Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - Demo - (Page 22)

Crash Course in with EcoTeach Costa Rica Ecological Immersion by Andrew Becker T he small airport gave me my first clues that I was in for a unique experience in Costa Rica. There were only 10 gates, and it was quieter than I knew an airport could be. Outside, green mountains stretched as far as the eye could see. I was traveling with an organization called EcoTeach, which supports environmental and cultural preservation programs in Costa Rica. My group was made up of students and teachers from my school and bilingual Costa Rican guides. We’d left the bustle of New York not for a tropical vacation but to immerse ourselves in another way of life. Leaving behind the modern conveniences we were used to, we got to see what it was like to live in immediate relationship with the environment. Leatherbacks: The Next Generation After arriving and settling for a night with a local family in Costa Rica’s central valley, we set out for the Caribbean coast to participate in a sea turtle conservation project. This project showed me that Costa Rica is a network of ecosystems that need protection if people and animals are to survive. The leatherback turtle is the largest marine turtle in the world. They can grow to nine feet long and can weigh over 1,300 pounds. It is an endangered species as a result of the hunting and poaching of turtles for their meat and oil, the accidental capture of turtles in large commercial fishing nets, and the development of turtle nesting sites for hotels and other tourist attractions. Our job was to help protect the nesting turtles and their eggs from predators and poachers. My shift was from 2:00 to 6:00 a.m., when the turtles lay their eggs. After the turtles had moved up the beach and dug their nesting holes, we would gently move the turtle’s flipper and place a plastic bag in the hole to catch the eggs. When the turtle was finished, we gently removed the plastic bag and relocated the eggs to a protected area. Weeks later, when the eggs hatched, volunteers would help the hatchlings make their way safely to sea. Especially since humans are the main reason leatherbacks are in decline, it was rewarding to know that we were doing something to help them survive. We were playing a small part, but it made me think of the larger positive impact people can have if they resolve to do so. Less is More From the beach, we set out to visit the Bribri tribe, an indigenous tribe living in Puerto Viejo. High in the Talamanca mountains, Puerto Viejo is accessible only by foot on dirt roads. After a two-hour van ride to the mountains, we walked for hours, crossing three rivers and some streams to meet this tribe. We were welcomed at the Bribri village with a meal I will never forget: rice, chicken, and beans served on a banana leaf. This tribe eats meat, which they must hunt, only about once a month. It was a big deal to them—and to us—that they fed us chickens they had raised. At first, I couldn’t help but notice the conveniences the Bribri don’t have. There is no electricity and no hot water. They have no system of currency. They do not have books. But once I stopped noticing what wasn’t there, I could see how much the Bribri do have. During our visit, we got to see how the Bribri live off the land, farming everything from bananas, plantains, cocoa beans, and pineapples, to figs, eggplants, rice, peanuts, and coconuts. They also grow and harvest many wild plants, some of which are used for medical purposes (and not just in Costa Rica: it is estimated that half of known medicines come from rainforest plants). Their water comes from local springs and streams. Their houses March/April 2008 During a homestay with a Costa Rican farming family, Andrew learned the meaning of “less is more.” 22 imagine

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - Demo

Imagine Magazine - March/April 2008 Contents Letters Big Problems Big Picture In My Own Words Putting E-Waste in Its Place Big Juice Making Waves What Does "Green" Mean? Into the Woods Swimming with Whale Sharks Crash Course in Costa Rica Selected Opportunities & Resources Hooked on Logistics Off the Shelf Word Wise Middle Ground One Step Ahead Exploring Career Options Planning Ahead for College Students Review Creative Minds Imagine Sudoku Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - Demo

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.