Young Adults Help The Environment

Four Nova Scotians are improving the environment here and in Costa Rica, one project at a time. The young adults are part of a cross-cultural exchange program of the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps.

The Environmental Leadership Program exchange between Atlantic Canada and Costa Rica takes place each year. Participants aged 20 to 24 years, from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, work on community environmental projects in Costa Rica from April to June. In July and August, the Costa Ricans join the Nova Scotians to work on projects here.

Currently the eight Atlantic Canadian participants are in Costa Rica gearing up for their work. Once they have completed their training and have become accustomed to the Costa Rican environment and culture, they will begin working on projects like building a community garden in Coope San Juan.

This year, when the four Nova Scotian and four Costa Rican project workers return to Canada, they will work on four community projects, including the development of a nature trail on the Oxford Regional High School property to showcase wildlife habitat and wetlands.

Through the Environmental Leadership Program, these young workers develop a better sense of environmental issues and learn how different communities can respond. They are trained to be ambassadors for their country, learn important leadership skills and are prepared for the cultural differences they will experience abroad.

The Environmental Leadership Program has been in place since 1989. It is supported, in part, by Nova Scotia Environment and Labour. Other partners include the Conservation Corps of Newfoundland and Labrador and Taller Internacional de Servicious a non-profit environmental and community development organization in Costa Rica.

For more information about the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps see the website at www.gov.ns.ca/enla/ess/ycc/ .