August 1, 2023 • 22 mins
This episode focuses on voluntourism around the world, and the impact we can collectively make as we travel.
Dr. Vanessa Bezy, Founder & Director of the Wildlife Conservation Association, is a National Geographic Explorer, marine biologist and sea turtle expert who lives in Costa Rica. She shares the remarkable efforts of the Prevented Ocean Plastic program that is reducing the creation of new plastic.
Taylor Jones, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Director for Bikes for the World, travels the world overseeing his projects, and talks of the importance of bicycles, mainly in third-world countries.
Their personal experiences lead to inspiring memories, including the thrill of witnessing a sea turtle nesting event for the first time. And Lea reflects back on her journey on a volunteer/travel program on a ship.
We also highlight key organizations where you can travel while you make a significant difference. Here are the details:
If you want to work in exotic locations, then check out GO Echoes Marine and Turtle Conservation Program in the Maldives and their Wildlife Animal Sanctuary in Australia. Another amazing program is African Impacts Wildlife Conservation Program at Kruger National Park, where you'll be able to support Africa's iconic big five species.
Through volunteer and work organizations such as International TEFL Academy (ITA) you can get paid to live abroad as a professional English teacher in a country like Spain, Thailand, or Costa Rica. The organization offers TEFL training to get you certified to teach English abroad, then provides job placement services.
Earn your certificate by enrolling in a Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification program, which prepares you for ESL job placements around the world.
Maximo Nivel offers impactful and educational placements in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. Volunteer abroad opportunities include construction, conservation, teaching English, working with kids, and working with indigenous communities.
Check out Maximo Nivel’s Spanish Immersion programs. Lastly, if you are interested in studying abroad in Costa Rica, Peru, or Guatemala, you’ll definitely want to look into Maximo Nivel’s University Abroad programs, which are excellent alternative to traditional programs due to their affordability.
You’ll find a ton of medical volunteer opportunities and healthcare internships. Some great volunteer projects include Volunteering Solutions’ wide-range of affordable medical programs (starting at $200), including a healthcare volunteer project in Tanzania, nursing program in Sri Lanka, and a medical volunteer program in Peru!
_____
Vanessa Bezy is Founder & Director of the Wildlife Conservation Association, Vanessa is a National Geographic Explorer, marine biologist and Sea Turtle expert who lives in Costa Rica.
Taylor Jones, is Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Director for Bikes for the World,
_____
Podcast host Lea Lane blogs at forbes.com.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lea Lane (00:00):
On Places I Remember.
e like to focus on ways toimprove ourselves of the world
as we enjoy ourselves.
raveling In episode 12, wetalked about green travel.
In episode 23, studying abroad,and in this episode we're
focusing on volunteering, or, asit's known today, voluntourism.
There's no shortage of amazingvolunteer options abroad:
(00:23):
Interning abroad, studyingabroad, teaching abroad they're
all out there.
There are lots of opportunitiescloser to home that can also
help.
We'll be talking about some ofthem, along with far flung
destinations where our effortscan make a difference and where
travelers don't usually visit.
Our guests are Vanessa Bezy,founder and director of the
Wildlife ConservationAssociation.
(00:43):
Vanessa is a NationalGeographic Explorer, marine
Biologist and Sea Turtle expertwho lives in Costa Rica.
Ta owns as chief operatingofficer and executive director
for Bikes for the World And hetravels the world overseeing his
projects.
Welcome both of you to Places IRemember.
Taylor Jones (01:03):
Thanks, thanks very much.
Lea Lane (01:05):
Let's start with Vanessa.
17% of the species are affectedby the presence of plastic in
the ocean.
According to the InternationalUnion for Conservation of Nature
red list of threatened species,plastic pollution is not only
harming marine life, but wipingout entire species.
Tell us the five ways plasticharms marine life, Vanessa.
Vanessa Bezy (01:25):
Well, that's a really important question.
I think that the one that mostpeople are probably aware of in
entanglement entanglemententanglement.
Marine life tends to getcompletely entangled in plastic
debris, whether that's gettingstuck in a plastic bottle,
entangled in fishing line whichcan sometimes cause pretty
serious injuries, includingamputations or even death.
Marine life also will ingestthis plastic and that
(01:48):
unfortunately leads to all kindsof issues.
It can block their intestinalpassage and also lead to death.
Plastic also has chemical sotoxicity, So there's a lot of
toxic chemicals that end upleaching into the water and
harming marine life.
It also causes habitatdestruction, for example,
destroying coral and seagrassbeds.
Overall, it's really disruptingentire food chains and having
(02:12):
an effect on an entire ecosystemlevel.
Lea Lane (02:14):
What about the disruption of food chain and
habitat destruction as a part ofthe chemical toxicity?
Vanessa Bezy (02:22):
Yeah, it can also cause the disruption of food
chains, because these toxicchemicals actually
bio-accumulate and so as we goup the food chain, there's
higher concentrations of toxins,and this can also cause really
big issues in the tissues oflarger predators.
Lea Lane (02:36):
Is this a problem that's getting worse and worse,
or are people aware of it and doyou know?
Vanessa Bezy (02:40):
I would say it's probably getting worse.
We have more and more plasticentering the oceans and we're
seeing, you know, evidence ofmore and more animals ingesting
plastic.
So I would be surprised to hearif anyone said it's not getting
worse.
Lea Lane (02:51):
Yeah on social media you see these terrible videos
which I think brings awareness,but it's just awful to see it.
How can travelers help?
