Professor Troy Abel from Huxley College of the Environment and his students share their insights on ecological citizenship, political biogeography, and immersions in one of the most biologically intense places on the planet. Costa Rica is translated as rich coast, a name originating from Spanish conquistadors who mistakenly thought the land was filled with gold. Many now recognize that Costa Rica’s riches are more green than gold with more than 4 percent of the world’s estimated biodiversity. Costa Rica has universal health care, a longer life expectancy than the U.S., and no military. Only by expanding our attention to all of these facets can one begin to see “Ecotopia’s Prism,” or Costa Rica’s intersections of ecology, economy, and culture fostering and inhibiting sustainability.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Hola from Costa Rica!

Carara has been a wonderful, if not sometimes challenging experience so far.  We have seen so many different animals in their natural environments. We get to fall asleep, and wake up, to the screams of Howler monkeys.  I am getting used to ice cold showers, an endless supply of beans and rice, and having at least 5 swollen, itchy bug bites at any given point.  It is very humid here, but it is really nice when it rains. And boy, does it rain. We went on a Crocodile River Tour today, and got to see them pretty up close. They are pretty lazy and just lay there with their mouths open. I wanted to see one eat a bird or something, just to see them move fast, but no luck.

As a member of the Policy team, I have been able to go into town and see some of the local culture. Most people are very friendly, and it is a unique experience to be able to see people living in little villages and fishing towns.  All of the park rangers in Carara are friendly, and it has made me not as intimidated to try speaking Spanish.  I enjoy trying to read all of the signs, and understand what is going on.

Yesterday morning, a group of us went to a lookout to count Macaws as they flew off to their daily routines. These counts are part of the Macaw Conservation efforts, and it was awesome to be part of it.  Macaws always fly in pairs, and occasionally in families. Some of them flew right over us, and others were really far away. Their bright red stood out against the green of the trees though, and it was beautiful to watch even from a distance.

We only have two more nights in Carara, and then we get a little break from our rainforest living. I think everyone is looking forward to getting laundry done. It is hard to keep things smelling even half-way decent when it takes a couple days for them to dry. I am looking forward to our big hike into Corcavado National Park.  It is supposed to be similiar to the lagoon hike we did last week- calf deep muddy puddles.  During that hike, i tried pretty hard at first not to get super muddy, and my shoes held up very well. Once i looked ahead on the trail to see solid puddles, however, i knew it would just be easier to give in and embrace it.  
Hello to all my family and friends, I miss you lots, and hope you are all having wonderful summers!
Pura vida!
-Mallory 
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