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Coast Guardsmen and recruits take a break for a quick photo at Cape May Elementary School after conducting several Earth Day related projects to the school’s outdoor classroom April 17, 2013. Coast Guardsmen and recruits refurbished vegetable gardens, cleared the school’s nature trail and build another garden for the students. (Coast Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Donnie Brzuska) |
CAPE MAY, N.J. – Coast Guardsmen and recruits kicked off Earth Day early by helping a local elementary school repair, clear and expand its outdoor classroom Wednesday.
More than 30 Coast Guard volunteers helped build gardens and clear a nature trail used by children at Cape May Elementary School to learn
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A Coast Guard recruit removes debris that fell during Superstorm Sandy on Cape May Elementary School’s Nature Trail during a clean up project that included more than 30 Coast Guard volunteers April 17, 2013. The trail is part of the school’s outdoor classroom, which is used to teach the children about geography, science, and much more. (Coast Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Donnie Brzuska) |
everything from geography to science. The Coast Guard has been helping the school’s staff and children maintain the outdoor classroom, which encompasses three vegetable gardens and an expansive nature trail, for more than 20 years.
“We really needed a lot of help this year because of some large debris down on the trail due to (Superstorm) Sandy,” said Sandy Sandmeyer-Bryan, a teacher at Cape May. “The kids really love to come out here to get some hands on education and get real life examples of what we teach in the classroom.”
The Coast Guardsmen and recruits helped fill existing gardens with more soil, which had been compressed due to rain and time, and they laid another garden. The students use the gardens to grow vegetables, and they use the produce to learn about cooking and healthy eating. According to Sandmeyer-Bryan, some of the vegetables harvested are even donated to local charities.
The volunteers moved several large pieces of debris that had fallen due to Sandy from the school’s nature trails including a tree and numerous large limbs. The team also cleared the trail of overgrowth and repainted outdoor classroom benches.
“This was not only a great opportunity to improve the environment, but we also helped with the education of young people,” said Capt. Bill Kelly, the commanding officer of Training Center Cape May. “It was truly a great effort by our people to make a positive impact in the community.”
Coast Guardsmen from Station Cape May and Training Center Cape May participated in the project. The recruits are stationed at the training center with Recruit Company Alpha 188 and are scheduled to graduate Friday.
Editor's Note: Please click on the thumbnails to download high-resolution photos.