Spring 2025 Alternative Break Experience (ABE)

I came back to ECU in Spring 2019 with what I call a "Student Pirate 2.0 bucket list." This is a series of events, experiences, and student organizations I was determined and hopeful to engage in and be part of, to yield a Student Pirate 2.0 experience that is challenging, rewarding, fulfilling, and fun.
The bucket list has been somewhat modified over the past six years, as I've completed one degree and progress with another. One item on the bucket list since Spring 2019 is the Alternative Break Experience. From the onset, I wanted to be engaged in alternative break experience that involved environmental stewardship, to make a positive difference in the world by reducing even more "the size of my carbon footprint." I knew the Cape Carteret ABE was a perfect fit.

It turned out to be that, and far more. Fortunately, I made the most of two days I was able to participate. The most meaningful events of Monday, March 10 were educational in nature, involving being on "both sides of the teacher's desk," as so to speak. I learned a lot about coastal-related topics during our rounds of Jeopardy, Coastal Federation style (particularly about oysters, clean water, and marine debris). Speaking of those topics, it was rewarding and fun to help share what we learned about oysters with students from Carteret Community College (as for Carteret, I am really impressed with the transformation that CCC has experienced since I was a college transfer student there 1993-1997).

The most meaningful events of Wednesday, March 12th involved clean-up on a larger and smaller scale. It was fulfilling to help make cleaner, healthier, and safer the salt marsh for animal residents such as the Great Egret (I saw two Great Egrets--albeit in the distance--walking through and flying over the marsh). It was just as rewarding to help make cleaner, healthier, and safer the path for animal residents such as Fiddler Crabs (a crustacean I found out about during my first summer in Carteret County. I found myself thinking a lot about summer 1993 as we walked and worked our way through the salt marsh and path).

Overall, the experience was exactly what I expected, in fact, more than I could have anticipated. If I have to offer any room for improvement, it would be an opportunity to spend more time on the beach at Fort Macon (though the few minutes we were given was a blessing!). Could time for a group walk down the beach, possibly through some of the dunes, be offered?

Thank you, Lauren and Alex, for being our leaders for this ABE!