Mario Rigby Eco-Adventure Program

Mario Rigby was born in Turks & Caicos Islands and spent his childhood in Germany, before moving to Toronto, Canada at the age of 16. He has always had a tremendous drive to push the limits in athletics, exploration and anything else he puts his mind to. Thus, the Crossing Africa expedition was born. In 2018, Mario completed his crossing Africa journey, a two-year trek walking and kayaking from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. This expedition allowed him to connect with communities and share their message and stories with the world with a mission of bridging the gap between humanity. His goal was to inspire people locally and globally to get out, be brave, and see the world.

To that end, Mario is proud to support the Mario Rigby Eco-Adventure program for kids age 12-18. The Turks & Caicos Reef Fund is creating a program which provides an opportunity for Turks & Caicos Islands’ youth to learn about the Country’s important environmental features through film, lectures and real-world experiences. Turks & Caicos Reef Fund will provide staff and volunteers to run the program.  The program will consist of a mix of elements including the showing of important educational films such as Chasing Coral, lectures from local and international experts on key topics such as coral anatomy and physiology, coral disease diagnosis and treatment, marine ecosystem interdependencies, as well as hands on experience with things such as mangrove planting and growth monitoring, kayaking in mangrove forests, snorkeling on near shore reefs, nature hike to identify unique native species and other activities. 

The faculty will consist of the Executive Director of the TCRF who will oversee all aspects of the program, but her efforts will be supplemented with volunteers with expertise and knowledge about key topics of interest, potentially from the School for Field Studies or other academic institutions and local watersport professionals. There will be no charge for participation in the program, but TCRF will need to raise funds to support out-of-pocket expenses for some of the activities (e.g., kayak rentals, potential transportation to off-site activities, etc.).