A Harrowing Experience
I've been back from Costa Rica for twelve days, but only now have I been able to bring myself to reflect on those harrowing two weeks.

The nightmare began when my guide, a supposed CHL volunteer, picked me up at the airport in a Toyota Prius. It seems our Costa Rican chapter has had to work under-cover from within the abnormally ecologically literate populace. As a result, progress in homogenization has been painstakingly slow or, in some places, non-existent.

I will not recount the horror-inducing wilderness and shocking species diversity I experienced over the next weeks as we toured rainforest, cloud forest, mangrove swamps, and Pacific beaches. The wounds are still too fresh. Suffice to say that I was at times overcome. In those low moments it was only my dedication to our cause (and my portable DVD player) that pulled me through.

Even the initially encouraging news that Costa Rica has a number of endangered species quickly turned to disappointment as I learned that many have not only stabilized their numbers, but are actually recovering. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was thick with the supposedly rare "Resplendent Quetzal" (right)!

Lest you sink into a pit of despair, dear volunteer, I will conclude this tale of woe with a note of hope. While in-country I was heartened by signs of a growing population of Costa Rican coffee farmers who, in recent years, have exponentially increased the acreage of land converted from diverse forest to coffee monocultures. So have another cup of joe, America--your money is going to a good cause!

Even still, I'd like to request that my next field assignment be to Gary, Indiana. I think I've earned it.
- Owen, 7:52 AM | |