Robert is born in The Netherlands and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science. He has various travel experiences around the world – across Asia, Africa, South-America, and Europe.
Staff Spotlight: Robert van de Griend
Title:
Founder/DirectorPhotos
What is your favorite travel memory?
Going to Ghana in West Africa is my favorite travel experience since I gained the most from it both professionally and personally. I traveled to this country to carry out my final research on the environmental impacts of tourism in a small traditional village there.
After I finished the research and completed my degree, I initiated my own project. I wanted to work on an alternative source of income for the locals while conserving the biodiversity and minimizing the negative environmental impacts of tourism at the same time.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I grew personally and professionally in the last six years. During this period, I started becoming stable financially, emotionally, and physically. This resulted to my establishment of the Biodiverse Development Foundation in the spring of 2017. Since then, the project in Colombia has accelerated, and results have been achieved.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
What I always find fascinating is the transformation in perspectives, opinions, and thoughts of volunteers/visitors, before and after having participated in one of the activities or programs of the BD Foundation.
The objectives of the Foundation are very ambitious and broad. Nevertheless, participants discover ways and means to contribute effectively to them.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
At the moment, the Biodiverse Development Foundation only offers one volunteer program in which many sub-projects are designed. All projects are multidisciplinary and interrelated with each other, and all contribute to the objectives of the Foundation.
The project that draws my interest most is organizing workshops, courses, and activities for locals (young and old) where there is an exchange of various forms of capital (financial, produced, intellectual, human, and social & relational capital).
One of the activities that I like most is the maintenance of the permaculture based swale system with the local inhabitants of the region. They have so much knowledge about nature and life in general. However, they still like to learn many more "new" aspects of life.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
What makes the Foundation and her project unique is the multidisciplinary and local approach of it.
We are convinced that every volunteer/participant has his own talents and interest, and that the best results are gained when somebody works with passion and joy on something.
The project offers various possibilities to explore your own talents and skills in cooperation with the local community and the BD Foundation.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Being successful depends on the definition of success. With regard to the Foundation and her objectives, in my opinion, to be successful is to take the interests of all stakeholders (volunteers, local community, biodiversity etc.) in consideration. If the Foundation succeeds to balance all relevant interests in a transparent and honest way while carrying out her activities, she will be successful.