It was definitely going to be challenging, no matter what.  Placing twelve weary delegates on a plane that would take them from San Francisco to Tokyo (total air time: roughly ten hours) and then plopping them right down in the wilds of a Japanese migratory bird park for five days of volunteer service was an intriguing way to start an international exchange. 

Luckily for everyone participating - particularly MIUSA Staff members - a challenging proposition became a magnificent learning experience that no one involved would forget any time soon.  Many found themselves digging deep into their coping reserves to face this new task and found they were rewarded with a new found strength.  The experience provided the opportunity to grow.

Still, in the beginning it was very easy to have doubts.  The bird park was situated just two hours away from Tokyo itself.  When we arrived many aspects of the place immediately struck us.  First, there was the heat.  During the peak of the day the humidity was easily in the "shirt-sticks-to-your-back" range and the sun was so strong that at times one might have thought they were on an African safari.  This being an outdoor establishment there was only one small office with air conditioning; a popular spot during breaks.

The park itself was absolutely beautiful with long winding trails and lovely old bridges connecting parts of it.  Of course, along with a bucolic landscape comes insects and we each reported our fair share of mosquito bites while there.  Many in the group marveled at the huge spider webs we would discover along the trails and paths.   After a long day of working we would retire to a large community hall where we had our choice of camping out on the floor with sleeping bags or grabbing a blanket and creating a sleep space on a bench.  Showers were pretty scarce (just one in the main office) and most of us got by washing up in cold water sink every morning and night.  Still, I will never forget how beautiful the sunlight looked streaming in during the early morning through our large windows overlooking the migratory birds on the bay, signaling the start of a new day.

In the morning we would divide into two groups that included volunteers from other countries, staff from the bird park, and our exchange program participants.  There were those who wanted to work outside and those who preferred the indoor.  If you chose outside you were given a large straw hat to protect you from the afternoon sun and mosquito repellant for -- well, for obvious reasons.  The outdoor workload consisted of hedging and pruning trees and bushes, breaking down branches that were in danger of blocking walking trails and re-weeding areas where the growth had become too dense.  Equipped with axes and scythes we brave outdoors people took great pride in giving the park a “cosmetic makeover”.  We took cold wheat tea breaks often and fended off heat stroke.  Can you picture a wheelchair user out in the rough surrounded by six inches of branches, leaves and weeds? Or a visually impaired person intricately tying the strings to make a bamboo curtain? It was work that many of us had never done before and the uniqueness of it all would leave an indelible impression.

At day’s end - though at times exhausted - we found our rewards in either taking a train trip to the local shopping center, preparing meals from our home countries for each other, sharing photos of family and friends or just kicking back and relishing the lovely scenery.  There were lots of great bonding moments between our delegation and the volunteer hosts that came to be our family unit.

At the end of our volunteer experience we were treated to a wonderful going away party where the women in our group wore traditional yukatas to both honor and celebrate Japanese tradition.  The beauty of these outfits and seeing our delegates grace them is hard to articulate or capture on film but one could see the elegance of the moment in our faces as the women emerged from their dressing quarters.  It was truly a lovely scene.   The party featured spontaneous performances by members of both groups that lasted well into the night.  

As we left the bird camp the following morning there was a mixed sense in the group - one of sadness, anxiety and relief.  Sadness because we were leaving a place and a people that we had grown in a very brief period of time to respect and appreciate.  Anxiety due to our eagerness to get on with Phase Two of our exchange.  Relief because we were finally moving on to Tokyo (where surely hot showers awaited) and with any luck an actual bed.  If this is the type of experience that you feel could be exciting and interesting for you I strongly urge you to take the time and learn more about international work camp volunteerism.  Volunteers For Peace (www.vfp.org) is a great place to start.  A fantastic experience awaits you!