No Alimentar los Monos

a-li-men-tar /v./ - to feed

All students who pass through our base in Manuel Antonio love to see the surrounding trees filled with titi monkeys swinging from tree to tree in perfect view from our three-story base windows. Students watch them as they wake up and eat breakfast every morning. But they have to keep that breakfast to themselves and out of the hands of those monkeys if they want to help the environment, keep people safe, and keep monkeys safe.

A piece of paper on our base's refigerator lists "10 Reasons You Should Not Feed the Monkeys":

1. The monkeys are very susceptible to diseases transmitted by human hands. Monkeys can die from transferred bacteria.
2. Migration to areas populated by humans (for food) increases the risk of dog attacks and car accidents.
3. Irregular feeding leads to aggressive behavior toward humans and other species.*
4. Contrary to the stereotype, bananas are not the favorite food of wild monkeys. Bananas - especially those containing pesticides - can disrupt the delicate digestive system of monkeys and cause serious dental problems that may eventually lead to death.
5. Feeding the monkeys creates a dangerous dependency on humans that diminishes the survival skills of the monkeys.
6. Feeding the monkeys interferes with the natural habits of the monkeys and alters the balance of their lifestyle centered on eating wild fruits, seeds, small animals and insects.
7. Contact with humans facilitates poaching and illegal wildlife trade.
8. If pregnant monkeys eat only bananas during pregnancy, the baby is at risk of malnourishment. Some never develop to term and die before birth.
9. Monkeys have to travel an average of 17 kilometers each day to be in good physical condition. If they know food is available in a certain place (from people), they do not leave that area and get the exercise they need.
10. Not only can humans transmit diseases to animals when feeding them by hand, but they can pass diseases to humans as well.

*Debbie Mayer, one of the staff members in the communications office, knows #3 quite well. On a trip to the Cahuita National Park earlier this year, she stopped along the path to take pictures of many monkeys in the trees nearby. Suddenly she noticed how close they were getting, just before one jumped onto her tote bag to which she reacted by throwing the bag on the ground. The monkeys then sifted through her bag to find one pineapple slice to eat! (See photo on right) She had to use a stick to get her tote bag back. Apparently, someone had fed these monkeys some of the delicious pineapple - sold at the park's entrance - before.

Think twice the next time you're passing through one of Costa Rica's many national parks and want to share your food with the monkeys; you never know what foods they'll crave later from innocent passers-by.

All Good Things Come to an End

Bye See ya Nos vemos See you later Hasta luego
So long Catch-you-later Ciao Farewell G'bye Y'all come back now Cheerio Adios Good-bye

These were some of the words exchanged among the spring Tri-Country instructors (Heidi and Santiago) and their students this morning just before the left for the airport.

"My experience with Costa Rica Outward Bound was a great first step into a great future!"

-Anne

The course was 85 days. They hiked across the country, coast to coast. They went to Nicaragua. They camped on beaches and surfed. They went scuba diving in Panama, where they also snorkeled and went on a catamaran. They did it all. And it has come to an end today.

"The greatest happiness comes after the greatest struggles."

-anonymous student

Many of the students rated the Hiking Phase as their favorite part. While this may be shocking to those who have heard it for the first time, it is not shocking to us. It is definitely the hardest work, the most rugged, and the most exhausting of any of the activities. However, students find it empowering to complete, and they love seeing how simply and happily the homestay families live in their remote villages. And to top it off, they are going to the most untouched areas of the rainforest that most people will never go. In these parts they are able to bond among one another and with the local families. They have time to reflect on life and find ways to make it better. Out on the Hiking Phase, life is simple and happy, just like the Ticos.

"It was an amazing growing and learning experience."

-Anne

And in case you were curious, their Final Dinner last night, included barbecue chicken sandwiches with bacon, Caesar salad, and yuca (a common Costa Rican potato substitute) fries.

Click on these links to see their photo albums:
Tri-Country: Spring 2010 I
Tri-Country: Spring 2010 II
Tri-Country, Spring 2010 III
Tri-Country: Spring 2010, IV
Water & Wave and Tri-Country I
Water & Wave and Tri-Country II

Packing List: Rainforest Attire?

It is not common for an incoming student to come from a rainforest-based hometown. Nor is it common for them to have spent long periods of time in a jungle before arriving here.

