Field Note Category: Gap Program: Costa Rica

To celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a very important tradition in Costa Rican culture. In Costa Rica, in addition to the religious activities, Semana Santa is celebrated with soccer games and food. Semana Santa is most often celebrated by people that follow catholicism. Semana Santa is a week full of gratitude and many families … Read More

La Mejenga (Pick-Up Soccer) By Owen and Jimmy At FUDEBIOL, we have a tradition every Wednesday of playing a game of Mejenga at the soccer field on the property. Mejenga is a Costa Rican, or Tico, term for a pick-up game of soccer. Every Wednesday at 4:00 we leave the FUDEBIOL home base and walk … Read More

By Jade, Nolan, and Owen This past week, we got a taste of Costa Rican culture – literally! The cooks of ASOFEQUE invited us into their kitchen to make Manzanitas de Coco, a Costa Rican dessert that resembles small apples. Here’s the recipe! Ingredients: – Two bags of coconut shavings – One can of sweetened … Read More

By Pia, Owen, and October Here at FUDEBIOL, we just finished our first full week of community service work! We rotated groups on Sunday, and most of us now have new jobs. We have four different volunteer groups here at FUDEBIOL–painting, plant nursery/fieldwork, cooking, and cleaning. We work from 7–11 am every day (except for … Read More

This week, we drove four hours from Turrialba to FUDEBIOL, which will be our home for the next six weeks. FUDEBIOL is a reserve committed to promoting the protection of the natural resources of Costa Rica, facilitating scientific investigations, bringing about environmental education, and promoting the sustainability of the watershed of the Quebradas river and … Read More

With the theme of our gap program being conservation and climate change, it is only appropriate that we are taking every precaution to make sure to limit our ecological footprint. We’re working hard to limit our water usage through shorter colder showers and exclusively drinking from reusable water bottles. Even our laundry system is efficient, … Read More

A Day in the Life By Ava M. First, we wake up at six in the morning. Then, some of us go for a walk. After we return, we all eat breakfast. We eat gallo pinto (rice with pinto beans), plantains, eggs, and meat and we drink coffee. The coffee here is very delicious. After, … Read More

Conservation and Climate Change by Valerie D. Water, air, and soil are elements that we all need to live. Climate change is increasing, and it is a problem that is battering the Earth every single day, it is necessary to act immediately. What motivates you to be part of the program of Conservation and Climate … Read More

A SNEAK PEAK OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS // UNA PINCELADA DE LAS PRIMERAS DOS SEMANAS A VIEW FROM PACUARE RIVER LODGE by October K.   The first thing you notice about Costa Rica is not the heat nor the humidity (although those are both very prominent), but the beauty of nature. It is said … Read More