blog 10

I can't believe colloquium is over! I actually really liked this class and learned a lot. The field trips were pretty cool too. I made a few friends in this class which is always nice because as a part time student, I am not on campus much to have an opportunity to meet people. I am really glad that this class is mandatory because I think even the most close minded person would learn SOMETHING new. I have already applied a little of what I've learned to my garden. I am also planning on buying a moringa tree because not only would it be beneficial to me but it is extremely beneficial to the surrounding environment.
Thanks for being an awesome professor! Have a good rest of your summer!

blog 9

I was talking to someone about hurricanes last night and apparently Naples is hit by some sort of hurricane or tropical storm on average every 7 years. Allegedly we are way over due! I think it would be awesome to have a small hurricane hit Naples. I love weather and would love to experience a hurricane! I have so much stuff stocked up incase of a hurricane or some other kind of bad weather. We have a water cooler so we always have atleast 2 extra filled 5 gallon water jugs. We also have a small stockpile of canned goods, ramen and other items that have a fairly long shelf life. We have a ton of camping supplies that would come in handy including lanterns and flashlights as well as a coleman camping stove with extra fuel. I don't want a HUGE hurricane, but a cat 1 would be fun I think!

Blog 8

My fiancé, Travis, is in law school and had to do a presentation on Florida law changes related to wildlife. He discussed topics such as the recent change in fishing laws such as the restriction lifted for hunting lion fish, size restrictions on keeping certain kinds of fish, and the impact of invasive species. For his presentation he wanted to bring in a box full of cane toads. Cane toads are an invasive species that were brought to Florida to keep sugarcane pest free. The cane toads did not fulfill their purpose and began to reproduce at an astonishing speed. They have poison glands and no natural predators. They wipe out native species and eat just about anything including their own species. They have taken over many areas of Florida and are starting to overpopulate. They are poisonous which causes problems for me because I have two dogs that I walk at night when the toads come out. My dogs were not interested in them before but their curiosity is increasing. The toads blend into the grass so it is hard for me to see them. If either of my dogs got close enough to a toad they could get it in their mouth and come in contact with the poison or the toad could squirt his poison and it could get into the dogs eyes or nose. Al of these would cause excruciating pain for my dogs and most likely result in death.
So last night we went out again to collect cane toads from our yard. It is scary how many there are despite that we go out on a regular basis to remove them. A year ago they were not in our area and now they are EVERYWHERE! It is scary because they are poisonous to us too.

Colloquium Blog 7

I briefly talked with my sister about the dead zone just off the coast of New Orleans. She used to live there so I was curious how aware of it she was. She said pretty much everyone in New Orleans knows about it but their attitude is "it is what it is". It seems like people don't really think about it because they can't really do anything directly or immediately about it. Obviously that is not a good outlook on a bad situation but it was interesting to learn about how the people nearest the situation react to it.

Colloquium Blog

I am currently in London on vacation and while walking through the city I made some interesting observations. First, the Thames river is disgusting! There is so much litter that they have floating contraptions with fence like bars that sit partially above and below the water to catch some of the litter. It is only about 4 or 5 feet across so it has a very minor effect but I suppose catching some of the litter is better than none at all. Second, while sight seeing a read a sign explaining that a beautiful old statue was being destroyed by the nearby round about because of the pollution from the tons of cars going by. Lastly, almost everyone that I have seen so far in London smokes. As a result there are tons of cigarette butts on the ground. This is not only gross but I learned at the Naples conservancy that a cigarette butt will not degrade for 5 years. So all of those cigarette butts will still be around somewhere for the next 5 years. They also probably get into the waterways and other unwanted places. You would think that as an island-yes a very big island but still an island, that they would try and take care of their environment a little more because if they destroy this environment, they will no longer have a place to inhabit.

Colloquium blog 5

I can not get enough of the book "A Land Remembered." I think it is my new favorite book. It makes me want to just trek East and find a completely secluded and isolated place to stay for a while. I love the hard work and dedication that help the characters meet their goals and without there is no way they would have the will to survive. I am inspired by the gardens and orange trees and the incredible journeys they go on to sell their cattle. I absolutely can not put down this and will be quite upset when it is over. I think I like it so much because it shows how life used to be so basic and survival was based on hard work, not going to the grocery store. It also shows us how much has changed since people first started to inhabit Florida. I think it is easier to relate to because I live in Florida, and I have always been fascinated by native Florida plants and wildlife.

blog 4

Our field trip the other day to Lover's Key State Park was awesome! I had been by it a bunch but never actually visited the park. Amy and I had so much fun looking for shells and taking pictures of all the wildlife we saw. We saw an several osprey, one of which was sitting in a massive nest. We also saw pelicans sitting on the water looking for fish, a starfish in a tidal pool, and a stingray. I love that Lover's Key is so secluded. It has everything that other beaches have except it is not destroyed by litter and tourists and people taking it for granted. There was so much wildlife that you don't see on other beaches.
I was previously unaware that mangroves had such an impact on the environment. I also thought that the way mangroves spread seeds by letting them float in the water with attached nutrients was interesting. That explains why you always see little pieces of mangrove floating in the ocean when you swim.