Sunday, August 9:
My flight landed 24 minutes early. The weather was cool & not too humid. I took a cab, for $19, to the rendezvous point at the Gran Hotel Costa Rica. Shortly after, the rest of the team arrived: 7 teachers, 3 U.S. Forest Service workers, and 1 Starbucks partner.
Sebastian & another person arrived to pick us up promptly at 3pm.
We made a quick stop for snacks on the drive to the hotel, Cabinas de Cecilia. My roommate for the week was Andrew, a vegan social studies teacher from Long Beach, CA. He had a very dry sense of humor. Costa Rica was 2-hours behind EDT and it got dark around 6pm. We had spaghetti casserole for dinner. That evening, I saw a giant spider hanging over a picture over my pillow. Andrew scraped the bug into a cup & left it outside. Welcome to Costa Rica!
Monday, August 10:
We left at 7am for breakfast: gallo pinto (Costa Rican rice & beans), eggs, mango, banana, pineapple, coffee. We were led on a hike of the cloudy forest by Sebastian & Natalia, the project's coordinators.
The idea was to show us the complex, interconnected systems that naturally exist in forests, such as the this one in the Tallamanca Mountain Range (elevation, 6000 feet). We simplify these systems when we use land for agriculture, specifically coffee, first planted in this region by the Spanish in 1850. This goes against the natural order of things. After the hike, we had lunch. Traditional coffee was served & I helped make tortillas.
The afternoon was spent watching and discussing PowerPoint presentations by led by both Natalia & Sebastian. We learned about the fieldwork that we would be doing all week.
Field Methodology Explained Lucia 170608
View more presentations from Matthew Farber.
Tuesday, August 11:
We woke up at 5:15am & had breakfast at the Cabins at 6am. We split into 2 teams that day. I went with Sebastian's group. We measures 3 10x10 meter transects located with a Trimbill GPS device.
Next, we picked 10- total plants and counted branches, ortho axises, & berries. One pair took soil samples. The farm was very steep. This farm had shade-grown coffee plants. Banana trees often provide the shade. The idea is that shade trees prevent erosion & return nutrients to the soil. This is a sustainable way to farm without using harmful herbicides and/or pesticides. We worked until noon & then had lunch in the lab. The lab has a pet dog, named Shakira.
After lunch, we headed to the Coope Dota coffee factory for a video, a tour, and a sipping. We learned that it takes a lot of time and effort to process coffee beans!
After the tour, we had specialty coffee in the cafe. Today was Natalia's birthday and we surprised her with a slice of cake!
Wednesday, August 12:
Today, I went with Natalia's group in the Land Rover. First, we picked up our equipment in the lab, just like yesterday.
We did 6 total transects today (& the rest of the week, too). The farm was also flat, unlike yesterday.
We even got to meet the farmer.
It was not organic, but it was still full of bugs & insects. Kacie got stung by a caterpillar! I got a few black fly bites - even though I applied 99% deet! I worked that day with Cynthia & Nicole. All of the bending & standing was making my head flush! Anyway, we worked from 7am until 2pm. After, we enjoyed lunch & coffee back at the lab. Then, we sifted though the soil samples. 
That night, we watched a video called "Buyer Be Fair," which explained "Fair Trade" and "Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)" certifications. That led to a discussion about labels on products. The idea of Fair Trade, C.A.F.E. practices, and the Rainforest Alliance is to enforce by persuasion. Fair Trade costs more money to buy, as does organic. By paying more, the consumer has the power to elevate the standard of living for the growers.
That night, while Andrew brushed his teeth in our bathroom, a gecko dropped on him from the ceiling. Cynthia, our teammate from the Forest Service, helped us safely catch & release the lizard.
Thursday, August 13:
Today, I finally adjusted to the time zone change. I rode to the site again with Natalia's group. In the Land Rover, I sat shotgun & DJ'd her iPod. I played Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle" to get everyone pumped.
We met the farmer that day, too. It turned out that he had lived in Keyport, NJ once for about a year. Small world! That day, I took soil samples with Clement. Clement and Audrey are 2 student interns from France who are there studying abroad for the summer. Clement was very animated, like TV's Mr. Bean. I helped count plant density, weighed mulch, and dug soil. The farmer cut us a stem of guineo (a small, starch banana variety) to eat as a snack.
His daughter also came out and interviewed some of us. She is studying journalism at the University.
At the lab, I ate Tres Leches cake, a traditional Costa Rican desert made for 3 types of milk. Next, we all headed to a cafe for more coffee drinks. I picked up some souvenirs there, as well.
At the cabins, Sebastian arrived with a Hello Kitty piñata for Natalia's birthday. She used a plunger to break it, which made for some funny pictures!
Friday, August 14:
I went that day with Sebastian's team to Firma Miramar (Seaview Farm). It was very steep and buggy. We were able to see the Pacific Ocean from our spot! Unfortunately, I did not feel well. As a precaution, I took Cipro, a powerful prescription given for "traveler's disease."
I only counted 3 transects and I sat out in the Land Cruiser for the remaining few hours. Luckily, the medicine was effective.
That evening, we went to Natalia's family's house. We had the opportunity to see where our food came from. Her father had an expansive garden, a compost heap, and even a system to capture and store methane form the cow. Sebastian's mother visited, too. Sebastian will be studying in Burlington, VT this fall and she came to help him pack. She was the first woman in Costa Rica to earn a masters degree. She teaches history at the University of Costa Rica, in San Jose. I learned a lot about Latin American history over our dinner.
Saturday, August 15:
I joined Natalia's team at a sustainable farm. Sebastian's team went to an organic farm. On the way to the farm, we went to the farmer's market. So many fresh & local fruits were for sale!
That day was Mother's Day and the market was especially crowded.
Next, we went to the farm. We saw the Panamanians, who pick the coffee beans, there. They live in very poor conditions.
The bean counting today was smooth and efficient. I was feeling much better!
We also met the farmer. Even though he didn't speak English, he still remembered all of our names. He brought us some uchua fruit to eat, too. It was sweet and delicious. After we finished working, Natalia called Sebastian's cell phone to rub in that we were done first. The joke, it turned out, was on us - his team was already at the lab! Since we thought we had time to kill, we toured the farm. We stood quietly and listened to the song birds. It was very tranquil.
That evening, we watched a presentation from Sebastian called "Sustaining Agriculture: Sustaining Life."
Global Agriculture Sustainability May08
View more presentations from Matthew Farber.
Next, Natalia presented a PowerPoint about coffee. Coffee is second only to oil in commodities trading. Costa Rica only grows high-quality arabica beans. A discussion followed.
The highlight that night was a huge barbecue at Natalia's family's house.
Sunday, August, 16:
Sebastian drove us to the airport. The week went fast and we learned so much! Time now to exchange pictures!
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