The Park is part of this nation’s system of conservation areas that includes 11 conservation regions, 25 national parks, 10 biological reserves, 47 wildlife refuges, and 11 forest reserves.  The students were introduced to the park by one of our principal hosts, Giovanny Soto.  He discussed the biodiversity of his country, its national park system, and Carara’s place in both.  “Carara” means “river of crocodiles” in a local dialect and was once part of “El Coyolar”, one of Costa Rica’s largest haciendas.  The Park covers a unique transitional zone between the tropical dry forests of the north and the moist forests in the south.  The Park is the sanctuary of over 320 species of birds, a variety of mammals, and crocodiles.  Tourism started in the Park in 1980 and peaked in 1994 as Carara hosted over 44,000 visitors.  According to Giovanny, the Park’s mission is “To preserve and conserve the natural resources, through promoting research, and to grow awareness by environmental education in local communities and by the visitor’s experience in the park.”  He also described the park’s global importance because it is an ornithological sanctuary for over 300 Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao).    

 

Research conducted included both bird counts and water quality monitoring of two rivers. Service work for the park was quite varied: everything from tearing down dilapidated bridges to grouting the new bathrooms. Of course, we had a lot of fun, too. There was always something to see when hiking through the park and  sometimes it was nice to just sit and relax after a day of work and fun.

Field Site 1: Carara National Park

 

Field Site 2: Corcovado National Park