EnVIronMEnt.

Qatari teens join their Brazilian and American peers in discovering the environmental issues facing the world today.
ncouraging young people to find out about environmental issues isnt always easy. Current solutions to eco-issues are often seen as negative. Dont use plastic bags, dont make unnecessary car journeys these are just two examples on a long list of what not to do in order to save the planet. However, to successfully tackle ongoing ecological issues, all age groups and cultures will have to pull together, listen, and learn about what we can all do.

TACKLING GLObAL ISSUES HANDS ON

Enter, YALLAH: Reef to Rainforest, an innovative project from Qatar Foundation International (QFI), a United States-based member of Qatar Foundation (QF), which aims to energize teenagers in challenging global issues and take the messages learned back to their peers. YALLAH Youth Allied to Learn, Level and Help is an online forum for QFIs educational exchange program alumni. Its a space for them to share and exchange ideas on topics from the community level up. Reef to Rainforest brings together these teenagers, who are already committed to making a difference, in a once-in-a-lifetime trip through Costa Rica, from the countrys coast to its heart, finding out about ecological issues along the way. Those applying had to be members of QFIs online platform before submitting two essays and two teachers recommendations, which were then rated for quality and content. Adnan Mackovic, Reef to Rainforest

students brought together by qfI on a bridge in palo Verde, costa rica. translated as the green stick, palo Verde is a national park covered in tropical dry forests and wetlands and attracts millions of birds and other wildlife.

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supervisor and Qatar Leadership Academy Subject Co-ordinator, explained why the program is so impactful. Students are often taught about the importance of our environment, sustainability, and community involvement simply by sitting behind their desks and looking at video clips or multimedia images they dont get to have a personal connection, personal experience. This project offered exactly that, he said. Our students learned about the importance of our environment by doing, by experiencing, by participating, and directly being immersed in the nature, flora, and fauna of Costa Rica. During the adventure, the participants from Qatar, Brazil, and America were challenged to work together in a series of physical activities, while finding out about some of the ecological issues facing Costa Rica and the world as a whole. Livia Kobayashi, 18, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, a student of BibliASPA, was particularly impressed by a visit the group took to Casa Del Sol, where they learned about composting methods that reduce the need for artificial fertilizers, before cooking some of the resulting produce. Even though I already knew about it, we learned about cooking with solar energy, she explained. It was interesting to see the different equipment used in the process. The people there were so passionate about what they do, it was really inspiring.

Our students learned about the importance of our environment by doing, by experiencing, by participating, and directly being immersed in the nature, flora, and fauna of Costa Rica

taking an active part in investigating environmental issues (top); qfI students walking to the rio celeste waterfalls in the tenorio national park in costa rica.

young people got real hands-on experience as they learned about the environmental challenges costa rica faces.

Marwa Yehya, 17, a student from Al Ieman Independent Secondary School for Girls in Qatar emphasized how much she learned. When I held a starfish, I actually learned that they dont have a skeleton. Instead, they have spines and they feed on bivalves like clams and mussels, she said. My experience helped me recognize how much humans are ruining Gods gifts in the earth. Instead, we need to benefit from them in a good way and help to take care of everything. It has changed my life for the better. It has taught me to be more optimistic and willing to try new stuff even if it takes work and tires you, its worth it. For 18-year-old Liam Walsh, from Massachusetts University in the US, the most poignant lesson he learned was during a visit to the greenhouse at the Country Day School, Guanacaste. During this lab, we planted lettuce seedlings in volcanic rock and learned how the rock gave the plants almost all the nutrients they need, while never losing any minerals itself. It can be reused thousands of times without needing to be composted or replaced, he said. The program was almost completely sustainable, an idea we were thinking about during our entire time in Costa Rica. Learning so much about the environment and the importance of preservation in such a beautiful and pure place helped to enforce the idea that people always need to consider how what they are doing is affecting the world we live in there are only so many resources

www.qf.org.qa

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EnVIronMEnt.
and we need to preserve them. The best way to spread this message, in my opinion, is for me to talk to people about what I saw and, when possible, show them some of the amazing pictures I brought home with me that show how beautiful yet delicate the world is. The lessons I learned on this trip have helped me to realize the delicate balance that surround us in the ecosystem. When a species collapses, the effects on the ecosystem are vast. Animals above it in the food chain and those below it suffer, thereby potentially causing disaster to the many organisms with which it interacts. Visiting Costa Rica has made me think actively about how I affect the environment and what I can possibly do to help decrease my effect on the environment. Similarly inspired, Kobayashi is now involved in an outreach project with less-fortunate students in her community. While paddling in a river by the mangroves in Costa Rica, I got talking with my friend, Priscila, about the importance of this ecosystem in carbon storage she explained. As a result of this conversation, I am now talking about this issue to the students in the project. We are perhaps going on a trip with them to a neighboring city to visit the mangroves. Besides learning about Costa Rica and the solutions being tried to meet its environmental problems, the participants were challenged to take part in a series of physical tasks. Requiring perseverance and dedication they conquered their nerves by flying down high-level zip wires, learning to surf, and trekking on horseback through the forest. The program was truly an experience of which memories are made and one that Mackovic suggests will give them a greater understanding of what their role is in this world to help preserve the planet and all it has to offer. On a personal note, he added: This project has encouraged me to further continue creating a classroom in which students are offered real-world experiences and encouraged to fully participate in our community.

Muhammed al thani, a student at qatar leadership academy, discovers a starfish whilst snorkelling in costa rica during qfIs yallah reef to rainforest expedition.

What is

QFI

qfI staff member nasser al Khori crossing one of the hanging bridges in tenorio national park.

Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is a Washington DC-based member of Qatar Foundation. Its mission is to connect cultures and advance global citizenship through education. The not-for-profit organization focuses on grant-giving and programs that promote education, across geographical, social and cultural boundaries.

During the expedition, there were many activities for the group to take part in, including water tubing.

This project has encouraged me to further continue creating a classroom in which students are offered real-world experiences and encouraged to fully participate in our community

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