Objective: Develop a conservation focused youth camp program to increase youth and community participation in biodiversity conservation efforts.
The main objective of the Youth Camp is to inculcate understanding and appreciation among BNMP youth for the critical need to preserve the park for future generations. RACI believes one of the keys to empowering the local community to manage park resources in a sustainable manner is to begin with educating the future generations of BMNP’s custodians on conservation and sustainable development issues. The Youth Camp will focus on learning to manage finite and shared resources, and will give children the knowledge and skills to protect the ecosystems and natural resources on which we all depend. By creating a central focus on the concept of sustainability, and emphasizing the ‘shared’ value of nature, this program will foster the themes of responsible stewardship and sustainablity.
This camp will bring school groups and individual children from near and afar together to engage in problem solving, leadership, and outdoor activities on the reef or in the rainforest. Additionally will provide a space to ask and answer questions about social and environmental issues in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) community that faces these challenges. Participants will stay on site, supervised in RACI’s dormitory facilities. Adjacent to the dorm is the common dining and classroom area, situated next to the Artisan Village and Hydroponics Greenhouse.
The camp will serve youths from across the region, exposing local children to their peers from other cultures. We will engage in hands-on educational activities that will lead to heighten appreciation of the true value of the socio-economic and environmental benefits of nature. It will also equip these youths with the skills and knowledge to take an active role in the growing ecotourism industry. An added benefit of this program is that local and foreign youth will serve as ambassadors for the marine park.
Revenue generated from camp fees will be used to cover the cost of BNMP youth attendees, giving then the opportunity to attend the camp free of charge. While open to all youth, the program will be marketed targeting youth from Jakarta, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Seoul, Manila, and the Middle East. Opening in summer 2010 the Youth Camp is sure to be a hit! In the meantime, should you need more information please contact us.
