Twenty-two year old PJ Ward Brown has always loved nature, ever since he was a young child. Perhaps his favorite place to be is on the slopes, skiing and snowboarding.

Aside from the recreational aspects of the outdoors, Brown has a true appreciation for all living things found in nature. This is the reason the Carroll Community College student gave up free time during the recent college spring break. He spent a week volunteering with other community college students in Florida, working with animals and doing beach clean up.

Brown went to Key Biscayne to prepare beaches at a national park so sea turtles could lay their eggs safely. He also helped monitor the activities of beached dolphins to prepare them for re-entry into the ocean. He joined a group of students who volunteered in the Everglades at an exotic animal park with tigers, panthers and crocodiles that were owned as pets before being taken to the park.

Of all his outdoor experiences over spring break, perhaps the most fascinating was his work with dolphins. “The group I worked with monitored dolphins in shifts between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m. These dolphins normally live about 3000 feet deep in the water. Somehow, these dolphins had their sonar confused and landed on the beach,” said Brown. “We had to monitor them for signs of communication with the other dolphins and had to watch for other patterns that would allow them to safely go back in the water.”

One particularly poignant scene was of a grandmother and grandchild dolphin, said Brown. “The grandma was sick and the baby was separated in a nearby pool. We had to make sure the two bonded well before sending them back. We knew the mother was lost and we wanted to protect the baby.”

Another reason Brown and other volunteers were monitoring the dolphins was because they needed to re-learn the habit of sleeping, while moving in circles to fool possible predators in the water.

Brown summarizes his experience as an “alternative spring break,” because the week was not centered on parties, but on helping the environment. His love for nature stems back to his days spent camping and enjoying the wilderness as a Boy Scout.

In fact, Brown hopes to make the outdoors his life’s work. After he completes his degree at Carroll, he plans to transfer to a four-year institution to become an environmental scientist with the government. “I’m interested in studying new species in the wilderness. I also want to address the problems with the Bay, such as pollutants and water treatment issues.

When Brown is not busy outside, he works three days a week at the fitness center at Carroll. He checks patron’s fitness cards and makes sure patrons are using the equipment safely.

Next year, he hopes to take a semester off to participate in a 16-credit science trip with a local four-year institution to work on environmental projects. He looks forward to spending time again preserving the beach and rescuing wild animals.

PJ Ward Brown

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