1) How did you land the job you have?
2) Do you like your job?
3) What is the best job advice anyone has given you?
4) What does you average day look like?
5) What is one thing you would change about your job?

Have you ever looked at a building and wondered how many species are inside? Me neither. But after visiting the Illinois Natural History Survey, I just might. What seems like your average campus brick building turns out to be a mini Smithsonian Museum with enough species and history to make up a zoo (if the species were alive). Dr. Chris Taylor, fish and cray fish curator, opened our eyes to the world undiscovered that is the Illinois Natural History Survey. I say undiscovered because the common passerby on campus would most likely have no idea that this museum of species existed on their very own campus! The museum was like no other museum I had been to before with shelves and rows of species dating back to the 1800s. With over 110,000 lots and over 210 different kinds of fish and cray fish, the fish collection could tell us what species swam where and even how much mercury was in the water at the time. These fish ranged from all over the globe from Illinois to South America and SE Asia. The collection is so vast due to the inheritance of collections from other institutions. This museum serves not only the U of I campus but beyond for anyone looking to find out more information using a database. As we sat there watching Dr. Taylor spray an Asian Carp with ethanol, it was easy to think, “Gee, why keep so many fish?” Well besides the educational value, there is much credit we owe to these collections that give scientist and researchers a look into the past. How much mercury was in a lake and how invasive species take over is valuable information to our livelihood. By having this kind of information, we can predict the future and protect species for years to come. The Illinois Natural History Survey, although underrated, may just have the key to the future.

I think if I were to choose one strong argument, especially to a wide audience that didn’t have any predisposition about nature and why we should protect it…. I would say that humans should value and protect biodiversity because without them means without us too. There’s a theory that if plants and animals died off, we would surely die off within months, but if we died off, plants and animals would thrive. We are so dependent on biodiversity for our own life in ways that we don’t even know of. Not saving them is like killing ourselves. There are so many lifesaving medicines out there that have yet to be discovered and if we continue to destroy habitats and live as if we are the only species, then it could be detrimental to our own health. Without bees we wouldn’t have honey, without coastal habitats, we don’t have beaches. Ultimately, everything is interconnected and if you remove one piece of the puzzle, you no longer have a complete picture. My hopes is that somebody would be able to see this argument and even if they were as anti-‘save the rainforest’ as it gets, they would still see the value in saving biodiversity out of their own self interest.

Today I ate Quaker oatmeal for breakfast, a turkey burger and fries for lunch, and pasta with meatballs with a side salad for dinner. To me it sounds like a good, healthy, and hearty meal. I cover a good portion of the food pyramid, I start with oats to fill me up in the morning, eat my protein, and always make sure that I have some greens in at least on of my meals. But when I think about my meal after recently watched Robert Kenner’s Food, Inc. I’m not so sure my meal was as healthy as I had thought. In fact, I’m not so sure any meal is as healthy as I thought. I can nearly trace each component of my meals back to corn based products and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Everything I eat suddenly feels out of my control and I know I am not the only one. Where did we lose control as consumers and how can we get it back?

We lost control when big money corporations gained control. Today, 4 companies control the meat industry (Food, Inc. 2007). It has become increasingly difficult to buy meat that is grain fed, free of antibiotics, and locally raised, especially while on a budget. As consumers we have made a choice to save our wallets instead of our bodies. It is hard to pass up deals on cheap meat or quick fixes like dollar sandwiches. What we fail to realize is that we get what we pay for. What these companies have done is set the standard so low that we are now wired to want faster and cheaper. We’ve manipulated vegetables to be whatever we want them to be, size and weight included. 90% of the items on the shelf contain corn (Food, Inc. 2007). We eat corn fed beef because we have grown accustomed to the low price and corn taste. What we overlook is how much fat grain-fed meat has compared to the grass-fed meat; grass-fed also having healthier fats (Pollan, 2002). What I eat for meat is actually just a blown up steer, filled with grains to meet a certain weight before being slaughtered. As consumers we’ve made the choice to fuel the big money companies every time we choose a Tyson Chicken or Smithfield beef, but with only 4 companies in control it’s hard to find an alternative. Buying from these companies also means supporting the mistreated migrant workers and chicken growers. The gap between the farmer and the food increased tremendously once factories replaced barns and who else is to blame but the consumers that keep them in business?

