Banana patch clean-up

A few years ago the Agriculture and Natural Resources programs shifted to a focus on food production and natural resources management. In the process of the shift, SC/SS 115 Ethnobotany was included as a program requirement. The ANR program learning outcomes were \:

1. Acquire fundamental concepts and principles of land resources focusing towards development and production in a sustainable manner appropriate to Micronesia.
2. Demonstrate basic competencies in the management of land resources and food production.
3. Acquire basic skills, knowledge and attitude to manage a sustainable food production enterprise or qualify for entry level employment in a land resource management related agency.
4. Acquire a sound scientific background that will allow transfer to a higher degree program related to land resources and food systems.

Lefreeancy

Considering the ethnobotany curriculum, the course did not well meet focusing a land resource development and production. The course also does not cover the skills necessary to manage a sustainable food production enterprise nor intentionally directly provide the knowledge necessary for entry level employment in a land resource management agency.  And while the course include botanic sciences, saying that scientific identification, classification, and morphology - essentially botanic diversity - provides the background necessary to higher degree programs specifically in land resources and food systems would be a reach. The course added the maintenance of a banana patch as a place for students to demonstrate basic competencies in food production, specifically the bananas.

Tedrick and Nette

Clidemia hirta and Spathodea campanulata both appear to negatively impacting the growth of the banana trees and their ability to produce bananas. I have my own suspicions that Clidemia hirta may be allelopathic.



In the two shot sequence above, Lavonna demonstrates correct form, ending her blade swing outside of her body and not towards her legs.

Melissa battles Clidemia hirta

Yoma

Rosalyn

Rosalyn, Melissa, Lefreeancy

Myra sharpens her machete

Leeron and Nemely

Nette struck this pose

Rodrigo

Myra proving adept with a bush knife

Ian also tackling Clidemia hirta


Earlier in the afternoon I used the loppers from home to try to tame the four ring circus of Volkameria inermis, Premna obtusifolia, Ocimum tenuiflorum, and Scaevola taccada. This section of the campus remains important to the ethnobotany final. Present here are also Mangifera indica, Artocarpus altilis, Macaranga carolinensis, Cocos nucifera, Asplenium nidus, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Microsorum scolopendria, Morinda citrifolia, and many more plants including the rather toxic Ipomoea carnea.

Scaevola taccada, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Volkameria inermis, Premna obtusifolia 


The plants were planted to not be a sight line issue for the corner, still, if left to grow unchecked the plants could impact the sight lines.

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