When we think about plasticsthat we really need to stop
plastic at the source.
Step one is reducing the wastethat you produce and avoiding
single-use plastic altogether,but it's also really important
(03:14):
for us to think.
You know, it's hard to avoidplastic altogether.
Many of us are trying, and thisis why I'm so.
I'm provided Ocean PlasticsAmbassador and I'm so passionate
about their program, whichtakes recycled plastic from
that's discarded on thesecoastlines and developing
countries such as Lake CostaRica, where that plastic is very
likely to end up in the ocean.
(03:34):
So you can also target when youare buying plastic, making sure
that it is recycled, lookingfor the prevented ocean plastics
logo on there and then alsomaking sure that you recycle
that once you are done using it.
This in general if you see a marine animal in trouble,
would you try to help it.
What's the best thing to do?
Vanessa Bezy (03:53):
if Well, certainly, especially if it's
not a protected species and ifit's safe for you to help it,
then that's the best thing to do, whether that cutting the line
or removing whatever they'reentangled in.
But you do need to be verycareful.
You know, some wildlife canbite and can be harmful, and yet
you might not even be legallyallowed to manipulate or handle
(04:13):
them.
Lea Lane (04:13):
It's a judgment call.
You want to help, of course.
Well, tell us about PreventedOcean Plastic.
We can volunteer.
What can we do there?
Vanessa Bezy (04:21):
Prevented Ocean Plastic is a large company that
is collecting plastic from thesecoastlines and creating
recycled plastic, which isreally important because that
cuts out the creation of newplastic, which has a really big
carbon footprint.
What you can do is that whenyou're buying any plastic
product or look for their logoon the bottom to make sure that
(04:42):
you're not buying plastic thatwas made in new.
This is the biggest issue.
I always kind of give thecomparison of an overflowing
bathtub.
You wouldn't go and look forthe mop before turning off the
faucet.
And this is what PreventedOcean Plastic is helping us do,
because we still have adependency on plastic.
They are basically stopping thecreation of new plastic and
(05:02):
making sure that the plasticthat is made is all recycled,
and this also even has apositive social impact.
So you're not only reducingyour carbon footprint and the
plastic that's in the ocean, butthey're also employing people
in these coastal communities anddeveloping countries, where
jobs are needed.
Lea Lane (05:20):
Good to know.
Well, there are several otherorganizations where you can
volunteer to help animals.
Here are a few and we'll havelinks in the show notes.
Check out GO Echoes WildlifeConservation Projects, which are
some of the most popular in theworld.
If you want to work in exoticlocations, then check out GO
Echoes Marine and TurtleConservation Program in the
Maldives and their WildlifeAnimal Sanctuary in Australia.
(05:44):
Another amazing program isAfrican Impacts Wildlife
Conservation Program at KrugerNational Park, where you'll be
able to support Africa's iconicbig five species.
Now, Vanessa, you live in CostaRica.
I know you work with seaturtles.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Vanessa Bezy (06:00):
Yeah, I'm really privileged to work in one of the
most important places in theworld for the Oliver and Lucy
Turtle.
We have a really uniquephenomenon that occurs here,
where thousands, sometimeshundreds of thousands, of olive
reedly turtles are nestingsimultaneously on a small
stretch of beach here at theOsteo-Nile National Wildlife
Refuge.
(06:21):
I did my PhD research herestudying the mass nesting
behavior and now my work isreally focused more broadly on
looking at the impacts oftourism and development on
wildlife in general, butobviously specifically with the
intent of protecting this reallyimportant nesting site And
tourists see this, when shouldthey go and how should they do
(06:41):
this?
This phenomenon occurs almostevery single month of the year,
usually between the last quarterand the new moon, and you can
come visit.
You're required to have a guideand make a reservation before
going onto the beach, supervised, obviously, by the guide, but
you can certainly go and viewthis phenomenon.
It's a really specialopportunity to get to view
turtles, because turtles rarelynest during the day, but the
(07:02):
olive reedly turtle does nestduring the day, so you can even
get to see a turtle in thedaytime.
Which coast is it?
It's on the northern Pacificcoast of Costa Rica.
Lea Lane (07:11):
What's the closest town if people you know were
staying over?
Vanessa Bezy (07:14):
The closest town that most people will be staying
at is called Nosara, costa Rica.
That's where I'm located.
Okay, great.
Lea Lane (07:20):
Sounds extremely interesting.
Costa Rica is known for itsecological awareness, and this
is special.
Okay, let's move from thewaters to a land-based problem.
That's been solved, one bike ata time.
As I've traveled to developingcountries, i've noticed through
the years how many peopletrudged along the roads for
miles and miles to get toschools or markets or medical
(07:40):
care.
Now, more and more, i see themon bicycles.
Tell us please, taylor, themission of your organization,
bikes for the World.
Taylor Jones (07:48):
The mission of Bikes for the World.
It's really simple.
I mean it's basically just toimprove people's lives with
access to a bike.
We know that people can be moreproductive and have a better,
more impactful life with accessto a bike.
You can get somewhere fourtimes quicker on a bike than you
can if you're walking.
So that means it's easier forkids to get to school, to stay
(08:12):
in school.
It allows farmers or otherpeople to take more goods to
market so they can be moreproductive, you know, generate
more revenue for themselves tosupport their family.
It also solves the issue ofreducing pollution.
I mean that's a big push of ittoo.
