SustainaBulldogs

Our group had an amazing time exploring, learning, and bonding with each other as we climbed up mountains, rafted through rivers, traipsed across farms, and let’s not forget enduring those long bus rides! After being back from our trip for an entire semester now, it is easy for our memories to fade and to forget the sustainability practices that we observed and learned while in Costa Rica. However, it is important to keep these ideas in mind and spread the word on the benefits of being sustainable.

Being sustainable gives back to the environment and supports the land that provides for us, but it also enhances the natural beauty of the area. We observed countless beautiful views, in dark and light, sunshine and rain that derived from the community caring for nature. The people of Costa Rica were passionate about preserving their land and planting many of their own fruits and vegetables. At Don Juan, we explored the farm and sampled their organic produce in juices while admiring the lushness of the gardens. In Costa Rica, families and communities work together to sustain themselves and help one another. Bryant students, staff, and faculty can do the same, as we are one community that can help each other, as well as our environment.

We noticed many simple ways that encourage eco-friendly behavior. Often times, actions that seem small can truly make a difference, such as recycling paper and plastic instead of throwing them away, composting food waste, buying local products and supporting local farms. These behaviors are taught in the Costa Rican culture through their education systems to instill this importance of sustainability at a young age, and it is something that other countries, including the United States, could consider. After visiting several coffee plantations, we had the opportunity to plant coffee trees to harvest in the future!

Ultimately, we learned how sustainable practices add to a country's beauty, small changes can yield big results, and knowledge is key in making a difference. We are now ambassadors of sustainability, and it is our prerogative to pass on the knowledge that we learned in Costa Rica. We are a team of sustainable bulldogs! Pura Vida!

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!

A Sustainable Future

 

 

Costa Rica was an eye opening experience for me and the results were life changing. Prior to the trip my knowledge of sustainability was narrow and limited to just recycling bins; now I can grasp a full understanding of not only the broad aspects of sustainability but the significant impacts it has.

 

 

 

It is important to fully understand the need for and impacts of sustainability practices, especially from a business perspective. Profit-driven businesses often lack sustainable practices. Learning about some of Costa Rica’s businesses and how they coup with the extra efforts despite the additional costs was inspiring to me. I also now make it a point to support local farmers and businesses that source locally, by not only providing them my business over competitors, but also promoting their sustainable efforts through social media.

Learning the importance of sustainable practices through our adventures has inspired me to make small daily changes as well, such as: shorter showers, wearing some clothes twice before washing to decrease load size, using natural light more often than electrical, never wasting food, carpooling, and just always being conscious of things that are on and not being used. Hopefully one day when I have a place of my own I can become even more sustainable and incorporate composting, personal gardening, sorted recycling, and who knows maybe even potential wind or sun powered energy.

I definitely miss the beach and the sun but the places we visited and the people we talked to have changed my perception of sustainability, teaching me lifelong values for a better tomorrow.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @BryantMKT421 to learn more about our adventures and how you can improve your sustainable practices and preserve our beautiful planet. Pura Vida! - Krysia Syska

 



The Local Catch

During our adventure to the Pawtucket Farmer’s Market I stumbled upon The LocalCatch among many other fresh seafood alternatives. The Local Catch is a local Rhode Island seafood processor and wholesaler that markets local seafood to local consumers. The Local Catch Inc. was founded in 2010 by 30-year fishing veteran Captain Richard Cook (Left) and his wife Ann. Together, Rich and Ann continuously support New England fisherman by providing the freshest, highest-quality seafood to local markets. This sustainable practice stimulates the economy and allows local commercial fisherman to stay in business by capitalizing on Rhode Island’s natural seafood resources. After a brief discussion with Captain Rich himself, it became very apparent that he was knowledgeable of the industry, specifically: what to catch, where to catch it, when it’s in season, and how to keep it fresh during transport. Captain Rich also mentioned the success of a recent addition to The Local Catch - fresh seafood deliveries. Customers can place orders for seafood to be delivered right to their doorstep on thelocalcatch.com. Furthermore, customers have the ability to opt into a weekly e-newsletter that elaborates on the weekly catch, what seafood is in season, and recipe recommendations used by Rich and his community of local fishermen.

Learn more about local contributors to the Pawtucket Farmer’s Market and about our upcoming trip to Costa Rica on Twitter @BryantMKT421 or on our semester-long blog at http://www.bryantmkt421.blogspot.com/.

 

Tirimbina Chocolate Tour

In Sarapiqui, we visited the Tirimbina Rainforest Center where they hold chocolate plantation tours deep in the woods. Upon our arrival, we walked thirty minutes deep into the woods on a suspension bridge that went across the Sarapiqui River (where we went white water rafting earlier that day). This chocolate plantation operates as a nonprofit company and privately owns and protects 350 acres of land. This land is not used for commercial chocolate production; it is reserved with the purpose of educating tourists about traditional coffee cultivating processes. This traditional cultivation is friendly to the environment and aids in the conservation of cacao plants. We spent two hours watching and learning about this traditional process.

The first step in the production of chocolate is to collect the orange fruit shown here, which is known as a pod. The pod is carefully broken open to reveal about 30 beans, which are white in color and slimy in texture. The next few steps are very similar to the coffee production process, as the white pulp is removed from the outside and beans are fermented, dried, and roasted. Fermentation reduces the bitterness of the beans and usually takes seven days, and then the beans are dried in the small drying house shown above. If it is raining the beans are kept under the roof, but when the sun is shining the beans are rolled out into the sun. Naturally the beans are 60% water, but after the drying process they are reduced to 5-10% water. You can tell if the beans are dry by cracking it open; dry beans will be brown and smell like cocoa while beans that are still wet will be purple). Next the beans are roasted in the oven in order to remove bacteria, get any remaining water out, make the shell easier to remove, and develop a better smell. Once the shell is removed, the bean becomes known as a nib.

Next comes the grinding process. We saw Giovanni grind the cocoa beans by hand using a mortar and pestle in the traditional fashion, but commercial chocolate producers will use machines to grind the

beans much finer. The grinding process removes the fat from the cocoa beans and creates a gooey mess. After the cocoa is ground and turned into cocoa liquor, there are two different production options. In order to make chocolate bars, cocoa liquor is refined, sugar is added, then conching and tempering occur. Conching is the process of mixing the cocoa for 72 hours to make it smooth. Tempering is when chocolate is heated to 45 Celsius, mixed to melt it completely, then lowered to 32 Celsius so that cocoa butter will crystallize and become shiny. The chocolate is put into a mold to harden and becomes a chocolate bar. The other production option includes pressing the cocoa liquor to create cocoa butter, which has multiple uses, and a cocoa presscake. The presscake is ground and turned into cocoa powder, which can be used to make cookies, cake, ice cream, and drinks.

Fun Facts
- Before 1519, cocoa powder was mixed with vanilla, chili, and corn to make a thick and spicy chocolate drink. In 1519, nuns brought sugar and cinnamon to Central America and revolutionized the chocolate industry.
- Cocoa stimulates serotonin production in the brain and makes your happier.
- The chocolate bar was created in 1847 but did not sell well until the industrial revolution because it was too grainy when ground by hand.
- Cocoa seeds used to be used as currency. A tomato cost 1 bean, an avocado cost 3 beans, a slave cost 100 beans, and a turkey cost 200 beans.


- Kasey Mazza (@kaseymazza)