So, About Doing Fieldwork in Florida...

Now that I've decided to return to school for Environmental Studies, there is an obvious question:

Why not just do the whole thing in Florida?

Florida certainly has no shortage of environment to study: wetlands, springs, estuaries, barrier islands, longleaf pine forests, coastal ecosystems, hurricanes, invasive species, sea-level rise—the list goes on. From an environmental perspective, Florida is genuinely fascinating.

I appreciate it. I admire it. I wonder at it.

I just don't particularly get excited at the idea of spending a lot of time outdoors in Florida, which really defeats the purpose of this academic pursuit. Spending time outdoors as part of my job was a big reason I wanted to pursue Environmental Studies in the first place. So what do I have against thereat outdoors in Florida?

I Have Some Concerns

First, I would like to address the weather.

Environmental Studies is not entirely a classroom endeavor, and I have spent enough summers in Northwest Florida to know that my enthusiasm for fieldwork would decline sharply once that oppressive heat hit. You cannot walk outside without an immediate sheen of sweat covering your body.

Then there are the creatures.

I grew up in Western Washington, where wandering around outside was a relatively low-stakes activity. There were certainly things capable of hurting me, but I generally did not have to wonder whether the patch of earth I was standing on contained an angry nest of fire ants. I didn’t have to worry about alligators or venomous snakes when I was in a wetland environment, stinging jellyfish or stingrays when I was swimming in salt water, venomous spiders and scorpions under literally anything, mosquitos that leave you with massive welts…and did I mention the FIRE ANTS?

I respect Florida wildlife tremendously. However, I would simply prefer to respect it from a comfortable distance and not have to worry about being attacked while doing fieldwork.

But That's Not the Core Reason

The weather and wildlife are the funny answers.

The real answer is much simpler: this isn't the environment I want to spend my life learning about and working to protect.

That's not an insult to Florida. I've lived here for over six years now, and I've developed a genuine appreciation for its ecosystems. I've watched storms roll across the Gulf, learned about plants and animals I had never encountered before, gardened in a completely different climate, and experienced the most vibrant sunsets.

But appreciation and connection aren't quite the same thing.

I want to study the ecosystems I've been marveling at since I was a child. I want coursework that can take me into redwood forests, rocky intertidal zones, watersheds, coastal environments, and landscapes shaped by mountains, rivers, and the Pacific Ocean. Eventually, I want to work there and be a steward of that beautiful and incredibly special land.

I Want the Landscape to Be Part of My Education

I could learn environmental science and policy from a textbook almost anywhere. I can certainly begin building the foundation here in Florida—and that's exactly what I intend to do. There are general education courses, math prerequisites, and foundational classes I can complete here before I go anywhere. But at some point, I want my education to become specific to a geographic location.

I want the landscape outside the classroom to reinforce what I'm learning inside it. I want professors who study the regional environmental problems I'm interested in. I want field experiences in ecosystems relevant to the work I hope to eventually do. I want classmates, internships, organizations, and professional connections within the environmental community where I hope to build my career. If I'm going to completely nerd out over watersheds, erosion, GIS, geology, conservation, and regenerative land stewardship, I want to do it somewhere that already makes me want to walk outside and ask questions.

Florida has taught me a great deal, including how profoundly attached I am to another landscape.

So my journey begins. I'll happily begin my education here. I'll take the prerequisites. I'll relearn the math. I'll build the foundation.

But when it's time to really get my hands dirty, I want to be studying the dirt I hope to spend my life caring about.

Preferably dirt with fewer fire ants.