On our upcoming adventure to Costa Rica we will soar through the sky at the Arenal Ecoglide Canopy Tour! During this adrenilen pumping tour we will glide on "15 cables and 18 platforms which are divided into three sections that are found mostly in the trees" , and in the middle of the zip tour we will have the oppertunity to swing on the awesome tarzan swing. In the last section of the tour we will glide on a zippline 430 meters in the air! It is recommended that you wear long pants, closed toe shoes, and sunscreen and bug spray is recommended; So make sure there is room in your suitcase, and get ready to fly!

San Jose

The Capital of Costa rica is known as San Jose. San Jose translated in spanish means Saint Joseph. This city became the capital in the year of 1823. The population of this city is 365,000. It was founded in 1738 by the explorer Cabinda de leon. San Jose had some water problems and since then their population has dropped. It has been classified under tropical/wet and dry climate. Overall, I am very excited to visit the city of San Jose.

Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is located about 12 kilometers south from Puerto Viejo.  Located on the coast, there are sandy beaches, small waves, and coral reefs.  Animals that might be found in the refuge lobsters, sponges, red and black urchins, green anemones, crabs, hydroids, sea cucumbers, shrimp, and green turtles.  In addition, the refuge protects endangered animals such as the crocodile, tapir, cayman, pacas, keel-bille toucans, and ornate hawk-eagles.  The best time for tourists to visit this refuge is during the dry season: March through April, and September through October. 

 

 

 

Source:  http://www.costaricabureau.com/nationalparks/gandocamanzanillo.htm

Don Juan's Organic Farm

Don Juan’s farm is located 5km away from the town of La Fortuna and near the Arenal Volcano. This is an organic farm and completely run by family. It is even used by local schools to give kids an education on how organic farms work. Here, you will be given a tour of all the plantations. You will find out about a bunch of different fruits and how they grow. For example, did you know that pineapples grow from the ground? You will also learn other fun facts such as the fact that there is a plant that you can wash your hands on. This is possible because these special plants collect raindrops. Don Juan’s farm is an amazing place where you can go to learn or just have a good time. You would be lucky to get the chance to go here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture Courtesy of: http://speakuplibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/03/visit-to-don-juans-organic-farm-costa.html

Paragraph made using the information in articles from: http://crrtravel.com/news/organic.html,

http://www.costaricaundiscovered.com/travel-planner.html?page=shop.product_details&product_id=181&flypage=flypage.tpl&pop=0, and http://speakuplibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/03/visit-to-don-juans-organic-farm-costa.html

The Arenal Volcano

The volcanos in the Costa Rica area are beautiful. There is one special volcano though, the Arenal Volcano. This volcano is about 5,437 feet tall. It is the most spectacularly active volcano in Costa Rica. It has been the most active volcano here for the past 43 years. There are special hotels just to watch it spectacular eruptions. It last erupted about 2 years ago. In the rainy season over there it is harder to see these eruptions. The cone (top of the volcano) is visible from almost every point in costa rica. This volcano is muy grande.    

By: Amanda A., Julianne M., and Elizabeth D.

Matt, James and Troys Pacuare River Info

This is some quick background information on the Pacuare River in Costa Rica-

-It is approximately 108 km to the Caribbean
-Popular location for white water rafting, whitewater kayaking and river boarding
-Exotic animal species habitats, including jaguars, monkeys, ocelots, and many birds
-They suggested building a hydroelectric dam on the river, but due to concerns of pollution and other tourism and its surroundings, the plan was rejected in 2005
-Pacuare River is divided into approximately sixteen sections
-The 3 most commonly run sections are known as The Upper Upper, The Upper, and The lower
-The Upper Upper runs for about 16 miles and has numerous class II and III rapids. The section is used commonly and can be rafted and kayaked
-The Upper Section has more technical sections including about 100 miles of whitewater including multiple rapids of class IV and V rapids and some waterfalls as well. The section is most commonly used in creeking style whitewater kayaks
-The Lower Section is a section with a section of rapids including class III and IV water the river is most famous for its 23 mile flowing and 1200 foot drop from Finca La Cruz. The run can be done in a single day or up to 3 days. The highlights of the river include the whitewater rapids and the waterfalls which flow into the Huacas River Gorge. The rapids include Upper and Lower Huacas (Class IV) Double Drop (Class III) and multiple others
-Large cats include animals that are elusive but have been seen near the river. There were five different but common snakes found near the river. Poisonous snakes include the Coral snake, the Bush Master, Fer-de-Lance and Sopy Lota (A black long snake that eats other poisonous snakes) are also common in the area
-Anteaters are common as well as some raccoons, iguanas, river otters, Capuchin monkeys and sloths
-The Blue Morpho is the most popular butterfly in the area
-Toucans are popular in the area including the Chestnut-mandibled Toucan which can be seen when it’s raining or foggy near the river
-Birds can include the Blue Heron, Hawks, Osprey, King Vultures, Sunbirds and Snowy Egrets






