Christina Ferland
Environmental Manager
Portland, ME

For some people the ideal vacation is spent at the beach, sightseeing or pursuing other leisure activities. Christina Ferland, an Environmental Manager in URS’ Portland, Maine, office did none of the above, but her recent vacation turned out to be one of her most memorable. She took a “volunteer” vacation to Costa Rica as part of the Global Volunteers service program. For two weeks, Christina joined a team in the highland village of Los Tornos located in the Monteverde Cloud Forest area of Costa Rica.

The Global Volunteers team worked side by side with local residents to build a retaining wall at a village school and repair a soccer field in Los Tornos. For each team member, the experience yielded new friends, recharged spiritual batteries and helped gain a unique, non-tourist outlook on this Central American country and its people.

Christina was quoted in a press release from Global Volunteers as being impressed by the resourcefulness of the residents of Los Tornos. “I love their self-sufficiency. If they needed a tool, they made one. If they needed steps or a net for the soccer goal, they figured out how to make them,” she said. “I hope to take this attitude home with me and be more creative in both my personal and professional life.”

The experience gave Christina a more profound perspective on what to value in life. “Appreciate what you have, show compassion, clear your mind of negative clutter, find joy and take pride in even the smallest task,” Christina said.

During free time, the volunteers enjoyed the natural beauty of the area by visiting butterfly gardens, hot spring spas and cloud forest preserves. Some even took a thrilling “zip-line” tour of the Cloud Forest canopy.

Global Volunteers is a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the United Nations. It mobilizes approximately 150 service-learning teams year-round to work in 18 countries on six continents, and is the internationally recognized leader in this field of work.

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