As opposed to using a motorcycleor scooter or something like
(08:34):
that that has two-stroke enginepollution, a bicycle is a
one-time, fixed-cost item thatdoesn't require significant
maintenance or upkeep down theroad.
Another part of our mission isit's not just getting good
quality bikes to people toimprove their lives, but it is
providing secondhand bikes.
So what we're doing on our endhere in the US is we are
(08:56):
collecting donated bikes, bikesthat are at the end of their
life or the original user orsecondary user, whomever it is
that donates it to us.
Those bikes still have value.
We're preventing those bikesfrom going in the waste stream.
We're putting them in the handsof people for whom they can
make a really fundamentallypositive impact.
Lea Lane (09:14):
It's skilled employment and bike repair,
maintenance.
all these things can be doneoverseas, And I think it's a
wonderful thing for young peopleto know to donate this rather
than to throw it away.
It's an early lesson.
How do they get the bikes toyour warehouses?
How would they do that?
Right there, I guess.
Taylor Jones (09:31):
Yeah, you know we're based in the Washington DC
area and our operationalfootprint is really just this
area.
There's multiple streams orways that folks can donate bikes
to us.
We partner with a lot ofcommunity groups schools,
churches, synagogues, civicorganizations that host like
donation events in theircommunity.
(09:52):
We also have a network of bikeshops where people can donate
bikes year-round, and we've alsogot relationships with local
municipalities because they'realso interested in reducing the
amount or the volume of wastegoing into the waste stream.
So we've worked with them toset up easy program for their
residents to donate bikes atcounty transfer stations or
(10:14):
landfills.
Lea Lane (10:15):
Good.
How do you choose the placesthat get the bikes?
Taylor Jones (10:18):
Good question.
The partners that we havecurrently were chosen mainly
because they have a track recordof really having an impact in
the community that they serve,and having a track record being
able to demonstrate here's theneed, here's the specific target
audience and then here's a waythat we can measure and show the
(10:38):
result.
You know the positive impact ofthese bikes.
The vast majority of thepartners that we have we've had
for a very long time Partners inCentral America and Costa Rica
and El Salvador for almost 20years.
The program in Ghana we'vesupported them for almost 20
years.
We really want to work withlocal grassroots NGOs and
nonprofits, distributingmedicine to people or providing
(11:02):
bikes to kids to get to and fromschool, etc.
Lea Lane (11:04):
Right, Well, in heading bikes for the world,
you've traveled extensively toplaces most travelers don't get
to.
Can you tell us a bit aboutsome of them in regard to
tourists?
Let's start with Ghana, in WestAfrica.
What's wonderful there?
Taylor Jones (11:20):
Well, yeah, the most recent partner visit was to
Village Bicycle Project inGhana and Sierra Leone And I
think the thing to me that wasjust most amazing there is how
warm and genuine the people are.
That would be a big appeal toanyone West Africa.
There really is a lot to seeand it's a really interesting
(11:40):
just really interesting anddynamic place.
You've got a very youngpopulation, especially for what
we do.
It means that people are prettyopen-minded and people want to
really change and make theircountry and their communities
better, not just for themselvesbut for the next generation down
the line.
Lea Lane (12:00):
I know the art and the music are fantastic.
That's fantastic.
Taylor Jones (12:05):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean there's a lot of localhandicrafts and textiles.
It's also beautiful, absolutely, it's really fantastic And
there's huge markets in Accrathat have anything and
everything and they're bustlingall the time, And even outside
of Accra, if you go up to Kumasior Tamale and other parts of
(12:25):
the country, those are also bigmarket centers.
They have their own specialtiesas well.
Lea Lane (12:30):
Many cruise lines are now traveling along the West
African coast.
That's a big thing now, So moreand more people are getting to
see it at least for a day, whichis good.
The word is out Now.
How about El Salvador inCentral America?
Is it safe for tourists?
Taylor Jones (12:46):
I think you would probably give the same sort of
advice that you would givepeople anywhere common sense.
I'm not going to say that it'sas eco-minded as a lot of places
in Costa Rica are, but there'sa lot of interesting eco-focused
, conservation-minded thingshappening in San Salvador.
Lea Lane (13:02):
Yeah, good to hear.
I think El Salvador is one ofthe countries that I would check
ahead of time with thegovernment because there are
problems there, but it's afascinating culture, as most
cultures are.
Taylor Jones (13:14):
And I think for us too, being based in the DC area
, we have a really strongconnection with the program in
El Salvador, because outside ofEl Salvador, the highest
concentration of Salvadoranslived in the DC area.
For us, that's a really Yeah, ilived in DC.
Lea Lane (13:29):
I remember the delicious soup, great food.
Well, i lived in thePhilippines in the 1980s for a
little while.
I realized how special it wasas far as tensile tourism, but
the political climate then andthe lack of infrastructure was
holding it back.
I know you've been there.
I know it's fantastic.
I mean there's a lot to do andthe islands are idyllic.
But is it getting tourism orwhere is it there?
Taylor Jones (13:53):
I think there's places that are getting tourism
for sure.
I think, like you said, theinfrastructure that's the
challenge.
It's a country of islands, sogetting from place to place is
challenging And I think ifyou're someone who's interested
in taking the time to go fromisland to island in different
regions, then you can really geta feel for it.
Very beautiful areas, veryrugged I mean the places we have
(14:16):
visited even with a bike.
it's certainly challenging inrural areas.
It's quite mountainous on mostof the islands.
Lea Lane (14:23):
Some people love that, i think if you're a pioneer
type traveler?
Great, sure, okay.
