THE ISSUE:

Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world, and Cartagena in particular offers a variety of thriving natural habitats including coral reefs, mangroves, islands, and lush tropical hills. However, a lack of environmental education, infrastructure, protection policies, and structural poverty result in Cartagena’s beautiful natural environments taking a hard hit, which in turn makes low-income communities that rely on the natural resources all the more vulnerable.

Local Projects:

We work with several projects that focus on protecting coral reef, mangrove, or other tropical ecosystems in Cartagena through a community-based approach.​

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Possible Volunteer or Intern Responsibilities:

• Help social workers and teachers from environmental groups, create and teach environmental education at local high schools to select groups of students or environmental clubs.

• Work alongside environmental groups to organize school and community-wide events.

• Assist in community trash and recycling projects.

• Work alongside local businesses that are located in or near the mangroves, in order to teach them best practices and the value of their local ecosystem.

• Train a group of island locals to become professional scuba divers and coral reef monitors.