It’s no shock that Costa Rica is a rustic stuffed with stunning pure ecosystems. Its coasts are bustling with marine life and its inside is blanketed with a number of the most biodiverse forests on this planet. Over half of Costa Rica is now forested, nevertheless, that wasn’t at all times the case.
In the Nineteen Forties, loggers cleared many of the land to develop crops and livestock, which destroyed practically half of the forest cowl within the nation. The Costa Rican authorities noticed the financial worth in preserving its forests and determined to make it unlawful to cut down forests with out approval within the Nineties. This determination, coupled with incentivizing landowners with funds for the environmental companies their lands produce when utilizing sustainable practices, has allowed them to regrow their forests to the astonishing numbers at present.
The impacts of those laws have been clear on our latest journey with Natural Habitat Adventures. Not solely have been we in awe on the pure great thing about Costa Rica, however we have been additionally impressed by the eagerness of the individuals within the native communities we visited. It was so evident that they acknowledged the vital function that the surroundings performs and the way intertwined each individuals and nature are.
This idea first surfaced on the very starting of our journey: Tortuguero. As we explored the magnificent canals searching for wildlife, our boat driver (a neighborhood within the village) by no means failed to identify even the smallest animal from miles away. He was so educated about each hen, fish, sloth, and monkey and you would see the thrill in his actions as he laid eyes on the subsequent spectacle. We will need to have seen and realized about over 20 animals in simply our brief time on the water.
The lodge we stayed at additionally provided a service the place you would watch a sea turtle lay her eggs on the seaside at night time. It was an unbelievable alternative! We boarded one other boat to the seaside the place we met our tour information for the night. She instantly welcomed us, and her ardour shined by means of as she advised us tales in regards to the turtles on our method down the pitch-black seaside. She even reminded us about how vital these excursions have been for sea turtle conservation and emphasised how excited she was to be main us on this journey. And the journey didn’t disappoint.
Our tour information introduced us to the nest the place a sea turtle was laying her eggs and proven a really dim purple gentle to not disturb her course of. We rotated each couple of minutes to permit one other group the chance however, throughout that point, we have been capable of ask questions. She answered each single one with enthusiasm and encouragement to ask extra.
Our subsequent cease was Corcovado National Park on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. As we made our method as much as the lodge which ignored the water, we thought, what might be higher? Our query was answered the subsequent day as soon as we launched into our hike by means of the park. We have been accompanied by a good friend of our expedition chief who belonged to an indigenous group within the space. Not solely did we find out about native natural world, however we additionally obtained to listen to his tales about how his tribe lived off the encompassing nature.
There was one time specifically when it started to rain. He ran over to a leaf and requested us to rub it towards our pores and skin. The wax from this kind of plant was used to guard them from the rain. It made all of us on the journey really feel a lot extra linked to the surroundings.
From Corcovado, we traveled by boat, aircraft, and bus to Costa Rica’s cloud forest in Monteverde. It was a wonderful highway journey alongside windy roads. Our expedition chief advised us tales about a number of the spots on the best way and we stopped at a neighborhood restaurant within the metropolis of San Ramon. They have been anticipating us and had essentially the most scrumptious meals ready household type. The homeowners greeted us with smiles on their faces and have been excited to indicate us their delicacies. It was a pleasant expertise stuffed with laughter and naturally good meals!
Once we made it to Monteverde, we settled into our rooms after which met with a consultant of the Costa Rican Conservation Foundation. She was there to provide us a quick presentation a couple of susceptible hen within the area generally known as the Three Wattled Bellbird. The slides contained plenty of scientific info but additionally emphasised the significance of its function within the ecosystem. It was clear how a lot we wanted to guard the hen. We would go on to seek for the Three Wattled Bellbird on our hikes every day and at last noticed one! As we peered by means of our binoculars in amazement, the girl’s message about defending the hen remained high of thoughts.
The final cease on our go to was to the Arenal volcano, solely a pair hours from Monteverde. We stayed on the observatory on the base of the volcano with essentially the most scenic panoramic views. It was breathtaking. But it was additionally a reminder of how individuals and nature are so depending on each other. The observatory was nonetheless very a lot used to observe the impacts of volcanic exercise on the encompassing space. We swam in sizzling springs that have been fueled by the warmth from underground. Everywhere we went, we have been part of nature – not the opposite method round.
Costa Rica is a very talked-about vacationer vacation spot for a lot of causes. Most go to take pleasure in its seashores or discover its forests, however Natural Habitat Adventures instilled in us the cultural worth of Costa Rica. We realized from the native communities at each stage of the journey and plan to hold these classes ahead in our on a regular basis life. Sure – its pure magnificence was spectacular, however its individuals and the “Pura Vida” life-style are one thing that we are going to always remember.
By Jack Boeve, Manager of Strategic Operations and Planning for WWF, and Noah Patterson, Digital Technical Lead/Developer, Web and Apps Lead Engineer for WWF