Costa Rica is a beautiful country with diverse ecosystems, making it the perfect destination for eco-travel. Costa Rica offers many different types of eco-tours, so there’s something for everyone. You can explore the rainforest, go zip lining through the canopy, visit volcanoes and more.
Traveling to Costa Rica is a great way to learn about the country’s culture and natural history. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to bond with family and friends.
This article contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.
What is Eco-Tourism?
How often do you hear someone talk about an “eco-tour”? When you think about ecological topics, you might think of words like nature, wildlife, and the environment. Still, what does an eco-tour or ecological tour really mean?
Eco-tourism is tourism that is responsible and sustainable. It minimizes the negative impact on the environment and local communities. When you travel eco-friendly, you are choosing to minimize your carbon footprint. This means choosing transportation options that have less of an impact on the environment, such as flying direct, taking the bus or renting a hybrid car. You can also offset your carbon emissions by planting trees or investing in renewable energy.
When you travel eco-friendly, you are also choosing to support local businesses. This helps to keep money in the local economy and creates jobs for locals. It’s important to research hotels and tour operators that are environmentally and socially responsible.
One of the benefits of going on an eco-tour is that it teaches you how different types of life and the ecosystems where they live depend on each other.
When planning a family trip or educational trip that includes an ecological tour, it’s important to find a company that can provide your children with more than simply a fun and educational experience. Everything that happens there, from interactions between animals and plants to those between plants and humans to those between humans and the climate, matters, and we should do our best to comprehend them during our travels.
Costa Rica’s Focus on Environmental Preservation
Costa Rica has taken further steps beyond animal and forest preservation to preserve the country’s long-term viability and promote environmentally responsible economic and social development.
As of 2014, for example, the country was able to get more than 98 percent of its total electricity needs from renewable sources. This is something that many other countries around the world look to as an example to follow.
Concern for environmental preservation on the part of the Costa Rican government and the general public is motivated by more than a desire to “show off” abroad. Costa Ricans see themselves as inextricably linked to the natural world; they know they are safeguarding a global resource, and they understand that their country’s tourism industry relies heavily on visitors interested in the environment and biodiversity.
Costa Rica aspires to be a clean, carbon-neutral, environmentally-friendly country, but the country and its people are aware of the many flaws, risks, and obstacles (source in Spanish) that must be addressed.
Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing efficiency in public and private transportation are two examples of ways to address these vulnerabilities and threats. They should also significantly enhance waste management and cut back on their use of unnecessary agrochemicals.
To get individuals to take charge and begin making the necessary adjustments at a “micro level,” we need to increase economic, social, and knowledge equality.
What Kinds of Eco-tours Are Available in Costa Rica?
If you’re still on the fence about whether or not Costa Rica is the best site for your ecological student trip after reading this post, we hope you’ll reconsider. This nation has made it a priority to reduce its carbon footprint and promote environmental sustainability. It is also a country with well-defined objectives, and its citizens are prepared to overcome obstacles on the path to success. Is there something more useful you could instruct your family or students in? No of what you end up doing in Costa Rica, check out original climate change essays.
A recommendation is that you always travel with certified “naturalist” guides who are well-versed in the country’s ecosystem and wildlife.
There are natural regions, but you can find ecological wonders anywhere. In this way, you can take advantage of learning opportunities not just during tours or eco-friendly projects, but all through the day. Learning opportunities can be found in the most unexpected places, such as during a transfer between locations, when a rare insect flies onto your table at an outdoor restaurant, when the resident gecko in your hotel room calls out to you, or when you encounter a colony of leaf-cutter ants crossing the road on your way to an activity.
Ecological Tour Activities
For the sake of education, we recommend the following tours for your ecological trips:
● Night tours
● Costa Rica’s National Parks, protected areas, or ecological parks
Carara National Park in the Central Pacific and Santa Rosa National Park in the vicinity of Liberia, Guanacaste, both provide interpretive pathways that educate tourists about the differences between dry forests and rainforests.
Ecological Service Projects
We also recommend that your ecology study abroad program incorporate some sort of community work throughout your itinerary. Even if you can only spare an afternoon, this could be the highlight of your student travel program.
With our extensive background in coordinating and leading service-learning initiatives, we recommend that you participate in one or more of the following.
Reforestation projects
Plants that provide wood, trees that are high in nitrogen, and fruit trees are all good options for diversifying farmland. Volunteering with local farmers is a great way for your students to gain insight into the global and local effects of farmland diversity.
In Turrialba, Costa Rica Exploration works with the local water firms, known as ASADAs, to ensure the safety of their water sources. Natural springs are a great place to teach students about the value of clean water and the challenges faced by the water utility in protecting these resources.
Efficacious School Garden
The establishment of school gardens in public and community schools in the Turrialba area is a top priority for Costa Rica Explorations. Lunch is provided on a daily basis for students in elementary, middle, and high schools. Each lunch is primarily comprised of raw vegetables and fruits. Sowing and growing one’s own fruits, vegetables, and herbs can help decrease costs and ensure high-quality food for one’s family and community. With the help of school gardens, Costa Rica is making strides toward achieving food self-sufficiency. Your students will enjoy helping local schools establish and tend to garden spaces.
Workshops on Recycling for the Community
Costa Rica struggles with waste. The Costa Rican dump meets or exceeds all safety regulations. But there’s nowhere else to put the rubbish. Costa Rica Explorations is aiding Turrialba, Costa Rica, by teaching recycling to kids, parents, and community members. How can they reuse? HOW DO THEY RECYCLE? Your kids can teach peers and the community by hosting workshops and creating PowerPoint.
Costa Rica Explorations works with these communities to create satellite recycling centers where individuals may drop off recyclables once a month or twice a week for city pickup.
Final Words
This journey explores protected environments and the wide variety of species found there, from volcanoes to beaches. Students can travel across the country using a variety of means, from boats and prop planes to treks and glamping to snorkeling at coffee estates and exploring cloud forests. Students will enjoy the opportunity to learn about rainforests and wildlife in their native habitats on the Osa peninsula. Students can learn about marine biology, hydrology, botany, ecology, herpetology, entomology, and ornithology through these trips. With a few days of travel, these programs give students enough time to really enjoy and learn about Costa Rica.
Bio:
Evelyn Montoy is a professional writer who loves all-natural things. Evelyn has a degree in Linguistics and does botany in her spare time. In many of her online articles, you can see how much she loves flowers and other things.
Leave a Reply