One of the best ways to get students to appreciate the earth, nature, and our planet is to submerge them in nature. Costa Rica is the best place to do this! One of the most popular adventures was the Sky Tram zip line. We zipped through the rainforest, 600 feet above ground, over 3,000 feet in length, over 7 times, up to 50 seconds per line. Views of the rainforest blew our minds! Although many were fearful of the height, they overcame their fear and came together to experience the beauty of the rainforest. What a day!
Another way we submerged ourselves in nature was literally jumping into the hot springs! We visited the Tabacon Hot Springs near Arenal. The hot springs are an expression of the earth's energy. The springs are created by 97% rain-based and heated by 3% magma from the Arenal volcano. The human body benefits from the warm temperature since it improves oxygen flow, muscle relaxation, and the strengthens the skin's defense mechanism via "biogleas". Students left Arenal feeling calm, relaxed, and appreciative of clean, hot, mineral water.
Overall, we all had a great time flying from tree to tree (like tarzan or a monkey!) and dipping into a natural hot spring. What better way to engage with nature than high up above, and closest to the core.
Fun Facts:
- Kaylee thought she couldn't handle the zip line, but she completed the course like a champ! We are proud of you Kaylee!
- Michael was a pro at zip lining. We think he has done it before!
- Sarah went down the slide at Tabacon 4 times!
Bryant University Sustainability Marketing 385
Costa Rica is currently giving away $1,000,000 of travel money. Winners will stay only at resorts with 5 leaves. We wanted to know what these leaves are! Therefore, we stayed at El Establo and Hotel Parador and learned about many sustainability practices that earn them leaves. Leaves represent how sustainable they are, at the same time earning them credits on taxes to save money. El Establo has 1 leaf. They are sustainable in several ways, here are a few: 1) key cards are required in the room to run the electricity, 2) rooms have no heat or air conditioning, 3) rooms have organic and inorganic recycling, and 4) they purchased 40 hectors of land to build the hotel on so they could conserve the area and its resources. The hotel property is breath taking.We also learned that customers are not always happy about following the rules and often find methods to prevent sustainability efforts from working properly (like rigging the room to run electricity even without the key card). They are working very hard to attain all five leaves.
When we arrived at Hotel Parador (5 leaves!), we toured the facilities to learn all about their sustainability practices. The hotel is very beautiful and has been rated the best hotel in Costa Rica since 2004. Some of the things that caught our eye is that they conserve by 1) saving rain water, 2) creating compost (and selling it for a hefty profit), 3) recycling, 4) conserving energy with key cards, 5) using energy efficient appliances that use less water and run on fewer cycles, 6) using biodegradable detergents and soaps, and 7) using a water treatment plant to clean water from the sewage and cleaning. It was really neat walking through the trails to see Sloths and Tucans, although it is about 100% humidity and 90 plus degrees. Pool wasn't bad looking, though we never had the time to take advantage of it.
Our last day in Costa Rica, while filled with the warm sun and ocean view, was not put to waste. Earlier in the week, Dr. Attaran and Dr. Boyer handed awards to each student in an effort to commend them on their specific talents noticed along the trip. For example, one student received the award for "overcoming her fear of heights" by doing the zipline, one for "best sport," one for "best social media use," among others. The award was an Oxcart (pictured), but much smaller in size!
Since I’ve been home I have told so many people about my trip and some of the different ideas of sustainability and the coffee industry. One of the things that always stands out to me as being the coolest sustainability project was the implementation of the coiled water tubes running through the compost and how it acts to heat the water. I remember my Dad raising an eyebrow and saying, “Wow, I never would of thought of that, but it makes complete sense.” I got many responses like that and it makes me realize the importance of sharing my experiences. By sharing my experiences, I can educate a person on something simple that has been overlooked and might be the key to sustainability in our own lives. 
Before going on this trip, I had NEVER tried a cup of coffee, but now I feel like I know a thing or two. From how it is grown, how it is produced, taste testing & different roasts, and even how it is sold. One of my favorite things I learned from the trip was the recycling of materials in the coffee making process. From the way the dried bean skin is used for fuel, and another layer of skin is used for stuffing in pillows and stuffed bears, and even the bean itself through osmosis creates caffeine used in energy drinks. There are so many different ways that it can be used. The way things are done in Costa Rica is actually much more sustainable and smarter than I used to think.
To continue sustainability efforts on campus I have joined the SIFE Green Team and yesterday was actually the RecycleMania kickoff (www.recyclemania.org) and this semester’s goal is to place in the top-100 schools competing in the program for recycling efforts. There truly are a lot of people wanting to help with recycling, but if we are going to make a big impact we are going to need a commitment from all people to be more sustainable.
After a wonderful experience visiting Costa Rica, I have learned a lot about the environment throughout the world and what we as humans can do to help preserve the area around us. Being home for three week now since the trip, I have noticed myself changing some daily behaviors, thoughts and feelings. I have also noticed that I pay more attention to the food I am eating, whether it is organic and/or all natural. I have noticed myself grabbing the all natural or organic brands when food shopping. After learning about how different foods are made and how these practices can help the environment tremendously, it has changed the way I look at the practices companies are involved with. I believe that by making these changes in my lifestyle it will increase my own well-being and hopefully influence the ones around me as well. 
Being home for three weeks, I have already missed the freshly handpicked coffee from Costa Rica along with the fresh food that was provided to us every day (especially the fruit). The knowledge I have now after my experience abroad has definitely influenced my thoughts, feelings and behaviors towards sustainable practices domestically and I hope to educate the ones around me to change their feelings and behaviors as well to help the well-being of our country. 
