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ASB leaves students smiling |
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Thursday, 22 March 2007 |
I have not stopped smiling.
I think my face is going to be stuck like this for some time.
I guess that’s what a week in Florida working for the Florida Trail Association will do to you.
Never
in my life has anything had such a positive personal impact. My
Alternative Spring Break, sponsored by Appalachian State University’s
Appalachian and the Community Together Office, was the best week of my
life.
I got a crash course in wildlife education, I encountered alligators,
snakes, birds and turtles all in their natural setting, and I was
awestruck by the beauty of the Florida wilderness.
At the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a guide told the group about the rare habitats and then allowed us to walk the trial.
We then took a drive down to the St. Marks Lighthouse and walked along the beach surrounding it.
Among the thousands of fiddler crabs and other water creatures, we had a great time taking pictures.
We finished the day with a six and a half mile canoe trip down the Wakulla River that ended with a group jump off of a bridge.
The day after our nature appreciation day, we got down to business.
In a section of the Florida Trail, we built a bridge over a creek that
rises too high to cross during certain times of the year.
The bridge was 30-feet long, and we constructed it all with manpower.
There were no power tools necessary to make this bridge happen.
We sawed plywood, dug two-foot holes for posts, checked to make sure everything was level, and then hammered away.
The day was almost perfect until we took a lunch break and found ourselves covered in ticks.
The parasites were living in the plywood we were using to make the
bridge. One girl had to go without her pants until we could be sure
that she was tick free.
Needless to say, that night we made a Wal-Mart run to invest in some deep-woods bug spray.
The next work day we coated ourselves in bug spray and sun screen and
hiked about four miles of the trial while lopping off burdensome
branches and making sure there was a clearly marked path so hikers
could easily maneuver through the woods.
I think this is where I caught my permanent smile.
Our trail leader, Bob Woods, probably has the biggest, most genuine
smile on earth. I can’t blame him – the Florida Trail Association is an
awesome organization to work for.
Our next task was building a trailhead so hikers could have a safe place to park their vehicles while they enjoyed the trial.
After we finally got our machinery to cooperate, we were off and
running. We all took turns drilling three-foot holes into the earth so
we could put up the proper posts.
When the day was done, I think the whole group was a bit saddened. Our
work was finished and we would soon be getting back in our van to make
the 12-hour trip back to Boone.
Between the inside jokes with my newest circle of friends, two awesome
group leaders that made it all possible, an amazing faculty leader and
the great people of the Florida Trail Association, Spring Break
2007 is a time I will never forget.
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