Today we went to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, a Quaker owned private park, and to The Monteverde Institute, a non-profit edcational organization. At Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, we took the Heart of the Forest trail, looking for birds and monkeys. As we walked, we were asked to consider how restricted this reserve was compared to…
Tag: Plus 3 Costa Rica
Wind Farms and Night Walks: Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy
Today we left La Fortuna and took a four hour drive back over the mountain to Monte Verde. Along the way we stoped at a wind farm to see the wind turbines up close. When we got to Monte Verde, we hiked through the rain forest in the dark searching for insects and other wild…
Hiking and Intercrop Farm: How Rain Affects Tourism
Today was a long and extraneous day; we went to Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges, a nearby lake, and Arenal Vida Campesina. At Místico we had a scavanger hunt where we had to find a variaty of plants, animals, and other features of the park. I teamed up with Taliya to win a stuffed sloth and…
Pineapples and Waterfalls: Tourism over Farming
Today we left our host families and took a road trip to Montaña de Fuego, stoping at The Best Pineapple Tour and La Fortuna Waterfall along the way. The Best Pineapple Tour took us on a tractor ride through the fields of pineapple plants. We learned how farmers will spray rotating sections of their crop…
Chocolate and Pizza: Finding Meaning in Waste
Today we visited Sibö Chocolate, Riverside Gastropub, and a local university. At Sibö Chocolate we learned the history of chocolate, from the Spanish invasion to now, aswel as the sustainability innovations that the owner is constantly making. At Riverside Gastropub, we learned how the owner transformed a burned down disco into a community center and…
Coffee and Dancing
Today we toured Café Britt, a coffee roasting plant in the middle of Heredia, aswell as learned how to dance in Salsa and Bachata. The coffee plant was awesome; we got to try around 10 different beans and blends while learning about what goes in to picking and roasting coffee. Our guide explained how the…
Buying and Tasting Fruit
While bussing into Heredia, I noticed that there was a lot of barbed wire along the tops of fences and roofs; this was suprising to me as it contradicts the non-violent nature that we were told Costa Ricans had. All of the garages along the roads are always shut, along with the gates in front…
Strawberries and Waterfalls
Today we visited a strawberry farm and a waterfall park, both of which claimed to value sustainability while hiding some questionable aspects of their business. Specifically, the strawberry farm raved about thier enviromentaly sustainable practices, but failed to mention any sociality sustainable practices. The owner of the strawberry farm was clearly enthusiastic about growing strawberries….
I Just Spent 5 Hours Packing
Hello! I am Peyton Smith, a Business Analytics Major also in the Spanish Minor, American Sign Language Certificate, and Entrepreneurship Certificate. I am participating in the Plus 3 Costa Rica program. Costa Rica strives to be carbon neutral and eco friendly by focusing on sustainability. As our planet slowly dies, it is so frustrating to…
Toucan do it!
Today we went to the beautiful La Paz waterfall gardens and saw majestic waterfalls, beautiful wildlife, and reptile exhibits that made my skin crawl. In my topic of design and launch, we have learned a lot from the site visits. Specifically, at the farms, we learned how sustainability can be related to our topic. We…
That’s a Wrappuccino
Today was, sadly, our last day of site visits here in Costa Rica. To say I’ve learned “a little” would be a major understatement. This trip has been an eye-opening journey, not just into the culture and , but into the complex world of coffee. From learning about the origins and history of the bean…
Sustainable Agriculture and the Supply Chain through the Lens of the Making Process
Today, we drove to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens to enjoy the beautiful views of the falls and see the wildlife we may have missed on the trip so far. This program has enlightened me in many ways and helped me learn about the making process of the supply chain and how it relates to…
Holy Cacao! A Sweet Trip to Sibö
Today, we visited Sibö Chocolate to get a closer look at the lifespan of chocolate. From the ceremonial cacao drinks to today’s sweet and diverse treats, chocolate has always been with us. We began our tour with the introduction of historian Julio Fernandez Amón and our presenter, journalist George Soriano, the two founders of Sibö…
The Truffle Shuffle
Today’s site visit was to Sibo Chocolate, an authentic artisan award winning Costa Rican chocolate company! As a longtime chocolate lover, I was especially excited for this tour, and I can say it did not disappoint. The owners Julio and George have masterfully combined innovation with tradition to create some of the best chocolate I’ve…
In Cacao we trust
Today, we visited Sibo Chocolate for a chocolate history and tasting tour, and it was my favorite tour so far! We learned about the origins of chocolate among Indigenous peoples and how it served many purposes before becoming the sweet treat we know and love today. In addition to the history lesson, we sampled a…
Sweat, Bugs, and Bananas
Today’s site visit offered a refreshing look at agriculture through the lens of smaller-scale, community-driven farming. Francini’s family farm contrasted to the larger, more business oriented, plantations we had visited earlier. In comparison, Francini’s farm felt intimate and deeply personal, we were even welcomed by her young daughter, adding a warm, family-oriented atmosphere to the…
Field of Dreams, Powered by Bananas
Today, we visited several small family farms that grow tropical crops like bananas, black pepper, and sugarcane. Although the farms we explored were not as large as the plantations we’ve recently toured, they were still incredibly impressive. The primary consumers of these crops are local residents. The local focus highlights the community’s drive to remain…
Monkeys in the Trees, Sweat on My Knees, Where’s That Jungle Breeze
Today, we visited an organic Costa Rican pineapple plantation in Sarapiqui. This was the second fruit plantation we toured. However, the pineapple plantation was nothing like the strawberry plantation we visited earlier on the trip. The strawberry plantation was located at a higher, cooler elevation, while the pineapple plantation was much lower and hotter. One…
Pura Vida, Pineapples, and Pit Stains
After a relaxing day lounging on the beach and soaking in the sun, it was time to trade the waves for rows of pineapples and get a taste of Costa Rican pineapple. Our visit to a pineapple farm began with a welcome of piña coladas made from the farm’s own pineapple harvest. From there, we…
Goats, Chicks & Eco-Sips
After our last night in Monteverde, we ended our trip in Monteverde with a visit to Life Monteverde. Life Monteverde is a unique coffee farm that serves as a sustainability education center. This tour was the most hands-on experiences we had so far. We didn’t just walk through coffee plants, got the chance to roll…