Sabrina- Colloquium Journal 3

I was pleasantly surprised this week on our field trip at Six Mile Cypress. I actually plan on going back sometime and exploring some more. I really liked that I got to see an alligator and a hog! That was the best part for me to see them up close and in nature was great because the only time I’ve seen them is locked up in a zoo. We also got to see a snake, which was gross, but also very cool to see on this field trip. The importance of the preservation of the six mile cypress is to preserve such a large area and make sure that these animals, trees, and different aspects of nature that are so important to Southwest Florida are protected. I also really enjoyed all the quotes that were seen along the sides of the boardwalk. They really made great statements about the environment, nature, and where we were at that moment in time. We also got to stop and see a lot of bird sitting together by the water just living life. The picture below shows them:

This trip helped me in my understanding of sense of place because it showed me that animals have found their sense of place at the six-mile cypress. For example, I got to see an alligator in his natural home, a hog walking around where he lives in nature, and even a snake just sitting in a bunch of leaves doing nothing. It was also great for me because they weren’t in a zoo, they weren’t being watched, and they were just living in nature and not being bothered. It made me feel like they know their sense of place, and they are good examples of how everyone on this planet has a place here and belongs here. We should all be able to have a sense of place and figure out where exactly we belong on this planet.  This trip also really helped be understand the ecological imprint. The hogs, as our tour guide was telling us, have destroyed much of the six-mile cypress by de-rooting some of the ground and pulling up trees and roots looking for food etc. It’s crazy that even creatures that live in nature are destroying some of their home without realizing it. I feel like sometimes humans do that as well. We destroy the environment in little ways and in big ways and I feel like sometimes we don’t notice how much were destroying our environment when we do little things like neglect to recycle a water bottle or drive our cars around too much. This trip taught us all about sustainability in many different ways. The six-mile cypress is being preserved and protected. It’s also a way for our community to be sustainable and a trip to the six-mile cypress makes you want to become a more sustainable community because you get to see the beauty of nature and our wonderful environment all around you. Simply reading the quotes on the walkway made me want to lead a more sustainable life.

Below is a picture of me by the water when we first arrived and picture of the baby alligator I got to see during the trip which was my favorite part!!!