Anyone who’s been to Costa Rica knows the phrase “pura vida”. Living in Costa Rica, you come to know that this phrase is a lot more than a touristy phrase to put on t-shirts, tote bags, and Instagram captions. It’s a greeting, a culture, and a special way of life. Here, the pura vida way of life presides, and breathtaking wildlife and scenery exist together. I came to really love the culture here, and the whole idea of pura vida. The ecosystem services provided by the nature of Costa Rica is what creates the spirit of the country and its pura vida attitude. There is a delicate balance in how we utilize these ecosystem services that we should be conscious of. In our time at Arenal and Monteverde, various activities we did showed varying degrees of usage of the environment.
One of which was the hanging bridges at Arenal, which were by far the most crowded places we’d been so far. There were seemingly endless tour groups blocking the path, and their tour guides would have to tell them to move to the side so we could pass. It almost made the experience unenjoyable being around so many people, but the moments we had to ourselves made it all worth it, including a little waterfall that not many people ventured off to find. The experience of going over the hanging bridges themselves was incredible. I think it’s important to strike a balance of appreciating the incredible rainforest canopies that we explored via these hanging bridges and not exploiting it. It raises the interesting question of how much tourist traffic is too much to be considered exploitative of an ecosystem. I definitely think that the hanging bridges walked a fine line between ecotourism and exploitative tourism. Regardless, there are always moments to appreciate and be grateful for, especially in such a striking environment. Being able to look down from the tops of the trees in an almost birds-eye view was such a unique and thrilling experience.
Another experience that brought this idea to mind was the La Fortuna Waterfall. This waterfall was the largest and most stunning waterfall I’ve ever seen. We all swam together in the pool of cold but crystal-clear water. We jumped in off the rocks and tried to swim for a while in the waterfall pool, and, after, we lounged in the shallow still pool a bit away from the waterfall. Here, fish were swimming all throughout it, which was cool to watch. We eventually found this nice quiet little spot between the two pools. This place was magic. It felt so rewarding spending time here, as you had to descend 530 stairs before getting to the bottom and ascend them after. This limited the number of people that ventured to the waterfall as well, so it didn’t feel overcrowded. I enjoyed that people were able to swim in the waterfall and appreciate nature, but the area also seemed to remain pretty undisturbed and preserved. I really felt that I was living the pura vida life this day. I wasn’t too anxious or worrying about what was to come, but I was just enjoying the beautiful moment that this natural wonder provided for me. I hope that the La Fortuna Waterfall can be conserved for a long, long time to come for many more people to enjoy.
Finally, in Monteverde, we spent two days at an education and service-based farm. Here, we saw the ecosystem service of education being exemplified. We got to see biodiversity and agriculture coexist. This medium-sized, education-based farm was making an effort to switch to completely organic fertilizers and engaged us in the process. They practiced farm-to-table at their cafeteria and held events where they would feed the community for only $2. It felt nice doing service work out in nature. One morning, we were tasking with digging a trench, and I actually found it to be a really enjoyable experience. I appreciated the companionship of everyone, just chatting and working together to do something good. But, what are the trade-offs of this kind of service and education? For one, more attention seemed to go to the educational aspects than some of the sustainability aspects. When operating a business that relies on tourism, education, and service, it is important to take special care to nurture the environment. I hope that progress can continue being made to help human food systems, agriculture, and ecosystems to coexist.
Throughout all of the ups and downs of this trip, the environment was a constant comfort. I really feel that it improves the quality of life being surrounded by beautiful nature. It makes it so that there is something interesting to see and appreciate each day. No matter what was going on, I would look out from my balcony and see a volcano or see toucans flying ahead, and I would be reminded that I am in a special place. It’s no wonder that this place is home to the pura vida life. There is a direct connection between a connection to nature and a good life. In terms of conservation, I think a good place to start is being conscious of where we are and grateful for the nature that surrounds us. This is where environmental change and activism begins.
This trip was something that I will never forget. It taught me so much about our planet and myself. It pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. I appreciate every single person I’ve been on this adventure with, from my incredible peers to the professors. I was sad to leave Costa Rica, but this isn’t goodbye forever. I’ll take the memories made here with me forever. Thank you to everyone for being incredible friends and company this May!
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