Journal 1: My Connection to the Florida Environment

  My connection to the Florida Environment and how much time I spend outside.
     I have lived in Florida all of my life, and I have come to love the environment. I spend most of my time outside. I try to take advantage of all of the opportunities that the Florida Environment provides to its people. One of my favorite outdoor activities is camping. I feel that camping provides me with a closeness to nature. Camping takes away some of the every day distractions like cell phones and televisions. This allows me to relax and gather all of my thoughts. I go camping at least twice a month for three or four days at a time. Camping is a great way to connect with Florida, because the camp grounds set you up with plenty of opportunities to have a great time outdoors. Canoeing is one of my favorite things to do while camping. I usually end up staying at a campground that is located on or near a river, lake or ocean. Hillsborough River State Park is the most recent camp site that I have been to. The river that I canoed on was beautiful, and the park left the river very natural, making sure that they did not disturb the land. During the three hour canoe ride I was able to see an alligator, many fish, insects, and even a fawn that was coming down to drink out of the river.

 http://www.floridastateparks.org/hillsboroughriver/default.cfm 

       When I am not camping and the weather is nice, I love to hangout at the beach with friends. The beaches in Fort Myers are nice, but the drive to the east coast is worth the wait. Playing football in the sand, swimming in the ocean, hanging out on the board walks, and soaking up the sun rays are just a few of the reasons why going to the beach is another one of my favorite past times.

         When I am living at school during the fall and spring semesters my home is almost three hours away. So, when I get a chance to visit home I spend most of my time outside. My family and I live on a pond. My grandpa stocked it with many different fresh water fish before I was born. Whenever I have free time I like to sit out by the pond and cast a line. If my brother and I are lucky we can catch some dinner for the family. Unfortunately, I do not get a chance to go home often, but on a weekend visit my mom and I like to take the horses out for a trail ride down along the Cotee River. Growing up on property, rather than in a neighborhood, has been a great advantage, and in my opinion has brought me closer to nature then most people. 

The Fishing Pond

                                    Cheyenne and T.C.