Blog #14 - Debriefing

               I took University Colloquium because it was a requirement, but I learned things out of this class that took me by surprise and changed the way my family will be doing things on a continuous basis.  About 6 months prior to this class my family started to recycle our plastics, bottles, cans, and our newspapers.  We took this step because we realized that the things that could be recycled were just being thrown in the regular trash and it could be sitting in the landfills instead of being reused.  Also about 6 months ago instead of taking all the food items and placing them in the trash, I started taking putting them down a garbage disposal.  I live in an apartment so trying to make compost would not be practical.  We also got pepper and tomato plants and grew them to produce our own instead of buying them.  We got a few peppers and tomatoes so they were worth the time and effort it took to get them growing. 

                Academically I was surprised at all the things I’ve learned through the books and readings, the movies, the service learning and even the writings for the blogs and papers.  It is actually a scary prospect that researchers have stated over and over again at what we are doing to our earth and no one is really listening and doing anything concerning this gigantic issue.  I knew politics plays a large part of things, but until I read the article did I truly realize how drastic of a part it does play.  Until watching the movies, I really had no clue that we were fishing to the extent of extinction. 

                As for the future profession, I’m not sure how it would tie into criminal justice.  I’m currently working in a different field, HR/Payroll, that I can see how it would benefit the employees, the City, and the earth.  I have mentioned it to my boss and she agreed to look over the final presentation that I’m doing to see if we can use it in our place to promote recycling from within.  I believe this would be a great start. 

                I truly enjoyed exploring the new places and meeting interesting people.  I took hundreds of photos that are a joy to re-look at over and over.  I’ve enclosed a few of my favorites along with this posting…

Field Trip #5 - GTM - Guana Research Reserve

6/19/2011 – (GTM) Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve

                The GTM Educational Center had some amazing displays.  I participated in a Scavenger Hunt in which I had to find out how many birds were in the Estuary Diorama, what kinds of birds, are sharks teeth all the same, which animal hanging from the ceiling had the longest tail and strangest head, how many fish in the tanks, any animals in the Estuary Aquarium Tank that are not fish, different crabs and different types of sea beans.  The research center is filled with informational exhibits, aquariums, and an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve.  The Guana Reserve is over 60,000 acres that have the ocean, beaches, coastal scrub, saltmarsh and mangrove estuary, freshwater marsh, maritime hammock and pine flatwoods. 

                There were a few things that were interesting in the Research Center.  The animal models hanging from the ceiling were so realistic and I learned that only 3 of them were mammals.  I found the sea beans to be fascinating.  They have a display with these sea beans and interestingly enough they are not found in the sea.  They are actual seeds from tropical plants.  Many of these sea beans actually wash up on the beach and come from Africa, Asia, and Australia.  The display of the shark teeth was interesting also.  They had a display of what they called the Extinct Mega-toothed Shark teeth.  They were gigantic.  The image of the shark compared to a human is really scary.  It would look like us compared to a dime.  In the vision they showed the shark would be us and we would be the dime!  This shark is thought to be about 80 feet long. 

Field Trip #4 - Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens

6/25/2011 – Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens

                As I have never been here before I was so surprised at how beautiful this area was.  The Arboretum is about 120 acres and has many different eco-systems.  During 1941 to 1961 this area was the property of Humphries Gold Mining Company.  They strip-mined the area of zircon and the minerals to make titanium.  Without these nutrients and the organic matter, the soil became white sand.   In 1970 the City of Jacksonville attained the property as a buffer to the water reclamation facility.  The property sat idle for over 30 years and during this time it was allowed to run rampant.  A group of individuals saw the potential and created what is now a beautiful piece of nature.

                There are 6 different trails in which there is such a diverse amount of things to see.  During the 30 years the land sat idle it was able to become what it is today.  The eco-system was allowed to become a home for different species of bugs, animals, and plants.

 The Lake Loop Trail has a 25 foot elevation compared to the other trails.  This area wound around the lake in which I was able to observe different species.  I wasn’t able to determine what type of animal was swimming in the lake; however there was something that bobbed itself across the water which had a very long neck.  My kids swear it was the loc ness monster.   In this area there was an information box explaining there were many Bald Cypress Trees in this area and they were flood-tolerant. 

