Costa Rica’s 2010 Sportfishing Season Ends

"The anglers were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of roosterfish danced in their heads". Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, who wrote 'Twas the Night before Christmas' almost 200 years ago, for this bit of poetic license. Of course, had he been a fisherman — and we can't rule that out — he would surely understand. There was more than roosterfish on the mind of Steve Hanna and … [Read more...]

Carbon Neutrality for Costa Rica By 2030?

Little did we all know but that tiny Costa Rica is one of only four countries in the world that has set a concrete goal of Carbon neutrality by the year 2030. Former Environment Minister Roberto Dobles said the tiny, jungle-cloaked Central American nation would clean up its fossil fuel-fired power plants, promote hybrid vehicles and increase tree planting to balance its emissions. "The goal … [Read more...]

Decreasing Carbon Footprints: Building Green in Costa Rica

“Green’ Construction or decreasing "Carbon Footprints" in the beach areas of Costa Rica is a doubly demanding task as the weather conditions reach two extremes for a considerable period of time depending on what part of the country you are in. In the dry tropical rain forest in the Province of Guanacaste the rainy season and the dry season are on full throttle roughly half the year. The green … [Read more...]

Eco-friendly Architecture and Home in Costa Rica

The beauty of Eco-friendly architecture is that you are tapping into and amplifying the peace and exhilaration of nature. Since graduating from Santa Clara University with a double major in environmental studies and anthropology I have remodeled and landscaped our family vacation home into a luxury villa which is now available to rent by night, week or month. When I first walked the hill above … [Read more...]

Poaching of Costa Rica Sea Turtle Eggs – Turtle Poll

If you are over 50, have traveled a lot or lived in Mexico or Central America, particularly the coastal areas, you ate turtle. Sea Turtle is an awesome tasting seafood, whose bright-red, bloody meat would turn angel white just seconds after hitting a fry pan that was lightly seasoned in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Turtle meat and eggs are a delicacy and a way of life in many countries, … [Read more...]

Sea Turtle Extinction – Harvesting or Thieves

We have just discovered why the Costa Rica sea turtle is going extinct, it is not being trapped in fishing nets, pollution,  global warming or tourism development, but local Costa Rican's  over harvesting eggs where many are starting to claim, it has becomes an illegal attack against nature. The above photographs [that have been plastered all over the internet],  show the destruction and/or … [Read more...]

Fincas Natural Wildlife Refuge – Butterfly Botanical Gardens

Did you know that there are approximately 2000 species of butterflies in Costa Rica? Or  that of all of the eggs laid, only about 2% complete metamorphosis to become butterflies?  Did you know that some butterflies copulate for four hours at a time? Or that all  butterflies lay their eggs at mid-day? How many of you know that the Blue Morpho's  brilliant color is not a pigment, but actually a … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s Crocodile Threatened – Global Warming or Pollution?

Costa Rica is nature’s theater where the crocodile is just one of many where one-day tourism loves its production of jagged, snaring teeth and prehistoric features. And crocodile attacks are considered one of the most gruesome. With that said, crocodiles annually attract thousands of tourists on the river Tárcoles  where they come out of the bridges or  board boats or display their shows as Costa … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s Endangered Species – The Shrimp Fishermen

If there was a golden opportunity for Costa Rica to capitalize on a need of Gringo's taste buds,  and to help stimulate their economy it is now. But unfortunately, for a country that has been one of the heavy weights of ecology, they, have turned their backs on a major eco problem that if not corrected, will have sever consequences. Back in May, 2005 the U.S. had banned Costa Rica Shrimp … [Read more...]

Cutris de San Carlos Gold Mine Looses Appeals Court – Will It Be The Start Of Another Battle?

During Ms. Chinchilla presidential campaign, she had gone on record that she opposed any new open pit mines. This week it appears that she kept  her promise by influencing the judges when the appeals courts declined to lift a ban on the open pit gold mine in Cutris de San Carlos. The company, Industrias Infinito S.A., (Costa Rican subsidiary of a Canadian company), cannot keep developing the … [Read more...]

Lionfish Threatens Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast

Back in June, 2009,  Costa Rica scientists were ranting and raving how they discovered a new species of Lionfish, and almost a year later they now have second thoughts. As protesters, protested at the Corte Suprema de Justicia on Earth Day, of why Corte Suprema gave a green light to reopen a Gold Mine that threatened water contamination and wildlife, eco-scientists on the Caribbean coast are … [Read more...]

Costa Rica Gold Mine Opens – Sparks Protests on International Earth Day

The Costa Rican Supreme Court (Sala IV) ruled last Friday that a small Canadian mining company can proceed with its open-pit gold mine, striking down complaints from environmental groups that the project was destroying virgin forest. "After reviewing the official studies we did not find that this mining project will negatively affect the environment. So the project will go ahead," Vanlly … [Read more...]