Location
  • Nicaragua

Program Details

Language
English
Housing
Hotel

Pricing

Starting Price
500
Price Details
Local transportation as specified (including ferry), meals, lodging, and project costs are all included
Dec 04, 2017
Sep 11, 2013
1 traveler is looking at this program

About Program

Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island is one of the world’s natural wonders and a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve. Hardwood trees were harvested here decades ago, leaving some areas denuded. This long-term, multi-university project will initiate the immediate and continuous planting of the island's endangered species of hardwood trees through the reforestation and conservation of the Volcano Maderas and River Istian areas of the Maderas Nature Reserve. Your project is part of a larger effort to be accomplished through:
• Coordinating with local government officials and property owners in ecologically sensitive areas to obtain consent, permission and above all cooperation to set aside sections of private and public lands for reforestation and conservation;
• Work with educators, local leaders and students to create an Aboreal Awareness Campaign to replace current local farming and cultural practices with a sustainable paradigm of strategic cutting combined with reforestation efforts.

Program Reviews

4.75 Rating
based on 4 reviews
  • 5 rating 75%
  • 4 rating 25%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.75
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 4.25
  • Value 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Default avatar
Syeda
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Loved it

Well, I can say that the work we did was extremely labor intensive,but it was worth putting our time and effort into something that would not only benefit a community,but also the world at large. I can say a lot of things about my experience in Nicaragua,it was fun, it was something different, and for the first time in my life, I was pushed to a limit physically, where I had to assess my mental and physical health.

What would you improve about this program?
Have a more diverse group.
79 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Stephanie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My First Trip Alone

I very much enjoyed my trip to the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. I was excited about it before I went, while I was there, and still am after. I am actually in the process of trying to go again this year. I believe our trip was very beneficial to the island as we worked toward helping their environment. Nicaragua as well as other countries have a deforestation problem, and we just got started by trying to expand the plants that are natural to its land. To be exact, we were able to prepare 2,332 seed bags to be planted across the island. The best thing is that we were able to help the community while still enjoying ourselves.

What would you improve about this program?
My first thought was my encounter with a scorpion. However, I was not hurt, and something like this is always bound to happen on a trip. Phenomenal experience overall!
71 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
David
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Experience!

This was a trip to remember. After meeting with the community leaders, we had a deeper understanding of how our efforts were going to help the island and its inhabitants.

Although we were all exhausted after a week of scavenging and planting over 1000 seeds it was well worth the experience.

73 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Adriana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable

As a site leader to this project, I took part in organizing our activities while on site as well as fundraising for the project. Once on site, all stress from having to fund raise and plan went away. I did encounter a lot of hard work, from collecting top soil, to searching for seeds, and even gathering horse manure, but in the end, as I saw and counted how many seeds we had plated, it gave me a sense of accomplishment to know that even someone like me can make a difference in this world. I would never exchange the experience I had on this site for anything in the world. I also look forward to continuing the project this Spring.

What would you improve about this program?
I would not change anything about this program.
76 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers