Earlier this week, we told you about some Austin College students who made the eight hour trip to Rockport, to spend spring break helping with post hurricane clean up. Well, their hard work and community service has paid off.
These spring breakers spent the day clearing debris and trash from four different Aransas Pass parks.
According to a master naturalist these parks are essential to the wildlife that South Texas sees every spring.
“They get to here and they know this country and they know these plants,” said Ray Kirkwood, a master naturalist. “It provides them food and shelter and a place to rest and build up their strength to continue their journey up to northern United States.”
The students spent most of their days clearing pathways in the bird sanctuaries, weeding gardens for the pollinators, and removing harmful vines from trees in the parks.
“They work so hard with so much energy until the middle of the afternoon and piled everything we needed to clean the trails,” said Neli Spurrell, environmental engineer.
The parks are popular tourist spots that ultimately help the Rockport economy. There are a total of 14 parks in the Aransas Pass Pathway and while a large portion of the clean up was accomplished, the volunteers say there is still work to be done.
