Getting Down and Dirty…… But in a Good Way

Presented by: Dr. Cornelius’s Environmental Sociology Class

Evaluation Survey ResultsAlternative Fall Break

Number of Fall Break participants 42

Number of survey respondents 32

Number of questions 28

Value of Alternative Fall Break? Priceless

Complete survey results are available at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=UXWN3_2bqbePqXuEY7mseGA0ESLB7ITvAemCa2MH3rmYo_3d

What is your major?Students who came on the Alternative Fall Break trip were from different majors.

Students represented 14 majors from all 3 colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education & Human Services

27% of the survey respondents were sociology majors

Why did you go on the Alternative Fall Break?Answers varied from those who were required to attend to those who chose to attend.

Most respondents attended as a class project for Dr. Grove’s Honors Colloquium or Dr. Cornelius’s Environmental Sociology class.

Others represented the Women’s Studies minor and Student Environmental Action Coalition

What does “conservation” mean to you?

“It can be as simple as a personal choice to recycle or pick up garbage – anything

small to preserve the planet – or larger policy change,

perhaps to combat global warming or oil use.”

PHILOSOPHY“…an ideal to protect the environment by

implementing methods which allow us as a whole to utilize the environment’s resources with limited detrimental impact.”

“It means not taking our responsibility toward nature flippantly. It is our responsibility to ensure the sanctity and original state of nature as much as possible.”

ACTION“Conservation is getting out there and doing

something like cleaning up trash or getting informed.”

“It means doing little things every day to help the environment. Even if it’s something like picking up a few pieces of trash on campus, it will make a huge difference in the long run.”

ACTION“Conservation, to me, means ‘doing’

instead of ‘talking.’ There were only 40 students and we only spent 2 hours on the marsh, and we collected an enormous amount of garbage, and even saved a few organisms. That was ONE marsh. What about one street, one field, one yard? Conservation means taking action.”

EDUCATION“It means educating and providing

future generations with the things we have around us.”

“Educating others about how we can stop damaging the earth and how we can take steps to regrow and restore our natural resources.”

STEWARDSHIP“It involves preservation and restoration.”

“It is a matter of taking time to enjoy, preserve, give back to, and help the environment so that it can maintain its natural beauty and flourish with a healthy ecosystem.”

“Lifestyle decisions that you make to prevent the environment from being abused or destroyed.”

What was the goal of the trip? Was the goal reached?

100% of respondents said that the goal was reached!

Themes: -- Connections -- Consequences -- Conservation -- Carson

GOAL…..

“To educate students on how we affect other places and people with our actions and how we can help solve the problems we create.”

GOAL….. “To learn how we can work together as a team to help conserve our nation’s natural resources.”

“To make students think about how they are a part of the problem and how they can be a part of the solution.”

GOAL… “To connect the dots between personal behavior and its environmental consequences.”

“To open everyone’s eyes!”

Which activities and speakers were most influential?

Some were clear favorites!

MARSH CLEANUP 93%

KAYAKING AND 86%

COASTALEXPLORATION

MARSH CLEANUP“I never realized how inconsiderate people

were, throwing their garbage on beautiful land like that. All the oyster nets left in the marsh by oyster harvesters made me angry.”

“It demonstrated that each one of us can make a difference…. Thousands of individuals had walked/biked/ridden horses past that marsh and nary one of them had the decency to volunteer a minute to pick up a candy wrapper.”

“It really opened my eyes to the laziness of individuals.”

“It shocked and appalled me that there was so much netting and trash, but I did have a great sense of pride to look around at my peers and see how hard we were working to make a difference.”

“It is my proudest accomplishment….”

KAYAKING“We learned a lot about sea organisms and

how to catch them.”

“It was very hands on, and was a good example of alternative classroom teaching.”

“It was great to kayak to Assateague Island and observe all the creatures that call it ‘home.’ It was also great to see that American Bald Eagle perched in the tree.”

SMITH ISLAND“It was interesting that there was no police

presence on the island and everything was run by the church.”

“This experience gave me a new perspective on society. I have now seen what a society looks like when it is dying.”

“I love meeting people and learning their stories. Smith Island was full of those. It was an odd town, but that added to its charm.”

More SMITH ISLAND“The litter and the sense of the people and their

oddities was very unnerving….. The island was a reflection of the attitudes of the citizens.

“It was an exciting and unforgettable experience with a culture all of its own.”

“It was a unique experience with a culture of people what make their living from the sea… and getting to know them make me realize how important conservation is.”

OYSTER BOAT TRIP“It really helped to experience and

understand first hand the struggles and problems that the Chesapeake is faced with.”

“It was a once in a lifetime experience.”

“The men we met were sharing a piece of their life and showing us how the run off created by our farm fields has affected their oyster yields.

OTHER ACTIVITIESBaltimore Aquarium: “I’ve never seen so many different

species of animals before.”

Speakers: “When Valerie Fellows spoke to us about the polar bears going extinct, and how there was nothing we could do, I was shocked. Changing habits is not something we can put off; familiar animals are facing the consequences of our refusal to change.”

Dairy Farm: “It really completed the circle and demonstrated the connectedness of the entire pollution process. Our actions here affect the livelihoods of a great number of people.”

Impact of Marsh Cleanup What we liked:“Feelings of accomplishment that we did

something good for the world.”

“Getting dirty and having fun doing it.”

“People’s reaction and how involved and enthusiastic everyone became about it.”

“We made a difference.”

