A 2007 study by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OET) showed that around the biological research center of La Selva, in Sarapiqui, the frog populations have decreased some 75% in the last 38 years.  This has motivated the OET to launch a campaign for protection of these delicate jungle creatures, which the OET claims are biological indicators of the health of the earth’s ecosystems.  Why are the frogs dying?  Reasons cited for the dramatic decrease in the populations of La Selva include drought that results in less plant foliage and thus less of the leaves that provide space for the frogs to reproduce.  Another reason cited is the use of chemicals in agriculture.  Also cited as a factor is the increase in temperatures at night.  One of the prime factors especially in higher and colder altitudes like Sarapiqui is the proliferation of a mushroom that is deadly to the frog.  This is the same mushroom that is believed to be responsible for the earlier disappearance of the Sapo Dorado Holdridge (see previous blog post).  The OET will produce a calendar that features photos and information of the frogs that are most endangered to create greater awareness among the public that something needs to be done for their protection.  Proceeds from sales of the calendars will go to increase investigation into ways to prevent further diminishing of the frog populations in La Selva. The calendars are available in the office of the OET at the Universidad de Costa Rica.

Link to Article in La Nación

There may just be a “silver lining” for Costa Rica in the economic cloud hanging over the U.S. these days.   Costa Rica’s tourism sector and the powers that be that regulate it have long been focused on the concept of ”sustainable tourism.”  The Tourism Ministry (ICT) sponsors a program entitled Certificate for Sustainable Tourism that is open for all hotels and tour operators.   I recently posted about the CST Program.  It measures the commitment of an enterprise to sustainability on four factors that include environmental impacts, internal policies such as energy conservation and waste management, and social interaction with its clients and with the community at large.  Lately I have observed through emails from Canatur (the Tourism Chamber) that sustainability seems to be on every-one’s mind.  In the short-term, all of us in the tourism industry may feel some pain from the economic turmoil, coupled with the fact that it is a presidential election year.   Heck, I am already feeling it.  I don’t believe you can seriously try to compare it with the slowdown experienced in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.  During that period people were just downright afraid to travel anywhere.  The current economic issue is more of a wait and see problem.  People are too focused on what is going to happen between now and the November election day and just aren’t predisposed to make vacationing decisions until then.  In the medium to long-term, the fact that folks will be watching their dollars a little more closely may mean that they will make vacation choices closer to home and to places that are affordable, like, for instance, Costa Rica! 

But where does ”sustainability” fit into the picture.  Well the centerpiece of both presidential candidates’ economic (and national security) policies is their energy policy.  The U.S. desires energy independence and the focus in the coming years will likely be on, you guessed it, sustainability in terms of energy conservation and utilization of clean and renewable sources.  This is not only due to the recent rises in prices of energy, but also concerns about global warming and national security (as John McCain often remarks, “we are sending too much money to buy oil from countries that don’t like us very much”).  In other words, sustainability is and will be “in vogue” for the next decade.  Costa Rica offers a great platform for practicing sustainability. After all, it is one of the world’s most important natural playgrounds.  Developers will likely be attracted to Costa Rica to create and showcase developments that are models of sustainability.  Take the proposed development in Guanacaste by Steve Case (founder of AOL) for example.  Tourists equally interested in the concept of sustainability will look at vacationing in Costa Rica as a way to make them feel good about themselves, environmentally speaking, and will be a way to “show-off” as to how environmentally minded they are. 

On a purely economic motivational level, wealthy Americans who are concerned about the socialistic leanings of an Obama administration, may look at Costa Rica as a viable option for retirement, or to relocate in pursuit of commercial endeavors, perhaps with environmentally sustainable tourism.  Retirees on fixed incomes also may look at Costa Rica as a more affordable option for retirement living than the U.S. (the weather, beaches, mountains, and overall natural beauty of the place doesn’t hurt either).  These economic motivations aren’t new.  They have been at work for some time, but may be accelerated due to current economic and political conditions in the U.S.

All of the above may mean that Costa Rica’s tourism grows as sustainable development grows.  Costa Rica has been of interest to the U.S. for the past decade or more, primarily due to proximity and the fact that it offers a little bit of paradise for all ages and interests groups.  The sustainability movement may give rise to a new level of interest as the environmental consciousness of the world rises.  As I heard Bill O’Reilly quip the other night, if the U.S. goes to hell in a hand-basket, “we’ll all have to move to Costa Rica.”  I say come on down, the water is nice.  But mind your manners while you are here!

I have written in the past of Costa Rican frogs that have become endangered due to the proliferation of a certain mushroom.  This particular mushroom is covered with a film that sticks to the skin of the frog.  Since the frog breathes through its skin, this film causes the frog to suffocate.  Now a frog that was endemic to the high-country of my home province of Heredia has been declared extinct.  This frog is known as the Holdridge and is a very small frog of a black and orange color.  What made this frog particularly unique among the many species of Costa Rica is that it was completely deaf-mute.  The frog lived in areas of the Central Valley mountains, principally Heredia, at altitudes on average of 2,270 meters (around 7,500 feet).  The frog has been very easy to observe in the months of April through May.  Outside of this time period, however, observations were very rare.  The frog’s behavior was quite interesting.  During the mating season they would gather in groups by the roadside where the male frogs would look for females to mate with.  The male frogs would mate with the females by hugging them tightly.  However, often other frogs would be caught in this frantic process and would be literally “hugged” to death.  Of course the other aspect that made this species of frog peculiar was that they had no auditory system (internal nor external). For this reason they had no ability to communicate with other frogs through sound.  Such deaf-muteness in frogs is rare and generally only occurs in sites where there is so much noise that the amphibians must find other ways to communicate, states Gerardo Chaves, scientist with the University of Costa Rica.  The main reason cited for the frog becoming extinct is that the global warming has contributed to the proliferation of the deadly mushroom that was a threat to this species and remains a threat to many other endangered species of frogs in Costa Rica.  Chaves stated that while it is not a rare thing for a frog (or sapo) to become extinct, it was amazing to him to see one that had before been so abundant to just vanish before our very eyes.

Link to Article in La Nación