 The Jones Creek Trail has a unique are that is considered a bottomland of hardwood hammock.  This area was filled with numerous plants.  The information box that was located in this area stated that it may be the oldest natural community type in Florida.  This area changes between being wet and dry and the types of species that live in the area have to be able to live in both types of environments. This was my favorite trail as it had beautiful creeks, bridges and step evaluations to climb. 

Throughout the trails the scariest was the Rosemary Ridge Trail because this trail is home of snakes that live in the palmettos.  I rushed thru this area due to the snakes but also because it was the 1 area in which was “plain”.  I was able to see some trees that looked as if they had been there for thousands of years, totally being draped with moss.  It was an incredible sight to think how long this tree has lived. 

The Upper and Lower Ravine Trails also had so much to observe.  We were able to observe the strangest looking bug as it was huge when its wings were open and it was flying around.  When it landing on my son’s walking stick it tucked its wings in and looked like a fat oblong crawling bug.  I couldn't get a good picture to our disappointment. 

Field Trip #3 - part 2 - Timucuan Spanish Pond

6/12/2011 – Spanish Pond – Timucuan

                In the Timucuan area I came across the Spanish Pond walking trails. Totally by accident when I was looking for the other part of the field trip. This connects/intertwines to the Theodore Roosevelt Area.  I walked the trails for about 3 ½ miles and came across some spectacular views and interesting areas.  In the Theodore Roosevelt Area the Browne family lived in a two-story house that overlooked the marsh.  I came across the area that the Browne house once sat.  The Browne family lived off the land and the water, farming, commercial fishing, running a sawmill, and selling the oyster shells taken from Timucua Indian shell mounds. 

                The trails along Spanish Pond and Theodore Roosevelt Area wind thru a variety of habitats, including maritime hammocks, scrub vegetation, a freshwater swamp, and salt marsh.  There is a small wooden bridge that follows the trail that will lead to mounds of oyster shells that were left over from the Timucua Indians.  There were so many oyster shells that it was a sight to see.  I was amazed at how many there were.  You can tell most of them have been there for a really long time. 

                Speaking with another individual who was walking the trails I found out that it came out to an observation platform overlooking Round Marsh.  It was low tide so the marsh wasn’t high with water, but the view was beautiful.  I was able to see many of the mini crabs along the muddy portion of the marsh and view long legged storks.  I can't wait to go back when the tide is high as I would think the animal life would be very active. 

                This area shows that at one time individuals lived such a simpler life; one that included living off the land and the waterway that was so close.  It is a truely spectacular site to see. 

Field Trip #3 - Timucuan, Fort & Monument

6/5/2011 – Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Fort & Monument

                This trip turned out to be in 2 different locations, but closely located near each other.  The Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center and Fort Caroline were in the same location.  The visitor center had information regarding the Timucua Indians and how they lived on this land.  I think the most interesting aspect was the showcase of the dugout boat.  The Timucua Indians cut the tree, burned it and scraped the tree trunks to make these dugout canoes.  It was created using handmade tools that were made from natural materials.  These tools were on display and each had a small description next to it.  The use of handmade tools being made from natural materials is truly amazing.  The Timucua Indians really used the land as they hunted and gathered in the surrounding forests and marshes.  They fished in the waterway and collected oysters and clams.  These oyster shells are clearly visible along the St. Johns Rivers piled in mounds which proves how important the waterway was to these people.  It is amazing at how inventive people were in these times and used what they could find from nature. 

                The fort exhibit represents the lives and the deaths of the French colonists during the 1500’s.  Again, showing how important the water, the transportation this water allowed and the food they were able to salvage from it.  This is the first planned French settlement.  They built this fort in a triangular shape.   There were a lot of oak trees on a side of the fort, marsh on a side and the waterway on the longest side.  The people also lived in circular dwellings in which had palm-thatched roofs and walls that were made with woven vines caulked with clay.  This was so amazing to think that even then they created such unique homes.  There are cannons situated on each of the sidesin the fort in which to protect the people. 

