Saturday was a big day as we welcomed our last round of Girl Scout Destinations programs for the summer! Rainforest, River & Reef, Catching Waves, and Scuba & Sea Turtle Adventure bonded together sharing their experiences on Saturday as they awaited their Outward Bound Costa Rica adventures! Every Wednesday stay up to date with for the latest information and pictures of where the girls are on course via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Scuba & Sea Turtle Adventure #3
The Girl Scouts of Scuba & Sea Turtle had no time to waste after arriving on Saturday greeted by local Tica instructors Ana and Gaby getting a brief orientation and prepared to set off for Panama on Sunday morning. Their first stop in Panama was in San San Pond Sak where they spent two days learning about the conservation of sea turtles while also participating in a service project. In San San Pond Sak the girls had the opportunity to learn from local rangers about classifying sea turtle habitats and how to identify different turtles from their imprints in the sand. They also helped the rangers in collecting data on the different variations of eggs that are laid in the nest with the possibility to go on a night watch to look for baby sea turtles! Yesterday they transferred to the beautiful Island of Solarte in Bocas Del Toro known for its dazzling clear waters and fascinating Afro-Caribbean culture. In Solarte they will spend time in the water body boarding, stand up paddle boarding, and knee boarding while enjoying the magnificent coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea. The Girl Scouts will round out the week with a canopy or city tour into the indigenous island, and gear up next week to start their scuba diving training!
Rainforest, River & Reef #2
Before Rainforest, River & Reef strapped on their hiking bags and headed for the trails, they first completed a service project at our local reserve just a few steps behind our rainforest base. On the reserve the girls worked with their long-time Tico instructor Orlando and Carola in maintaining the trails that lead to the main water source for the community of Tres Rios. After learning about the importance in the preservation of the reserve, they girls were prepped on how to properly pack their backpacks and got a good night sleep in anticipation for their upcoming hike. Girl Scouts got an early start Sunday heading to Santa Maria to begin their first leg on their journey to Piedras Blancas. Throughout the journey, the girls learned about the different micro-climates between cloud forest and rainforest and also about the many coffee plantations that encompass the area. Along the way they are learning new hiking skills such as how to set up tarp tents, developing leadership roles, and about many new plant and animal species. Tomorrow they will make their way to their first homestay at Magda house greeted by cozy beds and a fresh plate of traditional homemade Tico food. The rest of the week they continue their hiking expedition to the Lopez family homestay for an authentic taste of sugar cane by harvesting it themselves with the trapiche and onto Rancho Tinamu for a look at the most photographed frog in the world!
Catching Waves #2
Catching Waves packed in the van and headed to Avellanas on Sunday to capture their first waves of the course. Playa Avellanas is located off the coast of Guanacaste in the northern pacific coast of Costa Rica. This Friday Costa Ricans will observe a national holiday celebrating “Guanacaste Day” in honor of their annexation from the Nicaraguan peninsula and joining Costa Rica in 1824. In Avellanas the girls split their time between service projects and surf time while enjoying the tranquility of the calm waves. The girls aided in painting a local school in the community of Los Pargos and cleaning up debri along the shore. The girls also received lessons about tide pools, overfishing and the importance of preserving the coastal shore. They will continue to participate in service projects and surf adventures throughout the week and return to base for river rafting and other activities!
