CIC Service Council
Alternative
Spring Break
Biscayne National Park, Miami, FL
March 1 - 9, 2008
Application Information and Registration Fee
There will be 10 spaces available for the trip.
The completed application is due no later
than Monday, November 5, 2007 at 5:00pm in
the Community Involvement Center. Participant selection
will occur on Monday, November 12 (with some trips conducting
group interviews on November 10 and 11),
and applicants will be notified of their
status by 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 14. Applications
are available on-line at
http://www.rice.edu/service (click
on the "Alternative Spring Break Participant
Applications" link). You
can also view photos and read personal testimonies
from past participants on-line. By 5:00pm on Monday, November 26, those selected to participate
will need to confirm their involvement by
submitting a non-refundable registration
fee ($250.00), liability release, emergency
contact and insurance information, a
signed copy of the Conditions of Acceptance, and 10 personal solicitations (details on all these components will be discussed at the All ASB Meeting discussed below).
For more information on the trip or application
process, please contact the student Site
Leaders, Dandan Cheng (dandan.cheng@rice.edu)
and Victor Brooks (vbrooks@rice.edu).
All selected
participants are required to attend a mandatory
team meeting 9:00-11:00pm
on Sunday, November 18 in Herring 100 (Auditorium).
Please hold this time on your schedule and
notify Christa Leimbach (leimbach@rice.edu)
at the time of your application if you have
a conflict with this meeting. Those that miss the meeting without prior consent will forfeit their place in the ASB program.
The registration fee includes
transportation, housing, meals, materials required
for service, some organized group activities,
and fees paid to the host agency. In most cases,
this registration fee does not even fully cover
the cost of transportation to the site. The
bulk of the trip expenses will be covered through
team and individual fundraising; all participants
are required to
assist with fundraising activities. Projects
may include bake sales, car washes, stadium
clean-ups, and other creative ideas. In addition,
participants will be required to assist with
personal solicitations to friends, family members,
co-workers, religious communities, civic organizations,
grant funds, and other sources.
A small amount of additional personal spending
money should be taken for souvenirs, meals
on the road, and optional activities.
While this is inexpensive for
a week-long service experience, we do not want
cost to be a prohibiting factor. If you are
concerned about funding your participation,
please indicated your desire to apply for a
partial scholarship by contacting Christa Leimbach (leimbach@rice.edu) before
the application deadline (5:00pm on Monday, November 5, 2007). Late requests will not be considered.
Biscayne Bay - Miami/Homestead, FL
Just a short ride from the hustle and bustle of Miami, the pristine environment of Biscayne National Park seems almost out of place against the South Beach urban skyline. Contained within 172,000 acres off Florida’s eastern coast are four completely independent eco-systems. Massive expanses of mangrove forest serve as breeding grounds for hundreds of species of birds. The crystal clear waters of Biscayne Bay are home to manatees and sea turtles, the northern most islands of the Florida Keys each keep their own secrets, and portions of the world’s third-largest coral reef supply a wondrous undersea world.
National Park Service and Biscayne National Park
The National Park Service (NPS) is an US agency that manages all national parks, a lot of the nation’s monuments, and other conservation and historical sites. Each year, NPS needs active volunteers such as yourselves to help preserve and protect America’s natural and cultural legacies so that future generations can enjoy them as much as we do now. In the fiscal year 2005, over 135,000 people of all ages volunteered for the park services for a combined total of 5.3 million hours. That’s tremendous! This system created for US national parks is the first of its kind in the world and serves as an excellent model for other nations who also wish to preserve their own conservational sites. Each year NPS actively teach and learn from other nations on how to manage and preserve these natural historical sites.
The Florida Keys is one of the most famous and most visited archipelagos in the world and in an effort to protect to and preserve Florida’s unique wildlife and ecosystems, Biscayne National Park was made official on October 18, 1968 and now serves as a unique barrier against the encroachment of urban life. The park seeks to educate the public about environmental issues, works cooperatively with local schools on various youth projects, and conducts water quality tests, species sampling studies and other research to further environmental conservation efforts worldwide.
