Posts Tagged ‘Puerto Madryn’

Leave No Trace

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

The clock is ticking: it is officially 3 weeks until the service spring breakers arrive in Tulum, armed and ready for their ecological rescue mission.  We are so thankful for these service breakers (and so is Mother Earth!).  Remember to check the blog after Spring Break (around March 25th or so) for video footage catching the ecoteers in action!  The video clips will get you excited for future Enchanting Challenge service trips (destinations: Mendoza, Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, and MORE!).

BUT, hold the phone: Enchanting Challenge service trips are not the be-all and end-all to service.  Rather, they are exciting opportunities within the realm of service.  Through this blog and through our website, we seek to show you the world of service, and that world stretches far beyond our borders.  Our goal is to bring information about the world of service to your fingertips, and allow you to choose which paths of volunteerism are meant for you.

With time and budget constraints, doing an eco-service trip is not always attainable.  Have no fear though, because there are plenty of eco-service opportunities right in your own backyard.  Honestly.  And one of the best programs is the Leave No Trace State Advocates Initiatives. 

leave-no-trace(photo taken from the Leave No Trace website)

The Leave No Trace nonprofit organization seeks to educate volunteers and its certified trainers how to care for the Earth and how to enjoy its natural earthly offerings in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.  They accomplish their mission through a number of educational programs and training programs that equip their students, volunteers, and employees with skills needed to teach communities about sustainability and also to lead eco-friendly natural educational adventure missions.  Pretty cool, huh? 

leave-no-trace-2(photo taken from the Leave No Trace website)

 More than likely, the Leave No Trace organization has a state advocacy initiative close to you, as they have partnerships in almost all 50 states!   I urge you to visit their state advocacy listings here and see if your state is listed as a partner.  If it is, go ahead and contact the represenative point of contact linked next to your state name to find out more about the Leave No Trace activities goin’ on in your neck o’ the woods.  And, if your state is one of the few not listed, again–have no fear!!! Simply contact their advocate, Dave, at dave@lnt.org for information about programs available to you in your locale!

 Examples of environmental community work that you can partake in through Leave No Trace State Advocacy activities include the following:

  1. Training courses to become a Leave No Trace workshop instructor
  2. Working with Leave No Trace to partner with local scout troops, hiking groups, and state parks to help each organization become more environmentally aware
  3. Blogging for Leave No Trace

If any of these activities sound interesting to you, then you should contact your state Leave No Trace rep today!!  It is a GREAT opportunity for local community ecological service!!

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Posted in Education, Environment, Family Volunteering, Service, Service Abroad, Spring Break, Summer Break, Tulum Eco Spring Break Service Trip, Winter Break | No Comments »

Why the Economic Crisis is a Good Time to Embrace Service

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

With the economic crisis affecting us all in some way, and with scary headlines sweeping our newspapers everyday, it may feel like a pretty dark time.  However, although it might be hard to believe, this is also a time of unlimited opportunity.  As the saying goes, “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste” (Paul Romer, economist).  Let me explain.

This week, Luke Russert interviewed former President Bill Clinton.  And you will not believe the advice Bill Clinton gave to young people who are about to finish their 4-year degrees!  Read it and get excited:

  • Stay in school if you can or want to
  • Volunteer
  • Go abroad
  • Any combination of the above options

Because of our shaken-up economy, now is most likely not the moment you are going to find the career that allows you to save millions of dollars.  Though that may seem to be a gloomy fact, that reality also frees you from obligations of normal societal expectations, such as embarking upon your career path.   Now is the time that you have nothing to lose, which awards you the freedom to take risks, to follow your dreams and to do the things that seem unwise and unsafe when you have a secure office job at stake.  A crisis truly is a terrible thing to waste, as it allows you to remake and redefine the reality of your life. 

