Day 2: Assembly Line, Assemble!

Here's a lovely picture of the first sunset we all shared together! Many of us chose to get up early to see the beautiful colors reflect on the water, as well as experience the refreshing sounds and winds of the seashore. To anyone, this looks like a work of art, but to us, it's another priceless reminder of our Alternative Breaks journey and responsibility for environmental stewardship.

Today was unlike other days, because we were called to go to the sea turtle hospital at noon (instead of 7:30 AM). We took this extra time after breakfast to watch a documentary called Bag It by Suzan Beraza. Among many things, the video discussed how plastic bags are the #1 consumer item in the world, as the global population uses several hundred billion plastic bags every year! Little did some of us know that the volume of petroleum it takes to create a single water bottle is about a third of a water bottle's volume. The documentary also discussed the severe health implications that plastic use has on all forms of life; microplastics are completely ubiquitous. Although there is no simple solution, part of the solution is to live more simply: consume less, and be open to learning about where your items came from and where they are going.

Our discussion on Bag It was the perfect activity before we ate lunch and finally headed to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. A lovely volunteer Judy greeted us, and then the founder of the hospital Jean Beasley had a short talk with us about the message that turtles have been sending us in the past several decades: the earth needs help. Given that they are such prehistoric animals preceding the dinosaurs that existed hundreds of millions of years ago, sea turtles being in danger is a sign for all of us on the planet. Like the documentary, Jean pointed out that microplastics are present everywhere- she said we are all considered to be "plastivores," and we are all in danger, because all organisms depend on each other to live in harmony. Jean is no veterinarian, but she is the turtle whisperer, and they are, in part, messengers of the world.

Judy gave us a wonderful tour of the hospital (we will take a lot of pictures on the last day), which included Turtle Bay, Sick Bay, the Educational Hall, and the kitchen. Shortly after, a huge truck full of frozen fish arrived, and we created an assembly line to efficiently move the heavy fish into the kitchen's huge freezers. All of us were super enthusiastic to help in any way possible, and we have full faith that the energy will stay high throughout the course of this packed week!

Another long term volunteer Terry gave us a highly informative presentation on the history of the hospital, what the hospital does to help found turtles in need, and how turtles are affected by human activity. Terry has been working with Jean since the hospital was composed of just a single garage, and it was inspiring to hear her passion about the sea turtles. We're looking forward to meeting other volunteers that dedicate so much time to the turtles and the environment every week; we all need more people like them in our lives. Talking about what true community service means was a strong theme during our evening reflection after our breakfast dinner, and it is refreshing to see how people are so open to being vulnerable and authentic. Here's to an awesome week!

Signing off on a very exciting note,

Nicku