Students bagged fossilized oyster shells to help create oyster reefs and promote shoreline protection and water filtration. Students sitting on top of the bags that they created are (left to right): Mariko Aburai (back), Laurel Milburn, Janine Kennedy, Luis Mendez, Brianna Davis, Megan Hurley, Chelsea Dix, and Casey Hickman (FSC staff).

Not all college students spend their spring break on the beaches. Some FSC students did amazing service work during spring break, Feb. 27 to March 2.

Accompanied by two FSC staff members, seven students traveled to the Panhandle to participate in a week-long Alternative Spring Break. Altogether, the students gave a total of 130 service hours working with two state agencies on environmental projects.

The students spent one day working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to plant and propagate sea grass that will help stop erosion and restore the Gulf Coastline.

They spent two days working with the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance. One project involved bagging fossilized oyster shells, which are used to create oyster reefs along coast that will promote water filtration and shoreline protection.

The students also worked with Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance and the City of Niceville to remove invasive Popcorn Trees.

The seven participating students were Mariko Aburai, Brianna Davis, Chelsea Dix, Megan Hurley, Janine Kennedy, Luis Mendez, and Laurel Milburn.

FSC students worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection repotting sea grass plants that will be planted along the Gulf Coast shoreline to sustain shoreline and prevent erosion. Left to right: Megan Hurley, Casey Hickman (FSC staff), Laurel Milburn, Brianna Davis, and Mariko Aburai.