Nine of Costa Rica’s Indigenous languages are in danger of extinction according to the 2009 edition of the Atlas of Languages in Danger, a publication of UNESCO (United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization).  Those are: Guaymí, Bribri, Cabécar, Criollo Limonense, Ngäbere, Guatuso, Boruca, Teribe, and Chorotega.  The publication states that of the 6,000 languages in the world, 2,500 are at risk.  The levels of danger are according to the following scale….vulnerable, in danger, seriously threatened, critical and finally, extinct.  Those listed as being at the level of “in danger” are Guaymí, Bribri, Cabécar, and Criollo Limonense.  The reason they are less threatened than the others is that there are still children learning and speaking these languages.  The Ngäbere and Guatuso languages are considered seriously threatened because only grandparents and those of older generations are still speaking the languages.  The situation with Boruca, Teribe, and Chorotega is considered critical because like the previous two, only grandparents and older generations are still speaking, but even so only partially and with scarce frequency.  In fact, it is estimated that only 16 persons are currently using the Chorotega language, making it almost extinct already.  Since in Costa Rica 97% of the population speaks Spanish, the Indians are letting their languages die out in order to be able to better cope with the Spanish speaking society in which they live.  According to Costa Rican linguist, Adolfo Constenla, effort must be taken to conserve the indigenous languages.  One idea is to give scholarships to students to study the languages and to prepare them as teachers of indigenous languages as a way to conserve the cultural richness of Costa Rica. 

Link to Article in La Nación

I remember when I first arrived to Costa Rica some eight years ago.  The plane landed and we were ushered into a tiny airport lobby.  Nothing like the modern facility that greets tourists arriving to Juan Santamaría these days.  One thing that was striking, however, was the beautiful mural on the back wall depicting various scenes from Costa Rica’s past. I now know my Costa Rican history and those scenes from the past are of Costa Rica’s civil war of 1948, when Don “Pepe” Figueres wrestled the country from the hands of a would-be dictatorship.  The mural was painted in 1954 by the Italian artist Luciano Ranucci and is known as El Mural de la Segunda Repúbica.  It adorned the main entrance lobby of the airport until 2002, or for 48 years.  It is an oil painting on 22 wooden planks of 6 centimeters in thickness.  The mural was taken down when the old building was demolished to make way for our new modern airport.  At this moment the famous mural is in the custody of the Museo de Arte Costarricense, even though it remains the legal property General Director of Civil Aviation.  So why is it so hard to find a place to display it for the enjoyment of Costa Ricans and visitors?  According to Alberto Calderón, a student at the Universidad Nacional, who is investigating the piece as part of his thesis in Latin American Studies, the problem is the large dimensions of the work.  The mural is 4.44 meters in height and 13.19 meters in length and it has been impossible to find a place adequately large to display it.  One possible answer is to display only portions of the piece at a time.  But Calderón explains that since the mural tells a story, it is not adequate to display it in parts.  Also, the place where it is eventually displayed needs to be consisted with conditions that will guarantee the security of the piece and protect it from the elements and from other “plagues” that could damage it.  While there are ideas in the aire, there is nothing definite as of yet.

Link to Article in La Nación

Scientists from UCR (University of Costa Rica) have discovered a new species of frog in the Talamanca mountains that appears to be unique to Costa Rica.  The frog has been christened the Diasporus ventrimaculatus and belongs to a family of frogs (Spanish name, Ranas Campana) that are known for their songs that are similar to a whistle.  The frog lives at a very high altitude of 2,500 meters, so it is well adapted to cold weather, living in areas with temperatures lower than 17 degrees Celsius.  The frog is extremely small at only two centimeters in length.  The thing that is most unique, however, is the drastic color difference between the male and female frogs.  The males are a bright orange with black spots, possibly in order to fool predators into believing it is poisonous (since many poisonous rain forest frogs are brightly colored), or maybe to attract the female.  The female is a dark color, almost black, with small while spots.  The young frogs are a wine color with black and white spots.  This distinct coloration between the male and female frogs has only been observed before in the now distinct Sapo Dorado of Monteverde.  The male frogs are the only ones that have the capacity to sing and do so between 5:00 and 6:00 PM every evening.  Scientists have confirmed the existence of some 1,000 of this species in the Talamanca range.  They had initially observed the frog in 2008, but did not want to announce their finding until they were sure they had discovered a new species. 

