THE insects in Jenny Chapman's garden will never seem the same again. For she will soon be studying the weird and wonderful insects in the South American paradise country of Costa Rica.

Jenny, from Fangdale, near Bilsdale, has won an Earthwatch Millennium award. "I had never heard of Earth Watch. I was travelling home and heard about it on the radio, so when I got home I phoned up, they replied and I got it," she says with disarming brevity.

When she gets to Costa Rica, Jenny will be working alongside scientists from Earthwatch. The project is to explore how insects maintain a critically endangered ecosystem.

There were 20 projects Jenny could choose from. "I suffer from cabbage white caterpillars in my garden so I thought insects would be interesting."

The award scheme is funded by £1.3m of Lottery money and is supported by Royal and Sun Alliance. Jenny joins 100 people in the range of projects this autumn. Other people are working on projects including work with Spanish dolphins, otters in Chile, carnivores in Madagascar and Utah Canyon rock art.

When Jenny, who already has close ties with the North York Moor National Park, returns home she will put her experience to work. It is part of the deal that award winners draw up a community action plan for a local volunteering project.

Jenny said: "I try to live my life without harming the environment and for a long time have been wanting to do something more constructive. I hope that receiving this award will give me the opportunity I've been looking for and enable me to at least make a small contribution to a better future for our planet. It will be a great opportunity to meet and work with others of a like mind."

Meanwhile, Jenny is having to think what to take with her. A camera and binoculars are top of the list of extras, plus a first aid kit with her own needles for emergencies. The only book she is going to take for a bit of bedtime reading is her much-used Lonely Planet guide to Costa Rica.

Updated: 12:08 Thursday, October 04, 2001