In April, nearly 30 students from the University of Montevallo traveled to coastal Alabama for a two-day trip that focused on coastal ecosystems and sustainability through hands-on learning.

The students were divided into two groups of 14. One group was part of the environmental studies program with Dr. Susan Caplow, associate professor of environmental studies. And the others were students in the invertebrate zoology course of associate professor of biology, Dr. Jill Wicknick.

“Dr. Jill Wicknick typically takes her students to Dauphin Island for a day trip in the spring,” Caplow said. “She and I have talked about making it longer with more stops and educational opportunities, and this year we were able to do that. We booked a bus and stayed overnight, making it a two day trip instead of one.

On the first day, after beginning their journey at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Wicknick’s group traveled to the swamps and the Caplow students discovered microplastics at the beach.

Trinity Buse, a second-year environmental studies student from Steele, Alabama, said the trip was a great opportunity and a rewarding experience.

“We learned a lot about the importance of microplastics and their removal from the coast, sustainable infrastructure in the park, community science and the importance of working in conservation,” Buse said. “We picked up trash and tracked it with the state app that logs volunteer pickups on the Alabama coast.”

The next morning, Wicknick students studied invertebrates at the beach, and Caplow students took a sustainability tour of Gulf State Park.

“It’s a very sustainable park that was rebuilt after the hurricane using funds from the BP oil spill,” Caplow said. “They built it for durability and to withstand future hurricanes.”

That afternoon, the groups came together to explore the Weeks Bay Estuarine National Research Reserve. Caplow said he took a ride with a natural resource planner who measures and manages the reserve. This has piqued the interest of several students who are now considering working in this profession.

Blue Smith, a junior biology student from Montgomery and a lab assistant in Wicknick’s Organismal Biology class, said the trip was an amazing learning experience and extremely fun.

“I love sea life,” Smith said. “It was so much fun. We went seining in the cold water and caught tonguefish, lizardfish, a seahorse-like pipefish and little stingless jellies.

“It was really tough, but I came prepared with my boots. I knew what I was getting into and I had a ball.

Smith said she was already planning to be a marine biologist before the trip. Now, this trajectory has been reinforced.

“People we met there said if we were interested they could tell us how to get an internship,” she said. “It wasn’t just an educational trip, but it also turned into a career counseling trip, honestly.”

Buse said her career goal had always been to become a ranger, but she didn’t realize that state parks included coastal regions until this trip. She now has other options to consider.

The trip ended with the groups dining together at Fairhope and giving the students space to explore on their own and interact with each other in more meaningful ways.

“These types of trips are so important for students to learn, explore ecosystems they don’t know about, and provide opportunities for summer and post-graduation jobs,” Caplow said. “It’s the first time we’ve done this, and we certainly hope to do it again.”

“It was a success in shaping their future and giving them inspiration. It’s a memorable trip they will always remember from their college days in Montevallo.

The two professors hope to take the students on a trip to Belize in the spring of 2023 as part of Wicknick’s conservation biology course.

“I love sea life,” Smith said. “It was so much fun. We went seining in the cold water and caught tonguefish, lizardfish, a seahorse-like pipefish and little stingless jellies.

“It was really tough, but I came prepared with my boots. I knew what I was getting into and I had a ball.

Smith said she was already planning to be a marine biologist before the trip. Now, this trajectory has been reinforced.

“People we met there said if we were interested they could tell us how to get an internship,” she said. “It wasn’t just an educational trip, but it also turned into a career counseling trip, honestly.”

Buse said her career goal had always been to become a ranger, but she didn’t realize that state parks included coastal regions until this trip. She now has other options to consider.

The trip ended with the groups dining together at Fairhope and giving the students space to explore on their own and interact with each other in more meaningful ways.

“These types of trips are so important for students to learn, explore ecosystems they don’t know about, and provide opportunities for summer and post-graduation jobs,” Caplow said. “It’s the first time we’ve done this, and we certainly hope to do it again.”

“It was a success in shaping their future and giving them inspiration. It’s a memorable trip they will always remember from their college days in Montevallo.

The two professors hope to take the students on a trip to Belize in the spring of 2023 as part of Wicknick’s conservation biology course.