FGCU Food Forest Field Trip #1

     Today in class we went on our first field trip to the Food Forest at FGCU. I had no idea that the Food Forest was even there. I really enjoyed the little walk through the Food Forest, looking at all of the various types of plants growing there. It was interesting to see the different levels of the forest, starting with plants that were close to the ground, then plants at our eye level, and the plants higher above. Our tour guide stated that the plants inside the Food Forest would continue to grow by itself without needing much attention, which is good.
      I was thinking while walking through the forest that one day, when I move to a different place with a lot of land, I could plant my own things. Whether it is plants, vegetables or fruits, it's something that can save me money and it's an enjoyable experience. A person could also use this as income, as they could sell the products they grow.
      I particularly liked hearing about the specific kinds of plants that were edible. We were able to pick them off and eat them right there! It was neat because I wasn't expecting to be able to eat leaves or berries directly off a tree. Looking at the strawberries grow and seeing the bananas all curled up on the tree caught my attention. As Dr. Morris pointed out, bananas can only grow on one piece of the tree and when picked, they grow no more. That piece of information was intriguing because I never knew that. I just figured that they kept growing and people kept picking them, but that's clearly not the case. The Spanish Needles Shrub was cool to hear about. As the tour guide said, this specific shrub is native to Florida and can be of help in cases of ant bites, bee stings, etc.
     Another fact that caught my attention was the Papaya fruit tree. The tour guide explained that there can be a male tree, a female tree, or a male/female tree. When there is a male/female in one, the tree self-pollinates. On the other hand, when it's specifically a male or female tree, they take part of the cross-pollination.
     Overall, this experience was something new and something I'd definitely enjoy doing again!

Banana Tree!



Pigeon Pea Pod