Howler monkeys woke us. Their voices resounded like maniacal dogs.

These loud, gentle primates use their yells to

define territory and avoid conflicts. “Good morning to you too,” my partner and travel buddy Kate laughed. The Monkey Howls at Dawn would be a great name for a film noir set in the Tropics.”

Yesterday, a bus from Alajuela brought us through heavily forested volcanic valley and towns of adobe houses painted orange, gold, and lavender.  Vendors walked up and down the aisles, selling Cokes, pork rinds, and fruit we couldn’t name  We left the bus in the small mountain town of Bijuagua, and took a taxi to Donald  Varela Soto  and Pip Kelly’s farm.

Today, we ate breakfast in Casitas Tenorio’s outdoor visitor center. Small flocks of lime green parakeets circled the farm calling “Fweep?”  Montezuma orioles answered them with songs like water drops ascending a scale. Clouds and morning fog slid around the twin volcanoes, Volcan Tenorio and Volcan Miravelles.   Our traditional breakfast included huevos con Gallo Pinto (eggs with sweet and spicy beans and rice), slices of watermelon, papaya, and pineapple, guanabanajuice, and strong Costa Rican coffee.

Nesting cattle egrets, Puerto Jimenez. Photo Credit Kathryn Roak.

‘There are jaguars near Volcan Tenorio,” Donald said as he refilled our coffee cups. “We own property near there, and a big cat killed one of our colts last week. It’s good news for them that their population is strong around here.”

“Not good for your horses though,” Kate quipped. Donald laughed, and filled his own cup. We had to finish our meal and tour the farm before the next storm began.

We love Costa Rica. The beauties of its forests and coasts are as immeasurable as its people’s generosity.  The absence of a military allows the society to invest in education and social programs. Still, many travelers see only the upbeat sides, and don’t realize it is also a land of deforestation, poverty, and conflicts between development projects and traditional people.

                                PROBLEMS MANY VISITORS DON’T SEE

Agriculture has been one of Costa Rica’s main economic activities since the 1600s. Settlers mainly farmed on the country’s central plateau. Soil depletion and other factors influenced these people to move towards undeveloped areas.

Donald from Casitas Tenorio. Photo Credit Kathryn Roak.

The coffee industry connected Costa Rica with the world economy in the 1800s and early 1900s. This development also led to consolidation of agricultural land in fewer hands, mainly on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. United Fruit became a powerful landholder there in the 1930s and 40s. Sugar and cacao became major exports, followed by beef in the 1960s. Industrial agricultural practices led to 17% of Costa Rica’s land being eroded or degraded by 1987. Forests once covered 99.8% of Costa Rica; this figure declined to 31% by 1981.

Production of monoculture crops remains the rule. Pineapple plantations dominate much of the Caribbean Coast, while palm oil is a major crop on the Pacific Coast. Palm oil production began in the mid-1950s in an effort to diversify United Fruit’s holdings. It later expanded when the banana industry suffered blight. Palm oil is used in products such as margarine and cooking oils, cosmetics, soaps, and shampoos. It is also considered an important ingredient in biofuels.  Palm oil interests have been implicated in deforestation, and in child and international migrant labor issues.

Downtown Bijagua. Photo Credit Kathryn Roak.

Pineapple production provides 135,000 Costa Ricans with jobs, but it has been associated with soil erosion, pollution of waterways, and destruction of native ecosystems. Groundwater in four Caribbean communities was contaminated with traces of the herbicide bromacil, which the U.S. EPA considers a carcinogen.  Some plantations use paraquat, which is considered carcinogenic and banned in Europe, to clear old pineapple stalks.

Costa Rica began to emphasize the tourist industry in the1970s.  Biologists state that 4-5% of the world’s species live here. The ecotourism industry is noted as providing Costa Ricans with sustainable employment, and tourists with chances to directly experience tropical nature.

Ecotourism projects began as small scale, locally based lodges, but the number of visitors has increased. A US State Department memo noted written in 2001 noted that it was growing at a rate of 6% annually. Costa Rica does not have the resources necessary to create the infrastructure needed for large scale development, and increasingly allows foreign developers build mega projects.

Reception at Casitas Tenorio. Photo Credit Kathryn Roak.

