Blog Entry #13 - Estero Island Cottage and Matanzas Pass

Historic Cottage & Matanzas Pass Preserve

Estero Island Cottage and Matanzas Pass is a beautiful look back into what Fort Myers Beach "used to be". The cottages, built in 1921, are still standing, and well maintained. The boardwalk leading to Matanzas Pass was also very well maintained. The only part I found strange was the unnaturally yellowed water and the severe mosquitoes. 

Local quality of life is improved in this area because it gives people a 'preserved' area of land, whereas most of Ft. Myers Beach and surrounding areas is relatively developed. Matanzas Pass is a good place to relax and walk the nature trail. 

I grew up in Bradenton, Florida, where there is seemingly constant construction and development. The road that once held only my school and a large field of cows has now turned into several mall plazas and apartment complexes. Five new golf courses have been opened. Several new gated subdivisions have been created. The road outside my house which was once a narrow two lane now spans four to six lanes wide in some places. Quality of life has increased, but at the cost of removing a lot of the trees and natural landscape that covered it when I was younger.


If a developer offered me 300% of market value for my childhood home, I would have to accept it. I'm not personally attached to any of my homes (I moved around a lot as a kid). I'd gladly reinvest the money into a newer, nicer home.


If the county offered me 80% of market value as part of a 20/20 program, I would let them buy my property. As I mentioned before, I'm not sentimental with my property, and it would help the county out, and preserve a piece of history. The 20/20 program is important to create preserves and promote environmental stewardship.

See all field trip pictures here

Conservation 20/20

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Blog Entry #12 - Sustainable Consumerism

see greenwash below

“Sustainable consumerism” is consuming while being aware of the impact that your consumption has on the sustainability of the environment around you. Globalization and capitalism are positive drivers in this phenomenon.Osgood Sustainability Consulting says:

• Fundamentally, sustainable consumerism needs to be about creating opportunities:
• to create and enjoy wealth for more people in more places
• to enable more people to meet their needs
• to foster more satisfaction, connection and wellness for more people
• to relieve and restore our stressed ecosystems.

Globalization helps bring together people from across the globe and enable more people. Capitalism drives competition and lowers costs, but can also drive farmer's markets and smaller "mom-and-pops" out of business. In this respect, capitalism can be a negative driver in sustainable consumption. I personally do not go out of my way to buy at farmer's markets, because they are further away from my house than Target or Publix. I don't generally pay a premium for anything that is labeled as "organic" or "local", unless it looks better to me. I have however purchased a number of gifts from fair-trade stores that were considerably less expensive than similar items in chain stores. I buy fair-trade coffee (sometimes), but it's still packaged by Green Mountain and they make a profit through selling it. Capitalism creates the connection between the fair-trade farmers and myself, and Green Mountain acts as an intermediary.

"Do you prefer to frequent mom and pop stores in downtown Ft. Myers or patronize chain stores at the Gulf Coast Town Center? " 

I had never really even been to any "mom and pop" stores in downtown Ft. Myers until the last field trip to the Southwest Florida Museum of History and Downtown Fort Myers.* I generally frequent the stores in Bell Tower or across the street at Target. I think people tend to use the stores that are most convenient to them. The effects of my behavior are both positive (I save money & gas, which are more sustainable than the alternative) and negative (I'm not supporting local agriculture). If I were to shop locally more often, it could have a slightly positive effect on the income of a local farmer.

"What is greenwashing?"

Greenwashing is a marketing and public relations tactic that is generally deceptive (ie... makes false claims about being green and environmentally friendly). Sometimes companies may make improvements to one area of production while neglecting another, and only advertise the positive changes made to the company. This may be considered greenwashing. More information may be found here.

*See Here For Pictures

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Blog Entry #11 - Downtown Ft. Myers

The word "Downtown" evokes feelings of a big city with lots of cars, lights, and traffic. In the past, downtown was a place that people went to hang out, go shopping, and have dinner. Many downtown areas are being run-down and turned into a crime-ridden, uninviting part of the city. Fort Myers luckily is experiencing what many might call a renaissance. The architecture is clean, yet maintains the spirit of historic downtown Fort Myers. The sidewalks are lined with small cafes, restaurants, shops, and offices. The arts building is a wonderful example of downtown Ft. Myers architecture that has really lasted the tests of time. 

Downtown Ft. Myers is a very pedestrian friendly place. It is organized into neat sections, where you can walk down almost any street, and easily make it back to the center of downtown. There are sidewalks lined with plants and palm trees on both sides of the street. The road is kept clean and inviting. Many parts of Ft. Myers are not kept this way. They are seemingly run-down and forgotten. It's important that historic Ft. Myers, and areas like the River District are well maintained. 

Sustainable architecture is especially important these days. In a world where durable goods are seemingly turned into non-durable "throwaways", we need to focus directly on construction that will last. We need to build structures with the latest architectural technology, but by maintaining the natural landscape as much as possible, and using responsible materials. Many cities in America are restoring their downtown areas to a place where everyone wants to visit again.

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