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Autumn's Costa Rica Diaries #3

“To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise.” - Emilia Wickstead

A sand dollar I found on Playa Bandera, taken at the start of sunset.

All of the places I had visited in Costa Rica were phenomenal, and the photos truly do not do the scenery justice. Nonetheless, there was one specific place that stood out to me throughout the whole trip. On July 13th, we traveled to Parrita to the turtle nursery, which was right next to Playa Bandera beach. Before having fun at the beach, I had the opportunity to learn about how much labor goes into the turtle nursery. Getting to watch a simulation of how the sea turtle eggs are transferred was fascinating, as I had no idea it took so much patience and caution. I even had the privilege to hold a sea turtle egg. The egg that I held was ~5 days away from hatching, which is evident from the black spots encircling the egg.

After the educational portion, I explored Playa Bandera, which was breathtaking. The beach had hardly any trash and was absent of people. The sunset that I witnessed on the beach was the most alluring sunset I have ever seen in my lifetime. I chose to take a moment and take in a few breaths of fresh air while closing my eyes and concentrating on the harmonies of the beach. It was a true moment of bliss, and I wish I could go back. To top it off, everyone in the group was given their own fresh coconut from a coconut tree on the property. Coconuts are one of my favorite fruits, so I have had a lot of coconuts in my lifetime. Out of all of the coconuts I have had, that coconut was incomparable. Drinking straight from the coconut was slightly messy, as it was dripping all over my shirt, but I did not mind. After demanding days, the beach day was much needed and cherished. To finish off the day at the beach, I ended up uncovering a sand dollar. There are people who believe a sand dollar signifies freedom, robustness, flexibility, and selecting your own path. I felt the sand dollars significance, as I feel I am finally on the right path in life. The trip made me exhilarated for my future and what’s to come. I daydream for the next day that I am back in Costa Rica.

Pictured, me on playa Bandera drinking from the fresh coconut.

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Autumn's Costa Rica Diaries #2

"There are more microplastics in the ocean than there are stars." This photo was taken in Santa Cruz, at a mangrove forest.

Why is it that a conservation scientist looks at human activities as inadequate? There are a few simple answers to this burning question. To name a few answers: overconsumption, scale of space/scale of time, and the need to make ways for human areas. Evolution and ecology can not keep up with human activities, and Costa Rica is a country that considers this. We cannot take humans out of the equation, but instead, we have to develop mitigation strategies. What amazed me is the country’s ability to promote to the population the ecological services that reside. The country does this through various activities to get the community involved such as painting, education, turtle projects, etc. Murals are a great example, since they are a social activity that make people participate. Conservation programs are moreover another substantial tool the country utilizes and maintains to mitigate the effects of human activities. National parks and wildlife reserves are among the bulk of importance. The second most important are the biological corridors, which assist with gene flow and social gathering spaces. Costa Rica likes to attach names to corridors that may allow people connect the identity with conservation. For example, a flag species or a resource. Additionally, the population is encouraged to engage and participate in conservation as well as provide feedback for each corridor. I believe that the ability of the local population to take effort into the corridors is priceless. If the corridor thrives, the locals who maintained it can also take pride in its success. There were two small-scale concepts that stood out to me the most, which I had to take photos of to share. I noticed that all over the country (especially on college campuses and national parks) they have bottle cap collections and specifically marked recycle bins. This design is captivating to me considering that most of the American population does not know how to recycle properly. Some Americans are not even aware that bottle caps are not curbside recyclable, and unfortunately for us, bottle cap collectors are not at all common in the states. Over and above that, there were also farms that would collect plastic bottles and fill them with hard to recycle trash (i.e., snack wrappers) and use them for various things such as fencing or stabilization of trees. Costa Rica is a country that has motivated me to spread the word about these unique conservation strategies as well as get more involved with the community. Now is the time to start, before it is too late.

—written by Autumn Smith

You can see these recycle bins all across Costa Rica. From left to right: organic waste, plastic, aluminum, paper, and ordinary trash.

A unique way to reuse and recycle: these plastic bottles are collected by a farm, and contain hard-to-recycle snack wrappers inside. In the back, they are seen taped together and used to stabilize trees.

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Autumn's Costa Rica Diaries #1

“Whatever makes you uncomfortable is your biggest opportunity for growth.” -Bryant H. McGill

This quote from a 2018 tweet written by Bryant McGill is something I have now learned to live by after my first experience of studying abroad. Traveling is unquestionably beneficial for neglecting current complications in life, as well as any frustrations and dismay. However, leaving your comfort zone may give rise to latent matter. For instance, I realized that the pampered life I have lived has held me back from trying unaccustomed activities. At the beginning of the trip, I was very hesitant to try any new food. I am a highly picky eater, as I am a vegetarian that dislikes vegetables. The faculty was extremely accommodating despite my burdensome diet, and I was grateful for that. Nevertheless, there were points where I was challenged with my diet, and it was mandatory for me to eat something that was personally unusual. Not only did I frustrate my group with my demanding diet, but I also frustrated myself. Before entering Costa Rica, I did not know that quesadillas with shredded cheese are a highly uncommon dish in the country. Every time that I ordered a cheese quesadilla (which was never on the menu), they were baffled, and it took them a bit of time to fabricate. One restaurant handed me a quesadilla with vegetables inside.