The Indes Mundi lists Costa Rica’s national debt as $10.5 billion dollars in 2011; This factor encourages the government to promote foreign investment in tourism. The government passed the Tourist Development Incentive Law in i985.  This legislation provides tax breaks to corporations that develop the tourist infrastructure. These facilities need to include hotels with at least 20 rooms and imposes strict limits on facilities. This law makes it difficult for local people to participate in tourism.

An international airport in Liberia in the Guanacaste Region, on the Pacific Coast, has contributed to mega development there. All-inclusive resorts have caused decreases in native flora and fauna. Privatization of beaches has impacted on local communities, along with competition for electricity and water. While Costa Ricans working in hotels receive higher salaries than they tend to receive in other sectors, chances for advancement are scarce. Management positions usually go to foreigners

Donald commented, “In Tamarindo, everything is foreign owned, including soda stands and window washing businesses.” While some resorts donate to schools, murals, and other social projects, they take large amounts of money out of the country, where the Index Mundi estimates the poverty rate as 24.2% in 2010.

                                         CAN LOCAL PROJECTS HELP?

We wondered about solutions to these problems as we walked down a steep, rocky road towards Bijuagua. Pure white butterflies danced with chocolate brown ones. Small brown and yellow birds called “Kiskadee!” from electric wires. Dogs ran out of tidy gardens to bark shrilly while cicadas rumbled like tambourines.

The small town stretched along a paved road, and included an internet café, a secondary school, several hotels, produce markets, and a barber shop called “The Modern Haircut”. We browsed a women’s collective craft store that sold colorful earrings made from soda can rings and bottle caps. I bought a cap adorned with a painting of the local waterfall. Can sustainable projects like this one bring stability to the countryside?

Many Costa Ricans believe that a locally based tourism sector provides an alternative to exploitive and environmentally degrading mass tourism. Casitas Tenorio is connected with the Rural Community Tourism movement.  COOPRENA (Consortium of Rural Tourism Co-operatives) and ACTUAR (Costa Rican Rural Based Tourism Association) pioneer this effort, with financial and technical support from the United Nations Program for Development.

Rural Community Tourism It promotes local land ownership of lodges, and includes residents in this effort. The organizations distribute the economic benefits evenhandedly, supplementing farmers’ incomes. The movement stabilizes communities, and strengthens their uniqueness and idiosyncrasies. Guests find that their visits integrate natural beauty with day to day life in local communities.

Rural community tourism focuses on tourism for development, rather than on development for tourism. An article by Adrianna Chavarria Flores on the website www.dines.org   quoted Juan Carlos Marlos, who administers a rural inn near Quepos, Costa Rica. “We offer tourism with human development and environmental responsibility in mind,” he reflected. He commented that rural community tourism is an advanced form of ecotourism, since it incorporates local communities and charges them to preserve the region’s natural and cultural heritage, and to share these with visitors.

Kate and I found our Casitas Tenorio cabin quite cozy; still, accommodations are simpler than those at luxury resorts.  The focus is more on bringing travelers to places that don’t participate in the traditional tourim industry. According to  Leyla Solana, a board member of the Costa Rican National  Chamber of Rural Community Tourism, the  objective is to reveal the nature, the history of the people, their culture, their agricultural and livestock production, and the rural community lifestyle.”

“Guests  have more authentic experiences than tourists who hear lectures in resorts,” Donald reflected. He hires local residents who share their knowledge of local birds and ecosystems, lead night hikes that focus on local frogs, and take visitors on tours of sustainable farms.

Visitors can participate in farm work and care for the livestock. They can also work with the Cooperativae Juvenile de Bijuaga. This group of twenty youth from the community works on reforestation projects on the Farm and its surroundings. The government cut much of the original forest in the 1960s when it encouraged local residents to engage in subsistence farming. Parts of this forest remain as windbreaks; the young people replant native trees to create a wildlife corridor between the two volcanoes, and to counter climate change.

                                   COMMUNITY WORK IN ANOTHER REGION

Dusk came to Puerto Jimenez by 6 PM in July.  Rattling cicadas yielded to the high pitched crickets. Flocks of hundreds of parakeets stopped their cycles around the town and found roosting spots. Pairs of scarlet macaws found shelter in almond trees for the night. Crickets hiding in grass and short herbs beeped, electronically, mimicking Packman. Bachata and other music flowed from single story houses with neat gardens. Wandering dogs passed parked cars and tethered horses.