Link to Article in La Nación

An investigation at the Universidad Nacional (UNA) has discovered that tree waste, specifically waste from Teak, Cypress and Melina, can be converted to a methanol bio-fuel.  The fuel is a light, colorless, flammable and toxic fuel extracted from the roots, leaves, bark, and branches of these trees.  These tropical trees, that are widely grown and harvested in Costa Rica for use in construction, have certain physical and chemical qualities that make them highly suited for conversion as a bio-combustible fuel that when burned emit far less “greenhouse gases” than traditional fossil fuels.  In fact almost 80% of the commercial wood grown and processed in Costa Rica are teak and melina.  Cypress also factors in, but in much less quantities than the other two.  For instance in 2007, it is estimated that from these three types of trees 190,000 tons of waste was produced.  From each ton of such waste, it is possible to produce 300 liters of methanol fuel. However, UNA readily admits that for this form of fuel to be commercially viable, it must be capable of being processed at a competitive price.  In order to do this, it will require that production be at a very large “industrial” scale.  A great benefit from using the waste to produce fuel is that otherwise it will be allowed to decompose.  Decomposing tree waste emits toxic methanol into the air and this is 21 times more contaminating to the atmosphere than CO2.  There are some negative factors as well.  Primarily the fact that methanol fuel is very toxic to humans and when there is exposure serious harmful effects can occur, such as blindness.

Link to Article in La Nación

I recently wrote about my experience at Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Nature Reserve, one of the three hotels that make up the Green Hotels Group (the others are Si Como No and Aguila de Osa Inn).  All three hotels are pioneers of sustainability in Costa Rica, along with the founder of the Group and owner of Villa Blanca and Si Como No, Jim Damalas.  The U.S. environmental conservation organization known as Rain Forest Alliance, whose mission is the preservation of the planet’s disappearing tropical forests, has recognized this group for its outstanding achievements and innovations in the area of sustainable tourism.  The award bestowed is the “Corporate Sustainable Trend Setters Award” that the Alliance offers annually at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.  The award was given to Damalas and the Green Hotels Group for “their continued dedication, innovation, and leadership in the area of environmental conservation.”  Among the winners of past awards included the likes of Walter Cronkite, Ted Turner, and even our own Nature Air of Costa Rica.  The Green Hotels group seeks to pioneer a new innovation of small “boutique” hotels that are dedicated to environmental sustainability, what Damalas calls, “greentique.”  The commitment of these hotels to sustainability has been recognized by Costa Rica’s CST program (Certificate for Sustainable Tourism).  Two of the hotels, Villa Blanca and Si Como No, have received the highest level awarded by the program.  The Group has also been recognized for its commitment by the sustainable tourism program of the Rain Forest Alliance, the World Heritage Alliance, and the United Nations Foundation.  Villa Blanca also has the distinction of being the first Costa Rica hotel to host a research center in partnership with InBio (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad). 

Here is what the Rain Forest Alliance said about the Green Hotels Group on their web page…..

Propelled by founder Jim Damalas’ vision for a collection of sustainably designed, developed and managed properties, Green Hotels of Costa Rica created Si Como No Resort and Spa in 1993. The group expanded 10 years later with Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel and Nature Reserve and Aguila de Osa Inn. Green Hotels are a model of social, environmental and economic responsibility, boasting some of the lowest hotel employee turnover rates in Costa Rica. All employees receive full benefits and the eco-responsible properties abide by strict water usage and treatment guidelines, recycle waste and have installed units to produce solar energy.

Link to Article in El Financiero

The marble sculptures of Costa Rican artist Jorge Jiménez Deredia, are not just beautiful, they are BIG!  So far three of the sixty pieces that will be placed in certain locations throughout historic Rome have been set in their places.  The pieces weigh between 10 and 32 tons, so putting them in place is no easy task.  The exhibit will be known as “Deredia a Roma” and is set to be inaugurated on June 22nd.  So far the pieces that have been set in place are “Encuentro en Mármol” at the Arch of Titus, and “Génesis de Costa Rica” and “Canto a la Vida,” both placed at the Temple of Venus.  The work of placing the sculptures took a large tow truck, three smaller trucks, and ten persons who specialize in this type of work.  The artist himself expressed delight at the placing of the sculptures, which he said harmonize well with the arcs and circles that are evident in ancient Roman architecture.  Work has already begun on placing the next nine sculptures. and it is expected to take a month to complete the work of placing all 60 of them.

