Reflection on Habitat for Humanity Service Learning Experience

Habitat for Humanity has a mission, vision, and purpose which are inherently linked to sustainability.  The organization’s mission is to bring people together to “build homes, communities, and hope” (Habitat for Humanity, n.d., para. 1).  These actions can help the people involved develop a sense of place through community attachment (Cross, 2001, p. 8).  In particular, the people benefiting from the homes are likely to cherish these homes (and the associated land), fostering care for their surroundings.  Moreover, Habitat for Humanity’s vision is to create a world in which “everyone has a decent place to live” (Habitat for Humanity, n.d., para. 2).  This vision is sustainable in that it strives for social equity and improvement in the quality of life, which helps not only the current generation, but future ones as well (Robertson, 2014, p. 4).  Further evidence of the Habitat for Humanity’s sustainability initiatives can be seen in its commitment to the United Nations’ New Urban Agenda, which aims to secure affordable housing and land tenure, as well as encourage community development (Habitat for Humanity, 2016, para. 3).

My experience working with Habitat for Humanity certainly made me feel a sense of community.  Our group worked together to install insulation and siding for a house in downtown Fort Myers.  Moreover, the importance of volunteers to the work done by Habitat for Humanity made me feel that my contributions were meaningful.  While we had two supervisors who were much more experienced in building houses, they split up the work in a way that made each group member’s contribution valuable.  For instance, there was a period of time where one of our supervisors was on a ladder, installing panels of siding, and I stood at his side handing him nails.  I asked if he needed me to do anything more, but he was content with just having me hand him nails in a timely manner.  While I was a bit puzzled at the time, looking back on it I realize that even such a seemingly trivial action can help increase work efficiency by removing the need for multitasking.

Through this service learning project, I discovered that, while I am certainly not an expert at building houses, my academic focus in mathematics lent me some useful insight.  Geometric and spatial reasoning helped me determine nail placements, as well as suitable overlap of siding panels and dimensions for fiberglass sheets.  Of course, I checked my measurements to be sure, but having some intuition helped set me on the right track earlier than I anticipated.  I have no doubt that such skills will prove useful for me in the future, whether in a familiar or new context.

With that being said, I could see myself volunteering with Habitat for Humanity again in the future.  While the work was not easy, I felt it was meaningful, and this outweighs any short-lived personal discomfort I may have felt at the time.  Taking a closer look at what Habitat for Humanity does lends further support to my convictions; not only did I find the work to be ultimately satisfying on a personal level, but as a whole I find the organization to be quite commendable, which is an equally important factor, as I feel reassured knowing that my work is contributing to sustainable efforts.

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References

Cross, J. E. (2001, November). What is sense of place? Paper presented at 12th

Headwaters Conference, Western State College. Retrieved from

http://western.edu/sites/default/files/documents/cross_headwatersXII.pdf

Habitat for Humanity. (2016, October 3). Habitat for Humanity's commitments to

reduce poverty and foster more sustainable cities. Retrieved from

https://www.habitat.org/newsroom/2016/habitat-humanitys-commitments-reduce-poverty-and-foster-more-sustainable-cities

Habitat for Humanity. (n.d.). Our mission, vision and principles. Retrieved from

https://www.habitat.org/about/mission-and-vision

Robertson, M. (2014). What is sustainability? In Sustainability principles and practice

(2^nd ed., pp. 3-9).

Reflection on Lee County Waste to Energy Facility Trip

About a week and a half ago, we visited the Waste to Energy Facility of Lee County.  During this trip we had the unique opportunity to observe and learn about the inner workings of this facility.  In particular, we saw what kinds of waste is dealt with (and the nuances in dealing with different types of waste), as well as the tools, mechanisms, and structures involved in the process of converting waste into energy.

Waste enters the facility after being deposited into a large room by dump trucks.  From there, a crane picks up large quantities of waste, which is then processed in a variety of ways.  A large, magnetic rod is used to retrieve certain metallic components from waste, while workers might retrieve specific items from a heap of trash flowing down a conveyor belt.  Some of the waste gets sent to a combustion chamber, which generates energy in the form of electricity.  This electricity is used to power the facility, as well as about 30,000 homes throughout Lee County.  The vaporous billows rising upward from the chimneys are actually just steam, rather than a toxic smog seen as a by-product from some other industrial facilities.

