Six Mile Cypress Slough

Ben, our tour guide and fellow FGCU student, took us on a journey through the Six Mile Cypress Slough. There, he enlightened our group that there is over 3,400 acres of wetland in Fort Myers, Florida, that measures approximately 11 miles long and 1/3 mile wide. The Slough was amazing, almost breathtaking, and truly exceeded my expectations, I liked the fact that the walking trail was elevated so that we didn’t have to step on all the marshland, but more importantly the first step you take feels like you have stepped into another world. Once inside, not only was the landscape tremendous but there were numerous and a diverse amount of trees, plants and animals. I remember coming across turtles sunbathing on the rocks in the lake, a momma wild hog and her two babies eating in the wild and the most beautiful flowers I have seen in a long time.

It is very important to preserve the Six Mile Cypress Slough because this ecosystem is home to a range of wildlife, including a few considered to be endangered, and serves as a passage for them by providing a safe route of travel. The Slough is a natural drainage-way, collecting, filtering and cleaning moving water especially during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall. Furthermore, the Six Mile Cypress has positive influences on the community and environment because it provides environmental education, deters flooding, renews shallow wells, and protects the health of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Six Mile Cypress promotes environmental sustainability by being accessible as a low impactful recreation to people. While on this trip, I contemplated my own ecological footprint and realized how much I actually use and waste on this earth. I usually drive my own car everywhere that I go, even though my car is considered a good mileage automobile, I avoid public transportation as much as possible as it is more of an inconvenience for me. This made me understand my sense of place on a whole new level by opening my eyes to my own selfishness and inconsiderateness about the outcome of the environment. However, during the excursion, I did feel my ecological footprint going down by partaking in the walk as walking does not consume any gas or electricity as well as I did utilize the bus transportation that the school provided; thereby saving gas and miles on my own vehicle.

When I want to relax, the first thing on my mind is to binge watch shows or videos through my TV, computer, phone or tablet which all wastes electricity in one way or another. I don’t really think about going outside, taking a walk or enjoying the outdoors like I should, but now that I have been on this tour of the preserve, I want to change that. Ever since that day, I have been taking strolls to clear my mind in times of stress, lap swimming instead of using the gym for exercise and limiting myself in terms of electronic usage. 

References

Maravilla, Marissa. 2015. JPEG File. 

A couple of turtles sunbathing on a log in the lake.

Tillandsia Fasciculata.

One of the maps posted throughout the trail of your current location.

The beautiful lake in front of the outdoor theater.

Guide of all the potential animals that might be seen at the Six Mile Cypress.

"You learn that if you sit down in the woods and wait something happens" - Henry David Thoreau

The momma hog looking for food for her and her piglets.

A couple of White Heron fishing for their dinner.

Campus Trail Walk

The nature walk on Wednesday was very exciting. Matt, our tour guide, seemed to be very knowledgeable and passionate about the environment surrounding our campus.  I do not get the chance to be outside as much as I would like due to school, work, volunteer, extracurricular activities etc. so it was a nice change of pace to step away from life’s everyday stresses and to clear my mind. What I learned from the Campus Walk was that we have 3 different yet linked ecosystems right here at Florida Gulf Coast University; Pine Uplands, Oak Hammock and Cypress Dome. One could not only see the variance between the 3 ecosystems, but also feel the transformation through the soil on the ground and this, I believe, plays a key role in sustainability. Pine Uplands has a dry, sturdy ground while Oak Hammock’s soil becomes a little more soft and spongy and the terrain of Cypress Dome was so mushy that it resembled mud.

The most interesting on the Campus Walk was when we learned that fires are actually beneficial for forestation. I was taught growing up, from Smokey Bear, that “only you can prevent wildfires” so I assumed forest fires were dangerous and unsuitable for the environment; however, Matt explained that fires actually help the field grow new plants and are required for pine trees to be able to spread. I can honestly say that I know little to nothing when it comes to plants, animals and nature in general so a majority of the information talked about was new to me. Some new knowledge that I did grasp onto was when we came across the Malluka tree. The Malluka tree is a paper tree from Australia that is invasive meaning the tree can change the environment around them and that it specializes in soaking up water. I had no idea that this single tree had so many functions and was right in FGCU’s backyard.

I think the walk helped me develop my sense of place because I was able to connect the surroundings of the nature trail with my senses. The feel of the sun on my face, the rough and smooth textures of the land, the color of the sky at sunset, the fragrance of the plants, the sound of the birds chirping, and the crunching of the leafs from cautious mammals. Thanks to FGCU’s high regard for the environment by maintaining well care of the nature area it has become an essential extension of the natural world by revealing the individuality of those who reside there and allow those to create a deep sense of belonging.

My favorite place on campus would be the library lawn; at home, my backyard pool; in my community, the beaches. Every place has its own charm so if a place is offering me an opportunity to experience something I am not used to, that is what attracts me to a place and helps me understand my sense of place.

References

Maravilla, Marissa. 2015. JPEG file.

The lake under the bridge behind Whitaker Hall 

Entrance to FGCU's Nature Trail

Trees that were previously burned in a fire

Handmade hole found during Nature Trail

My Sense of Place

At first, I thought this class was going to be mainly about the environment and what we can do as a whole to improve it. I had an idea that this class was also going to consist of a decent amount of writing as this course is considered a writing intensive course at Florida Gulf Coast University. 

When I was reading about Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment by Richard Louv, I related enormously to their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD studies for the reason that I have ADHD myself. ADHD is a condition with a persistent pattern of inattention, restlessness, hyperactivity, and/ or impulsiveness. In this reading, studies suggest that “nature may be useful as a therapy” for those with ADHD (Louv 2). I agree completely with that statement as my sense of place is the beach. The beach makes me feel at peace; everything about it from the sound of the waves washing upon the shore, the smell of the salt water, the warmth of the sun on my skin to the soft sand in between my toes helps me not think about my life stresses and live in the moment. Stephen Kaplan confirms this in the journal Monitor on Psychology “If you can find an environment where the attention is automatic, you allow directed attention to rest. And that means an environment that is strong on fascination. The fascination factor associated with nature is restorative, and it helps relieve people from directed-attention fatigue” (Louv 6).

            While reading Woody Allen’s biphobia case on Love it or Lose It: The Coming Biophilia Revolution by David Orr, I noticed, not just people with biophobia, but our society as a whole is relying a lot more on technology and not so much on nature than ever before, especially the upcoming generation. When I was a child, times were a lot simpler back then. I remember coming home from school and playing outside until the sun went down or until the streetlights came on, with no desire to go back in. I was a very active and outdoor loving kid, but now I almost have to make myself go outside from time to time. Orr talks about how “biophilia is a series of choices, the first which has to do with the conduct of childhood and how the child’s imagination is woven into a home place. Practically, the cultivation of biophilia calls for the establishment of more natural places, places of mystery and adventure where children can roam, explore and imagine” (Orr 205). Back then, biophilia could be easily achieved, even though technology was just emerging, we as humans were not making it a priority or a necessity in everyday life, but now that is not the case. Now, we have to push children to go outside since video games, tablets, smartphones, and computers have taken over. The beach give me my sense of place because I feel a strong connection and gratitude for the natural world there; and as Gray Snyder wrote on recovering our sense of place, “it means finding our place and digging in” (Orr 206).

References

Louv, Richard. "Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment." Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 2005. 1-14. Print.

Orr, David W. "Love It or Lose It: The Coming Biophilia Revolution." Earth in Mind: On Education,Environment, and the Human Prospect. Washington, DC: Island, 1994. 186-211. Print.

Stephens, Renee. “Aruba Ariba.” 2015. JPEG file.