ENV 353F - National Parks and Protected Areas Field Study

Costa Rica has been successful in achieving economic growth and human development, even as the country has been able to preserve and restore much of its environment. By contrast, much of Central America, including Nicaragua, has experienced widespread deforestation, rapid population growth and considerable instability. In combination with several environmental factors, this has led to depressed living standards throughout the region. We will devote considerable attention to understanding these very different outcomes and consider appropriate models of sustainable development for the region. In Costa Rica, we visit a wide range of projects including coffee farms, wildlife refuges, national parks, craft cooperatives and energy facilities. In Nicaragua we visit the spectacular volcanic island of Ometepe, composed of two volcanoes, which emerges from the largest lake in Central America, the Cocibolca, the great Lake of Nicaragua. Co-requisite(s): ENV 353.