Nature:The Natural Remedy-Journal Entry #3

It is unbelievable reading the percentages of children who are overprescribed doses of medications with related effects to methamphetamine and cocaine.  It is a very sad reality that many children suffer from this disorder; however, I find it very encouraging that studies prove nature truly helps with the disorder’s symptoms.  I think it is absolutely wonderful to shift the medication resolution to a more natural, healthy, and in my opinion, successful approach.  I found the opening story of Louv’s article very interesting and sad.  Yes, I agree in a strong academic curriculum but I have read about studies that prove children need the physical activity and interaction with other children for their overall health and motor skills.  I also believe that the developing technology is a wonderful and horrible thing at the same time.  So many children are indoors playing video games, watching television, and in front of the computer screens.  This means less time outdoors, less exercise, and less opportunity to visualize and experience the nature and beauty in our world.  Less experience leads to less awareness of its issues and the causes of these issues (us).  I really enjoyed the last part of Louv’s article.  I think experiences like the one that severely diagnosed ADHD teenagers experienced is a wonderful idea.  Medication and or consequences for these individuals with the attention disorder seems that it would only worsen their case.  Why not send them to a place like Kake, Alaska to get them out in the real and natural world. Here, they will learn life-ling lessons and let their eyes be opened to help change themselves and their world. (Pictured above are cracker cattle along side a mother Sandhill crane and her chicks; a very green and natural remedy)

My Sense of Place-Journal Entry #2

My current sense of place in life is something that has been building up as I experience and learn new things each day.  I have absolutely always loved to be in nature and outside, observing each kind of animal and plant there is.  I have a deep passion for animals, which I have had since I was very young.  Although I, like many other people, are ignorant of the many environmental issues and dangers, I have truly learned a lot about conservation, recycling, and keeping our streets and oceans clean of litter.  Last semester, at Edison State College, I took a trip to Costa Rica for a Leatherback Sea Turtle Ecology project.  I know I mentioned this trip in the previous blog but it is one that has truly changed my life and opened my eyes.  The trip made me realize that my current sense of place has no set guidelines. It showed me, firsthand, that there are so many people out there who are unaware of the threats that many species in our world, specifically the Leatherbacks, face due to our ignorance.  One day on the trip, we went to the mouth of the Pacuare River where we found plastic bottle, styrofoam, glass pieces, plastic bags covering the beach.  This was all run off pollution from a nearby hospital.  This goes on all over the world and has made me think twice about using a plastic water bottle instead of a reusable one, or how much food and water I am wasting with every meal or shower.  The world and every life source in it needs our help; my sense of place is to try and do as much as I can to preserve the many species and resources we are so lucky to have.  My sense of place has been derived from many educational experiences that I have been involved with.  I have volunteered in beach and road cleanups, I have been on a few field trips where I learned about so many different animals and the way they affect the rest of the food chain.  I am so excited to go on the different field trips in this Colloquium course to experience and learn new things!  (In the above pictures, I was picking up the trash on a beach in Costa Rica. We didn't have enough space or time to pick up all the trash, so we were told to make a turtle shape of the bottles to let the next group of people know that we had been there.)

Help Needed from All-Journal Entry #1

Reading Shiva's article was very aggravating to me because there is nothing worse than seeing many amazing species become endangered or extinct due to the selfishness and carelessness of the human race.  The numbers are devastating.  Although some do not have the same deep passion for the environment, animals, and plants, I would think that they would at least have the decency to try and put forth an effort to conserve our resources and be aware of the lives at stake.  It is unbelievable and incredible how our world works.  I admire the way Shiva words the idea that “Biodiversity is the very fabric of life”.  Without biodiversity, we lose the variety of plants and animals that help nourish the food chain and make our world thrive.  I have always been very passionate about animals and all life forms but I gained something else last year when I took a trip to Costa Rica for an ecology project to help save and study the endangered Leatherback Sea Turtle.  These and all of our world’s other amazing creatures deserve to live here, like Goodall mentions.  The ecology project made me aware of the many species’, both animals and plants, threat.  I enjoyed Goodall’s article more than Shiva’s because it shared many stories of people all over the world who went against the odds-who showed perseverance.  It sparked a fire inside me to try and think of ways to personally get out there and help save our Planet.  Goodall concludes, “Without hope nothing will change”.  It is a good feeling to know that each and every one of us has the power to pursue a better world with nature’s “resilience”.  The pictures above were taken on my trip to Costa Rica as we helped escort these beautiful tortugitas to their new world and also planted our very own trees.