Lover's Key Field Trip

       On our trip to Lover’s Key State Park, it was more of a relaxing visit than the other field trips. While we still covered important information about the history of Lover’s Key State Park, the majority of the time that followed was exploring the beach ourselves. With the long stretch of the sand and the water right there in front of us, we were able to swim, lie out, observe the nature surrounding us, relax in the shade, or collect some neat shells.

       I had never been to Lover’s Key prior to our field trip, so I had no knowledge of the history involved. We began by talking about the beach itself. Years ago, Lover’s Key was only accessible by boat. Today, however, it is one of the four barrier islands that make up the park. A barrier island is defined as a long, narrow sand island that runs parallel to the main coast and its purpose is to protect the coast from erosion. It is separated from the mainland by either a lagoon or a bay. Animals such as dolphins, marsh rabbits, bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, manatees, and more are found at Lover’s Key State Park.

       Another big part of the beach is the mangroves. An interesting fact about mangroves is that they are able to grow in unstable, tough environments. They are able to survive in areas where the water is poor in oxygen content, in salt water, in fresh water, and in brackish water. We learned that there are three dominant types of mangroves: red, white, and black. The black mangrove is able to sustain high saline concentrations and the trees grow in isolated groups or woodland formations. They can reach up to 20-25 meters in height and about 40 centimeters in diameter. Something new I learned after researching about the mangroves is that the seeds are edible and can be very good in a meal but if you do not prepare the meal in a certain way, it can be harmful to your body. Mangroves are also able to expel the salt from the water and make it into water that is ok to drink. This helps them survive in areas such as Lover’s Key.

       The nice long walk after the introduction to Lover’s Key was very peaceful. I’ve always said my favorite place to go to clear my head is the beach. The beach just helps me relax and is definitely my sanctuary. I enjoyed this trip and would love to return.

Lover's Key

                                                                     Beautiful beach!

 

Fun in the sun

Downtown Fort Myers Trip

       Our class trip today took us to downtown Fort Myers. I have only been to Fort Myers a few times, but never to the downtown area where we were at today. We went over a lot of information and it was a bit overwhelming because there’s just so much history there that I had no idea about. The first place we started our tour was at the Farmer’s Market, which takes place every Thursday morning, under the bridge. My professor mentioned the word “localvore”, a term I’ve never heard of before. You can make sense of this word by knowing the meaning of herbivore and carnivore. A localvore is someone who consumes as much of their local food as they can. This can include fruits, vegetables, and other necessities. They had a variety of stands which caters to each person’s taste. There were pet treats, microgreen worm tea, flowers, fruit, vegetables, tropical fruit jars, homemade tomato sauce, BBQ , popcorn, local honey, and much more being sold. I found it neat because of the range of products they sold, as well as the affordable prices. This is also a great idea because those selling the products are making profit.

       The most interesting spot for me was at the fountain. There, we learned quite a bit about the Calusa people. They didn’t need jobs to support themselves because they would spend a couple of hours a day gathering fruits, vegetables, and fish. This helped to provide for their families and they didn’t have to work a long day. I learned that they were very artistic people, which I did not know before. Painting and being  creative is what they spent the rest of their day on. They were very religious as well.

       Along with the Calusa people, we talked about Thomas Edison and how he discovered Fort Myers. I thought this was interesting because I knew that he had invented the light bulb, but I was unaware that he found Fort Myers, too. He used to live up north, where he invented the light bulb. He used strips of bamboo fibers as a filament for the light bulb and that’s when he came to Fort Myers to find bamboo trees.

 

       The old buildings and the architecture of downtown Fort Myers reminds me of some areas in Georgia that I love to visit. It reminds me of a different time and a different attitude of the world and everything around us.

       All of the information we picked up on the way was intriguing and made the downtown Fort Myers area even more appealing to me. I did not know a lot of this before this trip and it opened my eyes to the environment and surroundings I have around me. It is definitely a trip I want to take again on my own time where I can explore further.

 

                                                                            Farmer's Market

                                                                             Fountain

Downtown Fort Myers

                                                                               Amazing site!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Land Remembered

When I first heard that we were going to be reading “A Land Remembered,” I didn’t think I would be the least bit interested in the book. However, once I began reading, I couldn’t put the book down. Particularly, the beginning of the book intrigued me the most. I liked the difference in times and how things were back then. Their way of living, the way they talked, their clothing, everything was so real and raw. When Tobias MacIvey moved to Florida from Georgia, he had to build his home and clothing and equipment out of nature. He loved and respected the environment around him at all times. He stayed true to his roots and stood up for what was right. In the beginning, when he came across three Indians, they were in trouble because a group of men were coming after them. When the Indians wanted to leave so that they would not cause Tobias trouble, Tobias stated, “No one will harm you at my place, I’ll see to that.” His kindness and generosity was so apparent.

Living back then, you had to be self-sufficient. Tobias was just that. Whatever he needed, he found or he made. He traded skins for other products that helped him create an efficient way of living. He killed animals to survive and made sure there was always something to eat for his family. His number one priority was his family and he knew that they deserved better.

While reading the book, I was thinking back to the field trips we have taken so far. ECHO is a great place to learn how to be self-sufficient. We were shown trees and plants that had multi purposes such as food and clothing, and building and clothing. Those who do what they need to do to survive can produce vegetables and fruits and efficient ways of living with little to no money. Their products can be fresh and a cheap way of making sure everyone has something to eat. Or they can be sold to make money to provide for your family as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the reading and learned so much. It’s made me change some ways about my life, one being the most common, recycling. I never paid much attention to it before but after reading this book and experiencing this class and the videos we’ve seen, I realize what the world may look like soon enough if nothing changes.

 

              Smith, P. (1984). A land remembered. Sarasota: Pineapple Press, Inc.