Costa Rica is internationally renowned for its efforts to maintain environmental sustainability in all sectors of life. I had the amazing opportunity this summer to attend a seven-day study abroad trip in association with the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University and the University for Peace (UPEACE, Universidad para la Paz) and understand, firsthand, the local, legislative, cultural, and ecological practices taking place to preserve Costa Rican beauty. 

Day 1 – UPEACE The United Nations (UN) established UPEACE as an international organization focusing on environmental security, conflict prevention, and human rights education. With Costa Rica abolishing its military in 1982, San Jose, Costa Rica, was the perfect headquarters for their university. At this site, my classmates and I learned about the history of sustainability in Costa Rica and the historical challenges and triumphs of preserving and nursing forests back to health. 

Giant monstera plant found on campus.

Day 2 – Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat and La Salva Biological Research Station  Costa Rican farmers and landowners are pioneers in carbon offset trading movements, and with the aid of the Sustainable Biodiversity Fund, we learned about the Payment for Environmental Services program (PES). This government-funded program is where farmers are paid to not deforest or alter their land and preserve natural resources. This return promotes sustainable ecotourism and ethical farming practices.

La Salva Research Station is a global hub for scientific research and development, being a hotspot of scientific papers and articles focusing on biodiversity and climate change research. We hiked throughout the jungle and observed many native species in their natural habitats, such as Honduran tent-making bats, two-toed sloths, and strawberry poison dart frogs.

Hondorian tent making bats huddle together under a giant leaf during the day at La Salva Research Station.

 

Strawberry, or blue-jean poison dart frog found in decomposing leaves.

 

Day 3 – El Toledo Coffee Farm  This is a family-owned and operated coffee farm that is the most sustainable and truly organic farm I have ever seen. No pesticides or water were used during harvesting. 100% of the product is used, including the coffee leaves, fruit, nuts, and beans. Our host, Gabriel, explained his story of changing his farm from a monocrop (one mass-produced crop only) to a polycrop (multiple crops are naturally grown on land) and using the curves of his land to his advantage. And, of course, we did a coffee taste test!

Coffee taste test with coffee tea (from coffee fruit), light, medium, and dark roasts, and coffee jam.

 

Day 4 – Tarcoles Fishing Village This local community is world-renowned for their artisanal fishing practices that saved their coastal region from fishing collapse (one species being overfished, therefore collapsing the whole ecosystem). We got the chance to go fishing and take boat rides along the coast, learning about how CoopTarcoles challenged and defended themselves from corporate fishing groups and the government.

This is a stingray that I caught on my first try!

 

A brown pelican that stalked our boats for scraps.

 

Day 5 – Tarcoles River  We attended a beach cleanup working with MareBlu, a nonprofit organization that cleans up shorelines along the Tarcoles River and then fully processes and recycles 100% of the waste. The litter eventually turns into “plastic sand,” which can then be turned into construction materials. The most common pieces of trash I observed were, sadly, styrofoam, shoe soles, and plastic water bottles. However, my class and I cleaned up 1,004 pounds of trash in 2 hours!

SPEA students carrying bags of litter to the sorting and processing location offshore.

 

“Mike Tyson” the American crocodile spotted after our beach cleanup in the Tarcoles River estuary.

 

Day 6 – Manuel Antonio Free day to ourselves! My friends and I went to Manuel Antonio Beach and swam in the clear ocean waters. However, one member had to stay with our bags at a time so the white-faced capuchin monkeys did not steal our goods. The locals called them “bandidos” or “bandits” because of their behavior.

Yellow toucan outside of my classmates’ hotel room!

 

White-faced capuchin mother and youngling hanging out by the beach.

 

Day 7 – Manuel Antonio National Park While hiking through the park, we learned of the natural wildlife on the grounds but also of mandated practices to keep the park healthy. These include no plastic water bottles, no outside food, and only allowing 600 people into the park at a given time. Some species we saw were three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, more white-faced capuchins, red-winged grasshoppers, and a white-nosed coati (a large land rodent, similar to a raccoon).

Howler monkey taking a midday nap.

 

Three-toed sloths hanging around.

 

Day 8 – La Mona Golosa Chocolate Farm In our last expedition, we learned of the cultural history behind Costa Rican chocolate and cocoa production, inspired by the Mayans. We were guided by a step-by-step process of how cocoa (the fruit that holds the beans that make chocolate) is harvested, fermented, roasted, and produced into the sugar confection that everyone loves. I spent so much money on La Mona Golosa’s organic chocolate!

This is the inside of a cocoa pod, with cocoa beans being covered in a sweet and slimy white tissue. This is where chocolate comes from!

Applications in the United States Throughout the course, we were instructed to view all of our expeditions and observations under the lenses of Eleanor Ostrum’s Socio-Economic Systems Framework (SES), where my team and I assessed each destination and how actors, resource units and systems, governance systems, cultural setting, and other factors contributed to a ecological outcome. With this framework, I can now better study the world around me and gain a deeper understanding of the flows into and out of social settings. For example, simply on my drive home, I saw the vast golden cornfields on flat, monocropped land. In comparison to the curved, dense, green, and colorful jungle farms I visited, I could visibly see the cultural difference in modern agricultural practices.

SES Framework chart my team and I created for our final project regarding how MareBlu interjects into the waste management system, impacting sustainability of the Tarcoles River.

 

At WonderLab, however, I want to incorporate my newly discovered knowledge into the workplace. Suggesting the cultural, social, ecological, and governmental importance of certain exhibits and animal ambassadors. And with these educational influences, maybe guests can begin to understand how to apply the SES framework to other aspects of life. 

Pura vida!

 

About the Author: Lily Selivan is an undergraduate student at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences, studying environmental science and oceanography. She is highly fascinated with the aquatic world and environmental sustainability and is passionate about incorporating it into her education, research, and career. Lily works at the front desk at WonderLab as a visitor service assistant.

 

 

Sources:

  1. Blogger. (2024, February 22). El Toledo Coffee Tour, Permaculture Coffee Plantation!. El Toledo Coffee Tour, permaculture Coffee plantation! https://cafeateniense.blogspot.com/ 
  2. Ciuti Z., G. (2020). About Us. MareBlu Costa Rica. https://www.mareblucr.org/about-us/ 
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  4. FONAFIFO. (2020b). Payments for Environmental Services Program | Costa Rica. Unfccc.int. https://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/financing-for-climate-friendly-investment/payments-for-environmental-services-program 
  5. lamonagolosa.com. (n.d.). Cacao Farm. Finca La Mona Golosa. http://www.lamonagolosachocolate.com/cacao-farm 
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  7. Ostrom, E. (2009). A general framework for analyzing sustainability of social-ecological systems. Science, 325(5939), 419–422. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1172133 
  8. UPEACE. (n.d.). History (about UPEACE). UPEACE. https://www.upeace.org/history-about-upeace/ 
  9. SINAC. (n.d.). Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. https://www.sinac.go.cr/ES/ac/acopac/pnma/Paginas/default.aspx