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Alternative Spring Break
By John Weber, Jersey Shore Chapter Chair
Most college students think of spring break revolving around the 3 B's: beer,
beaches, and boys/babes. However, a group of five students from Virginia's
George Mason University had other ideas. They spent their spring break volunteering
for the Jersey Shore Chapter. The students did beach clean ups, Beachscaped
several towns, attended educational seminars on the coastal environment,
and appeared in the local newspapers and TV news for their efforts.
 It
all started when Jersey Shore Chapter member and George Mason University
senior Paul D'Elia contacted our chapter with the idea of bringing a group
to New Jersey in early March to volunteer for a whole week. Paul is no stranger
to mixing surfing and social work. Last summer, he and a fellow student organized
"Paddle for Habitat" where they paddled the entire length of the New Jersey
Coast to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.
As the Chapter Chair, I knew the value of having five volunteers, all day,
every day for a week. Despite our active chapter, there is never enough volunteer
time to do everything you want, especially this time of year. So once Paul
convinced me he could find five students to help out, I told him I'd plan
out a week's worth of activities. There was a catch however, the students
needed to be housed for that week. A local businesswoman was impressed enough
to offer free breakfast at her diner each day of the week for all the volunteers.
I inquired about housing at an Environmental Commission meeting—a member
was the owner of a bed and breakfast in town and he offered free lodging.
The volunteers arrived and we gave them an orientation to Beachscape and
to the beach clean ups. Beachscape requires some instruction and believe
it or not so do New Jersey beach clean ups. Our beach sweeps don't just remove
the trash from the beaches. Instead, each and every piece of trash is recorded
as "data" and the information is sent back to the Center for Marine Conservation
in Washington D.C. The data is compiled and used to fight for changes in
practices from industries like food packagers or cruise lines. The volunteers
got to work immediately following the training.
Our volunteers collected and catalogued over 400 lbs of beach trash, and
by the weekend they had Beachscaped five coastal towns in Monmouth County.
Students Carolyn DeSmaris, John Harrington, and Elizabeth Turner as well
as faculty member Heather Hare joined Paul and braved the March cold and
wind every day.
It was a fantastic success for all involved. The students feel they got as
much out of the experience as the chapter. If you are a college student,
see if there is an Alternative Spring Break program at your school. If you
are a chapter leader, ask local colleges if they participate in ASB. You
can learn more at www.alternativebreaks.org. You don't have to be in the
sun-belt to have a great spring break.
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