Trip Description
A team of 15 Seattle area high school students and 3 adult chaperones will travel to Sarapiqui, Costa Rica to set up two computers labs. One lab will be at the Sarapiqui Conservation and Learning Center. Another will be in a local school.
The Sarapiqui area is rich in recreational opportunities; possibilities include zip-lining, river rafting, hiking to a huge 600-year old almond tree, cacao plantation with a traditional chocolate making demonstration, latin dancing, cooking classes, participating in reforestation. (We probably can't do all of these.)
Housing is likely to be in home stays, in a rural area. We'll need to adapt to their rhythm - in bed at 9, up at 5:30 or 6.
Below are notes from a Road Scholar trip taken by the lead chaperone, Tim Hesterberg:
Sarapiquí is one of the richest sites for birds in Middle America with well over 400 recorded species. The nearby La Selva Protection Zone and the Braulio Carrillo National Park form the only significant corridor of forest on the Caribbean slope linking the highlands with the lowlands - a corridor crucial to birds and animals that undertake seasonal altitudinal migrations.
Walk on forest trails to a small cacao plantation to participate in a traditional chocolate making demonstration and sample the "nectar of the gods." Chocolate was cherished in this region long before the arrival of Columbus (although its health benefits had not yet been discovered).
Latin dancing is recognized as an exemplary form of cardio exercise. Laugh, dance and socialize at a rural bar situated between the lodge and the town of Puerto Viejo.
The main purpose of our morning hike into the heart of the rainforest is to pay homage to El Ganador, a giant almond tree that towers above the canopy. What life secrets would you ask a 600 year old tree that is still standing strong? El Ganador was already a mature tree when the Spanish came to the Americas in the late 1400s. This enormous tree stands 54 meters (177 feet) high and 14 meters (46 feet) in circumference and in 2007 was recognized as a natural and national treasure of Costa Rica. It won the 2007 Exceptional Tree award from INBio Park, the National Institute for biodiversity in Costa Rica. Almendro trees, or Dipteryx panamensis, are considered guardians of the tropical rainforest and a symbol for the region. They are also a critical part of the endangered Great Green Macaw’s habitat. This award-winning tree should live for another 100 to 200 years.
Winding through the region of the "Eternal Spring," the Sarapiquí River offers some of Costa Rica's most enjoyable white water river rafting amidst lush and vibrant scenery. The free-flowing river has its origins in clear mountain streams that tumble down through thick rain forest to merge with the crystal waters of the beautiful Sarapiquí. Verdant forest reaches right up to the river's sun-basked banks. This narrow waterway is ideal for white water novices, whom will enjoy its moderately flowing rapids, interspersed with tranquil stretches. The journey is also excellent for bird-watchers and other nature lovers. The river stretches its way through lush vegetation that is home to hummingbirds, toucans, woodpeckers and scores of other native bird species.