So how do we get back control over what we put into our bodies? We start by buying consciously and pushing for bigger movements in our communities. Here at the U of I, we were fortunate enough to get a glimpse into what we eat from our cafeteria to our local farm. As a freshman student, I was one of 9,000 students on a dining hall meal plan (Aubrey, 2014). That’s a lot of students all eating from the same source of food. What we learned is that the push for local and organic has been a continuous battle for Ikenberry dining hall because of the mass amount of food needed. Although we have a Student Sustainable Farm just down the road, only 1% of dining hall purchases come from the farm (Graft, 2014). What we can do as consumers is make conscious choices at the dining hall by using the application to access the nutritional information and push for the integration between the Student Sustainable Farm and dining halls (Aubrey, 2014). With over 30-35 different crops and techniques such as a caterpillar dome to keep the soil in tact during the winter, we should be investing more time and money into our backyard garden (Graft, 2014). It’s time we give back the glory to the small farmer and wean off of products fueled by Monsanto. The only way we will see change in the food industry is by starting small and looking at what we consume on a personal level. The less business we can give to Smithfield and Tyson, the more we can allocate that money towards sustainable projects like buying beef that we can use head to toe (Aubrey, 2014).

What I hope to see is early education about what we eat done at the University freshman level so that once we are on our own, we continue to be conscious grocery shoppers. I believe food habits start young and if we are okay with GMO salads and grain-fed meatballs, then that instills a habit that we pass on to the next generation. It will take a little more time and money to buy local or even grow a garden ourselves but the payoff of knowing what we put into our bodies is well worth the expense.

Sources:

Aubrey, Dawn. 2014. In class interview.

Food Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. 2008. DVD

Graft, Zack. 2014. Student Sustainable Farm. Interview

Pollan, Michael. 2002, March 31. Power Steer. The New York Times Magazine.

What a fool I am to have underestimated the prairie. What I once thought of as simply an open field became a picture of a vast grassland area rich with life and color. As our class walked through the fields passing plants of all sorts at the Prairie Restoration at Florida and Orchard, I gained a new appreciation for this endangered habitat known as the prairie.

The prairie was a foreign biome to me as a Florida native who has always lived by mangroves and the Gulf of Mexico. It was only natural that as a student of the University of the ‘Land of the Prairie’ that I learn to appreciate the history and restoration of my college state. Before obtaining my own copy of ‘Understanding Prairie in the Prairie State’ I was unaware of characteristics of the prairie. I feel as though what makes the prairie so wonderful is its rarity. Today only 32% of Earth surface is covered by prairie and out of what was once 22 million acres, only .01% of the original prairie still exists in Illinois (Ellis, 2009). According to Dr. Marlin, “The prairie is one of the most endangered habitats with nearly 99% east of the Mississippi is gone” (Marlin, J). The prairie is unique in its beginning as the rich soil left by Illinois glacial period has allowed for deep roots. Do not underestimate the prairie however, its persistence comes with the proper regulation of climate, fire, and grazing. Burning allows for better forage and grazing was a technique that kept the soil rich with nitrogen (Ellis, 2009). These vast lands have been prime in history for Bison grazing which makes the Bison the official animal of the prairie (Ellis, 2009). Critters and creatures from all sizes make the prairie their home from white tailed deer to skunks and turtles. This ecosystem is vital to their well-being and provides what should be an undisturbed habitat for animals of the like.

After reading about what this prairie held I was curious to see what this open field of grass really had in store for me. As our class hopped off the bus and walked into the Prairie Restoration at Florida and Orchard, I found myself instantly immersed in a world beyond just grass. Dr. John Marlin led us through the paths that twisted and turned within the grasses that ranged from ankle length to over my head. The colors are what stood out my eye took in each yellow and white and shades of purple. The fuchsia jumped out among the green and added for an oasis of pigment among the cloudy day. What was incredible was how much life these plants had as we would pick of stems and buds to rub in our fingers and smell. The scents ranged from minty Greyheaded coneflower to turpentine from the Rosenweed. Each plant had its own characteristic and each plant was unique in its ability to stay alive even during the harsh winter. The symphony of crickets and buzzing added to our aesthetically pleasing scenery and we relished in the hidden gem that is the Florida and Orchard Prairie Restoration. It was hard to hear Dr. Marlin say, “Champaign was once 95% prairie and today only 1 acre remains.”