So what are your options?  If you are graduating, programs like AmeriCorps and PeaceCorps are amazing options.  So are shorter-term volunteer opportunities, such as Visions in Action .   

peace-corps(photo taken from Peace Corps website)

americorps1(image taken from the AmeriCorps VISTA site)

There are also some certification programs that you can embark upon either before or after graduation that can lead to altnerative career opportunities, such as a job within the emerging and highly-demanded green economy.  One of the best of these programs that I can recommend is Green For All, a vocational program (for which you DO NOT need a 4-year college degree!) that trains people and helps to place them somewhere in the alternative energy field.  Another interesting option in this genre is Green Corps, a very cool one-year program that teaches its trainees to organize environmental service and volunteer drives within communities, campuses, and more.  Let me know if you are interested in any of these programs and I can help to give you more information!

green-for-all(photo taken from the Green For All site)

And of course, what else can you do?? Enchanting Challenge service trips!!! We are getting ready to embark on the first one next month in Tulum, Mexico; we are busy plotting away the second one in August in Mendoza, Argentina; and we are putting together the pieces for the third one scheduled to take place in October in Puerto Madryn, Argentina.  Get ready for tomorrow’s post, as it will be a re-cap on all of these amazing service destinations!!!

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Posted in Animals, Children, Education, Environment, Family Volunteering, Language Study, Service, Service Abroad, Spring Break, Summer Break, Tulum Eco Spring Break Service Trip, Winter Break | No Comments »

Enchanting Challenge Idealistic Heroes

Monday, February 9th, 2009

On Friday I  met with a true service guru: Juan Cruz, the Regional Director of Idealist in Buenos Aires.  Juan is really an inspiration.  Back in 2003, through writing letters and arranging meetings, he and his friends successfully encouraged Idealist–then with offices only in the United States–to open up an office in Buenos Aires.  Under their watch, the office started with just one full-time employee.  Now, six years later, it is flourishing with over 50 full-time employees.   Moreover, it is a key member of the Idealist team, for it is in the Buenos Aires office where much of the web development takes place, much of the customer assistance happens, and where most of the South American volunteer contacts and opportunities are built.  I asked Juan if he still to this day feels amazed at what he has built when he looks around the office.   “Yes, it is like a dream,” he told me.  And, truly it is…It is a beautiful reminder to all of us that with dedication and perseverance, we can accomplish our dreams, and we can change the world.

At Enchanting Challenge, we are striving to connect people in the name of activism.  Our aim is to work as hard as we can, connecting people and facilitating progressive projects.  We are striving to lay a foundation where people can communicate about service, social entrepreneurism, and ideas.  For inspiring social entrepreneur facts and thoughts, check out this awesome blog:

The world needs to change, and we want to facilitate that change.  Our goal is to have forged countless new roads in this progressive direction by 2012.  (Metaphorically, speaking, of course…We don’t really need more roads, but rather, more forests!) We have three years to do some major work for our planet, before too much negative change becomes irreversible.  Enchanting Challenge wants to help connect the dots in this pursuit of change.  We at Enchanting Challenge are working to unite us all into a global tribe, into one group of changemakers, by 2012.  Become a member of the tribe today!!  The first step is to join Enchanting Challenge– http://www.enchantingchallenge.com.   And then join the dialogue.  Together, we are going to nurse this planet back to health.

Juan Cruz, our Idealist hero and inspirator, has become a tribe member and has expressed his dedication to service.  Check out this cool video for a little motivation and insight:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqE237wG04Y]

 There you  have it…Join Enchanting Challenge today, and together, we will change the world…And don’t forget about our service trips while you are at it!! I have heard from 7 people about the Tulum Educational Ecological Service Trip, and I would love to hear from anyone else who is interested…Don’t forget, we will also plan a summer trip to Tulum, as well as a summer trip in Mendoza, Argentina, and an October trip to Puerto Madryn, Argentina!!! Get ready to do some eye-opening service…

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Posted in Education, Interviews, Service, Spring Break, Summer Break, Tulum Eco Spring Break Service Trip | No Comments »