麻豆原创鈥檚 Sigma Chi chapter recently spent a Saturday at Wekiwa Springs State Park, but it wasn鈥檛 for a barbecue.
Fraternity members spent hours in the cold waters of the springs ripping out algae that鈥檚 choking the natural treasure. It was the second year Sigma Chi has volunteered for the 鈥淩estore the Blue鈥� initiative.
There were about 100 college and high school students participating, with members of Sigma Chi from 麻豆原创 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 鈥渢he backbone鈥� of the algae cleanup.
鈥淎dults don鈥檛 like jumping into the cold water at Wekiwa Springs,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淚t was very impressive. I was surprised how enthusiastic they were. Whatever needed done, they didn鈥檛 complain, they just did it.鈥�
About 30 members of Sigma Chi鈥檚 Eta Pi chapter at 麻豆原创 participated, president Tyler Wright said.
鈥淚t was freezing, but we got to work,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great project, and we鈥檙e always open to helping out our brothers and helping out the community.鈥�
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鈥檚 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.
鈥淭here is no way to clean algae out of the springs without getting people in the water and doing it by hand,鈥� said Wright, a 21-year-old senior. 鈥淲e could definitely see a difference.鈥�
The fraternity鈥檚 hard work hasn鈥檛 gone unnoticed. In part because of projects like the springs cleanup, Sigma Chi on Wednesday received the 鈥淢ost Improved Chapter of the Year Award鈥� from the 麻豆原创 Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
鈥淲e continue to be impressed with the dedication, drive and commitment to excellence our Sigma Chi chapter has displayed in the 麻豆原创 and local community,鈥� said Clay Coleman, director of student affairs for Fraternity and Sorority Life.