Pura Vida

I don’t believe that any of us were ready to return to the United States after spending over a week in Costa Rica. To some extent we all had ‘Costa Rica Fever’ (some more literally than others) and unfortunately we did have to say goodbye to all our new Tico friends including crowd favorites Miguel and Juan-Carlos.

We brought back a lot of things with us, both in our suitcases (……Dr. Boyer and Dr. Attaran) and in our minds. The genuine people we met, the adventures we went on, and the places we visited truly allowed us to adopt a very authentic interpretation of ‘sustainability.’

As many of us have stated, we absorbed a lot of information in Costa Rica about sustainability that has greatly impacted the way we live in the United States. I fully support and believe this statement as well, but I think there was a lot of things we learned about ourselves and our peers that we should not forget.

It took them 10 minutes to jump...

Dan, my roommate and Energy Team member, managed to find his way to the top of the mountain  with the support of Jonathan and our classmates, for which we applauded upon his arrival at the peak. Autumn and I taught each other how to get the best GoPro footage for every activity (mounts, resolution, frames per second….it’s a GopPro thing). Billy recognized that it’s not always about the booty when we danced the salsa; he found that his hips don’t lie either and he would give Shakira a run for her money. Eaindra is the best scribe at Bryant; I frequently caught her taking notes in every possible scenario which is why Eaindra will be any group’s biggest asset next year at Bryant (Juniors pay attention to what I’m saying for BUS 400). I was able to help a friend discover a passion for animals (Yes, Ronny that’s you…..SLOTHHH), witness Emily discover new go-to dances, and convince two college professors to jump off a cliff (there was water 20 feet below). Krysia loves the beach but may soon have a coffee addiction, Jake and I bonded over things that make us mad, Marco appreciates the simple things in life that are often overlooked, and I often found myself eager to hear Kasey’s contributions when we reconvened as a class for discussion nearly every evening. Among many other things, these are some of my most valuable takeaways from the trip.

I just wanted to thank everybody on the trip for being a good team: this means pulling each other out of rapids, pointing out monkeys in the trees when nobody else could see them, taking pictures for each other, prioritizing who gets the bathroom first during much needed breaks, and voluntarily spraying each other with bug spray to ensure full coverage. Let me know where we’re going next, I’m in.

-'Etan'

Food for Thought

Our first meal at Restaurante Nuestra Tierra

It has been almost five months since we were in Costa Rica and I still haven’t found a meal to match our first lunch in country. One of the biggest things I miss is the meals of rice, beans, and protein. The rich taste of all of the foods is hard to match back home. It speaks loud volumes to the difference in local and natural foods. After eating and touring at Don Juan's farm and seeing food go from farm to table showed how important that supply chain for food is. Using sustainable practices such as natural fertilizer or using solar panels to power hot water can really change the mentality of the farm. You can taste difference in the meal than if you got ingredients from a supermarket.

This is one major thing I took away from Costa Rica is the passion the Ticos have for their jobs and sustainability. Sustainability is second nature to them. While in some areas it is not a choice, it has become a social norm where as in the USA that is not the case. It is inspiring to see the passion they have towards their country and their jobs.

The recycle room at La Quinta

I learned a ton from my group, hotel sustainability. The most inspirational was La Quinta, no not the famous chain. The 5 CST leaf level hotel who the lovely couple Leo and Beatrice own. They have worked 22 years to earn this rating. By doing things like investing to preserve the once orange plantation and support the local economy. They use solar energy and an intense recycling system. The owners take tremendous pride in their sustainability efforts and their ability to provide customers with incredible hospitality.

While our group has been become more environmentally cautious but the biggest take away I gained from this trip was how seriously companies take the green movement. In Costa Rica it is a social norm but here it is a marketing tool. These companies make it their mission to be sustainable and give back. It is an inspiring thing to see and has forced me to see business in a different light. 

This one in a life time trip has taught me valueable lessons and gave my unforgettable memories with a great group of friends. Thank you for following our twitter and blog. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. 

Our view from the Highland Fruit Tour

-Jake Lamar

@jakelamar29

 

A Very Rainy Boat Tour Through The Tortuguero Canals and the Rainforest

           They don’t call it the rainforest for nothing!  Our class was given the opportunity to take a boat tour with the Laguna Lodge through the Tortuguero canals today in two different boats.  The rain decided to take the tour with us.  The tour involves an exciting journey through the canals on small motorboats while the diverse wildlife of Tortuguero surrounds the boats on both sides of the water.  Our Costa Rican tour guides explained much about the canals/rainforest including an in-depth look into its history.

