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

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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'