We have had a busy week here at Outward Bound Costa Rica as we said “adios” to some amazing Girl Scouts and “bienvenidos” to others as we geared up for our next Girl Scout Destinations programs. This week, the girls arrived to the rainforest base during the exhilaration of the World Cup as local Ticos closely listened and watched in eager anticipation as Costa Rica tried to advance against the Netherlands. Although Costa Rica fell short in a nail-biting match, instructors, students, and staff joined together in congratulating Costa Rica on a well-played season. After a friendly meet and greet with base dogs Rafi, Bandido, and King, the girls headed down to their dorms to begin preparing for their Girl Scout Destination adventures!
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Service Challenge #2
This week, Girl Scouts began their first service challenge on Sunday at our rainforest base as they headed to the local nature reserve behind their dorms. The group of 11 grabbed their tools and traveled down the trail and through a creek where they learned about the importance of preserving and maintaining the biodiversity of the land as they dug trenches to aid in the water run-off. After completing their first service project, instructors Ana and Gaby led the group in preparing their bags for their 6-day trip in the indigenous Talamanca region! So far in Talamanca the girls have been able to develop their Spanish vocabulary and also learned about the intricate language of Cabecar derived from the American Indian culture. Students were introduced to the culture and lifestyle of the indigenous BriBri people where they partook in traditional meals and daily customs, becoming an active and engaged part of the local community . The girls will round out the week in Talamanca with even more lessons and immersion experiences as they get ready for their exciting trip to San San Pond Sak where they will help out with sea turtles and participate in many more exciting service projects!
Scuba & Sea Turtle Adventure #2
The Girl Scouts of Scuba & Sea Turtle headed to San San Pond Sak, Panama on Sunday to to begin their water adventures! There, the girls joined up with local biologists to learn some background knowledge of the animals they would be working to protect. After understanding the importance of things like baby sea turtles imprinting on the same beach so they could swim back for years to come, the girls had the chance to help the little turtles find their way into the surf. Students also work with park rangers in collecting data about each sea turtle nest in determining if they are stable to hatch or not. Yesterday, the girls transferred by boat to the larger island of Solarte where they will be kicking off the rest of the weeks activities.
Rainforest River & Reef #1
Our first Rainforest River & Reef course kicked off this week with a muddy service project at the local Tres Rios reserve before heading off on their first hike in the Costa Rica rainforest. The Girl Scouts prepared their hiking bags and equipment for the challenging uphill hike from Santa Maria to Naranjo Abajo. Through Naranjo Abajo girls navigated through the rolling hills and jungle-lined trails and learned about Costa Rica’s famous coffee plants as they pitched camp for a night under the clear skies. From Naranjo Abajo, the girls continued together in their journey to Danta with amazing views of rushing waterfalls, clear waters and even spotting some monkeys while also learning about the fascinating biodiversity of the cloud forest. The girls have one more night setting up their tarps before they arrive at their first homestay and home of local Tico instructor, Orlando. Until then, it will be more back country trekking, hopefully some more wildlife spotting, and lessons from the jungle!
