October is the height of the rainy season in our part of Costa Rica, and we certainly did receive quite a bit of rain! Towards the beginning of the month, various countries in Central America felt the effects of the Tropical Storm Julia. Large amounts of rain fell throughout the country, causing some damages in roads and other infrastructure.
Despite the rain, we have had a great month with exciting activities and a very nice group of volunteers and researchers. A total of 11 participants completed the 70 hour First Aid course organized by Cloudbridge and imparted by the National Learning Institute. This is an important community service and effort that we at Cloudbridge were very happy to spearhead.
Researchers and volunteers at Cloudbridge Nature Reserve are usually familiar with «Stephan´s plot» the area off of Montaña that was reforested as part of the research of Stephan Lehman. For us, it was very much a pleasure to have him return to Cloudbridge with his family for a few days. He was very happy to see the impressive growth of the trees he planted : )
We were also quite happy to receive a group of students from the local campus of the National University (UNA). This field trip was for a class called Natural Resources and Sustainability, and the students showed a good grasp of ecosystem services, planetary limits and other important concepts. The class was large enough to need to divide into two groups to visit Catarata Pacífica.
We were also able to enjoy a Sunday brunch at Jardines Secretos, it is lovely to share with the group of lovely people that Cloudbridge always seems to attract.
Pics from around the reserve
Camera trapping in Chirripó
Recommended Reading and Viewing:
- As part of their technical degree, students from a regional high school have recently made a short video about Cloudbridge. We are very happy with their efforts, and invite you to take a look!
- Carbon offsetting can take many different forms. At Cloudbridge we have fast growing tropical forests, in other places our productive practices have been adapted to capture more carbon. Holistic ranching can also be an important carbon sink, as described in this article.
- Certain parts of the world are heating faster than others. In Greenland, people´s traditional way of life is no longer possible due to the effects of climate change. This article takes a look at the cultural shifts they have had to undergo.
- As we know, the COP27 will soon be taking place, at a time when many parts of the world have been already experiencing direct effects of climate change. Here is a UN press release with information about this upcoming conference of the parties.