Reflective entry on Corkscrew field trip. What are the distinct ecosystems that you saw on the trip? What “ecosystem services” do they provide? Think about the living machine. What are conservation and stewardship? What is the role of private non-profits in these two endeavors? How can like-minded people affect change? How/why does civic engagement factor into this? What was the motivation to preserve this particular acreage? What is the proper role of government, if any? From an ecological perspective, why not just bulldoze and build condos?

Prairies, Alligator Flags, Airplants, Cypress

The trip to Corkscrew was great and a lot of fun. I think it’s a nice area to just come and relax and learn a bit about a neat part of Florida. The distinct ecosystems I saw on the trip were the pine flatwoods, prairies, and cypress (which was my favorite because it was the coolest; the other two were so hot). The pine flatwoods were quite interesting; one side was full and flourishing while the other pretty much seemed as if it was seeing its last days. It looked dry and dead. The ecosystem services the pines provided was home to many different animals. Then there is also this concept of burning parts of the pine which happens occasionally to help the pines grow. The ecosystem services the prairies provide are pretty much home and food to many animals. The ecosystem services the cypress provides are nice cool shelters for many animals as we saw two baby alligators, many birds and insects.

The living machine was pretty cool. Yucky at first as the tour guides began to speak about the use of the bathrooms contributing to something great until I fully understood. The living machine purifies the water used at the sanctuary. Conservation is the process of conserving and stewardship is managing something. These two terms best describe the motive of the living machines. They conserve and manage water use while at the same time purifying it. The sanctuary as a whole also exemplifies the concept of conservation and stewardship in that it was built around what was already growing there, it being built there saved this land from being destroyed and someone putting homes up or some type of business, and the fact that the boardwalk is made of Ipe which is a type of reusable wood.

Like-minded people can affect change by nothing more than their actions. Environmentalist and others that fall into that categories and others like it all are affecting change by simply educating others, getting out and getting others involved, discovering new and better ways to receive resources, encouraging the three “R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle), and just by playing their part in the environment publicly.

Civic engagement factors into this because it is “working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.” In other words liked minded people are coming together and working to make a difference in and for their communities.

The motivation to preserve this particular acreage was to preserve the habitat and the cypress. I think the government’s proper role here is to ensure and monitor the preservation of our lands. Create laws to save our earth and restrict and cap the amount of buildings on certain lands.

From an ecological perspective we should not just bulldoze and build condos because we would be destroying the cypress and many habits that too help us as human beings. Bulldozing would be a terrible idea.