NRDC superstar Courtney Hamilton has treated us these past few months to a series of pieces on her experiences in "Volunteer Tourism" - namely, using her vacation time and money to take care of elephants in Thailand. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a man with a similar plan, though he calls it "Adventure Voluntourism," and as far as I can tell, no elephants are involved - but the idea of recreational altruism remains the same. 

While enlisted in the Peace Corps in Peru, David Aabo watched traveling surfers pass through town without meaningfully contributing to the local community, so he devised a method to "help communities connect surfing and sustainable development." Alongside co-founders Daniel Amico and Jim Clark, Aabo launched a pilot project in the Peruvian town of Lobitos this year called WAVES for Development, and their dynamic mission has begun to blossom. WAVES spurs local development by training local youth in a variety of skills; meanwhile, the organization provides international surfers a form of thanks to the community that blesses them with their waves and welcome.

The equation benefits everyone, including Mother Earth. In fact, "Water" and "Sustainability" bookend the WAVES acronym, with Adventure, Volunteerism, and Education nestled between. WAVES offers local children training in conservation science, including the importance of personal stewardship, biodiversity and environmentally responsible technologies. This ecological training supplements a common thread of connecting to the environment through surfing and thus cultivating a culture of sustainable development. 

In the first year since its inception, WAVES has enrolled over half the community's children in its holistic curriculum. Having won over most of the town's young people, these principles of conservation ecology, healthy living, and even social entrepreneurship should replicate themselves through the governance of peer pressure. Thereafter, the community should develop along these philosophical lines to the enrichment of both its ecology and economy. 

Though this assertion initially seems abstract or even vague, Aabo's organization has already brought tangible positive change to Lobitos. As Aabo explained to me, "The sum of the actions adds up - especially when the lessons are learned at an early age and implemented on a community-wide scale." He continued, "We've already logged over 2000 student-hours of classes and more than 1000 volunteer hours of physical education classes, including surfing and swimming - which could mean life or death to these future fishermen. One participant has started his own [ecotourism] business. Three others are surf instructor assistants being groomed to take over leadership positions. All in less than a year!"

With leadership emerging from the community itself, the program seems headed for self-sustenance. This opens WAVES to the possibility of replication across thousands of other ocean-side cities like Lobitos. Indeed, according to Aabo, "Other coastal communities in Peru have visited our programs and would like us to replicate our success."

With the rapidity of these results, we look forward to watching this project develop and expand before our eyes. As Aabo sees it, "This year's success is surpassed only by next year's potential." 

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