Downtown businesses included pizzerias, tour offices, and a brightly lit produce market where locals gathered to chat. Others talked at outdoor food counters that served casados and hamburguesas.  A natural ice cream store displayed a sign that announced, “You can’t buy happiness, but you can but ice cream, which is close to happiness.”

Light rain didn’t impede the evening’s parade. Barefoot young women wearing grass skirts and flowered tops led the way with complex dance steps along Puerto Jimenez’ unpaved main street. Women combining complex turns with rhythm from their cymbals followed them. Young men playing drums completed the line. Everyone carried yellow helium balloons, including the crowds that lined the parade route.

Kate and I came to the town’s circular bull ring, where bulls always survive their contests with humans, on a Saturday afternoon. Pizza, hamburguesa, and elote stands stood outside the ring.  A Peña Cultural took place inside the rodeo . Children and adults gathered to sing “Happy Birthday” to a boy, who received a new blue bicycle. One man taught children to juggle with pins; the kids then gathered for a capoeira lesson.

“This is the seventh Peña Cultural,” Ifigenia Garita Canet,. who calls herself Ifi told me. She owns Osa Wild,  tour operator promoting sustainable in the Osa Peninsula.  Osa Wild’s slogan is “Supporting our community through tourism.” Ifi is also the president of ASCONA, a grassroots organization that organizes the Peña Culturals.

“Our office in town helps tourists find projects they can visit,” Ifi said. “We write grants to support the projects; for example, to get money for mattresses. Young volunteers from the U.S. and other countries also spend three weeks with ASCONA, circulating among the projects. They can paint signs, write essays, translate from Spanish to English, work on trails.”

The Osa Peninsula is home to half of Costa Rica’s native species, and is considered one of the most biologically rich places on earth. Corcovado National Park’s many inhabitants includes many wild inhabitants,, such as  four species of monkeys, jaguars, the largest population of Costa Rica’s scarlet macaws, and a huge range of plants. The Golfo Dulce, which separates the Peninsula from the mainland boasts the presence of whale sharks and humpback whales.

The Osa’s isolation and lack of deep water ports led to its relative lack of development until recent times. United Fruit maintained banana plantations here in the 20^th century; the company pulled out in 1985, leaving a legacy of deforestation, environmental contamination, and poverty. Cattle ranches also contributed to the loss of native forests.

The government has promoted the development of monocultural tree plantations in the Osa and in other parts of Costa Rica as a source of lumber, and as part of the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. These projects have led to disappointing timber yields, and have distracted attention from the needs of wild forests. Officials ignore local peoples’ knowledge about forest, and communities have been displaced to make way for the tree plantations. In one case, five hundred families in Southern Costa Rica had to move.

Monocultural teak plantations have been implicated in soil erosion when their leaves drip large amounts of water. Palm oil plantations expand into wetlands, and eucalyptus projects have absorbed water that would have flowed into local aquifers. Ifi and other activists know people in the Osa need alternatives to these tree farms.

Ifi agreed with Donald that most tourism interests are owned by foreigners. Many Costa Ricans fear that a proposed international airport, which will be built near the Terraba-Sierpe wetland, will hurt the region. Both local communities and wild species, such as migratory birds from North America rely on that ecosystem.

Ifi  knew that alternatives must be strengthened. “Osa Wild only supports local projects,” she commented.  “We try to give local people confidence, and to keep money in the communities.”

The Osa Peninsula’s ecological uniqueness makes it a great location for small scale diversified projects. The many types of soil and pollinating animals, its landforms,  ranges of exposure to sunlight and wind, and the accessibility to fresh water encourage many types of agricultural and restoration projects.

“Tourists can choose among eight projects,” Ifi said. Visitors to Dream Valley will find themselves on a working farm where they can hike, learn about agricultural practices, and milk cows.  The Bellanero family teaches tourists about livestock care, and cheese production. Eduardo Cortez from La Tarde, six kilometers from La Palmas at the end of the Ngobe indigenous reserve and his family live on property that includes more than 250 acres of rainforest. Guests can ride horses, watch birds and frogs, and visit an Indian community. The Biological Station Tamandua  offers visitors cabins on a river, and opportunities to identify tropical trees, watch birds, and hike to a range of waterfalls

Osa Wild also offers nature tours and kayak trips in the Golfo Dulce, one of the best regions for kayaking in Costa Rica.   This Gulf is a tropical fiord, unique to Central America, home to 5 species of mangroves, with endemic birds such as Yellow billed cotinga, the mangrove warbler.  The diverse activities that this  young business offers, includes tourists to participate in scientific surveys around the Gulf, where a local center, called  CEIC, takes you for dolphins and whale watching.

