The
drive to Cuerici Biological Station was not only beautiful, but quite an
adventure in terms of winding roads, passing cars, and all the sights around.
Leaving Las Cruces was slightly sad, but I was ready for a new climate and
experience. Las Cruces was slightly isolated, but Cuerici was a whole other
story as we were welcomed with about a 15 to 20 minute off road and bumpy, yet
riveting, ride into the property from the main road. All of us stuffed into the course car on flat road was tight, but add bumps and the 10 of us became much closer
in a matter of minutes. As we pulled up to the Cuerici Biological Station main
house I was very impressed. Not only was the cooler weather a slight relief
from the previous heat, but the house was a lovely log cabin style building
that reminded me of a ski lodge in a way as the chimney fire was roaring,
bringing me a sense of warmth and comfort – even with the looming idea of not
having Wi-Fi for four days.
Although
the thought of not having Wi-Fi really unsettled some of the others, I was
oddly content about the fact. It is so rare today in such a technological age
to have a break from all of it for a bit. Everyone is always so concerned with
what is going on in the outside world that they are glued to the screens around
them – I myself being guilty of this. I was excited to take this opportunity to
not only learn about the beautiful montane forest and property we were
visiting, but to also take a break from the outside for a bit.
By
taking a break from the screens and having the opportunity to immerse myself in
books and the environment around me, it was clear that Cuerici was full of some
really genuine people and things. During our stay there, our lectures and
conversations with Don Carlos Solano really put into perspective the commitment
and sacrifice of the people who run the station and it was quite a humbling
moment for me. When talking about conservation and protection policy in Costa
Rica, it really amazed me that there are people out there willing to live on so
little, for example Don Carlos, just to be able to protect, conserve, and
educate others about the special environment they hold so close to their
hearts. I don’t know if I would ever be able to fully invest that much, but I
think that Don Carlos and the Cuerici Biological Station should be used as a
prime example that if we all just lived a little more frugally and supported
the environment around us, then the people like Don Carlos would never have to
chose between protecting the forest or handling familial/personal emergencies
if they ever occurred. In order to prevent future destruction, we must protect
what we already have and try to restore what was lost.
Shannon
Law-Clark
Providence
College
Picture above: Trout farming pools at Cuerici
Below: Lookout from Oak Forest
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