So besides your organizations,i want to offer some other ideas
if you're interested involunteering or interning abroad
.
There are guidebooks, too,about volunteering, all of which
will include in the show notes.
Since 2015, the OrganizationVolunteer Forever has compiled
(14:43):
the original list of bestvolunteer abroad programs
worldwide using a database of athousand international volunteer
abroad organizations, 6,000program reviews and 13,000
fundraisers.
Here are a few of the toprecommended volunteer programs.
Teaching English is a great wayto do good while earning money
and traveling the world.
(15:03):
Through volunteer and workorganizations such as
International TEFL Academy, youcan get paid to live abroad as a
professional English teacher ina country like Spain, thailand
or Costa Rica.
The organization offerstraining to get you certified to
teach English abroad, thenprovides job placement.
If you're interested inimmersive volunteer abroad trips
(15:25):
to Latin America, check outMaximo Neville, which offers
impactful and educationalplacements in Costa Rica,
guatemala and Peru.
Some of them includeconstruction, conservation,
teaching English, working withkids and working with indigenous
communities.
If you're looking to learn anew language, check out Maximo
Neville's Spanish immersionprograms, and if you're
(15:46):
interested in studying abroad inCosta Rica, peru or Guatemala
will definitely want to lookinto their university abroad
programs, which are excellentalternatives to traditional
programs due to theiraffordability.
If you're a current or aspiringdoctor, nurse, dentist or other
healthcare professional, you'llfind a ton of medical volunteer
opportunities and healthcareinternships.
(16:06):
Some great volunteer projectsinclude volunteering solutions,
wide range of affordable medicalprograms, including a
healthcare volunteer project inTanzania, nursing program in Sri
Lanka and a medical volunteerprogram in Peru, and these will
all be in our show notes.
If you're interested in more,just Google volunteering abroad
(16:26):
as well.
Well, the name of the podcast isplaces I remember, so let's all
share some personal memories oftravel and maybe volunteering.
I'll start because mineinvolves volunteerism on a ship
and a reality check.
I was a passenger on the shipFathom, coming out of part of a
cruise lines in May of 2016.
(16:48):
It was very exciting.
It was the first of week-longjourneys entirely around
volunteer work.
They called it impact traveland it was to the Dominican
Republic, and part of the timewe were on the ship, you know,
lazing around in the sun, andpart of the time we coordinated
with local nonprofits And wewere sorting cocoa beans in a
(17:08):
chocolate factory.
We were tutoring children inEnglish in the Puerto Plata
region.
We were working with waterfilters.
I loved it.
I thought it was a greatbalance.
It was educational,environmental, economic
development excursions.
Yet it was a tough sell.
A year later they stopped theprogram.
I just think it's aninteresting thing that people
(17:30):
weren't willing to mix them.
It was either you were avolunteer type or you were a
cruise type.
I think they're trying to getit back.
I thought it was great And Ihope they try to do something
like this again, maybe with asmaller vessel.
We saw a little bit of whatit's like to volunteer.
It was just a day each, sothat's my memories.
Okay, who would like to go next?
Vanessa, how about you?
Vanessa Bezy (17:51):
My memory probably no surprise is the
first time I ever saw aneverybody or the sea turtle
phenomenon.
I'm a marine biologist, thoughI had studied turtles and worked
with turtles in North Carolinawhere I went to university, and
we have just maybe a handful,maybe up to 50 turtles that nest
there over an entire nestingseason.
So I had never actually reallyworked that closely with turtles
(18:15):
on the beach while they werenesting.
Our work primarily just waslooking at the beach in the
mornings looking for track signsof turtles.
Having been there, my firstnesting event was very special
because I came all the way toOsteonao.
At the time It was a lot harderto get here.
There were fewer bridges, andso after finally arriving in
Osteonao, the whole town wasvery anxious because the turtles
(18:39):
were kind of quote unquote latethat month.
They hadn't arrived right whenwe expected them, and so
everyone was concerned or theturtle is not coming this month,
what's going to happen?
And sure enough, finally theyarrived And I went out onto the
beach at night to help agraduate student who was doing
research, and it's pitch blackAnd all I remember is that I'm
(19:01):
trying to look down at my feetto follow her and keep up And
we're essentially dodgingturtles, and I can feel and hear
and smell that there's turtlesall around me, but I can't see
anything, i won't ask that itsmells
like.
It has very reptilian smell.
Let's just put it that way.
We don't use white lights onthe beach because sea turtles
are very sensitive to light, sowe're using a red light and you
(19:24):
cannot see very far orappreciate just how many turtles
are on the beach.
But we arrived to this riverbank where we needed to cross to
continue going down the beach,and so, for safety reasons, he
quickly grabbed her white lightand flashed it across the river
so we could see, and it, youknow, shone on the entire beach
ahead of us And it was I can'tthink of another way of saying
(19:45):
it, but that it was swarmingwith turtles.
The same way, if you imaginelooking at a beehive, that's
what the beach looked like Andmy jaw just dropped.
I was just astounded And I willnever forget that moment of you
know, even though I was alreadyon the beach.
Just finally seeing all of thatwas just amazing, really,
really special experience towitness so much abundance in
(20:07):
nature, especially being someonewho studies an endangered
species You know we're usuallylucky if we get to see and work
with one turtle A really specialmoment and obviously something
that changed my life.
I decided to stay here anddedicate myself to protecting
this place.
Lea Lane (20:21):
How wonderful.
Thank you for sharing that,taylor.
