We spent the morning at INBIOparque and explored the immense biodiversity found in Costa Rica. A country with 0.03% of the land area in the world accounts for nearly 5% of its biodiversity. Toads are actually one indicator of climate change. As the temperature changes, they move to different climates. So what? They're just toads. Their disappearance has ripple effects throughout the rain forest, upsetting the delicate balance that exists. A delicate balance that is a house of cards ready to come down. How do we mitigate the effects? How do we get back to the symbiosis we once had with nature? If nothing else than for our own survival.
On the way to La Fortuna, traffic was quite heavy and our bus driver Jose displayed his expert skills again squeezing us through places I wouldn't even take my Prius. Evidently there was a strawberry festival and everyone decided to park on the debatably 2 lane mountain road. It was quite the strawberry jam (thank you for that Maria). We napped a bit, stopped for lunch, took a group photo at La Paz waterfall, and entertained ourselves with word games.
The evening found us relaxing at the Baldi hot springs. Geothermally heated at the foot of the volcano, several pools of warm and downright hot water relaxed the day away.
At the end of the day I am left reflecting on our own social instincts. The take away lesson from the morning was the environment's inherent and essential interdependence, a delicate balance that allows life to thrive in such rich and beautiful ways. Similarly, it is our own interdependence we hope to cultivate amongst each other because it is only together that these problems can be solved. It is only together that we can create the solutions. Most importantly, it is only together that we can implement those solutions, make them a reality, and rekindle the interdependence with nature from which we have strayed. Otherwise we too will follow the toads looking for better climates.
No comments:
Post a Comment