Small Country, Powerful Environment

Día de la Tierra (Earth Day), on April 22, is a big day for Costa Rica.

It could be because Costa Rica does so much to preserve its land and rainforest. In fact, the government presented a plan to protect 18 percent of the country in national parks and another 13 percent in privately owned preserves in 1995. And now, Costa Rica has an ambitious conservation program - perhaps one of the most developed among tropical rainforest countries - that protects more than 10 percent of the country. Due to these programs of conservation of its rain forest, Costa Rica remains in the top ranks on the 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

Only 6 percent of the country is arable, the smallest percentage of any of the Central American countries. Over 34 percent of the country is still forested, and there have been stringent ecological controls, with the Costa Rican tourist industry relying on an eco-friendly image. Twenty-seven percent of Costa Rica is covered by a system of national parks, wildlife refuges, and biological reserves. Even around San Jose, the largest urban area of Costa Rica, there is a 200-meter "Green Belt," an environmental buffer zone that encircles the greater metropolitan area.

Current Environmental Issues
Yet, with all of these efforts to be environmentally aware, Costa Rica still faces issues of deforestation and land use change (as a result of cattle ranching, agriculture, mining, urbanization), soil erosion, coastal marine pollution, fisheries protection, solid waste management, and air pollution. In the last 4 years pineapple production has expanded from 15,000 hectares to more than 54,000 hectares. In 2008, the restriction on mining for metals in Costa Rica was lifted. Some groups want to urbanize in the reserved "Green Belt" around San Jose.

However, Costa Rica has made progress towards more sustainable use of its natural resources. For example, it has decreased the deforestation rate from 43,000 hectares in 1983 and 13,000 in 1993, to an average of 5,000 in the last 5 years. And it 2021, it plans to be the first carbon neutral country in the world! (The quest for carbon neutrality seeks to balance the amount of carbon dioxide a country releases by burning fossil fuels with the amount that it captures or offsets by, for example, planting trees.)

This information was gathered as a result of The Convention on Biological Diversity which has been gaining momentum in the last couple years. It was inspired by the world community's growing commitment to sustainable development and represents a dramatic step forward in the conservation of biological diversity, sustainability, and the fair sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources. As part of the process, a thorough investigation of the country's natural resources and status has been done. They found Costa Rica to have:

• 87,000 species (6.2% of the known species in the world)
• 10,979 plant species
• 2,430 vertebrate (including 935 fish, 857 birds, 243 mammals, 235 reptiles, and 182 amphibians)

Rainforests are important for many reasons, aside from the 50 percent of the Earth's animals and plants they protect. Medicines of all kinds come from the rainforest. More specifically, seventy percent of the plants identified by the U.S. National Cancer Institute as useful in the treatment of cancer are found only in rainforests; more than 2,000 tropical forest plants have been identified by scientists as having anti-cancer properties. Rainforests are critical in maintaining the Earth's limited supply of drinking and fresh water. And these days, with Global Warming on everyone's mind, it is important to know that rainforests act as the world's thermostat by regulating temperatures and weather patterns.

Costa Ricans are recognizing Earth Day a few different ways this week. Namely, there was an Earth Day Celebration at Volcán Poas National Park yesterday all day. The local Rotaract club is running a recycling program this weekend. Local radio hosts are running environmental debate programs all week.

Costa Rica has maintained its participation in worldwide efforts to increase the earth's health outside of just Earth Day. It is a member of the following international environmental agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling. Signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation. They even have an E.A.R.T.H. University!

With all of this giving back to the environment, it makes you wonder if it has an effect on Costa Rica being rated the world's happiest place.

Your Contribution

• Make a pledge to save the rainforest at The Rainforest Site
• Save energy with tips at EnergySavers
• Save water by making toilets low-flow: About 75 percent of the water we use in our homes is used in the bathroom.
• Our Facebook photo album
• Turn off lights you're not using: Lighting consumes up to 34 percent of electricity in the United States.
• Recycle more: read more facts to motivate you to recycle at http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html

(all photos taken by students on course here in Costa Rica)

Sources: The Rainforest Site, Wikipedia, Earth Day, CIA World Factbook, Costa Rica Conservation Network blog, Oberlin College Resource Conservation Team, Mongabay, The Nature Conservancy, National Geographic

Leadership Series: Part 7 of 7

What do they do with all of those skills?

