Food Journal 1/26/16 (all figures from nutritiondata.self.com):

Breakfast (Prepared at Home)

• 1 Banana - 105 Calories
• 2 Fried Eggs - 180 Calories
• 1 Slice Whole Wheat Toast - 75 Calories
• 16 oz Water

Total Breakfast Calories: 360

Lunch (Prepared at Home)

• 1 Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich - 380 Calories
• 1 Green Apple - 115 Calories
• 20 oz Water

Total Lunch Calories: 495

• 1 Bag Lays Potato Chips - 350 Calories
• 8 oz Water

Dinner (Prepared at Home)

• Lasagna - 625 Calories
• 16 oz Water

Total Dinner Calories: 625

• Low-Fat Greek Yogurt - 200 Calories

TOTAL DAILY CALORIES: 2030

Looking back on this food log, most of my food is purchased from the grocery store before I either eat it our assemble it on my own. The fruits and vegetables in my diet come from growers throughout the Americas, and the produce may need to travel thousands of miles for it to be available in my local store for me to purchase. In fact, almost all of my food likely traveled a long distance in order for it to be ready for me to eat. Of course there's the use of water in growing the foods I eat to think about, but the amount of fuel used in order to ship these products is also a staggering consideration. Even the simple cup of yogurt I ate had to require several steps of processing and transportation, making it hard to really know where your food it coming from at all. It's hard to call this sort of food production "sustainable."

I think I should look at local farmer's markets and produce stalls like that if I really want to feel good about where my food is coming from. There's so much uncertainty in the global food market that if you don't make an effort like that to make better purchasing decisions, you won't be able to have a good grasp on what exactly goes into your food. This assignment has made me ask a few more questions about where my food comes from, because I certainly don't know many of the details that I thought would be pretty easy.

My Place of Senses

This neighborhood is certainly home to me. It has been for 17 of my 20 years, and almost all of my childhood memories are undeniably linked to the scenery of this area. When we first moved here, a large ditch split the neighborhood and ran right through our back yard. All sorts of birds would be attracted to the fish in the slow-moving water, and we'd see everything from red-tailed hawks to ibis. They've covered up some parts of the ditch after a monitor lizard was spotted in it, but I walked to one of the sections that still carries the water from the properties in our area.


Not far from there, I walked to an empty field. This field used to be our "field of dreams". We'd hold sporting events ranging from golf drives to kickball among the neighborhood kids. This big field, owned by a neighbor, has sat untouched for over a decade. They claim they want to develop it, but I'm not so sure. Though it is private property, I've known the owner since I was a toddler and I've always been a welcomed guest. This large, empty space is as much a part of the neighborhood as any of the many houses cluttered along the main street, and I couldn't imagine growing up without it.

After a walk around, I returned home to see one of our daily visitors. We've had a bird-feeder as long as we've had the house, and as a result I've been able to see a lot of the wildlife in our area directly in my backyard. Undoubtedly we'll have 5-6 squirrels visiting us each afternoon. The most common birds we see are cardinals, blue jays, doves, and woodpeckers. I love being able to give these birds a source of food, and its fun for both me and my cats when a flock of birds descends onto the feeder.

This whole area definitely gives me a sense of place. This is home to me. I can't imagine anywhere else ever conjuring those feelings of "home", but I'm sure one day I'll be living somewhere else and will have moved on. For now, I am happy right where I am.

Journal #1: Incoming Reflection

Having spent my entire life here in SWFL, I have had the opportunity to see much of the natural beauty present in the area. I have been a Boy Scout since the 1st grade, and as a result I've been able to enjoy camping, hiking, and canoeing many of the parks and forests locally. I've been to Koreshan State Park as well as Lovers Key and Alafia River State Parks for different events. In middle school my science class also went on a trip to the slough, and I've spent more than one spring break at Cayo Costa State Park with my friends as we've gotten older as well. For my Eagle Scout project, I built a butterfly garden in the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge as well.

Looking back on all of these experiences, I've come to realize that I've always had a great relationship with the nature of SWFL. I feel like I understand the plant and animal life I'm likely to encounter, and many of the State Parks that I've been to feel more like a second home to me than a getaway. I love Florida, and I love the unique landscapes and wilderness that make it Florida. I couldn't imagine growing up without an annual canoe trip down the Peace River. These experiences with nature are as much a part of me as all of my years of schooling.

Here is a picture of one of my favorite trips.



I'm not anxious about anything in the class really, I'm honestly looking forward to most of the things on our syllabus. My personal goal for this semester is to get an 'A' and perhaps provide some interesting insight into our local wildlife. I think this class will be helpful in that it will keep me focused on our natural environment and may get me thinking about certain tough questions that will allow me to grow as an individual.