The room where waste is dropped off at the facility.

I was quite fascinated by the amount of forethought that went into the design of the building, particularly the pollution control components, which took up a sizeable portion of the building, but ensure sustainability of its operations.  Moreover, I was shocked to learn that, on average, one person produces 1,000 pounds of trash per year.  Although I do not track how much trash I throw away, this seems like a rather large amount – I suppose it adds up!

A scale model of the facility.

Follow-up: Footprint Challenge

Throughout the past week, I challenged myself to reduce my ecological footprint by lowering the amount of meat in my diet.  While I did not write a daily journal/food log for this endeavor, I can say that (as a meat-lover) it was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated.  Notably, I did not eliminate meat from my diet entirely, but I did limit it mostly to dinners (and 1 lunch).  Some of the alternatives were actually quite tasty as well!

For breakfasts, I generally made either a bagel (with cream cheese or peanut butter) or cereal (Kashi Cinnamon Harvest/Multigrain Squares/Blueberry Clusters are among my favorite) with some low-fat (1%) organic milk, as opposed to a breakfast consisting of eggs/bacon/etc.  Not only is the bagel/cereal easier to prepare, making it a great option when rushed in the morning, but it also did not upset my stomach later on like the egg/bacon breakfast would often do.

For lunch, I generally had a lighter meal, such as a parfait (with organic vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries), or a banana/apple with peanut butter, as opposed to a sandwich with various deli meats.  This, too, was a change I did not mind, at least in the short term.

For dinner, I did not actually have any meatless meals, but a few would be perfectly adequate meals if the meat were taken out: salad (with chicken), Mexican-style nachos (with beef), and black bean pasta (with chicken).  In each of these, the meat was more of a complementary part, rather than the main feature; the meals would be perfectly serviceable without it!

Overall, I found that this was a reasonable experience, and while I do not think I would become a vegetarian or vegan (at least not in the near future), I do plan to consistently have less meat than I did previously - particularly during breakfast and lunch.

For fun, here’s a black bean pasta recipe! (Spicy components optional, of course)

Reflection on Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Trip

Last week we visited the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  We saw a wide variety of ecosystems, both familiar and foreign to me, featuring more plant species than I could count.  I was fascinated by how much the scenery could change within such a (relatively) small distance - certainly far more variation than you see along the roadside or in the typical yard!  While we tried to proceed as quietly as possible most of the time, we did not get to observe a great deal of wildlife.  There was, however, an owl perched atop a cypress tree, much to the chagrin of other nearby birds who chirped loudly until it eventually flew away (unfortunately I did not get a picture due to this).  I also saw a turtle and several small fish in the waters, along with thick layers of algae, which in some areas completely blocked out the water’s surface.  The naturalists mentioned epiphytes, non-parasitic plants which grow on other ones, such as the ghost orchid, one of which is located within here somewhere.  We didn’t get a chance to see it though - maybe next time!  Below are a few photos from the trip; the first one is accompanied by a poem.

The marsh here serves as an ecotone

a gradual, upward ramp

from cypress sloughs

to pine flatwoods

yet nature’s stamp:

the greens, the trees

pervade it all.

The dying plants - they burst aflame

so their essence may flow

to whence it came,

thus new life grows.

This freshwater swamp invites the flood

to flow in, atop the mud

and blend with the rest.

But the plants’ requests

ensure no flood contests

the natural order.

I liked the way the sunlight illuminated the spider web in this shot.  I don’t know what’s in it though!

iNaturalist suggests this may be either a red or black mangrove, but I’m not 100% sure.

I couldn’t match this up with an observation on iNaturalist.

This squirrel was eating bird feed for a good 10+ minutes while we were waiting for the other group to get back! Not sure how it got in though...

My Ecological Footprint

Today I calculated my ecological footprint using the Global Footprint Networkˈs online footprint calculator.  Here are the results:

As seen above, the largest contribution to my ecological footprint comes from my diet.  Thus, I will endeavor to reduce this contribution throughout the following week (and ideally beyond that as well) by lowering the amount of meat in my diet (primarily through eating more balanced meals).

