I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed my time here in Costa Rica. Before this trip, I mostly viewed sustainability as an environmental issue and traceability as a technical business process, but I only knew a surface level amount of information on both from the pre-departure meetings. After visiting farms, food production facilities,…
Tag: Ryan Morrison
May 20th – Cloudy Cloudy
Today was mine and my classmates (probably) first time in a real-life cloud forest. But I think after visiting the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and hearing from the Monteverde Institute, I think limiting tourism in protected natural areas is a necessary tradeoff rather than something unfair. While it could sometimes feel restrictive to have limited…
May 19th – Planting crops and wind pops
In a day full of planting coffee seeds and walking through different terrain, the theme of production and energy stayed constant. Costa Rica’s focus on renewable energy has been noticeable the entire trip, especially when we passed the large wind turbine farm on the drive to Monteverde. Seeing all of those turbines taking over the…
May 18th – Exploring La Fortuna
Hearing the ins and outs of the business and marketing side of tourism made me think of this trip through a whole new lens. AMA’s business model seems both pragmatic and effective because they have a valid financial reason to protect nature instead of clearing it for other forms of development. The adventure activities like…
May 17th – a GOATed day
Even though I saw Lebron James today (G.O.A.T), the rain made things a little trickier than expected on today’s activities because it changed both the atmosphere and level of difficulty. Walking on the hanging bridges felt way more authentic and immersive but the rainforest was full of mist, moisture, and wildlife, making things more slippery…
May 16th – Moving out and the best Pineapples
I think many people of the younger generation are more interested in tourism than traditional farming because tourism often seems to offer higher incomes, more opportunity, and less wear and tear physically over time. I feel as if Jobs connected to tourism also usually involve learning English, interacting with people from around the world, and…
May 14th – The Greatest Chocolate for the Greatest Reasons
Out of all the amazing places we saw today, one of the best examples of the triple bottom line working today was at Sibo Chocolate. During the presentation, they explained the long history of cacao in not just Central America, but also how the world reacted as well. He spoke on how chocolate has become…
May 13th – Cafe bueno!
After visiting Cafe Britt, I believe that the company does a good job of promoting Costa Rican culture and products while using their own marketing tactics to encourage people worldwide to buy their product. The history of coffee was shown throughout the tour and in the lecture, showing how the national identity has changed and…
May 12th – Milk and Computers
We got to visit two different parts of the Costa Rican business world today, both equally important to not only Costa Ricans, but also us in the United States and other countries worldwide. After visiting both Kyndryl and Dos Pinos, I think both companies create value for Costa Rica, but in their own respective ways….
May 11th – VACAtion is going great!
One thing that took me by surprise during my homestay so far was the schedule of my host parents. They seem to go to bed at an early hour such as 8:30 or 9, and wake up around 4-5 in the morning. It feels unusual compared to what I’m used to, but after seeing more…
May 10th – Had A Blast!
The most impressive aspect of today was how connected the people are to the environment and how valuable it is to farmers and everyone alike. At the strawberry farm, they explained that they avoid using pesticides because of the negative effects they can have on strawberries and on the land. Instead of focusing only on…