Happy World Water Day! Community Service Travel Programs

In celebration of World Water Day, we’re spotlighting our community service travel programs dedicated to water conservation and access around the world.

Join us to scuba dive in Fiji, navigate the rapids in Peru, or install pipelines in the Dominican Republic. Ok. You do fun stuff in Dominican Republic too, not just lay piplelines.

These adventures provide a deep understanding of water’s impact on global communities. Discover the efforts by local community leaders to preserve coral reefs. Learn about the complexities involved in constructing aqueduct systems that supply water to remote villages. And go to the beach and have fun.

Peru | Sacred Valley Service

We’ve been working with local leaders to bring safe and reliable drinking water to over 1,000 people in five communities in Peru’s Sacred Valley! Last summer, Rustic Pathways students on community service travel programs helped construct water collection systems around a freshwater spring located over 13,000 feet above sea level. This summer, Rustic students will work to install 11 miles of piping and pressure breaking boxes to complete the project!

When not working on service, you’ll embark on a 2-hour whitewater rafting adventure down the Urubamba River, gear up for off-road mountain biking through trails with breathtaking landscapes, hiking to waterfalls, watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu, and check out the local culture and food of Cuzco — get ready to test your tolerance for spicy food!

Click here for more info about Peru.

Dominican Republic | Mountain Air & Village Service

For the past four years, Rustic Pathways community service travel students have helped build seven aqueducts to bring running water to small farming communities in the mountains of Jarabacoa. After identifying a local water source and creating a dam to hold a reservoir of water, students grab picks and shovels and get their hands dirty (literally) digging trenches. They then lay down PVC piping that runs from the reservoir to village houses, community centers, and farming irrigation systems. Before long, these communities will have running water!

When not working on this important community service travel project, travel up north to a cozy beach town where you’ll spend a day laying out on sandy beaches, swim in turquoise water, and go whitewater rafting. You’ll also get to know the locals while working and exploring the historic culture of dancing, eating, and sightseeing in Santo Domingo.

Click here for more info about the Dominican Republic .

Fiji | Marine Service and Adventure

Learn about Fiji’s marine ecosystem and how locals are working to protect it. You’ll work with local conservation organizations and marine biologists to identify tropical fish and coral species, participate in coral cleanups, remove crown of thorns sea stars, help with reef mapping, and more. You’ll even get a chance to swim with manta rays and observe spinner dolphins and sharks! If you have a passion for marine biology (or love spending time in the ocean) this is the perfect program for you!

When not working in the water, you’ll snorkel for fun, soak up some sun, go on a kayaking adventure, hike through sand dunes along the coast and through mountains to waterfalls, play volleyball with the locals, and experience the welcoming nature of Fijian hospitality.

Learn about community service travel in Fiji