Today, we hiked in the cloud forest. It was BEAUTIFUL! There were so many great birds, animals, and plants. The whole experience was incredible. We also got to see mountain ranges and a waterfall! Here are some pictures!
One thing that we learned today is the competition between productivity, conservation, and sustainability. Each one is distinct, and not necessarily complimentary with each other. A priority on productivity would mean doing whatever possible to increase profits and production without working to conserve or use sustainable approaches. Many companies do this to make a profit now, overlooking or not caring about 50 years from now. Now a focus on conservation could also include sustainablity, and that is what we learned today in our lecture.
We talked about many ideas around sustainability and conservation. One point that stuck out to me was that conservation of single ecosystems and altitudes doesn’t truly solve the issue. Most animals migrate between altitudes and ecosystems based on the season. This is one thing that the Monteverde Institute is working on.
If I had to provide input and prioritize one of these three areas, I would say that sustainability efforts are the most crucial for our future. Currently, many practices are solely focused on productivity, which can harm our future. Tomorrow we are going to be doing a service project planting trees, so its not just talk, but we are actually making a difference! I’ll see you all tomorrow!
Flowers!
