The Environment and Health in the Development of UCF
Courtney Trautman
As students of UCF, our campus is the center for a large part of our lives and careers. Our time on this campus shows us the true environment of UCF and all the benefits that come along with knowing it. While spending time here, my fellow student and roommate Jenna has agreed to take on this project with me and submit her perspective of the environment and health on campus. She provided my three pictures of areas that we both know quite well and is allowing me to take on her perspective as I go back to these places I have become so familiar with recently.
“This picture is taken of a full moon in March of this year right outside of my dorm building. The moon was gorgeous that night, with a reddish orange glow. What disappointed me was the quality of the pictures I was able to take of it. Eventually after driving away from campus while going for dinner, I was able to get a better picture but this option stood out more to me. The amount of light pollution that was surrounding my dorm, and additionally the baseball field, greatly impacted the quality that the moon could be observed by.”
Similar to many other urban areas, the mass amount of light pollution created by buildings and residences has changed humans ability to see astral objects at night. As stated by Jenna, the amount of light pollution in this photo affects the visibility of the full moon. From this picture and her statement, it is clear how the lights on campus damage affect one’s ability to fully appreciate this aspect of nature. While this is negative in the sense of environmental health and enjoyment, the reason for some of the lights on campus are incredibly important. As many students still walk the campus at night, the number of lights we have is valuable to students safety. However, this pollution is an unfortunate side effect of that.
“This picture is of the UCF Arboretum, a small area on the UCF campus designated to provide opportunities to learn about plant life and other natural assets on our campus. This picture specifically is of the Arboretum’s greenhouse. I know two volunteers there and have heard them discussing what they learn and see every visit into the greenhouse, because of that I can say I have felt the impact of this program without participating in it. However, the location of the greenhouse contradicts what natural beauty there is inside of it. When walking there I noticed how close it was to a parking lot and one of the power plants on campus. This observation provided me with the contrast of environmental wonder versus the blandness of industrial creations.”
In the image, it is clear how close human development is to this area designated for learning and growing an abundance of species of plants. Off to the top right corner of the image a parking lot is slightly visible. What this image Jenna provided showed me was how the development of buildings on campus have a potential impact on overrunning or intruding on the natural open spaces we have available. The probable issue of pollution is also apparent in this image. As the parking lot is adjacent to this area, litter and gas pollutants may impact the enjoyment brought by this space.
On another note, the UCF student government had previously discussed halting the program from being active on the campus, but were immediately met with backlash from those who participate and volunteer at the club. In module 6 of this class, we read the news article, “Latino Gardeners in Santa Cruz Fight To Keep Culture, Community Garden Alive“(2015) which highlighted a struggling community garden that residents were committed to maintaining. Here I see a similar issue where those who are involved with the greenhouse are willing to fight to keep the program open as it is such an influential program for UCF to have as the Arboretum does not only consist of the greenhouse, but of trials that reside on campus that allow students to be closer to a area surrounded by nature and foliage. The engagement of the student population with the Arboretums natural areas are widespread and meaningful, and those who see that will continue to advocate for the Arboretums amenities.
This picture is of a small garden started near the heart of campus. The building behind the garden is the student union, where basically every student who has attended UCF has once been inside. Many times during fall and spring I passed this and always noticed that there was a garden there. Although it was better maintained during the main semesters, it still is a place to pass while walking back from class.
This picture shows a small garden made next to the Student Union in the center of campus. This garden is surrounded by man-made features, making it stand out compared to the rest of its background. The area around this building consists primarily of other man-made structures and limited plant life. This addition to one side of the building brings both aspects of nature and human construction together. On another note, the Student Union houses many restaurants for students to have easy access to, and having a garden box close to the area may benefit students by showing how some of the food they purchase is coming from. I have heard previously that the garden box was maintained by the honors college but I’m not entirely sure and can’t find any information on it but hopefully by next fall it can get back to looking clean and healthy.
Human development and the pursuit of improving economic benefits is affecting the amount of space designated for environmental purposes both physically on campus and in government programs. The theme I assessed from Jenna’s images was how her life on campus allowed her to see a difference in her surroundings. Through this assignment she made note of what man-made features impacted the natural environment that is thriving on campus. Additionally, the pictures provided show efforts being made to connect the two in more on campus locations to improve the potential for both economic and environmental purposes.
Although it is clear that the economic goal for UCF is to continue to grow and improve their campus, whether that means adding new buildings or new technologies, the effects that these expansions cause are trying to be made up elsewhere on campus. In relation to the image of the moon Jenna shared with me, she stated that when she left the area, where there was a large amount of light pollution from a nearby stadium and residences and went towards a less busy part of campus, the moon was much easier to view and take a clear picture of.
While going through each picture the reading previously mentioned of “Latino Gardeners in Santa Cruz Fight To Keep Culture, Community Garden Alive“(2015) played a large role in impacting how I dissected these images. After reading that article and seeing how much the addition of nature into a community can do for its inhabitants I recognized how important these areas were to UCF’s student population. The additions of the garden and the Arboretum allow students to have direct contact with nature and now they show dedication towards keeping that program alive at UCF.
Bibliography:
Edevane, Gillian. “Latino Gardeners in Santa Cruz Fight to Keep Culture, Community Garden Alive.” NBC Bay Area, 26 Nov. 2015, www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/gardeners-in-santa-cruz-fight-to-keep-community-garden/108341/.
Media Attributions
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