A recent review on Lonely Planet rated Osa Wild among the best 28 things to do in the Osa Peninsula. The writers also stated that Ifi, who is a university trained biologist, is the best guide in the region.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Donald whistled towards a tree as we walked; a sloth lifted its head to watch us. Donald, a native of Bijuaga met his wife Pip, who came from Australia as an environmental volunteer in the early 2000s. They both worked as guides for the Heliconas Lodge, and bought the land for Casitas Tenorio in 2008.

The farm is organic and sustainable. “Plantations give their pineapples hormones to make sure they are the same size when they are harvested.,” Donald commented as we walked. “We use no hormones, and pick the pineapples when each appears ready.” The farm produces corn, beans, coriander, yucca, pineapples, and medicinal plants for use by local residents, and by the Casita’s guests. Cattle, pigs, and the free-range chickens add their unique personalities to the project.   A biodigestor converts these animals’ manure to fuel for cooking stoves and electrical generators.

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“I use scientific farming methods, and I also rely on traditional knowledge,” Donald said. He mentioned his grandfather’s practice of watering pineapples just before the full moon. Research shows that the moon’s gravitational helps pull water up the plant’s stem.

                                    LOCAL EMPOWERMENT

Osa Wild shares its office with ASCONA. Founded in 1972, this  NGO strives to foster an appropriate attitude towards the Osa Peninsula through environmental education. It conducts scientific research on the Peninsula’s ecological health, and monitors the impact the tourist industry has on local communities and biodiversity.

ASCONA’s website reflects that the Osa is one of the last regions in Costa Rica to experience big tourist development. The organization participates in review of tourist development projects, and promotes sustainable development. I bought a dark blue t-shirt with an owl image at Osa Wild’s office. It  proclaims, “Desarrrollo sin Destruccion” -  “Development Without Destruction.

ASCONA  sponsors the periodic Peña cultural events, which strive to empower celebrate local culture, and to encourage children to take responsibility for their community and surroundings. Representatives visit schools and present workshops on recycling, rainforest animals, and conservation.

Ifi hoped that ASCONA’s work would  that make children feel confident about their artistic, athletic, and other talents. Many of these proud children to stay and contribute to their region’s stability.

Ifi and I watched the children dance to the rhythmic capoeira music and agreed it empowered them.. “My father wonders why I don’t start a business that will make me more money,” Ifi said. “I want to make the people of Costa Rica confident and strong.”

Puerto Jimenez, Photo Credit Kathryn Roak.

Kayaking at sunset in the bay of beautiful Playa Samara, Costa Rica

How did you find Casitas Tenorio?

I came to Costa Rica for a second time following a friend.  That lead me to a volunteer project in Bijagua where I met Donald.  He quickly introduced me to Pippa his wife, and next thing I knew, I was asking if I could volunteer on their lovely farm, Casitas Tenorio.  Traveling is a wonderful thing because you never know who you are going to meet or the lasting impression they will have on your life.

What is your professional background?

I graduated from California State University Chico with a BS in Commercial Recreation and Tourism.  I spent the next 6 years working in the event planning and tourism industry in San Diego, California.  From there I completely switched gears and for the next 7 years, I sold pharmaceutical medication for one of the top five companies worldwide.  I longed to return to my event planning roots, which lead me to open a wedding planning business.  But nature, travel, and a simpler life began to call my name.   I couldn’t be happier with my switch to Casitas Tenorio.

What do you find most interesting at Castias Tenorio? 

Llanos del Cortez. My favorite waterfall is less than an hour away from Casitas Tenorio. Lucky me!

The birds!  I am amazed and mesmerized by the enormous plethora of species we have right here on the farm. Second would be the sunset.  Some nights the sky turns this amazing color and everything looks different.  The trees, the grass, the clouds all turn a color that is unrecognizably majestic.  These nights I run out to the look out point and just allow myself to feel natures wonder.

 What do you find most interesting about life in Cost Rica?

I find the culture extremely interesting and different from where I grew up. It’s lovely the amount of time people spend with their friends and family.  When guests visit Casitas Tenorio, they don’t just meet me. They meet the kids that live down the street, the Aunt who helps cook breakfast, the friend who comes to share a cup of coffee.  You are never alone in Costa Rica!

