Reflections on the Field Trip to ECHO

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

           On January 27, 2011 I took a trip to ECHO in North Fort Myers, a place that I did not even know existed. I was amazed by the end of the trip; it was unbelievable. ECHO is a non-profitable interdenominational Christian organization. ECHO aids those working with the poor internally, in regards to providing new ways to grow and maintain food sources. They achieve these goals through these four elements: Problem solving, Providing seeds, Education & Training, and Networking.

ECHO stands for Education Concern for Hunger Organizations. The trip showed me how to survive under different living circumstances. Families that are very poor have to live off what they grow. In the winter time, a family would need to be able to irrigate their crops. Irrigation pumps can radically improve a family’s life by efficiently delivering water to their crops without electricity. Drip Irrigation is a technique for irrigating crops that conserves water and reduces weed pressure. It will water two rows of plants. It is made out of three bamboo sticks with a bucket hooked on it in the middle. It has a kit at the bottom of the bucket. With all the modern technology we have today I was surprised by this simple machine.

In the third world countries that ECHO is sending the seeds to, goats are one of the most common livestock. It is a good cash crop, but very destructive. They are normally kept in a Zero Graze Unit, a system that protects crops from animals, and provides for collection of manure. This is good for the soil. My favorite thing at the ECHO is the Maringa. It is called the miracle tree. It has some of the most nutritious leaves of any tropical plant. The fresh Maringa leaf gives a person:

o   7x vitamin C of the oranges

o   4x calcium of milk

o   4x vitamin A of carrots

o   3x potassium of bananas

o   3x iron of spinach

o   2x protein of milk

This leaf is great for rubbing on arthritis. It appears to be a miracle vegetable tree. This tree grows in the community garden at ECHO.

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Memories of my Childhood Home

                                 

                              

Growing up I spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ house. The reason for this is because I knew if I stayed there, I would get plenty of treats. When I stayed there on the weekends, my grandmother would always bake cakes. When she finished mixing the cake and place it in the oven, she would always give me the bowl then I would scrape the edges of the bowl with the spoon. I loved eating the cake mix that was left in the bowl. It was delicious! I guess you could say I had a sweet tooth.

I could remember waking up early on Saturday mornings to the smell of bacon. Once I smelled the aroma, I would drag myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. My grandfather would always be sitting on the front porch. I would walk out there to tell him good morning and then head into the kitchen. My grandmother was always greeted with a hug and a kiss. Even though I would still be kind of weary, I would just sit at the kitchen table and watch her cook breakfast, because I knew it would not be long before the rest of my family came over to eat breakfast.

It was pretty much first come first serve. When it was gone, one would just miss out and eat what was left. I could hear when different family members arrived. The sound of the car doors being shut or just by one of them having a conversation with my grandfather before they walk in the house. During breakfast time there would be so many different conversations going on. The younger kids would be running around the house laughing and playing with one another. Once breakfast was over everyone would decide what we were going to do that day.  Occasionally we would go to the movies. Other times we would go shopping, but whatever we decided we all did it together as a family.

I really enjoyed those times together. I could see how much love my family had for one another. Saturday morning would be our family time. We always looked like a tourist group because it was so many of us. That was our time to unwind if we had a long week of school or work.

Growing up my grandparents’ house represented happiness, stability, love, and laughter. Whenever I had a problem, once everyone got there, it disappeared with the love that surrounded the house. My childhood home taught me that no matter what I am going through, there is always going to be a family member in my corner to help me get through it.

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My Connection to the Florida Environment and how much time I spend Outdoors

I really do not spend a lot of time outdoors. That could be because I do not feel like I have a connection with the environment. I realize that my generation has become disconnected from the environment. John Milton defines nature as “A wilderness of sweet.” Richard Louv defines nature as “natural wilderness-biodiversity, abundance.” Louv uses a term called “nature-deficit disorder.” In a way I feel as if I suffer from that, but in a way I do not. I have noticed that the older I get, the less time I spend outside. Not that I did not enjoy spending time with my friends when I was younger, but my schedule changed so I had less time to spend with my friends on certain days.

 Here are a few things that hinder me from spending time outdoors; my schedule, time, and homework. I really would prefer to be inside doing something with air conditioning versus being outside in the hot humid weather that we often have in Florida. With modern technology today, there are different things that can occupy your time inside, and that is what I have become accustomed to. For example, watching television, shopping, and being on the computer are just a few that comes to mind.

According to Louv, in the colloquium reading, nature offers children freedom, fantasy, and privacy. I agree with that because even though I do not spend a lot of time outdoors, when I do it relaxes me. When I spend time outdoors, I tend to walk the beach when the sun goes down or when there are not a lot of people there. The sounds of the water moving with the wind tend to relieve stress because it sets your mind free. 

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