EarthCorp Values

We recently started reading Tom Bissell's Peace Corp Revisited book Chasing the Sea, but when we came upon this interview today it struck us that cultural imperialism through the Peace Corp is so 1980s. Hip and happening now is Seattle-based EarthCorps. The environmental magazine Grist interviewed EarthCorp program director Su Thieda yesterday:

Where were you born? Where do you live now?

I was born near Los Angeles and currently live in Seattle.

What's been the best moment in your professional life to date?

Driving the first recycling collection truck into Seattle.

Who is your environmental hero?

My environmental heroes are the young adults (ages 20 to 25), corps members, who arrive at EarthCorps by bus, bike, and vanpool by 7:30 each morning to restore salmon streams, shorelines, and forests. Despite the challenges we face, they radiate with joy and are committed to making a difference in the world. For our international participants, add to that commitment living apart from their family and culture for six months or more. Currently we have individuals from Nepal, Tajikistan, Ecuador, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, Brazil, Fiji, Uzbekistan, Ecuador, Mongolia, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Talk about global wealth!