Biosphere Foundation: Stewardship Summer Program in Bali Indonesia

The International Stewardship Program offered by the Biosphere Foundation is a nine day overseas summer program for teen environmentalists (15-18) in Bali, Indonesia. Students take part in service work, study the natural world, and learn about life in Bali from their fellow Balineese students. 

Set in the Bali Barat National Park in N.W. Bali, Indonesia, the program aim is to inspire students to be intelligent stewards of our earth’s biosphere. The course uses the framework of the Biosphere 2 project in Tucson Arizona - where three of the founders of Biosphere Foundation were part of the first 8 person crew that lived inside this sealed ecological system for two years to introduce the concept of planet earth as a "closed system".

Students are introduced first hand to the beauty of the natural resources of the Bali Barat National Park, through hiking in the mangrove forest and monsoon forest and snorkeling on the coral reefs. The students learn about their value and the challenges they face. Students are also introduced to the “man-made” biomes, the farm and the city and the concept of human activity as an integral part of the biosphere.

There are opportunities to take part in hands on service work, taking part in the community based research and conservation projects of the Biosphere Foundation in N.W. Bali.

Approximately half of the participating students are Balinese teenagers and the course is carried out in Bahasa Indonesia and English. The international students have the unique opportunity to learn about life in Bali from their Balinese counterparts and establish potentially lifelong friendships with their fellow “eco warriors”. The students are encouraged to take action in their own homes and communities to responsibly steward the planet.

The students stay in dormitory style accommodations at the Scientific Education and Research Center in the Park. This is a beautiful rural setting on the edge of Banyuedang Bay in the middle of the monsoon forest where wild deer and monkey are regular morning visitors.