Reflection on Mound House Field Trip

Last week, we went on a tour of the Florida Mound House, located near Fort Myers Beach.  This was one of many sites in Southwest Florida inhabited by the Calusa Indians roughly two thousand years ago.  The Calusa Indians were coastal people who survived by fishing and foraging; they constructed various tools, such as the atlatl, used to launch spears, to aid them in hunting.  The Mound House lies atop a mound of shells which the Calusa Indians constructed over time; we saw a glimpse of the lower part of the mound in an underground room, and learned how they amassed shells in layers, with the older layers generally being lower in the mound, and newer layers being higher.  From what I saw, sustainability was inherently a part of the Calusa Indians' lifestyle; they needed the environment and its resources to support their way of life, so it was important for them to take care of the land as they did.

The strangler fig tree atop the mound.

Mangroves in the surrounding water.

At the top of the mound, there is a house which has seen various owners and developments over the years.  These include the original owner, Robert Gilbert, who built the house; the Case family, for postal service by boat; the James family, who utilized it for scientific research during World War II; and the Long family, who excavated part of the mound to examine its underlying structure.  It is interesting to see the wide variety of people who lived in this house, for purposes that differed in many regards but still relied on the environment.  This, I feel, emphasizes the importance of sustainability: if nature can facilitate such a wide range of endeavors, then surely we have an interest in preserving our environment.

A fireplace inside the Mound House.

I was quite intrigued by the depth of history and culture surrounding this place.  Having a greater awareness of these aspects of the Mound House, I feel, enhances my sense of place of Southwest Florida.  What surprises me most about this place is the fact that it is in such pristine condition, despite how old it is.  It pleases me to know that the general community values this site and makes efforts to conserve it!  (One particular example I saw to support this notion was the "do not touch" signs inside the house.)

References

Chestnut, C. (2015, November 15). Mound House renovated, ready to share stories. Retrieved from https://www.news-press.com/story/entertainment/2015/11/15/mound-house-renovations-renovated-fort-myers-estero-island-cathy-chestnut-calusa/75828292/

EIHS. (n.d.). Calusa & Mound House - Estero Island Historic Society. Retrieved from http://www.esteroislandhistoricsociety.org/24.html

Reflections on the Nature Walk and Louv readings

Last week we explored the campus Food Forest and Nature Trail, as well as discussing some of the sustainable design features incorporated into various campus buildings.  I feel that this experience greatly enhanced my understanding of my sense of place as a student at Florida Gulf Coast University; I have known since coming here that this university values the environment, but what we saw on this field trip solidified this notion for me.  Learning that the Food Forest was a student initiative encouraged me by giving me a sense of how I could potentially contribute to sustainability.

Some of the plants in the Food Forest.

A different view of the area from the image to the left.

 

Moreover, the Nature Trail gave me a glimpse of what our natural environment is really like, and helped me attach more than just conceptual meaning to sustainability: it's what we need to protect the treasures that nature offers us, such as this one.  An interesting experience I had in the Nature Trail was that of the wet walk; I am normally very reluctant to put my feet in the water, but having prepared for this occasion in advance by purchasing a pair of galoshes, I found it was actually quite pleasant!  My only struggle in this regard was that of trying to stay upright, though maintaining balance eventually proved to be a fun challenge.   It was also relaxing to be immersed in nature in this way, which ties into the Richard Louv passage on Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment.  In particular, I believe it may have been my fascination with my surroundings that helped me feel at peace and somewhat rejuvenated, despite being a bit worn out from the earlier parts of our walk, and running on below-average sleep (without coffee).  While I do not believe I was suffering from any directed-attention fatigue on this trip, I do recall multiple instances where, metaphorically speaking, my brain would be "fried" after a difficult class, and going for a walk outside helped soothe my mind afterwards.  None of these walks were as immersive as this one though - perhaps I will have to go for a walk here (or somewhere like it) the next time I am mentally tired!  Normally, when I need to relieve stress I pour myself a glass of soda or coffee and listen to some music, but after this experience I feel I ought to spend more time in nature when I am stressed out.  Even if it involves distancing myself from what I am working on (which coffee/soda/music do not), the extra clarity of mind just may be worth it.


References:

Louv, R. (2011).  Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment. University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future, pp. 4-7. Cospley Custom Textbooks.