueled by the concept of ownership, narcissism and ego mania. 
There is addiction. Addiction to magazines, TV shows, cars, resources, food, houses, ourselves, our image; our false securities. There's a frightening commonality which runs through both a drug addict and the modern resource addict - it isn't until one hits rock bottom, when it's change or die, that one might grasp the magnitude of the problem. 
It could be, quoting Adyashanti, that we're at the point a "biological necessity of survival" for people to wake up. 
The hype of being green and wearing a jewel encrusted peace sign should not be seen as such.
It is no hype and it's not a fad, it's a representation of the truth of the state of the world, and it shouldn't be lost in pop culture and commercials. Many people already take steps toward cohabiting with the planet and that's awesome. There are extremists and skeptics to every situation and either one provokes thought, and just raising a thought will be a crucial component to transforming the way we live. 
Next week we get some field experience. We hope it doesn't rain.