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| FGCU's Food Forest |
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| Our Professor, Mrs.Mendes, educating us on what the Food Forest has to offer. |
Although skeptical at first, I found the wet walk and food
forest to be quite informative and interesting. I was somewhat fearful of
entering the water in the beginning of the wet walk but as we got further into
the water my fears subsided. When we arrived into the heart of the Cypress Dome
I was pleasantly surprised at the serenity I felt. I am impressed with the fact
that FGCU had the foresight to develop this example of a permaculture, known as
the food forest, on the grounds of a bustling college campus. I wish that more
of the student body would take advantage of the free and healthy food that is
available at their fingertips. I can see the value of developing these
stainable food systems. They are healthier for the environment than the
traditional agricultural methods. The foods they produce are safer for
consumption than the non-organic, pesticide-ridden food processed by the modern
food industry. The length of time that it takes for a pineapple to grow, 2
years, was fascinating to learn. What was even more surprising was that you could
grow a pineapple tree by simply planting the stout-stem into the ground. I
never realized how much moisture banana trees needed to flourish. That’s why
they are planted in the lowest elevation the food forest has to offer.
After gaining more knowledge from the food forest tour, I
have come to realize the healthier alternatives there are to my normal diet. It
is unfortunate that so many people don’t recognize some of the drawbacks and
dangers, both to the individual and environment, which the modern food industry
presents. In the future will be more
conscious when making decisions about selecting fruits and vegetables. How and
where they are grown have become important questions to me. Research and
development regarding the resources needed to feed the words exploding
population must become a priority.
The concept of the food forest and the Cypress Dome are
excellent examples of FGCU’s commitment to sustainability. Though the campus is
experiencing rapid growth, it is imperative that places like food forest and
Cypress Dome are left intact and unspoiled. Our recent class discussion,
regarding the rapid growth and the need for preservation in Southwest Florida,
is a prime example of the challenges related to sustainability. If goals of
preservation are not being developed and emphasized than Southwest Florida’s
precious ecosystem and natural beauty will be at serious risk.
After the wet walk to the Cypress Dome I felt, firsthand,
the restorative powers nature has on the human body. This experience correlated
well with Richard Louv’s book “Last child
in the woods.” I came away with the feeling that I was one of the children
Louv described in his book. In the technology driven world we live in too much
time, in the current generation of young people, has been spent inside. This
has led to an epidemic of the Nature Deficit Disorder. As an aspiring
Elementary school Teacher I hope to educate the importance of sustainability to
my children. Their generation will be the one that is affected the most, as
they become the caretakers of our fragile planet.
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