This past April I spent ten days exploring the tropical cloud forest of Costa Rica, an experience that tremendously changed the way that I think about my own life, my priorities, and about the world we live in (which sadly, we are rapidly destroying). Without question, the highlight of my trip was our group’s visit to a private reserve outside the small town of Santa Elena, called “Aula Global,” which means “Global Classroom” in Spanish.
I have discovered that it is difficult to try and explain to people here, back home in Western Mass., what exactly was so amazing about the reserve that we had the privilege to visit. Alone, the vibes in the tranquil environment at the Aula Global Biological Reserve were enough to stimulate all kinds of emotions and thought processes. The jungle is incredibly rich, magical, and overflowing with life that is thriving because it has scarcely made contact with humans. Even in a country filled with so much beauty, a reserve hidden away like Aula Global is a rare gem. Have you ever heard of the Resplendent Quetzal? It is a beautiful greenish-blue bird with a red breast and two long tale feathers that look like streamers on a kite as the bird flies. These birds are elusive and most tourists come and go from Costa Rica short of a single quetzal sighting –– few are lucky to catch a quick glimpse of one quetzal. On my first day at the reserve, we were trekking through the jungle when our Costa Rican Tour guide turned to the group wide-eyed, ushered us to be quiet, and whispered with excitement: “¡Shhh –– Quetzales!” We stopped, and through the rolling fog, spotted 5 or 6 or maybe 7 quetzals. This is the norm at Aula Global. Each morning we awoke to a cacophony of birds, which included the “pio, pio, pio” of the quetzal (as well as a percussion of howler monkey roars.) I hope through this small peek, it is possible to understand this extraordinary and unique place I visited. There is very little rainforest remaining in this world, and of that that does remain, only a fraction of it is as pristine, pure, and protected as the reserve where I stayed.
I recently learned that the precious Aula Global Biological Reserve and its natural treasures are in danger. An amusement corporation called Sky Trek intends to buy a 300-acre piece of land between Aula Global and several larger reserves. Sky Trek will cut down trees and all the life they support to insert steel towers and suspension cables so tourists can fly through the canopy. In addition to the destructive cutting, thousands of animal species will be driven away as their habitat is invaded and destroyed by careless tourists. Aula Global is actually a fairly small portion of land for the animals it harbors and the 300 acres of land connecting Aula Global to the larger Monteverde reserves are a crucial link in order for the pumas, jaguars, quetzals, sloths, and thousands of other species to have enough land to survive in the long term. The owners of the land would much rather see the land protected under Aula Global’s name and excellent conservation policies, but they are anxious to sell. Through a special agreement, The Global Classroom has been given six months to raise $350,000 in order to secure the land.
I wish that all the wealthy people of the world could travel to the rainforest, because I know that they too would be touched by the beauty and purity of life I found there. They too would want to do all they could to preserve what land is left for the quetzal and its fellow jungle-dwellers. (On the second hand, I don’t want all those people go to the rainforest because altogether they would create too much havoc for the ecosystem to withstand…). In any case, I have fallen in love with the rainforest of Costa Rica and I want desperately for this piece of land to be saved so that it can remain a home to these incredible animals as well as a conservatively-visited reserve to touch the hearts of thousands of other kids like me. My trip to Costa Rica was one of the best experiences of my life and I would hate to see the option of that experience disappear for others.