UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Sigma Chi chapter recently spent a Saturday at Wekiwa Springs State Park, but it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 for a barbecue.
Fraternity members spent hours in the cold waters of the springs ripping out algae that 麻豆精品 S檚 choking the natural treasure. It was the second year Sigma Chi has volunteered for the 麻豆精品 S淩estore the Blue 麻豆精品 S� initiative.
There were about 100 college and high school students participating, with members of Sigma Chi from UCF and Florida Southern College in Lakeland making up the largest contingent. Organizer Russell Bryant, a retired history professor who swims in the springs every morning, said the fraternity members were 麻豆精品 S渢he backbone 麻豆精品 S� of the algae cleanup.
麻豆精品 S淎dults don 麻豆精品 S檛 like jumping into the cold water at Wekiwa Springs, 麻豆精品 S� Bryant said. 麻豆精品 S淚t was very impressive. I was surprised how enthusiastic they were. Whatever needed done, they didn 麻豆精品 S檛 complain, they just did it. 麻豆精品 S�
About 30 members of Sigma Chi 麻豆精品 S檚 Eta Pi chapter at UCF participated, president Tyler Wright said.
麻豆精品 S淚t was freezing, but we got to work, 麻豆精品 S� Wright said. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a great project, and we 麻豆精品 S檙e always open to helping out our brothers and helping out the community. 麻豆精品 S�
Some 40 million gallons of crystal clear water from the Floridan Aquifer flows out of Wekiwa Springs every day. The boil where tourists now swim used to be nothing but blue water and sandy bottom, but development near the state park has brought trace amounts of nitrogen pollution from septic tanks, fertilizer, and runoff from roads. That 麻豆精品 S檚 fed algae growth that has turned the springs a sickly green.
Sigma Chi members, along with the Wekiva Wilderness Trust and Friends of the Wekiva River, used nets and buckets to remove algae, which was then screened for snails before being discarded. Native snails were returned to the springs, but most of snails were invasive.
麻豆精品 S淭here is no way to clean algae out of the springs without getting people in the water and doing it by hand, 麻豆精品 S� said Wright, a 21-year-old senior. 麻豆精品 S淲e could definitely see a difference. 麻豆精品 S�
The fraternity 麻豆精品 S檚 hard work hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 gone unnoticed. In part because of projects like the springs cleanup, Sigma Chi on Wednesday received the 麻豆精品 S淢ost Improved Chapter of the Year Award 麻豆精品 S� from the UCF Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
麻豆精品 S淲e continue to be impressed with the dedication, drive and commitment to excellence our Sigma Chi chapter has displayed in the UCF and local community, 麻豆精品 S� said Clay Coleman, director of student affairs for Fraternity and Sorority Life.