Make your Volvo Adventure project part of World Environment Day. Why not join in and add your project to the register ‘What are you doing for World Environment Day?’  To register your project, simply visit our partner UNEP’s website by visiting http://www.unep.org/wed/activities/register/  It says that together we can make a difference. That’s something Volvo Adventurers have definitely been doing.

I’m trying out some of your suggestions about travelling of using and finding energy-efficient devices. Okay, cost is an issue but the challenge is there and I’m working towards it, and I hope you are too!

I live in a part of the world where spring has finally arrived and I keep thinking about our winners from Northern Ireland who grew vegetables for their school and local community. There are concerns in the press about food security all over the world, so I’m planting tubers and seeds to grow my own food. I’m recycling drainpipes and bottles to make free growing containers - that’s something a lot of you have already done. I’m also going to try to make an irrigation system from plastic bottles, and a vertical garden. I already harvest rainwater (but the containers are already getting low). 

So here is a question for everyone: what tips can you give me for growing vegetables in our gardens?

It has been another week of trying to sort out transport. Some things are getting easier, although cost is difficult. The cost of train fares to London and other places means that it would be cheaper to use a car sometimes. Getting around the village is easier now, as I’ve arranged it so that taking equipment to the youth club also involves a car share and I walk back. In fact I’m walking just about everywhere and it’s got advantages: the first is that I’m meeting more people and getting to talk to them.

My trips to London mean that I had to think; urban areas have better transport and can be navigated a lot easier, and more cheaply than rural areas.  I still wondered about the energy required when getting my food in a city and the fact that I could not control the heating created a bigger impact than the obvious benefits of living closer together for transport and perhaps even for keeping places warm.

I keep reading that cities or urban areas should be very energy efficient, but lights are on all night. I’m confused, but wonder what you think about this, and also, what actions could I take to keep my energy use down when travelling?

Now we have the new Volvo Adventure web site running. This is where you show how young people are being an example to adults around the world, showing them what can be achieved.

I’ve decided to use your projects to improve my environmental footprint – starting with transport. Looking at the amount of travel I do, I’m going to be led by the excellent work of some of these projects by fixing a bike, like our project in Sheffield did, and either cycling or walking to events in my area. 

Has anyone else got any solutions for making my transport more environmentally-friendly? Check out the transport project ideas in the resources section or use the Facebook page to let me know your ideas and experiences. I’ll try anything (short of a skateboard!).

Here is the announcement of the final team for the VA finals this year: a project from Turkey that is looking at using old skills in a way that could create employment. The project can be seen here. Congratulation to the O’live project team from Özel Pendik İkbal Anadolu Lisesi.

We can also let you know the winners of the Bob the Bunny competition are Nicolae Roventa Luca and  Gabriel Cirstian from Romania. You can see the winning cartoon and the all-important action plan on the website here. Their prize is a trip to Sweden to the final in June. We are looking forward to seeing you and all the finalists soon!

Hello Volvo Adventurers

It’s here at last, the list of finalists! Use this link to see who the shortlisting judges have chosen.
EVENTS & ENTRIES – VOLVO ADVENTURE - FINALISTS

We are still awaiting verification of the Turkish team, but all finalists will be contacted directly. Everyone else will get feedback and certificates soon.

We will also soon be letting you know if you are one of the highly commended projects- the ones the judges have told us to wait for next year. Go have a look and we wait to see what your feedback is. Well done to everybody who entered :)

Commended projects for the current competition will be available in the EVENTS & ENTRIES - VOLVO ADVENTURE - COMMENDED PROJECTS PAGE soon.