Study Abroad Photos and Videos

Costa Rica Study Abroad - Summer 2015

My study abroad trip to Costa Rica was trip I will always remember and forever cherish. I met wonderful students that joined me on the trip that I bonded with on a deep level and made lasting memories with. All the Costa Ricans were eager to share their culture and unique outlooks on what "Pura Vida" (Pure Life), their country's mantra, really means. The program's focus was agroforestry, sustainable agriculture and sustainable tourism and our classroom, workshop, and field trip experiences helped us understand the theoretical and practical sides of these topics. Costa Rica has rich biodiversity, which their citizens make an effort to protect, both in natural places and within their agricultural practices. The coordinating institution in Costa Rica, CATIE, did an excellent job of making our trip as diverse as the flora and fauna we learned about. I did not feel like an observer but as though I was getting entrenched in their daily experiences, as we helped many of the farmers on our trip during some of their processing of their crops. On one visit to a Mollejones sugar cane farm, we helped make sugar cane candy from the time the cane is cut and the juice squeezed out to the point at which we mixed the cooled sugar cane mixture with nuts and evaporated milk and also poured the pure sugar cane mixture into molds the farmers will sell at market. It was many instances like this where we were able to utilize all our senses to experience the country, that made the trip that much more of a lasting impact. I was glad that we did not just go to the most tourist traveled destinations as this enhanced the trip. I was appreciative of the opportunity to see and experience this breath-taking country. ¡Pura Vida! - Janet Cordero, Graduate Student, Plant Science, College of Ag. and Nat. Resources