About Me

---

This blog came out of from my decision, post my career with BT, to look for new and different experiences. 

Having climbed Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres (19,341 ft)) back in July 2018, The Balkans (Masala - 2,925 m (9596 ft)) in 2019, The Himalaya's (Kala Patthar (5,550 m (18,209 ft)), Gokyo Lakes, Kong La pass, Cho La pass and Renjo pass, and Everest Base Camp ((5,364 m (17,598 ft)) in 2019 and Equador (Cotopaxi summit - 5,897 m (19,347 ft)) in 2022, the yearning for learning more about the indigenous people and regions of our earth, has led me to volunteering as a Volunteer Manager with the Raleigh Costa Rica 22L expedition.

It will be a journal of my experiences and journey as a Volunteer Manager looking after young adults between the ages of 17 and 24. I will learn a lot about myself, as well as give my knowledge and experiences to young adults starting off their journey in life. And more importantly giving my time to a fantastic cause helping drive more change in securing our environment and local communities in Costa Rica.

With a land area of only 51.100 km2 (0.03% of the planet’s surface) and 589.000 km2 of territorial waters, Costa Rica is considered to be one of the 20 countries with greatest biodiversity in the world. Its geographic position, its two coasts and its mountainous system, which provides numerous and varied microclimates, are some of the reasons that explain this natural wealth, both in terms of species and ecosystems. The more than 500,000 species that are found in this small country represent 4% of the total species estimated worldwide. Of these 500,000 species, just over 300,000 are insects. The National System of conservation Areas has the mission to protect all this biodiversity but there is lack of capacity to achieve this, a national strategy has been developed to involved different sectors and integrate non-profit organisations such as Raleigh Costa Rica.

The picture of the Sloth fills me with expectation that I will get to see one in its natural environment. I never got to see one during my stay in Costa Rica - will go back in the future, if only to see a Sloth in the wild!

The next chapter on the volunteering journey starts on the 19th March 2023 with African Impact. I am volunteering for 7 weeks on the African Big 5 Wildlife Conservation project. I will be assisting the expert field guides and research team in various tasks and contributing to wildlife research and conservation in the Greater Kruger Area.

Thank you so much for being part of this community and learning about my personal journey.