Monday, January 16, 2012

One With Nature in Costa Rica

Students on the Sustainability Marketing 385 course have had their days filled with exciting experiences. As you have seen throughout this blog, they are now sustainable coffee experts! Alongside such fruitful (pun intended) experiences, they have had the opportunity to submerge themselves in the Costa Rican culture by chatting with locals, hearing stories of coffee farm families, and participating in many local activities that have brought them closer to nature and each other.

One of the best ways to get students to appreciate the earth, nature, and our planet is to submerge them in nature. Costa Rica is the best place to do this! One of the most popular adventures was the Sky Tram zip line. We zipped through the rainforest, 600 feet above ground, over 3,000 feet in length, over 7 times, up to 50 seconds per line. Views of the rainforest blew our minds! Although many were fearful of the height, they overcame their fear and came together to experience the beauty of the rainforest. What a day!


Another way we submerged ourselves in nature was literally jumping into the hot springs! We visited the Tabacon Hot Springs near Arenal. The hot springs are an expression of the earth's energy. The springs are created by 97% rain-based and heated by 3% magma from the Arenal volcano. The human body benefits from the warm temperature since it improves oxygen flow, muscle relaxation, and the strengthens the skin's defense mechanism via "biogleas". Students left Arenal feeling calm, relaxed, and appreciative of clean, hot, mineral water.


 
Overall, we all had a great time flying from tree to tree (like tarzan or a monkey!) and dipping into a natural hot spring. What better way to engage with nature than high up above, and closest to the core.

Fun Facts:
- Kaylee thought she couldn't handle the zip line, but she completed the course like a champ! We are proud of you Kaylee!
- Michael was a pro at zip lining. We think he has done it before!
- Sarah went down the slide at Tabacon 4 times!

Bryant University Sustainability Marketing 385

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