Reading Week Project: Costa Rica

Hola, lovely Bloggees and Bloggettes!

My name is Grace, and I am one of Knight’s charming group leaders. Today, I am here to blog about the IPP Go Global Costa Rica International Service Learning trip that is happening during the upcoming reading break!
First off, we will be working with our community partner, ASVO (Asociación de Voluntarios para el Servicio en Áreas Protegidas), a self-managed, non-government, non-profit organization that focuses on conservation projects in Costa Rica’s National Park system, as well as in coastal-marine areas. ASVO is dedicated to protecting endangered speicies and biodiversity, and to decreasing the negative effects that tourism can have on the environment. You can find out more about ASVO by visiting their website at http://www.asvocr.org/.
I, personally, am not very familiar with Costa Rica, the country itself. So to prepare myself for the trip, I searched up some facts about it!

-The official language is Spanish, and the capital is San José.
-It has a population estimated at about 4,253,897, almost the same as BC (4,510,858), although it’s about 1/18 the size of BC.
-The national bird is the clay-colored robin (Turdus grayi), and the Guanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) is the national tree.
-The national flower is the guaria morada (Cattleya skinneri), an orchid.
-The national flag is red, white and blue.
-Costa Ricans refer to themselves as Ticos (guys) or Ticas (girls).
-Americans and Canadians are often called Gringos/Gringas.
-Costa Rica hosts more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity even though its landmass only takes up .03% of the planet’s surface.
-More than 25% of Costa Rica’s land is dedicated to national parks, reserves and wildlife refuges. There are more than 100 different protected areas to visit.

The more I research about Costa Rica, the more excited I am about this trip! Apparently it’s tropical all year around, so I will either be nicely tanned or burnt and red when I return from this trip. Yesterday, I went to the travel clinic and got 4 shots: 2 in each arm, but most of them were shots that I had to get because I’m old now and I need them anyways. Nonetheless they hurt, and now my arms are all sore. But I believe this trip is worth that pain.
Anyways, I’m afraid I don’t know much about the contents of the trip itself, but I will be able to fill you in when I return from the trip. I will try my best to help ASVO’s active conservation as well as I can while I’m there. Please pray I meet a good looking Costa Rican Tico! 🙂

Adiós for now,
Grace
Knight Group Leader