YAHOOOO!

I can only describe experiencing the rainforest canopy via a zipline as extremely thrilling and exhilerating (and yes, scarey)! We donned our helmets, harnesses, gloves, etc.and headed in a tram to the treetops. We then received a lesson on how to hold our legs in a ball with our ankles crossed and arms extended. The next thing I knew, I was zipping through the rainforest 100s of feet in the air going very, very fast! Our longest line was 2400 feet long. We traveled over 8 lines that night. I say night because we continued our adventure into the dark of night. That was quite a thrill ride!

Arenal Volcano

Monday was the day I got to hike to the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna. The site was breathe-taking and amazing. As we hiked to the base of the volcano we could hear the rumbling of the volcanoe's eruptions. It sounded like rolling thunder. The lava appeared to be white in the daylight hours against the dark gray of the volcano. The western side of the volcano had a cloud of grayish-blue ash billowing from it.
It was also interesting how the vegetation changed as we climbed in elevation towards the volcano. We began in towering grasses well over 9 feet tall and then abruptly it changed to a rainforest area.
Our hotel had a series of hotsprings from the geothermal activity for us to sit in at night. Unfortunately, the cloud cover was too thick so we couldn't view the red lava streaming down Arenal at night.
This hike also allowed me to observe a yellow viper resting on the trail and to eat my first termite. Mmmm...minty!

Homestays at Sustainable Farms

The weekend provided us with an amazing opportunity to live with a Costa Rican family. I stayed at LasPalmas, a sustainable farm specializing in coffee production. The family also raises medicinal plants, so no need to go to a drugstore. We also discovered all of the fruits, vegetables, and tubers the farm offers for a constant and readily available food supply. At each meal we were treated to fresh produce; plantains, mangoes, pineapple, jucca, cacao, tilapia,and of course coffee. They also raise chickens, so we dined on chicken soup for dinner and fresh eggs for breakfast.
Rosa, Edin, Vera, and Pablo are a very welcoming, hardworking,loving,and fun family. I enjoyed every single moment of my stay. In fact,I would love to return for a visit with my family.
We did a lot of hiking through their forested land and even got to observe coffee production from beginning to end in a very simple outdoor buiding.
The family has its own biodigestor and is able to fuel its own home with the methane produced from their pigs' manure. I'm looking forward to sharing this simple and sensible process with others when I return.

School Visits

April 24th brought the opportunity to visit a local school and visit with teachers and students. I visited Colegio Tecnico Profesional de Guacimo, a school that specializes in sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and technical skills. The school is located on over 100 acres of land for farming, grazing, and reforestation.
Students go to school from 7am-4:15 each day. Many of the kids ride a bus two hours both to and from school while others may walk over a mile each way. All of the students wear uniforms and the style depends on the year of school and the area of study.
An interesting aspect of the school is the conduct grade. Students must earn a passing grade in their school and classroom conduct in order to advance to the next grade. If they do not pass this course they do not move on to the next grade, even if they passed all other classes.
We received a very warm welcome and enjoyed visiting and sharing pictures of our schools with the students. The kids also enjoyed getting their pictures taken.

Earth University

April 23rd we arrived at EARTH University. The university is located in Guacimo and encompasses over 9oo acres of forest. Their mission is to prepare leaders with ethical values to contribute to the sustainable development of the humid tropics and to contribute to a prosperous and just society.
The learning is very hands-on and the students come from around Central America, So.America, Africa, Europe and the US. Upon graduation, the students generally return to their villages and towns to implement what they have learned.
We toured their sustainable farm and banana plantation. Everything is organically grown with no pesticides or herbicides. The bananas can be purchased at Whole Foods markets in the US.
Do you know what animal pollinates bananas? Bats!

PEACE University

Hola, como esta? Today we traveled to Peace University outside of San Jose. The university was established in 1980 as a Treaty Organization by the United Nations General Assembly. Today 167 students from 47 countries attend the program. The main intermingling themes are peace, conflict, and the environment.

We also toured Nature Air, and environmentally friendly company. It is the world's first carbon-neutral airline and alternative fueling station. It is devoted to developing environmentally sustainable tourism by recycling wastes, using alternative energies, and reducing general usage. Nature Air is a member of The International Ecotourism Society as well as the Rainforest Alliance.

