Aero: Stephanie Strassner – Costa Rica 2013 – Biodiversity
Aero: Stephanie Strassner – Costa Rica 2013 – Biodiversity
Aero: Stephanie Strassner – Costa Rica 2013 – Biodiversity
In Costa Rica we had the opportunity to travel around a bit and see the different climates and animal life. In Rochester we get all four seasons; summer, winter, spring, and fall. In Costa Rica we learned that they have basically two seasons, the dry and the rainy. We were there during the dry season. The whole time we were in Costa Rica it never rained and was sunny and warm. This was a total flip from the 30 degree weather we came from. What was interesting to experience though was the change in temperature when we went from lower elevation to higher elevation.
As we went higher up the temperature dropped. When we were told to bring a jacket or pants in the morning, when we were sweating, for our trip in the afternoon, at first some of us questioned if we really needed it. Well, we did. As soon as we traveled up higher, whether it was to a volcano or the cloud forest, regardless of how warm it was in Alajuela, it was colder higher up on the mountain. I expected maybe a little temperature drop, but some days the temperature drastically changed and it wasn’t until I looked out at a view that I realized how high we actually were. We also noticed that the higher we went up in elevation the plant life changed. Down in Alajuela and the surrounding areas, there were tall trees and plant life. The higher we went up, the plants became shorter. We talked about the oxygen level and pressure changes which affected the plants.
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During our time in Costa Rica we were able to go to a Zoo, which was really more like an animal reserve. We learned that Costa Rica does not really have zoo’s like we do in the US. So this place was mainly for animals that perhaps needed to be rehabilitated or could not survive in the wild for whatever reason. There were so many different types of animals and plants in this reserve. There were birds and reptiles and monkeys and plants that I had never seen before. We also had the opportunity to go to a garden. There were so many different types of plants, some that I had no idea what they were. It was really cool, though, to be able to see such a different variety plant life than back home. Everything seemed so green and brightly colored. Something we learned about Costa Rica and their view on their plant life is they do not believe in the cutting down of plants unnecessarily. We were told when we went to the air tram that other than the road that led to the facility, for miles around us in any direction, the land was untouched. I think that is a wonderful thing that nature is so highly respected and is a major priority in Costa Rica.
– Stephanie Strassner
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