Florida Alternative Break: Ecosystem Restoration

ABDuring this past Spring Break, I was lucky enough to attend the Florida Alternative Spring Break trip in Stuart, Florida. The focus of the trip was ecorestoration and conservation and we did several projects around town with the guidance of the land resource manager of the city, Mike. Our projects included oyster reef building, invasive species removal, native species planting, and trail maintenance. On our free time, we took a trip to the beach and kayaked down the St. Lucie inlet.

 

I honestly had a really awesome time. We tent camped the entire week and reflected on our day every night by camp fire (with s’mores of course). I got to meet 14 incredible people, each with different and wonderful personalities, but each with one common passion: preserving the natural world. It is hard to imagine that our surroundings are we know them now will be drastically different in say 100 years if we keep abusing our environment the way we are now. For me, this trip was a huge reminder about how important the environment is to me, our community, and our future generations. I have even seriously looked into changing my major because of it.

 

Now I’m not encouraging everyone to go and change their major, but just take a moment to think about the importance of the natural world. What if there were no birds outside? What if there were no plants that could flower and thrive? What if our waterways were so polluted that you couldn’t even step foot near the shore? Don’t get too caught up with studying and tests and meetings; get outdoors and appreciate what we have right now. It will take a load of stress off your back, trust me. It’s amazing what a little fresh air will do!

 

And if you are looking for an opportunity to get out into nature, the Sustainability LLC is taking an overnight trip to Environmental Studies on the Piedmont from Friday to Saturday. We will be removing invasive species and just generally enjoying some time together in the beautiful out-of-doors! Leadership LLC is absolutely welcome (I’m going!) and there is still space to sign up on Facebook!

 

ALSO: A few of our friends in the Sustainability LLC are doing a project for their LLC class called “Rad Racks.” You can talk to either Kristen, Roger, Brittany, or Connor to borrow a drying rack for your clothes. Not only does this save energy, but it also saves you time by not waiting in line for the dryers! And you will be helping friends successfully complete their project as well!



One Response to “Florida Alternative Break: Ecosystem Restoration”

  1.   llawson Says:

    Mimi, I love that you bring up that it made you think about changing your major. In the office of Admissions, I have noticed that they talk a lot about internship and hands on experience and how that can really help you figure out what you love to do. I have to say I agree 100%. I think it is important to be passionate about something and to be around other people who are passionate about the same thing. It is a great learning experience, and in this case it has brought into question a decision you have previously made. You now have a “test” of what direction you are taking in your college education that can have a drastic impact on your future, but I think that the result of this “test” will be you having more confidence in your major – a lesson that all leaders can take away into the many times they will be tested in their lives.

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