This past summer, my friend and I had the opportunity to visit in Puerto Rico, spending a week in July volunteering on environmental conservation projects in San Juan. The experience was so rewarding I felt inspired to share it and encourage others to explore both volunteer opportunities as well as Puerto Rico itself.
Why I went to Puerto Rico
Ohio State provides sophomores with an opportunity known as the Second-Year Transformational Experience Program (STEP) where students are given the chance to engage in a transformative experience during their undergraduate experience. Students can choose one of six categories within the program: internships, research, creative artistic endeavors, education abroad, leadership and service-learning. My friend and I each had our own individual plans, but we soon found that they were not meeting our expectations. After some deliberation, we decided to seek out a service project in a new location.
While doing some research, we landed on lovevolunteers.org, an organization that provides affordable volunteer abroad programs. The trip that caught our attention was for environmental conservation in Puerto Rico.
How my Trip went
Puerto Rico was an incredible experience. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by locals. At the hostel, we had the opportunity to meet solo travelers, one of which was from San Diego and stood out with her vibrant personality. She shared her solo travel adventures with us and encouraged us to embrace solo journeys, especially while we were still young.
After spending more time at the hostel, we were able to connect with people from all over the globe, including travelers from France, Mexico and Italy. Our diverse backgrounds made our conversations both enriching and enjoyable. Although our time together was limited, the meaningful connections with people from different cultures left a lasting impression.
What I did
Our primary goal in Puerto Rico was to volunteer with an organization known as CRESpr. Each day, we dedicated a few hours to helping restore a beachside conservation area that had been severely impacted by recent hurricanes in San Juan. Our tasks included watering and repotting plants and repainting a building that had suffered from termite damage.
Meanwhile, the lead volunteers at CRESpr were focused on restoring a rainforest located down the road from the volunteer site. The rainforest was an inspiring sight– flourishing with vibrant new trees stretching across the ocean. I hope to return in a few years to witness their continued progress and spend another week contributing to their important work.
Additionally, during our time there, we had the opportunity to contribute some extra volunteer work. Our coordinator informed us that sea turtle eggs buried in the sand were due to hatch soon. Although we didn’t expect it to happen during our visit, let alone the day before we were scheduled to leave, we were thrilled when the moment arrived. The nonprofit organization 7 Quillas Tortugueros San Juan invited us to assist the baby sea turtles as they made their way to the ocean. It was truly an unforgettable experience and a perfect end to our trip.
What I Learned from volunteering
This trip was a profound learning experience for me. I discovered that only one in a thousand sea turtles survive to adulthood in the ocean. So, if I were to return in ten years, there might be just one turtle out of the many we helped guide to the sea. I also learned that the nonprofit organization, 7 Quillas Tortugueros San Juan, dedicates themselves to patrolling the beach every morning at 5 a.m. and every evening at 8 p.m. until the eggs hatch. On one occasion, we joined them in patrolling the beach and collecting trash along the way. Additionally, I was astonished to learn that the baby sea turtles, like those pictured above, can grow to over six feet in length. This fact was truly mind-boggling for me and added to the wonder of the experience.
Overall, I definitely recommend trying out a volunteer program because of the variety of opportunities they provide. I am already looking forward to my next time volunteering because these trips foster personal growth, intercultural awareness and civic engagement.