Accessibility remains central to the club—trips are designed to be low-cost or free with transportation, campsites, and some gear provided.
“We’ve done guided tours at a lot of restoration preserves,” Hazel explains. “One of the more impressive ones that’s pretty close is Robinson Preserve. It used to be farmland, and they totally restructured it to allow for the growth of mangroves.”
The group has also toured with Director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program Maya Burke, an experience that allowed students to see conservation efforts happening close to campus.
“One of our newest club leaders had never really camped or hiked before,” Mary says, “Now she’s been on basically every single trip we’ve done.”