This "Leadership Series" has finally completed answering this question for seven Leadership alumni as we anticipated the coming of our current Leadership Semester course students who arrived on April 1st. This week we profiled a second Alex, the last of our seven profiled leaders.

Leadership Alum #7: Alex White

Leadership Course: Fall 2005, the second Leadership Semester course ever

Hometown: No Name, CO - "Yep, it exists."

Currently: Alex just returned to his 1978 35' cutter-rigged sloop sailboat home (see photo on right) in San Francisco, CA after guiding a 2nd 21-day river course this year for us. Before that, Alex had returned as a Costa Rica Outward Bound river guide multiple times. However, this isn't the only kayaking and rafting Alex has done since his Leadership Semester back in 2005. Alex is quite the rafting rockstar. He worked for six months as a guide in Chile's famous class V Futaleufu River, ran some rivers in Mexico and in the Grand Canyon, and he continues to guide at California's oldest rafting company, Sea Trek. In addition, he should be receiving his Captain's License soon, which will be a nice complement to his sloop residence.

Reasons Enrolled: Back in 2005, Alex's plan was to blindly scope out some whitewater work on Central America's most famous and beautiful rivers. His mom allowed him to leave on one condition: that he start by taking this Costa Rica Outward Bound Leadership course for "getting his feet on the ground" in this foreign land.

Future Aspirations: While Alex works with Sea Trek, he is also preparing to complete his paramedics certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. With this certification and his years of experience on class V rivers and in the outdoors, Alex will be marketing himself as one of the few Expedition Medics. All career aspirations aside, he also plans to sail around the world and "touch the stars."

Favorite Course Moment: There are two. One was Alex's first kayak trip down the world-famous Río Pacuare on red level. The second was seeing the Lopez family's faces upon arrival to Piedras Blancas, which is when he realized what a special place he had entered.

Quote: "The only limitation is your imagination." -Albert Einstein




Click to read about past profiled Leaders:

Leadership Alum #1, Sean Marr

Leadership Alum #2, Amy Nicolson

Leadership Alum #3, Heidi Ruckriegle

Leadership Alum #4, Donna White

Leadership Alum #5, Joe Ewing

Leadership Alum #6, Alex Cook

The Costa Rica Outward Bound Leadership Semester is meant to prepare students in such a way that they can use the skills they develop to use in a career and/or any leadership role. This 60-day experience consists of: earning nine internationally-recognized certifications and 12 school credits; learning how to surf, kayak, raft, rappel, camp, and scuba dive; and facing the challenges and responsibilities involved with any Outward Bound course.

Girl Scouts Who Earn It: Part 3

It's hard to believe Michaela Zimmerman, at 13 years of age, not only lives in China as a member of USA Girl Scouts Overseas, but is ready to travel 8000+ miles to get to Costa Rica for this summer's Rainforest River & Reef Girl Scout course.

She explains, "This would give me a great opportunity to go [to Costa Rica] and learn about their country, their culture, and their rainforests... because I am a very eco-friendly person who loves the outdoors... and interested in learning a lot about it.... I want to experience Central America.... Some of my friends are from there. I want to experience its culture, history, environment, and archeology.... I think it would be nice to meet some other girls that are Girl Scouts around America and the world.... Since we will be doing a homestay I think this is a great time to use my Spanish and practice it. This will help me in my school next year and with my communication skills. At the homestay, I would also like to learn about the Costa Rican culture and about their foods...."

Michaela has lived in China for eleven years, seven of which she's been active in Girl Scouts. She travels (including places like Thailand), cooks, kayaks, hikes, camps, plays piano, acts, and scuba dives. Not just that, "Michaela is a natural leader," says her Western Academy of Beijing principal. This is evident in her role as Vice President of Student Council and as the creator of a school play. "She is a good role model for others... and is able to quickly determine the strengths of individuals and utilize these in what works best for an ensemble," explains her drama teacher.