Tortuguero Canals

         While boarding the boats, my classmates and I put on rain ponchos as protection from the torrential downpour that had been occurring since early in the morning.  We bore the true rain forest experience.  Once the journey began, it would only be a matter of seconds before we would see some of the wildlife the rainforest has to offer.  Over the course of the tour, we saw howler monkeys, spider monkeys, a sloth, basilisk, caiman, and many different species of birds.  It was truly a dream come true as I saw a sloth hanging from a tree eating leaves.  While viewing these animals that none of us are used to seeing back in the United States, we learned much about the exciting creatures from our tour guides.  I personally found the information about sloths the most interesting.  We learned that there are two different types of sloths, that being two-toed and three-toed sloths.  Three-toed sloths tend to remain closer to the ground while two-toed sloths live at higher altitudes.  Something I found particularly interesting was that sloths eat leaves and fruit, and only “go to the bathroom” about once a week.  They do this because they do not want their predators to know their location.  One way they do this is by covering up their waste once they are done.  Though the animals call the rainforest home, Tortuguero is home to people as well.

Look closely! A caiman in the leaves.

        There are about 2,000 people who live in the area.  The rainforest used to be a main area for people to come in and chop down trees for industrial purposes, but as of more recently, Tortuguero is an area that is completely safe from any industrial minds.  The population that lives there today is only there because they were living in Tortuguero before it was pronounced as an area of preservation.  Costa Rica, especially Tortuguero, is known for its unique position near the equator.  Our tour guide explained how all of the animals in the south travel north and vice-versa at a certain point of the year.  Due to its geographical position, Costa Rica acts as a pathway for these animals moving north or south.  This is why the rainforest is home to 100+ different species of plants and many species of animals.

            The canal tour is an experience that I would recommend to anyone, as it really opens your eyes about how being unsustainable can really harm such an amazing area.  It is astonishing how every person we have met in Costa Rica is extremely passionate about sustainability as it is a way of life around here.  Due to the rainforest and the enormous amount of agriculture in the country, Costa Ricans realize how important it is to avoid human-induced pollution as much as possible.  It is inspiring to view this way of life in person while the experience is also motivation for our class to go back to the United States and promote sustainable practices in our country.  If the world would realize the potential dangers of being unsustainable and commit to change, future generations could benefit tremendously.

One of the boats of students led by our tour guide Miguel!

 For more information about what our class has done in Costa Rica, please follow our blog.. You can also follow our classes Twitter account here as well as my own personal Twitter account.

Ronny Wagner

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Sustainability at Bryant University

At Bryant, not only are our top-ranked business programs aligned to the needs of industry and society, but our university is also making strides towards becoming more environmentally friendly! Our campus-wide initiatives focus overall on planning and policy, education and action, and operations. These ideas integrate strategies in leadership and decision making with an efficient use of resources while building an understanding, deepening knowledge, and inspiring careers.

We try to apply these subject matters across ten major areas, including:

• Academics and research
• Energy
• Buildings and land use
• Health and wellness
• Food and dining
• Supply chain management
• Transportation
• Waste reduction and recycling
• Water
• Community engagement 

The Sustainability Committee is headed by Dr. Gaytha Langlois, Ph.D., of the Department of Science and Technology, and guides the process and campus engagement, as well as holds the Bryant community accountable. It is facilitated by EcoMotionInc., a company with more than 30 years of experience developing sustainability initiatives for campuses, cities and corporate communities.

We have several organizations on campus that are involved in maintaining our environmental awareness, including Bryant Enactus' Green Team, the Bryant Environmental Society, the Scientific Community Initiative (a student club that promotes sustainability on and off campus through events, outreach, and collaborations), and the Community Activism and Leadership Organization (CALO) that focuses on directing student effort toward social good. The Bryant University Green Initiative primarily focuses on finding sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and opportunities on campus and in the surrounding community. Additionally, students and faculty collaborate in ongoing academic and research opportunities in immersive programs, outdoor field studies, and internships.

Bryant currently offers 13 courses with a direct focus on sustainability, and 43 courses that are related to sustainability. Campus energy costs are approximately 2% of the entire University budget. Bryant continues to explore opportunities for energy conservation and green buildings as we are currently considering green roofs on campus and means to better measure energy and water consumption. We have taken steps towards sustainability through reaching out to students to make small changes in their daily lives that can lead to major results, such as recycling, saving water, promoting non-wasteful behavior, and offering programs for mental and physical health. We have recently installed water filtration refill systems that allow students to fill water bottles with purified water in order to decrease plastic waste! We encourage students to practice eco-friendly transportation, like taking the RIPTA, using a ZipCar, and carpooling. Bryant strives to coordinate projects with the local community, support community service, increase social media activity and webpage viewership, and host events in order to exchange best practices with other organizations. The University is also considering holding a Farmers Market on campus for students to purchase local goods!

Our Sustainability Plan 2014 explains in further detail the University actions towards preservation of resources and sustainability. 

 

Keep up to date on the latest sustainability news and events on social media:

Twitter: @SustainBryant

Facebook: Sustainability at Bryant

Email: sustainability@bryant.edu 

To learn more, visit: http://www.bryant.edu/about/sustainability/

Author: Bridgette Kosek

Follow me on Twitter! @BridgetteKosek

Stay up to date with all of our activities by following @BryantMKT421 on Twitter!