FGCU Food Forest

Provide a reflection of your experience at the FGCU Food Forest. What were your impressions of this field trip and thoughts on permaculture and sustainable food systems? What were a few interesting things you learned about tropical edible species? Do you have a new respect for the food you eat and the environment and resources needed to grow that food? Do you think the Food Forest fits with FGCU’s mission in sustainability? How could we incorporate some of the practices you learned about locally or individually? How can you connect these ideas to Nature Deficit Disorder or the Restorative Effects of nature?

me at the food forest holding a mulberry

The FGCU food forest is always my favorite place to go and get fresh foods. I have always really appreciated the services that it provides for the school, as well as the community. It is also a very interesting piece of environmental performance and ingenuity in the way it sustains itself through design. I did a grant project two years ago to build a permaculture garden at an elementary school in Cape Coral, and I learned about how pigeon peas are good for creating a balanced soil for the other plants. I also learned on our trip to the food forest that banana trees only grow for one season and then they die. I think I learn something new about the food forest every time I go there, and it makes me happy that it is being well-maintained. It is also an excellent source of outdoor healing, to either work in or to simply walk through. I believe that the food forest is front and center the best example of FGCU sustainability, simply because it is a reflection of the vision of the students that started it and maintain it. There are lots of interesting high-tech innovations in our school and community that would be considered the pride of FGCU's sustainability, but none which so genuinely reflect what the students want. Permaculture gardens are certainly a great tool to have in a community, so I think it would be great to do more grant projects for SAGE to build more food gardens in elementary schools that can also gain volunteers from the community. We as students can now see how easy it really is to grow our own foods and herbs, so we will be more likely to plant food and herb plants! Or be more willing to help with community gardens because we know the impact they have. I think this ties in heavily to NDC because taking care of a garden and being able to provide food for yourself has a healing affect.