University Colloquium

Going to the Food Forest and the Trail Walk, I had an idea of what we would see, but I didn’t think I would learn so much. Again, relating this back to my first post, a lot of the nature that I was around growing up wasn’t in the backyard of my house. It was abroad. So, going to these two places on campus, I was expecting some of the same kinds of trees and plants that I see on a daily basis. I was so wrong. When we were discussing permaculture, monoculture and sustainable food systems in class, I really just took those concepts at face value. I wasn’t too interested in how they worked and the benefits they provide to us and the environment. I honestly just thought, “Oh, we’re going to go see some trees, plants and then walk around and see more trees and plants.” But, listening to the vast amount of knowledge that our “guides” had when teaching us about all of this stuff really opened my eyes to the possibilities. For example, one of the things that I found really fascinating ...

Moringa Tree I grew up in Miami, so I never really had the opportunity to be immersed in the natural world. I was always around noise, construction and the hustle and bustle of the “city life.” The times when I had the opportunity to just take a moment, look around and actually see the things around me (which wasn’t often where I lived), I felt at peace. That started to happen when I was traveling more consistently, going to various countries in Europe and having the ability to see all of these exotic environments. For example, the fjords in Norway, the mountains in northern Spain and the crystal-clear, turquoise waters in Greece. But, when I would come back home, I would just stay home. I never ventured out and did anything “outdoorsy” until the Food Forest and the Wet Walk today. If I could identify my sense of place, that isn’t home and actually is me having a life, I would definitely say the Food Forest, Oak Hammock and Cypress Dome. The Food Forest totally opened my ...