Bees and Bears - Tipping my Cap to a Millennial for creating a career from a lifetime passion...

In 2015, I posted two articles on Millennials emphasising differences and similarities with respect to Baby Boomers. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/why-i-hate-technology-barbara-w-chernin/ and https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/why-i-hate-technology-part-ii-baby-boomers-unplugged-w-chernin/ Each very large segments of the population, I wanted to learn more about those aged 23 to 38 and what makes them tick. To quote a Millennial I got input from, they said and I agree:

“Millennials are more diverse, less political, more inclined to postpone marriage and savvy with technology. Millennials do NOT want to change jobs frequently and money is high on a list of Millennial priorities.” 

What I do know after my research on Millennials is that they are very busy bees when it comes to focussing on forging their own paths and achieving their goals as quickly as possible though it is not always about the money. Sometimes this desire to leap into the fray can cause bruised egos and fears about jumping in again if all does not go as planned. Working towards a goal and growing in confidence about its execution can be a better way to lay a foundation.

Getting training and exposure to other fields and different work environments can really enhance career satisfaction, create the success one dreams of and do it sooner. It gives one a chance to find out what they like and what they do not like about a workplace, the people in it and their own work style . Taking a fall or making a mistake while gaining in managing strengths and weaknesses is valuable learning experience. Bluntly put, on the road to success with solid gained experience may rock the boat but not capsize it. Jump in without oars and you are not giving your great ideas a chance.

Recently, I received news about a millennial Lilly Briggs who happens to be someone I know. Her father was a diplomat and her mother is a journalist and writer. They lived in many countries before they finally landed back in Vancouver. In 2007, her father began a new venture and later brought in her mother to build the business promoting Canadian immersion and bilingual education through schools they established for children.

Both in their 50’s starting up a new business in the face of conspicuous workplace ageism might have been considered a strike against them. Today still growing as a global enterprise --more than 300 schools in sixteen countries and thirty thousand students have reaped the benefits of their exceptional business plan and perserverance! Check out Maple Bear Global Schools at https://www.maplebear.ca/ Their son who showed an aptitute for finance also got involved. As Maple Bear expanded its international reach, Lilly was exploring her own field of interest learning more about her strengths and weaknesses working in different environments related to her studies.

You will find out more about Lilly below and how she has achieved her goals following her passion for learning and love of nature.  It is a fascinating story of growth and determination which also involves Baby Boomers handing over the mantle of their organization to this Millennial. Her mother remarked it was just like Lilly to put her very impressive accomplishments down at the end of the post which in no small way contributed to this role and new adventure of ownership. Read on:

Passing the torch

Posted on February 12, 2019by lillybriggs

January 30th, 2019 was a big day in Finca Cántaros history, as the ownership changed hands from Gail and Harry Hull III to me. When Gail bought Cántaros back in 1994, it was cattle pasture. Over more than two decades, she has poured her heart and soul into reforesting the land into a beautiful nature reserve hosting countless native species of trees, plants, birds, mammals, and more.

(photograph courtesy of Robin Pascoe) Gail has supported artisans in Costa Rica and beyond through her well-known crafts store located at the property entrance. Harry is a master organizer and a MacGyver when it comes to setting up creative systems that help enhance the Cántaros visitor experience.

Both are passionate nature photographers who have captured their unique surroundings and its wildlife in spectacular photos.

Gail and Harry have been an important part of the San Vito community, supporting local environmental and social causes, and making everyone feel welcome at Cántaros. They will be dearly missed by their many friends and neighbours. However, they feel ready to return to the States for family commitments, knowing that they have passed the torch along to a new owner who is equally dedicated to the Cántaros mission of conservation. 

Me and Gail envisioning reforestation possibilities on the adjacent property.

So, who is this new owner? I’m a Canadian who fell in love with Costa Rica on my first trip in 2003, when I came to volunteer for project that helps protect sea turtles. However, it was my passion for environmental education, conservation, and birds that brought me back to the country repeatedly between 2008 and the day I officially became the new due?a of Cántaros.

In 2008, I was a Masters of Environmental Studies student at York University, and learned about the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdSleuth environmental education and science curriculum. I decided to ask if I could adapt, translate, and field-test it for the first time among Costa Rican youth as my Masters project. The answer to this fateful question was yes, and it set me on a path that involved pursuing a PhD at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, while collaborating with the Cornell Lab to expand the reach of BirdSleuth International (or Detectives de Aves) throughout Latin America. I later became a Postdoctoral Associate in the Education and Citizen Science programs at the Lab. Thanks to the job title, I often find myself needing to clarify that I am not a biologist or an ornithologist. Though I’m an avid birder who has absorbed many random facts by virtue of immersing myself in amazing ecosystems and in the company of people far more knowledgeable, my formal background in the social sciences has focused on environmental education, sense of place, and other topics.

As I spent more and more time in Central America, I decided to turn my longstanding dream of moving here into a reality. Fortunately, ongoing projects in San Vito in collaboration with the impressive San Vito Bird Club (as well as another remarkable organization in Guatemala, Community Cloud Forest Conservation) allowed me to meet Gail and Harry, who in turn introduced me to their magical world; a world called Finca Cántaros. And the rest is history.

(photograph courtesy of Robin Pascoe) I feel very privileged and excited to have this opportunity to build on Gail’s inspiring work, as I continue to conduct research in collaboration with the Lab. I will keep the private nature reserve open to the public and the Cántaros store running with the help of a fantastic couple, Yei and Marylin.

Please stay tuned for future updates on the exciting new environmental education, research, and reforestation projects in the works! – Lilly Briggs

Planting my first tree at Finca Cántaros! https://fincacantaros.com/ Watch for Lilly's future updates on Wordpress and Facebook!

The adventure has just begun! / View of Cantaros Nature Reserve (photograph courtesy of Robin Pascoe)