Wellness and Recreation Center offers trips with Adventure Recreations Program

Michelle Marchante/Assistant Opinion Director

There is no doubt that students are proud of calling themselves FIU Panthers with the amount of achievements FIU has under its name, such as being one of the 10 largest public universities in Florida, ranking 17th among the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly and being the operators of The Aquarius Reef Base, the only underwater ocean laboratory in the world.

The fact that our university is located in Miami, one of Touropia.com’s top 25 places to visit in the USA, is just another plus to add to our university’s resume. While you may currently be suffering from a post-Spring Break “Wish I Was Still On Vacation” mindset, attending a university that is located in one of the busiest cities in the country means that even though school is back in session you can still have some serious R&R in our almost 24/7 “Sun ‘n’ Fun” climate, a luxury that students who attend other universities might not have.

Now that the warm rays are returning, FIU is taking advantage of Miami’s natural attractions and is offering its students a chance to get out, get active and have fun under the sun through its Adventure Recreation Trips Program. According to FIU’s Student Affairs website, the Adventure Recreation Trips program is “designed to get you and maybe even friends, outdoors to experience recreation opportunities available in parts of Florida and the Southeastern U.S,” and is open to FIU students, Wellness & Recreation Center members and non-FIU affiliated non-WRC members.

WRC has coordinated a variety of different trips for the spring semester and if you weren’t able to attend the university’s annual February Ski and Snowboarding trip to Gatlinburg, TN you still have an opportunity to attend its next two trips.

Saturday, March 26, WRC will be taking students on a full day excursion to snorkel off the coast of Key Largo for just $35. This trip will give students a chance to see one of the most delicate and important ecosystems in the world: the coral reefs. Transportation will be included in the registration price and if you would like to bring someone who isn’t an FIU student with you they can attend for $40. Interested participants can register at the WRC Membership Desk and cash, credit card and the FIU One Card will be accepted as payment. Registration will be open until Wednesday, March 23 but space is limited as a maximum of only 20 participants will be able to attend the trip.

If snorkeling under the sea with Ariel and her friends isn’t your cup of tea, the program is also sponsoring a bike trip to Shark Valley, located in Everglades National Park. The trip is scheduled for Saturday, April 16 and registration will be open until Wednesday, April 13. Tickets and transportation will be included for the price of $35 for FIU students and $40 for non-FIU students. This is a great chance for students who have never visited the Everglades to get up close and personal with this diverse fauna and flora ecosystem especially since Shark Valley is considered to be in the heart of the “True Everglades” as labeled by the National Park Service website.

While these are local trips, they’re still a fun and unique activity to participate in, even for Panthers who have lived in Miami all their lives. These trips not only give you a chance to explore two of the most endangered and important ecosystems in the world but it’s a different way to be active, start working on your summer tan and have a little something extra to show on Instagram why attending FIU and living in Miami is one of the best decisions you’ve made yet with the caption #WishYouWereHere.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of FIU Student Media Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

Image courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/snorkelingdives/8638719738/in/photolist-eanGpL-4CVUWY-K21D3-K1X2G-K1Yuh-K21EG-K1Ywj-K1YsU-K1Yt9-K1Ys3-K1X2j-K25Mg-2M1dWc-vYpaM-K21CS-6KvC4C-6Kvxcm-6KrpxT-K2hwz-6KvyyG-6Krsn8-6KrhY4-6KvpXU-6Kvyp3-6KvAZS-6KrhC4-6Kru22-6KrdGk-6Krhti-6KroAv-6KrhNe-6Krt2H-6KvBFm-5A4Pkp-6KrukZ-6KvkuN-6KvA3E-8XhRyE-9Dv9kC-9c7X1z-6Kvxpf-6KrcCv-6KvyFL-6KvzE3-6Kvwoq-6KroJ6-6KrctP-6Krrf2-8XePvT-f89M3J