¡Pura Vida! Las Aventuras en Costa Rica

Here you can view my final project, hope you enjoy!

 

https://climatechangeincostarica.wordpress.com/

Go to this site to view my project draft, a blog about my research in Costa Rica. It is not finished yet, but I hope you enjoy it.

https://climatechangeincostarica.wordpress.com/

 

First off: What a wonderful trip that was! I am so excited to come back with fresh, new ideas to environmental problems we face.

I gathered pictures, videos, and voice recordings of various speakers, of various locations, and various impacts, some of which I had not previously thought about.

In the beginning I had wanted to create a video of my presentation, but now I feel like my project could be the most amplified and impactful in a website blog setting. There are so many different aspects, opinions, and sides to climate change effects on the Monteverde Cloud Forest that I honestly believe I could make a quality research project by presenting these outcomes in the forms of many blogs. Within the blogs I hope to use pictures, videos, and voice recordings still, as well as describing impacts with words. I hope to veer away from the normalized notion of video and expand my skills within technology and present a thorough research project.

On Wednesday 22th, of March we will be touring the Monteverde Cloud Forest. During this day I will be videoing, interviewing, and photographing Climate Change Effects on Monteverde’s Cloud Forest.

830am: Tour and bird watching through the reserve

Questions for speaker/tour guide:

• Ask if climate has affected migratory bird patterns in the reserve
• Since I have learned many bird species have been traveling upwards in the forests towards cooler climates, how has that affected other organisms and life that rely on the birds at lower altitudes?
• Has there been an increase/decrease in migratory birds coming here?

Lunch: video of reserves, animals, etc

Afternoon tour: Tour of institute and lecture with academic director at Monteverde’s Institute

Questions:

• How have you seen the reserve being affected by global warming?
• What are threats to species here?
• Are there any economic difficulties that could arise locally due to species either migrating or dying due to climate change?

Evening: Amphibian Decline – Mark Wainwright, naturalist

Questions:

• How has amphibian populations been affected by global warming?
• How has amphibian decline affected other species in the reserve? Competition increase/decrease? Habitats?
• What is the process of them recovering and is there hope for the future of their entire populations returning?

Overall: Use camera with shotgun microphone for most of the speakers probably because we will be a group setting. In my video for the final I want my video to show the Monteverde reserve as speakers talk about the affects climate change and global warming has placed on the species living and the humans surrounding the area.

I have decided to aim towards representing the effects climate change and global warming has had/will continue to have on life within the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

In an article from Tico Times, they discuss how the temperature rise has affected organisms that live in the cooler climate of the Cloud Forest. Over the years as global warming has increased there has been a loss of species in the Cloud Forest, especially in an  amphibians.  In a report from Tico Times, “Almost 50 percent of amphibians have disappeared in Monteverde [since the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve was created], because of the decrease in the rainfall”.

But the dry season and rise in temperature has not just affected amphibians that depend on the wetness, but birds and endemic species. Dr. Alan Pounds, researcher in Costa Rica, said,  “The main effect on birds is that low-zone species are extending their range upward in elevation to the cloud forest, [which means] there are species that shouldn’t be here. This affects resident species because of competition and predation, in some cases. There’s danger of losing endemic species.”

• http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/01/09/dealing-with-climate-change-in-costa-ricas-treasured-monteverde-cloud-forest

The Canopy in the Clouds does a good job of describing the Cloud Forests, what types of organisms live there and how the Canopy of Trees affects the lower altitude organisms and environment.

• http://www.canopyintheclouds.com/learn/canopy

In my project I want to video the current conditions of the Cloud Forest organisms that currently live there, specifically birds and amphibians. I then want to do interviews with guide tours, locals, and maybe even researchers at the Monteverde Institute on how they view global warming affecting the forest. I think getting a well rounded view of different perspectives from within and outside the scientific community would be good to present how they see climate change happening in the forest.

My overall project will be a ~3-4 minute video. As well as interviews and videos of the forest I want to have section of photographs in the video perhaps showing a change in physical appearance, if any, the Cloud Forest has had within the past 30 years. In the end of my video I want to provide a brief overview of what you, as the audience, can do to help decrease global warming effects.

My audience is intended for everyone! I hope that all climate change enthusiasts, as well as uninformed citizens on climate change and its impacts on the environment, view the video and hope to take action in their lives to preserve such a special ecosystem!

Some problems I may run into are interviews. I want to get a variety of opinions and that may not be possible in certain situations.

Overall, I am ecstatic to be researching and interviewing those who care about protecting the diversity within the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Exportation of crops on Costa Rica’s Economy:

Pro

• There is a wide variety of crops grown in Costa Rica
• Interviews with farmers that grow for export
• Interviews with farmers that grow for the country/region

Con 

• Might not acquire reputable sources
• Have to get all video/interviews/sounds in one take
• Not as interesting to the audience

Ecotourism

Pro

• Interesting subject for audience
• Envelope exports, economy, destruction of environment in relation to tourism in CR

Con

• May have troubles with interviews
• Not visit many touristic spots in Central Costa Rica as in coastal regions

Projects being done at the Monteverde Institute:

Pro

• INTERESTING
• Gain insight onto how Monteverde institute affects the locals
• Information regarding the sustainable practices
• Professional connections for future job careers in CR

Con 

• May not be able to gain access to many projects
• No projects could be in session

Welcome to my page! Here I will be writing about trip projects, Costa Rica, and my experiences there!