Shrimp Boil to Raise Money for Environmental Science Program

By Taylor Cooper tcooper@thebrunswicknews.com

In the eight years since the College of Coastal Georgia established its Environmental Science Program, growth in student participation has averaged 20%, which was only slightly offset by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“(It) started in the fall of 2018 with something like about 10 students. Today we have 150,” Founding Environmental Science Professor James Deemy said. “COVID certainly impacted higher education across the board. We’re one of the few programs that had growth. I think that had to do with how much outdoor instruction we have and how engaging it is.”

Deemy is sure that’s in large part because a substantial portion of classroom time is spent outside in the general natural resources the Golden Isles has to offer.

“At the end of the day, for me, the bottom line was to make sure we use field experience to prepare students to be good scientists and create a culture of teamwork and belonging, and field experiences are stellar for that program-building approach,” Deemy said.

For Damian Elmore, a senior at CCGA, the program was a major draw. He’s in the marine science concentration, but it also spans five others: natural science, environmental studies, geology, chemistry, sustainability, policy and management.

“I hope to go into grad school for my future career within oceanography and hydrology,” he said. “I actually started my college career in culinary, but I knew I wanted to do something outdoors. I applied to a whole bunch of places, but I saw there was a lot of outdoor engagement and impact students were having with their environment, and that was a strong appeal.”

The Brunswick area is rich in the kind of ecology in which the program specializes, so it’s not unusual to spend three to 10 hours at least one day a week out in it, Deemy said.

“I was outside this morning for a class,” Elmore added. “I would say students every single semester have time outdoors. It depends on what students want to do. Chemistry students might have more time indoors. They may want more lab time.”

That doesn’t count the time students spend in summer programs and other field experience opportunities. For example, Deemy said CCGA offers an 18-day camp for hydrology and soils courses, and in July, students spend a week at the University of Georgia’s Marine Institute in Darien.

“This past summer, I also participated in scientific diving, which was three months of pretty much constant outside learning, including a trip to Palm Beach where we spent 12 hours a day outside,” he said. “In my first semester, I was out on a beach doing research. There’s no lack of going out and experiencing science and doing science.”

At the end, students can earn their Bachelor of Science in environmental science, along with their concentration.

But it can be costly. Some of these field experiences run over $1,000. That’s why three years ago, the Environmental Science Program launched Salty’s Shrimp Boil to raise money for the program.

Sponsorships are available at $500, $1,000 and $5,000 levels, along with field experience sponsorships to help fund specific things like cave research, barrier island ecology courses and scientific diving certifications, conference travel and new research equipment, among others.

The goal is to raise $25,000 for the program.

“We’re about halfway there, which is usually where we are at this point,” Deemy said.

Salty’s Shrimp Boil is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Feb. 20 on the CCGA Campus Center rooftop. Tickets are $50, or $85 for two. Alumni tickets are $35, or $60 for two.

The event will also feature silent and live auctions and a raffle for a two-night excursion on Little St. Simons Island.

For information on sponsorships, visit www.ccga.edu/academics/artsandsciences/environmentalscience/environmental-science-funding.

For more information on the fundraiser, visit www.ccga.edu/saltys-shrimp-boil-2026, and for the program, generally, go to www.ccga.edu/academics/artsandsciences/environmentalscience.

Article originally published in The Brunswick News. Republished with the permission of The Brunswick News.