American Eagle Outfitters and the Student Conservation Association
help 120 college students conserve and protect two of the most vital
habitats on Earth
CHARLESTOWN, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 2, 2012--
American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) and the Student Conservation
Association (SCA) today announced their fifth annual Alternative Spring
Break program—the ultimate week-long educational and work experience for
new generations of conservation leaders. AEO and SCA have doubled the
number of volunteers and locations this year.
For the entire month of March, college students from around the country
will descend on two of our most environmentally challenged and imperiled
habitats for an expense-paid week of hands-on conservation at the
Everglades and Joshua Tree National Parks.
“I jumped at the chance to spend my Spring Break protecting these
awesome natural wonders,” states volunteer Oliwia Baney, a geography
major at UCLA. “I can always go out and have a good time. My priority
right now is to help save these national parks for future generations.”
Participants will help rid the parks of destructive invasive plants,
repair eroded hiking trails, assess wildlife health, and more. And while
they aid threatened ecosystems, the students will gain new skills,
environmental knowledge, and leadership capabilities.
American Eagle Outfitters Foundation Director
Marcie Eberhart
says the
vision and passion of the Alternative Spring Breakers inspires all who
love the outdoors. “These future conservation leaders set a tremendous
example for all of us. American Eagle Outfitters is proud to partner
with SCA for the fifth consecutive year in engaging young people in
meaningful acts of volunteerism and environmental conservation.”
This is the second year in a row that SCA Spring Breakers have brought
their conservation prowess to Florida; last year, students extended a
portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail outside Orlando. Through
this and other SCA service programs, 150 SCA volunteers have rendered
more than 94,000 hours of service to 36 natural and cultural sites
across Florida in the past year alone. This service, valued at over
$2,000,000, includes protecting sea turtles at Canaveral National
Seashore, mapping shipwrecks at Biscayne National Park, and providing
environmental education at Apalachicola National Forest.
Founded in 1957, SCA has engaged more than 65,000 young adults in both
urban and wilderness environments, and 60 percent of SCA alumni remain
active conservationists through their careers and community activities.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 22 percent of people
ages 16 to 24 volunteered within the U.S. in 2010. A study by Tufts
University has also shown that students who performed voluntary
community service, such as alternative spring break programs, were 19
percent more likely to graduate than those that did not.
“Hands on service to nature builds powerful connections,” says
Dale
Penney
, SCA President and CEO. “Caring for a place directly leads to
caring about it, and America simply cannot afford a citizenry that does
not value these extraordinary natural resources. If we lose them, they
are gone forever. These young people have a higher interest in spending
their spring breaks as a movement for social change.”
According to the National Park Service, more than half the Everglades
have disappeared over the past century as water is diverted from natural
wetlands. Development, air pollution and exotic plants pose substantial
hazard to the Joshua Tree, which grows only in the American southwest.
Everglades National Park, Florida
Session
1: March 4-10
Session 2: March 18-24
Thirty college students
will team up each week to remove invasive Brazilian pepper plants from
the infamous “Hole-in-the-Donut” and the Chekika area near the Nike
missile base. Volunteers will also perform trail maintenance repair and
remove an old farming fence near Long Pine Key campground.
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Session
1: March 11-17
Session 2: March 25-30
Sixty college students,
30 per week, will eliminate thousands of tamarisk – an especially thirty
invasive that steals water from native species, disturbing the balance
of the entire desert ecosystem – as well as Asian mustard,
fountaingrass, and other exotics. Participants will also collect native
seeds and conduct a raptor study.
During each of the four sessions, students will camp at or near their
work site. The program also includes a day of environmental education as
provided by national park rangers and SCA staff.
About American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters,
Inc., through its subsidiaries, (“AEO, Inc.”) offers high-quality,
on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable
prices. The American Eagle Outfitters® brand targets 15 to 25 year old
girls and guys, with more than 911 stores worldwide, and online at www.ae.com.
aerie® by american eagle offers Dormwear® and intimates collections for
the AE® girl, with 158 standalone stores in the U.S. and Canada and
online at www.aerie.com.
The latest brand, 77kids® by american eagle®, is available online at www.77kids.com,
as well as at 21 stores across the nation. The 77kids brand offers “kid
cool,” durable clothing and accessories for kids ages zero to 14.
AE.COM®, the online home of the brands of AEO, Inc. ships to 77
countries.
Source: American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
SCA
Deirdre Fitzgerald, 603-504-3263 (office)
dfitzgerald@thesca.org
or
AEO
Sam
Nelson, 412-432-4500 (office)
nelsons@ae.com