How is it that this wonder thrives in Champaign and more importantly is why? Well as Dr. Marlin explained, “It took 6,000 holes drilled into the land and planted with seeds by a variety of volunteers.” Although it will never be a complete prairie ecosystem, it provides food for bugs and insects of the sorts. Bird also benefit from the prairie as we learned the importance of providing for some of natures smaller species. Do not be fooled though, this prairie requires year round maintenance. Nearly 50 pick up trucks of weeds were once taken out and the maintenance of seeds has allowed for growth restriction. Dr. Marlin explained the plan to mow patches and put in prairie plants in the openings. What I thought couldn’t be any more beautiful was only growing in progress. As I wondered how I could possibly get involved, Dr. Marlin added that prairie volunteers range from ages 3-96 and come from a variety of backgrounds as students, faculty and community members. It was comforting to hear that so many people of different ages care about protecting an ecosystem with such history. To see a land be cared for and not used for our other materialistic purposes was quite refreshing. I can only hope that prairie restorations as such will encourage for more efforts to preserve these kinds of habitats and bring back ‘the Land of the Prairie.’

Work Cited Page

Ellis, James. 2009. “Understanding Prairie in the Prairie State.” Curriculum Guide     Chapter 3. Illinois Natural History Survey. Institute of Natural Resource     Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Marlin, J. 2014. Interview at the Prairie Restoration at Florida and Orchard. September

I have to be honest, I never really grew up thinking about what I ate. I think I have my natural quick metabolism and physique to blame for that. I was an athlete growing up so McDonald’s here Wendy’s there didn’t phase me because I would just burn it off. Looking back now I see how naive I was to that idea and that eating isn’t so much about the fat aspect but the true health aspect. Watching Food Inc., which I had never seen prior to this class, has made me rethink just about everything I eat. I felt cheated in a sense. Are the tomatoes and carrots (things I used to consider healthy) really healthy? Now that I have learned that most of what we consume is GMO I’m more worried with what I put into my body.

I will say, however, that I did grow up a comparatively healthy eater. I have my mother to thank for that because she is the one who would always make homemade meals and provide fruit as an afterschool snack. We rarely ate anything frozen or boxed. Our mashed potatoes were made from scratch and we strived to have fresh fish once a week. Now she is on a gluten free kick so she implements alternative snacks and tries harder to substitute Cheetos for Pop Chips and shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. I think this played a key role in the way I see food because I too hope to raise my kids with homemade meals.

I really wasn’t aware of where my meat came from until this class. I have cut back on red meat and even tried being a ‘week-day vegetarian.’ It’s hard as a college student to eat healthy or be conscious of what we eat. We’re always on the go and always broke. Over the summer was the first time shopping and cooking for myself and although I lean towards chicken and eggs for my protein, I couldn’t resist to buy what ever was on sale at Meijer or Walmart. Looking ahead with more information now I will definitely make a better effort to eat wise. One rule of thumb is if you cant pronounce the ingredient, you probably shouldn’t eat it.

I think my very first writing assignment was in the third grade when we were introduced to prompts like “What is your favorite season and why?” or “Who is your favorite person and why?” These essays had a rubric of an introduction, 3 main reasons with their own paragraphs, and a conclusion to sum it all up. I went on to write what seemed like 500 of those essays and arbitrary as it seemed at the time that format stuck with me all the way to college and even now with big assignments. The format made sense and let the reader clearly see what the point of the paper was. Teachers seemed to appreciate my writing and when the FCAT (Florida testing) or ACT writing scores came back I was always pleasantly surprised to see that others thought so too.

There is something about writing that helps us make sense of our thoughts. Sometimes when I start an assignment, I’m not really sure where to start so I just start with the exact thought in my head even if it goes in the middle or end of the paper. I started journaling this year and it has really been a great way to clear things in my head, get things off my chest, or merely record what I did that day so I can one day look back. I’m a drafter in a sense that my writing is never good enough and I often love to use the full circle effect of connecting what I said at the beginning to the end. I enjoy writing and being able to document not just what happened but the emotions of that time as well. I wrote for my high school yearbook and even went on to write my graduation speech. I think as students we put a lot of pressure and overthink writing when in reality its just as though we are having a conversation on paper.

