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Honduran Conservation Corps: Conservation in Action


Conservation signs form part of the environmental education program.

By IXCHEL GRANADA

TEGUCIGALPA - The deterioration of ecological systems such as watersheds, forest biomes and hydrological pathways is at a precipitous crossroads, the consequences of which can be seen in hazardous environmental disasters which often put hundreds of thousands of human lives at risk. Complex human interactions and man-made decisions are most often responsible for the damages caused by flooding, drought, rampant disease and loss of arable lands. 

Members of CCH reforesting roadsides in La Libertad, Comayagua.

In Honduras, the Cuerpos de Conservacion Honduras (CCH) or Honduran Conservation Corps, a small voluntary effort formed in January 1998, has demonstrated that there are many Hondurans willing to volunteer their time to participate in conservation and community work projects, which focus on long-term needs for underdeveloped countries. Honduran Corps members have been active in reconstruction projects, reforestation and restoration of ecosystems within the Honduras borders. Through ongoing education activities undertaken by the Conservation Corps, communities will learn to protect watersheds from flooding and loss of soil by carrying out environmental education and reforestation projects in collaboration with local institutions. CCH has also begun to develop in Guatemala and El Salvador. 

An example of the conservation in action of CCH is the partnership formed with Vermont volunteers, which works on sustainable agriculture issues such as soil conservation and effective local marketing strategies to improve local economies. CCH and Vermont partners also organize public forums and debates to involve citizens in discussions about local community development priorities. These are grassroots efforts that have the respect of local communities and offer training and hands-on work experience to Corps members. The Corps also complements existing agriculture, health, environment and municipal infrastructure projects implemented by local institutions or international organizations and bases much of its intercultural exchange on its international work camps. 

International work camps owe their success to collaborative efforts in which volunteers from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia share their interest in the environment with volunteers from Honduras. Work camps are organized around educational workshops, ecological reconstruction efforts, leadership skills and teamwork exercises. Each work camp is set in a different community; each community chooses a particular ecological project, which they would most like to see accomplished and then the work begins. 

These work camps usually last fifteen days and are held in various national parks, natural preserves or green areas in the case of urban regions. 

CCH is one of many conservation groups proving that global citizens working together, in an organized fashion, can make a significant contribution to the improvement of their communities, their countries and their ecosystems. 

In order to participate in these work camps, you must be 16 years or older and willing to work as a volunteer. 

The program will provide food, lodging, and transportation. If interested please fill out an application to participate. CCH website address is the following: www.cch.hn or write to cch@sdnhon.org.hn, Tel/fax: 001 504 235 4146, or write to Cuerpos de Conservacion Honduras, Apdo. Postal 4514, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, C.A.