The Beat Goes On With Alternative Spring Break

For the 14th straight year, Plateau Restoration has been a host site for alternative spring break in cooperation with the Breakaway organization on the campus of Florida State University. Participants in these service-learning programs, who came from the College of Charelston, S.C., and the Universities of Wyoming, Montana, and Northern Colorado, contributed to a number of valuable projects which included revegitation, native garden construction, seed collection and non-native species removal.
Students gathered damaged plants along the four wheel drive roadways at Arches National Park for replanting into the Delicate Arch trail head revegitation site.
These plants, collected under a NPS permit, were give a good temporary home in the native garden at the PRI home office and grounds, lagely built by students. The garden has a drip irrigation system and is on a timer. Students mixed potting soild and planted seed in dozens of pots for germination.
Students were also involved ina roadside reseeding project along Castle Valley Drive that was recently bladed. Projects also included our continuation fo knapweed removeal in the Castle Valley water shed which contains private, State, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands.
Our service-learning programs continued in April, with the 7th-grade class from West Sound Academy, WI and Eastern Kentucky University. Blocking of non-legal routes in the La Sals was a high priority as this project required many hands to complete. Student shelped roll boulders, hauling logs, rocks and stumps to block user-created roads with natural features.
Eleven students took advantage of Utah State University credit we offer for the service-learning program. Over thirty spring breakers and almost thirty other student including college and 7th graders, contributed nearly 1600 hours to these projects worth an estimated value of $25,000!

Quotes From Our 2008 Alternative Break Season

Here are a few quotes from our 2008 Alternative Break Season:

What was your most enjoyable aspect of this volunteer work experience?

"Michael and Tam telling us so much about this place and their personal experiences because without that background, the restoration is not as meaningful. Even on the river trip, it wasn't just a river trip but a learning experience, gaining more background on the area." - Alaina, AB Participant from Montana

"The leaders, Tam and Michael, really made the experience great. They were enthusiastic, energetic and very knowledgeable about the work they (and we) were doing." - Nicholas, AB Participant from Charleston

"Working with Tam was by far, my favorite because throughout each project, she kept on teaching about the various formations, plants and history of the area. I also enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment while I gazed over the river bank that we restored." - Aspen, AB Participant from University of North Carolina