Walking Tour and US Embassy

On Tueday we were treated to more insights about the history of Costa Rica and her dreams for the future. Pres. Arias has visions for leading the country in the direction of being world leaders in the area of sustainability and environmental preservation. We attended a lecture given by Dr. Pedro Leon last night on Costa Rica's environment, as well as the world's needs to be much more conscious of our choices. Each of us can make a difference even through the small choices we make, for instance turning off lights and electronics when they aren't needed, turning off water while brushing your teeth, and recycling.
Our group also had the honor of visiting the US Embassy. That was truly an honor to be able to see the embassy and meet with representatives of our country and hold discussions regarding The United State's role in environmental sustainability.

San Jose

This is a view of San Jose and the surrounding mountains.

San Jose

Hola! We arrived in San Jose this morning and participated in a very full day of activities. We were treated to a walking tour of the city and learned about many significant points in San Jose and Costa Rica's history. I have included many photos on my Toyota Gallery from the tour. I tried to capture the flavor of the city through photos of landmarks, architecture, artwork, and its people.

This evening we dined at LaVerbena. This charming restaurant serves organic dishes set in an enchanting garden setting. This experience was magical! I am amazed at the unique places this city has to offer. I look forward to sharing more information with you about the process involved in producing organic foods for this establishment.

Everglades

The Everglades provided a perfect opportunity to see the importance of balance in nature. We were very lucky to get to work with four Park Rangers from the Everglades on Sunday. We were given the opportunity to hike through two different areas of the park. I observed numerous birds and one in particular was fascinating. I have included information about its adaptations and method of eating on the Toyota Wiki linked below. Many alligators were sunning themselves. One very large male seemed to be guarding his territory as he ferociously chased away a smaller gator. He then proceeded to roll from side to side in the water exposing his belly like a dog rolling in the grass. The ranger said it appeared to be a mating ritual. That may explain why he chased away the other male alligator.

While hiking in the Cypress Dome my group came upon a Water Moccassin-a venomous snake. It was a few feet ahead of us on a fallen branch. We took a quick picture and then backed slowly away so as not to provoke it.

I also sampled a piece of sawgrass. One can gaze upon a rolling sea of sawgrass in portions of the Everglades that seem to go on forever. The edible portion of the plant is tender and tastes like potatoes. After biting the stem, it changes color from creamy white to a lavendar.

The trip was amazing and I gathered many ideas for implementing activities into my classes on the Everglades and the preservation of ecosystems in general. I look forward to sharing my stories and pictures with you upon my return to class.

Miami

Hola! I arrived in Miami today after a long day of travels. My trip began at 6am this morning and I arrived in Miami after 3pm. I was very excited to finally meet all of the teachers who will be on this exciting journey with me. We had the chance to introduce ourselves and get to know one another a bit better through an interesting simulation activity provided by Toyota. The group all gathered together for dinner at 7:30 for a fantastic meal of salads, fried plantains, arrozy frijoles, chicken havanna style, mahi mahi, and tres leche bread pudding. It was a special treat. The hotel we are staying at in Miami is known for its strong dedication to being environmentally friendly. It also has very interesting pieces of art (paintings and sculptures) in the lobby area. I am very impressed with Toyota and IIEs attention to detail. I can tell that this will be a phenomenal learning experience!

Very soon...

Buenos Dias! I can hardly believe that next week at this time I will be traveling in Costa Rica with a group of teachers from across the United States. What an amazing opportunity! I am beginning to pack for the trip, slowly but surely. I am working with one suitcase, fourteen days of travel, and a very different environment and set of activities to plan for. It's a bit of a challenge, but luckily we have been given an itinerary with clothing suggestions for each day. My students also completed a scavenger hunt about Costa Rica on-line and offered some packing suggestions for me. I now know for sure to take bug spray and to leave my winter coat at home! See, slowly but surely I'm getting prepared. Seriously, Toyota and IIE have done an amazing job providing all of the participants with very detailed information regarding this trip. I can't say enough positive things about the group of individuals and the sponsors behind this educational experience.
I recently discovered that I will have the opportunity to participate in a homestay on a sustainable farm in Costa Rica. I will be assisting with livestock care and coffee processing. Some of my colleagues will be at other farms processing cacao, medicinal plants, and cheese. Did you know that tilapia is also raised on many of these farms?
I am deciding what token of appreciation I can take to give to my host family, as well as the schools I will be visiting. What do you think would be a good gift that would symbolize Iowa and our community? My students have created books to share with the classes I will be visiting The books have information about Iowa, Sioux City, and themselves.
I hope that you will follow along with me as I explore a different culture and learn about best practices for preserving our environment. Que le vaya bien!