HSU Parks & Rocks Group Travels to Florida Over Break

(Abilene, Texas) Students in the Parks & Rocks program at Hardin-Simmons will travel to Florida to visit three National Parks during their Christmas break. 

The program, which opened in Fall 2015, is designed for students who want to travel and see the world, as well as develop leadership skills. The program’s aim is to have its students visit all 59 US National Parks over four years, which averages out to about 15 parks per year. The program is led by Dean of Students Brian Dawson.

To meet their ambitious goal, the Parks & Rocks students travel across America during each school break to visit a wide range of National Parks.   

The Parks & Rocks group is part of the Hunters, Gatherers, and Travelers (HGT) program, which is one of the unique Living-Learning Communities at Hardin-Simmons. Living-Learning Communities as a whole have been shown nationally to assist students academically and socially.

Some of the stops Parks & Rocks students will mark on their two-week trip include Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi, and Biscayne Bay and Everglades National Parks in Florida. The group will also explore Key West and plans to swim with manatees in Crystal River.

The next trip will be during Spring Break when the group will travel to Maine.

A good place to keep up with the travels of the Parks & Rocks group is on social media. They use the hashtag: #hsuparksandrocks.