Picture 1 Link- https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1REmtc2z_wHcDi3iQnn94SV3g7xpZUejBwAFAPKgYRu7Gd7mNH1SryLNMC6lE08TvX04Qx6oF78v3mZknSpWEnVQo7FkVn4Z5sChBVErKjFT7KVMaYwbIm7HltS0_w6wv4nKDgxzjYTy/s1600/IMG_6014.jpg

Baby Animals

I cant wait till we go to the jaguar rescue center in costa rica! While were there, we will see a baby sloth, and other baby animals. we will also see the main attraction, the jaguars! there huge! If you want to learn more or watch a cute video then watch this great video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoE0lXbd5gs

Group Research Projects 2012-2013

Buenos Dias!

Well another school year is underway and we have a new group of 21 students in the 2012-2013 Eco Club! As one of our first activities as a club this year, students will be completing mini research projects in small groups.

The first assignment is to research the places we will be visiting on our itinerary this year. Each group must create a blog post of at least one paragraph about their assigned place. The post must also include at least one picture and one link. Sources must be cited.

As an example, I made a post about Punta Uva, the beach we will be visiting:


Punta Uva is one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. The name means "Grape Point" in Spanish, which it gets from the sea grape tree that grows there. As you can see from the picture, it is a lovely place to go and enjoy some sun and sand. This gorgeous scenery makes it a tourist attraction in the Puerto Viejo region. Located on the Caribbean Sea, this beach is very close to Panama. There are three tribes of Indigenous people that live near Punta Uva. The nearby Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see rain forest wildlife.


This photo belongs to ryankozie's photostream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/baxterclaws/2460050833/

The source of information for this blog post was:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Punta_Uva

Today we went white water rafting down the Pacuare River. The students and their guides enjoyed class levels 3s and 4s rapids; it was a constant "forward!" paddle. We definitely got some sun today, and even though all of the students reapplied their sunblocks, I am sad to say a few of us got burns. It felt like on the river it was inevitable. The kids are looking forward to their last traditional Costa Rican meal of beans and rice. I hope you have the hamburgers and pasta ready for tomorrow because they're itching for a different cuisine! Thank you for keeping up with the blog. We have enjoyed all of your comments and hope you enjoyed ours! Tomorrow, weather pending, we will be arriving at 6pm in Logan and will meet you all at Parker. Buenas noches!

Hi Parents!

Just one more day, then you get your kids back! I know there were some concerns, but we had no problems with sun burn today. Some of the kids have a little color on their faces, but nothing to cry home about. We were very adamant about the sunblock. The kids enjoyed a great hike through Manuel Antonio National Park where we spotted three different species of monkeys and sloths. The trail led into the gorgeous Pacific Coast beach where we spent a few hours in the warm ocean and eating watermelon and sandwiches under the palm trees. The kids found it very amusing that the monkeys kept trying to steal our food from our backpacks. One was successful in grabbing a cookie!  Here are some photos of what we saw today. Enjoy!

Hey Y’all!

Sorry for the awkward southernness but we are down south so we had to use it. It’s Erica and Kathryn, and we are here in Costa Rica already at day 7 but still loving it. Today was the beach day and we had lots of fun in the water and on some rocks. Erica is now scared to death of monkeys because one came extremely close to her face and screamed at her. It was very scary.. She ran. Kathryn is now very sunburned on her face even though she put on sunblock (don’t worry Mom and Dad). We saw some uber cute sloths on the trek to the beach. Kathryn had a bad experience yesterday when the shower door fell leaving her clueless about how to fix it. Also, the boys next door would not shut up. On the walk back to the bus after the beach experience we had a chance to do a bit more shopping, where Kathryn found a switch blade, but luckily she had no money with her at the time so all back home are safe. The little shops were adorable and one lady was a genius (she set up an ice cream stand where everyone bought some ice cream to cool down after the long sweltering walk back). The shopping emptied just about everyone’s wallets of the little cash they had left after town, except for Kathryn who has still a hundred or so. Erica has some high number of collonas. That’s it for today we have to go get sand out of our hair... again

Pura Vida. Much love xoxo, Erica and Kathryn

Friday's student updates

Starting the zip-line canopy tour - the first of 12 zip cables!