As all Costa Rica Outward Bound courses require each student to fulfill the role as leader (called a "cacique") for one of the days on course, Michaela will transition into this role quite nicely.

"Overall I think that this camp is a very good chance for me to see the best of Costa Rica and to have fun with other Girl Scouts."

Read more "Girl Scouts Who Earn It":
Part 1: Kelly Wolf
Part 2: Virginia LaGrow

*The Destinations program, on behalf of Girl Scouts USA, is a chance for members to participate in enriching travel and adventure opportunities, ages 11-18. Girl Scouts must apply through their respective Councils. Applications consist of an essay explaining their ambition to attend, two recommendations describing her as a qualified participant, and a general Q&A portion.

Costa Rica Outward Bound has been a Destination location for more than five years. In 2010, there are four Destinations for ages 13-18: Underwater Explorers, Rainforest River & Reef, Service Challenge, and Catching Waves. Click on the studio2b links on their respective crrobs.org pages to find the applications.

Don't Go Chasing Crocodiles

Christ has died, now let's go catch a crocodile?

During Semana Santa (Holy Week), some Costa Ricans from the Guanacaste province, go on a crocodile chase called "Lagarteada" (in Spanish, lagarto means lizard). And while this tradition is controversial, it still made its way into the celebrations of Costa Ricans this year (see photos below).

Property of La Nacion

During this unique tradition, men capture a crocodile (with their bare hands) and tie it up in the middle of town. It is then released the following day. And yes, this tradition is protested by animal and environmental activists. Those in charge of the tradtion, however, do promise to take care of them and only trap more mature crocodiles for the event.

It's an old tradition, dating back 150 years. No concrete information explains exactly how this began, but La Nacion describes how villagers used to enter the river to capture crocodiles, tie their snouts, and bring them back to the pueblo where they showed them to the other villagers in a small pool. The next day, they'd let them go.

This year, the article reports that 3,000 people came to see the spectacle.

Property of insidecostarica.com

To read the full article (and practice your Spanish reading skills), click here.
To read more about how Costa Ricans celebrate Semana Santa, click here.

Weeeeeee!

"I love the feeling of soaring through the air."

-2010 student

For some, it's exhilarating. For others, it's their worst fear. Both of these types of people would agree: it's the best way to see the upper canopies of the rainforest.

It's zip-lining.

Regardless of how you feel ascending that mountain, gear in hand, awaiting your flight from tree to tree; it requires no skill. Even the most terrified of heights can make this happen.

Last December I went zip-lining with the person designated "the most terrified of heights" that I know, and she completed it with "flying" colors: all 19 platforms at Adventuras La Carpintera (about 20 minutes away from our base). Amber Woods, age 27 at the time, said,

"It was great once I finally opened my eyes!"

Here's a breakdown of the activity, to put the light-headed at ease:

1. Apply your harness, stepping into it like you're putting on pants (refer to 1st photo on right to see applied harness)
2. Apply your helmet (refer to 1st photo on right to see applied helmets)
3. Apply your leather gloves; one has extra protection because it is used as your "break" when zip-lining (refer to 2nd photo on right)
4. Walk to the platform
5. Your guide will attach your pulley to the cable as you help him elevate your body by doing a "pull-up" on the cable (refer to 3rd photo on right)
6. Your guide faces you forward
7. You sit in a chair position with legs crossed, body bent into a seated position (4th photo)
8. Place your left hand on your harness, near your lap (4th and 5th photos)
9. Place your right hand - the glove with the additional leather - on the cable BEHIND the pulley (4th photo)
10. Your guide pushes you forward
11. Pull down on your right hand to slow down (4th and 5th photos)
12. A bumper and a guide on the next platform stop you if you haven't stopped yourself yet
13. Enjoy the ride and the view!

And if this still doesn't help you, listen to Amber: "It helps to go with a guide the first couple lines... helps to ease your fears.... You're able to look out into the city and jungle, etc. which is calming.... And since you are clearly harnessed very tightly, the fear starts to subside and you get addicted to the rush of flying through the air."








See zip-liners in action in this video!