Crazy Jungle: Volunteering & Responsible Travel - Where Do We All Stand?

Crazy Jungle: Volunteering & Responsible Travel - Where Do We All Stand?:

This week I have been thinking about the catch-phrase of the times 'Responsible Travel' and what this means. For some people this means off-setting their carbon footprint for the miles they have flown, for others it means staying somewhere “eco-friendly” where recycling and the use of sustainable materials is maximised and non-organic waste outputs minimised, whilst for others it means doing something to ensure local communities get the most out of your visit – by ensuring the use of locally-owned businesses as much as possible or by doing some volunteering perhaps.

As social and environmental consciousness continues to spread around the globe and persist within our mindsets, so too has the idea of ensuring that when we travel our moral standards don’t get left behind.

On my travels outside of Costa Rica, I have often been saddened by the negative effects of tourism in places I have visited. In many parts of the world, cultures have been eroded by Western influences, whilst communities continue to find themselves balancing precariously on an economy dependant on foreign capital and labour rather than locally-based development from the bottom-up. This happens here in Costa Rica too, as it does in so many other countries on every continent.

Having now been at Tropical Adventures more than a month, I have had the chance to visit several of our projects around Costa Rica and see for myself the benefits our volunteers are bringing to communities and wildlife across Costa Rica. And it’s not just the smiling faces of the children as their new teacher walks through the door, or the site of a mother turtle being able to lay her eggs without the fear of them being taken away by poachers.

Being actually based in Costa Rica, our close relationships with local service organizations, government agencies, host families and other national citizens not only ensure the smoothest volunteer experience for our volunteers but maximum impact for the communities in need. In addition, we have a contract with the Ministry of Environment and Energy in the Guanacaste Province and share office space with them. This allows us to have a deep knowledge of – and access to – the different national reserves in this region and enables us to send volunteers to those that need the most help.

In the last two years, Tropical Adventures has supported over 400 volunteers of all ages and nationalities who have come to Costa Rica to make a difference in the communities they have visited. For our volunteers, their trip has not only enabled them to do something to help others, but has also enabled them to gain an invaluable insight into the culture and nature of Costa Rica by actually taking part in Costa Rican life.

One project I had the privilege of visiting last weekend was the Bambu Cultural Center in the Bribri indigenous reserve close to the Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo. The Cultural Center is a beautiful thatched building built by traditional methods. This is a place where volunteers come to teach local adults and children and help with the running of the Center and cultural activities that take place. The income the Center gains from hosting tour groups and travelers goes directly to supporting 20 local families. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to stay overnight there but look forward to doing so sometime soon.

In the village of Bambu, volunteers can also help at the local school and the retirement home, which is home to some of the most beautiful people you could ever meet. Volunteering in Bambu is sure to be a wonderfully fulfilling experience for anyone and is very valuable for the school children, teachers, parents, elderly people and their carers who benefit from the wonderful work our volunteers do. and

From there I took a tour, along with three of our volunteers, into Panama with our friend, Danilo Gabb, a Bribri indigenous leader, and his friend Ezekiele who run the Cultural Center together with Ezekiele’s wife, Fulbia. I was happy knowing that the money I spent on the tour was going directly into the running of the Cultural Center. The tour (see pictures) encompassed an hour's boat ride in an indigenous, dug-out canoe along the Suretka River and a two-hour hike through the Talamanca Mountain range and into the UNESCO World Heritage listed Parque Internacional La Amistad (International Friendship Park) over the Panama border to a farmhouse; a muddy yet absolutely stunning journey. At the farmhouse there was a chance for everyone to take a dip in the waterfalls next to the house and enjoy sleeping on a platform looking out under a sky full of stars before completing the return journey by horse the next day.

It was a once in a lifetime experience for all of us. What was so special about the trip is that it was a chance to see a side to indigenous life that most other travelers don't get to see and what was so amazing is that the people who live in that area have to do the same muddy journey every time they need to visit the local village. Of course, the saddening thing is that receiving a decent education and healthcare is a challenge for the people who live in the area.

When we started in 2005, Tropical Adventures was here purely to place volunteers in communities and projects that needed extra help. However, Scott and Isaac found that many volunteers asked them to recommend tours and activities to do during their time in Costa Rica as well. As a result, we now have a wide range of tour and accommodation providers we work with to ensure our volunteers make the most of their time in Costa Rica. While this means volunteers don't have the hassle of organizing their own activities, being a non-profit organization it also helps us a lot too because the small amount of commission we make on each booking goes back into helping us support all the projects we work with. Our Tour Coordinator, Susan Schuetze, is always happy to arrange tours and accommodations to suit anyone who is visiting Costa Rica, regardless of whether they are volunteering or not.

So I guess my idea of ‘responsible travel’ is being a tourist but knowing that your presence is going to help communities, people or wildlife in some way – what’s yours?

Pura Vida,

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Sarah Morris

Marketing Intern

Tropical Adventures

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