Outdoor Pursuits Enjoys Spring Break in The Florida Everglades

Lion Liang, a biology major sophomore student, participated in the 2025 spring break trip to the Florida Everglades.

“The trip brought me so much joy. It was so much fun to see and learn things in nature that I used to
know nothing about. I am also pleased to have made new friends and developed many useful outdoor
skills during the trip.”

• After waking up early and driving the whole day, we finally got to our campsite.
• Participants learning tent-building skills.

• We went on a short hike through a forest on day two, and our group had fun exploring the nature.
• We saw many trees and animals, and learnt fun facts about them featuring the bald cypress, gators🐊!
• The end of our hike is a beautiful, small lake. It was such a peaceful spot, gators swimming under our feet, and the great egret perched on a branch nearby. It was satisfying seeing how the wildlife coexist with each other in nature.

• Florida is a paradise for birders with more than 500 native species. We luckily observed the lekking behavior of the great egrets and saw many other bird species, e.g., white pelicans, pink spoonbill…
• We also learnt about the local ecology and the significance of Mangroves in the Everglades.

• We went sea kayaking! We were all so excited.
• Us packing up our sea kayaks and discussing our itinerary before we take off.
• Several brown pelicans greeted us as we departed.

• Sea kayaking was so much fun, we all got to name our own kayaks lol. Mine was named SUN CHASER.
• We saw many dolphins and some cormorants on our way. Some of us even saw a group of sting rays!
• Shoutout to my kayak partner, Sam, for paddling with me. Also, shout out to our leaders, Marc and Maddie, for leading us on the trip.

• We are all tired by the end of the day, but we finally got to the island, everyone safe and sound.
• Seeing the spectacular white beach and the beautiful island, I felt all the efforts on the way were worth it.
• Framing participant taking the first step on the island, “That’s one small step for …”

• The second day we arrived at the island was a beach day. It was very chill, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
• We played spike ball and frisbee together, and we had a lot of fun exploring the island.
• We also potentially saw a lemon shark swimming, sad I did not get a photo of it

• For our last stop of the journey, we went snorkeling with manatees.
• These chubby sea creatures, weighing 1000 pounds, have nearly no natural enemies in the wild, and are calm and soothing in nature.
• We fortunately saw a friendly mama manatee with her child. I didn’t really see them before they were right in front of me, and that is when I actually realized how huge they are. (they are HUGE)
• This is my first time snorkeling, and the water is a bit chilly, so I am a little bit nervous at first. But it is totally worth it to see these gigantic sea potatoes!