Taylor Jones (20:24):
Your turn, the thing that really sticks in my
mind of connection between bikesand travel was being in Sierra
Leone, west Africa, and, i think, within probably an hour of
being in the country, alreadyseeing and encountering people
who had received bikes frombikes for the world.
seeing that real, tangibleimpact and benefit and being in
(20:48):
a place when you're outside offree town.
everywhere in Sierra Leone isrural.
Very few places haveelectricity, there's really no
transportation of a structure.
So really seeing firsthand andunderstanding Hey, this is why
it's so important that peoplehave access to a bike, because
it's just such a simple thingbut it really does have such a
(21:09):
fundamentally positive impact inpeople's lives.
Those sorts of interactionsseared into my, into my brain of
like, hey, these are the waysthat our work can impact someone
.
just seeing firsthand and beingable to spend time with those
people and ride bikes with themand see their community from the
ground level on a bike, thatwas super impactful for me.
Lea Lane (21:31):
Those are both inspirational memories for us.
Taylor Jones and Dr Vanessa Bezy, you are kind and you are the
role models we need.
Thank you very much, not onlyfor coming on our podcast, but
for doing good in the world andshowing us that we too can do
good and often travel as we doit.
Thanks again, thanks much.
On Places I Remember.
e like to focus on ways toimprove ourselves of the world
as we enjoy ourselves.
raveling In episode 12, wetalked about green travel.
In episode 23, studying abroad,and in this episode we're
focusing on volunteering, or, asit's known today, voluntourism.
There's no shortage of amazingvolunteer options abroad:
(00:23):
Interning abroad, studyingabroad, teaching abroad they're
all out there.
There are lots of opportunitiescloser to home that can also
help.
We'll be talking about some ofthem, along with far flung
destinations where our effortscan make a difference and where
travelers don't usually visit.
Our guests are Vanessa Bezy,founder and director of the
Wildlife ConservationAssociation.
(00:43):
Vanessa is a NationalGeographic Explorer, marine
Biologist and Sea Turtle expertwho lives in Costa Rica.
Ta owns as chief operatingofficer and executive director
for Bikes for the World And hetravels the world overseeing his
projects.
Welcome both of you to Places IRemember.
Taylor Jones (01:03):
Thanks, thanks very much.
Lea Lane (01:05):
Let's start with Vanessa.
17% of the species are affectedby the presence of plastic in
the ocean.
According to the InternationalUnion for Conservation of Nature
red list of threatened species,plastic pollution is not only
harming marine life, but wipingout entire species.
Tell us the five ways plasticharms marine life, Vanessa.
Vanessa Bezy (01:25):
Well, that's a really important question.
I think that the one that mostpeople are probably aware of in
entanglement entanglemententanglement.
Marine life tends to getcompletely entangled in plastic
debris, whether that's gettingstuck in a plastic bottle,
entangled in fishing line whichcan sometimes cause pretty
serious injuries, includingamputations or even death.
Marine life also will ingestthis plastic and that
(01:48):
unfortunately leads to all kindsof issues.
It can block their intestinalpassage and also lead to death.
Plastic also has chemical sotoxicity, So there's a lot of
toxic chemicals that end upleaching into the water and
harming marine life.
It also causes habitatdestruction, for example,
destroying coral and seagrassbeds.
Overall, it's really disruptingentire food chains and having
(02:12):
an effect on an entire ecosystemlevel.
Lea Lane (02:14):
What about the disruption of food chain and
habitat destruction as a part ofthe chemical toxicity?
Vanessa Bezy (02:22):
Yeah, it can also cause the disruption of food
chains, because these toxicchemicals actually
bio-accumulate and so as we goup the food chain, there's
higher concentrations of toxins,and this can also cause really
big issues in the tissues oflarger predators.
Lea Lane (02:36):
Is this a problem that's getting worse and worse,
or are people aware of it and doyou know?
Vanessa Bezy (02:40):
I would say it's probably getting worse.
We have more and more plasticentering the oceans and we're
seeing, you know, evidence ofmore and more animals ingesting
plastic.
So I would be surprised to hearif anyone said it's not getting
worse.
Lea Lane (02:51):
Yeah on social media you see these terrible videos
which I think brings awareness,but it's just awful to see it.
How can travelers help?
When we think about plasticsthat we really need to stop
plastic at the source.
Step one is reducing the wastethat you produce and avoiding
single-use plastic altogether,but it's also really important
(03:14):
for us to think.
You know, it's hard to avoidplastic altogether.
Many of us are trying, and thisis why I'm so.
I'm provided Ocean PlasticsAmbassador and I'm so passionate
about their program, whichtakes recycled plastic from
that's discarded on thesecoastlines and developing
countries such as Lake CostaRica, where that plastic is very
likely to end up in the ocean.
(03:34):
So you can also target when youare buying plastic, making sure
that it is recycled, lookingfor the prevented ocean plastics
logo on there and then alsomaking sure that you recycle
that once you are done using it.
This in general if you see a marine animal in trouble,
would you try to help it.
What's the best thing to do?
Vanessa Bezy (03:53):
if Well, certainly, especially if it's
not a protected species and ifit's safe for you to help it,
then that's the best thing to do, whether that cutting the line
or removing whatever they'reentangled in.
But you do need to be verycareful.
You know, some wildlife canbite and can be harmful, and yet
you might not even be legallyallowed to manipulate or handle
(04:13):
them.
Lea Lane (04:13):
It's a judgment call.
You want to help, of course.
