Alternative Spring Break (ASB) - A Tradition We're Thankful for!

Chincoteague Bay Field Station hosted its annual Alternative Spring Break this past weekend. More than 100 students from East Stroudsburg, Millersville, Kutztown, Shippensburg, Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and West Chester Universities joined forces to tackle projects ranging from painting and equipment repair, to trash clean-up and invasive species removal. It was an incredibly successful weekend and all projects were accomplished!

In addition to the traditional ASB weekend, we hosted two special events during the weekend to enhance the experience. On Sunday there was a panel discussion called "Headwaters to Oceans: Water Resources & the Eastern Shore" during which three local experts presented on the connections between the Eastern Shore residents and their water resources. Panelists included Jay Ford, the Eastern ShoreKeeper, Randy Birch, local waterman, and Tim Rapine of Ballard Fish & Oyster Company (who is also an alum of ESU/CBFS!). This event was sponsored by Shippensburg University and Outdoor Nation. On Monday morning we held a resume and cover letter workshop called "Presenting Yourself." CBFS staff members worked with students to identify strengths and weaknesses in resumes, cover letters, and interviews, in order to make students more competitive for jobs and graduate school.

For the second year in a row, CBFS held an Instagram Photo Contest for the most creative image of the weekend. Students used the hashtag #cbfieldstation and #socialgood on both Instagram and Twitter to document their experiences at the Field Station. The image capturing extended beyond the volunteer-based activities and permeated into after hours activities including trips to the Island Creamery, early morning birding at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and more. By the end of the weekend we collected more than 200 photographs. Here's a quick sampling of just a few of them: