When I first arrived in Costa Rica, I expected to see beautiful landscapes, try new foods, and experience a different culture, but I did not expect the trip to completely change the way I think about business and community. Over the past few weeks, every rainforest hike, company visit, and conversation showed me how deeply connected…
Tag: Brooke Toney
Protected Paradise
This morning I had the opportunity to walk through the Sendero Corazón del Bosque trail and was immediately amazed with it. The most surprising thing that happened when I came to Monteverde was that it is chilly, windy, and always has a slight mist in the air that makes it look like it is raining….
Turbines by Day, Tarantulas by Night
I never thought that today would be the day that I would be standing in front of huge working wind turbines on top of Monteverde, Costa Rica! They looked massive and immediately made me think of Costa Rica’s sustainability. Costa Rica’s investment in renewable energy shows how committed the country is to sustainability, and seeing…
Where Tourism Meets Conservation
Today we visited AMA and honestly I thought we were just going to hear about ziplining and tourism, but the presentation ended up being way more interesting than I expected. AMA has been around for 21 years and protects about 90% of its 1,300 acres of rainforest, which is honestly crazy to think about. They…
Chocolate, Cows, & Courage
Today’s activities showed how much Costa Rica’s environment affects both tourism and agriculture, especially during the beginning of the low season. At the hanging bridges, the inconsistent rain made the rainforest feel even more alive. The trails were muddy, the bridges were slippery and the hanging bridges were extremely wobbly(I was terrified). Even though the…
Tropic Like It’s Hot
Today honestly felt like the most “Costa Rica” day possible. We visited a plantation called “The Best Pineapple Tour in Costa Rica,” and somehow it actually lived up to the name. Our guide Daniel made the whole tour feel less like a class and more like an adventure, especially when he told us about the…
Burnt Ruins & Chocolate Bars
Today we visited Sibo Chocolate and Riverside and they both seemed completely different at first. One focused on chocolate and the other food and music, but both businesses actually shared the same goal of creating something sustainable and meaningful. Both places really cared about helping the community, supporting local culture, and using resources responsibly rather…
A Latte to Learn at Cafe Britt
Today we looked at Cafe Britt and I had an amazing time! Cafe Britt both lifts up Costa Rican culture, but it also packages it in a polished, tourist friendly way to sell products. Coffee is very important in the Costa Rican culture. The coffee plant is high mountain grown, uses volcanic soil as a…
Global Goals vs Local Impact
Today we visited Kyndryl and Dos Pinos, and it was interesting seeing how different they both are. At Kyndryl, a lot of the focus was on technology, global connections, and innovation. They work with companies all around the world and have over 80,000 employees in more than 60 countries, which honestly made the company feel huge. Even though…
Fresh Finds in Heredia
Today we got a tour around Heredia and did a scavenger hunt in Mercado Central. During our walking tour and our scavenger hunt I noticed the same kind of energy everywhere we went. The market was busy and loud but people were still patient, friendly, and willing to help us when we got confused trying…
La Paz: A Splash Hit!
Today we visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens and it was amazing! It showed me what a sustainable relationship between people, land, and commerce can actually look like in real life. The park protects the rainforest and wildlife while also creating jobs and bringing in tourists from all over the world. Instead of destroying the environment to make…
Costa Rica: Stepping Into Sustainability
Costa Rica’s concentration on sustainability makes the country really special and different from other places. It doesn’t feel like they’re just doing it for show or to sound good, it actually seems like something they’ve built into how the country runs. That makes it feel more real and kind of inspiring, even just learning about…