Sustainable Development School For Field Studies In Costa Rica

Today, I got a chance as a reporter to do something that I would love to have done as a college student. We went to the School For Field Studies (SFS) in Alajuela, Costa Rica. They offer study abroad opportunities for college students- both semester and summer programs. Students from around the world come to study sustainable development in the field. It was an incredible opportunity to visit The SFS Center For Sustainable Development Studies and get to see a bit of the work they do first hand. I wanted to stay but I am already a mother with kids to head back to.

School For Field Studies In Costa Rica

The SFS Center For Sustainable Development Studies campus includes an orange and mango farm which covered 13.5 acres and includes a 6.9 acre protected forest area.

orange trees on Rainforest Alliance Certified Farm

The farm achieved Rainforest Alliance Certification in 2011.

The Center For Sustainable Development Studies Is Rainforest Alliance Certified

What interested me was to see what motivated The Center For Sustainable Development Studies to strive for Rainforest Alliance Certification. We interviewed three professors and they said that they liked the standards and protocol of the certification process. Before certification, they said, they had ideas for sustainability but they weren’t long term or integrated.

Another thing that they found attractive about Rainforest Alliance certification is the fact that they can integrate the learnings to students and serve as a model to community. They can spread to the community what the community can actually see for themselves works.

They said that becoming certified starts with the commitment and measuring that process. A key part of it is learning and discovering the benefits of each part of the certification process which includes 10 principles. They also said cultural challenges are the biggest hurdle to overcome- as simple as turning off the lights or composting instead of burning.

The biggest impact on the students and the teachers is the resulting life commitment to sustainable practices. This made my heart swoon because I could tell it was true for the teachers and again when I interviewed some of the students, I could feel their passion and their eagerness to share everything they were learning about sustainability through everyday choices.

Here is a video clip of Dr. Sergio Molina telling us the top 10 benefits they have had from getting Rainforest Alliance Certification.

Guided Tour Of School For Field Studies, Center For Sustainable Development Studies In Costa Rica

After our Q & A session, we were brought for a guided tour of the farm. First we visited their dining area and saw their compost separation system.

Next we visited a special process they add to the composting of their oranges. They cut off life cycle of insects by cooking the oranges in metal barrels with the heat of the sun to kill any insect eggs before composting- a great way to fight crop pests without chemicals.

School For Field Studies Greenhouse

Our next stop was the green house where they plant all of the seedlings to keep them protected from iguanas.

We saw the orange trees and the mango trees and we also saw that they use a ground covering to protect the soil and prevent erosion. It is a nitrogen fixing legume.

One of the main pests they battle on the farm is the leaf cutter ant and here you can see a giant mound which is of course even larger under ground. They are trying diatomaceous earth with success as a way of combatting the ants but it is a lot of work applying it to each mound and reapplying.

We also got to see their farm animals and garden area which they use to feed the workers and students. Then we took a little trek through the forest and took a look at several awesome types of trees with unusual seed pods and crazy big thorn spikes. We found Caimito fruits which are a purple milky plum type of fruit. We also saw the national tree of Costa Rica, the Guanacaste, which has these big seed pods and they rattle when you shake them.

When we saw a termite nest up in the trees, the guide pointed out that it was important to the ecosystem for cleaning up the dead wood.

We were then treated to a lovely lunch of local foods and several students came to talk with us. I must say that it was a very inspiring experience and I was very heartened to witness the enthusiasm of these young students.

We were also treated to this strange fruit called a Granadilla. It looked like it was full of tadpole eggs which you swallow whole and it tasted like a cross between a grapefruit and a pear! I found out later that it was a passionfruit.