Adventure and Environmental Leadership in Costa Rica
This immersive field course in Costa Rica combines outdoor adventure with environmental science education. Students explore diverse ecosystems through hands-on activities and learn about local conservation within a global context. The program aims to empower future environmental leaders through experiential learning.
Course Overview
This intensive field course blends outdoor adventure with environmental science empowering students to foster a relationship with the natural world, while equipping them with the tools to inspire positive action. The rich biodiversity of Costa Rica, with its abundance of both natural beauty and conservation projects, provides a powerful setting to engage with place-based learning. The students engage in adventure activities such as rafting, zip-lining, and hiking, all while learning about the tropical rainforest, cloud forest, and river ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach to field ecology interweaves the greater context of Costa Rican land management and the need for global climate advocacy with a hands-on exploration of local biodiversity. Condensed into just over a week, this course offers an immersive experience aimed at informing and empowering the environmental leaders of tomorrow.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Develop leadership skills through facilitated adventure activities with team building and debrief.
- Cultivate a nuanced understanding of the need for environmental resource conservation, and the complex challenges that come with those efforts.
Student Learning Outcomes – cont.
- Collect water & soil samples and observe local wildlife to help study the integrity of the Pacuare river basin, and practice the basic tenets of citizen science.
- Experience cultural immersion in Costa Rica and daily life in a tropical rainforest.
- Create momentum for continued environmental action back home.
Course Topics and Materials
Intro to Costa Rica
- Brief Natural and Pre-Columbian history of Costa Rica
- Costa Rican culture, politics, and economics
- Costa Rican land management and conservation efforts
Palmer, Steven, and Molina, Iván. The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Duke University Press, 2004.
Costa Rican Ecology
- Tropical rainforest & cloud forest ecosystems
- Pacuare River Watershed
- Impacts of agriculture, industry, & urban spread
Hepworth, Adrian. Wild Costa Rica: The Wildlife and Landscapes of Costa Rica. New Holland Publishers, 2008.
Vivanco, Luis A. Green Encounters Shaping and Contesting Environmentalism in Rural Costa Rica Luis A. Vivanco. Berghahn Books, 2006.
Ecotourism and Outdoor Adventure
- Intro to ecotourism and its role in Costa Rica
- Creating safe and inclusive experiences
- The power of outdoor rec. and experiences in nature
Miller, Anna B., et al. “Ecotourism, wildlife conservation, and agriculture in Costa Rica through a social-ecological systems lens.” Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism, vol. 2, 30 June 2023.
DeVille, Nicole V., et al. “Time spent in nature is associated with increased pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 14, 14 July 2021.
Ecosystem Conservation
- Threatened and conservation areas
- Complex challenges and consequences
- Measuring success
Stronza, Amanda L., et al. “Ecotourism for Conservation?” Routledge Handbook of Ecotourism, 28 July 2021.
Cronon, William. “The Trouble with Wilderness[…]” William Cronon , Forest History Society and American Society for Environmental History, www.jstor.org/stable/3985059.
Taking Action
- Staying grounded and optimistic in trying times
- Start small and start personal
- Local advocacy and community action
Ritchie, Hannah. Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet. Little, Brown Spark, 2024.
Contact Time
Pre-Trip
Students are required to complete a pre-trip reading, questionnaire, and intention-setting piece. This is designed to prepare students for the trip and to capture a baseline for assessing impact from the course on the tail end.
Time In-Country: 10 Days Total – 8 Days in Costa Rica + 2 Travel Days
Students can expect long full days while in-country, all of which are spent with the instructors. Each day is different, but typically starts with breakfast and a briefing at 8:00 am and may conclude around 9:00 pm, after dinner and a group dialogue, or project time. Activities during the day range from hiking to rafting, a panel discussion, a permaculture farm tour, collecting water & soil samples, a soccer game, bird watching, salsa dancing, and more. Instruction, dialogue, and guest lectures are interspersed throughout each day. The trip culminates with the completion and presentation of the students’ group projects. Field instructors are present for the entirety of the trip, with additional experts, guides, and educators present for specific activities. Activities, projects, and discussions will be overseen by instructors, who are also available outside of direct instruction time.
Post-Trip
Once students return home from their trip, they are required to complete a follow-up questionnaire and submit a reflection piece.
Academic and Physical Accommodations and Support
Individual accommodations will always be considered and should be discussed with an administrator prior to the trip. In an effort to make trips more accessible, there are many ways that a trip with Costa Rican Resource can be tailored to meet unique needs. Accommodations do not make the course easier, but can help remove unnecessary obstacles or excess challenges that could hinder a powerful learning experience. Examples of accommodations could include increased time for assignments, one-on-one support during study sessions, or exemption from certain adventure activities, for example.
Expectations and Conduct:
Instructors are always available if a need arises, be it physical or emotional, and always work to support the students in meeting these expectations.
Students will…
- Engage with their peer group and instructors in an inclusive and collaborative manner
- Demonstrate respect for their local host country and culture
- Be responsible for meeting many of their own basic needs such as, taking breaks, drinking water, getting enough sleep, and managing their own medication if relevant
- Participate in each activity and discussion to the best of their ability
- Be prepared to go whole days without use of their cell phones.
- Communicate challenges and needs to their instructors in order to receive support
- Refrain from illicit behavior as outlined in the Student Contract
Evaluation and Grading
Brittney Beck, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor of Environmental Science Education – CSU Bakersfield
- National Geographic Explorer
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