Well, tell us about PreventedOcean Plastic.
We can volunteer.
What can we do there?
Vanessa Bezy (04:21):
Prevented Ocean Plastic is a large company that
is collecting plastic from thesecoastlines and creating
recycled plastic, which isreally important because that
cuts out the creation of newplastic, which has a really big
carbon footprint.
What you can do is that whenyou're buying any plastic
product or look for their logoon the bottom to make sure that
(04:42):
you're not buying plastic thatwas made in new.
This is the biggest issue.
I always kind of give thecomparison of an overflowing
bathtub.
You wouldn't go and look forthe mop before turning off the
faucet.
And this is what PreventedOcean Plastic is helping us do,
because we still have adependency on plastic.
They are basically stopping thecreation of new plastic and
(05:02):
making sure that the plasticthat is made is all recycled,
and this also even has apositive social impact.
So you're not only reducingyour carbon footprint and the
plastic that's in the ocean, butthey're also employing people
in these coastal communities anddeveloping countries, where
jobs are needed.
Lea Lane (05:20):
Good to know.
Well, there are several otherorganizations where you can
volunteer to help animals.
Here are a few and we'll havelinks in the show notes.
Check out GO Echoes WildlifeConservation Projects, which are
some of the most popular in theworld.
If you want to work in exoticlocations, then check out GO
Echoes Marine and TurtleConservation Program in the
Maldives and their WildlifeAnimal Sanctuary in Australia.
(05:44):
Another amazing program isAfrican Impacts Wildlife
Conservation Program at KrugerNational Park, where you'll be
able to support Africa's iconicbig five species.
Now, Vanessa, you live in CostaRica.
I know you work with seaturtles.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Vanessa Bezy (06:00):
Yeah, I'm really privileged to work in one of the
most important places in theworld for the Oliver and Lucy
Turtle.
We have a really uniquephenomenon that occurs here,
where thousands, sometimeshundreds of thousands, of olive
reedly turtles are nestingsimultaneously on a small
stretch of beach here at theOsteo-Nile National Wildlife
Refuge.
(06:21):
I did my PhD research herestudying the mass nesting
behavior and now my work isreally focused more broadly on
looking at the impacts oftourism and development on
wildlife in general, butobviously specifically with the
intent of protecting this reallyimportant nesting site And
tourists see this, when shouldthey go and how should they do
(06:41):
this?
This phenomenon occurs almostevery single month of the year,
usually between the last quarterand the new moon, and you can
come visit.
You're required to have a guideand make a reservation before
going onto the beach, supervised, obviously, by the guide, but
you can certainly go and viewthis phenomenon.
It's a really specialopportunity to get to view
turtles, because turtles rarelynest during the day, but the
(07:02):
olive reedly turtle does nestduring the day, so you can even
get to see a turtle in thedaytime.
Which coast is it?
It's on the northern Pacificcoast of Costa Rica.
Lea Lane (07:11):
What's the closest town if people you know were
staying over?
Vanessa Bezy (07:14):
The closest town that most people will be staying
at is called Nosara, costa Rica.
That's where I'm located.
Okay, great.
Lea Lane (07:20):
Sounds extremely interesting.
Costa Rica is known for itsecological awareness, and this
is special.
Okay, let's move from thewaters to a land-based problem.
That's been solved, one bike ata time.
As I've traveled to developingcountries, i've noticed through
the years how many peopletrudged along the roads for
miles and miles to get toschools or markets or medical
(07:40):
care.
Now, more and more, i see themon bicycles.
Tell us please, taylor, themission of your organization,
bikes for the World.
Taylor Jones (07:48):
The mission of Bikes for the World.
It's really simple.
I mean it's basically just toimprove people's lives with
access to a bike.
We know that people can be moreproductive and have a better,
more impactful life with accessto a bike.
You can get somewhere fourtimes quicker on a bike than you
can if you're walking.
So that means it's easier forkids to get to school, to stay
(08:12):
in school.
It allows farmers or otherpeople to take more goods to
market so they can be moreproductive, you know, generate
more revenue for themselves tosupport their family.
It also solves the issue ofreducing pollution.
I mean that's a big push of ittoo.
As opposed to using a motorcycleor scooter or something like
(08:34):
that that has two-stroke enginepollution, a bicycle is a
one-time, fixed-cost item thatdoesn't require significant
maintenance or upkeep down theroad.
Another part of our mission isit's not just getting good
quality bikes to people toimprove their lives, but it is
providing secondhand bikes.
So what we're doing on our endhere in the US is we are
(08:56):
collecting donated bikes, bikesthat are at the end of their
life or the original user orsecondary user, whomever it is
that donates it to us.
Those bikes still have value.
We're preventing those bikesfrom going in the waste stream.
We're putting them in the handsof people for whom they can
make a really fundamentallypositive impact.
Lea Lane (09:14):
It's skilled employment and bike repair,
maintenance.
all these things can be doneoverseas, And I think it's a
wonderful thing for young peopleto know to donate this rather
than to throw it away.
It's an early lesson.
How do they get the bikes toyour warehouses?
How would they do that?
Right there, I guess.
Taylor Jones (09:31):
Yeah, you know we're based in the Washington DC
area and our operationalfootprint is really just this
area.
There's multiple streams orways that folks can donate bikes
to us.
We partner with a lot ofcommunity groups schools,
churches, synagogues, civicorganizations that host like
donation events in theircommunity.
