CONVERSATION ON SUSTAINABILITY
Conversation about sustainability and eco-tourism followed by a traditional cooking class, showing local exotic fruits and giving cultural insights about Costa Rica’s local culture. Conversation about the world-famous Blue Zone in Nicoya.
Q&As at the end of the session.
Topics
- Sustainability
- Eco-tourism
- Traditional Cooking
- Blue Zone
Conversation about the Costa Rica formation, Process and Geology
Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity. Roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle. During the session you will learn more about the formation of the country and about the Arenal Volcano and the catastrophic event of 1968, when the Volcano suddenly and violently erupted. The eruptions continued unabated for several days, burying over 15 square kilometers with rocks, lava and ash.
Conversation about the Life Zones and Ecosystems based on Holdridge System
Holdridge’s work aimed to correlate world plant formations with simple climatic data. The system embraces all major environmental factors in three hierarchical tiers. During this session you will understand how a country smaller than West Virginia has more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity, has 12 ‘life zones’ of the 38 that exist in the world, based on the Holdridge metric System.
Conversation about the correlation and importance of birds of North America and Central America
Holdridge’s work aimed to correlate world plant formations with simple climatic data. The system embraces all major environmental factors in three hierarchical tiers. During this session you will understand how a country smaller than West Virginia has more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity, has 12 ‘life zones’ of the 38 that exist in the world, based on the Holdridge metric System.
From ranchers to ecologists
Costa Rica, a Central American nation not even the size of Virginia, is home to 5% of global biodiversity, has one of the most wildlife per square kilometer, and is one of the reasons why more than 3 million people a year visit the country for vacation. However, Costa Rica has not always been the eco-friendly country it is today. From 1960 to 1980, forest cover decreased by 75% due to cattle farming, which was seen as an opportunity for economic development. Unfortunately, being a small country, Costa Rica could not compete for quantity, but clearly had to compete for quality. That’s when in 1995 institutions and incentives sparked an entire transformation of the country’s economy, shifting productive activities in favor of conservation and sustainability.