Working in the rural tourism industry must be very different than working for an international corporation.  What do you like about it?

I love the feeling that I can be myself and everyone I work with is himself or herself.  There are no fancy clothes or hair-dos to hide behind or judge.  Everyone has a true connection to nature here.  And everyone is family, the amount of support the people of Bijagua give each other is incredible.  Rural tourism shares this with people that may not get to experience this in their everyday life.  I see a lot of “ah-ha” moments from our guests during their stay at Casitas Tenorio.

Volunteering at Heliconias Lodge and Rainforest, Bijagua. Anna Maria is the first on the right.

You have travelled quite extensively. What are some of your favorite places?

Traveling outside of my home country has always been an important part of my life.  Many of the places I go to come directly from recommendations from fellow travelers.  I love sharing travel stories with the guests at Casitas Tenorio.  Some of my favorite places in the world are Isla Isabella in the Galapagos Islands – don’t miss a trip to Túneles with Fabricio.  Torres del Paine, Chile – considering volunteering with AMA and experience what it is like to live inside the park. Boquete, Panama – spend an afternoon with my mentor Deyanira at her witty eco-garden.  Tanzania – be a guest teacher at the house of Zenan and his wife who take street children into their home.  And of course Bijagua – let me introduce you to Miguel who will give you an insightful look on how they live off the land.

Rainforest in Bijagua. This is why I love Costa Rica.

Thank you Anna Maria for sharing your thoughts with us.

We hope you will come meet Anna Maria and enjoy all there is to experience at Casitas Tenorio!  Welcome to our family AM!!

Summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

Looking over Laguna Capri at the famous Fitz Roy tower in Argentina, Patagonia.

Taking in the wonder of Machu Picchu, Peru

See here for a previous blog entry about the class.

For their final graduation, the students were invited to the ‘Casa Presidencial’ (Presidential House) in San Jose to graduate, however there was no money for this trip. Through sheer determination and team work the class and through the generous donations of local and international donors, the class was able to fundraise the $2000 needed for the trip.

We travelled to the capital city of Costa Rica by bus. We shared a wonderful graduation ceremony and then were able to do a tour of the presidential house.  Each student was presented with a certificate, a dictionary, a pen and a koala on behalf of some generous sponsors from Australia.

Thank-you to all the people who donated to make this possible and congratulations to all the dedicated studnets.

This opportunity was a DREAM for our students.

It was a dream to travel from rural Costa Rica to the capital city, with our class.

It’s was a dream that we walked across the stage in the Auditorium at the ‘President’s House’

It’s was a dream that we got to celebrate our academic achievements

It’s was dream we have completed an English course.

This is an event that our students and our community will remember for the rest of their lives.

Please click on the image above to see some photos from the final Graduation!

]]> http://www.casitastenorio.com/the-english-class-graduates-at-the-presidencial-house-in-san-jose/feed/ 0 http://www.casitastenorio.com/the-circus-comes-to-town/ http://www.casitastenorio.com/the-circus-comes-to-town/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:46:07 +0000 admin http://www.casitastenorio.com/?p=1559 It was with great excitement that we here at Casitas Tenorio were able to partner up with the incredible talented Cookie and Sarah from Circosis Circus recently. Together we developed a three week project with one of the primary schools in our area. Students from Kindergarten through to year 6 were offered the opportunity to learn various circus skills from these two talented circus artists. At the end of the project the students presented their performances to an enthusiastic and proud audience of students, parents and teachers.

Cookie and Sarah also made a special guest performance at our Adult English class, teaching a lesson in English and using their circus skills to teach prepositions in a fun, engaging and exciting way! We finished the session with a juggling lesson!

See the video below of the final performance below!

Circosis are an internationally trained and toured circus company based in the heart of Australia, Alice Springs. Circosis are on the leading edge of social circus in remote indigenous communities, delivering high quality circus programs across Australia since 2004. Their unique program specialises in using circus activities to enable young people to feel empowered through fun and healthy activity.

For more information:
http://www.circosis.com.au

Pip has worked as a teacher of English in Bijagua since 2008. She has volunteered in three local schools on a regular basis,  worked teaching English to small groups of children and adults, developed and delivered holiday programs and worked with volunteers on various projects in the community. She is a passionate educator and believes that education should be a key focus of any development strategy.