(09:52):
We also have a network of bikeshops where people can donate
bikes year-round, and we've alsogot relationships with local
municipalities because they'realso interested in reducing the
amount or the volume of wastegoing into the waste stream.
So we've worked with them toset up easy program for their
residents to donate bikes atcounty transfer stations or
(10:14):
landfills.
Lea Lane (10:15):
Good.
How do you choose the placesthat get the bikes?
Taylor Jones (10:18):
Good question.
The partners that we havecurrently were chosen mainly
because they have a track recordof really having an impact in
the community that they serve,and having a track record being
able to demonstrate here's theneed, here's the specific target
audience and then here's a waythat we can measure and show the
(10:38):
result.
You know the positive impact ofthese bikes.
The vast majority of thepartners that we have we've had
for a very long time Partners inCentral America and Costa Rica
and El Salvador for almost 20years.
The program in Ghana we'vesupported them for almost 20
years.
We really want to work withlocal grassroots NGOs and
nonprofits, distributingmedicine to people or providing
(11:02):
bikes to kids to get to and fromschool, etc.
Lea Lane (11:04):
Right, Well, in heading bikes for the world,
you've traveled extensively toplaces most travelers don't get
to.
Can you tell us a bit aboutsome of them in regard to
tourists?
Let's start with Ghana, in WestAfrica.
What's wonderful there?
Taylor Jones (11:20):
Well, yeah, the most recent partner visit was to
Village Bicycle Project inGhana and Sierra Leone And I
think the thing to me that wasjust most amazing there is how
warm and genuine the people are.
That would be a big appeal toanyone West Africa.
There really is a lot to seeand it's a really interesting
(11:40):
just really interesting anddynamic place.
You've got a very youngpopulation, especially for what
we do.
It means that people are prettyopen-minded and people want to
really change and make theircountry and their communities
better, not just for themselvesbut for the next generation down
the line.
Lea Lane (12:00):
I know the art and the music are fantastic.
That's fantastic.
Taylor Jones (12:05):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean there's a lot of localhandicrafts and textiles.
It's also beautiful, absolutely, it's really fantastic And
there's huge markets in Accrathat have anything and
everything and they're bustlingall the time, And even outside
of Accra, if you go up to Kumasior Tamale and other parts of
(12:25):
the country, those are also bigmarket centers.
They have their own specialtiesas well.
Lea Lane (12:30):
Many cruise lines are now traveling along the West
African coast.
That's a big thing now, So moreand more people are getting to
see it at least for a day, whichis good.
The word is out Now.
How about El Salvador inCentral America?
Is it safe for tourists?
Taylor Jones (12:46):
I think you would probably give the same sort of
advice that you would givepeople anywhere common sense.
I'm not going to say that it'sas eco-minded as a lot of places
in Costa Rica are, but there'sa lot of interesting eco-focused
, conservation-minded thingshappening in San Salvador.
Lea Lane (13:02):
Yeah, good to hear.
I think El Salvador is one ofthe countries that I would check
ahead of time with thegovernment because there are
problems there, but it's afascinating culture, as most
cultures are.
Taylor Jones (13:14):
And I think for us too, being based in the DC area
, we have a really strongconnection with the program in
El Salvador, because outside ofEl Salvador, the highest
concentration of Salvadoranslived in the DC area.
For us, that's a really Yeah, ilived in DC.
Lea Lane (13:29):
I remember the delicious soup, great food.
Well, i lived in thePhilippines in the 1980s for a
little while.
I realized how special it wasas far as tensile tourism, but
the political climate then andthe lack of infrastructure was
holding it back.
I know you've been there.
I know it's fantastic.
I mean there's a lot to do andthe islands are idyllic.
But is it getting tourism orwhere is it there?
Taylor Jones (13:53):
I think there's places that are getting tourism
for sure.
I think, like you said, theinfrastructure that's the
challenge.
It's a country of islands, sogetting from place to place is
challenging And I think ifyou're someone who's interested
in taking the time to go fromisland to island in different
regions, then you can really geta feel for it.
Very beautiful areas, veryrugged I mean the places we have
(14:16):
visited even with a bike.
it's certainly challenging inrural areas.
It's quite mountainous on mostof the islands.
Lea Lane (14:23):
Some people love that, i think if you're a pioneer
type traveler?
Great, sure, okay.
So besides your organizations,i want to offer some other ideas
if you're interested involunteering or interning abroad
.
There are guidebooks, too,about volunteering, all of which
will include in the show notes.
Since 2015, the OrganizationVolunteer Forever has compiled
(14:43):
the original list of bestvolunteer abroad programs
worldwide using a database of athousand international volunteer
abroad organizations, 6,000program reviews and 13,000
fundraisers.
Here are a few of the toprecommended volunteer programs.
Teaching English is a great wayto do good while earning money
and traveling the world.
(15:03):
Through volunteer and workorganizations such as
International TEFL Academy, youcan get paid to live abroad as a
professional English teacher ina country like Spain, thailand
or Costa Rica.
The organization offerstraining to get you certified to
teach English abroad, thenprovides job placement.
If you're interested inimmersive volunteer abroad trips
(15:25):
to Latin America, check outMaximo Neville, which offers
impactful and educationalplacements in Costa Rica,
guatemala and Peru.
Some of them includeconstruction, conservation,
teaching English, working withkids and working with indigenous
communities.
If you're looking to learn anew language, check out Maximo
Neville's Spanish immersionprograms, and if you're
(15:46):
interested in studying abroad inCosta Rica, peru or Guatemala
will definitely want to lookinto their university abroad
programs, which are excellentalternatives to traditional
programs due to theiraffordability.
