In the beginning of the field trip, my initial reaction was one of surprise. I was surprised to learn that the food forest started off as a Registered Student Organization developed by students on campus. I believe that the food forest is one of the most successful registered student organizations we have here on campus. I admire the fact that there were students passionate enough to start the food forest and I respect the dedication of the students who continue to maintain the food forest. The food forest wouldn’t be made possible and wouldn’t be such a success if there were not students who were passionate about developing it.

During this trip, this was my first time visiting the food forest, so learning about the tropical edible species was a new and interesting experience for me. There was a particular flower that the naturalist said was edible and he allowed us to taste it. Prior to visiting the food forest I didn’t know that there were flowers that were edible. One interesting thing I learned about the tropical edible species is that there are some that grow in areas according to the level of water they may need. For example, some edible species which need little water will grow in areas where the water level is low. On the other hand, other edible species will grow in areas with high water elevation if they need a lot of water.

After the field trip I developed a new respect for the food that I eat because it is sometimes easy to think that food comes right from the supermarket when we purchase it. I sometimes forget the process it takes to grow and process food before it is sold in stores. Having food that is always easily accessible and already prepared is a privilege that can sometime be overlooked. I now have a new respect for how our food is prepared and grown before it is brought to supermarkets to be sold.

I definitely think the Food forest fits in with FGCU’s mission of sustainability because it promotes healthier and more natural eating habits. It encourages students to grow their own food which is a more environmental friendly way of processing food. Rather than using foods which are not naturally prepared and processed, the food forest allows students to be sustainable by utilizing the natural environment as a means of food production.