What we didn’t like “Getting frustrated with buried netting;

getting very thirsty.”

“Cleaning up other people’s messes.”

“It is really depressing to know that much trash is out in our marshes.”

“The mud, of course.”

Connection between Shippensburg & the Chesapeake Bay

We all feltconnected by the end of our trip—to the land and to each other

“I think that the farm here in Pennsylvania along with all the activities we did in the bay really made the connection stronger.”

“Choices I make every day can pollute the bay. I need to keep that in mind and be more responsible.”

Personal Impact of Rachel Carson

FEMINISM

“I intend to follow in her footsteps….”

“…her gutsy move as a female….”

“Her influence on the environment as a woman in a man’s world.

COURAGE “Her commitment to direct action.

“Her courage to speak out about unpopular things.”

“How she was able to challenge the government.”

INNOVATION

“Her battle against DDT with Silent Spring.”

“Bringing out in the open the damage humans were causing.”

“She made conservation more accessible to the public.”

INSPIRATION

“…she was a woman who started a change fearlessly without looking back for approval. The picture in one of the magazines that was distributed … showed the best example of her sitting at the head of the table full of politicians, trying to make a change, and her voice was heard.”

Personal Connection to the Chesapeake Bay

THE FARM

“The St. Thomas farm really brought everything together.”

“…the BMPs that the owners practice lessen the negative effects on the Chesapeake Bay.”

THEOYSTERMEN

“…The fishermen gave us a detailed description of what dumping in the Susquehanna does..”

“The science boat helped us recognize why the water was so full of nutrients and why so many oysters were ‘sick.’”

THE WHOLEPACKAGE

“Ultimately, I feel that all the activities were in some way helpful in making the connection between Shippensburg and the Chesapeake Bay.”

How have you changed as a result of this trip?

I AM MUCH MORE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT MY IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

“I have stopped…… -- some of my wasteful

habits -- eating as much beef -- throwing trash outside -- to pick up other

people’s trash

“I have been more conscious of turning off lights.”

“I have picked up garbage on the edge of sidewalks.”

“I have become less lazy about my surroundings.”

“I try harder to make a positive impact.”

Although 8 respondents said that their habits hadn’t changed, most said they were much more careful about their environmental footprints.

“I am even more adamant about recycling and litter management.”

I have a greater awareness of environmental issues surrounding me.”

What did you learn that will affect your work in your discipline?

SOCIOLOGY

“I looked at people from Smith Island and our conversations with them from a sociological perspective to explain their way of life.”

“Experiences like [Smith Island] allow us to maintain an openness to societal situations.”

ANTHRO. “On Smith Island I was able to see a way of life and a worldview much different from my own – my own

worldview was broadened.

BIOLOGY “Nature is the key to survival of all.”

“There are many opportunities available at Wallops and I hope to take some of my courses there.”

BIOLOGY“It gave me food for thought about

protecting species that are used as resources and are in decline versus introducing a non-native species to replace them. It also reaffirmed that people are very important in science because they are what research will end up affecting. They are the ones who take the research and apply it.”

ENVIRON.SCIENCE

“Where to begin? The kayaking experience, the connections we made with th rangers, the marsh clean-up, anything and everything environmental!”

“Writing can be very important for enacting policy change.”

EDUCATION “Teaching youth about our environment is important for the future.”

“These are real issues that need to be brought to the attention of people. This is a cause worth knowing about.”

ART “There was so much inspiration in the surroundings. I really felt connected with the ocean and the environment (especially when I went face-first in the mud).”

POLITICALSCIENCE

“I learned about the interactions among individuals, public policy, politics, government, and economic forces.”

“There are measures being taken by…government toward resolving environmental problems.”

COMMUNICA-TIONS/JOURNALISM

“Effective writing must be conquered if one has an agenda.”

“Communication is all about funding and targeting an audience to listen or change their behaviors for a cause.”

BUSINESS “I learned what businesses could do to reduce environmental damages.”

“Whether your environment consists of being iinside a building or in the ocean, the need for control and protection is an important asset.”

ECONOMICS

“I learned how the environment can affect the economy.”

“ In places such as Deal and Smith Island the economy is really suffering because of changes in the environment.”

ACROSSDISCIPLINES

“Effective writing. The power of observation. Critical thinking.”

“The ability to interact with people I don’t know and come together for a good cause.”

THE WALLOPS ISLAND CENTER

“Modernizing the buildings will help and hopefully encourage more classes to use the facilities, since they are a great resource.”

“Making a more hospitable environment … could encourage more individuals to take courses at Wallops and get involved in the Consortium.”

100% of respondents said that changes to the residences were needed“I would be interested in studying at the

consortium now so any improvements would just make it that much better.”

Thanks to the Faculty & StaffProf. Sean Cornell, Asst. Prof. of

Geography/Earth ScienceDr. Debra Cornelius, Professor of SociologyDr. Sara Grove, Professor of Political ScienceDr. Claire Jantz, Asst. Prof. of

Geography/Earth ScienceMs. Nicolette Yevich, Director of the

Women’s CenterMs. Pat Martin, Admin. Asst. of College of

Arts & Sciences

Special Thanks Dr. William Ruud, President, Shippensburg

Univ.Dr. Rick Ruth, Interim V.P. for Academic

AffairsDr. Roger Serr, Acting V.P. for Student AffairsDr. James Mike, Dean of the College of Arts &

Sciences for their financial support.

The staff of the Women’s Center for their organizational support.