Agualí

The young learners and future leaders of Agualí

The problems Nicaraguans now face are complicated and varied, and a variety of responses make sense. Some people have left the country for reasons of safety or finances or both. Some people have been able to rely on remittances from relatives abroad or charitable donations. Others have been able to continue with their previous businesses or employment.

For some Nicaraguans, the crisis has led to a complete re-imagining of their work. This is certainly the story of my friends at the Estación Biológica Agualí (the Agualí Biological Research Station). 

The protection of migratory birds like the
 Baltimore oriole is a source of
pride in Central America.

Even before the crisis, the folks at Matagalpa Tours decided to dedicate their skills -- and a percentage of their profits -- to social development through environmental education. Specifically, they noticed that many of the youth in their area -- particularly those who had been displaced from coffee farms -- were quickly becoming disconnected from their land and their culture. The skills that these folks developed in ecotourism for visitors (including my students and me) could be directed toward the challenges these young people faced. I was pleased to participate in a small way in some of those early efforts at environmental education.

When it became clear that the political crisis was going to persist, to the detriment not only of their tourism business but also to the well-being of an entire generation of young people, they redoubled their efforts, establishing a formal, long-term curriculum. Youth and young adults who are accepted into the program learn English, environmental science, and leadership skills. An entire generation of environmental educators is being developed in this way. Sponsoring a student in this program is an excellent way to support an entire community both through its short-term (we hope) crisis and toward its long-term well-being.