FGCU Service Learning

10/28/17 Today was my second time volunteering at the FGCU Food Forest. When I arrived I found out that today was make a difference day! Make a difference day is a day dedicated to improving the lives of others. The food forest accomplishes this, as it is home to many edible plants that are free to take. The general rule is that you must not take the whole plant. You have to leave some leaves/stems for it to grow, as others need to use the plant. The day was very similar to the first time I volunteered. We were cleaning up debris and clearing pathways from Hurricane Irma. It is hard work, but it feels good to give back to the community. The FGCU food forest truly relates to many things I have learned in our colloquium class. It incorporates ideas found in the Earth Charter, like respecting and caring for the community and life, practicing ecological integrity, social and economic justice, and many more. According to the Earth Charter " The resilience of the community of life an...

10/20/17 Today was my first day at the FGCU food forest! I have never visited before, so I was excited to learn and find out what was at the site. When I arrived I was truly surprised by the Food Forest's size. It is a large botanical garden that features many tropical/subtropical edible species. I chose to volunteer at the food forest because 1) It interested me, as I wanted to learn what edible species grow well in Florida and 2) I wanted to give back to the community, and the food forest is a great cause. The work was labor intensive, but satisfying! I learned new gardening techniques like sheet mulching, and enjoyed some delicious edible species like mulberries. The food forest helped me learn how to grow sustainably by planting native plant species and using natural pesticides. I learned the harms of invasive species and how they can take over an environment and stealing light/nutrients. Also I learned the benefits of not using pesticides. All the food grown in the forest ...