Read More about the Exhibit at the Jiménez Deredia Web Site

Walter Ferguson was born in Guabito, Panama in May of 1919. His family soon settled in Costa Rica and he spent most of his childhood in Jamaica Town, a neighborhood in Puerto Limon. There he lived in his aunt´s house, where he used to receive organ lessons. His parents moved to Cahuita, a small village in the far south of the province of Limon, where he lives until today.  From an early age, he showed a grand interest in music and he learned to play the harmonica, guitar and clarinet. As a clarinet player, he started the group “Miserable” with other Limonese calypsonians. This was in the 1950s.  In the 60s, he began to write calypsos and until now, he has written over a hundred songs of great quality and cultural relevance for Limonese people.  Ferguson, also known as Gavitt, was always present in calypso challenges held in different points of the Caribbean coast. From the town of Bluefields, Nicaragua to Bocas del Toro in Panama, calypsonians would move by boat, horse, train or truck to compete in improvisation contests and Mr. Ferguson´s fame travelled along with other big names as Panama´s Lord Cobra, or Limonese singers Papa Tun and Shanti.  More recently, Walter Ferguson used to record his music in audiocassettes to sell the tourists in Cahuita. Each tape was unique, an original, personal concert for each person who requested a souvenir.  Mr. Ferguson has received several recognitions, such as the Popular Culture Award given by the Ministry of Culture, the ACAM Award, and the Ancora Prize by La Nación newspaper. His songs honestly reflect the idiosyncrasy of the Afro Costa Rican community and a part of the country´s culture most ignored by the State of Costa Rica. Mr. Ferguson jokes about the calypsonian´s naïve spirit, often misunderstood and persecuted, taken advantage of by glamour girls who call him “sugar candy” or bullied by policemen, and portrays Afro Costa Rican life with simplicity and creativity. His work has been interpreted by other Costa Rican artists like Manuel Monestel and band Cantoamérica since the 1980s, which has made his work known in other areas of the country and abroad.

Above text borrowed from site http://mp3.mondomix.com/walterferguson.

On the 4th of May in the year 1910, what many citizens of Cartago had feared, due to the many “temblors” or small earthquakes they had been experiencing, happened…the big one!  The earthquake of 1910 measured 6.7 on the Richter Scale and virtually destroyed the city, leaving some 700 dead.  When the event occurred Cartago had a population of 13,000 persons and once had been the colonial capital of Costa Rica.  The reconstruction of the city ensued over the next year, but many “Cartagineses” left the city for other parts of the country.  These are the reflections of a new book with vivid photos of the tragedy entitled Terremoto, by the historian Franco Fernández Esquivel.  The earthquake occurred at the beginning of the administration of President Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno, one of Costa Rica’s most beloved presidents.  In the process of the reconstruction the city asked permission to the Catholic church to demolish the Iglesia that had been under construction prior to the quake, but the church never gave the permission.  Therefore, still standing today are the “Ruinas de Cartago” one the last remaining vestiges of the 1910 quake that can be seen today.  One of the most noted victims of the quake was the poet Rafael Angel Troyo, who tried to take shelter in a church, but died when a beam fell on top of him and crushed him.  After the quake the people of the city were warned to “sleep in the streets” in fear of replicas that could cause more structural damages to the few buildings that remained standing.  There were many theories as to what triggered the quake, some saying that is was the fault known as Agua Caliente, while others attributed it to the passing of Halley’s Comet.  An interesting anecdote is that of a person known as Pedro Nolasco Gutiérrez, who had predicted the tragedy in the weeks before it occurred.  According to the book by Esquivel, throughout the decade of the 50’s almanacs were published with “predictions of Nolasco,” who was at that time known as the “Nostradamus Costarricense.”

Click for a Site with some great historic photos of the event…..

According to Fundación MarViva in a recent article in El Financiero some 99% of Costa Rica’s coastal waters are unprotected and the exploitation of marine species for fishing, both commercial and sport, are putting at risk this important ecosystem.  MarViva is an organization that promotes the establishment of protected marine areas in the oceans of Latin America and the Caribbean.   Costa Rica adheres to Convention for Biological Diversity and has made a commitment to declare at least 10% of its coastal waters as protected areas.  However, according to MarViva, up until now little has been done to comply with this commitment.  This finding is consistent with the recent declaration in Forbes that Costa Rica is the 5th cleanest country on the planet.  According to the Forbes article, while Costa Rica got high marks in most areas of the study, it did not score well in terms of protecting its marine ecosystems.  An example cited by MarViva is the diminishing amount of shrimp in Costa Rica’s waters, a reduction of more than 50% from 1997 to 2008.  Types of fish that had once been plentiful in Costa Rica waters, such as pargos, corvinas, meros, róbalos, jureles, macarelas, and cabrillas today are today more scarce and also of smaller size.  Fishermen are also turning to other species, which before were not viewed as having much commercial value, such as sharks and flounder. In the sport-fishing environment, in recent tournaments it seems that anglers are catching much fewer pez vela (or sailfish) than in years past.  MarViva stated that the situation of the coastal waters is similar to the environmental protection afforded to terrestrial ecosystems, which through the 1980’s had been greatly damaged due to widespread deforestation.  Once the government recognized how vital these resources were and took decisive action to protect them, positive results began to take place and today Costa Rica is reaping much benefit from those efforts.  The same thing now needs to take place with respect to marine ecosystems and MarViva is promoting a campaign to assure that they are protected and that resources are used in a sustainable manner.

Link to Article in El Financero