                The Monument is a replica of the stone column that was erected by Jean Ribault of France during 1562.  His men placed this stone marker on a sandy knoll near the river’s mouth.   This showed all that he was the one who found and explored the area.   The stone column displays the coat of arms of the French King Charles IX.  Interestingly enough this monument was originally located on the land that is now Mayport Naval Station.  It became inaccessible to the general public and was moved in 1941.  However, it wasn’t until 1958 that the monument found the permanent spot in the Timucuan National Park.  It would have been interesting to see where exactly it was on Mayport Naval Station, but in research I didn't find anything. 

               

Field Trip #2 - Kinglsey Plantation

6/4/2011 – Kingsley Plantation

                Kingsley Plantation is truly amazing.  While following a dirt road to reach the destination of the plantation it seems you are totally surrounded by marsh, water, and vegetation.  It feels like you are so far away from civilization. It was settled by Zephaniah Kingsley in 1814 but was already established into a plantation.  The Kingsley Plantation is about 1,000 acres and is almost like an island in the way it is situated.   The front of the plantation home faces the Fort George River.  The waterway is the easiest way to get the crops to the market or to bring in supplies so most plantations were situated near one. 

 The first items you see when you reach the plantation is the slave quarters.  During the time there were 60 – 80 enslaved men, women, and children.  Each of these “homes” had a fireplace which is considered the main room.  There is another room that is considered the sleeping area.  The homes were built with tabby which is cooked oyster shells mixed with water and sand to make a cement mixture.  From the slave quarters to the main house are the fields that the slaves worked the crops.  Sea Island cotton is the main crop for this plantation; however sugar cane, corn, beans, and potatoes were also being tended to.        

There is a garden on the plantation that is in use during the spring, summer and the fall.  This garden provides crops such as the Sea Island cotton, indigo, sugar cane, peanuts, peas, pumpkins, potatoes, and okra.  They were marked with posts in ¼ acres.  The plantation tasks were measured in ¼ acres for the field workers.  Sea Island cotton was the biggest crop for money.  It is picked daily from late in July to December.  The slaves had to remove the seeds from the Sea Island cotton by hand and packing bales for shipment.

                They have a barn on the property in which they used for multiple uses, such as storage, the animals, and a work place.  The kitchen is a separate building because the plantation owners didn’t want to have the heat, the noise, smells, and the possibility of fires.  Kingsley Plantation was such a learning experience as to how they used the land and the animals they kept. 

               

Field Trip #1 - Amelia Island Plantation

6/3/2011 – Amelia Island Nature Center

                It took me an hour to travel to the Amelia Island Nature Center.  I was able to see so much while driving-to include, the marsh, the ocean, vegetation, and even an owl I thought was going to fly right into the car it was so close!  I have to say that one made me a bit nervous.  Once I arrived at the Center I was disappointed as it was not all like it was described on the website.  The Nature Center is surrounded by water, vegetation, and other retail shops situated in a manner that you can walk from one to another under the trees, surrounded by discreetly placed nature.  When I entered the Nature Center the first thing I saw was that the front was indeed a retail shop.  Farther back, there was a room about 10 x 10 that held some tanks that contained some small, bugs, turtles and fish.  The demonstration that was going on was in deed the children’s discovery of these small parts of nature.  I listened to the demonstration; however, I couldn’t get into the room to see anything that they were talking about.  I did wait around for about 30 minutes and asked if they had a schedule of the tours described on the website.  It was on a sheet out front – that still had May.  I decided I would walk around looking at the plants surrounding the Center.  Again, there was a lot of vegetation surrounding the Center and the surrounding retail shops, but nothing I could “learn” from. 

                Since I was in the area I proceeded to visit Fort Cinch.  I was able to visit the museum which showed a lot of history on the tools used during this period.  I walked a couple of the trails surrounding the fort and it was interesting how “in the woods” it was.  They created a fishing area, a camping area, and plenty of picnic type areas.  Away from the fort, however, still on Fort Cinch was a really interesting nature trail…either a 20 minute or 45 minute trail to follow.  I was able to observe an alligator in the seriously scummy water.  I was praying he wouldn’t start moving towards the land.  Along the way, there were small plaques describing certain trees or vegetation that I found to be interesting.  I read about the “Magnolia grandiflora” also known as the Evergreen Magnolia.  I was really surprised because I thought Magnolias were flowers and didn’t know there was a tree with a similar name.  Since this wasn’t supposed to be part of the field trip I didn’t take any pictures except of the alligator and parts of the trail.