ECHO (a place to grow seeds and so much more)

Me :)

As it is in every case of having to get up to go on a "field trip" on our normal day off of class, I was absolutely dreading taking a tour of a farm. Especially a place that says to allow for a minimum of 2 hours for the whole experience. And, add in the 92 degree forecast and the trifecta of misery was there in front of my eyes. However, I can honestly say I'm glad I got the chance to experience this place. ECHO is everything that farming and a non-profit organization should be.

While walking around during our tour, we were showed different examples of farming and food production. One thing that really stuck out to me was the farming of the blue tilapia fish. The idea for the use of duck waste to produce algae to feed the fish so that they can grow and become food for people in different kinds of areas, is absolutely ingenious. Our tour guide also showed us the simulated roof-top garden. This garden uses thrown away tires, buckets and pieces of carpet. The use of these pieces of "junk" is brilliant and makes me wonder why more American's (or even more people around the world) don't see that it is so easy to have this sort of garden.

My friend Alyssa with the Moringa seeds, these
seeds are used to help purify water and  to supply
substantial nutrition to people in need 

I feel like American agriculture is so different from what ECHO is doing on their 50 acres of land. American agriculture is different because it is used for a different reason. ECHO farms (in my understanding) to send the seeds of the plants they are sowing to impoverished countries. American agriculture is used to farm food to ship to different states and sometimes even different countries.
I believe that American agriculture can take a slight lesson from the ECHO farm, but I'm not a farmer so I can't say exactly what can be changed. For example, I grew up (like most Floridians) around orange groves and strawberry fields and the farmers have never had an issue with production or selling of their goods. The only issue that I can remember in my short 22 years on this earth, is that when the weather turns to freezing (which is obviously only twice a year at the most) some farmers lose a portion of their crops. ECHO has a way of keeping frost from growing on their plants when a freeze warning is issued to the area. Maybe the American farmers can take note and use ECHO's plan as a way to save all of their crops. American farmers may be able to change over to "appropriate technology", that way they can be more economically and environmentally conscience. Appropriate technology can include solar powered heating implements, tractors or other farming equipment, lights, etc., bike and/or hand powered water pumps, and so much more.

ECHO is over all probably one of the most beneficial places I have ever visited. The experience was very nice and the information that I was given made the trip up there worth it. If I could do my service learning hours there I MOST DEFINITELY would, if it was the winter time and it wasn't 1000 degrees outside. I can always appreciate the outdoors and the beauty that God has created... to a point. :)

Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming is a way of farming in such a way that the conservation of the natural resource that is being used is kept for future generations to appreciate. When sustainable farming is used it conserves the land and water and helps protect wildlife from losing their homes and even their lives. To farm in this way is also economically viable and can be used in areas in a money crunch.

Personally I love the idea of organic and naturally grown foods. I make it a point to buy meat that is labelled with a naturally grown sticker so that I know that the animal I am about to cook and eat is not filled with unnatural (for these particular animals) hormones and other chemicals. Other organic foods, like my fruits and vegetables, are also important to me to purchase. I have an aversion to putting disgusting unnatural chemicals and preservatives into my body. The only thing that I find wrong with buying these organic and naturally grown foods is that the prices are rising more and more every time I step into the grocery store. Publix is doing a semi-good job of keeping their "Greenwise" organic products at a semi-reasonable price, but for a college student it is still a bit pricey.


IF there was space on the campus to grow my own vegetables and fruits I would jump at the opportunity! I was raised to spend money only when it was needed to be spent, and if I could save money on growing my own food it would be stupid not to take the chance to do it. :)

The Major Environmental Issue

In my opinion I think that the Earth is plagued with some pretty awful environmental issues. With the population of the world growing everyday, things are seemingly continuing to get worse. Some people say that the worse thing going on is global warming, in my opinion that's not true. I believe that the shortage of fresh water sources and water pollution are continuing to become a life threatening issue, not only to humans but to the wildlife as well. All over the world people are suffering from fresh water sources and are living with the diseases that are caused by drinking disease ridden water because that is all that is available to them. In Mexico City, just a gulf away from us, drinking anything but bottled water in even the richest places can earn you a trip to the hospital. In more than half of African countries water is so scarce that mothers have to choose between themselves and their children, and even then the water is so riddled with bacteria it doesn't really matter who actually gets the water or not.

If I was given $100 billion to work on this issue I would do a couple of things. The firs thing I would do is to take a page from the ECHO handbook and I would send the seeds of the Moringa tree to the areas in need. The seeds of this plants can be ground up and used to purify water (more on this tree in the next blog!). Another thing I would do is to send people to these places to educate the natives on how to catch catch and preserve even the smallest amount of rain water. Another thing they could be educated on is how to purify urine to become drinking water. The money I would be donated would be used to help the amount of people I could by purchasing and sending these supplies and educating them on how to survive on what the Earth and their bodies give them.


