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Nora M. on
Monday, August 20th, 2012 with
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Image Source: 3plus.us
As world food demand rises with a growing population, micro farming is an old concept quickly gaining popularity. It use to be that big is beautiful now the model is shifting to small is beautiful and that is the essence of micro farming. The dominant 20th century paradigm that large-scale agriculture could save and feed the world is now being turned on its head as years of cumulative problems start to rear their ugly heads and climate instability becomes a more pressing issue. The search for solutions to these problems has led people to the rediscovery of micro farming.
Micro farming was practiced for centuries before industrialized farming. With the growing demand for food, micro farming is gaining momentum through out the world including in urban areas. 15% of the world’s food now comes from micro farmers. It works under the principles that the ecosystem is based on relationships of interdependency and balance. Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Friday, August 17th, 2012 with
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Image Source: Characterclearinghouse.fsu.edu
Americans love to travel making up 49% of Costa Rica tourists and they are demanding eco destination spots. According to the World Trade Organization, ecotourism captured 7% of the international market in 2007 with a global market economic impact of $77 billion. Ecotourism accounts for 6% of the worldwide GDP with a staggering growth rate of 5% per year. The industry is being driven by a rising consumer demand, which is creating a healthy market that many resorts are catering to.
But there are different types of ecotourists.
What kind of ecotourist are you? Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 with
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Image Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com
Endangered sharks are abundant in these waters and these prehistoric creatures are some of the most intriguing of all of sea creatures. It is no surprise that the fertile Golfo Dulce is a nursery for many fish including juvenile sharks. While they have gotten a bad wrap for being predators, they play a very important role in maintaining health of the oceans as predators and scavengers. Females travel from the ocean to this coastal area to birth pups in the mangroves where the young sharks find protection from large predators. A growing concern are the free trade agreements with China that allow for large-scale extraction coupled with China’s insatiable appetite for shark fin soup. The number of illegal shark poachers is on the rise and there is a growing push for shark protection initiatives in Costa Rica. Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Monday, August 13th, 2012 with
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Image Source: Sailingcamelot.com
Tucked away in a remote spot along the Golfo Dulce is a magnificent botanical garden. New Hampshire natives Ron and Trudy McCallister while on a roadtrip from the USA to South America purchased an old cacao plantation and created the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens. Located at the base of the Piedras Blancas Mountains, they turned these five acres into a majestic “Garden of Eden.” Ron and Trudy, self-taught botanists, applied their years of knowledge to create this little exotic garden paradise. Today the garden supports conservation and education efforts and hosts many visitors to guided or unguided tours every year. Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Friday, August 10th, 2012 with
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Image Source: Cascadiaresearch.org
Besides the great right hand breaks, Matapalo is also a key spot for Humpback Whale watching. The 5th largest of the whale species, they can grow as long as 52 feet and weigh up to 50 tons. They may be gray, black or mottled and most likely have white on its flipperss and underside. These great mammals of the sea arrive here twice a year from the Northern Hemisphere in January and February and then from the Southern Hemisphere in August and September. You can sometimes see a pod of 50 or more migrating offshore to the south. Mothers will bring their calves into the Golfo Dulce to teach their young how to feed on their own and breach. Sadly, these endangered species are under increased stress due to the acceleration of climate change. Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Monday, August 6th, 2012 with
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Image Source: Sailingcamelot.com
Along a remote beach in the Golfo Dulce covering some 700 acres that borders Piedras Blancas National Park and 25-miles from Puerto Jiminez, lies a sanctuary for the wild. Carol Crews is a San Franciscan native who came to Costa Rica only to accidentally find her true calling in life. In 1996, she started the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a non-profit supported by researchers, conservationists and volunteers. Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Wednesday, August 1st, 2012 with
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Image source: Cloudfront.net
This week a New York Times editorial by a former climate change skeptic confirmed climate change is real and humans are the chief culprits. Yes, global warming is a real threat, scientists are speaking out, and already many cultures are suffering the impacts of climate change. As the climate crisis escalates, necessity drives the growing international popularity of sustainable development. Costa Rica’s ecotourism industry is a sustainable development model that emerging economies can learn from. Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Monday, July 30th, 2012 with
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Image Source: Costaricafishingreport.com
Costa Rica is a world leader in developing and implementing catch and release fishing. The efforts of both conservationists and anglers with the support of resorts fosters a prosperous ecotourism industry. Catch and release fishing plays a critical part in the continued success of this industry. Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Friday, July 27th, 2012 with
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Image Source: Ucme.wordpress.com
Lurking under the surface of the pristine warm turquoise waters off Cano Island is Costa Rica’s best diving site. A dive here promises that you will spot a shark or two but don’t worry these sharks are of the mild variety. Located 13 miles off the coast of Drake Bay and accessible by boat, the island has empty sandy white beaches and waters teeming with life. Everything here lives under the sea where fish of every color dart around the coral reefs surrounding the reserve. Visibility is excellent and averages about 65-feet. The warm cerulean waters offer an undistorted view into the vast marine life below.
Continue reading…
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Nora M. on
Thursday, July 26th, 2012 with
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Image Source: Singingbowls.biz
Exploring the Osa Peninsula this week brings us to the pinnacle of biodiversity in Costa Rica, Corcovado National Park, which is home to the mangroves explored yesterday. The park covers one-third of the Osa Peninsula. With 13 major ecosystems including lowland rainforest, highland cloud forest, jolillio palm forest, mangrove swamps, and coastal and marine habitats, this park is unlike any other place in the world. With its multitude of ecosystems and species, it is the outdoor adventure of a lifetime or maybe even a romantic place to consider having a non-traditional eco friendly wedding or honeymoon. Here sustainable development and conservation efforts have created a destination spot for both the amateur and the most experienced traveler.
Continue reading…