Pip has recently been appointed the ‘Academic Coordinator’ of a project in Bijagua and San José de Upala which is being sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The project involves working with young people from vulnerable backgrounds  to teach them conversational English.

This incredible opportunity allows Pip to harness her passion for teaching and learning in order to design the pedagogy and methodology for an exciting and dynamic conversational English course. Hopefully the course will have lasting impacts on the social and economic development of our community.

Background information about the project

The project has a duration of seven months, which includes eight hours of English classes per week and a two hour ‘homework help’ session with a volunteer from the US Peace Corps. The emphasis is on conversational English and to provide students with the confidence and skills necessary to establish and participate in conversations in English. The objective of the course is that students move from the A1 level of English to the A2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The Costa Rica Multilingüe English Class in Bijagua.

The program is being delivered by Costa Rica Multilingüe- a foundation established by the Oscar Arias administration developed to promote language learning in Costa Rica in order to increase national competitiveness. Costa Rica Multilingüe was invited by UNESCO to develop this project in Bijagua and San José de Upala.

The initiative is led by the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund. The project is being coordinated by the Joint Program ‘One stop Shop for Youth Employment in Desamparados and Upala’. This program seeks to generate real access to opportunities in education, employment and health for young people, women and migrants between the ages of 15-35. This program seeks to address the Millennium Development of halving extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equality and empower women. Please see  here for more information.

The course does not have a cost for the students and they also receive a textbook and workbook for the course.

The program seeks to offer assistance to young people in vulnerable circumstances including immigrant populations, so they have more opportunities to integrate successfully into the job market. The first phase of the project was implemented in Desamparados. The second phase of the project is currently being implemented in Bijagua and San José de Upala located in the northern rural zone of Costa Rica.

Bijagua and San José  de Upala were chosen as locations for the project because of various socio-economic factors. These areas have been identified as communities characterized by low levels of education and high levels of unemployment. The knowledge of a second language especially English has been identified as an important asset to have when seeking employment in Costa Rica. When referring to Bijagua and San José de Upala, there are major limitations to learning a second language including access to resources, access to language institutions, the financial resources required and qualified teachers.

History of the Upala region in Costa Rica

Upala became a Canton in the province of Alajuela on March 17, 1970. Upala is the capital of the Canton and its districts are; Upala, Aguas Claras, San Jose, Bijagua, Dos Rios, Delicias and Yolillal. Development in the region has been slow. The region has been identified as one of the poorest in Costa Rica in successive national censuses. Electricity reached the area in 1976 and the area was without a hospital until 1981. According to the 2008 census, the Upala Catnon has a population of around 45,000 people. It borders Nicaragua and as a result there is a significant influx of migrants. Bijagua has a district population of about

Agriculture has been the most prevalent economic activity in the area. In fact, Upala is one of the largest bean producers in the country. Pineapple, palm oil, corn
and citrus crops are also grown in the area. Seventy percent of farmers engage in cattle farming. Recently there has been a downturn in agricultural prices and this has generated negative effects on the local economy, including high levels of unemployment.

In Biagua, tourism has developed rapidly due to its proximity to the Volcano Tenorio National Park and the famous blue Rio Celeste. Now there are many tourist projects in the area including hotels and restaurants which require their employees to be able to speak English. It is anticipated that some of the graduates of the course will hopefully be able to seek employment in our local area.

Background Information about Costa Rica Multilingüe

The strategic tasks of Costa Rica Multilingüe are to act as a catalyst for public policy and national projects, as a lobbying agents and as a project leader to develop and support language learning projects (Costa Rica Multilingüe, 2011). Costa Rica Multilingüe is involved in various projects including developing ‘language corners’ that seek to promote multilingualism through the creation of public spaces with literature in foreign languages and ‘community conversation groups’ whereby English speaking residents of Costa Rica are encouraged to form conversation groups in their local communities. For more information click here.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

The MDGs are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. They include eradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS, and developing a global partnership for development.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Development_Goals)

The MDGs provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. 

The MDGs also provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end – making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved, world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy. 

The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are measured by 60 indicators. http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Would you like to meet our class?

Perhaps you might be able to make a donation?

Making a small donation can make a big difference in the life of our English students….

Please contact Pip info@casitastenorio.com or Alfredo Gonalez at Costa Rica Multilingüe

Thank-you for your support!

We hope to see you soon!

