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Journal 8 Post Conceptions

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  At the beginning of this course, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be taking University Colloquium. As I mentioned in my first blog post, I thought it was just another general education requirement. I figured I’d check the box, go on some field trips, and maybe hear a bit about nature. Coming from a Construction Management background, I had already taken a sustainable construction class and assumed I had covered everything I needed to know about protecting the environment. But after going through this course, I realize I was only seeing a small piece of a much bigger picture. One of the biggest shifts in my perspective came from seeing how students from other majors think about environmental issues. In construction, we focus on materials, energy usage, and building codes. But when I heard from students in environmental studies, marine biology, or even business majors, I started to understand how different fields approach the same issues in completely different ways. That kind of cro...
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Journal 7 Downtown

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Journal 7: Downtown Fort Myers 1. Learning from the Field Trip (25 points) Our field trip through downtown Fort Myers was an insightful journey into the intersection of sustainability, urban planning, environmental awareness, and cultural preservation. We visited ten key stations, each providing unique lessons about the city’s history, community planning, and sustainable development. Stop #1 - Alternative History Mural At the mural, I learned about the importance of inclusive storytelling. The artwork highlighted underrepresented communities and challenged us to rethink the narratives we often see in public spaces. It reminded me that sustainability isn't just about the environment—it's also about social equity and historical truth. Stop #2 - First Street Redesign Here we saw how the city redesigned First Street to encourage walkability and community interaction. The wider sidewalks, shade trees, and pedestrian-friendly areas show an investment in human-centered urban design....
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Journal 5 - Pachamama Alliance - Awakening the Dreamer Project

Pachamama Alliance - Awakening the Dreamer Project 1. Summarize here your detailed reflection of each of the four stages of  Awakening the Dreamer Course This stage lays the foundation by examining the current state of the world—social, environmental, and spiritual. It highlights pressing global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, and economic inequality. The course explores how these challenges stem from a worldview rooted in separation, consumerism, and short-term thinking. This stage is a wake-up call. It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about how human actions are impacting the planet and people. It challenges the idea that technological progress alone will save us and instead calls for a fundamental shift in our mindset. Here, the focus is on the historical and cultural factors that led to our current global crisis. It examines the dominant "dream" of the modern world—one based on materialism, economic growth at any cost, and a d...
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 Journal 6 Waste to Energy Plant This past week, our class took a fascinating field trip to the Lee County Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Fort Myers, Florida. Our tour was led by Tom, who provided us with an in-depth explanation of the plant’s mission and operational processes, giving us a firsthand look at how sustainability is being integrated into waste management. The primary goal of the Lee County Waste-to-Energy plant is to provide a sustainable solution to solid waste management. Rather than simply sending garbage to a landfill, the plant transforms waste into renewable energy. The process begins when solid waste, collected from residential and commercial sources, is delivered to the facility. Large dozers push the waste into a designated area, where cranes scoop it up and feed it into large furnaces. Once inside, the waste is burned at extremely high temperatures, and the heat generated is used to produce steam. This steam is used to power a turbine, which then generates el...
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Journal 4 ECHO Food Farms

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Before starting the field trip, I learned that ECHO is a Christian charity organization that focuses on helping people in developing countries, particularly those in harsh climates, to improve their agricultural practices. They provide practical solutions to challenges faced by farmers, such as raising livestock, building homes without the use of heavy machinery, and finding safe, drinkable water. Initially, I had understood that ECHO's focus was on alleviating hunger, but the more I learned, the more I realized that their mission extends beyond food security to include improving overall living conditions through sustainable practices. E.C.H.O. stands for Educational Concerns for Haiti Organization . However, the organization’s work spans far beyond Haiti, with initiatives that stretch across the globe. The mission of ECHO is to transform the world by honoring God through practical and sustainable agricultural solutions. They aim to empower communities in underserved areas by te...
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 Field Trip 3 CREW  From each station I learned the importance of having dedicated land to our environment as it allows space for animals to live in peace, a place for water to be stored and slowly reenter the surounding ecosystem without flooding, and act as a space for learning and mental wellness. Like how the pinewood flats are burned every so often to reduce over growth and return nutrients to the soil. Or the seasonal/sawgrass marsh and how it regulated the water into the earth to be absorbed by different environments. They also both act as areas for wild birds, panthers, fish, and more organisms to thrive. Nothin too specific I learned, mostly just about each type of environemnt contained within the CREW watershead. Each group had a different SDG our group was #11 sustainable cities and communities. We talked about how not every spot on earth can be an urban slum. And the CREW area allows a place for water to congregate without flooding or causing damage, as well as, a ...
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Journal 2

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So this past Thursday we went on our first field trip the nature walk of FGCU campus, and the wet walk. We started our walk at the "Pot belly" trash compactor. Which used to be a self compacting garbage can that would condense all trash withing the can to reduce the amount of bugs and wildlife that could get into the can. Obviously it is bad for wildlife like raccons and opposums to be surviving off our scraps, as they cause our trash too be spread all over the place. But since the trash can has been replaced there is now a recycling and trash can in loo of the pot belly trash can. But the casing is made from recycled plastics, which is good for sustainability. After the trash cans, our tour led us to the FGCU coolant plant. The school has a large remote cooling plant which pumps chilled air to all the buildings on campus minus SOVI. In exchange of a regular HVAC system the school has a large collection of chilled cylinders which chill the air which is blown through, and the ...
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