My classmates could tell that I did not want to try it, but feeling remorsefulness, I attempted to eat the quesadilla. I came to realize that it genuinely tasted excellent, and my whole life I have been holding myself back. Additionally, I have now recognized that I have been underestimating myself my entire life. Blood, sweat, and tears were shed on this trip, and I had to adapt to the new environment all while keeping my head up. I felt defeated during various points in times on the trip, especially on strenuous hikes. Regardless of the defeated feeling I held, I pushed myself past my limits and I reached the end of each brawl. At the end, I was filled with exuberance. I now know that I can do anything if I put myself to it. Leaving my comfort zone has resulted in flexibility, well rounding, and new viewpoints to life. Traveling abroad was a life changing experience and I recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to do so.

—written by Autumn Smith

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Julia's Costa Rica Diaries #3

College was never my thing. I never thought I would be going back to school after 10 years. Nonetheless, here I am 3 years into school and enjoying every bit of it. I am in my thirties and one thing that I always regretted was not being more involved in after school curriculums. I would look through my yearbook and notice I missed out. When I decided to go back to school at the College of Southern Nevada, I told myself I will indulge and make the best of it. I have been to a few field trips around the state and have participated in research and field work, but nothing compared to the experience of traveling to Costa Rica and study the effect of climate change. I am an Environmental Management student and going to another country and to understand the different practices and basic ethics that they practice regarding their land was beautiful and eye opening. During my trip I was able to see some of the most vibrant and luscious forest I have ever seen. Towns full of people farming for themselves. Having an actual concern and love for the land they live on and care for one another. There are communities protecting the surrounding forest alongside of the government. By working together, they are able to create connections within each forest and keep the natural habitats that the forests house.

Overlooking a town in Costa Rica.

A school van parked next to the town.

In the United States it is not very common for us to know our neighbors anymore let alone share our food with them. The connections that our urban towns should have, have been lost or disconnected. Contrasting between the two countries encourages me to keep pushing forward in my career in environmental management. I hope to bring that sense of unity back into our own communities to be able to sustain the following generations people and animals alike.

—written by Julia Chavez

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Julia's Costa Rica Diaries #2

Do you have a morning routine? Wake up, shower, have a cup of coffee maybe fresh pineapple, banana? Now imagine doing that but freshly picked coffee beans from the farm down the street or pineapple and banana from your back yard? Does that seem a little far fetched these days? Most of us have disconnected from where our food actually comes from. Living in the United States it's not very common to be able to go outside and pick your food. During a trip to Costa Rica I was able experience a “farm to table” style of living. There may be grocery stores in Costa Rica that you can go and buy your “fresh” coffee and fruits, but in the States we have lost a connection to where food comes from. Someone once told me that they didn’t think about the farmers and all the hard work it takes to grow, package and transport our food. It was really baffling that this is where society is currently. In Costa Rica, I was able to visit a few plantations, coffee, pineapple and the other banana. The amount of planning and individual work that is put into producing the food we consume is phenomenal.

Edwin Esquivel, a farmer, in Finca Pital, a pineapple plantation

Everything is planned out to be able to work in unison. Coffee is grown all along mountains rich in volcanic ash, banana trees are grown in threes to keep production steady and pineapple in long stretched rows. One interesting fact about the pineapple planation is that they only blossom 2 times until they have to replant unlike the banana tree. Understanding a fraction of where your food comes from promotes a respect that has been lost with in the States. Next time you bite into your favorite fruit, think of the hard work that was put into it and it might taste a lot better.

—written by Julia Chavez

In a banana plantation, a worker is pulling bananas through the fields.

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Julia's Costa Rica Diaries #1

Living in the current world seems like we're all running around in our own heads. We feel that we can’t ask for help and we need to do it on our own. That if we ask for help it’s a sign of weakness. Funny thing about that is that we need each other to move forward and accomplish our goals. How did go from working together in communities to living for ourselves?

An in-forest demonstration in Costa Rica, at CITTED-UNED

This summer I took a trip to Costa Rica with my school, College of Southern Nevada, as a part of a student exchange program. We were to learn about climate change and how anthropogenic practices are affecting the rain forest. While on this trip I was with students that I had only met a handful of times. Certain thoughts arose such as, “Are we going to get along?” and “Are we going to fight?” All my worries and concerns went out the door as we gathered. An overwhelming feeling of unity and understanding filled the air. At this point I knew we would be in for an amazing journey. There were seven of us that part took on this journey and learned rather quickly what each of us needed. Whether it be support, encouragement, or just a laugh. As the trip went on we hiked beautiful mountains and landscapes that were rugged, steep and slippery. There were times where we wanted to quit and go back, but working together we were able to push forward. After our hikes we were able to reflect and enjoy each others company and we ate as a family, planning how and what to bring on the next event. How can we do it better? How do we learn from the past? Helping each other shows strength. This to me was the meaning of community.

Pictured, our first dinner together

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