References:

Costa Rica Multilingüe http://www.crmultilingue.org/

Costa Rica Multilingüe, ‘Third Annual report: Costa Rica Multilingüe Foundation, March 2010 to Match 2011, 2011

Programa Conjunto: Juventud, Empleo y Migración
‘Una ventanilla única para el empleo juvenil en Desamparados y Upala’
http://nacionesunidas.or.cr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=200&Itemid=100016

United Nations Millennium Development Goals: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

Wikipedia, UN Mellennium Development Goals: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Development_Goals

Did you know that our community has an Old People’s Home? Well it does! The ‘Hogar de Ancianos’ is home to 45 residents and 19 staff.

The home relies on donations and was recently donated a small van to transport the ‘abuelos’.

This week we were lucky to receive a visit of 23 residents of the Old People’s Home. The ‘Abuelos’ enjoyed a sunny afternoon at Casitas Tenorio. We shared lunch together and the more able explored the ‘Tenorio Trail’ and the ‘Vista del Rey’ observation platform built by a group of volunteers who recently stayed at Casitas Tenorio.

Memories and stories were shared and there were also many games of dominos and cards played in the outdoor kitchen. A great day was had by all. Thanks to the staff from the ‘Hogar de Ancianos’ and they ‘abuelos’ who shared their time and stories with us. If you would like to make a donation to the Old People’s Home, please contact us.

Dr. Köhler was on a mission. He was convinced that there would be an undocumented species of lizard living on Volcano Tenorio. For several nights in a row he climbed the summit with his research assistant Joséph Vargas and Donald Varela Soto from Casitas Tenorio. On the third night, local community members Henry Brenes Gonzalez, Marlon Calderón Brenes, José Francisco Salas Vega and Jorge Luis Soto Obando joined the expeditions, setting out at night and scouring the dense undiscovered rainforest for lizards with flashlights

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After many long nights deep in the rainforest, the team successfully found a female of a new undocumented species. They continued their expeditions and finally found a male specimen allowing the species to be documented. It was an incredible discovery, the first time a new species of lizard has been discovered on Volcano Tenorio!

The new species of lizard that they group worked together to find is called:

Anolis tenorioensis
The Lizard itself was a beautiful dark brown with a male dewlap which was dark red with brown blotches.

You can read about the discovery here:
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/z03120p042f.pdf

Gunther Köhler (2011) ‘A new species of anole related to Anolis altae from Volcán Tenorio, Costa Rica (Reptilia, Squamata, Polychrotidae)’, Zootaxa 3120: 29–42.

Dr Köhler was incredibly gracious and shared his enthusiasm and scientific knowledge with his daughter and wife as well as the the members of the Casitas Tenorio team and some other guests staying at the time. He conducted the formal identification of the new species in front of some eager observers explaining at each step of the way what he was doing.
He was granted collecting and exportation permits by the Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía (MINAE) and returned to Germany with the specimen for further scientific study.

Casitas Tenorio welcomed the return of Dr Köhler, Joséph Vargas and Markus Gutpelet in October, to explore the remote and harsh slopes of Volcano Miravalles. They hiked from the Caribbean side of the volcano to the pacific side searching for new species of lizards and frogs. It was an incredible expedition and we await the next instalment of Dr Köhler’s findings.

Markus Gutpelet, Dr Gunther Köhler, Jorge Rodrigez, Joséph Vargas and Donald Varela Soto set out on their expedition!

Here is a video we made about the experience:

One of the Tapirs at our farm near the Volcano Tenorio National Park.

Sharing time in the forest with a Tapir!

Backgound Information: Baird’s Tapir

Order: Perissodactyla 
Family: Tapiridae

Baird’s Tapir is named for the American naturalist Spencer Fullerton Baird who traveled to Mexico in 1843 and observed the animals.

Baird’s Tapir has a distinctive cream-colored marking on its face and throat and a dark spot on each cheek, behind and below the eye. The rest of its hair is dark brown or grayish-brown. The animal is the largest of the three American species and, in fact, the largest land mammal found in the wild from Mexico to South America. Baird’s Tapirs average up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length and 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) in height, and adults weigh 150–400 kilograms (330–880 lb). They have small stubby tails and have four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot.

For the first week of their lives, infant Baird’s Tapirs are hidden in secluded locations while their mothers forage for food and return periodically to nurse them. Later, the young follow their mothers on feeding expeditions. At three weeks of age, the young are able to swim. Weaning occurs after one year, and sexual maturity is usually reached six to twelve months later. Baird’s Tapirs can live for over thirty years.

