Everyone knows that climate change is a hard-hitting topic in today’s social landscape, but many are still skeptical about its effects. Through my time in Costa Rica, I learned the values of sustainability and simplicity in the ever-changing climate, both from the professors and the host family that I spent two nights with. I left off in Tortuguero where we shifted from living in the jungle at La Selva to being ecotourists in a gorgeous resort by the ocean. After our short stay there, we arrived at the Arenal volcano resort called The Observatory. This sustainable hotel was situated right next to the gorgeous Arenal volcano that could be seen from the dining area at every meal. During our stay in Arenal, we visited the hanging bridges, which were gorgeous, but it was ultimately another activity with loads of tourists that seemed a little too superficial to be considered ecotourism. My favorite part of Arenal was probably the food. While I had grown accustomed to eating the usual rice and beans, their menu was mainly American food which had me missing home. While it was a nice vacation from the hiking that we did in La Selva, I was ready to be active again and the hike up the volcano did not disappoint. It was steep, but also absolutely gorgeous.
We learned about Arenal’s history and how it has four different craters with one that almost constantly produces a flow of steam that can be seen when the clouds dissipate. One of the most famous stories about the volcano has to do with the town of La Fortuna. The last time it erupted, the town was spared and everyone thought it was good fortune, so they renamed the town La Fortuna. After the volcano hike, we ventured to one of La Fortuna’s most famous tourist attractions: the waterfall. The descent of 500 steps was absolutely grueling after a hike, but the reward was worth it. Swimming in the waterfall felt like you could drown any second, but it was breathtaking. While sitting by the waterfall watching everyone swim, I thought about how grateful I was to be able to come to a country as gorgeous as Costa Rica. It also made me think about how climate change could potentially affect the climate of this country and start a domino effect that disrupts the ecotourism essential for their economy and their large species richness that is important for the health of Earth.
After the climb back up the 500 stairs which had my calves hurting the next day, we went back to the hotel and prepared for the day of travel. As we traveled to our next stop, Monte Verde field station, we passed by some of the wind turbines that sat right beside a gorgeous lake that also supplied hydroelectric power to the country. It was amazing to see a country wanting to stop the use of fossil fuels by switching to more renewable energy sources on a large scale. We finally arrived at the Monte Verde field station after the bumpiest bus ride known to man. If I am being honest, it was kind of nice to be at a field station again instead of a hotel, it felt more homey and representative of Costa Rica. The room I was staying in held some great memories for Dr. Wasserman and it was nice to see him so happy about us staying in the same place he did 20 years ago. We finished the academic section of the trip during our stay at Monte Verde, with our final research presentations, a UN debate over climate change, and a discussion about the different effects of climate change. My topic was the melting of the west Antarctic ice sheet, which would cause a drastic sea level rise and flood major cities like London and New York where millions of people live. It was disheartening to hear about the drastic effects that climate change would have on the world as it progresses, but I am still hopeful that countries will change. Costa Rica is one of the reasons I am still hopeful because they are a wonderful example of sustainability and changing to renewable energy. The people of Costa Rica are what make the place so amazing, and our homestay exemplified how kind and welcoming they are. While our host mom spoke little english, and Mira and I both spoke little spanish, we all took it in stride and used google translate when necessary. It was one of my favorite experiences of the trip, as we got to help prepare a meal, and she had many dogs and cats that wandered around the property. It was eye opening to see how people do little things to help the environment in their everyday lives. For example, she cooked her own bread and other necessary food items instead of buying them from the store. She also put all food scraps into a little bucket to compost and prevent food waste. This made me realize I can also be doing more of these small things to help the environment, as it really took no more effort. While at the homestay, we also had the opportunity to give back to the Life Monte Verde farm. My group got to help make the fertilizer they used to grow the coffee and dig a trench for irrigation. The tasks seemed laborious at first, but the staff really did seem appreciative of our help, and I felt like I was genuinely giving back to a good cause.
The last dinner was bittersweet and I did not want to leave the new friends that I made while on this trip. Reflecting back on my experience in Costa Rica, I would say my favorite part of the trip was La Selva. I feel like I truly got to experience the country with the least amount of negative ecological impact compared to the rest of the resorts we visited. This trip has truly helped change my perspective on climate change and how I can become more sustainable when I return home.
Leave a Reply