Students Spend Alternative Spring Break Helping to Protect Birds Native to Eastern Shore

Six Harford Community College students, Chiara Mignini-Baez, Anne Margarette Dapo, Damilola (Dami) Fapohunda, Hpone Myat, Andre Rush, and Victoria Van Syckle, along with Chandler Sagal, Student Leadership & Programming Specialist in Harford’s Office of Student Life, spent part of their spring break in a service-learning activity on Assateague Island. Assateague is a 37-mile long barrier island located off the Eastern coast of the Delmarva Peninsula. The service project focused on protecting native species of birds on the Eastern Shore.

During their visit, Harford’s students provided valuable assistance to the Assateague Island Alliance and Assateague Island National Seashore Resource Management staff. They helped drive posts into the sand over an area of several miles and then installed “Area Closed” signs that denoted visitor boundaries. While posting the signs, the Harford team was able to explore the beach in an area that would soon be restricted to visitors. They found many natural artifacts such as seashells, branches, horseshoe crab body parts, and even the skeleton and shell of a terrapin, which is a protected species of aquatic turtle. And in true Assateague fashion, the students were able to experience the majestic emergence of the wild horses on the island during their project. Chandler, who organized the project, shared, “I had hoped we’d see the wild horses but was told it was unlikely. When it happened, it was almost like a scene from a movie—about ten horses turned the corner from around a dune and ran right past us down the beach. It was one of the most magnificent things I have ever seen, and I’m so glad that I got to experience this with the students.”

Every spring, this project takes place in anticipation of the arrival of nesting shorebirds such as the endangered piping plover, the least tern, and the oyster catcher. The signs are to warn visitors about stepping on the sand dunes where birds will be nesting. These shorebirds are threatened by waterfront development and habitat destruction.

Dami, who will be graduating from Harford this May, commented, “This is not my first time going on a service-learning trip. I try to go as often as I am able because they are always really fun and I always meet new, interesting people.”

She said that during the trip to Assateague, she realized how much she enjoyed doing work outside and being on the beach even if it's not for vacation. “I also learned about the structure of the island; I have been to Assateague before, but no one ever explained how the island is really a small barrier island that is made to take the brunt of storms and natural disasters.”

A barrier island is a constantly changing deposit of sand that forms parallel to the coast. It is affected by the shifting of winds and waves due to weather patterns and local geographic features. Barrier islands constantly move, erode, grow, and sometimes disappear entirely. Several barrier islands in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland are losing land mass due to such factors as erosion and rising sea levels.

While on Assateague, the Harford team was introduced to the type of work the park rangers do to protect the island. This includes balancing the needs of an endangered species as well as providing appropriate access for visitors to the national park. Dami said, “I learned of an internship program that they hold each summer, and I plan to apply next year.”

After concluding their work on Assateague Island, the students traveled to Ocean City for some fun on the boardwalk and to reflect on their service.

Harford's Alternative Breaks are part of the new “OWL Institute for Leadership,” an inclusive and holistic leadership program that enables students to travel to areas in need to serve, volunteer, experience diverse perspectives, learn about social issues, and grow as lifelong citizens.