In June 2010, 20 students nationwide will be traveling to the South American rainforest for 10 days with Birthright Earth to learn about environmental issues through lectures, visits to educational centers, and eco-lodges.

 

“We believe it is our birthright to experience, appreciate, and take care of our world’s ecosystems,” said Tim Devane ’09, President and Co-founder of Birthright Earth.

 

Devane designed and recently launched the non-profit program Birthright Earth, modeling it after the Birthright Israel program that sends Jewish American teenagers to Israel free of charge for 10 days to explore their Jewish heritage.

 

“In terms of the infrastructure of the trips, everything is set up; we have the lodges in place, we have the tour guides in place, and we have itineraries already set up,” said Eli Bronner ’10, Vice President and Co-founder of Birthright Earth.

 

Bronner and Devane are currently searching for financial support. A few weeks ago, Birthright Earth received non-profit status and secured a legal team who will do pro bono work. 

 

“We are in a heavy fundraising stage,” Bronner said. “We are in the middle of applying for grants as well as seeking private donations and corporate funding to send our first trip on our desired first trip date.”

 

Bronner and Devane have also been focusing their efforts on spreading the word about the organization. According to Bronner, a network of campus representatives has been set up and is managing fundraising, throwing events and selling merchandise. Bronner also started a Birthright Earth environmental think tank on campus that will help raise awareness about the program.

 

“We’ve put together these campus representative kits that include all types of information, such as how to contact a professor, how to throw a fundraising event, and how to speak about Birthright Earth to your parents or whoever,” Bronner said. “We’ve covered, I think, 25 schools across the nation.”

 

Students between the ages of 18 to 26 will be able to qualify for the first trip. 

 

“Our main goal is to create a generational shift in the way our generation and generations to come will view and act towards the environment,” Bronner said. “They need to go down to parts of the Amazon, see the beautiful ecosystems, see how interconnected we are with them, but more so, how much they need our help.”

 

The trip will not merely be a free summer holiday; rather, it will serve as an opportunity for students to expand on their environmental awareness and activism. 

 

“We have to choose our 2010 participants based on their environmental interest when they apply,” Devane said. “Environmental course work, summer internships, or organizations and clubs will help applicants in the selection process.”

 

Birthright Earth hopes to assist its participants in carrying out future environmental projects and potentially assist them with finding jobs.

 

“We view the Birthright Earth Trip as a stepping stone to further environmental activism,” Bronner said. “We want Birthright Earth at some point to act as an environmental Craigslist, if you will. Through our already secured affiliates, both domestically and abroad, we’ll be aiming to create green jobs for our candidates and participants when they come back.”

 

Birthright Earth has planned two upcoming fundraisers. On Saturday, Oct. 31 Birthright Earth is hosting the Amazon Monster’s Ball at the Gallery Bar in New York City. On Saturday, Nov. 7, Birthright Earth will host an official Tailgate and Booth on Andrus Field where they will be cooking and selling food for the entire campus.

 

“We’ve really become a functioning organization at Wesleyan and the majority of our volunteer staff members are either recent Wesleyan grads or undergrads,” Devane said. “We know that Wes kids are the brightest, most creative, and dedicated and so we would love to speak to you about our program.”