Being
from the relatively flat Midwest, high altitudes have always mesmerized and
slightly intimidated me. Thus,
everything about our time at Cuericí, a montane biological station surrounded
by oak forest and susceptible to visits from the stray drifting cloud, has been
thrilling and new (except for the cold; that I was quite familiar with). Cuericí is unique not only because it is the
highest elevation station that we will visit (the station is located
approximately 2600 meters above sea level), but also because it houses a small,
family-run trout farm in addition to a biological station that hosts student
groups. Our activities at the site were
divided into three categories/ecosystems: the trout farm/finca, the
surrounding montane moist oak forest, and the páramo, a unique high-altitude
ecosystem.
My
initial impression of Cuericí was one of a blissful environmental utopia. Upon our arrival in Cuericí, we met Don
Carlos, owner of the trout farm and manager of the field station. He took us on a tour of his trout farm that
he runs with his daughter, Ana. While
trout are non-native to Costa Rica, Don Carlos has done a good job of creating
a sustainable enterprise that works with and not against nature. Don Carlos spoke to us about how he grows his
trout without hormones, and how he only uses non-genetically modified
fish. He noted that it is his
responsibility to keep the water that courses down from the mountain as clean
as possible since there is a town downstream from him. It is evident from our discussions with Don
Carlos that he has a deep respect for nature.
While his grandfather, who owned the land on which Cuericí was founded,
cut down the forest to create cattle pasture, Don Carlos now is replanting the
forest and conserving it; the woods surrounding the field station that consist
of secondary forest (what used to be cattle pasture) as well as untouched
primary forest. During a hike in the primary
forest, Don Roberto pointed out ancient oak trees who were hundreds of years
old and a magnolia tree that he could obtain thousands of dollars for cutting
down, but that he protected because he believes that the forest takes years to
grow and money can be spent fairly quickly.
His other conservation efforts include replanting palms, which are cut
down and used for food.
Our
high-altitude adventures took us beyond the boundaries of Cuericí and up to an
elevation of about 3000 meters above sea level.
By far the highlight of my time at Cuericí was our hike in the
páramo. After this semester, if someone
asks me what my favorite ecosystem is, I can answer without hesitation that
this is it. The best way that I can
describe this ecosystem to fellow Midwesterners who may not have seen mountains
is a high-elevation desert. The páramo
is dry and full of stout, clumped vegetation with waxy and/or hairy
leaves. These physical characteristics
minimize the desiccation the plant experiences and protect the vulnerable plant
tissue from cold temperatures. I was
surprised at how diverse the vegetation was, despite the generality of these
shared characteristics. On our tour, we
identified a member of the cilantro family, a relative of St. John's wort, and
pink sphagnum moss which stores water, essentially becoming the water bottle of
the páramo. Along the way, our guide, a
native of the páramo, pointed out plants that could be used to treat insomnia
and menstrual cramps. Unfortunately, the
páramo is not immune to sustainability issues.
For example, our guide, Jenny, explained that the beautiful sphagnum
moss that provides water for other plants in the ecosystem is often harvested
to make baskets. According to Jenny,
even scientific research on the páramo can hurt the ecosystem, as digging or
manipulating the ecosystem in order to see how it reacts can harm the
ecosystem. After seeing all that the
páramo has to offer, I want to protect this unique ecosystem that sustains both
visitors like our group and people like Jenny whose homes and livelihoods
depend on its health.
Wanting
to preserve the páramo and the oak forest at Cuericí is one thing, but how does
one go about actually protecting these spaces?
An interesting question that was raised during our time here was whether
the Cuericí model—the biological station, the trout farm, the conserved
forest—is sustainable. Although Don
Carlos’ intentions are good, the operation of Cuericí is not flawless and there
are certainly challenges inherent to the running of the station. For example, trout is non-native to Costa
Rica and, although Don Carlos may try to keep the water leaving his farm clean
for those who live downstream of him, trout eggs may still be swept into the watershed
from the finca. Additionally, the
mission of Cuericí may shift in years to come.
Don Carlos may be the caretaker of Cuericí, but he is not its sole
owner. An association of
conservation-minded lawyers and doctors purchased the land of Don Carlos’
grandfather and helped turn it into the conservation utopia that it is
today. It is unclear whether the
children of these socios who will grown up in the city and will inherit
ownership of the site will have the same respect for and dedication to the
forest at Cuericí that the current owners do.
The
case of Cuericí exemplifies how conservation does not exist in a bubble; many
factors (and people) are involved in creating a space where conservation
thrives. It is not only selfless
individuals like Don Carlos who can see conservation efforts through. After seeing how Jenny and her family make
their living as guides who host tourists and teach them about why the páramo is
interesting and worth preserving, I find myself doubting whether conservation
necessarily entails extreme financial sacrifice. While ecotourism can be destructive, with
regulation and common sense, it is an important opportunity to teach citizens
about the wonder of their country. I
believe that programs to incentivize conservation could entice more people to
devote their lives to protecting nature than just selfless individuals like Don
Carlos. In my opinion, we do not need to
sacrifice to conserve natural habitats like Cuericí. I think that we need to commit to creative
and perhaps unconventional or new solutions to protecting the natural beauty
that surrounds us. I look forward to
learning more about what concrete solutions, such as government programs or
community-based efforts, are being implemented currently, and what new solutions
are being proposed here in Costa.
Emma
Roszkowski, Grinnell College
No comments:
Post a Comment