Camping with a purpose: a nature-filled adventure

If giving back and exploring nature is your thing, the University Recreation Center and the Center for Student Involvement will host a four-night camping adventure for students during spring break to Garner State Park. 

From March 9-13, attendees will contribute to the preservation of the park.

Registration is open until Feb. 15. To participate, students must attend a pre-trip meeting, which will be held at 5 p.m Feb. 20 in the Student Union’s Salón Bougainvillea on the Brownsville campus and at the same time Feb. 22 in the University Recreation Center Conference Room on the Edinburg campus. 

The trip fee is $100 per participant, with a payment plan available. Payment is due by the pre-trip meeting. 

To register, visit the UREC website. Under the “Outdoor Adventures” section, click on the “Trips” tab to register. 

Nora Galvan, coordinator for aquatics and outdoor adventures, said the cost of the trip includes transportation, camping equipment and food.

Galvan said before the collaboration with CSI the cost of the trip was over $250.

“Now, with the collaboration with Student Involvement, [we are] able to provide more to the students,” she said. “So, before we did the collaboration, to me it was a very expensive trip for a college student. And we were only able to provide transportation and our outdoor equipment.”

Galvan said the itinerary will be similar to last year’s trip to Garner State Park.

Students will explore the outdoors, hike and give back to the community by volunteering.

“Garner State Park is in Concan and Uvalde is like 30 minutes away,” Galvan said. “So, one of the days we did go to Uvalde. And we did a park cleanup, and then the person in charge … walked us to the murals … [of] the people that passed away from the [Robb Elementary School] shooting. … So, it was very meaningful.”

Attendees will stay at the park during the night.

“We camp there in our tents,” Galvan said. “We give them sleeping bags. We give them a sleeping pad and then that’s where they sleep.”

The trip is limited to 16 students. There are still 10 spots available, according to their website.

Exercise science senior Juan Zermeno attended the trip last year.

“We went to Garner State Park; it’s up by the Uvalde area,” Zermeno said. “While we were there, we had the opportunity to engage in volunteer activities, such as helping the state park put up signs for some of the trail heads that have fallen down or become rugged over the years. And so we helped set up those signs [and] we went on a hike led by a park ranger.”

He said during the trip he learned to point out the local flora and fauna of the area and what to look out for in case of emergencies.

“So overall, it was very educational,” Zermeno said. “And then there was a day out of that whole trip that we went to the Uvalde community and cleaned up their park. … Overall, it was a great way to spend spring break … and it was a great opportunity to just have fun.”

His love for camping motivated Zermeno to go on the trip last year.

“I’ve been camping since I was young with my father,” he said. “And so, it was just a way to go out and not have to worry about planning a whole camping trip by myself. … It allowed me to go camping with other people, which is a rare experience for me. I had a couple of friends that were on the trip as well. That kind of pushed me to come with them.”

Integrated health science freshman Damaris Garza did not know about the trip but thinks it is an amazing idea that will help students participate in community service outside the university.

Galvan said the main benefit from the trip is to visit a new place and learn new skills. 

“Last year it was the very first time for some students to visit Garner,” she said. “To learn outdoors skills and … learn about nature and giving back to the community and doing an alternative spring break. Enjoying it and giving back to the community”