Youth Project Gears up for Costa Rica Expedition
After two years of hard work, several members of Andover Trees United’s Nature in Harmony Exchange Project are preparing to embark on an exciting trip to volunteer alongside their counterparts from the Corcovado Foundation. Based in the scenic Osa Peninsula area of Costa Rica, the Corcovado Foundation dedicates itself to conserving the biodiversity of the country, thought to account for nearly 6% of the world’s total.
Members of the exchange project will have many exciting nature-themed activities lined up for them when they arrive. Some of the tasks include assisting junior rangers with the planting of native trees and maintenance of local beaches to ensure they are safe for nesting sea turtles.
The expedition will also highlight the cultural importance of the natural world to the local community; included in the itinerary is a session on restorative agriculture with families from the area and a cooking workshop where students will be taught how to make traditional dishes.
Towards the end of the trip, members of the exchange project will have the chance to share some of the fascinating things they have learnt while working at Andover Trees United’s Harmony Woods by holding an activity session for local children. This will help to inspire young people from the Osa Peninsula to become involved in global environmental and conservation efforts, and hopefully inspire them to come and visit Andover’s own Harmony Woods in the future.
The Nature in Harmony Exchange Project is a 2-year rolling project that was set up by Andover Trees United volunteers in 2020 to provide the space for young people aged 14-17 to develop their local and global environmental skills and knowledge.
Alex Marshall, ATU’s resident ecologist, states “The young people involved have been attending monthly activities in Harmony Woods focusing on woodland management, ecology, and conservation. Gaining new skills and qualifications and carrying out their own mini research projects. They have dedicated many hours of their spare time to volunteer at other ATU work sessions and events. This year, they have also been saving up their carbon to offset the emissions of their flights: some have been eating a meat-free diet, others have pledged to buy no new clothing unless absolutely necessary, cycling and walking instead of using the car, buying local produce, planting trees of course, and more. We are all really excited to embark on this first-ever Nature in Harmony Project Expedition!”
Andover Trees United will be closely following the journey of the exchange project members, and you can keep up with them through the group’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @NIH_Expedition
The Nature in Harmony project is currently recruiting for its next cohort of members. Young people between the ages of 14 to 17 can apply to join the two-year-long programme and will be given the opportunity to gain a Junior Forester’s award and John Muir Discovery award, as well as potentially volunteer in Costa Rica at the end of the second year. To find out more, please visit https://www.andovertrees.org.uk/exchange or email alex.marshall@andovertrees.org.uk.