Throughout this trip, my understanding of sustainability and agriculture expanded far beyond what I previously associated with those topics. Before coming to Costa Rica, I often thought about sustainability mostly in terms of environmental protection or marketing, but this experience showed me how deeply it can become integrated into a company’s culture, values, and long-term…
Author: gdm47
May 20 – Clouds full of Capuchin
Today we got to hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and later visit the Monteverde Institute, and both experiences made me think more deeply about the balance between tourism and conservation. The cloud forest itself it felt different from some of the rainforests we had explored earlier in the trip (also very muddy!). It…
May 19 – Creepy Crawlies in the Canopy
Today we left La Fortuna and made our way to Monteverde, where we got to stop by a large wind turbine plant, tour another coffee farm, and finish the day with a canopy night hike through the rainforest. One thing that really stood out to me about the wind turbines was that not all of…
May 18 – Conservation at Full Speed Ahead
Today we got to visit Arenal Mundo Aventura (AMA), which features zip-lining over the La Fortuna Waterfall, a butterfly garden, and a whole lot of preserved rainforest. We received a presentation about everything they do there, and how important AMA is for both the environment and the local community. We also finally got to see…
May 17 – Sweet Rain and Sugarcane
Today we got to explore one of the many rainforests of Costa Rica at the Mistico hanging bridges, paddle board on a lake, and tour another organic plantation. It felt a little bit like walking through jurassic park during the hike as we got to explore and experience all of the strange vegetation and cool…
May 16 – A Pineapple a Day
Today we got to visit Best Pineapple farm, hike to and swim in the La Fortuna Waterfall, and finish the day at Baldi Hot Springs. The pineapple tour was especially cool for me because pineapple has been one of my favorite foods since I was little, and it was awesome getting to try what is…
MAY 14 – COCO FOR COCOA
Today we got to visit Sibö Chocolate, Riverside Gastropub, and learn more about Costa Rica’s medical device industry, and I thought all three connected really well to the idea of businesses focusing on more than just profit. Sibö stood out to me the most because the whole experience felt really special and authentic (I’m also…
May 13 – Steeped in Costa Rican Culture
Today we got to visit Costa Rica’s Café Britt, and we got a super cool coffee tour. It was really interesting learning all about the origins, of coffee, how it eventually made its way to Costa Rica, and how it is grown, cultivated, and used in a wide variety of ways. We got to learn…
May 12 – Lots of Leche
Today we got to experience two different aspects of the Costa Rica business environment, getting to visit Kyndryl as well as Dos Pinos Cooperative. Kyndryl gave us an example of what a Costa Rican multinational corporation looked like, where the lower labor costs and educated workforce draws companies in. Even though many of the profits…
May 11 – Lots of Fruit
We got to start our day with a walking tour of the city of Heredia, and it was cool doing an Amazing Race style scavenger hunt in the central market (we even got some news features). It was super cool experiencing a local market and seeing how business is done there, and I think it…
May 10 – Strawberries and Waterfalls
Visiting the strawberry farm was a great way to start our trip and it was awesome getting to see behind the scenes and learning what they were all about. The delicious strawberries were obviously a highlight of the tour, but it was really cool getting to learn about everything that goes into producing such a…
May 8 – Getting Ready to Leave
Costa Rica’s focus on sustainability really makes the country stand out and feel genuinely authentic, as it offers so much more than just tropical beaches and rainforests. Its focus on conservation and maintaining a clean environment is especially cool in today’s world. I really look forward to experiencing everything the country has to offer and…