Today we had a long and windy journey to Playa Uvita. We were sad to leave UGA campus and Monteverde, but we were excited to get to the beach! Along the way, we got to stop and check out a family of crocodiles living in a river. There's never a dull moment in Costa Rica!
So we journeyed
Down the mountain
Seeking new adventures
When we got here we went on a walking tour of the Playa Uvita community. Our wonderful guide Wayne told us all about the history of the little city and its current project to stop littering. Until about 2005, there was no organized trash pick up in Playa Uvita and so the community leaders have had a tough time convincing people to stop littering and to use the new trash cans they have set up throughout the city. One important aspect of the campaign is stickers that say (roughly) "I don't litter." Children who see other children or adults littering while wearing the stickers will run up and take the sticker from the person who littered. Undoubtedly, the person asks why the child took away the sticker and the child then has the chance to explain why littering is bad. So far, the campaign has been making progress. Normally, we would post some pictures here, but the guides encouraged us not to use cameras on the tour.
After a fantastic meal at a local restaurant, we got to learn about GIS and Geoporter and the marine debris tracker app for smart phones. We learned a lot about how the data collected using these technologies can be used and how much it can tell us about our changing environment in real time. We have a big day of snorkeling ahead of us tomorrow! Buenas noches!
Pura Vida,
-Jaclyn Levin
After a fantastic meal at a local restaurant, we got to learn about GIS and Geoporter and the marine debris tracker app for smart phones. We learned a lot about how the data collected using these technologies can be used and how much it can tell us about our changing environment in real time. We have a big day of snorkeling ahead of us tomorrow! Buenas noches!
Pura Vida,
-Jaclyn Levin