April 22 is our yearly reminder to care for the Earth and celebrate all that comprises the environment. But in Costa Rica, they take the phrase “Earth Day is every day” to a whole other level. Through environmentally focused societal standards, a booming ecotourism industry and ever-expanding nationwide policies, Costa Rica provides the best examples of what to do to support our planet and all it has to offer. I was lucky to visit this environmentally-conscious country, and now I’d like to share my favorite things I experienced while I was there.
In Costa Rica, I explored four different yet important ecosystems: the rainforest, the cloud mountain jungle, the mangroves and the ocean shoreline. Each ecosystem had unique features and lifeforms, and they all allowed for educational interactions with wildlife. In the rainforest, I stayed at a resort where all of their profit went to rainforest conservation. Each morning, I would step outside of my room and immediately be surrounded by the sounds of macaws overhead as I saw different reptiles scurry across the ground in front of me and monkeys swing from trees above. Living inside the rainforest for a few days taught me about the importance of living with nature rather than disrupting ecosystems. The wildlife thrived despite human presence, which seemed rare compared to what I had experienced elsewhere.
In the cloud mountain jungle, species continued to thrive. As a guide walked us through the cloud mountains, he explained the history of human disturbance and how the country worked to undo its past wrongs. By pouring into these efforts, animals began to return to human visibility and thrive in places that they had previously vanished from. The mangroves were one of my favorite ecosystems to visit. With a guide, I learned about the birds of the mangroves and certain species that had symbiotic relationships with other mangrove species. One of the most charming elements of the mangroves was how quiet it was due to a lack of human presence. Experiencing nature through the lens of species that haven’t dealt with the hardships of human interference created a more emotional urge to fight for conservation. Finally, the clear water of the ocean and dozens of schools of fish swimming around sparked a passion for protecting marine life.
Costa Rica is known for the ecotourism it provides in all of its various ecosystems, especially the cloud mountains, which has a surplus of these ecotourism activities. More relaxed activities include sunset horseback riding through the mountains, learning about bat conservation in a bat cave, visiting butterfly gardens or going on a coffee-making tour at an environmentally-focused location. My favorite activities I took part in included walking across the hanging bridges, ziplining through the rainforest and going on a night tour to find sloths in the jungle.
The hanging bridges are one of the most iconic locations in Costa Rica. As you explore the hanging bridges, you are guided deeper and deeper into the cloud mountains and given the chance to explore its history. On the zipline tour, individuals climb 50-foot trees — growing appreciative of the plant life they are becoming close with — before swinging above and through the trees. Ziplining means seeing the forest in the most unique perspective and becoming more personal with the plant species that thrive in the forest. Finally, the sloth hunting night tour, led by a guide, puts people in the middle of the jungle at night with nothing besides a flashlight. This is the best tour to see animal life, as it all comes out at night. On my tour, I crossed paths with scorpions, a green viper, toucans, tarantulas, owls and insects.
Speaking of insects, one of the ways Costa Ricans show a deeper appreciation for the environment is by not wearing bug spray or killing bugs. They understand the significance that insects play in various ecosystems, and that they are a part of these ecosystems — not separate from them. This way of life normalizes the ever-present respect for the environment that Costa Rica has.
This Earth Day, consider ways you can celebrate nature by finding local ecotourism opportunities, implementing beliefs that protect creatures big and small and visiting the various ecosystems within your community.