School Visit

Sam writes this about the school visit "this is my favorite picture because it shows that these people truly care about their culture and are trying to preserve their history. The man told us what every dance meant to their people, one was when the boys acted like bulls.They don't want to forget their past, their old customs. When a country no longer remembers its history, whether the good or bad, they forget what all their ancestors did, the old customs they once had,they are less appreciative of what their ancestors did to give them the life they have now. Like in America a lot of us forget, therefore become ungrateful and self- serving. By teaching these young kids those dances, they preserve their history and won't forget as much or at such a rapid pace."

Butterfly Farm

Connor writes: "I picked this picture because first of all, considering my amateur photography skills, this looks pretty good, and secondly, I just thought it was so cool getting to see all of those animals at the Butterfly Gardens. I looked at it as a sort of natural zoo with all of the industrial stuff thrown in with it. Such a cool place and a great first morning!"

Blue Sky

Conner says: " I selected this photo because it really seemed the sky was bluer in Costa Rica. I don’t know if it was because of the good health of the environment, but just looking at the sky really showed how beautifully Costa Rica has been keeping their country."

Exciting Start!

Erin writes "I love this one because it brings back all the excitment of the very first morning that we were there. I was just so excited to see what would happen during the trip, and also that I got to share the experince with my best friend like Miss Haylee. Also, it reminds me of how much this trip challenged me and changed me even from the person I was in the picture. One of the best and coolest experinces of my life!!"

Vastness of His Creation

Kyle states: "this was my favorite picture from the trip because it shows how small we are in God's landscape. God's Creation is so much bigger than just humans. Hiking up to the volcano was extremely fun too!"

Plenty of Prayers Offered on the Bridge to Panama

AJ says: "walking on that bridge makes thankful for just having safe bridges, much less having a clean and safe society."

Great Views, a Rain Storm, and Lunch!

Kenzie states "I chose this photo of the volcano because it was my favorite day! I loved hiking up to the top to get a great view of the volcano and of the lake on the opposite side. It was fun how when we were coming down we got poured on and then went straight to an amazing lunch! (: "

Rewarding Hike

Ashlea has this to say about her favorite picture, "this is my favorite photo because after we had hiked all of that way and up through the rocks this is the amazing view that awaited us."

Turtle Research Station

Jamie said "this is my favorite photo because I loved looking at the different images on this wall everyday we were at the turtle station. Each photo is unique and gorgeous!

Vibrant Costa Rica Flowers

Courtney writes:"This is my favorite photo because I love the lighting behind the flower and the vibrant colors in the picture. I think it captures so much beauty."

Attitude and Knowledge Survey

Please fill out this quick survey on your knowledge and attitudes related to conservation. Thanks!

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Cultural Dancing at the School

Chris liked this photo because it shows an aspect of life that he never saw before. "Cultural dancing does not exist as much in America as it does in Costa Rica. The people there learn three dances by the time they are in sixth grade, and all of those dances are culture specific. I thought that was very cool to see".

Agua Limpio?

Allie says: "This is my favorite photo because whenever we exited the bus to enter into Panama, Nacho told us we should not talk to the children on the streets because once you give them money many other people will swarm over to you. When these two children approached us I was prepared to tell them no. Then they looked up at us with their sad little brown eyes and questioned us: "agua limpio?" (clean water) and my heart melted. I gave them my water and they lit up right before me and drank most of my water. It really changed me and I love sharing this story. They opened my eyes to the poverty of this town and made me want to bless even more children!"

A Fluffy Friend

Jordan took this picture at William's Butterfly Farm he says:"this picture shows just one of the many kinds of wildlife that Costa Rica has. It shows how some people have had an impact on preserving wildlife."

Tranquility

Haylee says "This picture summed up the trip for me. The way the trees and land reflect off the water and the smoothness of that water gave me a sense of calm on that morning. The boats were cool because they look all vintage-y. This picture gives me fond memories. It was really hard to choose a favorite picture because this trip was full of good memories."

Awesome Picture Cam!

Cam says "this is my favorite picture because it really shows how big and colorful a blue morphil Butterfly is. The owner of the butterfly farm, William, is holding it but then let it go free after everyone had looked closely at it."

Volcano Beauty

Logan says: "this picture, captured on the volcano overlooking Lake Arenal, is my favorite out of all the pictures I took. I think the picture captures the landscape of Costa Rica: mountainous, green, and overall beautiful. This was my favorite view of the entire trip, and I was glad to capture it with my amateur photography skills."

Senior Family Portrait

Michaela's favorite picture is her tight group of senior friends she bonded with on the trip.

I'm so glad you got to know each other better!

Costa Rica Butterflies and Moths Podcast

In this episode we visit Costa Rica to experience firsthand the astonishing variety of insect life in this tiny Central American nation—20,000 different kinds of butterflies and moths alone!

José Montero and Manuel Zumbado, both of the National Biodiversity Institute, INBio, explain how this crossroads between North and South America became a hotspot for evolutionary innovation, producing such spectacular specimens as Thysania agrippina, a moth so large that it’s often mistaken for....well, you'll have to listen to find out!


Listen to the podcast on the Learning + Education section of the Encyclopedia of Life.
http://education.eol.org/podcast/insects

Kyle C would love to see white tailed deer!

'm hoping to see a Costa Rican white-tail deer, which are smaller than the white-tail deer we have in the United States. Their colors range from gray to red with a white belly that is easier seen when they run. They can be found in the open dry forest land, especially near the Santa Rosa National Park. They like to eat grass, leaves, flowers, and fruits. The deer average 60 pounds and can live to 10 years. They protect themselves by jumping, swimming, and running up to 40 mph.

The white-tail deer were heavily hunted for leather goods and dog food in the 1940's; however, thanks to conservation efforts, they are again able to prosper as the National Symbol of Costa Rican wildlife. Man is still their primary enemy, but the jaguar and puma also hunt them in the wild. It would be neat to see them in their setting in Costa Rica, and how it is different from seeing their similar species in Texas.

Kyle - I'm glad you are already starting to think about the conservation theme of the trip.