The tarzan swing - look out below!

On the crocodile man tour.

The boat brought us incredibly close to the crocodiles!

Hello everyone!

We are currently at the La Foresta Hotel in Quepos, near Manuel Antonio National Park. We had a very exciting day today, with a zip-line canopy tour in the morning and a crocodile boat tour in the afternoon. On the bus today we had the students write updates, so here they are.  Not everyone had a chance to write today, so we will try to post the remaining students' updates tomorrow. The trip has been amazing so far, and it's hard to believe we only have 2 more days!

Hello people of Reading!  I hope you are feeling good back home because in Costa Rica, we are having an amazing time.  The trip has had many high points, but so far, playing soccer with the locals has been the best.  At the Costa Rican school, we played soccer with some of the local fourth graders who would basically be considered soccer prodigies in the U.S.,  but in Costa Rica, being awesome at soccer is the norm.  In a scrimmage against the kids (Parker vs. Costa Rican Kids) we barely won 3 to 2.  Also, though they were tough to play against, I did get 3 or 4 goals in games we played after the original scrimmage.  Anyways, adios,

-Greg M. 

Hola people!  We just got back from zip-lining, which was delayed a day and sent to another location because of lightning.  The cables were mostly short, but I kept twisting around by accident anyway.  There was one part called the Tarzan Swing, which is just what it sounds like.  You are strapped to ropes and free-fall down before swinging on a long rope.  It was fun to hear people scream as they fell.

-Andrew W.

hello everyone we are now on the bus on the way to get lunch. we just finished zip lining         the best cable I thought was the second to last at a total length of 1410 feet long. this was the greatest point of the entire trip for me. After lunch we are going to go shopping and then another long bus ride to our croc tour. After the tour we will finish the drive and arrive in manuel antonio. 

-stephen young-pura vida!

Hi All,

Today we went zip-lining and yesterday we went to an organic farm, Don Juan’s Organic Coffee Farm was better though. The zip-lining was a fun, and eco-friendly amusement ride. At the coffee farm we had a great time because Don Juan was quite the character and made everyone laugh. At the farm, I got tribal face paint made from a plant with red pollen in it put on along with a few other guys. Then I milked a cow and pet and got real close to a 3 week old calf. Then, Don Juan had a couple of kids eat hot peppers and I gave a lot of water out because I carry a gallon at all times. 

Pura Vida

Peter V.

Hi Everyone,

Our group just got back from zip-lining and we had a great time!  After flying over the canopy of trees, rivers, and pastures with cattle grazing, I am fortunate to have this great experience.  Yesterday morning we woke up to go zip-lining but it was pouring rain  so the group decided to go at a different location in the same town (La Fortuna) today.  The guides are very nice and last night we went into the town and I bought lots of gifts!  Im sure that you will like them.  We met  man named Don Juan yesterday who owns a very large organic farm.  I am taking lots of pictures and having a blast.  The coffee is a great boost to my energy because all of the guys are pretty tired.  Peter invented the idea of a coffee part where all of the guys go to one of the rooms and we make a ton of coffee and we chill out.  Pura Vida! -Jake R.

Hola y Pura Vida! If you ever have a chance to go on a tarzan swing, do it! Even though we didn’t get to go zip lining yesterday, we still had an amazing time doing an alternative course today. Especially, the tarzan swing was fantastic. What we did was get attached to some ropes that attach to some trees above you, and then jump off a cliff, freefall for a little bit, and then when the ropes catch you swing back and forth. This was the absolute best part of the ziplining because you really got your adrenaline pumping. We screamed! Also when ziplining we went on some really long ones, including one which ended on a platform with many trees. This was not so good because we hit our heads on the trees, but good thing we had helmets! We won’t ever forget going ziplining today. Next we are going to lunch and a crocodile tour! 

Love to everyone at home and see you soon,

Claire and Erica:D

    

Pura Vida everyone! Just today we got to have a Costa Rican Adventure of our own. Zip lining! It was incredible, we all had a blast, and I personally will never forget my experience. We went on 11 zip lines, and one thing called the Tarzan swing. This is a rope you are strapped into and where you swing like Tarzan. It was incredible. But the only bad part had to be the way they stopped you. They would hop onto your legs and drag you where they wanted. It really hurt. But besides that, it was fantastic in all ways. I   love Costa Rica, and Pura Vida to everyone at home!

-Sam 

Hi Everyone at home!

We’re having a great time in Costa Rica. Even though zip lining yesterday didn’t work out because there was a thunderstorm and we got soaked, we got to go first thing this morning. We went to a place called Ecoglide. They had twelve cables and they were really long. After the sixth cable, there was a huge drop that they called the Tarzan Swing. It was so fun! I wish I could have done it a million more times! The cables after that were the pretty long but the longest was probably the second to last. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the cable didn’t shake like it was about to fall. We’re on our way to lunch, our new hotel, and a crocodile tour.

Pura Vida, Carolyn T.

Hola!

Today we went zip lining, which was an absolutely amazing experience.  We didn’t get to go yesterday because it was pouring out, but today we went to a place called Ecoglide.  Ziplining above the canopy of trees was so much fun, and after about half of the lines we got to try something called the Tarzan Swing.  The Tarzan Swing is similar to bungee jumping, where they strap you into some ropes and you freefall for a few seconds.  After that, you swing back and forth through the air, which was a great feeling.  The only thing that wasn’t so great was the fact that to get you to stop swinging the people would have to grab your legs and drag you down, which didn’t feel too good.

So far everything has been incredible, and I can’t wait to see more!

Pura Vida everyone!

-Chloe M.

Hi everybody in Reading,

     Today we went zip lining after yesterday’s didn’t go so well.  There was a ton of thunder and lightening so we couldn’t go but we moved around our plans so we could go today.  It was so much fun, especially the Tarzan swing!  Yesterday we went to this organic farm place and we tasted all kinds of different foods.  Me and a few other pepole tried the chilli peppers and omg ew.  They were so spicy that we got sick.  Ew ew ew.  I’m having a great time.

~Erin

Hi everyone!! Today we went zip lining and did this really cool thing called the Tarzan swing, which was basically bungee jumping with a rope instead of a bungee. I screamed really loud, I mean it was a far fall and the guys helping me pushed me out over the fence which was pretty terrifying. Yesterday it poured outside and it was freezing cold, imagine that. Anyways, we couldn’t go zip lining and switched it with today’s original activity of going to Don Juan’s organic farm. While we were there I had an interesting experience with a chili pepper and I had to chase down Luke for his waterbottle, which I was not successful in getting, but had three other people hand me theirs. I drank all of them. I also bawled my eyes out and I wasn’t trying to but the pepper was soooooo spicy. You can’t even imagine how bad it was. Almost everybody who had it got sick in one way or another and I was the supplier of the Pepto. Hoping to have a really fun time at the beach tomorrow and white water rafting Sunday. Bye ;)

-Kathryn

¡Hola!  Yesterday we were all ready to go zip lining, but then it turns out that we weren’t allowed to go because it was raining.  It wasn’t too bad because we got to go to an organic farm.  At the farm I ate a REALLY hot pepper which almost made me throw up, and I drank about 2 bottles of water to get rid of the hotness.  Today we went zip lining in the morning which really fun.  After that we are going to go to a Crocodile Tour.  

-Peter McGrory 

hey everybody, were having a great time down here. today were going on a crocodile tour, unfortunately it is a 3 hour drive down to there. and after that were going to the hotel which is another 2 hour drive but hopefully it will be worth it once we get there.

-Alex May

Hola yesterday we were all ready to go zip lining and then it started to rain and we heard lightning and I thought it would fine but the teachers made the decision to do something else and when we got down to land and then it stopped raining. So then we when to the organic farm and there I got a free hat and we did and egg toss and I lost and got egg all over my self. So then today we went zip lining and it was a ton of fun!!!!!!!!!

^__^ Hunter Atwood

Hola everyone, we had a bit of a delay with the zip lining but it worked out really well in the end. I was a bit apprehensive in the beginning but once I got started, it was great. The beginning went by pretty fast and by the time we got to the Tarzan swing I was totally relaxed, at least until I saw the drop. When I got up to the platform and they strapped my harness in, it was basically pulling me off into the air. As I took the “leap of faith” as you could call it, I felt the drop in the pit of my stomach but floated right back up soon after. After the amazing experience, we still had a few more zip line cables to make it to the bottom which just added to the excitement. We all reached the bottom and joined together to take off our equipment and get back in the bus. We drove for about two hours and stopped for lunch in the same place we had just days before. I bought some great gifts in the souvenir store next door and we were off once again. Now we are driving to the crocodile tour which is pretty exciting and it should be really fun. We had the great chance to meet the wife and three children of our tour guide, Chino, as we drove through his home town. I saw the Costa Rican coast for the first time all week and it made me anticipate our trip to the beach tomorrow. I really am having a fantastic time on this trip, even with all the rain, and I can’t wait for everything else we still have coming.

Pura Vida,

Kyra McDermott

Hola! Yesterday we visited a organic farm that was started by Don Juan, a former school principal. His goal is to change the world using education and sustainability through his farm. Driving in the bus going there, we were very cranky because we had just stood in the pouring rain for a long time waiting to zip line, only for it to thunder and get cancelled. The bus was filled with complaints on how we did not want to go to a boring farm, but when we got there it was a blast. Don Juan made the tour fun, interesting and interactive. I got to paint war streaks on Sam’s face with paint that I created by rubbing a berry’s seeds between my fingers. He also introduced a plant that when smacked onto our clothes created a mark. It was really cool! My highlight of the farm would have to be when some people got to try hot peppers. Their reactions to the fiery taste was priceless- I got some great pictures of them. Another high from the farm was the lunch. Everything on my plate was grown and harvested right on the farm! The tour pleasantly surprised me and I’m wicked glad we were able to visit it.

Pura Vida,

Ellie Wilson 

Sup people again,

Today we went zip lining in the early morning because we were unable to go yesterday due to the thunder and lightning. We went to a different place, which was very fun. The best part was the Tarzan Swing. This was a drop where you would be harnessed onto ropes and you would drop to your death, but suddenly rise and swing around the trees and vines. We just ate lunch at El Jardin. The food was great, and tasted much better than the hot pepper I ate the day before. Like the food at the restaurant, the pepper tasted pretty good. Even though it was good, it was extremely HOT! I felt like I was on fire! Later we went into La Fortuna to buy things, including hamburgers which the cooks in the restaurant that night made us.

-Hunter Lambroff

Hola!

Yesterday we got to visit an organic farm. Although we have them back home, they are nothing like the ones out here. Here they have sugarcane, pineapple and fresh tropical fruit everywhere. One of the funniest activities was when people that love spicy food had the option to eat this extremely spicy pepper. Some people were in more pain than others, but had hilarious reactions. Some people also got to milk a cow and we got to meet a baby cow that was named heart in spanish after the heart on its forehead. The experience was like no other and I am glad that I got the chance to enjoy it.

Pura Vida

Julie

Yesterday we were supposed to go zip lining but it started to rain too hard, so we ended up going today, it was really fun! Also, yesterday we went to an organic farm and I tried a very spicy pepper. Also we ate a disgusting plant, drank sugar cane juice, and some people milked a cow. Today we saw lots of crocodiles up close in a boat.

Pura Vida

Caroline

Coffee Plantation

Our view from the second hotel.

Alex enjoying nature.

The students created their own adventure while we waited for our bus to cross the river.

Rio Celeste

Chaperones crossing the hanging bridge.

After a day of painting and playing soccer, we relaxed in the pools heated from the natural hot springs. 

The following pictures are the students eating the chilies from Don Juan's Organic Farm shown below. I thought these to be extremely funny pictures showing honest reactions. Enjoy!

These are the culprits

The chaperones right before our waterfall hike. You wouldn't want to see the after picture!

Our bug lover Hunter saying hello to the friendly spider. Don't worry, it's dead, but I still wouldn't let him take it with him on the bus.

Great spirited best buds Kathryn and Erica enjoying a bus ride to our next destination.

The beautiful and talented girls of our school visit dressed in traditional Costa Rican dance dresses.

Que Linda!

Enjoying a friendly game of soccer with the local students. The Americans held their own! Even I scored a goal!

Chloe, Kathryn, Erica, and Caroline singing to the girls of our school visit.

Erin enjoying a new toy with the student Kimberly, age 8.

Kyra and Ellie enjoying a hand game with the local girls.

Painting one of two of the classrooms for the school.

Luke was one of our main, dedicated painters.

The Futbol (Soccer) Players

Arenal Volcano, view from our hotel. These are the bungalows we stayed in.  Not too shabby!