Environmental Brigades Environmental Brigades volunteers work with rural families and community leaders to improve environmental sustainability and livelihood. During the brigade, volunteers utilize household surveys conducted by Global Brigades staff and face-to-face discussions to connect with the community members and understand their environmental needs, and work alongside them to implement solutions to reforest, farm sustainably, and better manage both inorganic and organic wastes. The planting of native tree species restores the biodiversity and nutrient-cycling directly on the families’ land. By creating and utilizing organic fertilizers and natural pesticides, as well as diversifying the number and placement of agricultural plants, soil nutrients are improved while erosion is minimized. Agricultural yields can be increased without dramatically altering the lifestyle of the rural farmers, while in the meantime, the cost of sustaining the farm can be lessened by breaking away from petrochemical fertilizers. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to educate community members on the hazards of waste burning, as well as the environmental and health benefits of setting up composting along with other waste diversion methods.

Microfinance Brigades Microfinance Brigade volunteers work with community bank loan officers to consult potential borrowers on improving financial sustainability through a 7 day Microfinance Brigade in Honduras. Student volunteers can either join an existing Microfinance Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers. Volunteers provide rural communities with the educational, financial, and organizational resources necessary to sustainably drive their own economic development. By partnering with other international organizations in microfinance, Microfinance Brigades provides the financial backing and technical support to create and strengthen independent community banks.