Costa Rica is well known for its beautiful landscape, from the amazing beaches to the stunning rainforests. As human lifestyles affect nature more and more, it is no surprise that a country with as much nature as Costa Rica has put immense effort into preserving the beauty it has.

Costa Rican efforts to preserve their biodiversity are impressive to me. One quarter of the country is within government established conservation areas, which is impressive for such a small country. I think that this is an important step in preventing the growth of unsustainable practices across the country.

One major step taken by Costa Rica in its sustainability practices is the goal of becoming truly carbon neutral by 2050. This is a truly monumental task, as Costa Rica would be the first country to achieve that goal. I hadn’t thought of Costa Rica as a country that would be super forward thinking, or economically well off enough to make a decision like this, but it is extremely impressive regardless.

Another sustainability practice undertaken by Costa Rica is that they have tripled their GDP as well as doubling their forest cover over the past 25 years. This is a great sign, since it shows that it doesn’t take an extremely well-off country to make the commitment towards sustainable energy.

I have traveled several times, but never to a place as focused on nature as Costa Rica. I am extremely excited to visit and see the beautiful country.