Therefore, we do not expect our incoming students to fully understand a) how to dress while on course, b) the packing lists' clothing specifications, and c) the level of importance in each specification.

In this video, our Associate Program Director (and lifetime outdoorsman), Scott Brown, explains standard rainforest garb, the importance of fabric choice in such a different and wet climate, and other clothing "amenities" that would make your experience much more comfortable. By understanding your clothing better, you can decide what is important to you when taking your credit card to the local outdoor retailer. And surprisingly, you may already have what you need in your own closet that could work well in this environment.



Recommendations:

• Non-cotton fabrics are lighter weight and pack better
• Quick-dry fabrics (i.e. polyester blends) are best
• If you're unsure about bringing an item of clothing that you already own, test it by wetting it then letting it sit out in shade; see how long it takes to dry
• Wet fabric will cause chafing and intensify odors
• Sock liners are optional, but good for those who blister easily and/or have naturally smelly feet

For more packing list item explanations, go to our Packing List FAQ blog.

They're Baaaaaaack...

...and we're excited to have them back. United World Colleges (UWC) - its Costa Rica college - is returning for another Costa Rica Outward Bound course (their sixth year) as part of a leadership scholarship competition.

Any why wouldn't we want them back, aside from watching their gardening techniques at a local school and enjoying their talent show?

Well, with a mission "to unite people, nations and cultures through education in order to drive peace and a sustainable future," their values fall right in line with ours. But this makes sense since its roots come from the same international educator that started Outward Bound almost 70 years ago: Kurt Hahn. UWC was one of his many projects that helped encourage development in the experiential education arena.

More specifically, UWC is "the only global educational movement that brings together students from all over the world – selected on personal merit, irrespective of race, religion, politics and the ability to pay – with the explicit aim of fostering peace and international understanding."

Therefore, this weekend on April 10th and 11th, 60 students will participate in a course designed to develop leadership, mainly as part of a scholarship selection process. A handful of Costa Rican students who will be given the opportunity to begin a two-year study abroad program in Canada, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Norway, Singapore, Swaziland, the United States, Venezuela, the United Kingdom or Bosnia and Herzegovina later this year.

Students' attitudes towards others throughout the weekend will give the selection team an idea of how these students might behave in other countries. Obviously, it is important that the chosen students will be able to adapt to incredibly different cultures and diversity.

¡Buena suerte, chicos! (Good luck, guys!)



Read our newsletter article about last year's visit.

Panama Sea Kayak Recon

re•con [ri-kon]
-noun
reconnaissance

¿Perdon?

re•con•nais•sance [ri-kon-uh-suh ns, -zuh ns]
-noun
a general examination or survey of a region, usually followed by a detailed survey

"A general examination of a region" is the best way to define our missions out into new, undiscovered territory for updating courses and adding new ones in Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua.

So last fall in Panama, Costa Rica Outward Bound staff members Laura (Program Director), Scott (Associate Program Director) and Jim (Executive Director) set out for one of these missions, finding a the ideal CRROBS sea kayak adventure. (Photos on right are from this trip. Click here for the complete photo album of their recon mission.)

First it's important to know what exactly we seek during these missions in order to add it as an option in our list of courses:

• protected areas
• community service opportunities
• untouched, extremely remote and rural locations
• diverse, beautiful scenery
• varied ecosystem
• educational opportunities
  

Lucky for them, they found it all in Bocas del Toro, and more. And it was all perfect for a sea kayaking adventure.

Not only was the area overflowing with untouched, protected seas; but it also exhibited varied shorelines, mangrove islands, an interesting history, unique plant and animal species, indigenous communities (with whom we have already done a number of service projects), and lots of open water.

"It's a great experience to be in power of where you go in an area that large... you get a feel for how inhabitants have gotten around for hundreds of years." -Scott

For the past week, our Outward Bound USA students have been - hopefully - making that same discovery. They have kayaked from island to island while learning about Columbus' adventures hundreds of years ago, the unique species of plants and animals, the local people, and how to become expert kayakers. The next students who can see it with their own eyes are our Panamanian Kayak Adventure course students this summer.

It's not every day that you can sea kayak around an area seen by fewer than 1% of the world's population.