This is an excerpt from an article written by Becca Bullen, a student at Point Loma Nazarene University who studied in Costa Rica in May 2022 as part of Au Sable’s course titled, “Sustainability, Tropical Agriculture, and Missions.” A link to the full article can be found below..
Bearing Hope in Costa Rica
When I first decided to enroll for a course through the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, I was overwhelmed by the opportunity to not only study something I love, but to do so in a country like Costa Rica. As an environmental studies major, I was excited to see how I could take my knowledge from my classes and apply it to my work in the field.
The course, titled Sustainability, Tropical Agriculture, and Missions, aims to teach students about sustainable solutions and explores topics including plant taxonomy, volcanology, biodiversity, and agroforestry. It is one of the approved off-campus field programs required for environmental science majors and open to environmental studies and biology majors as well as those minoring in environmental biology or sustainability studies.
On May 14, 2022, I boarded a plane from Los Angeles to San José. I was accompanied by two other PLNU students, biology major Jackie Helbert and environmental studies major Timmy Mooring, who shared in my excitement about this opportunity. We met up with seven other students from across North America and for three weeks, we traveled throughout the country, exploring different environments, studying unique species, learning from the locals and, of course, trying some of Costa Rica’s best snacks.
Of all of our adventures, though, there are a few that truly stood out to me and greatly inspired me: our trip to a local organic farm, our tour of a research-based coffee farm, and our visit with the local school.