For this blog post I wanted to focus on small things I noticed that spoke volumes to me personally. I have observed many different perspectives on this trip and have gotten a lot out of them. Not only are these different perspectives coming from the Costa Rican people, but they are also coming from my classmates who have a wide range of backgrounds and majors. Bringing all of these different types of people together brings lots of new ideas and mindsets that I have found extremely interesting.
The first thing I noticed when I got to La Selva was the wildlife. Yes, it’s very difficult not to notice the wildlife, but I recognized how La Selva lives with the environment and not around it. Everyone is very welcoming and inviting of not only newcomers, but also organisms and the native animals that live here. They put a lot of emphasis on respecting the surrounding habitat and everything that thrives, depends on, and lives in it. There doesn’t seem to be a barrier between the surrounding environment and the people here. They put so much effort into ensuring that the animals and plants have the necessary means to live just like they would if there were no research station here. That itself was admirable to see and observe. They found ways to allow us to see a diverse group of wildlife without disturbing them. We have been able to do this through guided hikes and running into wildlife on our own. During our first guided hike with Kenneth on Tuesday we saw many different birds, insects, etc. We were able to hike through the forest and observe these organisms either through a scope or on the ground. Specifically, we saw a white bat that was nestled in a wrapped up leaf. We then came to find out that it wasn’t a coincidence that the leaf was shaped that way. The bat was able to “architect” the leaf by biting near the leaf’s middle vein and shaped the leaf to where it could nestle inside it. It folded it in a specific way to regulate the temperature inside the leaf. On our bird hike, we saw many different species of birds (obviously), howler monkeys, and a sloth! The sloth was super interesting to see because of how well it camouflaged with it’s surrounding environment. When I first looked in the scope, it looked like a bush and dirt clumped together. The closer I looked, the more I began to realize that it was indeed a sloth that was curled into a ledge high in the tree. We learned that camouflage is the sloth’s main defense mechanism against predators. The sloth will come down from the tree about once a week and dispense of scat. At this point, the sloth is very vulnerable to predators so it will only be on the forest floor for several minutes. Along with these day hikes, we went on a guided night hike. On the night hike we saw snakes, spiders, lizards, an iguana, birds, frogs, etc. We saw the largest frog species in Costa Rica and learned a bit about it. These hikes and the extent of the guides knowledge about their surroundings amazed me. The priority they put on this rainforest is outstanding and shows how passionate they are about this beautiful, diverse ecosystem.
Another thing I noticed was how much care they put into our meals everyday. Our breakfast meal consists of a dish called “gallo pinto” (rice and beans mixed together), an egg, some sort of meat, sometimes a hashbrown, sometimes a pastry, sometimes yogurt, etc. Our lunch would have a bowl of fruit, a small salad, some rice, some sort of cooked vegetables, some sort of meat (fish, pork, etc), and sometimes some sort of dessert. Our dinner would be similar to lunch except different entrees and sides. Before coming to Costa Rica, I would normally need a snack to get me to lunch, or a snack to get me from lunch to dinner. Here I can confidently say that I have rarely felt hungry between meals. I feel full from 7 AM when we eat breakfast until noon when we eat lunch and then from lunch to dinner. This was something that I was definitely not expecting and I feel like they place such an importance on fueling their bodies. They place nutrition and ensuring that your body is getting the nutrients it needs at a high standard. As a college student, sometimes it’s easy to quit eating healthy meals and ensuring you are staying healthy because academics and extracurriculars can take up a lot of our time. I loved seeing here how extensive they are with their meals and making sure everyone is getting adequate food in their bodies.
The last thing I noticed was how genuine and welcoming the locals are to outsiders and tourists. All of the staff and guides we have met here at La Selva are very patient and helpful. They have allowed us to share the experience that being so close to an amazing rainforest entails, and I have been so thankful for their kindness. They have put aside their time and prioritized showing us around their home. An example of their kindness that stuck out to me was something Marinna said during our reflection on Saturday. She said she was walking up the road (during our unexpected, impromptu hike after the pineapple farm tour) and she did not have a raincoat or umbrella with her to shield her from the rain. As she was walking up the road, a woman on the side of the road at her house was standing on the front porch with a raincoat. The woman noticed Marinna’s situation and instantly offered her the raincoat. This woman had no idea who Marinna was and what she was doing there, but she did not hesitate in helping her out in a situation that called for it. The kindness that this lady showed to Marinna is the exact same kindness that I feel from the people of Costa Rica.
I’m very excited to continue our journey through Costa Rica and notice the priorities that these people put on a pedestal. Experiencing their culture and being in their country has been an amazing experience, and I’m super excited to see what this next week will bring.
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