Students and staff who worked on "The Marigold House" pose after completing the two-day exterior painting project in Puerto Rico during the 2019 Alternative Spring Break trip.
While painting "The Marigold House" during the 2019 Alternative Spring Break, students and staff worked together to safely finish the remaining exterior trim before a storm rolled through in the early afternoon. The homeowner picked this cheery color, which all the painters definitely got on their clothes, hats, and hands over the course of the two-day project.
Alternative Spring Break participants Seth Cowan and Karishma Mali pose while painting a house they've dubbed "The Marigold House" for the cheery yellow paint chosen by the owner. This is their second day serving at this house in Puerto Rico and can be seen here touching up white paint on the exterior trim.
Students hiked up El Toro trail in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico's most popular rain forest destination, and picked their trail maintenance tools. All maintenance work must be done with hand tools, since one of the unique stipulations the National Park Service must follow for this particular trail is a "no motorized equipment" rule. This trail is a difficult climb, covered in mud and debris still remaining from the natural disasters that brought down the majority of the canopy in 2017. The lack of canopy allows strong vines and grasses to flourish, making the trail extremely dense and overgrown. Students worked for several hours tackling the vegetation with machetes, rakes, and spades, before beginning their 45-minute hike back out to the trail entrance.
Students out on El Toro trail in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico's most popular rain forest destination, where they picked their trail maintenance tools. All maintenance work must be done with hand tools, since one of the unique stipulations the National Park Service must follow for this particular trail is a "no motorized equipment" rule. This trail is a difficult climb, covered in mud and debris still remaining from the natural disasters that brought down the majority of the canopy in 2017. The lack of canopy allows strong vines and grasses to flourish, making the trail extremely dense and overgrown. Students worked for several hours tackling the vegetation with machetes, rakes, and spades, before beginning their 45-minute hike back out to the trail entrance.
