Colloquium Journal
Fall 2010
Christina Rodriguez
Saturday, 28 August
Journal Entry 1
Module 1
Being a senior at Florida Gulf Coast University, I have heard so many different things pertaining to this course, from how difficult it is to the amount of work required. Obviously every student is required to take it in order to graduate, but I am excited to finally learn about the ecosystem which surrounds me every single day and am also somewhat hesitant to what kind of activities and work we will have to do. I live right across from the Estero Bay Preserve, and to be honest, before doing some research regarding our first field trip, I had no clue! Of course this makes me feel ignorant, but I am glad that the beginning of this course has already taught me that much so far. I am expecting to learn all of the different species of animals that live around me along with the history of the Everglades. I take frequent trips across the Everglades and will finally be able to have some knowledge regarding it.
As I continue to work on the facts regarding my first “home-field trip,” I am looking forward to learning more about the animal and plant life that surround me.
Wednesday, 1 September
Journal Entry 2
Module 1
After initially reviewing the questions about the first field trip, I realized it would be somewhat difficult to figure out these answers on my own! Since I live at home, I am going to have to ask my mom for most of the answers. The questions that I am so far able to answer on my own are:
9. What household chemicals & agents do you store? Where & how do you store them?
o Bleach
o Laundry detergent
o Pledge
o Windex
o Joy dishwashing liquid (environmentally friendly)
o All household chemicals are stored in the laundry room in cabinets
10. What other creatures live in and around your home? Make a detailed inventory?
Since my house is located on a narrow canal with Gulf access and is directly facing the Estero Bay Preserve, you can only imagine the creatures that live around, or occasionally visit my home! I was able to figure out most of them on my own, but did get some help from a website which gives information about the Estero Bay Preserve!
Fish:
o Snook
o Cat Fish
o Stingrays
Reptiles:
o Alligators
o Turtles
o Crocodiles
o Snakes
o Frogs
Birds:
o Bald Eagle
o Egret
o Heron
o Brown Pelican
Mammals:
o Squirrels
o Possums
o Manatees
o Raccoons
(Stafford, par. 8)
Stafford, H. (2010). Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved August 28, 2010, from My Florida: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/estero/info.htm
11. Finally, ask yourself the question of what constitutes a natural versus an unnatural environment. Is your home a natural or unnatural environment?
I think that a natural environment is one which is comprised of all things existing naturally on earth; a natural environment is also thought of as the environment, which can also consist of non-living things as well. For me, an unnatural environment is one where there is no consideration for the environment, e.g. not recycling, making no attempt to better your surroundings for the environment.
I believe that my home does have many attributes which help our environment. I would say that my home is a natural environment because of that fact that I live about ten feet from the Estero Bay Preserve, and the community in which I live in has strict regulations and laws that each resident has to abide by regarding building a home and maintaining it.
12. Are you "of nature" or "apart" from it? What makes you think that?
I would definitely have to say that I am “of nature” 100%. Sitting on my balcony alone I can hear the fish jumping up from the water and making an incredible splash at any time of day or night, driving down my neighborhood I can see snakes slithering across the asphalt, and attempting to enter my front door the enormously large frogs get a scare out of me.
 |
A racer snake (known to bite their prey and hold on) eating what seems to be a bull frog. The frog put up a fight for awhile, but the racer won in the end! |
Saturday, 4 September
Journal Entry 3
Module 1
The questions which I was unable to figure out are the ones listed below. I was quite intrigued by many of my mom’s answers, because if it weren’t for this field trip, I would have never known a majority of these questions!
1. How old is the house?
o Four Years old
2. Of what materials is it constructed?
o Wood and concrete block
3. How environmentally efficient is the house in terms of insulation, use of energy efficient appliances, air conditioning & heating, etc.?
Insulation: Energy Efficient Insulation
o Insulation material which creates an air-seal that minimizes air leakage in order for moister control
o Energy savings up to 50%
o Keeps hot air out and cool air in
Energy efficient appliances:
o High efficiency washing machine: washes clothes using reduced levels of energy and water
o About 40% less water is used
o Air Conditioner: Continually monitors the indoor temperature
4. How much space is in the home, and how many people are living there?
o Under air: 4,800 sq
o Four people
5. How close is your home to your work, school, etc.?
o Fifteen minutes from school
o Twenty minutes from work
6. How is your house landscaped?
o Shade trees
o Shrubs
o Pines
7. How much yard do you maintain, and does yard maintenance require the use of chemicals or gasoline - powered equipment?
o Yard is maintained once a week in the summer and twice a month in the winter
o Yes, fertilizers are used to maintain the lawn
8. Do you have a pool that you maintain and utilize? If so, what chemicals are you handling & storing to keep the pool clean?
o Yes
o Salt-water pool system: the generator creates chlorine using salt, but creates less chlorine than chlorine tablets
o There are no chemicals in the house stored because there is a pool maintenance company that comes twice a month
Monday, 6 September
Journal Entry 4
Module 1
After reviewing the Earthweek Diary, it was very informative to read the articles they have on their website. I did my post on invasive species because I have heard on the news consistently about how they are a threat to the natural plants and animals that inhabit the Everglades.
What was really interesting was finding out how the invasive specie the Burmese python had entered the Everglades, by their own pet owners! I don’t think that people realize the responsibility of owning a pet like this and are selfish in thinking that they can just take care of their problem by unleashing it into the wild! They are even eating the native alligators, which is what the Everglades is primarily known for.
Friday, 10 September
Journal Entry 5
Module 1
I am a huge fan of the show Escape to Chimp Eden on Animal Planet. My sister is the one who got me into watching it because she absolutely loves animals and the discovery channel and all that kind of stuff. After watching a couple of episodes of it (unwillingly, but my sister refused to change the channel), I was obsessed! This is why when I was in the process of making one of my posts today on the forum for Earthweek and browsing through the articles on the website, I had to post about the Chimpanzees of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It was up-hauling to read about bush-meat hunting and the killing of the chimps for their meat. Not only that, but how this could possibly lead to their extinction! Watching these Chimps on the show has made me fall in love with them as a specie altogether! They each have their own personalities and interact with each other in such a miraculous way. I really hope that this issue in this part of the world can be taken care of before they become extinct in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, how sad and devastating would that be?
A quick fun fact: Chimps are the only animals that can recognize themselves in the mirror!
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