If you're a current or aspiringdoctor, nurse, dentist or other
healthcare professional, you'llfind a ton of medical volunteer
opportunities and healthcareinternships.
(16:06):
Some great volunteer projectsinclude volunteering solutions,
wide range of affordable medicalprograms, including a
healthcare volunteer project inTanzania, nursing program in Sri
Lanka and a medical volunteerprogram in Peru, and these will
all be in our show notes.
If you're interested in more,just Google volunteering abroad
(16:26):
as well.
Well, the name of the podcast isplaces I remember, so let's all
share some personal memories oftravel and maybe volunteering.
I'll start because mineinvolves volunteerism on a ship
and a reality check.
I was a passenger on the shipFathom, coming out of part of a
cruise lines in May of 2016.
(16:48):
It was very exciting.
It was the first of week-longjourneys entirely around
volunteer work.
They called it impact traveland it was to the Dominican
Republic, and part of the timewe were on the ship, you know,
lazing around in the sun, andpart of the time we coordinated
with local nonprofits And wewere sorting cocoa beans in a
(17:08):
chocolate factory.
We were tutoring children inEnglish in the Puerto Plata
region.
We were working with waterfilters.
I loved it.
I thought it was a greatbalance.
It was educational,environmental, economic
development excursions.
Yet it was a tough sell.
A year later they stopped theprogram.
I just think it's aninteresting thing that people
(17:30):
weren't willing to mix them.
It was either you were avolunteer type or you were a
cruise type.
I think they're trying to getit back.
I thought it was great And Ihope they try to do something
like this again, maybe with asmaller vessel.
We saw a little bit of whatit's like to volunteer.
It was just a day each, sothat's my memories.
Okay, who would like to go next?
Vanessa, how about you?
Vanessa Bezy (17:51):
My memory probably no surprise is the
first time I ever saw aneverybody or the sea turtle
phenomenon.
I'm a marine biologist, thoughI had studied turtles and worked
with turtles in North Carolinawhere I went to university, and
we have just maybe a handful,maybe up to 50 turtles that nest
there over an entire nestingseason.
So I had never actually reallyworked that closely with turtles
(18:15):
on the beach while they werenesting.
Our work primarily just waslooking at the beach in the
mornings looking for track signsof turtles.
Having been there, my firstnesting event was very special
because I came all the way toOsteonao.
At the time It was a lot harderto get here.
There were fewer bridges, andso after finally arriving in
Osteonao, the whole town wasvery anxious because the turtles
(18:39):
were kind of quote unquote latethat month.
They hadn't arrived right whenwe expected them, and so
everyone was concerned or theturtle is not coming this month,
what's going to happen?
And sure enough, finally theyarrived And I went out onto the
beach at night to help agraduate student who was doing
research, and it's pitch blackAnd all I remember is that I'm
(19:01):
trying to look down at my feetto follow her and keep up And
we're essentially dodgingturtles, and I can feel and hear
and smell that there's turtlesall around me, but I can't see
anything, i won't ask that itsmells
like.
It has very reptilian smell.
Let's just put it that way.
We don't use white lights onthe beach because sea turtles
are very sensitive to light, sowe're using a red light and you
(19:24):
cannot see very far orappreciate just how many turtles
are on the beach.
But we arrived to this riverbank where we needed to cross to
continue going down the beach,and so, for safety reasons, he
quickly grabbed her white lightand flashed it across the river
so we could see, and it, youknow, shone on the entire beach
ahead of us And it was I can'tthink of another way of saying
(19:45):
it, but that it was swarmingwith turtles.
The same way, if you imaginelooking at a beehive, that's
what the beach looked like Andmy jaw just dropped.
I was just astounded And I willnever forget that moment of you
know, even though I was alreadyon the beach.
Just finally seeing all of thatwas just amazing, really,
really special experience towitness so much abundance in
(20:07):
nature, especially being someonewho studies an endangered
species You know we're usuallylucky if we get to see and work
with one turtle A really specialmoment and obviously something
that changed my life.
I decided to stay here anddedicate myself to protecting
this place.
Lea Lane (20:21):
How wonderful.
Thank you for sharing that,taylor.
Taylor Jones (20:24):
Your turn, the thing that really sticks in my
mind of connection between bikesand travel was being in Sierra
Leone, west Africa, and, i think, within probably an hour of
being in the country, alreadyseeing and encountering people
who had received bikes frombikes for the world.
seeing that real, tangibleimpact and benefit and being in
(20:48):
a place when you're outside offree town.
everywhere in Sierra Leone isrural.
Very few places haveelectricity, there's really no
transportation of a structure.
So really seeing firsthand andunderstanding Hey, this is why
it's so important that peoplehave access to a bike, because
it's just such a simple thingbut it really does have such a
(21:09):
fundamentally positive impact inpeople's lives.
Those sorts of interactionsseared into my, into my brain of
like, hey, these are the waysthat our work can impact someone
.
just seeing firsthand and beingable to spend time with those
people and ride bikes with themand see their community from the
ground level on a bike, thatwas super impactful for me.
Lea Lane (21:31):
Those are both inspirational memories for us.
Taylor Jones and Dr Vanessa Bezy, you are kind and you are the
role models we need.
Thank you very much, not onlyfor coming on our podcast, but
for doing good in the world andshowing us that we too can do
good and often travel as we doit.
Thanks again, thanks much.
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