Hi, I’m Ariston Goeke,  I’m from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and just finished my freshman year in the business school. I enjoy anything outdoors, including hiking, biking, and camping. I love to try new things, specifically foods from new cultures, which I can hopefully bring home and cook for my friends and family. As the Costa Rica trip gets closer, my excitement builds to do what I love and try new adventurous activities. The outdoor excursions intrigue me the most, specifically the hiking. I am also very excited to try the food, and hopefully get a recipe I like to bring back home. Most of all, I am eager to learn about the culture and business side of the site visits. 

Environmental sustainability has always been important to my family and I. We have certain practices that help us become more sustainable and limit our carbon footprint. This includes a small garden for vegetables and fruits, limiting the use of all single-use plastics, and limiting our waste in general. Hearing that Costa Rica ranked in the top 20 for environmental sustainability was a pleasant surprise. Costa Rica has such a unique and diverse environment that it is important to protect it against all harmful factors. This is important with the fruit farms as they take up valuable land which could be used for jungles as it was originally. To help protect these lands, Costa Rica has designated approximately 25% of the land for conservation. Although sustainable agriculture is allowed within some buffer zones. Along with conservation, Costa Rica also generates over 98% of its energy from renewable sources, which limits the carbon footprint and prevents any further damage to the land and atmosphere. Lastly, Costa Rica in the last decade has been trying to grow back their forests after mass deforestation in the mid-1900s. Now they have successfully increased forest cover to around 60% of the territory.