An Interesting Feat (#2) Ugh. Walking through mud up to my knees was definitely not something that I was looking forward to while taking this course. Fortunately, it was the only uncomfortable aspect of our first field trip during the Campus Tour. I ended up learning quite a bit about the natural ecosystem that is part of Florida Gulf Coast University's campus. Our field guide discussed the devilish melaleuca and it's role in our campus environment as the foe to the mangrove; she pointed out to us the red lichen that was actively present on the majority of the mangroves. I learned that this specific type of lichen filters the air and the water surrounding it and makes it some of the cleanest water and air in the area. It was almost a little discouraging to see such a peaceful and thriving portion of land so close to such an urban school area. There was very distinct and ever-present noise pollution that brought down the morale of my experience. I would have preferred serenity and silence. Compared to a number of my other travels (Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina), I realized that silence is much more difficult to experience due to the urbanization of the majority of Florida within about a fifty mile radius of FGCU's campus. I think that if our field instructor was a bit more interactive with the class and we had performed at least one activity while on this tour, it would have been more significant to me. Just specifically explaining different components of the ecosystem was interesting, but the message and a number of the organisms and animals that she pointed out to us would have stuck with me more.
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