The Corcovado Foundation is a non-profit organization, which works with people to protect our natural resources. The foundation started managing funding for the Ministry of Environment. The lack of resources to hire park rangers and to pay for basic needs like fuel and equipment has always haunted this government agency. With our support, the environment ministry has higher park Rangers and has built Ranger stations for 20 years.
We realized that we were missing two main components: providing socioeconomic opportunities and empowering individuals to be aware of the importance of its nature and actively take steps to protect it. We needed to create awareness and generate income for local communities to reduce human pressure on natural resources. Without these options, communities were forced to keep logging and hunting.
‘We started working in environmental education and promoting ecotourism as a way to generate income for the communities. Ecotourism is an essential tool for providing these basic human needs without destroying the local environment. We use education to address and promote local communities' involvement and call to action.
Discovering the Wild Soul Within
By Tanja Andersen
In the wisdom of the jungle, where the untamed heart of the Earth beats, I found my own heartbeat. When I sat down with my dear friend Alejandra Mange and we shared stories of our experiences as volunteers, a profound realization washed over me like a wave. It was an “aha” moment that would forever change the course of my life.
You see, I embarked on my journey as a volunteer back in October 2013, and it was a choice that revealed the essence of who I truly was. Beneath the masks I wore, the facades I presented to the world, there was a lonely, unloved, misunderstood, and lost soul. I felt different, strange, even worthless at times. The weight of these feelings was suffocating, and I was afraid to share my true self with the world.
Then, something extraordinary happened. I stepped into the embrace of the wild, the untouched beauty of the jungle, and it became my sanctuary. In the heart of nature's raw, untamed wilderness, I discovered my purpose, my authentic identity. There, in the company of towering trees and vibrant life, I found the courage to let my voice soar, to speak for the animals and the Earth.
The jungle became my lifeline, my source of oxygen, just as it is for our entire planet. Serving as a steward of the Earth's lungs, I found profound meaning in my life. I realized that I wasn't just living for myself, but for the jungle and all its inhabitants. It gave me purpose, a reason to wake up every morning.
So I implore you, choose the jungle. Choose to volunteer in the untamed, unbridled heart of nature. In doing so, you will set free the wild soul that resides within you, a soul born to be free, limitless, and unrestrained. You will discover the self-confidence you need to embrace the newly created purpose of your life.
The jungle is not just a place; it's a living, breathing entity, and it holds the secrets to unlocking your innermost potential. It is the lungs of humanity, the source of our vitality. By choosing to volunteer in its embrace, you will breathe new life into your own existence, and you will become a guardian of the world's most precious treasure. Together, we can protect the jungle, the heartbeat of the Earth, and in doing so, we find our own pulse and purpose in the wild.
