# 13 Service Learning

My service learning hours were completed at the Calusa nature Center and Planetarium, located in Fort Myers Florida.   The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium is a private, not for profit, environmental education organization.  They have a 105 acre site with a museum, three nature trails, a Planetarium, butterfly and bird aviaries, gift shop and meeting and picnic areas.  People are able to learn all about Southwest Florida’s natural History.  It was a great experience to have the opportunity to be able to help nature, animals, and other volunteers.  I am probably going to go back more often to be able to help, because it was such an inspiring experience. I was able to do everything from walking the three trails while picking up garbage left behind from others, helping count the gift shop inventory, help clean up the planetarium and the outside near the animals.  Some of the animals that I was able to see while cleaning, were pigs, fish, turtles, skunks, butterflies, and an variety of birds, such as the bald eagle, in their bird aviaries.  I also went to pick up about 200 pounds of frozen fish from Fort Myers Beach.  Once I brought the fish back, some of the workers and other volunteers were able to use them to feed the animals, such as the pelicans they had at the Center.  I would like to go back there one day and be able to visit everything, as well as being able to watch the movies played at the Planetarium.