Reflecting on University Colloquium

I cannot believe that my Colloquium Class Experience has come to an end. I feel like it was just yesterday when Professor Borden taught me the concept of sustainability and sense of place. Now, after fourteen weeks, I am able to relate the concepts we learned to the green world around me. I find myself telling my family and friends the names of Southwest Florida species that I see when I am on the golf course. I am able to identify sabal palms, royal palms, Spanish moss, ball moss, mangroves, lichen, and more. Prior to Colloquium I was not able to put a name to an item in nature. I think the readings, essays, and teachings in Colloquium only increased my ecological perspective and sense of place with the natural world around me. I understand the concept of sustainability a lot more now and it is so important because it provides each individual with a significant purpose to live a “green” life. Society needs to become more proactive in the journey towards sustainability, the capacity to endure, and I feel like University Colloquium is a great way to start. I think learning about the urban “slum” communities struggle towards sustainability was an important concept taught in Colloquium because it proves to many individuals the global fight for a sustainable environment. I also thought it was important to learn about the invasion of exotic species such as the Burmese Python because those species create a larger problem in the environmental cycle of species.

The field trips were also great way for me to learn the concepts of University Colloquium and I now have a lot more knowledge of Southwest Florida’s environment. I was able to complete my service learning hours at The City of Naples Preserve where I restored one of three ecosystems (Pine Flatwoods) which I learned about during our field trip at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. The sanctuary had three ecosystems the boardwalk took us through and being able to take what I learned during that field trip about the Pine Flatwoods and applying it to my service learning was a great, enlightening moment for me. I like being able to apply what I learn to everyday moments in my life and I feel like University Colloquium gave me that opportunity daily.

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The Sunflowers at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary