Had to play tour guide this weekend for a family of four, with two small children. The eight year old boy seemed to be determined to identify as many species as possible. He had his trusted field guide handy and any time he saw an animal he would go digging through it until he came up with the name. A chestnut-mandibled toucan, he would exclaim! It was a joy to see a child enjoy the natural side of Costa Rica so much. It really got me to thinking. If we want to raise the next generation to be in tune with the environment, what better way than to utilize the resources of Costa Rica as an environmental classroom. Maybe it would be a great idea to set up “nature schools” for kids of all ages. They could learn about the different species and also about the conservation efforts of Costa Rica that are quickly making it a model to the world of how to profit from an environmental mindset. They could take field trips into the jungles and cloud forests and rivers, and also Costa Rica’s important biological research centers, like InBio. InBio has recently been invited to be a collaborator in the project to document all the world’s species in a web site known as “Encyclopedia of Life.” There are many other research centers around the country as well. They could also learn about the new methods being researched in Costa Rica for increasing crop production in an environmentally sensitive way at agricultural research centers such as the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (or, CATIE) in Turrialba. CATIE is one of the leading tropical research centers in Latin America. In between learning activities, of course could be flat out fun, such as canopy tours, rafting tours, surfing lessons, etc. etc. I have written in this blog previously about how the biological hot spots of the world need to serve as “arks” and that we just need a few “Noahs” to make that happen. And this is exactly the type of idea that concept is referring to. Hey, how about “The Noah’s Ark Nature School.” That would grab kids’ attention and rev-up their curious minds for learning about nature, don’t you think? What is more enticing and motivates kids to learn more than does the natural world? Kids are always fascinated by it. And we need more of our young people to grow up with a deep respect for biodiversity and environmental conservation. It is vital if we hope to preserve the planet in a livable state for future generations. I always like to say that Costa Rica offers a little something for everyone and we certainly promote that idea on our Package Costa Rica web site. We love to see families bring their children to Costa Rica. It is the most rewarding type of business that comes to us. However, maybe it is time to take that to another level. To really encourage it not just in terms of a family vacation, but in terms of a real learning experience. Kids could learn that protecting the environment is vital and not just a “political issue.” They could learn that yes a healthy balance can be struck between protecting the environment and biodiversity and economic development. That these concepts are not diametrically opposed at all times. And what better place to learn than Costa Rica where the government and the private sector have learned how to “synergize” environmental protection and tourism in a way that has been enormously beneficially economically for the country. They could learn the concept that if it’s matter, it matters. I would love to hear comments from anyone out there about this idea.
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