Service
Our primary project will focus on restoring sea turtle nesting beaches. There are a number of small islands just offshore where sea turtles nest during the summer months. The beaches have become inundated with trash and debris, which hinders nesting success. If we help restore the habitat before the nesting season beings in May, we can increase the chance of sea turtles leaving viable nests and help hatchlings by removing obstacles that would be in their way as they return to the ocean.
This will be a very “hands on” project, but in the end very rewarding. Because this will be a physically demanding project, we will only be cleaning for a few days and will spend the remainder of our time working on various water/construction projects the last couple of days. If you are interested, please know you should be comfortable riding in boats and wading in waist deep water. This trip will provide a great way to have some fun in the sun and do something positive for the environment.
Accommodations
Our lodging will be provided by one of the local hostels. Besides dorm rooms with bunk beds, the hostel will provide bathrooms, an accessible kitchen, and a great atmosphere. We’ll have a standard lunch everyday probably and every night we’ll get to prepare our own dinner. One night out of the week we’ll dine out at a restaurant, which will be paid for by our fundraising efforts.
Activities
The Everglades National Park and the Greater Miami area are only a short trip away from Biscayne Park. The beach is beautiful and there will be many opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and other activities. The majority of our other activities will be planned with those selected for the trip to maximize everyone’s involvement and enjoyment.
Health
Upon acceptance, participants will be required
to complete a medical questionnaire and possibly
a medical interview as well. Examples of the kinds
of questions that may be asked are as follows:
- Have you had any chronic conditions requiring medical
care?
- Will you need any special medications or
medical care while on this trip?
- Are you allergic
to any foods or medicines?
- Do you have any other
dietary restrictions?
Conditions of Acceptance
Although we do not want to discourage anyone from
applying, we want to ensure that the conditions
of participation are clear. Please take a moment
to read the conditions below.
- Participants in the Alternative Spring Break
program are expected to
exhibit sensitivity to the host culture; observe
local rules and laws; and abide by the philosophy,
structure, and regulations of our host agencies.
- A primary goal of the program is learning. Participants
are expected to prepare for the trip by completing
the packet of readings provided by the Community
Involvement Center and attending pre-trip orientation
meetings. In addition, participants will be encouraged
to keep journals and participate in-group reflection
while on the trip.
- The Community Involvement Center will assist
in arranging reasonable accommodations on-site
and arranging service work to be done in conjunction
with the host agencies. Nevertheless, the exact
nature and conditions of these accommodations and
work cannot be guaranteed. Many of the conditions
we expect at home (i.e. hot water, daily showers,
washers/dryers, privacy, etc.) may not be available.
- The participants will be responsible for participating
in all fundraising activities, including personal
solicitations.
- It is the participant's responsibility to obtain
a passport and any necessary visas (if required
for the trip) before he/she goes and to bring his/her
own spending money for free-time activities, a
few meals, and other personal expenses.
- It is the participant's responsibility to insure
he/she is covered by a travel/health insurance
plan for the duration of the program, which includes
emergency medical evacuation.
- The participants are responsible for making all
decisions regarding appropriate health precautions.
- Participants will not consume/use alcohol or
illegal drugs, smoke, or engage in sexual activity
while on the trip.
- Participants must at all times be with another
member of the group. In general, activities outside
the scope of the program will not be accommodated
and participants should not make outside commitments.
- All participants are required to follow all
safety guidelines established by the Community
Involvement Center while on an Alternative Spring
Break trip, as well as during travel to and from
the site.
- In addition, following the trip, group members
will be responsible for presentations and information
sessions to be given to the Rice community in the
fall semester.
- Once accepted into the program and the registration
fee is paid, participants are financially obligated
to the full purchase price of their plane ticket
and/or agency fees if they drop out for any reason,
since these are non-refundable and will cost more
than the initial $250 registration fee.
