¡Hola!

I am so excited to leave for Costa Rica this coming Saturday, and I continue to grow more eager for the trip due to learning more about the spectacular country. It is notable that Costa Rica is considered a pioneer in the protection of nature. Nearly 50 years ago, the country started to carry out a series of innovative environmental policies. Thus, the paradigm of sustainable development is now practically part of Costa Ricans’ DNA. The country enacts many initiatives related to sustainability. For instance, the National Decarbonization Plan, which was launched in February of 2019, aims to reform waste, energy, transport, and land use. This will hopefully lead to net zero emissions by 2050. The country will not produce more emissions than it can offset through actions like maintaining/expanding forests and agriculture production (such as increasing the amount of banana or coffee plantations). Another critical sustainability initiative is called the PES Program. This helps to protect land that is not included in the country’s natural reserves by by giving compensation to landowners who conserve forests and water. Borgen Magazine states that, as of 2013, the PES program has aided 8,000 landowners along with improving the country’s environment.

These initiatives benefit Costa Ricans as a whole and create a prosperous society in Costa Rica. Therefore, discovering this information about Costa Rica led to me perceiving the country as extremely impressive and progressive. I am fascinated by how forward thinking Costa Rica is with its environmental policies, and I am astonished by how effectives these policies have been. I think that the United States, as well as other countries, should use Costa Rica as a model for successful sustainable growth.

Another aspect of Costa Rica which is tied to its concern with sustainability is ecotourism. This is one of the main reasons I am excited to go to Costa Rica. The country has a huge amount of biodiversity and many different types of ecosystems (from cloud forests to coastal marine areas). Moreover, I am enthusiastic about exploring these gorgeous locations (which will be a great place for me to practice my photography skills). Another key reason why I have been anticipating this trip is because I will finally be able to utilize what I have learned from years of Spanish classes. Its funny that I am going to Costa Rica because my first Spanish teacher was from Costa Rica, and she constantly told us how her home country was so much better than dreary Pittsburgh. Lastly, I am so thrilled to be a part of this program because of all the new things I will learn and the memories I will make along with my fellow peers.

Hablamos luego,

Erica Brunner