Baird’s Tapir may be active at all hours, but is primarily nocturnal. It forages for leaves and fallen fruit, using well-worn tapir paths which zig-zag through the thick undergrowth of the forest. The animal usually stays close to water and enjoys swimming and wading – on especially hot days, individuals will rest in a watering hole for hours with only their heads above water..

It generally leads a solitary life, though feeding groups are not uncommon and individuals, especially those of different ages (young with their mothers, juveniles with adults) are often observed together. The animals communicate with one another through shrill whistles and squeaks.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Baird’s Tapir is in danger of extinction, and in 1996 it was officially classified as “Vulnerable.” Hunting by humans and habitat loss are the two major factors in the species’ diminishing numbers. Even though in many areas the animal is only hunted by a few humans, any loss of life is a serious blow to the tapir population, especially because their reproductive rate is so slow.

Though in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama, hunting of Baird’s Tapirs is illegal, the laws protecting them are often completely unenforced. Furthermore, restrictions against hunting do not address the problem of deforestation. Therefore, many conservationists focus on environmental education and sustainable forestry to try to save Baird’s Tapir and other rainforest species from extinction.

The tapir used to be common in all kinds of habitat in Costa Rica; but that all changed once guns were introduced to the area. Now they are mostly found in national parks, and their numbers are still recovering from past hunting. Today they reside in medium numbers in Santa Rosa National Park and large numbers (100-300) in Corcovado National Park. 

Adult tapirs live independently except when a female is raising her young. Females have one baby at a time, which stays with her for a year, at which point it will be about two-thirds of her weight.

The Dantas on the edge of the forest at our farm.

Sources:

http://www.anywherecostarica.com/flora-fauna/mammal/bairds-tapir

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baird%27s_Tapir

Donald Varela Soto

Donald first started working on farms clearing fields with a machete when he was seven. He was lucky enough to be sponsored for an English course when he was nineteen. He passed the course and has since worked as a naturalist guide in Costa Rica for more than ten years. Donald is a passionate birdwatcher and can spend hours in the forest calling birds and observing them in their natural habitat. He has studied natural history and has extensive experience working with various universities from Costa Rica and North America as a guide for tropical biology courses. He is a very knowledgeable guide and likes to show tourists the beauty that is found in our local area. Donald has been fortunate to have had visited North America, South America, Europe and Australia. When he is not guiding, Donald likes to spend time with his wife and daughter, take care of the animals at Casitas Tenorio and visit his other farm to walk through the primary rainforest to try and spot the elusive tapir.

Jorge Luis Soto Obando

Jorge was born and raised in Bijagua. As an adolescents he was able to learn English speaking to tourists at Heliconias Lodge. Jorge is now a very experienced guide and a brilliant birder. He also is a keen frog spotter and night tours are his forte. Jorge has studied in Canada and various courses within Costa Rica. A tour with Jorge is a wonderful experience and at the end of the day you will feel like you have not only learnt many things about the area, but that you have also gained a new friend.

Kim Bustos Arias

Kim is a passionate birdwatcher and is often seen around the area with her binolcuras and a bird book in hand. Kim I extremly knowledgeable about the local area and is keen to share her knowledge with others. Kim has studied English and is learning French and is trying to learn German from visitors to the area. Kim is a great guide for families with children. In her spare time Kim likes to talk about the various species of birds she has spotted, teach children English and dance salsa.

Marlon Calderon Brenes

Marlon first came to Bijagua during his university studies. He now calls this area home and has developed a deep attachment to the area. Marlon studied Tourism at university and has worked as a guide for several years. He is also a founder of the youth group and undertakes work planting trees with fellow members of the group in the biological corridor for companies and individuals who want to offset their carbon emissions. Marlon is also great birder and has a passion for visiting Rio Celeste and playing soccer in his free time.

Donald has over ten years experience guiding tour groups and university students from Costa Rica , North America and Europe. He has exceptional knowledge of the flora and fauna of Costa Rica and a passion for finding illusive species. Donald is fluent in Spanish and English and has a good understanding of French.

Places of interest: Volcano Tenorio National Park, Volcano Arenal National Park, Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Palo Verde National Park, Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, Volcano Poas, Bijagua waterfalls, Zapote Waterfalls and local farm tours.

Please visit our flickr site to view some of the images Donald has taken of the flora and fauna of Costa Rica.