I would ideally love to actually sit down and think of a book some day. I would love to become a writer for a magazine or even become a yearbook advisor. If one day I could add ‘writer’ to my list of credibility then I will die happy. Maybe that basic rubric will come to pay off more than I had ever thought?

Quiz based on ‘Understanding the Prairie’

Understanding Prairie Quiz

1. What has taken place of the 22 million acres of prairie in Illinois?
2. About what percentage of the Earth’s land surface do grasslands cover?
3. What can we blame for the contrasting Illinois landscape that happened nearly 300,000 to 125,000 years ago?
4. What three things help to maintain prairie vegetation?
5. What percent of prairie plant species are threatened or endangered?
6. What animal is emblematic of the prairie?
7. Name three different prairie types in Illinois
8. What is an Indian Summer?
9. True of False: Tall prairie ecosystems are endangered
10. Name one method of prairie restoration

Answers:

1. Agricultural crops
2. 32%
3. Glacial episode
4. Fire, grazing, climate
5. 10%
6. Bison
7. Black soil, Sand, Gravel, Dolomite, Shrub, Hill
8. A period of warm, sunny weather in autumn
9. True
10. Removing unwanted species, planting seedlings, controlled fires, protecting the land

Now you know =)

I’m a little behind on the blog post but here are the past couple of assignments…

Regarding U of I’s Climate Action Plan:

Projects I like best and least, a couple of thoughts:

• Regarding moving Beyond Coal: I remember voting last year in favor to move ‘Beyond Coal’ and even attending a meeting that regarded what would happen next for the push to stray away from coal. Where are we in terms of that movement and if not coal than what else would take place and are we ready? I would like to see this school rely completely on alternative energy and why not since we have so many resources to do so.
• Regarding the dining hall: This project was my favorite because as a new student in the dining halls I was aware of the buffet style and wondered what would happen to all the left over food. I really appreciated that a good percentage of the food was from local farms, as it should be given that we are located in the richest soil in America. I did also like the idea of trayless dining as it cuts into water use. What I would like to see is more transparency in where the food goes when it is not eaten. With all of that leftover food it is a wonder what happens and if there could be a way to dispose of it sustainably whether giving it to the homeless in the area or saving it etc. It would also be extra great to see foods only in season being served or a move toward food that is GMO free.
• Regarding waste: I remember each moving out day seeing couches and all kinds of lamps, desks, schools supplies etc. being throwing into huge dumpsters. I like that iCap mentions their plan as far as giving clothes away and donating items left behind. I would like to see a push or maybe even an incentive for donating left over items especially since most of the things are general dorm necessities.
• Regarding housing: I saw a plan as far as recycling goes for housing but that was just University Housing. What about the other apartments, Greek Houses, etc. on this very large campus? It would be great to see the push for building regulations to be applied to all buildings in town. I can personally say my own Greek house could use some recycling and waste incentive.
• Regarding recycling: I’m glad to see a plan for campus wide recycling and I noticed that the goal was by 2011 to be a ‘Zero Waste Campus policy’ but where are we in regards to that? Last year I participated in a ‘Recyclemania’ event as Assembly Hall but does that happen each game including all other Illinois sporting events? Recycling needs to move into every aspect of this campus especially where large crowds are drawn.

After reading both articles it almost becomes obvious who I would rather share a drink with, the optimistic, lets-change-the-world Michael Pollen right? Wrong. I would share a drink with Derrick Jensen and here is why. Michael Pollen and I think on the same terms. I am all for the ‘if not you, who?’ motive to put in efforts towards saving the environment. I especially agree with him when he states, “If you do bother, you will set an example for other people. If enough other people bother, each one influencing yet another in a chain reaction of behavioral change, markets for all manner of green products and alternative technologies will prosper and expand.”But Michael Pollen and I talking about our personal ‘victory gardens’ over drinks will not get much done for our argument. Instead, I accept the challenge and choose Derrick Jensen, the kid of guy that needs someone like Michael Pollen or myself to talk some logic into him. Nothing irks me more than a guy quoting Kirkpatrick Sale when he says, “We, as individuals, are not creating the crises, and we can’t solve them” and believes it. Our man made problems are exactly that. What Jensen needs is a dose of reality that if we want to see the political change we might as well start somewhere. If we are going to push for industrial sized changes then we better be willing to start at home. Somebody has to let him know.

http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/why-bother/

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/4801/