Class Review & Final Thoughts

Dr. Morris,

I feel the class was conducted perfectly. I really enjoyed the class and now feel a better "sense of place." Keep your current strategy for future classes. Thanks again for a great semester!

Kyle

Sanibel-Captiva Urbanization

This past weekend, my family and I took a road cycling ride starting from the Sanibel Causeway and all the way through Blind Pass. Although I'm from this area and I take fishing trips in Pine Island Sound every weekend, this was my first time discovering the entire inner Sanibel landscape. While riding, I couldn't believe how many mansions, perfectly manicured yards, golf courses, and development surrounds the area. I expected big homes and some small shopping centers, but I was dumbfounded how much we've manipulated the island. It's no wonder why red tide and environmental problems on the island are escalating. Pesticides, wastewater, and pollutants destroy the surrounding seagrass beds, mangroves, and bays. As a result, we've seen an increase in fish kills in the past several years (especially during the housing boom). As we came closer to Blind Pass, large mansions lined up the beaches. I questioned, how did these people get away with building these homes on environmentally critical areas? Why would Sanibel conservation groups tolerate million dollar construction projects on their beaches? Sanibel is a perfect example of how money has blinded us to destroy our remaining natural places. Our local and state government needs to push a strict agenda towards conserving our beaches and protecting them from private companies and individuals who seek to make profits by exploiting the land. We need to understand our place in the world and the importance of preserving Florida's ecosystems.

Understanding Ft.Myers

Before visiting downtown Ft.Myers, I never stopped to think and appreciate our city's rich history. Looking out at the Caloosahatchee River, I envisioned Calusa Indian canoes searching for fish. Walking down First Street, I can imagine the great cattle drives to Punta Rassa. Every corner of Ft.Myers seemed to have a story that can teach us important history lessons. Unfortunately, many young students and adults in our area are unaware of their city's past. An uneducated society that doesn't even know their own city's history, can be doomed to repeat past mistakes. The Caloosahatchee River is a prime example of this. Before the Caloosahatchee reached its current state, the river was in a natural meandering phase. When Ft.Myers experienced population growth and became a popular area for trade and business, the river was altered by man's decision to "straighten" the waterway. This was done for easier transportation to encourage people to visit the area. After decades, the wildlife and fish populations dropped drastically and became one of America's most endangered rivers. Today, the river has not shown any steady improvement. Because of dumping agriculture waste and releasing nutrient-rich freshwater, the river is struggling even more. If people in our area were more aware of the origin of the Caloosahatchee River's downfall, we would not continue to support the current pollution agenda. Understanding our city's history and becoming informed citizens is an important step towards a healthy, sustainable future for us and the environment.
Not only do history lessons matter, the city lifestyle can teach us to survive locally and hence, a more effective and sustainable society. Less traveling leads to less greenhouse gas emissions, city-living promotes a steady local economy, and a "sense of place" is established. This field trip helped me realize how important it really is to understand the history and benefits of a city.

Forest Management & Camp Caloosa

On Thursday, I volunteered at Camp Caloosa to assist in removing exotic tree and plant species found at Camp Caloosa. Camp Caloosa is located next to Babcock Ranch and is mainly made up of Pine flatwoods. Just like most of the woods here locally, the land is infested with melaleuca trees, Brazilian peppers, Australian pine, and invasive plant species. Our guide and forester, introduced the class to the primary exotic species that have taken over South Florida, their impact on the land, and how to properly exterminate them without stimulating even more growth (from spreading seeds). Once we reviewed the basics and were able to identify the "unwanted" trees and plants, we had the opportunity to cut down the invasive species with machetes and saws. After several hours of cutting down a thick area of melaleuca trees, we noticed a huge difference. The area seemed more open and capable of providing a habitat for wildlife. Thick clumps of melaleuca and other exotic trees prevents Florida Panthers, Gopher Tortoises, Bobcats, White-tailed Deer, and other keystone species from living in the area. We witnessed several areas that have been managed using controlled fire burns that destroy dead pine and invasive plant/tree species. These areas now support a wide variety of wildlife and has reached its original state (before the invasive plants have taken over). Forest Management is an important field in maintaining a healthy woodlands environment and here in Southwest Florida, we need to make sure we properly exterminate exotic trees to sustain native plant growth.