Thursday 12. of February 2009

 

It has been a busy couple of weeks in meetings, arranging and onsite inspections, but things are starting to look like they are coming together. The program has slowly come together with a wide range of activities and happenings prepared and ready to go. A busy and productive couple of weeks.

So much has been going on, the only way to find time to write this blog is while we drive back to San Jose to pick up the documentary crew and attend a seminar with Pamela Cox, the Vice President of the World Bank in Central America and the Caribbean, UICN (Costa Rican branch of the Swiss based World Conservation Federation), members of the Environmental Ministry and a number of  representatives from NGO’s active in the country. The topics under discussion are:
-    The warming and devastation of  mountain eco systems in the Andes.
-    The decolouration of the reefs and possible collapse of the eco systems in the Carabin Sea.
-    The growing swamp regions and coast systems in the Gulf of Mexico.
-    The collapse of Rain Forests of the Amazon
Needless to say it is going to be a very interesting seminar, particularly to see the most recent scientific studies and to understand what, if any, coordinated action is being planed and if so what that is.

On a more local level the past two weeks has been spent visiting many of the different locals organizations involved in projects around the Nicoya and visiting some of the locations planned for the Breathe week. With the first of our documentary filmers, Mone Monsberger on location for the week, we’ve put together our first teaser for the week.

We spent time at the Gallarie Inspiracion with owners Doug Rhodes and Malika who will be holding the Arts&Crafts workshops in their Gallery. We visited the Montezuma region and made the hike to the spectacular waterfalls just outside the town. An amazing hike up through fauna rich jungle. We visited Mary and her tireless group of volunteers at the Rainsong Sanctuary, a non-profit organization devoted to animal protection and re-introduction of native animals now pushed out of the area through hunting and human encroachment into their habitat. Mary gave us a tour of the animals they were trying to nurse back to health including a tiny Howler monkey, Red River turtles, Toucans, pigmy skunk, ant eaters, White Faced monkeys, porcupines and many more. Totally amazing work by a highly dedicated group.

In Santa Teresa a full moon party saw the first full on set by our visiting Ibiza resident, DJ Malte of Real XS,  who pulled down an impressive, full power set until the moon fell into the ocean. A meeting with the local football clubs finalized the Breathe Football Tournament, a Junior’s contest from the local schools and an International Breathe Team up against the three local clubs.

Finally, the charity auction on www.mycharitablelife.com set up to raise money for the public schools in the region is set up and out there. A circular concept that combines a horse trip through a nature reserve ending at a local school where the Breathe party helps the kids plant seeds of trees that the kids will plant in May at the start of the wet season, earning a computer for every 1000 trees they plant into the reserve.

The sun is out, waves are back and whales are playing just off the coast.

Pura Vida.