Being given this amount of money to work on this issue would be a dream come true, water is essential to even the smallest form of life and everyone deserves to have access to it.

Blog #2-- FGCU Nature Walk

As I was walking the FGCU nature trail I realized how absolutely beautiful just a small piece of land can actually be, especially while walking through an overgrown area of trees that kind of makes you feel like you're lost in Never Never Land. Coming as a transfer student from USF I can truly appreciate the amount of nature here, whether it be large or small, because Tampa is so over crowded with cars, buildings and people.

FGCU's eco-empowerment mission work can definitely be seen though out the campus, on and off the nature trail. There is a solar panel farm in the front of the school that helps support the electrical needs of the school, along with a few lakes that are a part of the school's watershed. The residential and academic buildings have window coverings to help eliminate the amount of heat that enters and escapes to keep the need of the air conditioning or heating units to a minimum. Walking around the main campus you can also see trash cans that are solar activated and recycling bins around every corner. FGCU does so much more to be their own sustainable eco-friendly environment and that makes me proud to be a part of this school.

Corkscrew Swamp Adventure :)

Planning our swamp adventure we took into consideration the time of day we were going to go. It didn't help anything because the 2 mile trail that we took was still blazing hot in the 10am Florida heat, but in the end it was well worth it.

There were five of us in the group and naturally when anyone sees five young adults they get a little weary and they told us the rules right away. While we were waiting to pay and getting ready for the boardwalk, the three of us girls had to use the restroom (we're girls, its inevitable). The Living Machine, which the name for the waste water disposable system, is how the Sanctuary preserves the area without adding the normal human interference of pipes and harsh chemicals. The Living Machine is a system that uses the waste water and product to enrich the soil and keep the area beautiful.


This beautiful piece of land is protected not only by the state of Florida, but also by the help and support of different donors and private non-profit organizations who make it possible for the volunteers and workers to do what they do everyday with the monetary support they give. The conservation of the land is to help protect the wildlife, the plants and the animals, from the future endeavors of those trying to bulldoze and build in the area. The conservation and stewardship of everyone is important because without any help from outsiders the land would have been gone years ago, and the future generations would never be able to experience the true beauty of the land. With the help of different people on the same path to help this land, nothing can damage what is there (at least in my opinion).

Many people come and go from the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary everyday. The pure natural atmosphere attracts all different ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds. Civic engagement is, in my opinion, one of the major reasons that people are drawn in to the Sanctuary. Field trips and class assignments allow for students to learn and understand what is going on in the area, and in some cases brings in volunteers and monetary donations. By word of mouth these students pass on what they saw on their trip to Corkscrew Swamp, and this can spark more research into the land, and even pass on the thought of another person making a trip to see what all the fuss is about. The term civic engagement is more of an umbrella term that is used describe activities and different circumstances that bring together a community. I think this term is perfect for explaining what the workers at the Sanctuary are trying to do.

This area is only slightly protected by the government because the state of Florida pretty much always has the final say in what happens with the land. However, the government's true role should be to work towards conservation of the area and the education of the people who live in the state on what they can do to help areas like this. Hopefully the government cane help to maintain the area, and keep it from being bulldozed to build condos for the growing state and particularly the growing area populations. This destruction of this area would not be helpful nor would it be smart. This area is a essential for water flow from other areas of the state to the ocean, if the land were built on then the water flow would be obstructed and would destroy more than one ecosystem.

All in all this little swamp adventure proved to be worth suffering in the heat and the deer fly bites. Especially since we got to see alligators, and they're kind of beautiful :)

Blog #1- Expectations and Sustainability

When I'm asked for my expectations for a class it makes me think harder than I normally care to think. My normal thought is that I want to be taught the things I need to know because that's what I'm paying obviously paying for. However, when I thought about this class I realized that I didn't actually know what I wanted to expect. I know that this class is about the environment and the world around me, and how I can see things in a more "green" state of mind. But, growing up with an environmental scientist for a father I already know all of that. Hopefully, this class can show me new and more efficient ways to be "green" and to appreciate nature and the beautiful world that we have on campus and in the surrounding areas.

To me sustainability is how every living thing survives. Plain and simple. Sustainability is when a living thing adapts and changes to work with the environment that it has been brought up around. My chosen field of study is athletic training and I feel that sustainability is a huge factor in keeping athletes healthy and playing at the top of their game. An athletic trainer should be able to adapt and change their ways to accommodate the specific environment in which they working. An inability to change or a huge ego are personal attitudes I believe a person cannot have in athletic training or even in the real world. These attitudes will not help someone sustain healthy relationships or lifestyles, which can cause them to not be able to keep their job and survive out in the real world.